Closing Chapters

**CLOSING CHAPTERS**

Three months had passed since Ammit retrieved her son from Darvannis. She had followed her old mentor to this world, when she learned that he had taken her boy as his new apprentice. The Iktotchi was filled with rage knowing that he was the one who had forced her to give up her son in the first place and now she found out that he took her son as her replacement after she had left for Korriban. It felt like betrayal and she wanted him dead

The boy was present when Ammit confronted the old Corellian, he had seen her take Valmir’s lifeless body back to her ship and knew that she had killed him. He hated her, he tried to fight her and the first month on Prakith was a challenge. He refused to speak to her and several times he attempted to escape, but he never got far, Ammit made sure of that. Eventually his anger calmed although the resentment remained. She offered him to train him in the ways of the dark side, he accepted and it became the only way for them to connect.

~\*~

Silently Knight Bathori watched as the boy practiced his saber form. He was talented with the blade, but he still had much to learn. “Remember your foot placement” she said as she slowly circled the boy like a predator observing her prey. The boy listened and corrected his stance at once. She nodded “very good, now strike!” the boy struck the training blade at an invisible opponent, she smiled “good... now do the entire routine again.” “Again?” he snarled, “Yes, again and don’t use that tone with me Boy” she growled back at him.

By blood he was her son, but she chose not to treat him that way. Darth Skyllan had been right, she could never really be his mother, she had missed 12 years of his life and to many important milestones. His real mother was Nerys, the Corellian woman who had raised him all those years as if he was her own. But Nerys had died by Ammit’s own hands, strangled in her rage, something the poor woman did not deserve.

The boy made the last move, finishing the routine once more. “well done” Ammit smiled as she walked towards the stairs “that’s enough for today" she continued. The boy silently followed her up the stairs, she could sense a sadness coming from the boy. As they entered the living area, where Khara was playing with Floki, the Knight turned towards the boy. “I can sense your sadness, boy.” He looked up at her with his red Chiss eyes “I’m fine.” He lied. “I know you are not. You can either tell me or I’ll find out myself” the Iktotchi said coldly. The boys face changed, the sadness turned into anger, “Why did you want me here?” “because you are my son.” She replied sternly, looking down at him with her fiery eyes. He snorted “Your son? You can’t even call me by my name. You are cold and evil. You are no mother! And certainly not mine!!” he yelled frustrated and before Ammit could say anything he ran away towards his room.

The Iktotchi stood frozen on the spot, the words of the boy were hard but true. She had been cold and distant towards him, she hadn’t been able to call him by his name because it was to painful for her. “Mama" she suddenly heard, it was Khara who walked up to her with her arms stretched, ready to be picked up. “Mama..” she said again as she stood in front of the Iktotchi, impatiently pulling on herself up on Ammit’s robes. Ammit bend down and lifted the girl up. A sad smile appeared on her face  “I’m not your mother dear, apparently I’m incapable of being one.” But Khara smiled and grabbed the Iktotchi’s horns, pulling them as she giggled. Although she felt hesitant, Ammit realised it was time to finally tell the boy the truth.

After having put Khara to bed for a nap, Ammit walked to the Boy’s room. She took a deep breath and then knocked on the door. “Just leave me alone" she heard the boy yell. Again she knocked and again he yelled “go away.” Ammit could sense his sadness and anger radiate through the door. “I’m coming in" she said and pushed her heavy wooden door open. “I want to talk" she continue  as she approached the boy who was sitting on the bed. “I don’t” and he turned away from her. Calmly Ammit grabbed the chair from his desk, and placed it in front of the boy. “What did Valmir told you about me?” she asked as she sat down. The boy refused to look at her but did answer “he told me enough.” “I’m sure he left out what he did to me.” She replied as she leaned forward with her elbows resting on her knees. “let me tell you what really happened, just listen you can ask all the questions you want when I’m done... but listen first.” Ammit said as she stared at her own feet, thinking about where to start.

