Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction, and all rights for characters, plots and settings belong to G.R.R. Martin and FromSoftware. I have no ownership.
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"There's always a bigger fish."
Qui-Gon Jinn
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There is no ignorance; there is knowledge.
There is no fear; there is power.
I am the Heart of the Force.
I am the revealing fire of Light.
I am the mystery of Darkness
In balance with Chaos and Harmony,
Immortal in the Force
Je'daii Order Code
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King's Landing,
Year 298 AC (After Aegon Conquest)
Heart of the Force
Reaching the top of the tallest tower, Maegor Holdfast looked up at the full moon illuminating the entire city below him and smiled in satisfaction. It was a good night for hunting, especially since his quarry this time was unusual.
His gaze fell upon the city, then plunged into the ocean of Force, expanding his senses for miles. Thanks to Shiera and the fact that she was able to hide from him, he knew what to look for now, for she had learned this ability just as her fellow apprentices had learned it for Darth Andeddu.
It was a name he honestly hadn't expected to hear, especially since even in his previous life, few knew of its existence, and even fewer knew its history.
Not only was he, according to legend, the first Sith to hold the title of Darth, but he was a master of Sith alchemy and possessed numerous Force abilities that other Sith coveted.
The worst kind of opponent, intelligent, cunning, and patient, would far prefer a hot-headed Sith like his former apprentice Malak.
Suddenly, he turned toward Visenya's Hill, feeling a slight ripple in the Force near the Great Sept of Baelor.
"I have you," he whispered, a predatory smile playing on his lips.
He reached for the Force, filling his body to the brim, feeling it permeate every nerve, every cell in his being. Then he launched himself into the air, soaring a good 200 feet, landing lightly on the wall of Red Keep.
Then he vanished into thin air, moving like a shadow, leaping from building to building, frightening several street cats who had sensed him.
Shrouding himself in the Cloak of Power, he stopped at the sept's dome and looked down, frowning. The turbulence was much stronger now, confirming that he was definitely not dealing with a fully trained Sith but merely an apprentice.
What surprised him, however, was that the presence he sensed was in the High Septon's palace, and he sensed several other people with it. One of them was the leader of the Faith of Seven himself.
"Hmm. So the snake had bared its fangs, wanting to sink them into the hand that fed it," he muttered to himself, feeling irritation and anger flooding through him, but he caught them, feeding them to the Force.
In seconds, he found himself inside the building's main corridor, slowly moving toward the door at the end, where the High Septon and the Force user he was hunting were.
With a single thought, he unlocked the door and swung it wide open, revealing the surprised faces of those present, staring at the figure hidden beneath the black cloak that had just appeared in the doorway.
With a lazy gesture, he removed his hood, revealing his face, leaving those inside not only stunned but terrified. The Force user was the first to react, but Raevan used Force Stasis, freezing the man in place.
A moment later, the same thing happened to the others, who were left to stare in horror as he approached them at a leisurely pace. Inside the chamber, besides the Force adept and the High Septon, were four individuals, each a high-ranking member of the Faith of the Seven.
"What do we have here? Conspirators... traitors," he said after a moment, walking among them, absorbing the fear they exuded, feeding it to the Force. The member of Those Who Dwell in Shadows kept trying to break free of stasis, but to no avail. The difference between them was too great.
The Dark Council should have sent one of its members, though it wouldn't have changed anything in the long run. They made a grave mistake by underestimating him.
He stopped before the High Septon, who, if he had been able to stand, would have fainted. "Dear Archibald, I am deeply disappointed in you. The leader of the Faith of Seven collaborating with the sorcerers of Asshai? What would people think if they saw this?"
Suddenly, he looked up and pointed at the youngest septon in the room. "You are Deryn, Lord Mathis Rowan's second son, are you not?" he said, releasing him from stasis.
He nodded violently, falling to his knees. "Yes, Your Highness. I beg you, spare me. I... I didn't know what they were planning here."
Raevan knew it was a lie, reaching into the other man's mind like an open book. Deryn was simply ambitious and wanted what being a third son couldn't guarantee him. The very fact that at such a young age he was one of the High Septon's trusted men proved this point.
He smiled predatorily, raising his hand and clenching it ever so slowly. Deryn suddenly clutched his throat and began to gasp for breath. A moment later, he was lifted into the air, his face turning red and his eyes nearly bulging from his head.
After a second or two, Raevan released him. He fell to the ground, gasping for breath, the smell of urine filling the air.
