Her mother, her brother-in-law, and nieces had been among those wailing with the loss.
Tightness gripped her chest, eyes stinging again as her own grief struggled back to the surface. She remembered too well the day she heard of the sacking â the sneering, wicked grins of the Imperials surrounding her as they celebrated the subjugation of her home, her family, and the death of so many of her fellow Green Jedi.
Playing Sith hadnât been all that much of an act that day.
Dark tendrils coiled into her connection, and she felt a chill wash over her. She could hear the rumble of distant thunder; see a flash of lightning across a dark sky. Â No, she thought. No more. This was not Dromund Kaas. This was Corellia, vibrant and full of life â life she could feel swirling all around her, warm and bright and reassuring. Wisps pushed back at the darkness, familiarity cradling her, welcoming her, and soothing the jagged edges of her anger and grief.
She felt the whisper in her ear more than she heard it: âEmotion, yet peace⌠Death, yet the Force.â
Drawing in a deep breath, she concentrated on how the air flowed into the lower reaches of her lungs; how her chest expanded first forward, then outward from the ribs. Exhaling slowly, she used the focus to reach further into the warmth that surrounded her. Resilience. Determination. Hope. There were Corellians who fought for the wrong reasons, engulfed by their hatred and seeking revenge⌠but they were far outnumbered by those who fought for the right reasons â for independence and for home.
These had been the reasons she stayed on Dromund Kaas⌠and these had been the reasons her sister had remained in the enclave.
Even as the realization settled over her, she felt a prickle of discomfort flutter across her mind; the hair on the back of her neck stood on end. She could sense nothing as an empty shadow took position behind her. It was a sensation she was familiar with, though with an unsettling twist: Most operatives trained in cloaking themselves and capable of concealing their signatures appeared as if they were nothing -- as though there were nothing unusual to sense. In this case, she could sense something â almost like a black hole â as if someone was somehow bending the Force around them.
The voice that spoke into the silence was brittle. âIâd heard you were dead.â
Mairen knew that voice. It was harder now, lacking in the warmth she once knew, but she would always recognize her brother when he spoke. Perhaps, she reasoned, the anger in his voice was why he felt so⌠unsettling. Of them all, he had required the most work in meditation⌠and hated every minute of it.
Drawing a second breath, she once again gave an extended exhale, opening her eyes slowly. She moved, unhurried, to stand. Once there, she remained bent at the waist, red hair shielding her face as she swept debris from the knees of her pants and frowned at the damp circles. There would be time to change later, she supposed.
Finally, her gaze settled on her brother. The years had been kind and yet⌠not. He was tall and wiry, built very much like their father. Gone now were the smile and chubby cheeks of his youth; they had been replaced by chiseled, high cheekbones, severe and sharp as his tone. Shadows lurked at the corners of his eyes and mouth, the creases there deepened not only with the passage of time, but the passage of life: It was a shadow that lurked in the pale green eyes that watched her now.
Mairen held her own features in check, remaining behind her shields for the moment. She stood to her full height. âYour information was wrong.â
His eyes narrowed and she could feel him reach out, begin to test her defenses. Fingers twitched at his side, thumb brushing against the hilt suspended from his belt. âAnd the rumors that youâd turned? Were those also wrong?â
She nodded, once. âPart of the cover.â
âYou stayed.â
âI did.â
His lips thinned and Mairen glanced down as his fingers twitched again; glanced up as his jaw clinched. âAdrie died; the war ended; and you stayed,â he said. There was emphasis on each syllable, heavy, as anger seeped into his voice. âTwenty years, living it up as a Sith lord, yet Iâm supposed to believe it was all âyour coverâ?â
The shielding around his emotions was strong, but there were cracks beginning to form. Concern creased her brow. âYouâre my brother, Cian,â she began slowly, her own voice calm and measured. âFather trained us all: You, me, Adrie. Youâre the only one left who might know better than just about anyone whether I was capable of turning â of turning my back on my family; on Corellia; on the Force --â
âNo,â Cian interrupted. âI was your brother. The woman that stood there and lied to us â lied to me â about âfinding her destiny in the Empireâ â she wasnât my sister⌠because my sister wouldnât have left our mother to deal with Daâs passing; wouldnât have left me to clean up the mess. And she sure as Hells wouldnât have missed the opportunity to say goodbye to her little sister.â
Mairen frowned. The skepticism was expected⌠maybe even warranted. Sheâd known there would be members of the enclave especially who would question her return; it had been one of the larger reasons she had avoided it to this point. Still, he had not been there the day the fighting started again; hadnât been there to see or sense her reaction. Even twenty years distant, it was a time she did not wish to repeat. âOur baby sister is one with the Force â just as we all will be, when our time comes,â she replied, âbut if you think I didnât feel anything â that I didnât mourn her â that I donât miss her â then you are blinded by your own anger and grief.â Her eyes narrowed. âI did not turn.â
Her brother dropped his chin, green eyes holding hers. Each word was enunciated: âI donât believe you.â
âThen may the Force help you, because Iâ â Mairen paused, shaking her head â âclearly canât.â
The events of the next moment happened in a blur: In the exact instant that Cian reached for his saber, her husband, Reanden Taerich, and her mother, Senator Ruari Bel Iblis, rounded the corner. Immediately sensing the danger, Ruari swung her left hand up, fingers splayed as she ensnared her son in the Force. Pinned, he struggled like a man bound, face distorted with strain and anger. Beside her, Reanden had drawn his holdout blaster, barrel pointed toward Cian. His finger rested against the trigger guard.
