Tyr felt the Force around him flex as his supposed 'grandfather' began moving a pair of cuffs from the corner of the room towards him. He reached out in the Force to block the maneuver, only to find that he could not budge the cuffs at all, and they were rapidly approaching his arms.
He kicked off from the floor, to push away from the table and jump out of his chair, so he could not be cuffed down to anything, but was completely unable to move. His eyes widened as he felt himself helpless. He'd been around a number of Jedi and Sith since he was reawakened to the Force, but he'd never been trapped like this. Trychon with his Force amplifying gem wasn't this powerful. Perhaps Eiron or the Jedi Masters he'd fought had been... but this was a very disconcerting turn of events.
As the cuffs floated into position and secured him to his chair, Tyr could not move but to stare into the eyes of the Jedi Master, who was exerting no effort that he could discern.
He took a few steps closer and raised his hands towards Tyr's head. "I'm sorry it came down to this, Tyr."
Streaks of blue light leapt out from the finger tips of Tanner's outstretched hands, and immediately made contact with Tyr's temples.
--------------------
Tyr saw himself from a third person perspective. Only he wasn't looking at himself. He was looking at a little boy, who was also him. The little boy was no more than one or two years old. He was bouncing up and down on the knee that was attached to Tyr's own perspective. Only the knee wasn't bouncing up and down with the child. It was as though he was bouncing the child in the Force himself. The child giggled endlessly.
That vision faded, and then he was looking at a vision of his father, only much younger than he remembered from when he had murdered him. His father was yelling at him. The words were hard to make out, the vision was cloudy, like watching and viewing through cobwebs. His father was yelling something about leaving for his family's safety.
That vision faded out quickly as well. These images were flying through Tyr's conscious or unconscious mind quicker than he could easily keep track of, and it took him a second to catch his bearings. It didn't take a lot of logic to figure out he was viewing memories of himself and his father from what was supposed to be his grandfather's perspective, but his recollection of the chain of events leading to this state was even foggier than the reception of some of the senses.
Now he was watching the holovid he'd been told of. Younger Tyr was boarding a shuttle for Coruscant, all smiles. Until the other day, he'd remembered himself as being upset about being sent away, and he was a little unsure after the Jedi Masters' comments. Now he was not sure what to think.
Several images flashed by too quickly for him to even process. Then he found 'himself' with his father again. They were going over various details of an investigation. They were looking for someone. Quickly another memory took over, and they were fighting again. The council had issued orders to call off the search, but his father was refusing, cutting the last ties to the order.
There was a moment of black in his consciousness, then another memory began. This one was more clear, and was not rushed. It was a holocom transmission from his father. Even in the low resolution hologram, he looked much older, more tired. He kept repeating that 'He's alive. He's coming back. I can feel him.'
---------------------------
Tyr awoke in his bed in his cell, unaware of how he got there or how long it had been. He sat up and took in his surroundings.
"Blue?" He called out, knowing full well that he was by himself.
"Solumni?" He asked a bit more quietly, after his own echo had died down.
He rested his head in his hands and sobbed.
July 29, 2011
July 27, 2011
706. Hoth: King's Lair - Trychon
Dianna sat in the chair in her office and turned around to look at the empty display stand she'd placed on the mantle just moments before. She grabbed the velvet cloth and slowly uncovered the unique ceremonial blade her lover had given her the previous night. She held the aurodium dagger in her hands and marveled at the design of it. The jewels covering the small hilt were from the standard design, but most models did not have the glowing red jewel in the center. It was the unwritten rule that such a dagger has not made from synthesized jewels, and it gave her a warmth that belied the cold that the metal imparted on her skin.
Silly as it seemed, she was hesitant to place it in the stand until she was positive that was where she wanted it. Once it was in that stand it would seem so much more permanent. She wasn't sure if she could bring herself to move it again after that.
She pulled the object in her hands closer to her face and the smell of recently molded jewelry hit her. She could help but be reminded of the first time she'd seen a Tingel Governor's blade. She was five years old at the time, and her Father had just had one made. Knowing what she knew now, she had no idea how he'd afforded one, even a low grade replica was expensive. She'd hugged it to her body the way most little girls would hold a prized stuffed toy or pet. After several minutes, she gave the blade back to her father to present to her mother.
