Peace Is A Lie

Suspicion crept into the apartment of Lord Paislee, everyone was a possible suspect from her devout servants to the love of her life, Janos. It’s been a few weeks now and time was not on her side. One clearly could see that from the progression of her affliction on her face. Her cough lessened but she felt the worst in her life than she would like to admit. Lord Var has gotten on to her about scanning her meal for poison, plus she still had a good amount of decoction leftover from her master, Darth Eaen.

The day seemed typical and gloomy for a rainy afternoon on Dromund Kaas. Paislee’s eyes weaved through the skyscrapers of the city. She peered through the window in a trance and stumbled upon a family, an imperial intelligence officer with his wife and kids. The display of unity and power appealed to her. It seemed they were having dinner. Her face grew warm, then hot. Paislee blinked and glanced down at her upset stomach. She wasn’t feeling good but promised to do better about taking care of herself. She drank another one of Darth Eaen’s decoction he provided her. It steadied her mental powers.

Before entering the kitchen unannounced, she peeked behind the drawn curtain, while the aroma welcomed her what she saw put a sour taste in her mouth. There she saw her servant cooking with a vial of what appeared to be poison. Paislee yanked open the curtain and with a small struggle, she force choked the servant. The small kitchen goes silent while the pots continue bubbling. 

“I want answers now.” She clenched hard on the frail servant’s throat. 

As the kitchen crew watched helplessly as one of their own strangled before their eyes until a small slender frame servant walked out from amongst them. 

“My Lord, this is the doing of Janos. Please let her go. ” Her gaze lowered out of fear and respect. 

Paislee turned her side to meet her gaze while her grip only tightened more out of hatred. She dropped the deceitful servant’s body on the floor near them and caused the group to shuffle back. Her eyes pierced at the small group before her. She started to pace slowly back and forth in front of them with clasped hands behind her.

“It is, to me, that you all have sworn to serve. Not Janos! Let this be an example if one of you dares to cross me again.” Paislee faced them and then stormed out of the kitchen.

Upstairs in the main ballroom, Paislee searched for Janos’ shuttle to land. Shortly, Janos arrived and in hand was a small package. She walked out to greet him on the balcony. Her mind still contemplated the reason for Janos’ betrayal, she was shocked but curious. He approached and hugged her tightly. 

“You shouldn’t be in the cold rains, you’re already sick enough.” Janos took his coat off and slung it around her shoulders. The two walked inside together.

Janos set up a candlelight dinner with a dish of star blossom fruit and a hot bowl of Alderaanian stew served flatbread. Though she hated to comment on his charm, he had the taste of royalty for someone who’s the second cousin to a royal official. He called Paislee over from the master bedroom. As the two sat at the dinner table, Paislee took out of her a small vial, the one that the servant used, and placed it on the table. Janos stopped mid-bite and looked across the table. His face grew long then sour. 

“Explain,” Paislee pushed her meal away and folded her arms.

“What is there to explain, it’s just medicine to help you feel better. It tasted better with food.” Janos’ voice cracked as he continued to speak. 

“Cut the crap, Janos.” Paislee sneered at him.

Janos kept a calm demeanor and cracked open his Corellian ale. A moment of silence fell between the two of them. Lord Var’s words came to the forefront of her mind. At that moment, the truth became difficult to swallow. She was gravely hurt.

 

She finally got the answer but it was far from the one she wanted to hear. It made sense that he betrayed her, he was behind the poison. She recalled his aid of kolto stim for the laceration from Qusak in the Nightmare Lands. The tea he made a few days ago. How could she not see it? Why has her wound become an issue now? She would have to dig deeper. Questions bubbled over in her head for a second.

“What the kriff do you think I was with you for? Your good  looks?” He carried a bitter sarcastic tone. Janos took a sip from the Corellian beer on the table.

Paislee remained silent with folded arms and waited on his answer. He continued to eat his stew with a light hand wiping his mouth with a tablecloth.

 

Janos’ hand went to the holster. He aimed the blaster pistol at Paislee as she started to get up from the table.

“You were perfect. I loved you, but then you had to ruin it. I thought you were different from the others. Everything we shared was a lie. I wanted power. You wanted love. Fairtrade, but no you wouldn’t just step aside and let me rule in your place.”

“Parliament is important to me as it is you. We could rule together. I want us to be a team. We would be married with children and I don’t mind sharing that with you. What’s gotten in you?!”

“Lies! All of it! Everyone warned me that you would fight me on this. Alastair, Koldari, and Quinn. They all warned me about you. I thought differently of you. If you love me, prove it. Sign over all your rights from parliament right now.” 

He pulled out paper in his handwritten in great detail and with a steady hand still aiming his pistol at her. He placed the papers down on the table, backing up allowing her to come close to sign them. He motioned with his pistol towards the table.

“Do it, now!”

“Janos, love. You’re not thinking this through. We’ve always been one. I’m sorry, let me exp-” Paislee’s hands went up hands wide.

“SHUT UP! Since you’re stalling, I’ll take it that you won’t do it.” He waved the pistol in her direction this time with a clear objective. 

Paislee struggled as she loved him so much despite the error of his ways. She wanted to save him from doing something careless, though anyone else would have done worse to him. She took another step toward him. Pew. 

“That’s your last warning!” Janos shot off a bolt towards her barely scraping her arm.

“Sss, Janos. I forgive you. We can still make this work. I love you, please listen to me. I don’t want to lose you.” 

Janos shook his head at each word that Paislee spoke. Her heart was torn into two as she finally sensed that there was no convincing him. Not sure if her force abilities would function in enough time; however she had to let the affliction feed off of her once again. Time felt like it was at a standstill. Paislee watched, stunned, as the man to who she had been engaged for a year, aimed the blaster pistol at her. He wanted nothing from her, except to be rid of her for good.

Her eyes glowed a bright amethyst as the dark violet energy pulsated rapidly through her body almost reenergizing her. Janos shot a couple more bolts but Paislee absorbed them with a force barrier. 

Before Janos could pull the trigger, she used the force to snag his blaster from out of his grip, then aimed the gun at his face and closed her eyes. Shots were fired. The soft thud as his head grazed the floor. Her breathing was irregular and rattled her lungs. The blood was pounding in her ears. The shots created an unwanted pattern across his shirt and pants. Without a need of kicking it, anyone could see its limp position, arms laying over and legs set in an awkward position. 

The pistol clanked against the floor from her unsteady hand.  She slithered over, held onto his lifeless body, grabbed his head, and gave it a hard twist. The darkness seeped further into her veins. Her head dropped significantly as more thick black veins ran along the back of her neck down to her spine and all over her arms almost tripling in size. Black and different shades of gray splotches appeared in her right eye. She had a slight seizure as her connection ceased from within. Still looking him over Paislee sobbed uncontrollably and screamed. 

If she hadn’t given up some of her rights to House Thul, would she have figured it out? He was the last source of peace she had in her life. Peace is a lie. It was all a lie. The world she lived in was full of corruption and greed, to the point of deception. It wreaked havoc on the souls of many across the vast galaxy.

Paislee assumed the pain would have ended with her step-uncle. Those same hands also ended the love of her life. Who was next? Her life was meant to be empty, challenging, and full of deafening silence that she hated. In the meantime, the darkness worsened from improper use and her time was almost up.