#M'haeli

[jedidryad]

WIP Wednesday: I'm not a fan of theft, but this guy deserves to have his safe gutted

Mara Jade will admit to many questionable acts in her life but petty theft just for the sake of it is not one of them. In VOTF, she explains to Luke that she gutted Vicebaron Sukarian's safe and wanted him to know it had been her who did it.

And, well, she needs a good reason to decide to steal his treasures. Here is an excerpt from my attempt to give her a reason - and to make him all the more detestable...

I kept up the act as we stepped into Sukarian’s office. I hung off Lando’s arm like I was intoxicated and responded to the Vicebaron’s inappropriate remarks with a disarming giggle.

We sat down in  the repulsor chairs across from his massive desk and, as I turned to set my eyes on Calrissian as though he were the only thing in the room, my gaze swept across a display shelf behind Sukarian’s desk.

Holding an obvious place of honour was a glowing crystalline polyhedron: it was unmistakably a holocron.

I fought to keep my gaze moving as though that particular object was no more interesting than anything else in the room. I plastered an admiring expression on my face as I took in the tapestry of H’drachi toiling in the fields. It made my skin crawl, but I could see by the way it draped to the floor that there was a storage safe behind it.

As Lando turned on the charm to try to work the name Jorj Cardas into the conversation about his spice dealings, I leaned back against him and started playing with the fringe on the cape he’d slung over his shoulder.

Sukarian seemed disinterested in discussing Corellia this afternoon. Maybe we should try to get him to talk about something else. 

“Aren’t you bored with this conversation, my dear?” He leaned towards me, belt straining across his belly as he moved in his chair. 

“Yes.” I agreed guilelessly, “but there are so many interesting things in your office.” I took the opportunity to run my eyes around the room again: one camera on the wall opposite the safe, outputs for motion sensors and security beams, and a control panel for all of it on the Vicebaron’s desk.

“I have many treasures.” His smile had a noticeably cruel edge, “is there anything in particular that interests you?”

“Yes.” I blurted out, “what’s that?” I pointed rudely at the Holocron.

Calrissian tugged my hand back into his and squeezed warningly. He’d also recognized the glowing object for what it really was.

“Ah, the young lady Zasia has noticed my holocron. It is one of my favourite possessions. I am a collector of Jedi antiquities. This device was used for communication purposes.

“Like a holocomm?”

He chuckled indulgently, “Of course not, my dear. The Jedi used their mysterious Force powers to make them work. I might have the last one in the galaxy. Isn’t that exciting?”

He spoke to me like I was about Jaina’s age so I gave a wide eyed nod, “it’s pretty.”

“I’m so glad you like it. Let me show you something else. He stood up and ushered me over to his display shelf. Calrissian reluctantly let go of my hand as I stepped forward and surveyed the other objects. They were all Jedi tools: a focusing crystal, wobble ball, training remote, even some components I recognized as being commonly used for lightsaber construction. 

He collected them and, considering his explanation of the holocron, he clearly didn’t have a clue what any of them actually were.

[korpuskat]

To Love Your Fate, Chapter 8: Ilinx

Ao3 Mirror Rating: Teen/Mature Word Count: 3.3K Summary:  The call to your saber is strong- leading you to the planet of M'haeli with Kylo and Enki Ren.

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You wasted no time in unclipping your safety belt and rushing down the ramp, nearly tripping over the last inch, not quite lowered all the way to the ground.

The landing site is all grassland, covered in low, stringy pale green weeds no more than ankle high, even in your boots. The small spaceport around you lazily droned onward, a squadron of troopers marching by as the colonizers watched cautiously. Their eyes flicking between the white-armored soldiers, the large, impending wings of Kylo’s shuttle, and the stranger in odd dark robes looking lost and haggard.

Whatever reason the First Order had claimed the area- or even the planet, you weren’t entirely sure the legality- wasn’t clear, nor seemingly important. But the locals knew well enough not to poke their noses into whatever Order business was happening, and though the curiosity and wariness was pervasive in the mind of every passerby, none stopped to investigate.

