Xaria's story

[Cy Skywalker]

this was put under the title "o brother where art thou" on ff.net but i never think of it like that, so it's Xaria's story. she's my favorite RPG char, she's Darth Maul's sister...this 'tis set after TPM, obviously.

Vape the Republic.
The Zabrak threw the spray can against the wall with anger-filled force, snarled as it clattered down among the piles of metallic refuse on the ground. She was of medium height, with a horn pattern that marked her as native Iridonian; a circle around her skull and one hooked horn at the point of the otherwise Human head. The words she had painted stretched out against the durasteel wall of one of Coruscant’s billions, maybe trillions of buildings, shouting her anger to the world. She really didn’t care about the Republic. It could destroy itself, as it was surely doing, and she would not blink. But she would not be the one to do the vaping; there was no point. The words were simply the rage inside.
She stared at the hand that had thrown the empty canister like she had never seen it before. A thick black stripe of tattoo ran from the wrist and split at the center of the back of the hand to run between the fingers down to the soft skin of her palm. That hadn’t hurt as much as on her face, however, where the skin was blood red and striped like the hand. Her brother had done it. She had asked him to, to prove that she was as dedicated to the Sith as he, even though she hadn’t been. Hadn’t been strong enough to be dedicated. But she had wanted to be like him, to have his approval and that of their master, Sidious. Memories were more painful then any wound to the skin. She was in an alleyway, as close to the bottom of Coruscant as a civilized being could get. The Jedi Temple began a block away and about forty levels up, far closer at two levels up was the restaurant where the Zabrak worked for her lodgings behind the kitchen. Usually she had nowhere to go during the day, but today she had shed her uniform, put on the black Jedi-like outfit that was the only clothing she actually owned, and ran to the streets. It was about time to head back. Hus the hulking Rodian owner of the restaurant would yowl if she was gone to long.
Then something screamed. It was not the sound of a hawk-bat or machine, but of a sentient in terrible danger. The sense was in turmoil, confused; possibly what she was sensing was multiple people. She leapt up, prepared to flee. And a Human girl tore around the corner of the alleyway, screamed again. Tears flew from her eyes, and she ducked behind a wrecked airspeeder at the opposite end from the Zabrak, glancing out from behind it twice, tense and ready to run. Her pursuers appeared before the Zabrak could decide what to do
There were two, a feline alien in street clothes and a scaly Lizz-Sur, a bounty hunter from his body armor. The feline’s eyes were tightly shut, the Zabrak noticed, and he kept hold of the durasteel wall at all times. “Draej, leave her!” he commanded.
But the bounty hunter had spotted the Zabrak. “That one’s a witness.” He growled, pointing one clawed finger at the Zabrak. She did not move. He would just come after her faster. The knife-claw at the Lizz-Sur’s wrist slid out of its natural sheath.
“Make it quick.” The blind feline said. Neither of them seemed to have noticed the Human cowering behind the speeder, but if the bounty hunter stepped at all forward he would. The Zabrak had decided to help her.
The Lizz-Sur brought his blaster up in his right hand. The Zabrak ran forward and he fired, but she jumped over the bolt and it buried itself in the wall behind her. The bounty hunter cursed and took aim again but she was at him, lashed the blaster out of his hand. He had not expected that but now had her in range of his claws, kicked at her face. She took the kick in her forearm, felt the bones vibrate, gritted her teeth and slammed her other fist into the side of his face. He stepped back and so did she, out of striking range.
The bounty hunter glanced back at the blind alien.