As she got older, she used to sit in her dad's office and stare at the gilded weapon, sitting on this same display stand, on the same mantle. When her father caught her eying the blade longingly, he wouldn't chide her for daydreaming as he was known to do. Instead, he'd get a twinkle in his eye and tell her one of his many stories. Tales of the various dignitaries and politicians who'd received one with their title, or of the large company mergers that used it to celebrate, even the celebrity weddings who'd been blessed with one.
Even with a holographic memory, she couldn't have count the number of times she'd been told of the origins of the first six Tingel Governors. The tale of how they had managed to come together for independence. The systems had started out as small settlements and trading posts, but had quickly gained notoriety for piracy and other less than savory dealings. The Republic tried to step in and intervene but a large amount of wealth, legitimate and otherwise, had come to the Tingel Arm of the galaxy due to trade. Whether it was through bribes, coercion, or through their own devices, the local governors of the six largest planets came together. Led by Bo-Len Den and Howsam Var, they each passed local legislation to loosen salvage laws among others, effectively decriminalizing much of the piracy in the system. When the Republic would not recognize their new laws, the planets in the Tingel Arm appealed for and was granted independence.
Looking back on the story as she got older, she realized that it was largely romanticized by groups like her Fathers'. This was most evident because part of the lore included the thermal detonation device in the hilt signified by the glowing red jewel in the center. In a treaty between adversaries or groups with no trust for each other, every party was carrying one of these weapons. They were each then capable of defending a small attack or cause an explosion that could destroy the entire room, so backstabbing became much less profitable for all involved.
The Tingel Arm eventually eased back towards more standard laws over the next several hundred years. Pirates and smugglers no longer received any legal protection on Den Var or the surrounding planets than they did elsewhere in the galaxy, but they were looked upon with a bit more sympathy. The smuggler and pirate groups still view it as one of the golden eras of the galaxy, and revere the symbol of independence even more highly than the inhabitants of those planets.
A quiet beep sounded from the desk. Dianna opened her eyes and returned from her reverie to find herself clutching her gift like the little girl so many years ago. She wiped her eyes and placed the dagger in her father's stand before hitting the button on her desk.
------------------
Dianna walked into Trychon's quarters and found herself amidst a few dozen floating objects ranging in size from credchips to luggage cases. After brushing aside a small collectible of some sort, which floated away harmlessly, she saw the two brothers in the back corners of the room. Each was sitting in mid-air with their legs crossed and eyes shut.
She walked over to the luggage case she'd seen amongst the other junk and pulled it out of their mystical grasp.
"Time to pack, boys. Short trip. Need you to come with me."
Raezyr stretched his legs out and then set himself down. "Trouble?" The redness in her eyes didn't escape his notice.
"The only trouble will be if you think you can say no." She tossed him the bag. "You must learn the art of acquiescence... if you're to come with me to Alderaan. We take off at thirteen hundred hours."
Silly as it seemed, she was hesitant to place it in the stand until she was positive that was where she wanted it. Once it was in that stand it would seem so much more permanent. She wasn't sure if she could bring herself to move it again after that.
She pulled the object in her hands closer to her face and the smell of recently molded jewelry hit her. She could help but be reminded of the first time she'd seen a Tingel Governor's blade. She was five years old at the time, and her Father had just had one made. Knowing what she knew now, she had no idea how he'd afforded one, even a low grade replica was expensive. She'd hugged it to her body the way most little girls would hold a prized stuffed toy or pet. After several minutes, she gave the blade back to her father to present to her mother.
As she got older, she used to sit in her dad's office and stare at the gilded weapon, sitting on this same display stand, on the same mantle. When her father caught her eying the blade longingly, he wouldn't chide her for daydreaming as he was known to do. Instead, he'd get a twinkle in his eye and tell her one of his many stories. Tales of the various dignitaries and politicians who'd received one with their title, or of the large company mergers that used it to celebrate, even the celebrity weddings who'd been blessed with one.
Even with a holographic memory, she couldn't have count the number of times she'd been told of the origins of the first six Tingel Governors. The tale of how they had managed to come together for independence. The systems had started out as small settlements and trading posts, but had quickly gained notoriety for piracy and other less than savory dealings. The Republic tried to step in and intervene but a large amount of wealth, legitimate and otherwise, had come to the Tingel Arm of the galaxy due to trade. Whether it was through bribes, coercion, or through their own devices, the local governors of the six largest planets came together. Led by Bo-Len Den and Howsam Var, they each passed local legislation to loosen salvage laws among others, effectively decriminalizing much of the piracy in the system. When the Republic would not recognize their new laws, the planets in the Tingel Arm appealed for and was granted independence.