The senator scowled at her son. âWhat in the Nine Hells is going on here?â
âA conflict with reality,â Mairen replied. âHe believes I actually turned â that Iâm truly Sith.â
Voice strained and speaking through clenched teeth, Cian remained defiant. âI will not allow the Empire to take more from this enclave than itâs already stolen!â
âDo you honestly think sheâd be standing here -- now --Â in this instant, if she were Sith? Iâd kill her myself, if that were the case,â Reanden snapped. âThough your cousins or a battalion of the Republicâs finest mightâve beaten me to it the moment she set foot on Coruscant, if she were actually Sith.â
Cian blinked, confused. âCoruscant?â His glare focussed on Reanden. The spy remained still, blaster at the ready. âWith you?â
âCoruscant. Nar Shaddaa. A particularly lovely honeymoon on AlderaanâŚâ There was a hint of dark amusement in Reandenâs eyes, echoed in his tone as he taunted the immobilized Jedi. âItâs generally accepted that wives travel with their husbands.â
âHusband?â
Mairen nodded. âReanden was forced out first. He was finally able to extract me from the Empire about three months later,â she replied. âAfter my lengthy debrief with SIS, we⌠married⌠on Alderaan. Mumâs cousins were quite accommodating.â
The furrow in her brotherâs brow deepened, along with the shadows lurking in the creases along the corners of his mouth. âYou? Married him? After what happened to Airna? And you expect me to believe that youâve not turned?â
âI know what happened to Airna, Cian.â Casting a sidelong glance to Reanden, she nodded imperceptibly. âIâve met the man who killed her â stood toe to toe with him, in the heart of the Citadel. It was not Reanden Taerich.â
Pushing against the Force restraint, Cian tossed his head to the side in disgust; Ruariâs hand wavered with the effort. âIâm going to release you,â the senator said, slowly. âYouâre going to leave the enclave, and youâre going home to meditate. If you even think about drawing on your sister again, Reanden will be keeping his blaster handy, and I will not be so gentle if I have to restrain you again. Do you understand?â
He nodded once. Ruari drew her hand back slowly, as one might draw back a sheet, draped over a statue. As the restraint released him, Cian rolled his neck and shoulders, shook out his fingers. He looked to his mother. âYou want to see the best in her,â he commented. âYou want to believe her. I just hope it doesnât get us all killed.â
Ruari, Reanden, and Mairen watched as he turned, stalking across the courtyard to the far exit. As he disappeared, the cloud around her dissipated, and Mairen instantly reached for Reanden. The old spy reeled her in and held her close; their joined relief almost overwhelmed their connection. He smoothed his hands over her hair, lips pressing gentle kisses to her temple. âItâs all right, love,â he said. His own voice was a bit rougher than he expected. âWeâre all right.â
For her part, Ruari watched him comfort her daughter. âI should have prepared him â should have prepared you for how heâs changed.â She heaved a sigh. âI donât think I realized quite how much.â
Reanden regarded his mother-in-law. âIâm no Jedi, Ruari,â he began, âbut after that? Iâd say unless someone is able to get through to him, heâs going to be more a danger to himself and the enclave than any Imperial.â
Ruari nodded. âIâm afraid youâre right.â She swallowed, straightening. âLetâs get the two of you out of here. I expect a bit of peace and quiet and time alone would be appreciated right now.â
âAnywhere other than here.â Giving a rueful smile, he released Mairen reluctantly; he maintained a hold on her hand. âI think Iâve had quite enough of Coronet for today.â
Mairen forced a laugh. âThat makes two of us,â she replied. âI think a double of Whyrenâs, a fire, and a warm blanket might be just what the med droid ordered.â
The senator took the lead, nodding as she stepped past them. âI know just the place.â
***