The Zabrak ran forward, launched herself into the air on the second step. The Lizz-Sur was turning back to her when she kicked the side of its face in on the breathing slits. He screeched, clutched at his mouth. Sharp bloody teeth fell to the ground and the bounty hunter was left gasping for breath as his gill-like breathing slits painfully contracted and spread wide.
The Zabrak pulled the Human to her feet and ran with her to the nearest main street, and they were lost in the crowds.
Hus’s Place was a clean, popular restaurant on the Alderaanni Street. The tattooed Zabrak nearly had to drag the Human in and prop her up at the front counter. “Jay’ko! Get me water, quick!”<br> The Yuzzem cook handed her a cool glass, which she pressed into the Human’s sweaty, shaking hands. The Human drank thankfully, then stared around like she was as blind as the alien was that had done this to her. When she seemed calmer the Zabrak asked, “Are you alright?”<br> She nodded. She was not as young as the Zabrak had thought, maybe eighteen. She was pretty but of course lacking in horns, with very dark brown hair cut short and a sharp face. Her clothes were those of a Jedi Knight.
A cold shiver spread through the Zabrak.
“Who are you?” the young Jedi asked.
“Call me...Xaria.” She made sure to mask her thoughts. The darkness inside her and the secret behind her name could give this Jedi cause to kill her. “What happened back there?”<br> “That Khoyling...we have to go back. They killed Master Ryxyn and I don’t know why.” She got up, began to head toward the door. Xaria grabbed her shoulder. “Wait a sec. What happened?”<br> The girl drew herself up taller. “I am a Jedi Knight called Akia Merik. My Master was just killed by the bounty hunter and that Khoyling.” She shrugged out of the Zabrak’s grip and went out. Xaria, feeling stupid for even rescuing this Jedi and worse for feeling responsible for her now, followed. To her credit the Jedi took a roundabout way to the street the three had come from when they had disturbed Xaria. There was no one there now, but the body of an alien like the bounty hunter’s companion. This one was much stronger looking and had black, not tan fur.
Akia knelt by her. “Master Ryxyn?”<br> Coming closer, Xaria could tell that the Jedi Master had been shot, and would not live. She was glad that she did not know this person.
Master Ryxyn opened her eyes. Her breath came in wheezes. “Akia...”<br> “Master, who was that Khoyling? Please, I can...”
“Do not seek revenge. It is the dark side. Beware the dark side.”<br> Xaria tightened her mind-shield but the Jedi only kept talking.
“He was my second-in-command on Khoy. He wants to assure that he is now the leader of my people, that I will not... come back to reclaim it.”<br> “I’m going to get you back to the Temple, Master.” Akia began to lift Ryxyn from the ground, but as Xaria could sense, Master Ryxyn was sinking into the Force.
“I will always be with you, Akia.” She was so quiet; the words could barely be heard. Then Xaria could only see the mouth working, and then the Jedi was still.
“The Holocron...” Akia said quietly, then folded in on herself, let Ryxyn’s body return to the street. She cried, and her sadness filled the Force like a fog. Xaria wanted to comfort her, but that was ridiculous.
Xeria turned and began to walk off with firm, confident steps. But she stopped and partly turned around. The Jedi would provide an excuse to Hus for why Xaria had been late. She could bring her to the restaurant, maybe give her some food and send her one her way. Dark -more dark then usual for the lower levels of Coruscant- was settling over the street, and night here was dangerous for a young girl, Jedi or not. Xaria cursed herself for even thinking of these excuses. Stay away from Jedi had been the core rules of her existence since her brother was killed. Now she couldn’t seem to let herself get away from this one.
“Thanks for helping me, Xaria.” Akia said. She seemed so innocent, almost like... a friend.
Xaria mumbled a reply, then made up her mind and said, “You want to come back to the restaurant with me, before going home?”<br> Akia got to her feet. “Yeah, okay.”<br>