The air was breathable without masks, and even fresh smelling; something faintly fruity making your mouth water. And the atmosphere (wary though it was) was an infinitely more pleasant change: behind you, two dark, tumultuous signatures lingered, their steps heavy upon the ship’s ramp, now fully extended and well mounted into the dirt.

Enki had claimed he had unrelated business on M’haeli. Even without the Force’s guidance, you had no doubt that was complete bullshit. You had no reason to trust him anyway. You watched him cautiously as he looked eastward. You felt the obnoxious, arrogant grin under his skullish mask as he glanced over his shoulder, nodding once to Kylo who did not acknowledge the Knight’s departure. Enki marched east, deeper into the busy port.

But Enki’s unwelcome, smothering presence was not the only reason you had raced onto the new world. There was something important here. Something was… singing. A low, humming melody that tugged at your legs, ached to make you follow it somewhere out of the crowds, deep into the rolling hills.

With the second Knight disappearing into the crowds, you looked back to your master. Behind his own mask, the agitation at Enki’s existence was fading; his response slowly filled with prideful anticipation. His own eagerness spilled into you- made the excitement in your belly bubble over, a smile peeling past your lips, not hidden and secret like Kylo’s.

Somewhere on this planet, your crystal was waiting for you.

Do you feel it? His voice is even, but almost breathless- the exhilaration lying unspoken, winding around your mind, mixing with your own. You nod. Could he hear the singing, too?

You take two steps forward, almost content to wander blindly through the grasslands until you found it- but a red-shouldered trooper cut you off. His armor clattered loudly as he saluted, his mask drifted between looking at you and at Kylo. “Sir,” They started- with the barest brush of their mind, you felt the prickling anxiety that made their neck hurt. They expect Kylo to be very upset- “There is a problem.”

Your eyebrows pinched on instinct- but they continued on. “There is a local group, unconnected to the Resistance, we believe, that is opposing the Order. They have blocked access to the mines. We were instructed…”

Kylo cut in- “How many crystals did you obtain?”

“Two dozen, sir. Of varying size and quality. The mine was more severely depleted than expected.”

Is the crystal near? He asked; voice injected into your mind. You suppressed a shudder. Had Kylo always been so forceful in his bonded whispers to you?

You swallowed your reservations and returned to the task at hand. You closed your eyes- and reached out. The refrain even louder when you sought it. With your mind, you followed its delicate warblings. Deep underground, far past the soft mounds of hills surrounding the colony.

Your calm confidence surprised you. No.

Kylo hummed in the back of his throat- too low for his modulator to pick up. “Are the speeders prepared?”

“Yes, sir. This way.”

The speeder is sleek and dark, a newer model of the old T-44s the Empire used. Twin engines tucked against the back corners of the craft. More interesting: two transport speeders were parked beside it, each slowly being loaded with selections of Stormtroopers. You squinted at it for a moment before Kylo’s mind was tugging at yours, urging you to get in so you both could resume your mission.

Having been subjected to Kylo’s flying thrice now, you knew well enough to hold on as he pressed down the accelerator. The force of the wind against your face was refreshing- the chill making your face tingle pleasantly.

The further away from the colony, the stronger the smell of fruit. Until you passed short brushy-looking plants that bore neon-colored fruits. Were they edible? And, if so, what creatures lived here?

“Is this where you got your crystal?” The words slipped by without thinking. You hoped, perhaps, the wind had obscured your voice- but even if it had, his power was still pressed up against your mind. He would have heard you even without your voice.

The speed of the craft faltered, slowing then surging forward once more. Kylo’s hands tightened on the control column. He’s brisker than the wind- “No.”

You quieted, any desire to pursue your curiosity snuffed out. The air resumed its loud rush, suffocating any residual words to share.

The nav system blinked, the dot of your destination appearing on screen. Wouldn’t be long now.

More an echo into your mind than a verbal statement: “I made mine.”

You blinked, looked to him. Kylo stared forward, almost unseeing over the passing greenery. He glanced at you momentarily from the corner of his eye- just long enough to acknowledge each other.