Looking back on the story as she got older, she realized that it was largely romanticized by groups like her Fathers'. This was most evident because part of the lore included the thermal detonation device in the hilt signified by the glowing red jewel in the center. In a treaty between adversaries or groups with no trust for each other, every party was carrying one of these weapons. They were each then capable of defending a small attack or cause an explosion that could destroy the entire room, so backstabbing became much less profitable for all involved.
The Tingel Arm eventually eased back towards more standard laws over the next several hundred years. Pirates and smugglers no longer received any legal protection on Den Var or the surrounding planets than they did elsewhere in the galaxy, but they were looked upon with a bit more sympathy. The smuggler and pirate groups still view it as one of the golden eras of the galaxy, and revere the symbol of independence even more highly than the inhabitants of those planets.
A quiet beep sounded from the desk. Dianna opened her eyes and returned from her reverie to find herself clutching her gift like the little girl so many years ago. She wiped her eyes and placed the dagger in her father's stand before hitting the button on her desk.
------------------
Dianna walked into Trychon's quarters and found herself amidst a few dozen floating objects ranging in size from credchips to luggage cases. After brushing aside a small collectible of some sort, which floated away harmlessly, she saw the two brothers in the back corners of the room. Each was sitting in mid-air with their legs crossed and eyes shut.
She walked over to the luggage case she'd seen amongst the other junk and pulled it out of their mystical grasp.
"Time to pack, boys. Short trip. Need you to come with me."
Raezyr stretched his legs out and then set himself down. "Trouble?" The redness in her eyes didn't escape his notice.
"The only trouble will be if you think you can say no." She tossed him the bag. "You must learn the art of acquiescence... if you're to come with me to Alderaan. We take off at thirteen hundred hours."
July 25, 2011
705. Like Womprats in a Cage - Raezyr
Tyr's mind was reeling. This couldn't be happening, could it? He wracked his brain, trying to wring out any memory of this man sitting across from him, but he was drawing a blank. He tried to reject the notion, logically he had to. This was just a Jedi trick to get him to cough up the information. It had to be. Deep inside, he knew it wasn't. He could feel it, but there was no way he was going to accept this. Not without hard proof.
"That's a laugh," Tyr said, his cool exterior not giving away his inner turmoil. He had spent too much time negotiating deals with smugglers to let his thoughts show on his face. "I could pretend I built something of yours and call it mine."
"Indeed, you could," Tanner replied. "But Tyr, how would I have known that you got this from your father and didn't build it yourself?"
"Easy. You probably knew him and recognized it," Tyr theorized. "You may have actually built it and given it to him, but that hardly qualifies you as any sort of relative."
Tanner could see that this line of proof wasn't going anywhere. His grandson was correct that something like this was merely circumstantial. "Your father loved you very much, Tyr."
The Sith chuckled. "Yeah, Val already tried that one on me," he informed the wizened Jedi. "But if he loved me so much, then how come he let me rot in slavery, doing hard labor?" He stripped off his tunic and spun around, showing the Jedi the mass of hideous scars criss-crossing his back from the energy whips. "If he loved me so damn much, how come he let me suffer this? Where was this loving Jedi dad?" Tyr's anger seeped through despite his having tried to hide it.
The old man winced and dropped his eyes at the sight of the scars. "I'm sorry, Tyr. Jaron told me about vivid dreams of your torture." He paused, almost as if searching for what to say next. Finally he spoke again. "Your father failed you... and I failed you... but not in the way you think."
Tyr pulled his tunic back on and plopped down in his seat again. "I suppose you'll enlighten me now, right gramps?"
The Jedi Master ignored the snide remark. "Do you remember the day you left for Coruscant? The look of joy and wonder and excitement on your face was truly something to behold."
Tyr's eyes narrowed. He remembered that day clearly. He had been so excited to travel on the small passenger star liner all by himself all the way to Coruscant and the Jedi Temple. The memory was vivid in his mind, despite his young age. It was also pretty clear to him that the only one there to see him off was his father. "How would you know what my kriffing face looked like?" he asked, his anger beginning to get the better of him as his patience for this pathetic Jedi trick wore thin.
