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Star Wars X: A Chance for Peace
Chapter 9: The Admiral's Prediction

Chapter 9: The Admiral's Prediction

Chapter 9: The Admiral's Prediction

Surrounded by grey walls and outlined by a window that looked out into space, Primidian appeared even older than he had when they first met. Rey decided to test the waters and asked, “You're not afraid I might attack you.”

Primidian smiled at this while standing up, countering, “Now, now we wouldn’t want to start an intergalactic crisis, would we? Ms. Rey Palpatine.” By instinct, the Jedi opened her mouth to object but was stopped by the Admiral raising a hand and adding, “There's no need to conceal it, I assure you.”

Rey hesitated, then grumbled, “What gave it away.” Even without a disguise, she could go unnoticed if she tried with the assistance of the Force. Issues had only started arising when Fama joined her, though this was to be expected given the girl’s lack of training.

The man gestured to a door leading out of the study while responding, “A number of things, but mostly…” He made eye contact with her, revealing a very tender expression, “You act so much like your mother.”

Rey found herself captivated by his golden irises for a brief moment before she was able to process his words. With a shocked stager backward, she exclaimed, “My mother.”

Primidian chucked, though he tried to hide his glee with a fist. He coughed and answered, “Yes, both your father and mother worked under me.” A reminiscent yet sympathetic look appeared on his face as he added, “They were exceptional individuals.”

Rey didn’t know what to make of this as her heart pounded. She had always longed for a family and, for most of her life, believed her parents would always come looking for her. She only recently learned that Palpatine had had them captured and killed when they refused to give up her location. Although she had found peace with the truth and moved on, Rey couldn't ignore such a possible connection to her past. The Jedi removed her hood, regaining her confidence, “Can you tell me more.”

The Admiral smiled, “Of course, but let’s settle in the dining room first. I'm afraid there are more urgent matters we need to discuss before we arrive on Curasuant.”

With weariness in her heart, Rey followed him to the side room, which was just as plain and only featured a rectangular table with seats for six people. Primidian didn’t sit at the head but rather in the middle and gestured for his guest to sit opposite him. Once sitting, Rey couldn’t help but inquire, “It’s a little bland for the like of an admiral.”

Primidian shrugged, looking very relaxed, “I take little pleasures in material comforts. My only true indulgence is my historical collection.” He paused to type a command on his fore-arm mounted computer before continuing, “I hope you didn’t find my museum too unpleasant.”

Rey glared at the Admiral with a calculating gaze, still hesitant to try and feel him out with the Force. She decided to continue to play along, though she answered honestly, “It was impressive, but I thought a museum was supposed to teach history, not propaganda.”

The Admiral nodded at this solemnly, “A fair assertion, but my men wouldn’t take kindly to me revealing their greatest idol was, in fact, a cold-hearted murderer.”

The Jedi master was surprised by this and spoke accusingly, “So you admit it.”

Primidian actually laughed at this heartily and whipped the corner of his right eye with a hand; he shot back, “Ms. Palpatine, you are only aware of a fraction of your grandfather’s insidious deeds. His treachery runs far deeper than you could imagine.”

These did not sound like the words of an imperial loyalist at all, though she dislikes the allusion that she was naive. Returning the volley, she spoke firmly, “It's Skywalker, not Palpatine and Master, not Ms. Also, what would you know of the Emperor’s treachery.” Rey had seen the emperor corrupt Kylo Ren, break minds, and kill with impunity. She didn’t believe this Admiral could comprehend the true evil that was his former Master.

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The Admiral shook his head and sighed, “I apologize, Ms. Skywalker, it is.” After saying this, his words flashed with a bit of inner emotion, though he continued calmly, “In regards to the Emperor, I assure you I am the foremost expert.” With a playful smile, he observed Rey’s irritation before continuing, “But let’s not bicker over such things.” At this moment, a door at the back of the room opened, and a blocky R3 droid came in, beeping in a low pitch. The Admiral spoke to it casually, “I’ll have the usual.”

Rey knew enough R3 to get that this droid would be their waiter and added, “I’m fine, thank you.”

Primidian shook his head and chimed, “I would be a terrible host if I let you go hungry.” He turned to the droid and added, “Bring some Apla Fruit and Clear Water.”