“I was only nineteen when Valmir dropped in Csaplar, it was one of the first contracts I did alone" Ammit explained and leaned back in to her seat. She could still remember how nervous she felt, especially after she had messed up the contract before that. “the contract was to steal a manifest... from your father.” Ammit could see that she had caught the boy’s attention as he turned his head slightly towards her. “You’re father was a politician and very good words.” A smile appeared on her face as she remembered Dra’kris’styion. “I watched him for two days, thinking he didn’t notice me, but he did. He approached me and we started talking, I fell for his charm" Ammit continued as she thought back on the night he sat down next to her at the bar. The boy was now sitting on the edge of his bed, listening to Ammit’s story. The Iktotchi continued “we spent the rest of the week together, your father even gave me the Manifest that I was supposed to steal from him.  When Valmir returned I had to leave to take the manifest to the one who gave us the contract. Kriss... I mean your father asked me to come back when the manifest was delivered. I said yes, I wanted to come back..” her eyes started to get watery, she took a deep breath and continued. “Valmir was against it, he did not allow me to go back, I was loyal and obeyed, I never returned although I always wanted to.” Ammit stood up, there was still sadness in her heart, she wondered what her life would have been like if she has returned to Csilla.. The Sorceress walked to the window and looked at the icy mountain view. “I didn’t know I was with child, not until two months had passed. When I found out I kept it from Valmir, because I knew he would order me to terminate the pregnancy.” Looking over her shoulder, Ammit saw how the boys eyes grew bigger in disbelief, shaking his head “no.. uncle Valmir wouldn’t..” he said. She continued to speak “he found out when I started to show, he demanded me to get rid of it, get rid of you but I refused, I wanted to keep you.” She smiled at him as she stepped back to the chair, sitting down again. “Valmir kept telling me to give you up, trying to convince me that the mercenary life was not place for a child. I felt torn apart, I wanted to keep you and return to Csilla but Valmir raised and trained me I did not want to disappoint him. It broke my heart when I left you on Corellia. For weeks I cried for you, I tried to let go but I couldn’t. Eventually I found a way to bury my memories of you deep inside my mind.” Ashamed Ammit looks at the floor, tears run over her cheeks. “Valmir made sure I wouldn’t remember, he never took me to Corellia again. He never spoke to me about it, all of it  as locked away in my mind because it was to painful for me to live with it.”

Looking up at the boy, with watery eyes “now what would you like to ask?” He looked at her, clearly overwhelmed by her story and confused about Valmir’s role in it. “if he did that, why did he come to visit me?” Ammit smiled, she knew it was hard for him to see Valmir as the bad guy, but he needed to know the truth. “He knew that one day my power would be to strong for him to control. He was grooming you for the day that I would leave. Making sure you would be loyal to him always.” He shook his head, not wanting to accept the truth “no, I don’t believe that.” “you are force sensitive just like me, and he understood that you also would one day become to powerful for him to control. He needed you to stay loyal, by making you see him as family he would make sure of that". She stood up, ready to leave to give him some space.. “Did... did you name me?” he asked before she could walk away. Ammit smiled, thinking back at when she held him in her arms for the first time.. “I did..  I named you Aro.”

~\*~

##### Part two: the visit

Location; Csilla, Csaplar

The icy winds blow into the Sorcerer's face as she makes her way through the snow covered streets of Csaplar. So many memories are carried on the cold winds, it were these memories who brought her back to the Chiss homeworld. After having told her son about his father, Ammit felt the urge to track him down. She used  Empire’s resources and learned he was still alive on Csilla. The Seer already knew that this visit would bring her sadness, but still she needed to go, she needed to finally close the chapter.

~\*~

An hour later she stood inside an elevator in a shady hotel at the edge of the capital. The Iktotchi hadn’t just found out that Kriss was alive, she also learned that he was married and having an affair. Ammit wasn’t a fool, she knew he had moved on after her, she had tried as well but some how his memory lingered on she wasn’t able to let go.

The doors of the elevator slowly opened and she entered a dimly lit corridor, on her way to the hotel room where his lover would be waiting. The Iktotchi felt as nervous as she did twelve years ago when she tried to shadow the Chiss. As she stood in front of the door she took a deep breath and then knocked. At once she heard movement, light footsteps approaching the door. When it opened she saw a young pink skinned Twi’lek standing in the doorway, with a confused expression. “can I help you?” she asked. “You are going home now" Ammit told the girl with mind trick. Her face went blank and repeated “I will go home now.” “You won’t contact Dra’kris’styion.” Ammit added as the girl left the room. “I won’t contact Dra’kris’styion” the girls replied as she walked down the grim looking hallway. The Knight waited for the girl to step into the elevator then she entered the room and closed the door.

