Chapter 66: The Cost of Peace

Once he handed over the data chip, Admiral Primidian entered a butler corridor of the hotel and then, from here, entered a maintenance shaft. He walked rather swiftly through this till he took a discrete turn and exited onto a landing platform. The man jumped in a speeder and zoomed away with no one the wiser.

The man enjoyed driving through the familiar city at high speeds as old memories flickered through his mind. Memories from before he was an Admiral, of better times back when his life had been much simpler and more peaceful. His experienced diving allowed him to quickly arrive at the Liberated, and the guards on duty saluted as he entered. As he walked through the halls, it was as if on clockwork. People and droids appeared along his path to give him reports.

The first officer stated, "Sir, a review of security has shown none of our vessels have any stowaways or have been bugged. The droids have been double-checked, and seven anomalies were discovered. They have been reprogrammed and stationed at low-impact regions."

Primidian nodded and responded, "Good to hear Johnathan. How are the kids?"

The man smiled and responded, "Oldest just turned six, and youngest is starting to speak."

The Admiral smiled and responded, "Ah, that's when they become troublesome."

Jonathan nodded, "Indeed, Sir, it is."

Primidian waved and stated, "Excellent as always, you're dismissed."

The officer hurried away as the Admiral kept waking and encountered a floating medical droid that stated, "Sir, your next rejuvenation treatment is scheduled for seven days from now. I have checked your itinerary, and there is no available time during that day for your treatment. This is unacceptable."

Primidian slapped the head of the robot and said, "My old friend, I won't turn to dust by being late for one treatment. We have more pressing matters at the moment."

The droid moved along to keep up with the man and stated, "My programming requires me to prioritize your health over all other matters."

The man sighed and waved to the machine, "Fine, push back my meeting with Suket Blu. Letting him sweat a little bit won't hurt our negotiating position."

Hearing this, a light lit up on the droid, which responded, "Affirmative, thank you for your compliance."

The Admiral sighed and stated, "What would I do without you."

The medical droid stopped following him and stated, "Die."

Primidian chuckled and kept moving, reviewing the reports: one on his fleet's supply status, another on his upcoming meetings, and one on the hundreds of messages he had received in the last few days. Now that peace was looking more and more lightly, the opportunists were flooding to him to try and kiss up. The man viewed these people as mere dogs, but they were potentially useful dogs, and each needed to be evaluated and used properly. By the time the man made it back to his office, he knew the rest of his day was already packed. Still, he was used to such pressure and found it rather comforting.

Inside the plain room, a dark-clad guard waited, who he nodded to and stated, "Midnight 4, it's good to see you."

The woman nodded back and responded, "Looked like you were having plenty of fun with your political friends to me."

The Admiral took his seat and countered, "You know I loathe those bothersome people. Don't be so mean just because you missed me."

Midnight 4 snorted and grumbled, "I miss my vacation more."

Primidian sighed and responded, "If you want more time off, you only need to ask for it."

The guard shuffled and stated, "Then who would protect you."

The Admiral activated a holo-screen and stated, "I do have other guards."

The woman snorted again and stated, "A bunch of lunatics."

Primidian smiled and commented, "Arnt you all."

At this point, his door opened, and a young man entered with bright eyes and announced himself, "Sir, Lex Raymon, reporting or duty."

The Admiral looked up and smiled, "Ah, Lex, good to have you back." The boy nodded and walked over to the desk as the man added, "I hope you found the Concord educational."

The youth nodded and responded, "I found it very educational, at least when you weren't exhausting me with assignments."

Primidian met the young man's eyes and responded, "There were unforeseen circumstances; think of it this way: your action helped contribute to the greater good."

Lex smiled at this, "Well, it certainly will be something to write home about."

Primidian nodded, but then a message appeared on his wrist-mounted computer. His gaze flickered as he looked back to the youth and stated, "Now then. Lex, can you tell me what I told you when I first accepted you as an intern."

The lad became perplexed but responded, "You said that I had potential, that I could become a leader that helped make the Galaxy a better place."

