Divinations: Blood of My Blood

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The hour was late.

It was a time of night that was shared between Master and Apprentice only; a time when younger heads rested upon pillows, small voices quieted by the rhythmic, steady breathing brought about by deep slumber.

Loklorien s'Ilancy enjoyed the silence that was so often prevalent in their nightly routine, using it more often that not to finish any duties that had been left unfinished from her steadily increasing workload. But now, this evening was something different. It was an evening unfettered by the normal drudgery of her day.

She stood before a small cabinet, her back to her Master, pouring a deep red wine into one glass, then another.

"I am curious," she started in an absent tone, "... what has the Force shown you of your future?"

[General Dan]

Questions such as these were hardly ever idle. They were loaded with implied prejudice, a desperate expectation of some pre-ordained outcome. Pausing at the mirror with his hairbrush, Dan looked at the reflection over his shoulder.

"Before you ask that question, you have a few questions you should ask yourself. You have the same ability to divine the future as I do, but something prevents you from seeing."

He turned to face her.

"What are you looking to find?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

A smirk that he couldn't see, and she pushed the cork back into the bottle's open neck.

"I look for nothing."

Taking both glass, one in each hand, she turned then to face him. The Lupine paused for only a moment, then took a step forward.

"Rather, I wish to offer something."

At his look, she dipped her head in a rueful manner as she came closer.

"An alternative.

"It seems to me that what the Force shows to you may be seen in other ways."

[General Dan]

He offered a polite smile.

"The force, especially concerning the future, is so fluid, and so ever-changing that I wouldn't be surprised to find your view of it to differ and complement my own. Nevertheless, my question to you remains the same."

He paused, and closed his eyes.

"Simply looking to the future as some vast nebulous thing will grant you nothing. Give your sight purpose. What of the future do you wish to see? Us? The Alliance?"

He paused, and his features softened.

"A child?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The expression she wore softened as well to match his, and extending a glass to him, she gently shook her head.

"My answer remains the same. I wish you to have more at your disposal.

"It is an old practice... "

s'Il stopped before him, standing close while pushing the glass into his hand carefully.

"... to see your destiny in the depths of your own creation."

The aroma of the wine reached his nostrils then, hinting at the vintage of Lupine fruits that he had once, so long ago, cultivated and bottled with his own two hands. The drink she now gave to him was one of his own, one born of his patience and hard work.

She sipped from her own glass, savoring the flavor and letting it roll from her tongue, down her throat.

The Lupine swallowed.

"Drink," she whispered, "... and fall into the culminations of your efforts."

[General Dan]

If ever there was a metaphor for both of their desires, it was that.

Dan took of the wine, thinking of her words, and of his.

"There is one, you know. A son."

A confident smile crossed his features.

"My hair, and your eyes. A striking young man. This vision has come to me often, and is one I offer to you."

He arched his brow at a pause.

"To confirm or reject as you please. As I said, the force is certainly fickle."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She smiled a polite smile. What he saw would be for him, and him alone. Whether he chose to share was his decision. That was the nature of the ritual - the A'da'eh'na.

"Drink," she urged again in a whisper.

"... and look into that which you have worked so hard to craft to perfection."

[General Dan]

Dan took of his wine, and stretched out with his feelings. He moved, not through time, but through a realm of perception, finding whisperings of the future through the ether.

"Our son's name is Markos."

And with that, he was transported into his future...




Coruscant

Republic Square, like the rest of the ecumenopolis, never rested. It had no wake, and no sleep. Rather, it had moods. If you were in tune with the city, you could sense such things, and the mood now was positive, but guarded. The New Order of Palpatine and his minions was dead and buried by two decades, never to rise again. It was Republic Day, the day commemorating the Empire's defeat and the resurrection of the Galactic Republic. Trillions upon trillions of beings across the galaxy would spend this day in somber rememberance and celebration, looking back at the sacrifices made to restore sanity to the galaxy.

It was a carefully choreographed remembrance, one that Dan and s'Il had spent at least a decade to manufacture.

After the war against the Empire was won, Dan made sure to win the political war, turning in his general's uniform for a civilian's garb. He competed against Navaria Tarkin for the Chancellorship, and won it handily, especially thanks to the Jedi Order's sudden and curious departure from favor, as it was widely viewed that they could not be trusted to avoid the lure of the Dark Side. The galaxy at large, free from the yoke of oppression, freely moved to ostracize the remaining Jedi fully, until their order was nearly destroyed again and cast into the Unknown Regions.

All except, of course, those who could be trusted. And Dan fortunately had at least one Jedi that he, and the galaxy at large, could still trust.

And yet, so much of their usual trappings seemed so familiar. Here, he had assistants to fuss and fret over his clothing, but nevertheless, he stood in front of a mirror, waiting for Lok and their children to arrive.

[Markos]

Markos Thrule stalked his way into his parents' private rooms. He had always largely ignored his mother's insistence that he at least be thoughtful and mindful enough to make his presence known, though there were the few times when he'd heeded her sometimes sharp words.

It was a strange relationship that he kept with both mother and father. Distant to both, yet intimate in ways that other children could never dream of, Markos enjoyed a certain sense of freedom and entrapment that only came from a unique upbringing, brought about by the very core nature of his parents. His mother's doting, and his father's wry attitudes had created a strange sort of beast.

Oh, he'd heard many times over the stories of their early years - the times before the New Republic had triumphed over the Empire. Frankly, he cared little for those stories.


"Teagan wishes you to know that she will be late," he started in a rather bored tone. It was a tone that he often used when bringing up his older sister.

"I've already told Mother."

[Chancellor Thrule]

"Your sister is often late."

It was partially an excuse, but also something of a rebuke. From the day Markos was born, it was clear who destiny favored. Dan dispensed enough responsibility to her to keep her busy, but there was little doubt who was intended to head the family.

"No matter. You're ready, at least?"

He turned to regard his son, crossing his arms casually.

[Markos]

Hands casually stuffed into the pockets of his dress slacks, Markos matched his father's stare with one as equally level.

"Always."

His eyes traveled then, going over the suit his father wore. It was the same as the previous year - the same as every year he could remember. Each Republic Day it seemed was met with such routine.

He grimaced.

"And she is always late. Why do you tolerate it."

[Chancellor Thrule]

"Your sister is old enough to make her choices, and understand the consequences of them. I would be insulting her intelligence to hold her hand through it all."

The faintest hint of a knowing smile crossed his face.

"Did you need reminding what day it was, Markos?"

[Markos]

"Of course not."

It was almost a scoff, but fell just short. Again he appeared always distant, viewing his father with a caged look.

"It's just... "

He broke their shared look then, unable to match his father's intense gaze. He'd never been able to outlast the elder Thrule.

He conceded this quiet test.

"... it is nothing."

[Master s'Ilancy]

"Of course it is nothing."

Loklorien s'Ilancy swept into the rooms that she shared with her long-time partner. Her husband; her Master. Always it had been as such, for so many long years. When the Empire fell, Dan had risen. And she, ever always at his side, had made sure to provide him with whatever he desired. Even after she had lost the use of both of her eyes she stayed, and he had kept her. She was unwavering, and he at least recognized her desires to continually serve him.

She had become a powerful entity under his tutelage, growing evermore and gaining knowledge that she had never thought possible. Now close to seventy five standard years of age, the elder Lupine carried herself proudly and with little to show outwardly of her trials and hardships...

... of course, her blackened eyes and seeming sightlessness lent a healthy amount of sympathy for the Chancellor's life-partner of so many years, but she was far from hindered. Of all people, Dan knew the truth - his apprentice was the most capable of individuals aside from himself.

She moved to walk past her son, pausing momentarily to inspect him with her blackened gaze. Slender fingers reached up to test the perfectly creased lines of his suit, running over the edges of his lapels before pulling away in apparent satisfaction.

She moved then to stand beside Dan, and her focus centered upon him. A speck of unseen dust was gently wiped from his shoulder, and she tilted her head to the side while reaching a hand up, two fingers tracing a line through his hair to make sure it was perfect.

It was, as always.

[Chancellor Thrule]

"Nothing?"

Dan smiled a cryptic smile.

"No, I think Markos is rightfully concerned for his sister."

He gave the boy a pat on his shoulder.

"He wants us to be able to celebrate Republic Day as a family. As we should."

He shared a glance with his paramour for a moment. Though her eyes were burned into uselessness, he knew that she had her means to see him.

"That very same devotion will make you a fine leader some day, when at last you take up where I've left off."

[Markos]

His father's touch caused him to stiffen ever so slightly, and Markos pursed his lips as a threatening stormcloud seemed to fall over his features. It was times like this that he most resembled Dan Thrule, when all manner of simmering thoughts were held back by a patience that both parents had drilled into him.

He saw through his father's words as though they were made of nothing but water - Markos was not concerned for Teagan, and never would be. The both of them knew that.

The younger Thrule looked to the side, letting his scowl lighten.

"As you say, Father."

[Chancellor Thrule]

Dan gave a curt nod.

"I've got something for you."

He held a cryptic smile on his face, and glanced to the console table adjacent to the nearest wall.

"The datapad over there. Go and read it."

In a move to at last bring his son's education out of the schoolhalls and into practicality, he secured an apprenticeship with the governor of Corellia for him to learn politics. And why not? He could do just about anything.

[Markos]

Following the glance, Markos moved to the table, reaching down to take up the 'pad that had been indicated. A flick of his thumb activated it, and he scanned the first few paragraphs that it displayed. There was a glint of relief in his eyes, just visible for only a few moments.

The 'pad was switched off, and he turned to regard his parents. Neither spoke, as they both seemed to wait for him to voice his gratitude.

"Thank you," he finally got out, with a smile that seemed to take every ounce of effort to conjure onto his features. Indeed he was grateful, but he was also not a fool. He knew that this move would push him further along the road that his father had laid out for him. Sometimes he wondered if that road had been planned since before his birth even, and Markos had spent more than one sleepless night pondering just what sort of man he was being fashioned into; what role he was being groomed for.

He tucked the datapad beneath his arm, his alien smile lingering a short while longer before he turned on his heel and moving to the door.

"I will wait for you both outside."

[Master s'Ilancy]

Waiting until she heard the door shut, the Lupine took a step to distance herself from Dan. Her sightless eyes, both black as the darkest ink, looked from his face to the mirror that he had been previously examining himself in.

"He is more you than me with each passing day," she remarked. There was an odd resignation tempered with coldness in her voice, and as she reached up to pull her hair over her shoulders, she gave a furtive look to Dan.

"You truly intend on sending him away?"

[Chancellor Thrule]

Dan nodded.

"You ask this as if I've put him aboard the Outbound Flight Project. Corellia is hardly far, but just enough distance for the boy to find himself without feeling our presence hovering over his shoulder."

There was a knowing gleam in his eyes.

"Of course, I also forsee trouble on Corellia soon."

[Master s'Ilancy]

She watched as the eddies and currents of the Force burned themselves around him, writhing as if in eternal agony just from his touch and presence. What she saw never changed.

"You foresee?"

Facing him fully, the Lupine presented herself for his inspection, knowing well enough that she was dressed precisely as she had always been for previous Republic Days - the cream colored, off-white Jedi robes served to remind the people that she was the only one left of that old and outlawed Order who could be trusted.

"... or do you plan to cause."

[Chancellor Thrule]

He tolerated such questions, because it was her nature. The mother of his children and also his apprentice; two existences that were sometimes diametrically opposed to each other.

"Our actions, both large and small, can give rise to consequences. As high as we've both ascended, are there that many consequences in this galaxy that can't be in some way drawn back to us?"

He spared her the torment.

"If you're asking if I have something nettlesome planned for him to fall into, I think I can put your mind at ease."

[Master s'Ilancy]

"Then I am glad to hear that."

She stared at him a moment longer, always fascinated at the effect he had upon the Force, marveling at what she saw whenever looking at him.

Reaching out, s'Il indicated that he present his arm for her.

"Let us go. It would not do to keep your people waiting."

[Chancellor Thrule]

"I wouldn't dream of it."

The pair departed their suite. As the door opened, a retinue of attendants and Senate Commandos stood ready to usher them to the Triumph Promenade. Already there were millions standing at the parade grounds, waving red and white banners and cheering loudly. The morning processions were beginning on the parade that would encircle the enire senatorial district. Government for the day was essentially shut down as everyone made their plans to attend the parade. Thousands of fighters flew in formation. Speeders zipped by. Massive repulsor barges even carried armor and troops in parade formation. The martial displays were also intermingled with dance troops, with bands, from thousands of worlds. It was a day long celebration of life, of galactic prosperity, and along with the red phoenix emblem of the New Republic, there was another image present on many edifices of hundreds of skyscrapers.

It was Dan Thrule's face. The Chancellor of the Republic. The Savior of the Galaxy.

[Teagan Staedtler]

Teagan stood waiting at the yawning, grand entrance to the Triumph Promenade. Beside her was Markos. Both had their father's height, and while Markos was still far younger than the tall blonde he stood next to, it wouldn't be too much long before he overtook his sister even.

For the most part, Teagan ignored her younger brother as often as possible, a product of the jealousy she felt from the moment of his birth. Before then, she had been inseparable from her father's side, and he was always ready and willing to shower her with attention. But, after Markos, all of that had changed. No longer did she seem to be in Dan's favor, and with not a little bit of sadness did she watch as Markos was set into a place that she'd always thought would be hers.

The older she had grown, the deeper the wound ground at her. At least her mother had not changed, and Teagan had become nearly emotionally dependent on the elder Lupine.

Despite it all however, she remained civil at least in public. Ever well-practiced in the art of hiding her feelings behind a mask of graciousness, this was the mask that she now favored her father with.

[Chancellor Thrule]

"Ah, aren't both of you lovely?"

Reunited as a family, Dan bade the precession to pause on the way to their speeder limousine, so he could look his children over.

"I keep thinking I can close my eyes, and you'll both be waist-high again."

He clapped a hand at Markos's shoulder, and gave Teagan a kiss to her cheek.

"Tak, was your trip from Kashyyk productive? More than a few Senators suggested I send Star Destroyers, but I trust in diplomacy before might."

[Teagan Staedtler]

"Your trust was not misplaced."