Unconcerned by the smell, Raevan approached the kneeling young man, crouched down, and said, "Listen to me, Deryn. I can kill you as easily as you can blink. Or make it hurt so much that you'll beg me to kill you. So now, it can go either way."
He held out a single finger. "Option one means you'll suffer a fate you couldn't imagine in your worst nightmares. Option two, however, is this: Tomorrow, before the tournament begins, I will announce to the gathered crowd that the High Septon has conspired with the vile sorcerers of Asshai."
Deryn raised his head and listened with a mixture of dread and hope. Good, he had hoped for that outcome. Then he looked at the three remaining septons, his gaze settling on each of them and amplifying the fear consuming them.
He continued, "Your task, along with the other three, will be to confirm this. You will confess that upon learning of the High Septon's plans, you came to me... And I, blessed by the Seven, used holy power to defeat the vile sorcerer and imprison the High Septon. Do you understand?"
Daryn suddenly began nodding and babbling, "Yes, my prince... Of course, as you command. Vile sorcerer... holy power. Yes, yes."
Raevan, satisfied, rose with a gesture, releasing the other three from the influence of his ability.
"And you? Do you agree?" he asked, looking at them coldly.
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Yes... yes, yes, Prince Raevan."
"I swear by the Seven who are One,"
Satisfied, he approached the High Septon again and, releasing him from stasis, simultaneously punched him in the head, knocking him unconscious.
"Ah, I've wanted to do this for a long time," he said with a smirk, feeling a surge of satisfaction wash over him. Indeed, that worm had been getting on his nerves for a long time.
Finally, at the very end, his gaze fell on a member of the organization. To his irritation, the other's mind was protected by some Sith alchemy ritual, so any interference would be tantamount to turning him into a vegetable.
He tore off the other's hood and mask, revealing the hidden face of a man in his early thirties. "With that appearance, you're of no use to me."
Then, he took the adept's head in both hands and, for the first time in this new life, reached for such a large amount of the Dark Side, forcibly pouring it into the other's body.
The man's eyes widened with shock and pain, and if he had been able to move, a scream would surely have escaped his lips. Both his face and body began to change under the influence of the uncontrolled Dark Side. His face wrinkled and shed, and his eyes turned a sickly yellow.
Satisfied with the effect, he nodded to himself and took control of the Dark Side, forcibly ripping it from the man's body, then crushing the man's heart with the Force, freeing him from stasis.
The dead body fell to the ground, but now it no longer resembled a human being at all but rather some monstrosity with a distorted face, body, and eyes that could have belonged to some demon from the Seven Hells.
With that, he grabbed the corpse and the unconscious High Septon in a telekinetic grip and looked at the four septons. "I will send my men for you in the morning. If they don't find you, death will be the least of your worries."
However, after this display of power, it didn't even occur to them to flee. He then left the chamber, followed by two levitating bodies.
He now had to return to Red Keep unnoticed and explain his plans to his father in the morning.
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King's Landing, Red Keep
Year 298 AC (After Aegon Conquest)
Star of the Sea
She awoke with the thought that for the first time in a long time, she had slept soundly through the night, without the fear of being attacked by her fellow apprentices in her sleep. Furthermore, the nightmares stemming from her master's presence in the Force near Raevan had vanished completely.
She opened her eyes with relief, rolling onto her side and seeing Raevan's cross-legged form levitating in the air. Given that their conversation had lasted late, the young prince had offered her his bed, and he himself had apparently spent the night in that position. He had been in the same position before she fell asleep.
She gazed at the various objects swirling around him, mostly books, with sincere admiration. The level of control he possessed over the Force was truly astonishing, only confirming her belief that the young man before her couldn't be entirely who he claimed to be.
Despite decades of training in The Malevolence, her former master's palace in Asshai, she was convinced she wouldn't be capable of such control. She began to wonder if Andeddu himself was capable of such control.
Probably so. From what she knew, he had been delving into the Force for millennia, and even if his control lagged behind Raevan's, her former master had an arsenal of abilities at his disposal, each more terrifying than the last.
But that thought only confirmed her suspicions about the prince. Such control could only come from vast experience and years, decades, of practice. In The Malevolence, she had acquired knowledge on many subjects, far beyond that possessed by the inhabitants of this world.
She had heard of powerful Dark Side abilities that allowed a soul to take over another body, and she couldn't shake the feeling that she had witnessed something similar.
Of course, Raevan lacked the ominous aura of Darth Andeddu; it was more reminiscent of that one moment just before the storm. Deceptively calm, yet behind it, a storm was brewing.