Tanner smiled knowingly. "You're right. I wasn't there, but if you remember, your father used to take lots of holovids. Who do you think those vids were for?" He paused for a moment, letting it sink in. "I was essentially there for every big moment of your life: your first steps, your birthdays, and every other event your father recorded."
Tyr shook his head in disbelief. "No... no... you Jedi found those recordings after I avenged myself on him." In truth, the Sith was bombarded with doubt that he struggled not to express. What if this were all true? What if he had murdered the only person in the Galaxy who hadn't given him up for lost? What if he murdered the man who had loved him? What if every drop of hatred had been misplaced for all these years? But despite the fact that he knew the answers to these questions deep down inside, he couldn't let himself believe it. Not without some undeniable proof.
"No, Jedi, without some ounce of real proof, I'm not buying your little charade," Tyr replied.
"Very well," Master Solumi said. "I had hoped you'd see the truth in the things I had to say, and the documentation I had to offer, but I can see that you need something more duracrete. Something irrefutable." He looked deeply into Tyr's eyes as if searching for something. "I can offer you that proof."
"Then do it, if you can," Tyr replied. At this point in time he had to know the truth. "I just wonder why you haven't brought this forth earlier."
"Because the truth lies in my memories," the older man replied, pointing to his temple.
Tyr snorted. "Okay, just go ahead and download them to a data pad and I'll have my people look them over and get back to you in the morning," he chuckled, laying on the sarcasm so thick it had to be cut with a vibro-knife.
Tanner's expression didn't waiver. "I'll do you one better... I'll download them straight to your mind."
"That's a laugh," Tyr said, his cool exterior not giving away his inner turmoil. He had spent too much time negotiating deals with smugglers to let his thoughts show on his face. "I could pretend I built something of yours and call it mine."
"Indeed, you could," Tanner replied. "But Tyr, how would I have known that you got this from your father and didn't build it yourself?"
"Easy. You probably knew him and recognized it," Tyr theorized. "You may have actually built it and given it to him, but that hardly qualifies you as any sort of relative."
Tanner could see that this line of proof wasn't going anywhere. His grandson was correct that something like this was merely circumstantial. "Your father loved you very much, Tyr."
The Sith chuckled. "Yeah, Val already tried that one on me," he informed the wizened Jedi. "But if he loved me so much, then how come he let me rot in slavery, doing hard labor?" He stripped off his tunic and spun around, showing the Jedi the mass of hideous scars criss-crossing his back from the energy whips. "If he loved me so damn much, how come he let me suffer this? Where was this loving Jedi dad?" Tyr's anger seeped through despite his having tried to hide it.
The old man winced and dropped his eyes at the sight of the scars. "I'm sorry, Tyr. Jaron told me about vivid dreams of your torture." He paused, almost as if searching for what to say next. Finally he spoke again. "Your father failed you... and I failed you... but not in the way you think."
Tyr pulled his tunic back on and plopped down in his seat again. "I suppose you'll enlighten me now, right gramps?"
The Jedi Master ignored the snide remark. "Do you remember the day you left for Coruscant? The look of joy and wonder and excitement on your face was truly something to behold."
Tyr's eyes narrowed. He remembered that day clearly. He had been so excited to travel on the small passenger star liner all by himself all the way to Coruscant and the Jedi Temple. The memory was vivid in his mind, despite his young age. It was also pretty clear to him that the only one there to see him off was his father. "How would you know what my kriffing face looked like?" he asked, his anger beginning to get the better of him as his patience for this pathetic Jedi trick wore thin.
Tanner smiled knowingly. "You're right. I wasn't there, but if you remember, your father used to take lots of holovids. Who do you think those vids were for?" He paused for a moment, letting it sink in. "I was essentially there for every big moment of your life: your first steps, your birthdays, and every other event your father recorded."
Tyr shook his head in disbelief. "No... no... you Jedi found those recordings after I avenged myself on him." In truth, the Sith was bombarded with doubt that he struggled not to express. What if this were all true? What if he had murdered the only person in the Galaxy who hadn't given him up for lost? What if he murdered the man who had loved him? What if every drop of hatred had been misplaced for all these years? But despite the fact that he knew the answers to these questions deep down inside, he couldn't let himself believe it. Not without some undeniable proof.