Teagan smiled only faintly, returning the kiss with one to his own cheek. She moved easily to her mother, taking the elder Lupine's hand with a warm hold and delivering a light brush of her lips to the side of the blind Jedi's face. During all of the travels that her father sent her on, Teagan missed her mother nearly as much as she missed her own husband and children.

It had been far too long since she and Wyl had been able to be together with their young ones as a family, and even less time simply alone together.

[Master s'Ilancy]

s'Il smiled at the contact, and she reached up to run a hand down the side of Teagan's face. It was always so good when she was home on Coruscant. Dan sent her away far too often.

She took both of Teagan's hands in her own.

"It is Republic Day," she spoke warmly, if not with a hint of caution sent towards her husband, "... let us not talk of duties and work."

She continued without waiting for a response, her words once again turning to Teagan, and it was easy to hear the anticipation in her voice.

"Now. Where are my grandchildren... ?"

[Teagan Staedtler]

A smile at the change of topics, and Teagan gripped her mothers hands.

"They are waiting at the limousine with Wyl."

A look was sent to her father.

"I trust you do not mind the company on the drive over?"

[Chancellor Thrule]

Dan smiled a bit.

"Oh, perish the thought of being able to see my two grandchildren and having the chance to spoil them rotten."

They began to approach the waiting speeder. Dan spotted the taller figure of Wyl first, and a pair of tow-headed youngsters that were somehow staying relatively in one place.

[W. Staedtler]

“Dad. Who do you think would win th’best in a fight against a feragriff: me, or Oa?”

Wyl paused in the act of fastening a cufflink and looked down, catching the upturned gaze of his young son. They’d been running late - wrangling the children into attire appropriate for the occasion had been quite the feat, made harder still by two spilt bowls of cereal, one toothpaste battle, and an impromptu jousting match that had resulted in the hem of Oa’s dress being torn and necessitating a new outfit entirely. He had scarcely had time to ready himself before they were rushing out the door and until now, had been only vaguely aware of the subject being hotly debated between his offspring.

“Um,” Wyl started. Oa, previously keeping a sharp lookout for her mother and the rest of their party, suddenly turned her interest to his answer. Feeling rather put on the spot, the Jedi cleared his throat and went the safe way of diplomacy. “Well, I think you’d both give it a run for it’s money.”

Neco's face scrunched, clearly unsatisfied by this answer. “But who would be best?” He pressed.

“Surely if you came across a feragriff you’d work as a team?” Wyl crouched down, tapped his son’s ankle. Neco extended his foot obligingly and Wyl began to deftly retie his undone lace. Again. “Two against one is better odds.”

“Dad’s not allowed to pick sides, Neco,” Oa informed her brother loftily. “It’s like having favourites and you can’t have favourites with your children. It’s against the rules.”

Saved by his daughter’s reasoning, once again. She was like her mother that way, Wyl thought as he sent her a fond, grateful smile. Indeed, she resembled Tak in so many ways that sometimes, watching her drag her brother along on wild excursions, he was transported back in time to their own childhood, when they’d been the ones traipsing off in search of adventure.

“What if he could, though?” Neco tugged on Wyl’s sleeve, determined to wring out an answer. He was all persistance, this one. “If you could choose, Dad, who would it be?”

“That is a very complex question, Neco,” Wyl answered, looking over the boy’s head. His eyes filled with a sparkling warmth and he rose to his feet, gently placing hands on his son’s shoulders and turning him. “Why don’t you ask Dama.”

[Oa Staedtler]

Oa had heaved a great sigh as her dad tied Neco's shoe again for like, the zillionth time. This most recent debate was only one in a string of many such discussions dealing with who would win the most against any sort of animal, and was often their favorite thing to talk of. They'd even snuck off into the back halls and rear courtyards of their grandparent's home on Schwartzweld once, determined to find a rancor or a gundark or even a bantha (Dad had taught them how to do Bantha calls, and they'd spent almost an hour whooping and hollaring in the woods). They'd only found jakrabs and kangamice though - certainly not the fearsome beasts they'd expected.

Turning to look with Neco and Dad, she saw Uncle Markos and Dama; Uncle Markos looked like he'd just eaten a bug. He always looked like that though.

A smile spread from ear to ear across her face as she recognized the other two people.

"Gemma! Get'ia!"

And off she was, grabbing Neco by the hand and pulling him along. Both children, dressed in their best, ate up the distance between the limousine and the group coming out to meet them.

[Neco Staedtler]

Dad always had a funny way of not answering questions so that you didn't even realize it until later. Oa and he had to be very clever in order to dupe him and through trial and error, they'd developed an excellent two-fold system; Neco would badger and press the subject from every conceivable angle, cornering his father until he got a desperate glint to his eyes. That was the signal for Oa to swoop in and pretend to diffuse the situation with a well-placed comment. It lulled Dad into a false sense of security and just when he thought he had safely passed the conversation off to Dama, the two of them would strike again, together this time. The pressure was entirely too much - he could scarcely resist.

Which was why the boy felt a stab of irritation when his sister grabbed his hand and jerked him along. They were so close!

"Oa," Neco started, his face falling into a cross expression. "What are you--"

"Gemma! Get'ia!"

Oa's delighted cry cut off his annoyed query and the boy followed her gaze, his own face lighting up at the sight of his grandparents. Oh boy! It had been forever since they'd all been together as a family. It was always twice as much fun; with Dama and Dad and Gemma and Get'ia, there was double the normal amount of attention to go around. And perhaps Get'ia would give him a straight answer.

As the two galloped over, Neco met them with a familiar announcement. "I have a question!"

[Master s'Ilancy]

In a way that none would ever be able to imagine, s'Il watched as her two grandchildren came up, arms outstretched and the ever-familiar 'I have a question' announcement was made. It was an announcement that the elder Lupine had become well acquainted with, and each time it was made, she was glad that it was most always directed to Dan.

She caught a look from Markos, and settled him with a practiced hand to the back of his head, slender fingers tickling through the edges of his finely trimmed hair before swooping down to bring Oa into her arms.

When Teagan had become pregnant, s'Il had of course been overjoyed, knowing that it was only a matter of time now, until her family would be added to once more. Her people would once more rise to populate the galaxy as Dan had so long ago told her. Her husband had many times reassured her that as much as he wished to see her further herself in the Dark ways, he wanted to see her species flourish once more as well. And small though it might be, that glimmer of hope, that glimmer of resurgence, was never so more evident than when she was in the presence of Wyl and Teagan's children. Her grandchildren. Her hGenid'ia.

Her smile as she held Oa was so radiant, and she hugged the girl close.

"Gemma missed you so much," she whispered.

[Chancellor Thrule]

Dan stooped down, this time to tend to the particular grandchild that had bounded up to him.

"Questions, eh, Neco?"

He put a hand on the hyperactive youngster's shoulder and looked to s'Il, then back to Tak and Wyl, wondering what frantic query was rattling around in his head.

"Well, whatcha got?"

[Neco Staedtler]

Neco tilted his head back, offering his grandfather a beaming smile that showcased his newly-missing teeth. At last, someone who would treat this matter with the thought and discernment it required!

"It's one of of those questions that's not about a real situation per se, Get'ia," Neco explained, cadence ripe with earnestness. "So you don't have to worry about giving a make believe answer, no one's feelings will be hurt. Because it's only what-if.

"If there was a feragriff loose and Oa and I had to battle it - only seperately, not as a team, and maybe there ought to be two feragriffs because otherwise the person who fought it second would have an unfair advantage, don't you think? - so if we had to each fight a seperate but equally fierce feragriff, who do you think would win the best?"

[W. Staedtler]

With the children occupied, Wyl stole a moment to simply take in his wife as he slowly ambled over. As always, the mere sight of her left him absolutely breathless and reeling with the knowledge that the creature before him - beautiful inside and out - had deigned to be his partner. It seemed simultaneously the most reasonable thing in the world and yet made no sense at all.

Wyl couldn't remember a time when he hadn't loved Teagan in some shape or form. For the better part of both their lives they'd been best friends, and it was upon this firm foundation that their relationship had grown and flourished; of course he would have married her, and of course they would have made this life together. And yet... how was it possible that he'd been so fortunate?

The Jedi took his place beside his wife and grasped her hand, a private smile tugging at his lips. Nothing ever seemed right when Tak was gone.

"You're far too stunning to be the mother of such wild little things," Wyl whispered, near giddy with the fact that order had returned to their universe.

[Teagan Staedtler]

His hand, so easily taking hers, made Teagan smile a relieved smile, and she tightened her grip. It never seemed to matter; whether it was a day or ten days, being away from her husband was never looked at as anything but the worst of fates. His very presence was such a comfort, and she often marveled at the life they had chosen to share.

At his words, Teagan leaned into him slightly, though her eyes stayed on their children.

"They take after their father quite a bit," she whispered back in a good-natured tone, knowing full well that she too had been just as wild when she was Neco and Oa's age.

Before Wyl could say anything in answer however, she turned, placing a gentle kiss to his temple.

[Oa Staedtler]

Oa, happy as ever to be in Gemma's arms, beamed wide as she kept an ear to Neco's question. Get'ia's answer was highly anticipated, and making sure to keep an arm around Gemma's neck, the little girl looked down to where her grandfather knelt in front of Neco.

"And remember," she reiterated to Get'ia, "... it's hypertheticle."

[Chancellor Thrule]

Dan made a big to-do about mulling over this question; he stroked at his chin and 'hmm'ed a bit as he considered it.

"Well obviously we couldn't have a pair of feragriff's out loose on Coruscant to test it. That wouldn't do. We'd have to think up a suitable test."

He reached into a pocket, rustling the contents around in it.

"I've got 30 credit chits in my pocket. Twenty nine are for one credit, and one is for 50."

The kids could no doubt see where this was soon to be headed.

"When they hit the ground, whoever finds the big chit is the winner."

[Teagan Staedtler]

She was moving on instinct, remembering the last time her father had decided to solve one of Neco and Oa's questions with credit chits. In the privacy of their own homes it was one thing, but on the way to the Republic Day parade? Surely he knew better!!

"Um, Daddy," she interjected swiftly with a hand to his shoulder.

"... I don't think that's a good idea right now."

[Neco Staedtler]

Whatever excitement his grandfather's solution had inspired was just as swiftly snuffed out as Dama intervened. Neco's face fell - he thought it was an excellent idea.

"But Dama," the boy pressed his features into as pleading a glance as he could muster. "How else are we going to find out?"

[W. Staedtler]

"Dama's right, son," Wyl cut in easily, smiling. It was no small miracle that the children had remained presentable for this long; the inevitable competition that would result as they scrabbled for credchits would undo the entire operation. He glanced apologetically at his father-in-law, eyebrows lifting in query. "Perhaps after the ceremonies, Get'ia?"

[Chancellor Thrule]

Sometimes true genius involved doing, or attempting to do, a job in such an absurd fashion that everybody else tried to prevent you from doing a job you didn't even want in the first place.

Dan looked suitably disappointed, shrugged his shoulders, and winked at the grandchildren.

"Guess we'll have to wait till later to answer that one."

[Master s'Ilancy]

Still holding Oa, s'Il inwardly smirked at the avenue her husband had taken to deflect the all important question Neco had asked of him. It was a tactic that she remembered him using many times on Markos, and now with another set of young ones to entice (and ever-concerned parents to worry over his methods), she was glad at least that he was torturing Wyl and Teagan rather than herself.

Setting Oa down to the ground, she looped her arm through Dan's.

"It would be best," she soothed Neco.

"Besides. Once we're done at the parade, we'll have more than enough time to spend together, and you can ask Get'ia all the questions you want."

Her free hand went out then, as an offer for the boy to take it.

"Does that agree with you?"

[Neco Staedtler]

For a young one with a never ending supply of questions, it was a suitably spectacular alternative. He pretended to consider for a brief moment before giving up the ruse and nodding enthusiastically.

"But I have a lot of questions," Neco told Gemma with a sly look as he took her hand and leaned into the comforting spot at her side. He had learned that children with enough questions were very often offered sweets in an attempt to distract their mouths.

[Markos]

Never was his patience so tested when he was in the presence of his older sister's children. At least, in times like these. Now was, in his mind, a time for order and protocol; seriousness and solemnity. In the public's eye at least. Though, even when alone with his mother and father Markos was hard-pressed to act as he had when he was younger. There were moments, but they weren't often, and mostly his lighter side was expressed while in the company of Mother.

He'd stopped calling her Dama long ago.

Truthfully he did not mind his niece and nephew, but for today's occasion his mind was set. As well, he had much to think on regarding his father's gift.

Dour-faced, Markos made the first move to duck into the limousine.

[Teagan Staedtler]

Teagan, having taken Oa's eager hand, let her climb up into the speeder after Markos, helping to make sure that the girl's dress did not catch on anything. It'd happened before, and ever attentive, Teagan was sure to keep a watchful eye on both of her children today. With Wyl though, she knew that at least he would bear half the responsibilities.

And she wouldn't have had it any other way, with any one else.

With Oa inside, Tak was the next in, pulling Wyl with her.

[W. Staedtler]

As he ducked into the vehicle, Neco's declaration of I'm going to sit by Get'ia chasing him, Wyl shared a knowing look with his wife. The boy's loyalties operated on a very obvious hierarchy and it was no secret who had secured the top spot on that list.

He tugged his trouser legs up a bit as he sat, shifting until his leg bumped up against Teagan's.

"You look well, Markos," Wyl remarked. In fact, his brother-in-law looked as though he'd just eaten a sour rasuball - but then, that wasn't unusual. As fond as he was of Tak's baby brother, as much as he thought of him as his own kid sibling, he also found the young man entirely impossible to fathom.

"It's a grand day - are you looking forward to the festivities?"

[Markos]

Markos was eyeing Oa, who had happily chosen a seat next to him and was fussing with something at the hem of her dress. He knew that it wasn't uncommon for disaster to follow his sister's children, and not for the first time did he silently worry for his clothing and its' continued clean state. She was cute though, and from the holos he'd seen of Teagan when she was very young, Oa could've been the same child. It was uncanny, and even he'd admitted it aloud once.