She realized, however, that there was no point in pursuing this any further. If she gained his trust, she might learn the truth, but even if not, she valued safety over curiosity.
What interested her was whether he would be able to protect her from the punishment awaiting her from the Council and her former Master.
At that moment, Raevan ended his meditation, all the floating objects falling back into place in the chamber, and he landed lightly on the ground.
"Good morning, Shiera. I hope you had a good night's sleep," he greeted her with a smile; his attitude toward her was completely different from the previous evening, filled with suspicion.
"As I said yesterday, this is just a one-time occurrence. After discussing everything with my father, we will prepare a suitable chamber for you," he assured her, tactfully avoiding looking at her sprawled body.
She smiled slightly in response. "My dear Prince, I wouldn't mind another night in this bed, but the nights tend to be chilly," she said, clearly emphasizing the double meaning of what she said.
He rolled his eyes at this, but she easily noticed his gaze sweeping over her body. "You'd better not repeat that in front of my mother. She's incredibly... caring. Yes, that's a good word," he said with a smile, hinting that he was probably joking.
Although Shiera herself felt the risk was too great. She had no intention of flirting with the prince in front of the queen. The same didn't apply when they were alone. Now, however, was not the time for that. A difficult conversation with the king awaited her.
She didn't hide the fact that she would gladly bathe first, as she was certain she stank from the journey. The previous day, she had tried to find a place at a better inn to do so, but everything had already been booked.
Raevan, as if reading her mind, gestured towards a door on the side wall. "There's a bathroom over there where you can wash up. I've made a few improvements that I think you'll like. I also left some clothes there that I borrowed from my sister last night."
She smiled faintly in gratitude. Her clothes, though exceptionally well-made, were already well-worn from travel, and what's more, they weren't the kind worn at the royal court or, indeed, in Westeros.
"Give me a moment. I'll be done as quickly as possible," he replied, but he shook his head.
"You don't need to hurry. I sent one of my men with a note to my father that I won't be at breakfast and that I want to meet him in an hour. Enjoy your bath."
"Thank you, Prince Raevan. I truly appreciate your thoughtfulness," she replied, moving toward the bathroom. She touched his arm lightly as she passed, expressing her gratitude.
"When we're alone, call me Raevan." His words reached her as she entered the bathroom.
Over an hour later, they found themselves in the king's study, having entered through one of the secret passages she honestly hadn't known about.
The king sitting across from them was the epitome of Valyrian beauty, his purple eyes belying a brilliant mind, or so she heard. She also easily saw the resemblance between him and his second son.
Raevan looked like a younger version of the king, only instead of the typical gold-and-silver hair of their family, his was brown.
"So, my son merely sent me a note that he wished to introduce me to someone with information about our enemies," the king began, eyeing her intently. "However, I didn't expect that person to be a woman, straight out of several portraits still in Red Keep."
"Yes, that's no coincidence. I am Shiera Targaryen, better known as Shiera Seastar, daughter of Aegon the Unworthy. It's an honor to meet you, Your Majesty," she introduced herself, bowing her head slightly.
The king glanced at Raevan, sitting next to her, who nodded slightly. And that was clearly enough for Rhaegar to believe her. It was easy to see in this situation that the king trusted his son implicitly.
"Putting aside the fact that you should be well over a hundred and dead, you look barely older than my eldest daughter, Lady Shiera," the king said to her with a heavy sigh. "But knowing my son's secret, nothing should surprise me anymore."
Then, leaning over the desk, he looked at them expectantly. "So, what brought you back to Westeros after almost a century of absence?"
He looked at Raevan, unsure what to tell the king and hoping he would take control of the conversation.
"Shiera has arrived with information we lacked about our enemies. Those Who Dwell in Shadow, who are behind the coalition against us. They are more dangerous than I feared," Raevan said, his tone more serious than even during their conversation yesterday.
"How significant a danger are we talking about?" the king said in a distressed tone.
"A threat of such magnitude that I'm beginning to wonder why they haven't already subjugated the entire world," Raevan replied, causing the king's eyes to widen in surprise.
Shiera made up her mind at that moment. "Your son, Your Majesty, told me you know about the Force. This group has dozens of trained Force users, led by the Dark Council. Thirteen powerful masters, beholden to the will of a single being. Darth Andeddu."
Rhaegar Targaryen fell silent for a moment after her words, considering the implications of this information. Then he looked at Revan. "My son, how do you think you would fare against these Force users, as you call them?"
