Competition: [INQ] Counterpoints: Standard Fiction

Please find attached my submission for the competition. Thank you.

Humming a macabre tune she picked up from some slimy back alley on Nar Shaddaa, the small girl Reeka played with her braided hair while her father watched the transmission playing the commlink connected to his Inquisitorius channel. The voice of Marick Tyris drew the child’s attention, but she waited while the holorecording played before inquiring about its message. The sound echoed throughout the empty hold of Kul’s vessel, a Delta-class T-3c shuttle.

“...We are the blade that will strike back against the Collective, and we will support the Iron Forces by providing them the knowledge they need to defeat any that threaten the Brotherhood.”

As the message faded out and Kul closed the connection he gave a sideways glance at the child before huffing to himself. He had adopted the girl some time ago, but only recently had brought her back out into the world to continue her training. The timing of this message was another reminder to the Zabrak that his loyalties did not extend to just the Brotherhood anymore. Of course, he had no intentions of betraying either the Brotherhood or his clan, Plagueis, but with Tahiri and Reeka he knew that his physical weaknesses amounted to nothing when compared to the fear of what might happen should the enemies of the Inquisitorius discover them.

Kul leaned down and raised a gauntleted hand, laying it gently upon Reeka’s head. He lifted it several times in a gentle patting motion.

“You can take care of yourself, though, can’t you, little Reek?”

The tiny human girl lifted her face so that his fingers covered her eyes and she giggled.

“Of course, Father. But are you going somewhere?”

Lifting her hands away from her hair, Reeka clasped them around Kul’s forearm and waited. Smiling to himself, Kul flexed his fingers and tightened his grip on her skull. He stood carefully with her dangling and swinging her legs while she giggled ecstatically. Kul wasn’t sure why she enjoyed this particular game so much, but she was the only being in the galaxy who could claim to have remained alive after being gripped in such a manner by him.

“We shall see, little Reek. Just as the blade must obey its master, so too must I answer the call if need be. For now we shall be patient and gather information. Such is the basis for all successful missions. Knowledge in itself is power to a degree.”

He wasn’t sure where she pulled it from, but Reeka now had her left hand out to the side swinging one of her beloved vibrodaggers. Kul had never been one very talented in the ability to sense a being’s strength or presence using the Force, but he clearly felt the cold bloodlust that emanated from his daughter now. A growing feeling told him that if he had chosen to look into her eyes, he would have seen the disturbing lingerings of her shadows.

“But Father...can’t we just kill them now? Wouldn’t that fix the problem?”

Kul shut his eyes and felt the suspiration leave his lips in a heavy gust.

“And do you even know exactly who we would need to kill, little Reek?”

Kul jolted as he felt cold durasteel slice into his arm. He knew it was an accident more than anything, that his daughter had moments of intensity where her very being seemed to be a dark cloud bearing down on him. However, it was neither that nor the hungry look in her eyes as she spun her dagger that gave him concern.

“Why Father...we can just kill them all.”

See attached PDF.

The narrative is congruent with Member #14877 (Lucine Vasano).

Lucine Snapshot: https://www.darkjedibrotherhood.com/members/14877/snapshots/1063/2164