His eyes went up to meet Wyl's gaze. His brother-in-law had been around ever since he could remember, and from what he'd been told by his mother and father, Wyl had essentially been a part of their family since the day Mother brought him home from Cloud City (so the story went). He liked Wyl; always had. The man had treated him like a younger brother and for that Markos was always grateful.

"I am," was the almost casual reply.

"Though I'm looking forward to the Alliance Bowl more."

It had always been a sort of tradition, that after the morning parades and official duties of his father were concluded, they all retreated to their quiet country home in the northern hemisphere to watch the yearly Republic Day blastball game on the holo. The Alliance Bowl it'd come to be called. It was one of the few times that Markos truly enjoyed, and held many memories for him. It was when his father had let him have his first sip of wine, and Wyl had let him have his first taste of beer. Markos had preferred the beer.

[Chancellor Thrule]

"Of course."

Dan cracked a smile at that, looking at his son.

"Mandalore's first team entry into the final, I think. I think Corellia has their number though."

He wondered if the mention of Corellia would spur Markos onward to speak of his little bit of good news. As the limo slowly trundled along to pick up speed, the open canopy vantage of the parade was, predictably, very beautiful.

[Markos]

Markos knew this game his father was playing at, and purposefully refused to take the offered bait. A strange look was given to the elder Thrule, but no word left his lips about his newly-received apprenticeship. He would speak of it when he was ready, and not before.

Deliberately ignoring the nudge his father had given him, Marko addressed Wyl.

"What do you think?"

[W. Staedtler]

Wyl shrugged in a calculated, casual manner.

"Oh, I don't know," he remarked mildly. Wyl slung an arm around Teagan's shoulders and leaned back against the limo seat, a picture of calm composure. "Thrace has been playing well this season; near-perfect, one might say. Mandalore could surprise us all.

"In fact," Wyl grinned at Markos, a mad roguish glint to his expression. "I'd bet credits on it."

[Neco Staedtler]

"Dad says with Thrace and Ovechowski, Corellia better watch their six," Neco said, his young face given to serious consideration at the current conversation. "We even put a whole hundred credits on..."

With a widening of eyes, the boy trailed off. The trip he and Dad had taken to the lower levels was supposed to be a secret just between the two of them. He'd promised not to say anything, especially about learning the ins and outs of placing a bet from the old bookie at the little pub that they definitely hadn't gone to.

Glancing nervously at Dama, Neco let his faux pas linger unfinished before steamrolling on. "But Corellia's got Uan Starnoble and he's nuts."

[Teagan Staedtler]

Though her mother had most of her attentions with talk of the normal goings on of each day, Teagan made sure to pay at least a small amount to the conversation between her husband and brother. Neco's accidental slip was heard, registered, and filed away for future reference. Her mother, ever adept at reading any and every trace of expression, only gave a brief, if not rueful grin.

For her part, Teagan only gave a pat to Wyl's leg. It was such a little gesture that carried an enormous amount of meaning, and it was also one that she had given to him many times before whenever he'd done something like what Neco had just confessed to.

She gave her husband a sidelong, sweet smile. It was a smile that said 'We're going to have a Comin' to the Maker Meeting when we get home.'

[W. Staedtler]

Wyl shared a great kinship with the parents of the natural world; he too was often overwhelmed by the urge to devour his young.

Like a well-rehearsed dancer, the Jedi returned his wife's smile and patted the hand that she'd placed on his knee in a placating manner. He knew that look. It never meant good things. Not for him, at any rate.

Banking on the fact that they shared a universe of experience and hoping that Tak was feeling merciful, he let a little sheepishness leak into his face and cast a rueful, beguiling grin her way. It said you caught me and I don't know what I was thinking and most of all but then, you knew I would do it and really how else is the boy going to learn about these things, it's not as though we knocked back a few shots and put his college fund on the line, now is it?

Of course, he had no doubt that she herself already had designs on who would win the game. It wouldn't be surprising if she'd made her own bets. She was completely amazing like that.

"Will we have a little friendly competition, then? Let's lay out our sides and whoever's team loses gets stuck with cleanup duty after the meal."

[Master s'Ilancy]

Sitting beside Dan, s'Il leaned back in the comfort provided by her seat. It was not lost on her, the looks that her daughter and son-in-law shared, and the elder Lupine let the corners of her mouth tick upward.

Everything that happened around her she was aware of - Markos' dodging of the nudge his father had tried to give him, Neco and Oa's chattering, the comfortable proto-scolding that was taking place between Wyl and Teagan, and above it all that ever-present blanket of self-assuredness that her husband and master exuded at all times. It was something she knew that only she could detect, and that knowledge gave her her own calm, ever-solid demeanor. Who was there to challenge her? To take her from her place at Dan's side?

There were none.

One hand came to rest over the top of Dan's, her fingers weaving into his own.

She had given to him all that he wanted and then allowed him even more. And he'd taken freely. Her master was the most powerful man in the galaxy, and she had been the one to raise him up to the position he'd so coveted.

And as the limousine wove its' way through avenues and thoroughfares on its' passage to the Grand Podium where the Chancellor would give his yearly speech, s'Il breathed in all that was around her, picking each scent apart with particular joy before allowing each tendril of aftershave, cologne, perfume, freshly washed and starched fabrics, and shampoos coalesce once more into an olfactory symphony that delighted her to no end.

[Chancellor Thrule]

Dan took Markos's standoffish deference in stride. He knew the boy was conflicted by the honor given to him, and what responsibilities lay underneath it. He'd eventually have to face the issue, and when he did, Dan would be there.

The procession wound its way down the Hero's Via, and at last approached the Triumph Promenade. Here, the cheering mob threatened to spill over the artificial canyons, and hundreds of repulsor platforms held millions of spectators to the event. Though the sun was out, the sheer mass of the mob kept much of the area in a pleasant shade.

The Chancellor's limousine softly touched down, already flanked by Senate Commandos waiting for the Leader to arrive. Doors were opened, and attendees escorted out the Chancellor's family to a distant, but all-permeating applause from beyond.

[Oa Staedtler]

Oa gravitated from Gemma to Get'ia, but it wasn't long before her mother took her hand to reign her back, whispering that both grandparents would need to 'work', and that Get'ia would be making his speech soon so Oa would need to stand away and stay quiet.

She pouted of course, but it wasn't a few seconds later that she was all smiles once again. It was always exciting on days like this. All of the people all around, the cheering, the yelling, everything. Her smile was from ear to ear as she looked all around, her eyes wide.

The moment Dama's attention was elsewhere however, the girl pulled free, skipping over to her father and taking his hand.

"I bet there's zillions of people here today," she whispered to Neco, knowing that her brother wouldn't be able to resist the urge to answer.

[Neco Staedtler]

Neco grinned lopsidedly at his sister, eyes alight with wonder as he twisted his head to gaze all around them. The boy lifted a hand and waved at the crowds; this was what smashball players felt like, probably, just before a playoff match.

"Zillions of zillions," he countered her, unable to give up the chance to up the ante. He whistled lowly through his teeth like he'd heard Get'ia do; it was a skill he was doggedly trying to master for his own arsenal of impressive noises. "There's more this year than last. Imagine if they riot, Oa! It'd be a massacre!"

Neco looked particularly intrigued by that idea and he waggled his eyebrows at Oa; but as delightful as trying to get a rise out of his sister was, the boy himself was suddenly a lot more pleased by the ring of security that surrounded the podium and extending area.

[W. Staedtler]

Attention diverted by the press of a small palm against his, Wyl's disarmingly bright gaze flickered down to his daughter. He smiled and squeezed her hand before hoisting her up into his arms in a fluid, easy motion. Though neither of his children were yet big enough to make holding them difficult, Neco had reached that peculiar age where he was too old, Dad, an announcement that had sent a jolt of panic through the man when he'd first been informed. Oa though, darling little Oa who was so much like her mother in looks and nature; she still appreciated the gesture and he was determined to take advantage of it for as long as she would allow him to.

Smiling a pleasantly diplomatic smile, he shifted his daughter onto a hip and snaked his free arm around Tak's waist in a comfortably intimate gesture. They were a picture as they made their way to the designated seats from which they could present a supportive family front to the Chancellor's grand speech. Oa squinted against the sea of blinding flashes from the press pit and Wyl couldn't blame her; they were in a frenzy, trying to capture every second of her grandfather's arrival.

Looking out at the sea of citizens, waving like so much grain in a wind, he couldn't help but feel his children's awe echo in his own bones. Not so long ago he had been a mere boy himself, listening with rapt attention while Dan regaled him with war stories and tales of daring escape and now... now a countless multitude were waiting to hear that same voice, their cheers a deafening roar. It was unreal.

"We'll not have to worry about massacres today," Wyl cut into Neco and Oa's conversation, jerking his head to direct his son to slow his step and come nearer.

[Markos]

Markos followed his parents, his face - which had once been sombre and dour - now was a countenance of neutral calm. It was an expression that he'd learned from watching his father over the years and the cool and collected set of the elder Thrule's features. It never seemed to change when under the scrutiny of the public eye, and for that Markos admired his father.

Every Republic Day was the same, but it seemed that each one had something else to learn from. Markos was mindful to watch everything, filing it away for future thought. Neco's excitement was always something that was enjoyable to witness discreetly, and the younger Thrule watched from his peripheral vision as the boy cast a bright gaze to everything around them.

His mother unwound her arm from her husband's, and he watched her deliver a kiss to his father's cheek. It was a tender moment between the two, shared with all. On instinct Markos presented his own arm for her to take as they too veered away from the Chancellor, to where their own seats waited for them only a short step away.

[Chancellor Thrule]

The speech was one that he'd distantly approved days prior. What needed to be said here was little in the way of material, and it was appearance and tone that mattered. Dan spoke for thirty minutes of Galactic Unity. Of hope and the ever-closer promise of peace for all. Of course, this peace would still need to be purchased with just a little more cooperation and obedience, but the citizens of the Republic were, by the tone of their voice, willing to hold out just a little longer.

The words, again, weren't all that important. In no time at all, Dan finished his speech, relinquished the podium to the Governor of Coruscant, and took his seat next to his family, now ready to stand witness to the rest of the festivities.

As the Governor spoke, Dan leaned back in his chair and glanced sidelong to Markos.

"He's a traitor to the Republic, you know. Governor Urich, that is."

This key bit of information was intended just for Markos, and Dan made sure only he heard. It was time to teach an important lesson.

[Markos]

Markos blinked, digesting the words spoken to him, and his gaze darted to meet his father's. His expression remained the same, but his eyes betrayed the surprise at what he'd just heard, an unbelieving glint in them.

Governor Urich? A traitor?

He would've scoffed openly at the notion if it was anyone other than his father saying such a thing, but even then it wasn't what he was expecting to hear.

Instead, Markos gave a crooked half-smirk. It was an expression he'd inherited from his mother.

"Is that so."

His voice, as quiet as the elder Thrule's, held an element of disbelief. But, he humored his father, arching an eyebrow as his initial shock of the statement washed away.

[Chancellor Thrule]

Dan nodded as the Governor spoke.

"My intelligence reports that he is using his office to funnel information to terrorists on Coruscant. It seems there's some degree of unrest beneath the surface of our Republic."

These were, of course, just breadcrumbs. Dan hoped to see the boy's intuition follow the rest of the way.

[Markos]

The Governor's speech was largely ignored, the man's words only coalescing into a jumble of sounds as Markos pondered this. He looked away, stared at the sea of faces far below, then finally turned his eyes to look past his father, at his mother as she sat quietly, head cocked at a slight angle. The boy knew what she was doing, and had watched her many times before as she stretched out with her feelings, letting her inner consciousness swirl through the gathered populace. He envied her for that, knowing that there was still so far for he himself to go before his own talents in the Force could be harnessed so completely.

His distant gaze focused back onto his father, and in that moment he grew worried, but it was not a worry of the man, but rather for. Surely if the Chancellor knew about these accusations of treason, then he would have acted on them, wouldn't he? But of course there still remained the possibility that Dan Thrule's mind had begun to wane. Markos was under no illusions of how old his father was, and there were times when he wondered when the old man's thread of sanity would begin to fray. Was this a first sign?

His voice was still hushed.

"What does mother say about it."

[Chancellor Thrule]

Dan made eye contact with his son in a way to question his question. The implication of She doesn't say what she doesn't know was the message given.

"Your mother has...other responsibilities. No need to trouble her over it."

It was a creeping invitation to him, making him privy to something so scandalous and dangerous.

[Markos]

The beginnings of a cautious intrigue crept into his mind, and Markos found himself curious to know how deep his father's paranoia ran, if indeed he was starting to lose his grip on reality. He held their locked gaze before finally turning away - it was infuriating, that he could still never look into his father's eyes for too long before being compelled to break away.

He stared at the Governor's back, watching the man's body language and how he moved.

"What would you have me do," he finally asked.

[Chancellor Thrule]

Dan considered the question with a degree of thoughtfulness.

"Well, imagine yourself in my position son. What would you do?"

This itself was a test. A test of Markos's readiness to be thrust into this tangled realm of difficult decisions. It could get awfully lonely at the top.

[Markos]

There was a definite hardness that crept onto his face as he pondered the problem put to him.

"I would expose him. A public trial and a public execution to reaffirm that even those in high positions of the government are not above the law."

At that he leaned back in his seat. "It would be a warning to some, and a good bit of entertainment to others."

There was a slight frown, and small shrug as he sought to explain further. "At least, from what I've read of the past, a large populace seems to enjoy those types of things."

[Chancellor Thrule]

Dan agreed with Markos, at least partly, with an amicable nod. Still keeping his voice carefully low, he continued.

"Some do, yes. And others would see such action as justification for any dissent. Remember your history. Rule of naked fear through Palpatine created the Rebellion."

He tapped at his chin, again looking at the Governor.

"Still, your end effect is desirable. He must be removed from office. If there is a way to allow him to salvage his honor, wouldn't you expect him to take it?"

[Markos]

Markos furrowed his brow in thought, knowing that his father was right.

"Mercy then, in the form of a quietly forced retirement and the knowledge of the sword you hold over his head?"

[Chancellor Thrule]

He tilted his head into nearly a nod.