The Jedi was impressed; both of these food items were renowned for responding negatively to any kind of poison or tampering, so they should be safe to consume. She sighed with resignation, honestly more than a little hungry, “If you insist.”

Primidian nodded to the droid, which went zooming off. He then turned back to Rey and began in a genuine “Let’s stop with the idle paddle, though I'm truly glad you accepted my invitation.”

Rey glared at this and retorted, “It didn’t feel like an invitation.”

The Admiral appeared sheepish at this, though continued, “My apologies if you’ve felt mistreated, but I truly feel our meeting was no chance encounter.”

The Jedi vaguely understood what the man was referring to but wanted him to reveal more of his card. So far, she couldn’t even tell if his kind and calm deemer was real or a trick meant to deceive her. She shook her head and responded, “I don’t know what you mean.”

Primidian sighed knowingly but continued, “The Force brought us together for a reason.” He met Rey’s poker face with sincerity and finished, “This is our chance to prepare for the oncoming storm.”

Rey felt conflicted on the inside and, by instinct, shrouded herself in the force to ensure her mind did not become clouded. She responded with a passive gesture, “It is not for people like us to try and divine the Will of Force.”

The Admiral shook his head with a rye expression, “Prehasphes for a girl who has trained for less than three years driving the intention of the Force is difficult.” He then grew more serious, “But for those of us with more experience, the signs are clear.”

Primidian's sudden change in demeanor caught Rey off guard; she had indeed felt the chaotic shifting in the Force through this last year but was not able to translate these feelings into wisdom or guidance. She hesitantly asked, “And what is it you have divined.”

His complexion grew grim as he spoke a single word, “War.”

Rey felt depleted by this analysis; it was one thing to predict a war by observing politics and another to foresee it via the Force. But to her knowledge, to clearly foresee the future required a proficiency in the Force even her Master had barely begun to touch upon. She looked at him likewise with serious eyes, “You’re sure.”

Primidian nodded, “My midichlorian count may only be slightly above the normal people, but I have seen these signs before.” He shook his head wearily as if remembering many unpleasant memories and added, “These upcoming peace talks are already doomed to fail.”

Unwilling to concede to a potential deception, Rey countered, “Any Pedler could tell me the same thing just from listening to rumors.”

The Admiral shook his head and waved; a hologram appeared, showing the galaxy divided into three territories. The core worlds belong to the Remnant Generals Faction, a large portion of the mid-rim belongs to the grand Corporate Alliance, and the rest belongs to the New Republic. Furthermore, each territory was broken into different territories. The Admiral explained expertly, “The Force is not the only thing I depend on to make my predictions.” He took a breath and began to explain, “As things stand of the six Admirals, only myself and Admiral Sveck are dedicated to actually achieving peace.” Two sections on the map lit up as he continued, “The Corporate Alliance is unsustainable without conflict between the ex-imperials and ex-resistance forces. Only one of the seven chair holders is serious about this preceding.” Another small territory lit up, “Meanwhile, the New Republic is secretly broken into three political parties: the Bureaucrats, the Old Rebels, and the Visionaries.” He gestured to Rey and added, “Your allies mostly are of the Rebel and Visionary groups. Regrettably, the Bruacrates are only interested in what will benefit their individual territories, while the Rebels still hate the ex-imperials to the bone. Only the Visionaries will try to seek peace.” Scattered segments of light appeared on the map as he finished, “If things remain as they are, I predict war will break out in less than a year.”

Looking at the finale display, Rey was left disheartened and listless; not even a third of the map was illuminated after this analysis. Disregarding any mention of the Force with just this map, things truly did look hopeless. She eyed the Admiral and asked, “How do you know all this.”

Primidian nodded understandingly and responded, “Those who are experienced in business and politics can easily find traces of people’s true intentions. We who truly seek peace don’t just speak ideally, but our intentions become clear in our actions.”

Rey could understand this, but his words frustrated her; she snapped back, “What about when the Emperor ruled or the First Order rose? Were you so dedicated to the peace then?” A flicker of anger rose in her heart as she barked without constraint, “ You’re a hypocrite.”