[Cy Skywalker]

i'm not posting this all now cause i don't have time but here's 3

“I’m going to stay out a little longer, okay? Just...bring Raxx back to the Temple.”<br> “Got it. See you later.”
The hologram of a furry Kushiban winked out, and Akia turned from the holoprojector to look at Xaria. “That’s Yaz...my friend. I’ll eat and then go back to the Temple, she’ll...tell the others what happened.”<br> “Yeah.” The Zabrak replied. They were in a small, very neat room above Hus’s kitchens, Xaria’s home. Plates of reek steak sat on the table between them, Akia’s untouched.
“Come on, eat. I paid for this you know.”<br> “Sorry, I never had reek before.”<br> Silence, then Xaria, determined to talk about something, asked, “How did two Jedi manage to get ambushed by a blind Khoyling and a bounty hunter?”<br> Momentary anger flared. “We knew they were coming. They had a speeder and we were on foot, so we had to turn and fight when they caught up to us. The Khoyling had a hidden blaster, that’s the only reason Raxx...I mean how would she have known.”
“I’m not accusing her.”<br> “She’s blind, you know.”<br> Xaria recalled the Khoylings’ eyes being covered.
“She sees through the Force. So do I.”<br> Xaria instantly tightened the protection around her thoughts. This Jedi was more powerful then she seemed, and her mind must be attuned to the Force constantly for it to function as eyes. Again Xaria had to will herself not to destroy Akia. She was a dangerous enemy, but could be an excellent friend.
Akia quietly said, “You could be a Jedi, Xaria.”<br> ‘What!?” Xaria slammed her cup back on the table and stood halfway up in shock. She stared at Akia with bared teeth and flashing eyes, appalled.
Fear showed only in Akia’s eyes. “The Force is strong within you. With the right training...”<br> She knew! Thought shielding could not stop the glimmer of the Force within a being. I should have known, now I have no choice!
Xaria stood, kicked her chair away from the table and shook blue milk off the hand that had been holding her drink. In three swift steps she crossed and stooped down and pulled her weapon from between her bed and the wall. She stood straight again, ignited the lightsaber and leapt toward Akia.
But the Jedi was fast. A green lightsaber met Xaria’s inches from Akia’s face. The Jedi looked shocked and scared, staring between her lightsaber and Xaria’s red blade. Xaria cursed herself, now she would have to think about killing Akia, not just get it over with.
Akia’s fear filled the Force. “You’re a Sith!”<br> Xaria did not reply. She brought her lightsaber back for another slice at Akia, who smoothly countered it. “Wait.” The Jedi said. “Why did you rescue me?”
“Why does it matter?”<br> “You could have killed me anytime.”<br> Xaria had no response to that. No way could she say, “I just hoped you would never know who I was. I hoped we could be friends.” But she had been alone to long. “Don’t make me kill you slowly, Jedi. Really, I want to get this over with.”<br> “You don’t want to fight me Xaria. If you would just explain...”<br> Xaria growled, whipped her lightsaber back as though to strike, then retracted the blade. She had to. “I hate you, Jedi.”<br> Akia lowered her lightsaber. The voice sounded clear and pleasant against the hum of the lightsaber and Xaria’s harsh words. “No you don’t. You hate that you have to chose between serving your Sith masters and saving the life of some one you sort of like.”<br> Being read so easily angered Xaria more. But one flaw in the accusation let her avoid that embarrassing reality.
“I serve no master but myself.”<br> Thus seemed to actually affect the Jedi. “Sith always come in twos, master and apprentice.”<br> Xaria considered telling the truth. She could not now kill Akia. She couldn’t make herself do it now, and the only way the Jedi would not tell anyone else was be to get her to Xaria’s side.
“There was three.” She sat down on the bed and twirled the lightsaber hilt between her fingers absently, steeling herself for the tale’s telling. “My master, my brother, and I. My brother was stronger than I, so our master decided to get rid of me.” That was mostly true.
“You live alone, on the street?”<br> “I live here. But in every other sense, I guess, yeah.”<br> “You should come to the light side of the Force. You are not evil, Xaria.”<br> She was able to look directly into Akia’s eyes now. “A Jedi killed my brother.”<br> Memories rushed back to her, unbidden, unwanted. She stood at a hanger in front of her ship, a small C-Wing fighter purchased, with her brother’s help, from pirates passing through the system. Her master, cloaked in black, stood in the doorway before her.
“I have no more use for you. Make your own way in the galaxy.”<br> “Why?”<br> He was blunt and unconcerned with her reaction to his answer. “You are not as strong as I need. Now go, and be glad you leave here alive.”<br> “But D-”<br> “Your brother is dead, child. The Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi killed him.”<br> “No-“<br> “Go, Darth Xaria. Kill Kenobi if you wish. Revenge fuels the power of the dark side.”<br>
Xaria’s anger flared at the memory. It was the clearest she had ever known. Every word was correct. And Akia was saying, “Revenge only fuels the power of the dark side. You could let go of all that. Come to the temple with me, get training.”<br> “Not yet.”<br> “ Alright...Just... don’t try to kill me again.”
*
With a friendly wave Akia left. Xaria watched from the dusty window of Hus’s Place as the Jedi headed toward her Temple. Her thoughts were surprisingly clear, the choice was laid before her like a branching skylane. Keep her power, continue to feed her desire for revenge against the Jedi, or let Akia teach her her ways so that she could have a better life.
Jay’ko’s furry paw was placed on her shoulder. “Ready to work, Xaria?”
“Yeah.” She mumbled, and turned back to her old, mundane life.