"You're close, but what can he give you in exchange for this generous clemency? Something valuable."

What was the Governor? At his base level, he was a leader. He led others. Influence him, and you influence or outright control those beneath him.

[Markos]

Another few moments of thought caused a scowl to deepen across his features. What game was his father playing at?

"He could give you control of the people, I suppose."

There was an almost flippant tone to his voice, tempered with just enough seriousness so as to not sound scornful.

[Chancellor Thrule]

The Chancellor's brow knit slightly. His son wasn't applying the right course of thought to the problem.

"That is yours to give at your pleasure. You can remove and install governors at will. No. That's not it. If he's a provocateur, he has the names of his confederates. Names of the real heart of the movement."

He crossed his arms.

"If we spare the fate of one, we capture fifty. Never underestimate the power of clemency and mercy. The average person will love you for it, and it's worth a river of blood."

[Markos]

He listened, knowing that his father's approach was indeed the best, but it still bothered him to know that the thought of treason was even being considered. Still though, he pressed on.

"How certain are you that he'd give you the names of those involved in this, and not the names of any common, innocent citizen of the Republic."

[Chancellor Thrule]

It was an honest enough question, but then again, of a trivial nature that should be easily understood.

"That's what intelligence departments are for, no doubt. To confirm that sort of thing."

He offered a conciliatory smile.

"Either way, you isolate and remove the leader, and on terms that still allow them to retain some dignity. If you catch the collaborators, all is well. If not, you will be that much more prepared for the next incident."

His voice lowered in a caution.

"And there is always a next incident. Such is the curse of office."

[Markos]

He knew that much at least. Growing up, he could often enough remember such occurrences happening as milestones all throughout his sixteen years. If it was true, the Governor's treason, then it would only be another notch to add to rest of them, and it had become harder and harder to care as each one flared up, burned brightly for a short time, then fizzled back out into nothing. It was such a cyclical thing.

His eyes cast furtively to his mother; she was still engrossed in divining the moods and will of the people as she had done every Republic Day, and that night, when all had gone to sleep, she would speak of what she'd felt from the gathered masses to her husband. Markos had eavesdropped only once when he was very young, and was promptly caught. There had been no punishment, but the thrill of sneaking about had not been worth the dull news his father seemed to enjoy hearing every year on this day. Since then Markos had simply let the whole thing be.

"She'll find out at some point, you know."

Mother always did, and the boy had come to firmly believe that even if she didn't have the Force, she would have her ways of knowing all that happened around her.

[Chancellor Thrule]

The Chancellor gave the most casual of shrugs.

"I'm sure of it. No matter."

A knowing smile crept on his features.

"Still, one can't always lead with the expectation of a Jedi to lean on as a crutch."

He met his son's eyes.

"Find your own instincts, and follow your own conclusions. You're a man now. You're quickly going to find that there's a great many things in your control alone."

[Master s'Ilancy]

* * *

The Atrium was a magnificent place, perched high above the Chancellor's vertical estate on Coruscant. It sprawled, alive with flora and fauna all transplanted from Schwartzweld. But, climbing skyward even over the teeming greenery was the grand testament of the Chancellor's devotion to his life partner - or so it was seen as by the people of the Republic - the Losstarot manor house. It had been brought from Schwartzweld mason stone by mason stone, and rebuilt atop the rising tower that the Chancellor and his family called home. It'd become something of an icon in its' own right, and many who lived on Coruscant had come to consider it like some watchful guardian, always over them like a sentinel, ever vigilant.

It was here, among the lush vegetation of home that s'Il often allowed herself the chance to Change; to roam and stretch her legs. Still young by her species' standards, the Lupine matron had not even approached what her own people would consider to be 'middle age', and it was up here, surrounding by the sounds and scents of Schwartzweld that she lost herself in the rush of it all.

Now however, Loklorien s'Ilancy felt herself in a much more calm mood, and as she worked her way through the carefully tended gardens, her blackened eyes fell closed. Each step took her further into the tranquil maze, with its' fountains and stone benches placed here and there. For her, it was the only peaceful place on Coruscant.

A week had passed since Republic Day, and life had returned to normal. Dan remained ever unchanging; she had grown used to his always calm exterior, yet craving of the power he still constantly held just beyond her grasp. Yes, she had done much for him, and given still more, but there was always so much more to learn from her Master and more to glean from him.

Markos continued to brood, though now she knew it was about his upcoming trip to Corellia. While it tore at her to see him take his first steps out of boyhood, it filled her with pride all the same. Her son was coming into his own, just as Teagan had. It was a point in time that the Lupine craved and despised all at once.

At least she still had her grandchildren - they would not be taking those steps for a long while yet, she often consoled herself.

Now though was a time for peace and simple enjoyment.

[Markos]

It was never very difficult to find his mother alone, losing herself in her gardens and old family house. She always went to the Atrium, and that was where he always looked first. Sometimes she was not alone, walking with his father, but more often than not she was the only one to be found up here.

When he was young, Markos had always made it a game of trying to sneak up on her, but for the handful of times that he'd been successful, the rest she always knew when he was coming up from behind or lying in wait. The older he'd grown, the less frequently he played his game, until he'd stopped altogether.

With his hands stuffed into his trouser pockets, he cut a slim, angular figure. It was an appearance he'd gotten from his father, and he'd many times overheard his mother observing how closely he was growing to resemble the elder Thrule.

He stood beside one of the many stone benches that could be found in the Atrium, waiting as she approached, his eyes never leaving her.

[Master s'Ilancy]

She could see him in the Force, so much like his father yet without the knowledge of the power he held deep inside. But, he was also still very much like her, and s'Il took a small comfort in that.

As she drew closer, her eyes opened, casting upon him a black gaze. She slowed to a stop, her lips hinting at a faint smile as she turned her eyes skyward.

"It is a wonderful morning."

The Lupine slowly lowered herself to sit on the bench, beckoning him to do the same.

"Don't you think?"

[Markos]

With quiet obediance, Markos sat beside his mother. It was at times like these that he felt at peace enough to allow his normally stoic facade slip away. Here, in the gardens his mother so lovingly cared for.

"It is," he agreed.

Silence filled the air between them as he wrestled with the thoughts that'd been weighing so heavily upon him since his discussion with his father on Republic Day, and his brow knit in frustration the more he dwelled on the subject. It'd taken a week of internal conflict and pondering, but in the end he knew his decision was for the best. It was another few moments more before he spoke again.

"I do not think I should go to Corellia."

[Master s'Ilancy]

There was no outward indication that his declaration surprised her, but inwardly s'Il felt a small degree of shock. That Markos would choose to go against the ultimate wishes of his father was something that she wasn't expecting. Oh, there had always been minor disagreemences between the two, but those had mostly been when Markos was much younger.

Leaning back ever so slightly, the Lupine pulled in a long breath.

"It is your choice."

She folded her hands in her lap, fingers winding together.

"I do not think your father will be entirely overjoyed with your decision, however."

[Markos]

"I don't expect him to be," was the level reply he gave.

Beyond that, there was nothing else to say that was in agreement. Both knew that Dan Thrule would be far less than thrilled to hear his son's news.

His reasons he had no desire to share with anyone but his mother, and haltingly, Markos pressed onward.

"It's not safe for me to leave, I don't think. At least, not right now."

At the look from his mother, he awkwardly tried to elaborate.

"... I don't... I don't think it's safe. For you."

[Master s'Ilancy]

Now this was unexpected, and s'Il turned slightly to afford herself a better view of him. She blinked, unsure of how to respond. It was touching, and the first time in a very long while that Markos had shown such concern, but at the same time it made her wonder just what had brought him to this notion that she was in any sort of danger. It wasn't any sort of excuse to simply not go to Corellia she knew well enough, but the possibilities of what had set him on edge were perplexing.

After a long silence, the Lupine turned to once more face forward, and she dipped her head.

"Why do you think that?"

[Markos]

The older he had grown, the more distant he'd begun to feel, and the times that he felt close to either of his parents were becoming fewer. It was true as well, that those times were mostly with her, and just as he'd done many years ago, Markos carefully reached a hand out, seeking out hers and gripping it tightly.

"I think he is becoming unwell."

They both knew who he spoke of.

"Unwell... ?"

Markos closed his eyes tightly. It was hard to speak of, even now.

"I'm... scared of what he might do," his words were stuttered almost, as if he'd been chewing durracrete only moments before.

"Everyone knows you keep him alive."

[Master s'Ilancy]

At that her head lifted, and a sharp look was sent to him.

"Is that so?"

It was always the rumor that the Chancellor's Jedi wife used the Force to extend his life beyond what it naturally would have been, and apparently it was a rumor which had become so accepted that even her own son believed it. There was no mistaking the tone of his voice.

"Markos, put your fears to rest -"

[Markos]

His grip on her hand tightened as he interrupted her with a pleading whisper.

"Dama, please. Listen to me. You may be keeping his body from dying, but what about his mind? How long until he begins to lose his grip on reality?"

Markos paused, and the muscles in his jaw clenched as he wrestled with himself.

"On Republic Day, he told me that Governor Urich was a traitor."

[Master s'Ilancy]

Ah, so there it was.

"Markos, your father needs no help from me to keep his sanity."

His hold on her hand was strong, and s'Il squeezed back in reassurance. It was as though he was five years old once more, clinging to her out of whatever childhood fear that had invaded his young imagination. Back then it had been so wonderful, and for a short time once more she felt that same desperation. She pulled her hand away, and tenderly brought her arm around his shoulders.

"If he thinks that Governor Urich is a traitor, then I'm sure there is good reason for it."

The Lupine leaned over to gently kiss her son's temple.

"But, you don't need to worry for me."

[Markos]

They were like a soothing salve, her words. Just like they always were.

"What if he accuses you of something," he whispered, "... like treason... ?"

"Son-"

"I have to stay. To protect you. Just in case." There was steel in his voice now. Determined, resolute steel.

"If he does anything, I will stop him."

[Master s'Ilancy]

This newfound concern made her sigh inwardly, and exhaling, s'Il finally gave a nod.

"If you wish to stay, then that is what you will do."

A wistful smile touched her lips as he stood, sliding from her embrace to stand before her.

"Will you tell him yourself? Or would you like me to?"

[Markos]

"I will tell him."

Truthfully, Markos had no idea how his father would react, and there was a small amount of fear curling into a ball in the pit of his stomach at the uncertainty. But, it had been his decision, and he would be the one to deliver the news.

He took a single step back, gave a smile to his mother, and turned on his heel to head back the way he had come in.

[Master s'Ilancy]

She watched him leave, noting the sure-footed gait mingled with slight hesitation as he stepped through the large, dominating archway that led from the main Atrium entryway.

Alone once more, the Lupine's smile faded into a frown, and she looked down to her hands which had once more found their way into her lap. A long breath, and she shook her head in disapproval.

"You have overplayed your hand I think, with this treason affair," she spoke aloud, seemingly to herself.

"If you are not careful, he will turn against you."

[Chancellor Thrule]

The Chancellor's office, as tradition demanded, was situated at the epicenter of the Senatorial rotunda. Dan had eschewed Palpatine's bombastic need for a palace, letting the edifices of government speak for themselves. While his home was certainly opulent, it was in this place that he worked, and chose to remain, in order to appear as accessible to the people. Of course, very few had access to him, which was by design. Unless he deemed it otherwise, he was able to be alone in this place.

For hours at a time, he would watch streams of Aurrebesh float at his desk. Reports and intelligence, broken into effective fragments from thousands of sources, floated past his eyes. He had hundreds of bureaus on retainer to sift through the information as well, but there was something to be said of a personal hand in these matters. Talk of insurrection here, intrigue there. Dan had a finger on the galaxy's pulse.

He heard the door behind him open, but didn't turn. There were only a few individuals that could enter without a guard or a handler clearing it first.

[Markos]

How long had it taken to harden his nerves? After speaking with his mother, Markos had consoled himself with the knowledge that she indeed was glad that he'd chosen to stay. Yes, it had been his choice, but he could see in those black eyes of hers that there had been relief. Even despite his reasons, he knew that she was far more glad that he would still be near than the threat he knew she was faced with. Even if she did not see it, he did.

His father's office, as always, was a quiet place. He knew the elder Thrule treasured his solitude at times, but this... this demanded attention now, and striding purposefully into the office belonging to his father for as long as he could remember, Markos felt his heart quicken. Even as the door closed behind him, he had to wonder what would happen.

In his hands he held the datapad that had been given to him a week ago, and though the Chancellor did not turn around in his chair the boy knew his presence had not gone completely ignored. it was almost always this way. As well, it was to be expected; as was the constant flow of words that his father always seemed so keen to study for hours on end.

Markos came to a stop at the desk, and carefully he set the 'pad down on the glossed surface. With a controlled motion, he slid it towards the chair-back with calculated slowness.

[Chancellor Thrule]

With that, Dan turned in his seat slowly. His eyes confirmed what his ears had told him, and a slight look of disappointment crossed his features.

"You're passing up a good opportunity, son."

He leaned forward, ever so slightly.

"It's your choice to make, but I'd make sure you have a better place to land before leaping from a sure thing."

[Markos]

The determined set of his jawline matched that of his father's identically.

"I am not ready for it."

He could see the disappointment, but looked past it. This was one time that he would not look away.

"I've not learned enough. I couldn't answer you the way I should have on Republic Day, and I know enough to realize that it would be foolish to go to Corellia right now."

[Chancellor Thrule]

Dan slowly eased his hands down to the armrests at his seat.

"What do you think you've yet to learn? Your education speaks for itself. You're brilliant. The bit of fluff with the governor..."

The Chancellor gestured flippantly with one hand.

"...I have the luxury of spies, and the experience to tell me that of all commodities that I can afford to lavish on friends, trust is the costliest."

With a slight smile, he continued.

"That's street smarts. What you've earned up to this point is commendable. What you earn and learn from now on will require you to get your hands dirty. Nobody feels they're ready for that. I didn't either."

He shrugged.

"If you feel more comfortable on Coruscant, however, you'll find what you're needing to find here too."

