Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface: Gellar Estate
Dhalia's social life, even as the summer was getting underway, didn't leave her much time to herself. In fact, with the added preparation for her upcoming contracts, and the travel to go along with it, her days were busier than ever.
She found it necessary to tap into her less-public skill set to remain balanced. Sitting within the hollowed out tree, she let the dark side wash over her, feeling the fears, the hatred, the suspicion that permeated Corporate Sector society. There was so much of it here. So much utter distrust and selfishness. It was like a breath of fresh air. Achy muscles became relaxed, sleepy eyes healed, energy restored.
Here eyes flashed opened, still pools of darkness from invoking her power, and without moving, she summoned the holocron to her, activating it, and summoning her sith guide.
"Tell me the rest of the story"
Intriguing as the introduction was, it was time to finish the taleDarth D'Cera's voice was commanding, and the sith guide nodded his head.
"It is time"
with a flash of smoke, D'Cera found herself in the center of the jedi council chamber.
"Darth Immortus has tried kidnapping the children, not once, but five times now. Each time, he has been fought back, but by numbers alone. His use of the dark side appears strong enough to overcome most of our younger jedi - and guarding these children cannot be the priority of the masters."
"Then what are we to do? The prophesy- if the children fall into his hands, it speaks of disaster..."
It was Master Yoda who called the discussion to an end "So certain, are you? Rehear the prophesy, we must. In it, the answer lies. Only together are the children a danger, so separate them we must"
"To where?"
The image of the jedi council swished away, and in its stead, a different room in the jedi temple, with a hovering galaxy all around. Five jedi masters stood looking it over.
"There is a family on Thyferra interested in taking one of the girls. We will send Melanie there"
"Kimber can be sent to an adoptive family on Corellia"
"Valerie should be taken to the Corporate Sector. There is a family there looking for a girl they can use for leverage"
"Should we be subjecting an infant to that?"
"There is no reason to believe she will be cared for any less than the other children. The family that wants her is well to do, and have failed to have a child. This will improve the standing of them and her. And it will further separate the children, which is my bigger concern at the moment."
"What about Darryl junior?"
"He is going to be the key. A number of records have shown that Persephone Winton was pregnant and successfully gave birth. Despite our efforts, those records remain existent. Darryl will be sent to an orphanage on Coruscant. He will keep his name, but we will take steps to make sure he is safe there, and that no one finds out he's there. With luck, he'll disappear into the crowds, and then when he's an adult, he can worry about making a family of his own."
The other jedi nodded.
"Very well then. Coruscant, Corellia, Thyferra, and Etti IV. The children will be scattered. What of the prophesy?"
"The council wants the prophesy itself to be as remote as the children. We are therefore transferring all knowledge of this prophesy to a jedi prophet, and otherwise erasing it from the archives. No one should ever learn about the children, their descendants, and the risks associating with them"
"Where are we sending the prophet?"
"An outer-rim world, Naboo. Jedi Olindae will go there to try and mediate between the Naboo and the Gunguns that live there. Once there, she will stay there, indefinitely"
The image of the room began to fade again, D'Cera watching as it grayed out as if behind a thickening fog. But instead of disappearing entirely, she found herself alone now, among the constellations, five systems glowing brighter than the rest.
"Now you know the origins - On Thyferra, Melanie Winton married a doctor named Masterton. Their great great grandchildren included Henrick Masterton, and Celeste Masterton - cousins, without knowing it.
On Corellia, Kimber Winton married a corellian security officer named Patten, and their descendants included Kyrie Patten.
On Etti IV, Valerie Winton, at the age of 16 was noticed at a debutant ball - much like the one you are participating in soon - by a strapping Gellar, heir to a huge fortune and legacy. Their descendants included Rutherford Gellar.
Darryl Winton, sent to an orphanage on Coruscant, turned out to be the most charismatic of the four. He made many friends at that orphanage, individuals who helped him once he was an adult, and helped found the Winton fortune, which would come in to play generations later. He married for status, as did his children, and his children's children. By the time his descendant, Alexander Winton was born, the family was well renown, respected, and envied.
Another descendant, though unknown to most, was the Trade Federation Viceroy, Medivh Guldon. He was the first recorded combination of two of the four. His mother was a Winton daughter who ran away from home, his father a poor mechanic. Their match was destined to result in a disaster, a poor, homeless child. But Medivh had a drive unexpected, a power unrealized, and rose through the ranks quickly, finally taking control - and seeking his own destiny. The jedi should have known, should have seen the warning signs, but the jedi are foolish, blind.
Which is why it is the fifth of the exiles that is perhaps the most interesting. Jedi Knight Neade Olindae was poor as a fighter, but was known as a jedi consular, serving as an archivist in the jedi temple - and as a seer. The jedi council placed a heavy burden on her with this prophesy. By funneling it into her thoughts, the words of this prophesy haunted Jedi Olindae for years. Even on Naboo, away from the temple on Coruscant, she still could see it. And so after completing her mediation tasks, she was left feeling isolated, abandoned by the jedi order. She became angry, and did everything she could to forget the prophesy. But the more she tried, the more it would dominate her thoughts. Olindae would black out for hours at a time, and find that she had formed words of the prophesy - not always in the same order - and carved them into stone or wood, or steel, in hyroglyphs, and other languages. The only place she found solace, was by breaking her sacred vows, in the arms of a Nubian aristrocrat, Lord Allec Greyson. Together, they had one child, extremely strong in the force, but Olindae spent her entire life suppressing the child's abilities. The prophesy, and all the words of nonsense associated with it, were locked away in the Greyson line, until generations later, A Greyson wed into the family Winton, triggering those old words again."
The stars around her faded into blackness, and the dim light of the hollow tree returned.
"Now Darth D'Cera, you understand - the family had been dispersed, into four corners of the galaxy. When brought together, they ignite power. You are the product of one of the four, and the prophesy keeper. You and your sisters before you. The Greyson line was small, and there are no children left of them. The prophesies of Persephone are therefore now only available to you. The ultimate reach of the power of the four - is only there for you."
D'Cera nodded her head, smiling at the thought that she really did have a leg up on Gemma and the others.
"But how do you know all this?"
"Lady D'Cera, is it not clear? I am Darth Immortus - I am the jedi Imri who created the legacy gene. I spent my life seeking out the children. I found the prophesy keeper on Naboo, and in her weakened state, was able to convince her to seek out the comfort of Lord Greyson, guaranteeing the prophesy would not die. And now I have succeeded. All you need to do is combine the genes together, and make yourself immortal, a goddess among the insects that fill this galaxy."
TBC