"No, Jedi, without some ounce of real proof, I'm not buying your little charade," Tyr replied.
"Very well," Master Solumi said. "I had hoped you'd see the truth in the things I had to say, and the documentation I had to offer, but I can see that you need something more duracrete. Something irrefutable." He looked deeply into Tyr's eyes as if searching for something. "I can offer you that proof."
"Then do it, if you can," Tyr replied. At this point in time he had to know the truth. "I just wonder why you haven't brought this forth earlier."
"Because the truth lies in my memories," the older man replied, pointing to his temple.
Tyr snorted. "Okay, just go ahead and download them to a data pad and I'll have my people look them over and get back to you in the morning," he chuckled, laying on the sarcasm so thick it had to be cut with a vibro-knife.
Tanner's expression didn't waiver. "I'll do you one better... I'll download them straight to your mind."
July 22, 2011
704. Hoth: King's Lair - Trychon
Things were cold on Hoth the next few days. So cold, that Trychon suggested that they head outside the base for a stroll to warm up. After a nasty look, his brother decided it wasn't a bad idea, and they took one of the base's specially fitted land speeders to go run a few routine checks on security sensors outside the base.
As they made their rounds to get away from the new tension in the pirate group, they were able to relax for the first time nearly since they'd landed. While only Dianna was truly mad at them, and hadn't spoken to either Sith in days, the rest of the crew could pick up on her feelings easily enough, and were being a little less social than normal. On top of that, it was hard to tell what sorts of idiotic things the new malcontent in the crew, Rhox Vegah had been spewing.
"So what do you want to do?" Trychon asked, as they loaded back into the speeder after checking the last security marker.
Raezyr shut the canopy and powered up the lifters. "I don't know. I'm sure she'll calm down eventually, and she's already a little less upset from what I feel from her in the Force... but she'll blow a gasket the next time we leave for a mission."
"Probably." The older brother conceded.
"Not that how I handle my relationship will ever be up to you in the slightest way, but what do you think?"
"Well, you know that I love Di like a sister. A beautiful sister whom I would gladly console very deeply should anything eve..."
"Try it and be decapitated by a Force ghost." Raezyr growled. He knew his brother was joking, mostly. He also knew that he made jokes like this to get under his skin. He just wasn't above showing that it worked.
Trychon put his hand on his brother's shoulder. "We have managed to do everything that we set out to do in the short term. We can spend some time nurturing this part of our life, if that's what's needed."
"What about our other plans?"
"They're all long term plans that require a bit of caution in not making waves too big too quickly. We can afford to be patient with them. Unless something comes up, we can wait things out a bit and see where we're at with the Ice Queen after some time. Maybe she'll eventually come back with us."
Raezyr shook his head. "I don't think her love for me is enough by itself to get her to abandon her life here. I don't know if anything is ever going to be that powerful. If we have the time though, then that's what I'd like to do." He gave his brother an appreciative smile.
"I know." Trychon returned the smile. "We're done out here. Let's go head in and tell her that...." He paused as they saw a meteorite fall from the sky and impact on the surface in the distance. "Oh, cool. You think we should check it out?"
Raezyr stared in the direction of the small cloud of dust and ice for only moments before returning his attention to his tools and continuing straight back to the base.
---------------------
The signature subtle hum of a lightsaber blade was greatly magnified when there were actually four total blades whirling and clashing in otherwise near darkness. The two Sith were far beyond the days when they'd use powered down blades only capable of stunning and they relied instead on their own ability to keep each others attacks at bay and to pull their own attacks back if they were in danger of slipping all the way through the others defenses.
Such defensive holes were rare between them, as they knew and could read each other so well.
Raezyr relished the opportunities where not only could he slip one of his two blades through, but were also big enough to fit his fist through, or even a kick as he did now.
As Trychon faltered back from the solid connection from his foot, Raezyr was also thrown back by a reflexive Force push. They normally avoided many strong Force maneuvers due to the confined spaces in which they sparred, but the exception was in response to a successful attack. Lashing back instinctively in the Force was a habit they wanted to nurture.
So was keeping awareness beyond the battle. Trychon held up his hand to indicate a stop, though he didn't have to as his brother had already paused. They both faced the doorway, where they'd also turned off the lighting. They could sense a presence there, and with a flick of a finger from Raezyr, they could also see her.
