[fic] The Secret Crossroad

[The_Catto]

It was night now, but that did not mean he was going to stop running. His leg muscles were agonizing from the pain from the continued run, his feet were blistered and his heart felt like it was going to explode.

 

Karat could hear their yells behind him. Sometimes they were close, other times they were farther away. His plan was the most brilliant concoction he had ever come up with in his entire life. Pity it didn’t work, he thought. But I have other things to worry about now…

 

* * *

 

 

“First things first,” she said. “How do you even propose we do something like this? … Meaning … What’s in it for us?”

 

Karat leant back in his chair and looked at the dark-skinned woman in front of him. Even with her face masked, he could still tell the measure of beauty of what lay beneath just by the sound of her voice. “Well, my dear Saria,” he said. “The freedom what you have always dreamed of.”

 

*

 

Fear, itself, is all but a memory. Lies, deceit, and stealth: weapons that can be even more powerful than, let’s say, a blaster or even a lightsaber. It was these things that lead Karat down the path he now strode today. A path in which he thought he would never be able to stray from …

 

 

 

 

“Alright, come here you two!” He cried. “It’s time for bed!”

 

“Karat?” came a voice behind him. He turned and saw his wife standing in the doorway. “May I have a word?” she asked.

 

“Of course,” he replied, and after the two kids ran past him and back into the house, he followed his family and closed the door behind him.

 

“I’ll be in there in a minute,” he said to his children as they ran into the bedroom. He turned back to his wife. “What’s on your mind, sweetheart?”

 

“This plan of yours,” she answered. “I am a Jedi no longer, but, that does not mean that I encourage what you are doing, what you are going to do,”

 

“It’s alright,” he said. He knew this was coming. Her conscious was her weakness, but he already knew how to counteract such a thing. “If we continue living this way, our children will become a tool of the government. Hapes is now in ruins. Our lives have all lead to this crossroad in our life and it is a time we took a stand and did something about it. My plan cannot fail. I have thought of every problem that might surface, every person who might stand in the way, everything that I may or may not have to do for it to succeed. Fail-safes are in position for such things. Not to sound to egotistical and overconfident; my mind is a brilliant one, and it has not ever failed me before. I do not believe it will fail me this time. Remember: we are the Hapes Assassins; we do not fail!”

 

Arianne looked at her husband. “You are right,” she said. “I am sorry that I doubted you, Husband.”

 

“My dear Arianne.” Karat said. “I love you, more than life itself. If I did not think that this plan would not succeed and that I would not be able to protect you properly, I would not do it. You and the kids are my life, and that is a life, in my opinion, that’s worth fighting for.”

 

She stepped in close and kissed him softly. “I know,” she whispered. “I love you too.”

 

 

 

 

A month ago was that conversation, and Karat could still remember it clearly as if he just had it. His wife, children, his own life had been forfeit. Betrayal was far worse a tool than he had ever dared to use. His wife, on the other hand, thought differently.

 

If it wasn’t for her, he thought bitterly, I would have been close to succeeding by now.

 

The cries were getting closer again. He tried to pick up the pace, but it was useless. As much as he try to move his legs faster, they seemed to move slower. Hie breath was catching up with him, and then falling away again. He could not keep this up for long.

 

He came to a small clearing in the forest he was running in and came to a crossroad. Now this is ironic, he thought. It was then he saw the form of Arianne step out into the clearing. Saria was close on her heels.

 

“Hello dear Husband,” she said. “Still running? I thought either you would have stopped and given up or they would have caught you by now.”

 

“I’m annoying in that type of way aren’t I?” Karat sneered. He looked to Saria. “I can’t believe that you would betray me either.”

 

Saria stepped forward. “Your dreams were a melancholy of false promises compared to the future now. You have lost, Karat. I am also surprised you are still alive also,” she added with a slight sneer.

 

“As I said,” replied Karat. “I’m annoying in that way.”

 

“Yes,” Arianne cut in with a slight hint of anger in her voice. “Yes you are. That is why I came out tonight to make sure that it was done correctly.”

 

“Why did you do it?” he asked. “Please, I have to know.”

 

“Aw,” she mocked him. “You need your conscious to be at rest, hn?”

She walked slowly towards him. “OK,” she said. “I guess I can fill you in on a little bit before you die…”

 

 

 

*

 

 

The chief in charge of security leant back in his chair with a sigh. “Thanks to you Jedi Arianne, we have stopped a grave event today. Thanks to you, our government is still able to strive on in hopes of rebuilding this fine planet back to its original glory. You have my thanks, and the thanks of the Queen, and Queen Mother herself, as rest with the High Royal Council.”

 

Arianne bowed her head. “It is of no trouble,” she said. “He had to be stopped before he ruined everything that we have come to build.”

 

“Yes,” agreed the Chief. “Yes, indeed.”

 

You’re a fool, little man. She thought to herself. The supposed leader of the HA may be dead, but you still don’t know …

 

 

 

“It is safe to know that the leader of the HA is now dead,” continued the Chief. “Perhaps now the group will be disbanded.”

 

“Oh no,” said Arianne, shaking her head. “The group is still at large and will not stop.”

 

“How can you be sure?” inquired the Chief.

 

“Because, Chief,” said Arianne. “My husband was but a pawn in the game of djarik that the HA and the Hapes government have been playing for all of these years.”

 

“Are you saying…” the Chief started to speak but his mouth lost his words before he could voice them out loud as the ironic and sudden realization dawned on his aging face. “…You?”

 

Arianne smiled. “Me,” she stated. “You thought you killed the leader, but no, dear Chief. The leader is very much alive.” With that, Arianne ignited the bright purple blade of her lightsaber and pierced it straight into the chest of the man in front of her. Still sitting in the chair, Arianna saw the light leave his eyes, and felt his body go limp.

[Bee Hoon]

Wow, Ariane is a surprising one O.o The story felt a little rushed, and I'm wondering exactly why Ariane did what she did. Going to the extent of having kids with him and not feeling for the father of her children--it's odd! Besides that, good job:)

[The_Catto]

She felt for her children and her husband. I agree with you however, it was rushed. I should have thought it out more.

 

Karat was Arianne's "apprentice" if you will. Not in the Jedi aspect, but in the aspect of the Hapes Assassins. Even though he did not know it at the time. The dialogue between the two, I thought, suggested that Karat did not know of his wifes intentions until it was too late.

 

Should have thought it out more *shakes head* haha.

[Tysyacha]

Wow, I'd hate to have to face Arianne in a duel, Jedi or not! Intriguing story. 7/10

[Bee Hoon]

Yep, the dialogue in the first part gave no hint at all, although I might have expected him to at least know that his wife was involved in the Hapes' Assassins--it's hard for two people's spheres of life to intersect to such an extent while keeping it a secret from each other (although it makes it all the more impressive if she managed to dupe him for all those years!). No matter, it'll always be up for editing later! If you had any plans to flesh out how Ariane did it and pull everyone's strings, I'd be interested in that!

[igyman]

Great story, but as others have said there's room for editing and polishing. I liked that the center of attention here were the assassins and not Jedi/Sith types of groups, I'm pretty sure I heard the name "Hapes Consortium" somewhere and this fic reminded me of it.

Oh yeah, I'm guessing it's a consequence of you rushing it but I'm pretty sure you meant to say conscience, not conscious (sorry, couldn't resist).

Overall, nicely done.