[Markos]

Not quite what he was expecting, Markos blinked, speechless for a few moments before collecting himself once more. It was a slight thing, and if anyone had been studying him closely enough, even they would have had difficulty discerning his body language. That, he had gotten from his mother. It had been one of the many lessons she'd taught him. To use involuntary reactions to mask his true feelings. There had been so much more that she'd taught him as well, but for the time being he instinctively fell upon her more practical, less-than-mystical guidances.

"I... I would much rather stay here," he started. Again, this reaction of his fathers' had not been what he was expecting.

Markos leaned forward then, placing both hands palm-down on the desk's surface.

"... but this matter with the Governor; you must let it go. You stare at your reports and papers for so long, that I am worried it will affect your judgment. Mother may be able to keep you alive, but she cannot sustain your mind."

And now the true fear made itself known.

[Chancellor Thrule]

What Markos had said was insightful and useful in ways he could not possibly comprehend. Dan wanted to hear it again, for emphasis.

"You...think your mother..."

He reclined in his seat slightly.

"How close you are, but how far away still."

[Markos]

He let a shade of frustration darken his features.

"It's not what I think, it's what everyone else knows."

Markos found himself very nearly repeating what he had told his mother.

"Everyone knows she keeps you alive with the Force. Everyone on Coruscant. Everyone in the galaxy. Wyl tells me all the time that you were old even when he and Teagan were little."

His voice became a hissed whisper.

"Dad. Please understand. Mom cannot keep you from losing your sanity."

[Chancellor Thrule]

"You're right to think that my life is in your mother's hands."

Dan's voice was soft, and he looked down to the table.

"But my actions, I assure you, are of sound mind."

His eyes met Markos's own, and there was deadly seriousness.

"To understand the relationship your mother and I have is to understand the Republic, and the nature of the lawgivers, and of those guardians who keep the law.

What would you say the relationship is between the Chancellor and the Jedi? Ignore, for a moment, what you know of me and your mother."

[Markos]

"I would say that if it is anything, it is a formally agreed upon distance both have agreed to keep between one another."

He hesitated, and partially amended his answer.

"It is a delicate issue - " Markos rocked back then, taking his hands from the desktop and standing up straight.

"... though if I were to truly disregard you and her, then I would have to say there is no relationship whatsoever."

[Chancellor Thrule]

"For millennia, Chancellors of the Republic have served at the pleasure of the Jedi."

Dan looked weary as he said this, his voice reflecting this burden as well.

"The Jedi have always had this power, for better or worse. They continue to have it to this day. Our Republic, as you see it, is a fiction."

[Markos]

There was accusation in his voice then, as Markos fairly growled at his father.

"Then you are telling me that she controls you."

[Chancellor Thrule]

"Why else would I not tell her about the Governor's plot, Markos."

His voice took on some sharpness.

"Think! If what you think is what other's think, then what do you feel is destined to happen next? I am at the peak of my popularity with the people Markos. If I am to be removed, there must be scandal."

[Markos]

He would not be cowed. Not this time. Markos held his ground in a way that he had never done before.

"I've seen the way she looks at you. She worships you!"

His features twisted into a snarl then, lips curled back in a decidedly Lupine manner and habit.

"Even when you don't think I see the two of you, I do."

He leveled a finger at his father.

"And if I were to look at the two of you now, ignoring what I know, then I would say with certainty that it was the opposite of what you're telling me!"

[Chancellor Thrule]

"She worships the power that I represent."

Dan looked at his son with pity.

"I have no doubt there is love. I love her also, it's true. But she will do what she must, and so will I. It's lonely and complicated at the top, Markos. Decisions made are difficult ones to make.

I've made an even greater decision upon realizing this."

[Markos]

His heartbeat held in his chest at that, and Markos knew that a range of emotions were passing across the perpetually neutral and stoic expression he constantly wore. He said not a word. The inner turmoil that now raged inside his mind dwarfed that which he'd felt before, but despite it all; despite his father's words; despite the accusations made... Markos refused to look away.

A heavy silence lingered in the air between them for what seemed an eternity before the younger Thrule spoke.

"What decision."

[Chancellor Thrule]

"There are ways, you see, to resist a Jedi's power. Ancient ways, long thought lost."

Dan rested his hands on the table carefully.

"The Republic, it's worth saving, you see. Even if that price is high."

[Markos]

Eyes narrowing, Markos felt a ghostly burning between his shoulder blades, as though his serpent-moon brand was being grazed with a thin wisp of silver cording. His back straightened, and he squared his shoulders, willing the odd sensation to vanish.

Every lesson he had learned from his mother in the ways of the Force seemed so far removed from what his father was saying now. It was such a departure that he felt cast into a pit of conflict deep within himself.

The cold grip of fear took hold of him then, followed closely by a creeping anger that manifested itself in the tawny tendrils beginning to weave into the normal hues of his eyes.

"What will you do."

[Chancellor Thrule]

"I will do as I'm mandated. I will lead the Republic. But, as you say, perhaps my time is coming to an end."

He rose to his feet.

"If that is the case, then I suggest that now, more than ever, it is time for you to learn these lessons you think you've yet to grasp. I'm ready to teach you, Markos. Everything."

[Markos]

Now the serpent-moon brand felt as though it was ablaze, and Markos stood solidly, hands clenched into white-knuckled fists as he stood facing his father. This was the crossroad he knew would eventually arrive, when his father would truly begin to groom him for the day when the Chancellorship would be handed down. It was temptation, and Markos knew it. It was also an inevitability.

Still though, he found himself doubting, and his next words seemed to be thrown at his father like a hammer.

"If... what you say is true - about the Jedi - then even I cannot be fully trusted."

[Chancellor Thrule]

"If I didn't trust you, why would I tell you any of this?"

The crows feet tightened at Dan's eyes as he nodded.

"You're my son. Flesh of my flesh. I know you will do what you feel is right. I've never doubted that."

[Markos]

Pulling in a long breath, Markos exhaled through clenched teeth, and closing his eyes, he let his taxed nerves settle. the stiffness in his posture relaxed, and he unclenched his hands before finally nodding.

"Then teach me."

When he opened his eyes once more, their tawny hints had vanished.

"But don't do anything to her."

[Chancellor Thrule]

"In the end, I think it will be she who betrays me. I won't ask you to make a choice. I will only show you how to make difficult decisions."

He steepled his fingers together as he took a long look at Markos.

"You have a lot of emotion, Markos. A lot of passion. Just like me. You need to learn how to control and use it."

[Markos]

He looked furtively to the side, unsure of how to respond. It was certainly not an admonishment, but at the same time Markos couldn't help but feel a small amount of shame for allowing himself to become so entangled in the strong emotions he'd displayed thus far. It was somewhat out of character for him, and with a knit brow, he turned his eyes back to his father.

"It is not easy when faced with something like what you have just told me."

Was that an excuse? No, not entirely. But still, even though it was mostly an explanation, he knew it sounded like the former.

[Chancellor Thrule]

"What does your mother say about your feelings? I'm sure I'm not the first to make note of this."

It was an exercise to get Markos to think about what he was told, and to not just regurgitate his lessons, but to draw upon them.

[Markos]

Slowly, Markos lowered himself to sit in one of the chairs in front of the desk.

"She says that feelings and emotions are gifts, and that the Jedi of old were wrong to suppress them."

Which was true; his mother had long touted that partially, the refusal to express their emotional sides was a crippling blow that the old order had not seen until it was too late. Some, even until the end, had not even realized their follies.

Leaning back, the young Lupine made a strange face.

"She says that I don't show enough at times, and that I tend to not let my feelings be known. She tries to help, but it is not my nature."

A pause, then he amended, "... today is an exception, however."

[Chancellor Thrule]

"You're mother is correct. Your feelings are indeed gifts."

Dan leaned back in his seat slightly, gesturing with a hand for emphasis.

"Think of them as paint, and the world around you as canvas. Now, angry or elated, or any shade of emotion in between, you can throw paint on that canvas in one violent splash, or if you use those colors with your intent behind them, you can create a world in your image.

Think of notable people in history. People of vision. What gave them their drive? Was it just a clever thought, or was it that, and the fuel to drive it?

Right now, you are angry Markos."

The corners of Dan's mouth ticked upwards almost imperceptibly.

"I can feel your anger."

[Markos]

"I think that that is fairly well established," was the clipped response.

"Even if you had the Force, you wouldn't need to use it to know what I'm feeling right now."

[Chancellor Thrule]

"But yet, it isn't about what you're feeling, is it? It's about what you want. What do you want, Markos? Don't simply seethe and waste that anger that drives you."

Dan's face dropped all pretense of mirth. When he spoke again, it was a voice unnatural and terrifying.

"Use it."

[Markos]

His heart, for the second time that day, very nearly stopped altogether and with a shocked, wide-eyed look, he stared at his father. His back straight and shoulders angled, Markos' hands gripping the armrests of his chair as if he was about to stand.

The voice that'd come from his father was one that shook him to his core, and as his chest rose and fell, his eyes never left the elder Thrule's. Never had he heard such a sound.

"What did you say," was all he could get out, his own voice low and suddenly cautious.

[Chancellor Thrule]

"Use your aggressive feelings. Put them at your disposal, and you can be more powerful than either your mother or your father."

His voice had returned to its normal timbre, but Dan's steadfast expression remained. He could feel the fear in Markos causing him to shake to his foundations.

[Markos]

Markos was frozen, unable to move even if he had willed himself to with every ounce of strength he had. In a matter of mere seconds, his world had suddenly begun to cave in all around him, and he feared that if he should let go of the chair he held tightly to, he would tumble into some bottomless abyss with the rest of his reeling thoughts.

He knew his father was looking straight through him, as if he was utterly transparent. There had always been something boiling beneath the cool, undisturbed surface, and somehow...

... somehow his father knew it.

Confusion then, as Markos shifted uncomfortably, grasping for anything to re-balance his mental equilibrium.

"What are you talking about... "

[Chancellor Thrule]

"We both know what I'm talking about. There is a side of the force you've never explored, but surely you've been curious of it, haven't you?"

Again, a knowing smile.

"Of course, to call it a side is a quaint and incomplete way of viewing it. You must embrace all of the force, make it your own.

Including the Dark Side."

[Markos]

Those last two words seemed to galvanize him, and Markos shot to his feet then, knocking the chair back as a hand swept out to the side as if to swipe away the words his father spoke.

"That is enough."

He was uncontrollable, and he spoke without regard, unable to stop the words from spilling out of his mouth.

"What you speak of now... it is something you fought against. It was the Empire! Has your mind rotted away so much that you can no longer remember?!"

[Chancellor Thrule]

"Palpatine was a maniacal tyrant, ruling with an iron fist and without any consideration of the consequences. That was his undoing, Markos. To rule is not enough. You must rule wisely.

His Empire has almost nothing in common with our Republic."

[Markos]

" 'Almost nothing'?"

There was panic beginning to creep into his voice.

"What does it have in common, then."

[Chancellor Thrule]

"Apart from size and scope, we both have enemies."

He smiled again.

"But of course, you already know this. Recall our chat on Republic Day about the Governor. How do you think Palpatine would have handled such treachery?"

[Markos]

There was a guarded tone to his voice as he answered.

"From what I've read of his policies and political habits, I would say he would've used a hammer. He prided himself on might and a heavy hand and swift consequences that held no mercy.

"I imagine he would have simply sent his commandos to kill the Governor in his sleep. Or, if he was so inclined, maybe even send Darth Vader."

[Chancellor Thrule]

"And of course, his sycophants created the Tarkin Doctrine, and brought about the Death Star. Like a rancor in a Naboo china shop."

Dan shook his head disapprovingly.

"For as many ships as the man built, as many armies as he raised, he never understood the effectiveness of clemency. He was no leader, Markos. He was a fool."

[Master s'Ilancy]

* * *

To those whom she saw and interacted with on any given day, this evening the Chancellor's wife had seemed no different than any other time. She smiled, never turned from those who needed her, and her aides would've never guessed at the storm that raged inside.

She had sat alone for a long time, considering Markos' words, and those that Dan had told to him. It was too soon, and if her Master was not careful, she would have to once more perform the terrible duties that she'd had to do many years ago. They had been too young, the twins Cassius and Helios. Too unready to fully understand and comprehend what their father had revealed to them. And the resultant disaster that had unfolded before both Master and Apprentice was one that at least she had not forgotten. If he wished to keep this son, he would need a softer hand.

It was heartbreaking, what she had had to do back then to stop the two of them. She did not wish to do the same to Markos.


She waited for him; for her husband. She waited patiently. Standing before one of the grand windows in their home that afforded a wondrous view of the Coruscant cityscape, the Lupine clasped her hands at the small of her back. She'd not been so angry in a very long time; not with Dan, at least.

Her black eyes were half-closed, her brow furrowed with restrained frustration. She let it simmer and steam, controlling it with such practiced ease.

Dan may have forgotten what occured those many years past, but she had not, and as she heard approaching footsteps behind her, s'Il straightened her shoulders and her head tilted up a small bit.

[Chancellor Thrule]

Dan entered the home he'd shared with Lok s'Ilancy for decades, and knew exactly what awaited him. With Markos's sullen and moody lashes of emotion roiling off him, his Lupine companion knew exactly what was at stake. He was as powerful as they were - potentially more so. Somehow, he must come to terms with this power.

Joining Lok at the window, Dan loosened the button at his collar, opening it up slightly as he shared the vista with his wife.

[Master s'Ilancy]

It was not difficult to sense the tendrils of emotion that clung to her Master like trophies. But if he was not careful, those tendrils had the possibility of overpowering him if not guided with a firm hand. The both of them would have to have a hold of each of Markos' shoulders, steering him to where he was destined to be.

"I would advise you use caution this time," she started.

"It would be a terrible thing to have to send your son to Weit-Fällt to join his brothers."

[Chancellor Thrule]

"This time will be different"

He nodded in consolation, still looking ahead.

"Markos has a strong will. It won't be long before he will realize what he can achieve by learning from us fully."

With that, he looked at her.

"You deserve no less."

[Master s'Ilancy]

"Do I, now?"

Her head angled around, and their eyes met.

"Tell me, have you any idea the danger to us if you cannot control him?" Her voice came out in a hissed growl. "We were nearly undone by Cassius and Helios, and Markos is stronger than the both of them combined."