"Dinner's ready." Rhox Vegah said as she turned and left.
---------------------
After cleaning themselves up fairly quickly, they joined the rest of the crew in the mess hall. As usual, those who weren't on duty were split pretty evenly between two tables right next to each other. There was no grouping of age, or seniority apparent, and there was a few available spots at each table.
After grabbing some of the spiced meat and toppings from the small buffet set up, they headed towards the group, but sat at a third table near by to avoid causing any commotion if they could avoid it. The eyes of Ms. Vegah were followed them with a measure of contempt.
After a few minutes, Dianna grabbed her tray and took it over to sit next to Trychon, across from Raezyr. She didn't say anything and the brothers followed suit. She didn't make eye contact, merely focusing on her meal in awkward silence.
Trychon stuffed what was left of his flatbread into his mouth, and headed over to get more. He took a seat at the adjacent table, next to Dek.
"Come on...." Dianna sighed. "I'm trying to mend shields here, but I won't apologize for what I said."
Raezyr finally made eye contact with her. "He moved for me."
"More secret conversations? You know I don't appreciate that."
"No... he just knows me very well." Raezyr stood up and walked around the table so he could face her. "I have something for you. Before you judge, I obviously picked this up before you were upset with me. There's not many stores here on base."
Dianna considered pointing out that her response to his injury wouldn't have been hard to predict, but instead she folded her arms and raised an eyebrow, while she waited expectantly.
Raezyr bent down onto his good knee so he could reach into his smaller smuggling department in his artificial leg. From a distance, it would appear as though he was merely reaching into his boot. He pulled out something wrapped in a fine black cloth, and remained on his knee to look up at her as he handed it to her.
She took it from him tentatively, and reached into the cloth to withdraw an aurodium plated dagger by its jewel encrusted hilt. She gasped involuntarily. If it was what she thought it was...
"Is that a..." She started, but couldn't bring herself to say the words. She had not seen this coming. The entire room had become very hushed, though whispers cut through the silence. She wasn't the only one who recognized it or its potential meaning.
"Yes. It's a Tingel Governor's blade."
Nearly a millenia ago, a small group of planets in the Tingel Arm formed a loose alliance that stood to this day. There were six blades, identical to the one that Raezyr now gave to Dianna, each worth a small fortune, to symbolize their union after withdrawing officially from the Republic. Many things had changed in the years since, but the symbol was still a powerful one often given to heads of state in the system as well as for large company mergers and weddings.
Dianna choked on her words again, before standing up and pulling Raezyr into a passionate kiss with him. After the kiss and the hooting and hollering died down, she embraced him tightly with tears rolling down her cheek, and she whispered into his ear.
"This doesn't mean I forgive you."
As they made their rounds to get away from the new tension in the pirate group, they were able to relax for the first time nearly since they'd landed. While only Dianna was truly mad at them, and hadn't spoken to either Sith in days, the rest of the crew could pick up on her feelings easily enough, and were being a little less social than normal. On top of that, it was hard to tell what sorts of idiotic things the new malcontent in the crew, Rhox Vegah had been spewing.
"So what do you want to do?" Trychon asked, as they loaded back into the speeder after checking the last security marker.
Raezyr shut the canopy and powered up the lifters. "I don't know. I'm sure she'll calm down eventually, and she's already a little less upset from what I feel from her in the Force... but she'll blow a gasket the next time we leave for a mission."
"Probably." The older brother conceded.
"Not that how I handle my relationship will ever be up to you in the slightest way, but what do you think?"
"Well, you know that I love Di like a sister. A beautiful sister whom I would gladly console very deeply should anything eve..."
"Try it and be decapitated by a Force ghost." Raezyr growled. He knew his brother was joking, mostly. He also knew that he made jokes like this to get under his skin. He just wasn't above showing that it worked.
Trychon put his hand on his brother's shoulder. "We have managed to do everything that we set out to do in the short term. We can spend some time nurturing this part of our life, if that's what's needed."
"What about our other plans?"
"They're all long term plans that require a bit of caution in not making waves too big too quickly. We can afford to be patient with them. Unless something comes up, we can wait things out a bit and see where we're at with the Ice Queen after some time. Maybe she'll eventually come back with us."