The desire to find your crystal had made you excited.To pull it from the deep, hidden heart of a strange planet had felt so right. But you had read about the technique briefly in the book Xeni had given you. It had seemed like such a long and arduous process- to meditate over a single crystal and guide its formation for several days. Without even knowing if you would have made it correctly…

You didn’t want to pursue that, though surely Kylo would have provided you with the furnace needed if you had wanted to.

Had Kylo’s crystal come out unstable? Or had it cracked later…?

You didn’t answer him, unsure how to read his mood- surely too intensely set on the mission at hand to entertain you.

The hills grew higher, and as you crested one top- you saw the gaping black hole in the terrain. Like an infected wound, it seemed to suck in all light around it. Two white armored soldiers stood at the edge- seemingly more attentive and alert than most. On guard. Actively. Something was wrong.

Kylo haphazardly parked the speeder, leaning hard on the thrust reversers. He wasted no time waiting for you, immediately climbing out and approaching the troopers.

"Sir," The Trooper on the left spoke to Kylo, as the right examined you- helmet tilting up and down in confusion, something akin to disdain floating across his mind. You raised your eyebrows, dared him to say anything. "The local population has occupied part of the mines. They have proven aggressive and violent."

Kylo gave a sharp nod in acknowledgement- as you returned your focus to him, you couldn’t help but furrow your brow. He was distant- distracted. You could feel his thoughts swirling just out of reach. "A support convoy will be arriving after us. Stay here until we return."

They each nodded, one's mask clicking against his chest plate.

You looked into the cavernous maw of the mine, the dark entrance circling down into the earth. All at once the humming washed over you. You closed your eyes, felt the power pulsing in your veins-

You felt Kylo's eyes on you from behind his mask. Watching you. He's waiting. He knew that feeling- you could tell, just from the quiet thoughts that filter into your consciousness- the knowledge that a turning point in your destiny was so close, just within your reach. Something was going to happen.

You swallow thickly and stepped into the darkness.

After the first turn, the light from the entrance was entirely gone. Kylo ignited his saber, bathing the earth in red, flickering light. The walls had been picked clean of anything interesting- leaving only crumbling dirt and rocks with the rare touch of scaffolding for support.

The mine went deep, long winding tunnels that branch off at every turn. Despite the labyrinthine maze of twists, you felt no hesitation in the path you chose, somehow guided. Even if Kylo had not illuminated your path, you would've been able to find your way to it.

A few times you heard rustling- distant movement, obscure and unfamiliar. The trooper's report of the locals made you nervous, hyperaware of any sound that wasn't made by you or Kylo- but you never saw anyone else.

And then

You saw it.

An odd changing of the light, something strange- no longer just the crimson of Kylo's blade. You approached it- wiped the top layer of dirt off the wall, revealing the source to you. Embedded in the dirt, packed tightly into the wall was a glowing stone. The crystal shone a bright, cyanic blue, resonating and humming softly against your fingers- charged with power.

"That one?" Kylo's voice broke the serenity of the song-- almost concerned with the choice.

You turned the crystal in your hands, noted the inner swirling teal. You felt it with the Force, sweeping through the power the small stone held. "No,” You sigh, rolling the crystal once more. “But it's near."

You hesitated- then pressed the crystal back into the wall, unsure what else to do with it. It felt wrong to take a crystal that wasn't... your crystal. Clearly the Order still desired them, having commandeered this mine.

But the singing was so close now, soon drawing you through the darkness, passing other dots of light, hidden power in the walls of the mine. Sparkling lights unseen, each humming their own notes. Together, they should have been a cacophony, a thundering racket that drowned out all other senses-- but even with dozens, hundreds of the mystical rocks around you, it was still soothing, melodious.

You turned a corner, and it’s there. A jolt of power, of recognition sparking over your skin. You stopped, struggled to breathe through the moment. This was it. You knew it.