[Chancellor Thrule]

"There is quite a bit of danger, yes."

The Chancellor crossed his arms.

"But is it any less than letting his potential lie fallow or neglected? This isn't simply about a legacy. If he doesn't understand and control what he is capable of, he's a threat to himself. We would be derelict in our responsibilities to let that happen."

[Master s'Ilancy]

Her controlled anger was still palpable, but it dimmed somewhat.

"All I ask is that you use care. I did not hesitate to put an end to his brothers, and I will not hesitate to end him if his path should lead that way."

The silence that fell was one that spoke volumes of her loyalty to her Master, and all that she had done for him. All that she continued to do. Reaching a hand out, she let it pass through the fading wisps of Markos' anger that still curled around Dan like slowly writhing snakes.

"He is strong, isn't he," she mused wistfully.

[Chancellor Thrule]

Dan responded with a nod. The boy's strength was a certainty. With training, where would that take him? He could become even more powerful than Loklorien.

Could he become more powerful than Dan himself?

The Chancellor set that thought aside. Strength was, after all, only part of the equation, wasn't it? His centuries of influence had been carefully nuanced, showing not just power, but the wisdom to apply it correctly. And one thing Dan Thrule was adept at was controlling information to access such wisdom.

Even Loklorien hadn't touched the bottom of that well.

[Master s'Ilancy]

Pursing her lips, s'Il pulled her hand away and turned to step away from the window, making her way through the luxurious sitting room.

"He came to me in the Atrium today. This business with the Governor has scared him, and now he thinks that you are unwell."

[Chancellor Thrule]

"Yes, he seemed to think it would be in my best interest to step down from the Chancellorship."

Dan turned to face Lok, arching an eyebrow.

"It's an interesting turn, and certainly a concern that isn't held by him alone. I think that he's even voicing it gives credence to how widespread that fiction can be."

Finding a seat of his own, Dan eased into an ornate and cushioned chair, crossing his legs as he sat.

"Perhaps he's right."

[Master s'Ilancy]

"It is an interesting rumor, I will admit."

There was mirth on her features, as the thought that she was the one to be keeping Dan alive throughout the many years was vastly amusing.

"But I see no reason for you to stand aside. People will talk, as they always have. There is nothing any one man may do about it."

She sat across from him.

"But he is worried, and a person in his state will say many things. He called me Dama today; he's not done that for a very long time, so that now when he does, I know his mind is unsettled. He fears for his family, as I once did. In time he will come to know that the only one he must show concern for is himself."

[Chancellor Thrule]

"Then it's more important than ever that he takes the first steps toward becoming not just powerful within the Force, but a capable leader."

He paused a moment, thinking.

"I'd intended to handle the situation with Governor Urich quietly. Perhaps it would be best for Markos to have some hand in this, and he can see the way the galaxy works for himself."

[Master s'Ilancy]

"A sound idea," she agreed.

"Though," she leaned back in her seat, her slim body relaxed and at ease, "... I would've been more than happy to deal with this matter for you."

[Chancellor Thrule]

Dan gave an assured shake of his head.

"The Governor couldn't tie his shoelaces without attracting my attention. No, as sensational as this treachery could be, it's more or less harmless...for now."

He gestured flippantly.

"It's when you let these things pass with no response and let them grow, where you have the problem. It would be good to expose Markos to this early, as it's benign, but educational."

[Master s'Ilancy]

"Everything that I have taught him he's learned well. He is diligent and dedicated, but I can feel the well deep inside of him. It is staggering almost, the depths of what is in his possession."

She stared at her husband and Master, studying him with a keen interest.

"From what you saw of him today - his anger and fear - how do you think that he will perform?"

[Chancellor Thrule]

The Chancellor was silent for a moment, and it was clear that he was scouring the Force as best he could.

"Even if he fails, he'll know why he failed. More important will be to see if he tries again."

The inexplicable combination of traits that leadership demanded was every bit as rare as sensitivity in the Force, and often harder to predict.

[Markos]

* * *

Today was a beginning; he'd known in his heart the moment he'd woken this morning that he had made a crucial step in advancing himself. In some ways his true education, that which would bring him onto the hard-packed and well-trodden path of leadership, was only just now begun. He'd seen enough of his father's often sleepless nights to know that it was no easy task to undertake. He knew his father intended for him to succeed him, but it would be a long while yet before that day came.

Standing tall, the boy dusted at the black sleeve of his coat. His suit had been neatly pressed the night before, each crease perfect and straight.

He stared at himself in one of the many mirrors that inhabited the front sitting room, aware that his mother was watching him. She sat in a soft leather chair, trying to appear engrossed in one of the countless books she often 'read'. Markos knew well enough that she was studying him; he'd grown used to her blackened stare years ago, no longer unnerved by the uncanny nuances of her facial expressions; as if she still had functioning, conventional eyesight. He knew she could see through the Force, but for some it was still strange to see her react to things that she couldn't have possibly seen.

Without turning, he tugged at a cuff link.

"I know you're watching me."

[Master s'Ilancy]

She smiled at that.

"Of course I am," was her soft reply.

Closing the book in her lap, s'Il slowly levered herself up to her feet, tucking the leatherbound volume beneath one arm.

"I am still allowed to admire the man my son is becoming, am I not?"

[Markos]

Markos felt one corner of his mouth tick up, and in a rare moment he looked down, hiding his crooked half-smile.

"It is only another day."

"It isn't just any day."

She was right, and looking up, he watched her as she approached to stand beside him. He stood at least a head taller, looking down at the reflection they both cast in the mirror. From what both of his parents often said, he had his mother's eyes. He'd seen holos of her before, when she still had at least one eye, and even a few from before she'd gotten her scar, and he had to admit that they were right.

He felt her hand on his shoulder, and his features fell somewhat. Was this what it was like for them? The beginning of their end?

"Tell me about Cassius and Helios again," he whispered.

[Master s'Ilancy]

There was a moment where she gave no reaction, where time stood still and that one moment after he'd spoken stretched into eternity. His words brought vibrant, achingly terrible memories into the light of day, and she felt frozen as if reliving those last few moments of each of her twin son's lives. She blinked, and her hand on his shoulder tightened. It was a grip that told him she hurt, and that she would be heartbroken if he met their same fate.

"There is a lot to tell about them," she finally started, her voice low.

Another few empty seconds, and she went on.

"They were tall, like you and your father. You have my eyes, but they had his."

She spoke haltingly, knowing that Markos had heard all of this before.

"You want to know if this was how it started for them, don't you."

His silence was her confirmation, and she closed her eyes tightly.

"It is similar, but not the same. Your father hasn't allowed you to fully participate in his dealings as he did with Cassius and Helios because he does not want to lose you as we lost them. What he is doing now, in bringing you into his affairs; it is something that he has wrestled with for a long time. I feel that it is still too early, but he's of the opinion that you are ready."

Her hand moved from his shoulder to rest against the side of his face, and her voice lost a measure of its' steadiness.

"I don't know what I would do if I lost you as well."

[Markos]

Markos put his own hand over hers, looking into her eyes.

"You won't lose me, I promise."

Something resonated within him though; something that she spoke of.

"Did you think it was too early for them as well?"

[Master s'Ilancy]

s'Il hesitated, looking away to stare at the mirror.

"I did," she eventually admitted.

"Your father insisted however, and I gave in. Even to this day I wish with all of my heart that I had stopped him. Your brothers would still be here if I had."

[Markos]

A nod, and Markos grimaced. His brothers would still be here if his father had simply been patient.

For the first time in a very long while, the boy pulled his mother to him, wrapping his arms around her in reassurance and holding her close to him.

"I'll be alright," he spoke quietly into her ear, "I promise."

[Chancellor Thrule]

Dan entered the sitting room, greeting his son with a small, knowing smile as he approached. He sized Markos up, and gave him an approving nod.

"Times like this, I have to take a step back and remember you're still the same youngster who used to play in this very same room. You're quickly becoming your own man."

Flattery wasn't something Markos liked to linger on, and Dan met his son with a handshake.

"Are you ready to go see the Governor?"

[Markos]

"I am."

Markos gave another lingering look to his mother, then met his father's eyes with a nod. What happened this day he couldn't be entirely sure, but before night fell, he knew he would be changed. Changed to what remained to be seen however.

[Master s'Ilancy]

There was a strange sort of pride in her stance, that only Dan would be able to sense. The countless years that the two had been together had given each the ability to understand one another beyond words, and sometimes beyond even emotion. The seed of mistrust that she had so freshly planted in her son's mind would take root, and she would nurture it.

"Be safe," she intoned, her voice level. And as an afterthought, the Lupine rested her hand on Dan's arm.

"... both of you."

[Chancellor Thrule]

"Of course. Everything will be fine."

Dan placated Lok with a kiss to her cheek, and without another word, walked with his son to exit the suite. Senate commandos escorted the pair to a waiting speeder, and they were seated, and sent on their way to the Governor's mansion.

"Your education in the ways of politics begins in earnest today, Markos. I've arranged for you serve as my attaché to the Governor's office. You'll be privy to all dealings between Coruscant, the Senate, and the Chancellory, and be given a writ of diplomatic autonomy."

[Markos]

He took it in with his normal silence, his hands in his lap as he reclined in the plush leather of the speeder's seats. His brow furrowed as he thought of his new duties.

"Then I am to simply observe?"

[Chancellor Thrule]

"You'll serve as a liason."

Dan stopped himself, again with a knowing smile.

"At least officially. Unofficially, I expect that you will report to me on all of the Governor's dealings, even those off the record. Observe is, of course, a good word for this."

What was unsaid was that Markos was a spy. Not a subtle one either, but there was almost no recourse for the Governor to refuse this appointment.

"I want to know who he meets with, what is discussed, and his movements."

[Markos]

It came as no surprise, what his father wanted from him. But still, the nagging doubt that he was walking into the jaws of the same beast that'd devoured his brothers gnawed at him. Too, the accusations his father had made against his Jedi wife. It seemed so preposterous, that his mother would worship the power Dan Thrule represented; she had always been content to support and help, and Markos found himself truly wondering if this accusation was simply the product of a paranoid mind grown too old for the body it inhabited.

But, he knew it best to learn what he could from his father, as a small part of him truly believed that the elder Thrule would not be alive for many more years.

"I'm sure it won't be difficult, but what if he does refuse this? The Chancellor's son, being placed into his office as a direct link?"

He angled his head to the side, affording his father an odd face and arched eyebrow.

"He'll know what I'm there for."

[Chancellor Thrule]

"Of course he will."

Dan nodded as he watched the skyline fly past as the speeder accelerated into a major skylane.

"This will keep him on his toes, and he will make mistakes, and be less likely to conspire. By now, I know just about all that I need to know of his dealings. Consider this as a soft persuasion that he ought to perhaps consider retirement."

[Markos]

Markos thought on this reasoning, and found himself nodding in agreement. It was sound, and the boy leaned back in his seat a little more.

A nagging voice pulled at him though.

"And if he doesn't take your hint? What if he decides to take his treason to something more... violent?"

It didn't need to be said, where this question came from. It had been a long time since Cassius and Helios had met their end, but no one had ever forgotten that they'd been murdered by - at the time - his father's political adversaries.

[Chancellor Thrule]

Dan looked to his son, and knew exactly the concern that was coming from him.

"I've left nothing to chance. Not this time. The Governor's guards answer to me personally. I am graciously offering him a path that will save face. If he's too foolish to see it plain as day, then he will be corrected."

[Markos]

Markos bit his lower lip, a habit he'd gotten from his mother. Despite the recent events between both of his parents and his shaken resolve, Markos still fully trusted in his father, and if the elder Thrule had taken any and all precautions, then the boy believed him.

There wasn't much else to say about the matter, and turning, he looked out the window at the busy skylane traffic. It was almost hypnotizing.

"What did you mean yesterday," he started quietly, "... about using my anger."

[Chancellor Thrule]

"Are you familiar with the term 'righteous anger'?"

Dan mused, knowing his son was as smart as any.

"Too many dismiss anger, attempt to discard it or compartmentalize it, considering it wild and destructive, but history is filled with tales of people who use anger and focus it into a controlled direction to right a great many wrongs. Anger is powerful when used this way."

[Markos]

"But what if it becomes uncontrolled?"

There were doubts, and Markos was voicing them.

"I can't imagine that one can keep it under thumb for prolonged times."

[Chancellor Thrule]

"I've never thought control to be your problem, Markos."

Dan ceded to his logic, however.

"But yes, you do need to have it. But that goes for many things. Even for things that people usually associate with pleasant connotations, if they're misapplied, they can cause terrible damage."

[Markos]

Markos pinched at the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes.

"Like what happened with Cassius and Helios, then?"

It had been such a personal tragedy for both of his parents he knew, but had they simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time, or had they instead been 'misapplied', with the damage being the pain of their loss?

[Chancellor Thrule]

The chancellor turned somewhat somber.

"Your brothers' deaths were a terrible turn of chance. Not everything can be controlled, unfortunately, even if you try."

He met his son's eyes.

"But trying does matter. It always does."

[Markos]

"Yes Sir."

It came out automatically. Finally, his voice cut through the extended silence that'd fallen between them.

"Mother cannot know."

There was a trace of shame in his voice, and he bowed his head.

"Not of this."

[Chancellor Thrule]

Dan put on a face of empathy, nodding in agreement.

"I think you're right. It would be best for her if this was kept to us."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

~ ~


They both sat comfortably on the main sofa, her eye watching him closely as he seemed to fade away from the vision. As her master had begun the first stages of his descent, s'Il had helped to guide him gently to sit. She had been careful, taking every precaution to not disturb him or the the things he was being shown. She herself had performed the 'inner right' many times before, and had enough knowledge about it to know how to handle those that chose to do it. It was a sacred thing, and demanded silence and peace.

A candle, its' flame a strangely deep crimson color, burned on the low table in front of them. Beside it stood Dan's half-full wine glass.

She was whispering in his ear, guiding him back from the recesses that his mind and drink had taken him.

"... a danger in staying too long at one time," she was saying quietly as his eyes finally opened to focus on what lay in front of him. One hand rested carefully on his forearm as the other brushed the hair from his face.

