The Art of Chaos and Darkness

Chapter Thirty-Six

Din paced the floor outside the tomb.

"How much longer?"  He asked impatiently. 

The Sith lord who waited there sighed.  "As long as the ritual takes for the Queen to complete.  There is no set time limit."

Din resisted the urge to growl at her but then the tomb let out a rumble.  The Sith lord rose from the ground where she had been kneeling and bowed as Valda emerged from the chamber.  It had been days since her duel with her master and she still moved stiffly from the wound on her stomach.  But the rest of her had seemed to heal as much as was physically possible.  

"My Queen, have you completed the ritual?"

"Yes," Valda stepped into the stony cavern.  "Thank you."  

"Of course.  You may need to rest while the side effects wear off.  I will tell the Dark Council."

Valda nodded and the Sith Lord bowed again before leaving.  Din turned to her.  "What happened?"

Valda began to walk.  "In order to ascend the throne you must appear before the former Dark Lords of the Sith.  They determine if you are worthy."

"Has anyone ever been determined unworthy?"

Valda snorted.  "No.  Sith standards are a bit... loose for becoming rulers."  

"I would say so."

Valda fell quiet.  "I saw my father- Darth Bane.  He was the one who appeared to me."  

Din gave a slow nod.  He hadn't understood the entire situation surrounding Valda's father so he in the last few days he had taken it upon himself to access the Sith archives and search Darth Bane's history.  Then he understood.

Her father had been one of the most powerful and prolific Dark Lords in Sith history.  He was nearly entirely responsible for the fall of the Jedi Order and ensuring the Sith survived the coming years.  Without him, there would be no Sith kingdom left standing.  And to think Valda was the daughter of someone whose power was so great he was able to bring the Jedi to their knees... it makes Din's stomach knot a bit.

"What did he say to you?"  Din kept pace with her.

She shook her head.  "A lot of things."  Her eyes had the distant look that had been consistent the past few days.  Din took her hand in his.  "Well whatever it is, I'm sure you're capable of handling it."  

"Together."  She said.

"What?"

"We're capable of handling it.  Together."  Her eyes seemed to see through his helmet.  

He gave a nod.  "Together."  

"I have a favor to ask of  Mandalore."  She squeezed his hand.  

Din made a show of looking around.  "We're all here.  Go ahead."

She chuckled but then her smile faded.  "Nar Shaddaa... will I have the Mandalorian's support to bring down the Hutt Cartel?  Free the slaves?"

Din took in the empty tomb and then slowly removed his helmet, staring into Valda's brilliant eyes with his own.  He gripped her hand tightly, bringing it to his mouth.  "You have Mandalore's full support, Your Majesty."

A faint grin crossed her face.  "Then let's take down an empire."

"You mean after you defeat the New Order Sith and restore the Ancient Sith to glory, right?"  Din raised his eyebrows.  "Last I checked those were also at the top of your to-do list."

Valda rolled her eyes.  "Alright, take down two empires and bring the Sith Kingdom back to power.  How difficult can it be?"

Din shrugged.  "I estimate maybe two-three days of work?  Not much." 

She shook her head at him, clamping her lips together to avoid laughing.  Din wrapped and arm around her waist, pulling her close. 

 "I don't care how long it takes, Valda.  As long as I'm with you."  

They walked to the edge of the tomb, pausing as Din placed the helmet back on his head.  The guards at the entrance bowed to Valda as they passed through.  The brilliant Moraband sun nearly blinded the both of them as they emerged from the darkness.  Valda's bronzed skin glowed, the dark tattoos devouring the lights.  She clasped her hands behind her as they started up the stairs to the academy.  "I will have to take on an apprentice.  Someone who will assume the throne if I..." she didn't finished the sentence.  

Din didn't like to think about that but he knew she was right.  Valda fell silent as they walked and he sensed something on her mind.  "What is it?"

She sighed.  "I never... I want to apologize for that night before your... execution."  She studied the ground.  "In the throne room... I did nothing to stop it."

"It's okay, Valda.  If you had tried to then, he would have killed you."  

Valda shook her head, voice lowering.  "I shouldn't be on the throne.  I wasn't powerful enough to stop him.  I only killed him because... Darth Bane... his power-"

Din placed a hand on her arm.  "Valda, stop.  That power was your power, alright?  It may have come from Darth Bane but you wielded it.  You chose how to use it.  That was you."

She closed her eyes briefly.  "It was so much," she whispered.  "There was so much of it."  Her eyes flickered in the light.  "I can still feel it now.  Slumbering inside me.  I had no idea... no idea what I was capable of but, Din-" She gripped his hand.  "All I knew was that I couldn't kill you- I couldn't bear to live without you.  And that fear and anger..." she took in a breath.  

"Valda, I'm here.  I'm not going anywhere."  He swept her hair back from her face with a gentle hand.  "We will get through this together." 

She rested her cheek against his gloved palm.  "I know."  Then she frowned.  "Remind me to send someone to your quarters for your things to be moved."

Din cocked his head to the side.  "Why?"

Valda froze.  "I assumed you would want to move to mine-" she tripped over the words.  "Unless you want to stay in the quarters you're in now."

Din let out a low chuckle.  "Are you blushing?"

"No."  Valda  folded her arms.  "You can stay where you like- I just thought-"

Din let his laughter grow.  "The Queen of the Sith does blush."

Valda shook her head at him.  "Are you done?"

They resumed walking.  "I will move to your new rooms, if you would like me to."  Din told her.  "Although you do tend to kick in your sleep." 

Valda hissed something at him and Din tripped, managing to catch himself before falling on the carpeted floor.  He looked behind him but nothing was there.  "Did you just trip me?"

Valda tossed him a smirk over his shoulder and kept walking.

Din shook his head.  "You're gong to regret that, your Majesty."

"Oh really," she said.

"Yes really."  He caught up with her.  "Tonight.  When this whole academy knows exactly what I'm doing to you." 

Valda snapped her eyes to him.  "If I recall, Din, it you who is the loud one."

"We'll see," he told her.

"I guess we will."