You surged forward all at once, nearly tripping over yourself with a new strength in each successive step. The stone emitted no visible light- buried too far into the walls of the cavern, but you could see it. The swirling, pulsing of Force energy that called to you so sweetly.

You dug into the walls- your gloves unable to stop the occasional sharp point of compacted dirt from digging into the flesh of your palm with your careless, driven search. You dislodged one stone- dropping it blindly on the mine’s floor, and you could see it. Truly see it, shining out into the darkness.

The gemstone was so small, hardly larger than your thumb. Slightly oblong, rounded and smooth to the touch. And magenta. A brilliant red-purple that sang against your fingertips. Any previous wonder of what it would be like was gone- the answers all felt so obvious. Of course it looked like this, how could it not? It had to be this way.

You rolled the crystal in your palm, feeling the power trapped inside. Kylo stepped closer, staring over your shoulder at it.

“This one?” His voice rumbled, dancing and blending with the melody until it began to fade. The stone was quiet now-- all the others were gone as well, dropping into a knowing, comfortable silence. Just the echoing of Kylo and yours breathing and the merciless spitting of his lightsaber.

You licked your lips. “Yeah.”

Navigating your way back was less easy- with your beacon in hand, the supernatural guidance you’d had was gone. But at least Kylo seemed to know his way back- or perhaps he was feeling a sort of beacon of his own. The desire to connect with him (more deeply than the surface skimming that always seemed to slip between you) was a deep ache in your chest. But it felt wrong, somehow. Out of place.

Kylo was so focused- so intent on returning to the speeder and ultimately to the Finalizer. His attention only upon the task at hand. Not lost in the strange newness that you were still rolling in your palm.

You didn’t even see it.

The adrenaline poured so fast into Kylo’s veins you can feel its echo in yours, suddenly taught and ready to spring-- and then the screeching hum of his crackling blade swinging up through the air, its red light shifting over the walls. The lightsaber spat,slicing through something in the air- burning hot fragments spraying across his arm, across your dark robes.

You ran on instinct- on the training the Order and Kylo had both instilled deep inside. You dropped low, covered your face protectively, sought the source of aggression. And there- amongst the dark shadows of the mine, standing at the convergence of a fork, was a boy.

You blinked, stared at him, tried to piece the visual together in your mind. A boy. No more than ten cycles. A child stood before you, his hand shaking around the hilt to a blade. His mind was so open- he’s terrified, though you wouldn’t need the Force to know that. But there’s a determination behind the fear, something you know all too well.

It was what drove you through your weeks of separation, after all. The primal need and connection to something. The same brush against Kylo’s mind yields only confusion, unsure how to… deal with this.

The boy lifted the blade- held it with both hands before him, the point leveled at you. The sensation of the ridges Kylo’s lightsaber bit into your hand, hard and unforgiving as his grip tightened.

You went rigid. Deal with him. Kylo wouldn’t...

You could see it now- the edge of the knife (surely too short to truly be a sword) so defined, it wasn’t even a vibroblade. Nothing more severe than you would find in a kitchen. He wasn’t a threat.

He opened his mouth once, but struggled to find the words, closing it again in silence. Only the sounds of pounding blood and the crackling of Kylo’s saber in your ears. The boy licks his lips and tries again.

“Y-you can’t have it.”

You tilt your head, try to process his words. Kylo didn’t need that time- he took one step forward, edging himself between the child and yourself. The intent behind it is so subtle you almost didn’t feel it- “You will leave.”

The boy’s grip only tightened, the fiery determination flashing in his eyes. “You can’t have it. You’ve taken enough.”

Kylo sneered, his lip twitching upward, the feeling echoing through the Force. His power is unmistakable this time- his off hand extended outward- ”Go home.”

The child struggled against it- blinking and shaking his head. The constant spitting of Kylo’s lightsaber kept you on edge- if the boy broke free of the impulse…. You bit your lip and looked to him. Kylo wouldn’t kill him, would he? He was essentially unarmed and alone, no real threat to either of you. You wouldn’t let him.

But it seemed you wouldn’t need to stop him.

