EPILOGUE
Invisible to the naked eye, the flagship of the being who called himself Malvis traversed through the Bright Jewel system, the planet of Ord Mantell long behind it. The two Corellian freighters belonging to the Resistance and carrying its members zipped past it, none the wiser to the massive vessel’s presence.
Deep within the ship’s belly, Malvis sat upon his throne, surrounded by his attendants. He stared down at the small astromech droid into which Mal Banvor had uploaded his consciousness into from the moment he had detected the Cabal leader’s arrival. The tin droid rotated its dome to focus its primary photoreceptor on the large being serving as its audience.
“I must admit,” Malvis began, his gravelly voice rumbling throughout the room. “You certainly got my attention. I’ll give you that.”
“I was hoping you would notice,” Mal Banvor replied, his voice emitting from the astromech’s speaker.
Malvis leaned back in his seat, regarding the droid curiously. “The question still stands, though, as to what exactly it is you want from me.”
“We both have something to gain from each other,” Banvor said. “You would gain a great advantage from me thanks to my control over countless droid matrices across the galaxy. Through them, I can spy on your rivals and enemies, including the Hutts and even the Galactic Alliance itself. I can gather information that you could then use to seize control of the galaxy.”
Malvis rubbed his chin, intrigued by this prospect. “And what would you get out of it?”
“Access,” Banvor replied. “Access to droid factories and computers that even I am not privy to. I know that Vasim Alazar was working on the perfect artificial intelligence… and that Omni wasn’t his only attempt at accomplishing that.”
“I see. And why exactly do you want access to such things?”
“To fully understand droids and how they function.”
If Malvis sensed any deception in Banvor’s words, he did not show it. “Very well,” he rumbled. “We have a deal. Just know that I will be watching you closely, Mal Banvor. If I get the slightest hint of you working against me, I will personally locate your organic brain and crush it with my bare hands.”
“I understand, my liege. I will not let you down.”
Malvis harrumphed. “We shall see.”
He gestured with his hand and the droid rolled off, being escorted by two of his attendants. A third one approached the Cabal leader, their head hung low.
“Master, we have received an incoming transmission. From Hosnian Prime.”
“That will be Orbego,” Malvis said. “Put him through.”
The attendant carried out the order and within minutes the holographic image of a Pa’lowick was being projected before Malvis. Sal Orbego seemed nervous, as always.
“Lord Malvis. I, uh, have some good news and some bad news to deliver.”
“Let me guess,” Malvis said. “The bad news is that the Dowager Sareth Valrisa is dead.”
Orbego blinked in surprise. “Er, yes, actually. That’s exactly what I was about to say. You’re already aware of it then.”
“I am aware of more things than you give me credit for, Orbego,” Malvis growled. “Is that the only bad news you have?”
“Er, yes. Yes, that’s all on that count.” Orbego cleared his throat before continuing. “Anyways, I am pleased to report that Vixen has made it to Coruscant and is preparing to carry out the job that you have given her. I hope to have her results in the coming weeks.”
“Excellent.” Malvis grinned. “Most excellent. In time, the loss of the Dowager will become utterly irrelevant in the greater scheme. We are already moving on to bigger and greater things.”
Malvis rose from his throne, extending to his full height as he towered over the Pa’lowick's transparent image.
“And the galaxy won’t be able to stop us.”
* * *
“It is done. The heirloom has been delivered.”
“Good.” Once again, the Supreme Leader’s face was a mystery as to what emotion it was currently expressing. In turn, Kylo Ren hid his own annoyance at this, keeping his head bowed in the presence of his master’s holographic image. “And what have you learned from this experience?”
“I am… not sure yet,” Kylo Ren replied, selecting his words carefully. “I am still processing everything and… I am not sure what to make of the revelations I have been given today.”
“That is only natural,” Snoke rumbled. “I don’t expect you to reach closure so soon. This is merely the beginning of the journey that awaits you.”
Kylo Ren remained silent. He had nothing to say.
“Return to me on the Supremacy,” the Supreme Leader went on. “I will give you your next task there. It will be one that you will accomplish on your own, without the guidance of your fellow Knights.”
Kylo Ren seethed at the very idea that the Knights’ only purpose was to “guide” him, as if he was some wayward fool. Was that all they had been, all this time? Just his caretakers?
Still, he did not voice any of this to the man in front of him. Instead, he simply said the five words he had been saying all of his life.
“As you wish, my master.”
“I await your arrival.”
With that, the Supreme Leader’s image dissipated and Kylo Ren was left alone in his darkened chambers. He would remain there for the duration of the Night Buzzard’s trek through hyperspace as it returned to the Unknown Regions from whence it came.
* * *
“Mistress, I regret to inform you that the Dowager Sareth of House Valrisa is dead.”
The blond-haired woman listened to the droid’s words as she stood on the balcony of the apartment she shared with her future husband. Clad only in a simple nightgown, she stared out at the flashing lights of the airspeeders as they zipped through the Coruscanti night. Behind her, Darius Naberrie — the man she was set to marry — continued to sleep in the bed they shared, none the wiser to the conversation she was having with the droid floating beside her.
“As per the Dowager’s will,” the droid went on, “all finances and possessions of the Valrisa Estate are to proceed to her eldest child, Senator Tyron Valrisa of Sedratis.”
“So it has already begun,” the woman said quietly, more to herself than to the droid. “I wasn’t expecting the old hag to croak so soon.”
“As I understand it, she was murdered on Ord Mantell. The suspects have not yet been identified, but it was via a bomb that had been planted on her ship. There were no survivors.”
“Someone must have really wanted her dead. Can’t say I blame them.”
Silence reigned for a long time, the only sound coming from the distant Coruscant traffic and the cool breeze of the night. The droid tapped its fingers together, its photoreceptors furtively glancing between her and the city beyond.
“Is there anything else you wish, Mistress Valera?”
“Do you happen to know where Senator Valrisa is at the moment?” she asked.
“I believe he is currently here on Coruscant. He is set to attend a banquet being hosted by the Chief of State in the coming week.”
“Thank you. That will be all.”
The droid bowed his head before floating off to carry out its other errands. Valera Teramo, daughter of Serenno, remained there on the balcony, staring out into the night.
This was it. The day she had been prepared for in the last thirty-one years of her life had finally arrived.
The Charge Matrica had begun.
TO BE CONTINUED
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