[Cy Skywalker]

~chappie 4. I tried to make it easier to look at.

Akia returned to Hus’s Place two days later, and every other day for the rest of the week. She seemed to have made it a project of making friends with the Sith. Xaria was surprised but pleased the first time, and gradually she was able to relax in the presence of the Jedi. They would sit in Hus’s Place and talk about anything but the Force; podracing, where they would go if they had the whole galaxy open to them. They went to the holotheatre once and saw a terribly scary vid on crazed Krayt Dragons terrorizing a Tatooine town.
But the subject of Jedi would come up, or they would sense something in each other, and there would be a moment of tense silence.

Once the two engaged in a practice duel in Xaria’s room, and the clash of lightsabers rang through the restaurant. Hus, franticly trying to convince his customers that there was no danger, forbade that quickly.

Upstairs, Xaria shot her red saber off and sat against the metal wall Akia had backed her into. She had been losing, was terribly out of practice, but it felt good to fight without the Force or purpose, just skill.

“We can go to my place in the temple.” Akia tentatively said.

Xaria crossed the room and put her lightsaber back in its hiding place. “I can’t go there.” She said quietly. “Someone’ll know I’m not one of you.”<br>
“We’ll be careful. I couldn’t tell anything about you except that you were Force-sensitive, and at a Jedi temple everyone is.”

Xaria wanted to go. They could train, and she could see where Akia lived...and learn more about the enemy. “How am I gonna get there?”<br>
“I’ll just pick you up when I usually come here. We have afternoons off like normal schools.”<br>
It was a good argument. Xaria would always have to have an escape route, in case, and stay away from anyone except Akia. But it would work. So Xaria agreed.
The Jedi picked her up in her own speeder the next day, and they flew to the Padawan’s quarters in one of the climbing towers of the temple. Akia’s room was sparse and not unlike Xaria’s in everything except quality, which was nicer, more rich. It contained a bed, table and food prep unit, with a door in the back leading to a refresher she shared with the person in the next room. To Xaria the presence of the Jedi was everywhere, smothering like deep water, and she fueled her mental shield with her fear of them.
For all of the afternoon they battled each other or training remotes and chatted while resting, carefully not clashing views as they were used to.

The interruption came late in the evening. Xaria was in the room’s far corner holding her red lightsaber in attack position, awaiting the Jedi’s first move. She had beaten Akia in their last match, and planned to do so again. Then someone knocked on the door. Xaria moved farther into the corner, shut off her lightsaber and dampened her nervousness down to nothing. Akia hesitantly opened the door.

In the hallway outside was a pleasant looking Jedi Master, tall with red-blonde hair and a short beard. Akia bowed and greeted him politely, “Master Kenobi.”<br>
“You left this in the library.” He said, and handed her a datacard.

Then the name hit Xaria. This was Obi-Wan Kenobi. She let a hiss escape her but snapped it and her roiling emotions back. Kenobi glanced in her direction and she shrank back farther toward the wall where the door was between her and the Jedi, tried to keep her mind perfectly blank while raging. Quickly, Kenobi left and Akia said something polite and closed the door behind him. Xaria came to stand beside Akia. “That was Obi-Wan Kenobi!”

The Jedi was confused. “He’s a Master here...”<br>
“He’s the one!”<br>What that meant slowly entered Akia’s thoughts. “He killed your brother?”<br>
“Yes!” Xaria wanted to go follow Kenobi, kill him. But she would be caught! The imagined confrontation had never been going to happen in the Jedi temple! She was never in her right mind going to be in a Jedi temple!