"One must pull away from the vision temporarily to keep from becoming lost and unable to return."

[General Dan]

The world constructed around Dan began to melt away into ether, and it took more than a little control to keep from being overwhelmed from the sensation of being ripped from it and transplanted back into reality. His breaths were deep and instinctual, as if trying to avoid what the mind considered to be drowning.

Heeding the words of his companion, Dan at last put aside the thoughts of what he was experiencing, and met her eyes.

"I can see it would be easy to lose yourself."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She watched him, locking eyes with him for a few studious moments before nodding in satisfaction.

"It often is. I've read accounts of many who did not break away to recollect themselves."

Her own drink rested on the table, and delicately s'Il reached out, plucking it up and bringing it to her lips.

"It is unfortunate, the results."

Of course, there were other matters on her mind. She too had seen their son in her own divining; he was a solid, level young man, with quiet calm and wise beyond his years.

"Did you see him?"

[General Dan]

Dan nodded.

"He's got your eyes."

The questions were sure to come. Naturally, there was only so much that could be revealed.

"Smart, serious, dedicated, he's somebody I'd definitely look forward to knowing."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il brought in a deep breath, letting air fill her lungs as a sweeping sense of pride filled her chest. She would be the one to give him what he desired, and that was how it would always be. She was to be the one who set him atop the galaxy, to rule over all. The pride she felt overflowed into her movements, and the Lupine leaned back in her seat like a great she-cobra, nesting and confident that her place in her Master's world would never be challenged.

"I saw his birth a month after the other was lost. It gave me strength, but I decided it best not to tell you until you saw him as well."

That pride-filled smile worked across her lips as her features lifted in something of a relieved look.

"And now you have."

[General Dan]

"There were others too."

Dan carefully untwined another truth as he pushed his hair back over his shoulders.

"Other sons."

He met her eyes.

"I didn't see much. Did your visions include them?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Now this was something wholly unexpected, and s'Il sat unable to speak for a short moment, her mouth falling slightly open in complete shock. No, her own visions had not shown her others; she had always only seen Markos, his brooding features that so much resembled Dan's. This new revelation stunned her, and the Lupine swallowed as she turned over this information with deliberate slowness. There was the barest flashes of jealousy, that he had been shown something that she had not, but that was quickly pushed down and away from her surface thoughts.

She leaned away from him, sitting back against the cushions as her eye moved to play over the half-empty bottle of wine still on the low table.

"I was not shown that."

Her voice, low almost to the point of being inaudible, held a slight waver. Why had her visions not shown her this?

[General Dan]

"Perhaps the force is waiting for something to reveal this to you?"

An empathetic look crossed his face.

"After all, even I didn't forsee Markos. Have patience, I'm sure our future will reveal itself if we work together."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Still she looked away, unwilling to meet his gaze for the moment as her mind reeled with the thought of others. It opened up so many new avenues and possibilities; so many questions. Would they be gifted? Would they be as strong as she was? Or even Dan himself?

"How many... ?" she asked quietly, her eye tracking back to meet hi his own.

[General Dan]

"Two others."

Dan closed his eyes, trying to concentrate.

"Cassius and..."

Intentionally he left the other name off, wondering if that would be enough impetus for Lok to recall.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She mouthed the name before speaking it aloud, and even then her voice was barely above a whisper.

"... Helios... "

It was the name that she had chosen for their second-born; the one that had been taken away so cruelly. The one that had never had a chance to live.

With a hand going to her chest, the Lupine drew in a long breath, her eyes half-lidded as she allowed her thoughts to settle over what she had been told. She seemed to look through Dan, her gaze become glassy as she imagined that which had yet come to pass.

Cassius, Helios, Markos...

"Three sons," the wavering in her voice was gone; instead it had been replaced by the quiet sureness of pride as she spoke the words mostly to simply hear them with her own ears. And, momentarily forgetting herself, she went on in the tone that many, when they contemplated their own futures, held.

"My sons... "

[General Dan]

Dan's smile returned, and he placed his hands around one of Lok's own.

"Our sons."

He paused, still shaking his head.

"I admit, I saw very little, but that I do recall. I don't know their futures, if they have the gift, or even if they do, if they choose to embrace it."

He gave a shrug.

"Force help us if they all become lawyers."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Shaken from her internal reverie, s'Il shifted her gaze down to his hands.

"Yes, ours," she mumbled almost apologetically. His gentle correction did well to bring her back to the hear and now, and she gave a slight, quirked smile to at least humor his last words.

She ventured a glance to his still half-full glass, resting patiently on the table.

"Do you feel ready to go back... ?"

[General Dan]

He inhaled deeply, existing in the moment for a while longer. The effect of disorientation was profound, and it took concentration to keep him centered.

At last, he spoke.

"I'm ready again, yes."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

A nod, and the Lupine leaned over to retrieve his still half-full glass, placing it in his hand carefully. She watched as he drank, and as he leaned back, eyes closing. The glass she took from his hand lest he drop it.

It would not take long for his mind to once more grab a hold of the thread that he'd held so very recently...

[Markos]

* * *


... Markos needed no escort. He needed no announcement. In the month since the beginning of the assignment his father had given him, he'd learned far more than he had in school; far more than he ever thought there was to know. It was all so different, this game. This test of wills and cunning, of outmaneuvering and suspicion. Since being posted to the governor's staff, it had been an eye-opening experience to see just how this entire beast lived and breathed, functioned and existed.

And now the beast was stirring internally, and the time had come.

Governor Urich had been resistant at first, knowing full well why the Chancellor's son had been placed on his staff. He had been genial, but the underlying suspicion was always there. It never left his eyes. Markos could see that even if he'd not had the Force.

It was late - past the midnight hour - when he let himself into his parent's sleeping chambers. Normally he would have knocked, but time was running thin and the need for action was now.

Standing at the foot of the bed, his voice cut through the stillness.

"Wake up."

[Chancellor Thrule]

When called, Dan was unexpectedly easy to rouse, as if he'd slept light just by chance of such an encounter occurring. He could feel the conflict roiling off his prodigy, and no doubt the experience in the belly of the political beast was accelerating changes that must take place.

"What is it, son?"

[Markos]

"The Governor is moving soon."

There was a pause, as his eyes adjusted to the darkness.

"He goes to meet his conspirators in an hour's time."

[Chancellor Thrule]

He sat at the edge of the bed, thinking over what Markos said.

"This is earlier than expected. You must have made an impression on him."

He offered a smile to Markos, but his expression quickly turned troubled again.

"Something in this is worrying. I didn't expect his hand to be forced so soon. It's too dangerous for you to return, Markos."

The Chancellor rose from his bed.

"I will alert my guard, and they will have the Governor and his co-conspirators arrested. You've done well."

[Markos]

Not what he was expecting, Markos resisted.

"I can go back," he insisted, "... I can find out what he's doing, and I can stop him."

His entire body was tense; he'd expected to be at the forefront when the Governor was confronted.

[Master s'Ilancy]

"Absolutely not."

The voice that cut into Markos' intentions was sure and solid. It held the tone of one that would tolerate no argument, and as she slowly sat up, s'Il cast her eyes in the direction of her son. She could see the Force pulsing outward from him, hungry tendrils of excitement that craved conflict.

She frowned at that, knowing it was Dan's hand at work that was shaping their son.

Her downturned lips turned into a severe expression as she held the comforter over her chest, still looking at Markos.

"You are to stay here and not place yourself into any situation that you aren't ready for."

[Chancellor Thrule]

Good

Far away from any reveal, he was pleased at his son's ambition bubbling forth. Just as good was Lok's own stern move to quash it.

Somber-faced, Dan sought to set the situation up as he saw fit.

"Your mother's right, Markos. You've done well in the political arena, but that arena can quickly turn violent if your feet stray off the path. If you would prefer, I can have you brief my Master of Guards on the situation."

[Markos]

It grated on him, to be pushed to the side so easily. He had been the one to discover the arranged meeting; he had been the one constantly at the governor's side. The unfairness of his parents' decision was like a sharp, sudden pain in his gut, and Markos stood taller, his shoulders hitching back in the beginnings of open defiance.

"You have to let me go," he still countered angrily, his frustrations building. He glared accusingly at both mother and father, his eyes flashing a dangerous tawny yellow as his nails dug into the heels of his palms. He bit out his next words with unguarded contempt.

"I'm not Cassius, and I'm not Helios. I won't make the same mistakes they did."

[Master s'Ilancy]

She hid her surprise at his defiance beneath a mask of slowly growing anger. Never before had Markos so completely disregarded what had been asked of him, and s'Il was not about to stand for her own son to make such demands.

"That is enough."

Still holding the covers over her upper body, the Lupine sat up straighter and her black eyes narrowed. She knew that Dan's tutelage was sparking the strong ambition she now felt, but history was coming dangerously close to repeating itself if that very same ambition was not tempered in times like this. Her Master needed to put a stop to this insurrection now, unless he wished to lose his youngest.

"You are being impatient, and that is the very same mistake that your brothers made."

[Chancellor Thrule]

This moment had to be handled carefully. Dan had to use caution not to extend his hand.

"I will tell you something, Markos, that took me a lifetime to learn. Don't be too quick to throw your life away. There will be times where you must fight, that's true. To win in the end, you have to learn when it's best to do so. If it came down to it, would you kill the Governor for his treachery?"

[Markos]

"Of course not."

It came out in a tone that had never been used when speaking with his father before; something mixed with exasperation and impatience.

"He must stand trial for his crimes, and if he wishes to brazenly stand against you - against the Republic and the people, then he will be shown to all as the traitor he is."

And as if to reiterate, Markos finished in a sullen, almost regretful voice, even.

"I'll not kill him. It's not the way."

[Chancellor Thrule]

"No, it isn't."

He carefully laced his fingers together in his lap.

"But the way, juxtaposed against how things are sometimes means two different things. I can guarantee you the first time I killed someone it wasn't what I aimed at doing. But it certainly happened."

He spoke low and gravely.

"You're learning this lesson in a game with much higher stakes than the one where I learned it. All I can do is tell you what to do or not to do. You control yourself. But whatever you do, you do it with both eyes open, and you do it without being ignorant of exactly what is at stake."

[Markos]

The truth of his father's words were like a slap to the face, and Markos grimaced, looking down. Long seconds ticked away, until finally he lifted his eyes once more to lock with the Elder Thrule's. He avoided his mother's scrutinizing glare, hoping that she would at least turn her black eyes away from him.

"Then I will stay here."

[Chancellor Thrule]

Was there enough ember left in the ash to cause a fire to start again, that was the only question. Dan gave a small smile.

"Your mother would like that very much."

[Markos]

The simmering resentment in his eyes was plain to see, but he stayed his tongue for now. His mother's words had pierced deeply into his mind, and his father's truth just as much so. Had he expected their combined reactions? Hers perhaps, but certainly not his father's. It felt like something of a betrayal, but Markos dared not speak that part of how he felt.

His chest rose and fell, his jaw set stubbornly, and he turned on his heel, marching from their private room without another word.

[Master s'Ilancy]

She watched him leave; watched the storm of emotions whipping about his form as he stalked from the bedroom. The door shut a bit more heavily than normal, and it wasn't until another minute of silence passed that she stirred.

And when she did, it was a terrible thing. Her face, etched with deep lines of hatred, turned to Dan. They had come close... so close to repeating the events that's taken Cassius and Helios. It caused her to set upon her husband and Master with barely controlled fury, and with one hand lancing outward, she caught his wrist in a vice-like grip, snapping blue tendrils of electricity passing across his arm as she pulled him to face her.

Her other hand, dropping the covers, came around in a vicious slap that caught him across the cheek.

[Chancellor Thrule]

He took the strike he knew would be coming, head jerking sidelong from the force of it. Quick enough, he recovered to face her fully. There wasn't an ounce of anger on his expression. There didn't need to be any.

"He won't be a child forever. Do you think he'll be content to live within the long shadows we both cast?"

[Master s'Ilancy]

"You are pushing him too far too fast," came the growled response.

"I know you've been teaching him, don't think me unaware. I can see it in his eyes."

Her features were twisted into the face of the monster that Dan Thrule had spent over fifty years creating.

"If you allow his leash to become too long, it will be our undoing."

[Chancellor Thrule]

"You've known me for too long to think I'd leave this to chance. Better he learns what he can in a controlled way than in a way beyond our control."

He reached up with his opposite hand to remove s'Il's own from his wrist.

"Don't be dominated by your own fear of loss."

[Master s'Ilancy]

His attempt to remove her hand from his wrist was ignored, as her grip tightened and she jerked him close. With their faces only inches apart, the Lupine fed hungrily from her own tumultuous emotions.

"My fear of loss does not dominate me; it drives me," she snarled, throwing his own words (http://75.126.43.122/forum/showpost.php?p=285465&postcount=22) back into his face.

[Chancellor Thrule]

"Say the word then, and I'll have him put under house arrest. We can very easily solve this misadventure."

The Chancellor declined to rebuke his wife, knowing what drove her heart the way it did.

"I still have the option to post him to Corellia, to see if distance from Coruscanti intrigue does him good."

[Master s'Ilancy]

"And what would that accomplish," she snapped back.

"He would resent us even more than he does right now."

s'Il held him a moment longer, her black eyes boring into his own before, in a dismissive fit, released him with a slight shove.

"This is a situation that we must remedy now."

Partway sliding from beneath the covers, she gave him a piercing, sidelong look.

"Have you shown yourself to him... ?"

[Chancellor Thrule]

There was no sense in denying it.

"I have."

She would have divined that much from Markos if she had the inclination to, and it changed nothing.

"The barriers to him accepting the truth are...less than when I revealed it to you. Sign of the times."

[Master s'Ilancy]

"Indeed."

It was more of a grumped answer than anything, but the sharpness in her tone was still vaguely present.

"I imagine that being the blood of your blood helps the transition. Tyrants beget tyrants and all that."

Swinging her legs over the edge of the bed, s'Il pushed herself up to her feet. There was a certain amount of regal bearing that her movements conveyed; as though she was of a quiet royalty. It was different than her mannerisms in the public's eye - this was somehow more... prideful.

"Dress yourself," she ordered.

