PROLOGUE
1,073 years ago
Before, there was nothing.
Then, Daiman opened his eyes.
The universe that was born with him was as young as he was, and while he himself remained a beacon of perfection, there was much room for improvement elsewhere. His cousins remained a persistent nuisance as always, as did a particular Jedi girl who had helped facilitate the collapse of not only his brother’s state, but other Sith’s as well. While this had proved beneficial to him, the errant knight was nonetheless a concern that he would soon have to address. But until then, he had a universe to develop and nurture.
And today marked a milestone in that endeavor.
A crowd had gathered outside his capitol in Xakrea, eager to witness this momentous occasion. Every waking moment of his life was a momentous occasion, of course, as he was all that was… but this event proved to be more important than all of the others. A young woman, one year his junior, knelt before him and presented him with a withing object wrapped in cloth. To call it an object was somewhat of an understatement; it was so much more than that. It was, other than himself, the most important thing in the entire universe.
He nodded to the woman and she gently placed the wrapped thing in his awaiting arms. He pulled back the cloth to look at its face and saw the tiniest strand of golden hair sprouting from its head. Its eyes were closed but, if they were anything like his, they were blue. As they should be.
In that instant, he knew what it was he was carrying. It was no ordinary creation of his; no fabrication of his mind like the woman in front of him or the people surrounding him. It was a part of him. An extension of his will.
His child.
Daiman took a deep breath and allowed a proud smile to cross his face. “Perfect,” he whispered.
The woman before him—the child’s mother—bowed her head reverently. “I exist to serve you, Creator.”
Ignoring her, Daiman turned his attention to Uleeta, his Woostoid aide ever present to heed his beck and call. “Have you found a suitable world to hide them?”
“Yes, Creator. There is a world just beyond the known territories. As far as we know, it has not been claimed by any of the others.”
“Their claim is meaningless,” Daiman said dismissively. “I am creator of all and thus all is mine. So long as it is safe from the eyes of those who wish to do me harm.”
The mother of the child looked up, a confused look on her face. “Milord? Are you… are you sending us away?”
Daimain glared at her and she immediately cowed under his gaze. “Do not question my will,” he hissed. “My will is final. If I say you leave, then you shall. Simple as that.” He turned his sweeping gaze to the greater crowd. “And that goes for all of you.”
“Yes, Creator,” the crowd uttered in unison.
Placing the child in Uleeta’s arms, Daiman turned back to the woman and motioned for her to rise. She did so but kept her head bowed, her face hidden behind a curtain of golden hair. “Follow Uleeta. She will take you and my child to a safe place; a place that is hidden from unwanted eyes.”
“Yes, Creator,” the woman said quietly.
With that, the woman walked after Uleeta as the Woostoid led her and the child away. Daiman watched them go, content that his future—his legacy—was secure. No matter what his family or that Jedi girl did to his physical form, his will would remain.
Otherwise, there would be nothing.
STAR WARS: VERGENCE
Book V: The Balancing Act
No comments:
Post a Comment