Akia tried to reassure her. “He...you’re brother was a Sith, Master Kenobi’s a Jedi. It was one or the other-“<br>
“Darth Maul was a person. That Jedi is a murderer!”<br>
Akia put a hand on Xaria’s shoulder but she slapped it away and walked out of the room. Something kept her from Obi-Wan Kenobi though, drew her home. She stormed out of the temple, not bothering to hold in her dangerous emotions. Outside she called an air taxi and sped home, where she worked, desperately trying to hide from the world and plan...

[Cy Skywalker]

more...

At midnight, the capital of the Republic is nearly as active as it is during the day. Creatures more comfortable outside of the gaze of the eye of the galaxy roamed the streets and skylanes, and neon lights reversed the natural order so that the lower levels were always the brightest.

No one heard the hum or crash of breaking transparisteel on the dark face of the Jedi temple.
The Zabrak, clipped to the wall with a grappling hook, deactivated her lightsaber and dropped through the hole she had created.

Obi-Wan Kenobi was awake, having had sensed the enemy approach moments before. He was standing by the window dressed in all but a shirt, lightsaber ready, when the Sith dropped through. Like a specter from the past it dropped down and fluidly straightened and drew a lightsaber from the folds of its dark cloak. Obi-Wan tensed and tried to peer into its mind, found only roiling anger. The Sith’s red blade leapt out of the darkness and illuminated it’s face. It was the same predatory gaze, same black jagged stripes and hooked horns. That was the only enemy in which he had seen such grace in deadly purpose; Darth Maul. But that was impossible-

The Sith attacked, brought his blade down in a slash that could have separated Obi-Wan’s head from his shoulders. He blocked it and his blue blade grated against the red. Darth Maul parried the block and slashed again, in mid-attack the Force surged, and Obi-Wan Kenobi was thrown backward. He knew he should have been more open to Maul’s mind, he could have predicted that, but it was the middle of the night and he was tired, and now Maul was coming forward again.
Obi-Wan stood up and readied for the attack. Again it came unexpectedly. Darth Maul kicked out at Obi-Wan’s saber hand as the Jedi brought his blade up to attack. He hissed in pain and dropped his saber; it sunk to the hilt in the floor.

Before Obi-Wan could retrieve it Maul grasped his hurt wrist and Force-pushed him again. He ended up splayed against the wall to his right cradling his wrist in his left hand. It was probably broken now, magenta pain shot through it up into the arm. Darth Maul pulled Obi-Wan’s lightsaber from the floor and clipped it to his own belt.

Dimly, through the pain, Obi-Wan wondered about the Sith’s tactics. Dropping through the window, the clean breaking of the wrist, it was too well planned. That and he wasn’t dead yet...

Darth Maul turned toward him and removed the cowl from around his frightening face. But this was different. The eyes, no longer shadowed, were blue, not sickly yellow, and raven hair fell around the tattooed face. When he spoke the last fact fell in to place, Darth Maul was actually a she.

“Obi-Wan Kenobi. I’ve waited a long time to meet you.”<br>
“Who are you?”<br>
The she-Sith smiled. “Darth Xaria.” Her lightsaber pointed at his heart. “You killed my brother.”<br>
All the strange clues clicked together. “Darth Maul?”<br>
“Mmm-hmm.” Her sense was eager, childish joy. She was in fact considerably younger than he was, Obi-Wan noticed. Darth Maul’s sister. It was something his Master Qui-Gon Jinn would have found fascinating. But this was a Sith, not a child to be rescued.

Darth Xaria brought her lightsaber down for the killing blow, not expecting Obi-Wan to move. But he did, sidestepping and jumping up onto his bed, sending a mental summons out to his apprentice Anakin in the next room...

But the door slid open behind Darth Xaria before he had finished. Back lit there by the bright glowstrips in the hall were Masters Yoda, Plo Koon and Joel Yhiko. Master Yoda gestured at the Sith and the Force held her in its hard grasp.

Darth Xaria struggled and growled, shouted, “Stop it! I need to do this! Akia!”<br>
Force lightning crackled at her fingertips and sped out toward Obi-Wan and Yoda but Yoda called it to him and absorbed it harmlessly. He gestured again, and Darth Xaria slumped, unconscious, to the floor at Obi-Wan’s feet.

[Cy Skywalker]

chappie 6...