The Admiral nodded again and continued, "Very good." He then gasped his hands together and spoke seriously, "Lex, I don't just think you will become an ordinary man. I believe you may very well become a future President of the New Galactic Republic." The youth grew stunned but maintained his composure as the man continued, "Naturally, either I or Marcus will likely be first, and Minerva will then follow. Poe is a strong candidate to be elected after that if he plays his cards right. However…” His eyes grew cold as he went on, "These terms will be scared by blood and hysteria. I hope you will be the leader that rises from these troubled times to cement our new Galtict Governor and set a precedent for generations to come." He looked to the youth, who was almost trembling, and inquired, "Do you understand me?"

Lex hesitated but nodded and then asked, "But why me?"

Primidian smiled and responded, "Because you are special, you are wise and kind beyond your years." He sighed and added, "As I'm sure you know, your time in my fleet had been stricken from all records. So far, I have been evaluating you and testing your skill and character as I have with many of my interns in the past." He caught the youth's eyes and stated, "Many have come close, but only you have fully met my standards."

Lex swallowed at this and got out, "Sir, I don't know if that's what I want for my future."

The Admiral chuckled and responded, "My boy, destiny calls on great men. You may not want it, but you can not refuse the Will of the Force." The youth was about to respond when the man held up a hand and finished, "You still have many years ahead of you. Do not worry, for now; all you need to do is to learn."

Lex paused but nodded, "I understand. I will try to meet your expectations."

Primidian smiled, though it was a sad smile, "Very good, then it's time for your first real lesson." He turned to meet the young man's gaze directly and asked, "Say I have two diametrically opposed parties that I need to come to an agreement. What should I do?"

Lex grew puzzled and responded, "I would try to negotiate, offering both sides benefits."

The Admiral shook his head, "They would profit more by staying enemies."

Lex thought harder and tried again, "I would apply pressure to them. Socially, politically, ethically."

Primidian smiled and responded, "Better, but these two parties are very influential and can ignore you."

The youth thought but ultimately shook his head, "I'm sorry, I don't know."

The man nodded and responded, "That's alright. I wouldn't expect you to get the correct answer. You are still too young and naive." Lex became both confused and curious as the man went on, "You see, benefits and pressure are very useful tools. However, the true motivator in our Galaxy is neither of these things…" Primidian's gaze grew fiery as he continued, "The truest motivator of all is fear. Fear and the sense of hope that fear inspires." He pressed a button on his desk and spoke, "Midnight 2, report to my office." The Admiral looked back to Lex and repeated, "So then, when it comes to getting two opposing parties to come to an agreement, One must simply introduce…" The door to the office opened just as the man finished, "A common enemy."

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The newcomer was dressed in a brown robe, and his left arm was missing from the elbow down. His face was covered by a mask designed in the likeness of a wolf. Seeing the Sith Cultist Luca, Lex jumped forward and blurted, "Sir, stay back."

The Admiral and his guard both laughed. Primidian rose to his feet and called, "Lucas, take off that mask. You'll give the boy a heart attack."

The Sith Cultist did so, revealing a rough face in need of a shave and messy brown hair that formed into points that were low enough to almost infringe upon his vision. He scoffed in a deadpan voice, "Finally, that thing is so stuffy." He then took a knee and bowed his head, saying, "My apologies, Sir. I failed to kill Admiral Adolfus in the last meeting."

Primidian waved this off and responded, "Not to worry, you performed more than admirably."

Lex was petrified, and the blood had drained from his face as he looked back and forth between the two men. Luca rose at this and nodded, "The Jedi was stronger than I anticipated. I had to use my full strength during our last fight."

The Admiral nodded at this, walking over to his old friend, "You were lucky she was injured; rather than toying with her, you might have actually died."

Luca smirked and bowed his head, "I was able to perform as well as I did only due to the grace of your training."

Lex finally found his voice at this point and stared at the Admiral stammering, "You, you were behind the Dark Apostles."

The gray-haired man turned back and responded, "Not all of them, of course, that would leave behind too many leads." He turned to Luca and gestured, "I merely implanted one of my finest agents to guide them down the right path."