"We will speak with him without trappings."

[Chancellor Thrule]

He nodded at that.

"Agreed."

Rising as well, he paused.

"One thing escapes me, however. What do you plan to tell him?"

[Master s'Ilancy]

Without pause, she answered.

"He will learn his place."

Looking to Dan, the Lupine gave a stern warning that was as much for her Master as it would be for Markos.

"You may feed his ambitions, but the moment that his desires are settled on taking my position, it will mean his end.

"I'll not be replaced."

[Chancellor Thrule]

"He can be taught a great deal and yet not gain the full knowledge of a Sith."

In the process of making himself presentable, he looked back to Lok.

"If the unthinkable happens and I lose you or you lose me, we must both be prepared to pass on the mantle to him."

[Master s'Ilancy]

Despite the passage of time, to even entertain the notion of losing Dan was one that set her on edge. To hear him utter such a phrase seemed to cause her back to stiffen, and her scowl only deepened.

"I'll not listen to such talk," she finally got out, her voice curt, his words visibly affecting her.

Dressed, she moved close to her husband, one hand lifting up to run fingers through his hair, smoothing out the tangles that'd formed while he slept.

"Dwelling on thoughts of that manner invites them to come to pass. Put them out of your mind."

[Chancellor Thrule]

"I've spent a millennium thinking about these things, and it is my cumulative thoughts on the matter that have kept me alive for so long. You can't simply ignore death and hope for the best. You must constantly think of your own mortality, and how to continue it."

He knew she was uncomfortable with this notion, and he used that discomfort to put momentum in his direction in the conversation. That done, he assuaged her.

"If our efforts are fruitful, Markos can indeed be powerful in his own right and yet never need to take a higher responsibility."

[Master s'Ilancy]

"Our efforts will be fruitful, and he will learn this night what role he is to play in all of this."

Her hand moved away from his hair, sliding down the side of his neck and down his arm before breaking contact fully.

"He is as much mine as he is yours, and tonight he will come to know the both of his masters."

[Chancellor Thrule]

Dan nodded, and gestured for s'Il to lead on. This was, after all, the path of her own choosing.

"Then we must not delay. Markos needs focus, and he needs to meet his destiny."

Things were set in motion now. It was only a matter of time.

[Markos]

Markos stood, glaring out at the night sky of Coruscant, his features a violent storm of emotion. The muscles of his jaw clenched, and his fingernails dug into the palms of his hands as his shoulders seemed to roll forward in unconcealed anger.

The sound of a door opened and closing soon after was deceptive in its' soft noise. He very nearly shook as his rage boiled over, and his voice cut through the quiet of the darkened home of the Chancellor and his family.

"You should have let me go," he growled, his voice beginning with a quiet rumble that grew in volume.

He wheeled about then.

"I am not a child any... "

The sight before him was enough to strike him speechless and curb his emotions, but all the same Markos bristled at what he now saw.

[Darth Decepis]

The baleful visage before Markos needed to say little.

"No, you aren't, are you?"

The Sith Master's frown deepened.

"But you're not ready to take your place at my side!"

[Lordess Acera]

The terrible accompaniment to Darth Decepis - Lord Decepis, was the one who had ever always been at his side. Though unseen as she had often been, Lordess Acera was ever-present. Her true form, sculpted and given shape by her master over countless years, was seen now in an unmistakeable light, and she stood as immoveable... and as ancient as her mate and master.

Her face lifted beneath mottled grey and blonde hair, regarding her spawn with something very close to contempt.

"If you must profess that you are no longer a child," she hissed out, "... then you are nothing but."

[Markos]

Markos froze, but only for a moment.

<what is="" this,=""></what> <what is="" this,=""></what> "What is this," he snapped, instinctively reverting to the language of his mother; it was an old habit that died hard, yet the tones and inflections were adequate enough to convey his shock and disgust. They were soft and unrelenting intonations all at once, and lent well to his situation now.

[Darth Decepis]

"The truth."

His words cut to the quick.

"The truth about us. The truth about yourself. If you're ready for anything, then you're ready for this. What you see before you is your birthright, Markos."

[Lordess Acera]

A diseased, blackened gaze fell upon Markos, and the voice that followed was no less disconcerting.

"You are the seed of one who has harnessed hatred and conflict. One who has lived for more than a millenia on nothing but his will alone. Do not question, and do not contradict. Do not think yourself capable to rise above his station, and do not think yourself capable of usurping his status. You are his tool, and you are my tool."

There was an imperceptable shift in the Sith Lordess' stance, as she moved imperceptably closer to her companion. She was his... and he was hers. It would always be as such.

"You are ours, to do with as we please.

"Do you understand."

[Markos]

Frozen, Markos found himself at odds with his own feelings; at odds with everything he had known to be truth. He recoiled from the pair, resisting what he saw and what was being spoken to him.

"No... "

His eyes screwed shut, his head angled downward as he still fought.

"You lie!"

[Darth Decepis]

"Even now your birthright gives you power. You hate me. You hate us. You've always been driven, Markos. Take your ambition and hatred, and fulfill the limitless potential you represent!"

His cruel mouth turned upwards into a smile.

"You stand to inherit the galaxy, Markos. Men have fought and died for thousands of years to do what will be as natural for you as breathing air. Learn our ways. Become what you know you must become."

[Markos]

Markos seemed to shrink within himself with each word that was spoken, pulling on the wild, roiling emotions whirling inside of him to anchor his mind. This was what his father had been building him towards; this was what he had been groomed for. Even as he had denied the two, he knew that what they both spoke was the truth. The sight of his parent now, laid bare without their masks cast his awareness to a wholly new dimension, shedding light on so many cryptic words and half-truths that had been spoken to him.

He had been willing enough; even accepting of who his father was when the elder Thrule had revealed himself, but that was before this night. Before he saw his own mother standing at the side of the Sith master. Standing where he, Markos, should be. And yes, in that instant he hated the both of them so fiercely that without thought his anger boiled over.

Eyes flashing a dangerous yellow, Markos let out a feral cry, lifting an arm up and letting loose a volley of blue fury from his fingertips, aimed at the Sith Lord.

[Lordess Acera]

A bone-thin hand rose up, weathered fingers splayed to catch each tendril. Acera pulled inward of the lightning, absorbing it into her own body and seemingly feeding off of the fledgling power her son was so recklessly throwing against his father.

Her arm across her master's body, protecting him from the onslaught, was held fast in place, as though the act itself was effortless.

And when Markos had exhausted himself, and the crackling energy dissipated, Darth Decepis still stood, untouched as his life partner and apprentice slowly lowered her hand once more. The air around her seemed to thrum with the power that she'd taken into herself, and Acera reveled in the feeling even as her sightless eyes remained locked upon her son.

Her voice was cautionary.

"Do not be foolish, Son."

[Darth Decepis]

Decepis said nothing, but his eyes drank in the sight of his son's effortless raw talent unleashed in a moment. He had acted without training or guidance, with nothing but his very nature showing him the way, and even in this raw state, he carried a lethal edge. The Sith Lord saw in this act of rebellion the signs that all of his efforts had born fruit.

At last, he spoke as the last tendrils of ionized smoke cleared in the sky above.

"You will come to know your birthright, my son. And one day, when we are both gone, you will pass on what you learn. We've worked hard to take the galaxy for our family. You will keep it in our hands."

[Markos]

"My birthright," Markos snapped.

He advanced; slowly at first, but with each step his anger fueled his courage to new levels, and his slow gait was soon enough threateningly constant. He closed the distance between himself and the two.

His next words were directed to the creature at his father's side. His own mother.

"You lied to me."

And then once more his eyes flickered to the Sith Lord.

"Both of you did!"

[Lordess Acera]

"We protected you," came the counter, "... until you would be old enough to begin your own walk down the path that we have both already tread upon."

The air around the two Sith seemed to pulse with dark energies, a living thing that surrounded them.

"You are stronger than your brothers. Where they failed you will succeed."

[Darth Decepis]

"All parents lie to their children, don't feign surprise!"

Decepis's frown betrayed his impatience. Markos was so close to his metamorphosis, and being held back by naivete.

"Truth comes to those who earn it and show they are ready. Are you ready to face that truth now, my son?"

[Markos]

"Truth," he spat out venomously.

Was he ready?! Markos seethed at that, his entire body swelling with impatience and anger. With desire and hatred. He hated the both of them for everything in that moment; for leading him down two paths - one in light and one in shadow. He hated himself that he had been so blind.

In that moment in time, Markos Thrule hated everything and everyone around him, and with his hate came a strange sort of awareness that blossomed forth with undeniable energy.

His hands balled into white-knuckled fists the closer he came.

"You don't deserve me," he finally growled out, his voice a strange mishmash of actual words mixed with the rumblings of his inner beast.

"You never deserved me!"

His arm lashed out then, his fist coming around in a powerful blow directed at the Sith Lord.

[Lordess Acera]

And in that moment, Acera felt pride. It began in her chest, pooling outward to spread away from her in poisoned waves.

Her unending devotion to her Master was still present, but in that moment she stepped away, knowing that what happened next was between father and son; she had interfered only so much as she felt necessary, and now was the time for her husband to place his heel to the boy's neck. To truly educate him.

[Darth Decepis]

Markos's fist swung true, and only in the last inch was his victory denied him. The instrument of his rage hung in the air useless, a scant moment from Decepis's face.

A subtle gesture commanded immense force, sending Markos sprawling across the floor.

Decepis walked forward, impatience plain upon his face.

"Don't throw away your birthright so easily, young one. I have lived many years, do not think for one instant that I will abide your insurrection. You are smarter than you give yourself credit. Look at the opportunity before you."

[Markos]

He slid across the floor, away from the two Sith and for a brief surprised moment, Markos only propped himself up on one elbow. He looked up at the figured approaching to loom over him, and his body moved of its' own accord the closer his father came - he scrambled away, legs propelling him across the glossy wood flooring until he hit a wall. And still the figure of death closed the distance. Pale eyes met terrible yellow, and he was frozen.

"She stands in my place," was all he could manage, the old traces of accusation still present, but far from dominant. His fear had taken control now, and it was that emotion that held sway over his actions now.

[Darth Decepis]

The Sith Master's eyes traced over to Acera, and a slow smile spread across his age-ravaged face.

"You taste the fruit of the tree and want more?"

The smile just as quickly faded.

"I have raised you well to understand the way power works. I am the master. Your mother, the apprentice. Are you prepared to upset the order?"

[Markos]

He fought to control himself, to keep from placing his already precarious position even closer to the edge of oblivion. He wanted nothing more than to take what was rightfully his - to take what his mother had held for so long. In his mind's eye he could see her, so proud and immovable from her perch. It drove the anger further in like a wedge. He could see everything that she had done, written out plain as day in those black eyes of hers. They were like bottomless wells of hate and cruelty so very cleverly masked to all but her Master. Her husband. Markos' father. The awareness showed in his own eyes, and as he looked up at the Sith Lord, he drew in a long breath.

"I am prepared to be patient."

For now.

[Darth Decepis]

"Are you?"

The Master's posture relaxed, his hands clasping before him.

"Patience has its uses. It allows you to learn many things. A lifetime ago, I was a young man as you are, Markos. I too was patient."

He put on a sympathetic smile.

"Make sure your patience is tempered with awareness. The time to become what you must become is often not announced, and is usually fleeting. You are my most ambitious son. That is one of many gifts."

He made a casual gesture.

"Your talent in the force can be honed, but your insticts are as natural and unteachable as the affinity for that ethereal power. If you remember that, you will live forever."

[Markos]

Slowly he rose, his shoulders hitching back as he looked from father to mother, then back to his father. His mind brought him about in a whirlwind of memory and old wounds - they had been so saddened, heartbroken at their loss of Cassius and Helios and since then so protective of him. Was that too an act? Had Dan Thrule spoke these very same words to his brothers? Was he now the one to experience the same realizations? Had they even been shown?

Markos coughed lightly, wiping at his lower lip with the back of his forearm while keeping his eyes locked with the Sith's yellow gaze. His normally well-kept hair fell haphazardly, falling into his face. Yet he made no move to sweep each unruly strand away, and in that moment he looked every ounce like the youth his father had been.

"Cassius and Helios... "

[Darth Decepis]

"...were lost in a tragic accident."

He shook his head.

"It could not be helped. Perhaps some time, I will speak more of this."

[Lordess Acera]

She did not give her son the chance to pry further, and with a smooth gait that seemed odd on her aged and Dark-side ravaged frame, the elder Lupine was once more beside her Master.

"Leave us now," she spoke, her voice without patience.

[Markos]

The spell his father held him under was partially broken, and his gaze shifted to his mother. The pools of black that had once been as blue as his own eyes were now boring holes into his very soul, as if to skewer his desires and shut him away from his true place.

Hoping to find some amount of lenience, Markos turned once more to look at the Sith Lord.

[Darth Decepis]

He found none there.

"We will talk later, Markos. You have plenty already to dwell on. Your training will begin tomorrow."

There was no room for bargaining in this. Markos had been given much to think about, but also a gift beyond fathoming.

[Markos]

Markos said nothing in the face of denial, but for a brief moment he felt the previous rush of anger that had flooded into his mind at the beginning of this unsettling night. He wanted to rage and shout out his frustration. He wanted to simply become a storm of anger that needed to wear itself down into a state of rest.

He stepped away from the two, slowly making his way across the open sitting room. His eyes never left the Master and the Apprentice, standing side by side like two shadowy sentinels, their silhouettes unsettling him enough that he breathed a sigh of relief as he moved around a corner, through the closed doorway that led into the rest of their home, and left their presence.

[Lordess Acera]

As the door clicked shut, she blinked. Her mate and Master had not moved at all, but she knew that his mind was not so docile as his body. She pulled in a long breath before finally turning to look up at him.

"If he turns against either of us again as he did this night, I will not stay my hand as I did just now."

She looked away in disgust then.

"I do not care if he is your favorite."

[Darth Decepis]

"It won't happen again," he lied.

Of course, the chance was quite nearly certain that it would happen. It was the nature of Sith. But then again, hadn't he discovered the key to immortality? It was that doubt, and that lust for the statistical outlier, that kept this bizarre family together.