It was dark. Around Darth Xaria dim shapes moved through the ether, glimmers in the Force, coming close and far away, inspecting her with wide eyes. They were the eyes of her brother, frightening but comforting in their familiarity. There he was, sitting in the darkness quite close to her. He was bleeding like he had been after he came back from the fight with the dinkos. So she would comfort him again, and maybe he wouldn’t push her away this time...
She put her hand on his shoulder and sat down next to him. He didn’t move, then put one arm around her. This hadn’t happened last time. She looked up at him, and his face was Obi-Wan Kenobi’s...
She jumped up, feeling his touch linger on her and began to run, but she couldn’t run, couldn’t move, it was like the world was spiraling down on top of her...
She realized it was a dream and forced her eyes open. Clear before her was Kenobi, standing innocently and looking at her. She felt the Force around her, it was helping her heal at the moment but she channeled it differently and forced Kenobi to gasp for breath as his throat contracted...then came a sharp, hard pain on the side of her head and her concentration broke. Kenobi relaxed. The alien Jedi Yoda was next to her bed in a hover chair, holding his gnarled walking stick above her head. She growled and rubbed the spot he had hit with her tattooed hand. Yoda looked over at Kenobi. “Young, this one is, but determined.”<br> “Yes.” Kenobi said with a trace of laughter in his voice. Xaria looked around. She was in a white hospital-type room absolutely surrounded by Jedi. There was Yoda, she knew that he was one of the leaders of their Council; Kenobi; a Human teen next to him that may have been his apprentice; an adult Kel Dor; Akia Merik; and a gaggle of other Padawans in the back looking anxiously on. Far too many to fight.
Yoda looked back at Xaria. His eyes were sharp for such a shrunken looking creature. “Darth Sidious’ apprentice, you are?” He asked.
“She’s Darth Maul’s sister.” Kenobi’s Padawan said, and smiled as if it were humorous.
“Be still, Anakin.” Kenobi commanded him.
“Looking for revenge you are.” Yoda said. Xaria was determined to say nothing but again someone else did.
Akia confessed. “I brought her here. She’s...we get along.”<br> “Blame you the Council does not. Friends you are. But in danger still, Master Kenobi is. Speak, the Council will on this matter, since quiet the Sith is."
Yoda left and the others followed. Xaria made to get up but Yoda held her back and shut and code locked the door. She crouched there on the bed, feeling them leave her alone.
Alone.
Again.

*
Akia Merik stood next to Master Kenobi in the center of the ornate Council room, watching airspeeders go by. Obi-Wan was giving his account of the attack to the silent, watching council members.
“I had never seen Darth Xaria before. She dropped through the window into my room, and until just before Master Yoda arrived I thought she was Darth Maul himself.”<br> Akia was glad that the Masters had arrived in time. It was she who had called them, after a long time thinking and explaining to Yaz and her other friends. She had known that Xaria would come back for Master Kenobi. But Xaria had to know that Akia had done it for her own good, so that maybe, someday, they could work together as Jedi.
“Akia.” Mace Windu called. “Please explain how and when you met this Sith.”<br> It hurt a bit, hearing him call her that. That's not all Xaria is. That’s a lot of the problem, isn’t it? We didn't think anyone cared about the Sith Master Kenobi killed either. It was a victory. “She rescued me when Master Ryxyn and I were ambushed by the Khoy who killed her. If Xaria hadn’t been there I would be dead too. We became friends.”<br> “And you knew she was a Sith?”<br> “Only later. But still, we managed to work together, because she needed a friend. Jedi are supposed to help people, aren’t they?” Akia found herself coming up with arguments she hadn’t even known she had. This was important. They could not kill Xaria.
“At least let me or Master Kenobi talk to her. He’s the only one she’s against, you can see that.”<br> Mace Windu looked at Master Kenobi. “Darth Xaria will be exiled to the planet Dathomir, if she and you can not settle this.”<br> Saesee Tiin cautioned them. “This could become very dangerous.”<br> “The Sith is really only Padawan age.” Plo Koon said. “She should be given a chance.”<br> “I agree.” Shaak Ti said
“Agree I do.” Yoda said. “Akia, help her and Obi-Wan you will.”<br> “I’m sorry Master, but I do not believe that Xaria will just forgive me.” Master Kenobi said.
“We have to try.” Akia said, but Yoda shook his head.
“Do or do not. There is no try.”