The youth shook his head in disbelief and blurted, "No, you wouldn't…" Pointing at the ex-cultist, Lex nearly shouted, "He killed people, delegates. They had lives, families…"

He froze up as the Admiral shook his head, responding, "Lex, my boy, I guarantee you the vast majority of the people that died during the Concord were specifically targeted to ensure our success was possible, that peace is possible." He sighed and elaborated, "This was a rare chance. Nearly the entirety of the Anti-Peace Faction gathers in one spot. To not take this chance to snuff them out would have been a costly waste." His gaze then grew grave as he added, "The bystanders that were lost to make this possible did so for a worthy cause."

Lex began to tremble as his brain worked overtime to process everything. Suddenly, many unknowns made sense. How the cultists could get past the Security Force. How vital evidence could be so easily overlooked? How wherever the cultists attacked, there always seemed to be cameras ready to broadcast the scenes live across the stars. Even how Rey had managed to find their base just in time for the most important hearing to take place. His eyes grew sad, and he verged on tears, "This isn't right; we have to be better than them."

Primidian sighed and shook his head, putting his hands behind his back, "Lex, if you truly believe in a noble cause, you must be ready to not only die for it but kill for it as well." He eyed his intern sternly and lectured, "If another galactic war had broke out, how many would have died?" His eyes grew brighter and angrier as he went on, "Do you think even a single delegate would be lost in such a conflict." He shook his head once more, continuing, "Of course not; these people would conscript civilians or hire thugs." Eyeing the youth as though daring him to rebuttal, he finished, "Was the killing of a few dozen far from innocent delegates not worth the years and center of lasting peace we are now so close to achieving."

The moral side of the boy's heart cried, 'No, it wasn't,' but the sprouting pollution nodded its head, muttering, 'incredibly, truly brilliant. He controlled this duality and took a breath before glaring and asking, "What about The Peace Seekers Alliance and the New Republic? Did they agree to help you while knowing all of this?"

Primidian's gaze did grow weary at this, and Luca placed a hand on his shoulder before the man responded, "No, they did not; perhaps some of them have guessed the truth, but none of them would have had the courage to be a co-conspirator."

Lex nodded, then asked, his voice growing even more depleted, "What about Rey? Did she know?"

The Admiral let out another sigh and shook his head, "You know as well as I; she would never approve of my actions, let alone understand their intricacies and significance."

The boy scowled and shot back, "You underestimate her."

The man raised an eyebrow and responded, "I estimated her just enough for her to play her part." He raised a hand as if gesturing to the argument he was forming, "She recovered the political damage she caused as a rebel and solidified the narrative the Galaxy needs to move on. She reminded the Galaxy of the power and wisdom of the Jedi. She has filled herself with renewed confidence and, with the payment I have promised, can rebuild the Jedi Order." HE lowered his hand and concluded, "In the New Age, the Jedi will rise once more and again serve as steward to peace throughout the Galaxy, though this time they will be more cautious and will not be so easily destroyed again."

Lex couldn't understand the man before him and blurted, "You say that, but you deal with Sith; you're just a hypocrite."

Primidian chuckled at this coldly as he shook his head, "Boy, the Jedi and the Sith represent the Light and the Darkness, the Ashla and the Bogan. These are primal forces throughout our Galaxy, as natural as the winds and rain. You can't have one without another." His gaze became fighting illuminated as he went on, "The ideological difference between the Sith and the Jedi are, in fact, not even that different. If you ask them about the origin, nature, or purpose of the Force, they will all give the same answer. The only difference is how they chose to wield it." Meeting the youth's gaze sadly, he concluded, "We can never hope to banish the Darkside from our Galaxy, but we can control where and how it emerges. We can tear out its teeth and claws so that it is forever forced into a state of passivity. The Old Jedi Order succeeded in this for 1000 years; now, the burden must fall onto others."

Lex held back his emotion and steeled himself before retorting, "I do not believe this was the right thing to do."

Primidian walked to the youth slowly and placed a hand on his shoulder as the boy shivered, "I do not need you to approve. I need you to learn." The Admiral seemed to grow older at this, "I will do anything to restore peace to this Galaxy, and the sins I commit in order to do so will be my alone to bear." He met the youth's eye and finished, "In time, you will be wiser, and you may come to agree with me. If not, then you will at least know what to look out for in your less righteous rivals."

The youth trembered and clenched a fist before responding coldly, "Yes, sir."

The Admiral nodded, "Good, return to your quarters and consider what you have learned."