\*

The Seer stood with her back towards the room, watching out of the window when she heard the door of the room unlocking. Her breath quickened she could feel her heart pounding in her throat. “sorry I’m late" the familiar voice of Dra’kris’styion said. The door closed behind him and he entered the room, then suddenly he stood still. “Tara? Are you??” Ammit could hear the hesitation in his voice, he noticed something is off. “Hello Kriss” she said as she slowly turned around, her horns shimmering in the faint light of the ceiling lamp. The Chiss stood silently across from her, he was shocked to see her. “have you forgotten who I am?” Ammit asked with a smile. He shook his head “no... of course not... how did...where is Tara?” he nervously looks around the room. “Don’t worry, I send her home. We have lots of catching up to do.” She said as she stepped away from the window and removed her cloak. The Chiss looked at her, she had changed a lot in the last twelve years “why are you here.. what...what do you want?” “I just want to talk.” She replied calmly.

He frowned as he took his coat off “talk? About what?” “about us.. about what happened.” She replied honestly, hoping that talking about it would give her the closure she needed. The Chiss remained silent, it was obvious he wasn’t sure how to react to the situation. “I wanted to come back to you, but my Mentor stopped me” she looks at the floor feeling embarrassed. Then she hears him chuckle “No need to feel bad about that. I never expected you would.. “ he moved closer and added “it was just a bit of fun.” Her heart skipped a beat, and she looked up at him. He smiled and touched her face gently “you’re still beautiful.” “A bit of fun?” the Iktotchi asked. “what did you think? That we would live happily ever after?” he said with a mocking tone.

“Of course not” she lied, smiling brightly, her golden fangs catching the light. She knew this meeting would bring her pain but she wasn’t prepared for a stab in the heart. Her nineteen year old self did think they would live happily ever after, even when she grew older she imagined how her life would have been if she had returned. “No, but i did hoped to see you again... for more fun" she said with fake smile on her face. With a pleased grin he tried to pull her closer for a kiss but she giggled “A-ah..” and she pushed him towards the bed. He fell backwards on to the mattress and the Iktotchi climbed on top, straddling him. She looked down as he placed his hands on her waist, again trying to pull her closer for a kiss. This time she allowed him, and she leaned forward, slamming her lips on his, pressing her tongue against the seam of his lips. The Chiss didn’t hesitate, granting her access and allowing her to delve into his mouth. Ammit could taste the whiskey as their tongues entwined. His arms wrapped around her, holding her tight. It was a sloppy passionate kiss, just like when they met all those years back.

The Sorceress felt his excitement grow but then she drew back. Sitting up straight she ripped his shirt open and laughed as she looked down on him. Ammit was excited but not in the same way as him. “I never forgot about you.. I thought about you often" she said as she slide down, and kissed his bare chest. “really?” he responded looking at her, biting his lip. Her tongue ran over his chest and collarbone to his neck, “yes.. you meant a lot to me.... I always believed I meant something to you..” she whispered in his eat, her breath brushing over the Chiss' blue skin. He didn’t reply but she felt his hands slide downwards over her back. “and now you are going to give me the closure I need..” her soft voice said into his ear. She kissed his forehead before she sat up straight again, her fiery golden eyes look into his. She placed her hands on his chest again and with a devilish grin she administered Cyrokinesis, trying to crystallize his lungs. At first he didn’t notice what she was doing, he was to excited, but then breathing became more difficult. “what are you doing?.. stop....” he said gasping for air. The Iktotchi smiled, “before you die for me, I want you to know, that a part of you lives on..” she said calmly. His eyes grew bigger, the was in pain “what?? I... please.” She could see his fear into his eyes, she could taste it in the air.  She leaned forward, her face close to his “you have a son.. and he his beautiful, I will raise him to be better than you.” she placed a gentle kiss on his cold lips as he drew his last breath..

For a moment she sat silently on top of his lifeless body, catching her breath. “shame.. I really liked you.” she whispered as she closed his eyes. She go off him and smiled “I'll take extra good care of you.”

~\*~

Hours later the Nebuchadnezzar left Csilla. The Iktotchi Knight found what she came for. Closure but not the way she imagined. After having killed Dra’kris’styion, she arranged for cool boxes to be delivered to the shady hotel room. She drained him from his blood, and took all his organs knowing she would be able to put it to good use. Only an empty carcass was left when she was done with him. Finally she was able to close this chapter.....

**~ End ~**