[Cy Skywalker]

Akia slipped into the room where Xaria was being held and closed the door behind her. The Zabrak was sitting on the edge of her bed and she jumped and looked up when Akia entered.
“Don’t try to look like you didn’t know it was me.” Akia said.
“I was thinking.” Xaria replied. She had spent the first few minutes after the Jedi left trying to escape, but gave up. She had faith that Akia would at least come talk to her after the Jedi had stood up for the Sith in front of all of her masters.
“I would think too.” Akia replied. “What are you going to do?”<br> “Stang...I can’t just forgive him.”<br> "I understand but...he can't just forgive you either."
"I know."
"You have to see it from...oh." Xaria was being better then she had expected.
Xaria tapped the side of her head and smiled. "I know what I have to do. But since when has that made it easy?"
Silence fell. Then Akia remembered something Master Kenobi had said. "Your brother killed his Master, you know."
"So he was strong enough to kill a Jedi. You know that was the only thing that didn't make sense to me when my master told me he had died."
"Ah, I came here to take you to talk to Master Kenobi."
"I figured."
"You've figured everything, haven't you?"
"Not close. I just read minds better than you. It's a skill they should teach you guys really, hacking in to people."
"That's cruel."
"I think we've had this conversation before."
"A few times." They laughed. It felt good to Akia. This was like before. Willingly, Xaria followed her out into the familiar corridors of the temple. Hopefully the idea would work, at least to a point.
"Here." She said. She opened the door before them. Inside was Master Kenobi, alone.
"Wait a sec." Xaria stopped. "This is like we're little kids, right? We don't get along, so you're going to put us in a room with each other until we do? No way."
"Go."
"No!"
"Go, Xaria! You're so stubborn sometimes. He's not going to kill you-" She broke off, feeling slightly stupid. Xaria said nothing, but Master Kenobi turned around and looked at them.
"It's not me you have to worry about."
Xaria growled and stomped inside, sitting on the other side of the room from Master Kenobi, who smiled and winked at Akia. Akia sighed. Those two were both crazy, she decided, and shut the door on them.

[Cy Skywalker]