Lex glared at the Admiral and even more so at Luca before exiting through the office doors. He hated that the Galaxy worked this way, but he could not deny the Admiral had a point. His argument could be said to be without flaw, which left the youth lost and perplexed. Once the two men were alone, Luca let out a snort and inquired, "You really see potential in that kid."

Primidian smiled and responded, "Were you any better when we first met."

The brown-haired man shrugged, "Fair point."

The Admiral turned and approached him before hugging his shoulders with an arm, "Lucas, I'm very proud of you." Pulling back, he looked at his injured arm and added, "I'm sure we can find a quick solution for your arm."

Luca shook his head and responded solemnly, "I was thinking of leaving it…" His eyes flickered with a burning determination, "As a reminder to myself."

Primidian smiled, "Good, good…" He sighed and asked, "Are you still sure about the reward you asked for. You've sacrificed more for this day than anyone. Be it wealth or power, I can certainly satisfy you."

Luca grew a bit stiff at this but then relaxed and responded, "No, it's time I focused on fulfilling my destiny." His eyes burned as he continued, "The Force led me to the Inquisitors and then the Knights of Ren. It's time I completed my training."

The Admiral smiled warmly, though his eyes contained a hint of coldness, "Lucas, you are both wise and powerful. I'm sure you will achieve greatness."

The man nodded to himself and responded, "If the Force wills it, then it will be so."

Primidian squeezed the man's shoulders and lagged before responding, "I've taught you well." He let go and stepped away, "Seeing how you've made up your mind, I won't argue with you anymore." His eyes glinted as he went on, "Everything you need to begin your plan will be made available to you as soon as my men can manage it."

Luca bowed his head and offered, "I thank you for your kindness. I've waited a long time for this."

The gray-haired man's smile faded as he grew serious once more, "The pleasure has been mine." He held out a hand, "May the force be with you."

Luca had a flashback to more than 20 years ago when he had met this very man; in all that time, he had never changed in appearance or personality. For so long, he had lived his life in the shadows, but now he had been exposed to the light. It had been a painful experience but had taught him a valuable lesson. At the same time, he recalled how, for almost his entire life, he had been a servant to the Inquisitors, the Knights of Ren, and, most recently, the Dark Apostles. The man's heart then filled with fire as he realized, after fighting so hard and for so long, he had finally managed to rise above these confines, and from now on, he would be his own Master.

Lucas took the offered hand, grabbing the Admiral by the forearm, "And may it be with you."

As the ex-cultist left the room, Primidian couldn't help but sigh, recalling memories, particularly of a young boy with brown hair and desperate eyes. He sighed and returned to his seat, letting his body relax. His expression was calm like a sage's, but from this stillness, a mad smile began to appear, though he tried to contain it. Eventually, it broke free, and turned into cheerful laughter that soon grew nearly hysterical. The joy faded to a mad anger. He sucked in a breath to calm himself and sat forward with keen and viscous eyes.

After rubbing the madness from his smile, he opened a drawer and removed an old bottle that had once held an expensive wine. With it, he brought a glace and poured himself a cup of water. He raised his glass in a toast to no one. In a quiet voice, he stated calmly, as if speaking to a crowd of ghosts, "To Balance in the Force."

He down the cup and chapped his lips, missing the flavor they had once known. The Admiral returned the bottle and glass to their home and noticed the lightsaber that lay within. After a moment of hesitation, he grabbed the familiar weapon and held it in his hand. He normally trained with it daily, but the Concord had disrupted his usual routine. The feel in his hand relaxed him as he pondered whether he was truly doing the right thing. Primidian was not a man who often doubted himself, but when facing such a crucial time in history, he couldn't help but worry.

The Galaxy was full of turmoil; galactic peace was hanging by a mere thread, the Jedi and Sith were again in conflict, an enemy unknown to most was growing in the dark, and a new prophecy had ordained the emergence of a terrible evil that threatened to consume all before it.

Thinking of these heavy topics, the man appeared to age decades, though at this moment, his hand tightened on his old weapon, and his golden eyes blazed with determination like miniature suns. He would not let fear, anger, hatred, and suffering reign any longer. He would bring peace to the Galaxy, no matter the cost.