The boy’s shoulders slowly loosened, his hands dropping to his sides. His eyebrows twitched together, confused and concerned- like walking into a room and forgetting what he’d been doing. “I… will go home…”

He began to walk back- two steps into the deep darkness ahead. Kylo exhaled slowly, the tension ebbing away in sluggish waves. You approached slowly- as though he were a frightened loth cat- and touch his upper arm. He looked to you, then. Something unspoken- verbally or mentally- passed between you.

You were so focused on Kylo’s own return to ease that you didn’t feel it.

“Wait,” The boy spoke again- facing deep into the mine ahead. You blinked, looked back to his tiny form-

“Who are-” his voice dropped into a soft whine- and the nauseating note of shattering bones popping out of place was all that followed. His neck wrenched unnaturally back towards you, his eyes still glossed over from Kylo’s command. The miniscule power that had kept him upright dissipated, dropping him to the rough mine floor.

You couldn’t breathe- eyes locked with the child’s even as you knew he was gone. Time seemed to drag on, eons passing before you could even register the boots standing on the other side of the child’s body.

Black. Synthleather- your eyes travelling upward on habit, even as you knew who it was. The skull-like mask of Enki stared unseeingly back at you. But you could feel it. He’d felt nothing in doing that, no joy in snapping someone’s neck (no, no, you knew now, could feel it in the horrible, vile mess of Enki Ren’s mind that he enjoyed the violence not just the murder).

But now he looked to you. And he felt it. In your shock your outermost defenses fell without a fight, and he could feel your shock, your… your disgust. And you knew, even without the Force, the exact sick grin that had settled over his blue lips.

Your hand clenched hard around the crystal, the edges digging into the flesh of your palm. And you- you needed it, needed to feel the crunch of broken bones, to make him bleed for this. The darkness curled around your fist with ease, a vambrace of your rage-

A fierce pain around your arm, tight and demanding. You didn’t even recognize it as Kylo’s hand, biting deep into your skin, leaving a violet ring for tomorrow. You can’t look at him. You can’t.

Because you knew. You knew Kylo wasn’t the least upset about Enki’s outright murder, and you knew Kylo could’ve, would have killed him just the same. The darkness was so overwhelming in him- so cold and empty, a shell around what you truly loved.

Your head spun, lightheaded and nauseous. You didn’t even register that you were being pulled away, lead past the body, the Knight, and the two rows of white-armored Stormtroopers lined behind him. Your mind was silent, nothing but static and emptiness, vision bobbing freely as you ascended back out of the mine.

The sunlight was too bright, made you cringe, shield yourself against it.

Kylo lead you back to the speeder, guiding you to sit down. He said nothing as he sat beside you and started the engine.

The words were so quiet as they leave your mouth, you wonder how Kylo had even heard you. “There are children in the Resistance.”

There’s no emotion at all behind his staccato “Yes.”

Upon return to the base, Kylo informed the crew they would be taking a different shuttle back. You followed him, perhaps by habit or perhaps because you wouldn’t have any clue what to do without him- or, or had he been compelling you…?

I wouldn’t. He whispered into your mind. Quiet. Soothing.

You suppressed the need to retch, settle for a cold shiver down your spine and the world tilting on its axis, spinning uncomfortably as he settled you into the copilot’s seat. Though you survived take off and breaking free of M’haeli’s atmosphere, the shuddering of the command shuttle was nothing next to the openness of Kylo’s mind.

Because he wanted nothing more than to hold your hand, to gather you into his arms and guide you, to explain everything you needed to know- everything you needed.

It’s hard. He didn’t even look to you, stared unseeingly through the transparisteel. You’ll get better.

Better. Was this your fate now? You swallowed down tears, turned the purple stone in your hand.

I know you will.

[vorn-legacy]

Nextor Crystals These unusually strong, clear crystals grew and were harvested on the planet M'haeli. Available in much more limited quantities than Rubat crystals, these stones provided a more potent alternative for use in the most volatile weapons, particularly those of darksiders, before synthetic crystals became commonplace.