"I should be able to handle all of them except one. If this Darth Andeddu is who I think he is, and I'm almost certain he is, then our fight would likely cost us both our lives. If I had a few years to continue training, I think defeating him, though challenging, would be no…"
He suddenly fell silent at that point. The king looked at him, frowning, "Would you lose?"
Raevan suddenly smiled, grinning, "Nah, I'd win,"
Shiera felt the confidence flowing from him in the Force, as if a previously held dam had suddenly given way.
"I am Revan, 'Throughout Heaven and Earth... I Alone Am the Honored One,'" he added after a moment, and she felt his absurdly powerful presence in the Force, a Force that seemed to pulse with the beat of his heart.
His father didn't see it, but he saw his son's confidence.
"You say you've heard of this Andeddu? Does this knowledge come from your memories of a past life?" Rhaegar asked, clearly so taken aback that he'd forgotten her presence.
Shiera immediately memorized this valuable knowledge for later. So she was right that Raevan was more than just a prince skilled in the Force. There was a deeper story hidden here. For now, however, she focused on listening to the conversation. She knew little of her former master's history, beyond the rumors circulating among the acolytes.
"Yes, I've heard of him in a previous life," Raevan replied, casting a sideways glance at Shiera. "I won't go into details, but he was renowned not only for his power and mastery of the Force but above all for possessing knowledge that even his kind aroused envy."
Raevan paused after these words, then looked hard at his father. "I think we should inform the rest of the family of the situation. Ignorance won't keep them safe. "We must prepare for war, assassinations, and the enemy's spreading of disinformation."
And looking at her, he added, "Shiera and I will take care of this whole brotherhood, order, or whatever they want to call themselves."
Hearing this statement, she had no choice but to nod. After all, they were now sailing on the same ship.
"However, there remains the matter of who we will present you as." The king turned to her. "We can't tell the truth, because most people won't believe it, and even if they do, they'll call it foul sorcery. And that will reflect on our House."
And though she agreed with the king on this point, she couldn't help but feel bitter about it. She had fled from one place where she couldn't be herself to come home, where she still had to pretend to be someone else.
"That won't be necessary," Raevan said, surprising both her and his father. Shiera looked at him questioningly.
"What do you mean, that won't be necessary? You don't want to tell the truth, do you?" the king said incredulously.
Raevan nodded, "That's exactly what I suggest we do. I want to see the High Septon's face when we announce this, coupled with the information that the king's son is a sorcerer. The old man will probably have a heart attack."
The king looked at him silently, then began to rub the bridge of his nose, as if feeling a growing headache. Then he sighed and said with quiet resignation, "Before I answer, I'll give you a chance to elaborate."
Raevan smirked as if he'd been waiting for this. "It's simple. If our enemies know about me, wouldn't the easiest action for them be to start spreading rumors about me and damaging my reputation?... It's an easy way for them to spread confusion and discord."
Shiera nodded involuntarily, completely agreeing with his words, as she was thinking the same thing herself. The king seemed to understand this as well, as he waved his hand for Raevan to continue.
"Besides, if war breaks out, I'll almost certainly have to use the Force publicly, and then, after those earlier rumors, the reaction will be many times worse than if we controlled what information people received." Raevan continued, rising and walking to the wall where the map of Westeros hung.
"This way, not only will we allow people to become accustomed to the fact that I possess 'magical' powers, but it will also reveal who is truly loyal and who is not. We will weed out the weeds before they grow and harm us at our worst."
The king nodded. "Then we will. During the lunch break, we will gather our entire family, then I will inform the Small Council, and then at the beginning of the second part of today's competition, we will announce it publicly," he ordered, and looking at Shiera, he added, "After this news, your presence will no longer be so shocking."
"Alright," she agreed with relief, then suggested, "Have Raevan demonstrate something spectacular and undeniable, something that won't make them think 'sorcerer,' but 'a powerful sorcerer whom I do not wish to anger or provoke.'"
Her suggestion was not only motivated by the fact that it was a logical display of power, but also by her desire to see what abilities he had at his disposal.
His gaze fell back on his father, to whom he said, "Before we go any further, I must confess something... Seeing how Shiera hid her presence from me, I understood what I must be on the lookout for. That night, I was able to recognize similar fluctuations in the Force in the city and set out to hunt."
Hunting? She thought to herself. For whom? For her fellow Siths? So they were already in the city?
"I found one in an unexpected place. And I have a plan to present my abilities as something easier to swallow, even something that might turn the smallfolk's respect and appreciation for me into devotion."