Raezyr shook his head. "I don't think her love for me is enough by itself to get her to abandon her life here. I don't know if anything is ever going to be that powerful. If we have the time though, then that's what I'd like to do." He gave his brother an appreciative smile.
"I know." Trychon returned the smile. "We're done out here. Let's go head in and tell her that...." He paused as they saw a meteorite fall from the sky and impact on the surface in the distance. "Oh, cool. You think we should check it out?"
Raezyr stared in the direction of the small cloud of dust and ice for only moments before returning his attention to his tools and continuing straight back to the base.
---------------------
The signature subtle hum of a lightsaber blade was greatly magnified when there were actually four total blades whirling and clashing in otherwise near darkness. The two Sith were far beyond the days when they'd use powered down blades only capable of stunning and they relied instead on their own ability to keep each others attacks at bay and to pull their own attacks back if they were in danger of slipping all the way through the others defenses.
Such defensive holes were rare between them, as they knew and could read each other so well.
Raezyr relished the opportunities where not only could he slip one of his two blades through, but were also big enough to fit his fist through, or even a kick as he did now.
As Trychon faltered back from the solid connection from his foot, Raezyr was also thrown back by a reflexive Force push. They normally avoided many strong Force maneuvers due to the confined spaces in which they sparred, but the exception was in response to a successful attack. Lashing back instinctively in the Force was a habit they wanted to nurture.
So was keeping awareness beyond the battle. Trychon held up his hand to indicate a stop, though he didn't have to as his brother had already paused. They both faced the doorway, where they'd also turned off the lighting. They could sense a presence there, and with a flick of a finger from Raezyr, they could also see her.
"Dinner's ready." Rhox Vegah said as she turned and left.
---------------------
After cleaning themselves up fairly quickly, they joined the rest of the crew in the mess hall. As usual, those who weren't on duty were split pretty evenly between two tables right next to each other. There was no grouping of age, or seniority apparent, and there was a few available spots at each table.
After grabbing some of the spiced meat and toppings from the small buffet set up, they headed towards the group, but sat at a third table near by to avoid causing any commotion if they could avoid it. The eyes of Ms. Vegah were followed them with a measure of contempt.
After a few minutes, Dianna grabbed her tray and took it over to sit next to Trychon, across from Raezyr. She didn't say anything and the brothers followed suit. She didn't make eye contact, merely focusing on her meal in awkward silence.
Trychon stuffed what was left of his flatbread into his mouth, and headed over to get more. He took a seat at the adjacent table, next to Dek.
"Come on...." Dianna sighed. "I'm trying to mend shields here, but I won't apologize for what I said."
Raezyr finally made eye contact with her. "He moved for me."
"More secret conversations? You know I don't appreciate that."
"No... he just knows me very well." Raezyr stood up and walked around the table so he could face her. "I have something for you. Before you judge, I obviously picked this up before you were upset with me. There's not many stores here on base."
Dianna considered pointing out that her response to his injury wouldn't have been hard to predict, but instead she folded her arms and raised an eyebrow, while she waited expectantly.
Raezyr bent down onto his good knee so he could reach into his smaller smuggling department in his artificial leg. From a distance, it would appear as though he was merely reaching into his boot. He pulled out something wrapped in a fine black cloth, and remained on his knee to look up at her as he handed it to her.
She took it from him tentatively, and reached into the cloth to withdraw an aurodium plated dagger by its jewel encrusted hilt. She gasped involuntarily. If it was what she thought it was...
"Is that a..." She started, but couldn't bring herself to say the words. She had not seen this coming. The entire room had become very hushed, though whispers cut through the silence. She wasn't the only one who recognized it or its potential meaning.
"Yes. It's a Tingel Governor's blade."
Nearly a millenia ago, a small group of planets in the Tingel Arm formed a loose alliance that stood to this day. There were six blades, identical to the one that Raezyr now gave to Dianna, each worth a small fortune, to symbolize their union after withdrawing officially from the Republic. Many things had changed in the years since, but the symbol was still a powerful one often given to heads of state in the system as well as for large company mergers and weddings.
Dianna choked on her words again, before standing up and pulling Raezyr into a passionate kiss with him. After the kiss and the hooting and hollering died down, she embraced him tightly with tears rolling down her cheek, and she whispered into his ear.