Obi-Wan Kenobi glanced over at Darth Xaria. He was slightly afraid of her, tense, but she was just sitting there and thinking. She certainly must have a lot to think about. Through it all Obi-Wan had tried to keep his emotions calm and as a Jedi should be. He did not hate Darth Maul for killing Qui-Gon; he had worked through that in the years after his death and was glad to see that all he had gone through was helping now. He did not hate Xaria; she was justified. He knew how she felt. But he was afraid, and unsure of the future.
She obviously did not want to talk to him so he sank into a meditation rest, clearing his mind. But something persisted, a feeling that there was something he should be looking for...
And a vision came to Obi-Wan. Master Qui-Gon Jinn, standing before him, real and solid in a world of color and light, but no substance. Obi-Wan tried to call out to him and could not speak, but Qui-Gon looked and answered anyway. The Force flowed between them.
"Obi-Wan, you must make peace with the Sith. A greater enemy is coming. You must be ready."
"She does not want to make peace! Sith revenge can't just be covered over, you should know that."
Qui-Gon smiled as though he saw something his former Padawan had missed. "She will change."
Behind his master Obi-Wan thought he saw figures moving. He watched them, there were two, and thought about Xaria. He did not really believe Qui-Gon, that she could be turned and not still harbor bitter feelings toward him. Qui-Gon always saw the best in people, like he had in Anakin. And Obi-Wan still wasn't sure about that.
Qui-Gon said, "This is very important Obi-Wan. Make peace with the Sith. A greater enemy is coming. You must be ready."
He had said that twice now. This time Obi-Wan heard it better. Maybe Sith did not mean just Xaria. Maybe this was just a small part of something. That would be like Qui-Gon.
He was going to ask, but he fell into a deep healing sleep, the most calm and pure he had ever experienced.
*
That fool Jedi had fallen into a trance. Xaria could just go over, she could stay where she was for that matter, and kill him. He wouldn't make a sound. But she didn't want to.
That felt strange to Darth Xaria. Revenge was what she had always had. Well, not always. But now she was thinking again, and had to tell herself that she could still join Akia and the Jedi. There was more to be lost now, but more to be gained.
That sleep looked pleasant. No thinking, no choices, no one asking her to decide anything...
Then she was in a dream, a vision. It was yet again the day when Darth Maul had fought hundreds of dinkos and come out bleeding and hard. He went to Xaria's room to rest, the little creatures had mostly destroyed his. She came in and found him sitting there, went over and asked him if he was all right. She had been young then.
He told her that he was indeed fine, and that the experience was one he needed, given wisely by their master. Then he touched a scratch on his face and winced, and she came closer to try to comfort him. He physically pushed her away and she left, but her mind and heart was not as hard as his, and that day the idea that their master was killing what her brother was, making him an emotionless droid with no love for the only family and friend he had left, entered her thoughts.
Then it was no longer then, it was now. But Darth Maul was there, walking toward her with sure steps out of a strange whirling landscape of colors. She stepped toward him, confused. Was this the past, or was he walking out of the Force that had claimed him? Would he be able to stay with her here, now that she could see him again? Would she not have to make the choices in which the Jedi Order had forced her hand? Around her throughout the kaleidoscopic vista myriad eddies of the Force swirled, Dark and Light in a conflict somehow essential to the survival of both. She could feel them around her, tiny storms and whorls possessed of incredible power, brushing against her skin and filling her mind with the knowledge of the ethereal landscape painted by the Force.
Darth Maul’s cowl was about his shoulders, his head bare, his face rigid. Something in this abode of the Force told her that their meeting would be impermanent, a test, a trial...
Emotionless, Darth Maul began to pace around her. She thought time had not corrupted her view of him but she was wrong; the recollection of him as a dark warrior, a machine-like center of silent emotion, was returning. This was what it had been like in the last days.
Fear entered her awareness.
Pacing, not looking at her but straight, he spoke, “You have betrayed our master.”<br> The pain of emotion cut through Xaria. This didn't mean that his heart was still hard, did it? If he was gone, so was she. But there was a test to be passed here. “Our master made me leave the order.”<br> “The chance to kill a Jedi...and you weaken.”<br> “I had to choose! What else could I do, lay around on Coruscant for the rest of my life, go after some Jedi and end up dead too-“<br> Darth Maul stopped, looked into her eyes and said, “You knew what you had to do. Your destiny is not to be mine.” He turned away.
Xaria took hurried steps forward-all footfalls were silent in this ethereal environment. “But what do I do? Stay here with th-, the enemy?”<br> Her brother began walking away, looked back and glared. His words snapped in her mind, and she figured he must be thinking, she doesn’t get it yet? “What do you want to do? You will not waste your life by changing it!” He turned away. Get going. The Force gives us our destinies, no other affiliation or action of the people of this galaxy. You have everything before you. His voice was still clear; without the rage and menace she had felt from him so often before he had left, though his physical form was like a phantom now.
“But what does that mean?” But she knew what it meant. And as she faded she felt that scrap of knowledge and a returning one of emotion from him to her and back and through the clear currents of the Force.
The vision faded. She was left on her knees in the room with Obi-Wan Kenobi, staring around, unsure of what was real now. But she knew what to do, what her future held. She would become a Jedi.
Obi-Wan was looking over at her, concerned and slightly scared. “Did...did you have a vision?”<br>For a moment she wanted to scorn him for being so bold, but she held it back. Berating people for upsetting her, she supposed, was a trait she would have to forget in her new occupation Final doubt crept up on the Zabrak, eating away at her resolve. But she could sense the Jedi around her; Akia waiting nervously at the door, unsettled by the silence, Obi-Wan before her, and the past, still dimly in the back of her mind where forever resided. Should I tell Kenobi the truth? Yes. No secrets now. I made my choice. “Yes.”<br>“Peace?” The Jedi held his hand out to her. She clasped it, looking more at her own hand then at Obi-Wan, at the striped tattoo from her past. That era of her life was over, but the good memories would stay with her, as long as the Force did.
“Peace.”

~The End~