"This doesn't mean I forgive you."
July 20, 2011
703. Like Womprats in a Cage - Trychon and Raezyr
Even with the Force and the Dark Side as his ally.... Tyr would have had to have been inhuman to have not reacted emotionally with some shock at the declaration that the Jedi Master in front of him was his grandfather.
Dozens of thoughts went through his head faster than he could keep track of them. Among those fleeting mental processes, he tried and failed to remember his father mentioning his own father... or his mother's father. Also, Tyr noted it was fairly rare for Jedi to have children to begin with... let alone two generations of Jedi ancestry.
He did his best to hide his instinctive reaction by belting out a quick laugh. It was ridiculous. It had to be. "Fabricating lies is hardly a new interrogation technique, though it's surprising to see from a pair of Jedi Masters. You must be really desperate."
The Cathar Master Jedi gave a slight bow. "I will leave you two to talk. You have much to discuss, I am sure."
Tyr shouted at him as the door shut. "I have no interest in discussing fairytales!"
The white bearded elder Jedi managed a smile, albeit a rather humorless one. "I've also been chided for my ill timed use of wit. I hope you don't mind if I have a seat."
The Sith shook his head and gave the man a nasty scowl. "It's been ten seconds, and already I'm sick of your manufactured family resemblance spiel."
Master Solumni ignored the chiding remark and continued to to pull a chair over and sit across from his grandson. When no further comments came forth, he reached into his robe and withdrew Tyr's lightsaber.
"You're a brave man, bringing a Sith his lightsaber during an interrogation." The look of hate on his face would not subside. He had not been this full of anger since his capture. He had gotten to a point of relaxation even, as it was clear the Jedi were going to treat him well as long as he played by their rules, even while withholding the information they'd been trying so hard to retrieve from him. This was foul play, and he did not appreciate it one bit.
"I brought what I believe could easily be seen as my lightsaber, young man. I built it. It was a gift to your father. As he chose not to expose you deeply to way of the Jedi, your claim on his weapon is weak."
---------------------
Nal Talla spent the night in meditation. It wasn't quite as good as sleeping, but it was restful enough for her body to recuperate from the long hike across the hills and plains of the Dantooinian country side.
They stopped short of the cave entrance by a kilometer or so, according to their positioning devices. There was no sense in tempting the kinrath spiders into coming out of their nests in the middle of the night. They knew that with daybreak and a quick meal would come the time to venture into the darkness and the lair of the giant arachnids.
When the orangish yellow early morning sun peaked over the horizon, Nal opened her eyes and began to prepare their breakfast. It wasn't much. Dried grains cooked in hot water to make a kind of mushy goo, but with some added sweetner it was good and nourishing as well.
Val opened his eyes from his own meditation as Nal brought a bowl over to him. He thanked her as he took it and she sat down next to the big blue Chiss Jedi. "Are you ready for this?" he asked her after he had swallowed a few spoonfuls of the hot cereal.
"I doubt very much dat I could be any more ready den I already am," she replied with confidence. When her companion had first informed her of the mission she had been a bit hesitant, but as the time had passed and she had time to meditate and get her mind right, she knew she could do this.
"Good," Val replied. It was good to see the young Nautolan spring back so quickly. He'd felt confident that with time, she would come around. Not every Jedi did after so close a brush with the dark side of the Force. He knew of two such that had become permanent fixtures back at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, taking care of the important, albeit much less exciting tasks there. In fact, they were happy to do so rather than risk falling to the Dark Side again.
It worked out all around. The last thing the Jedi needed was scared Jedi running around, swelling the ranks of the Sith.
Once they were finished and had their breakfast things cleaned up they tucked their packs underneath some nearby bushes. Locals rarely came near the caves and the last thing they needed in the confines of a dark cavern was a pack hindering their movement.
They climbed in and around the rock formations with only the faint illumination from a small glow rod. They didn't need to attract the attention of the kinrath even more than they would already. Finally after almost an hour, they came across their first set of crystals.
The crystals were glowing a brilliant blue and stood out in sharp contrast to the blackness around them. Nal carefully pulled a small tool out and worked one or two loose that appeared as if they would work well as a lightsaber focusing crystal.
Val hissed quietly just as she was tucking her tool away, and she sensed it almost immediately. Something was near. A being, yes, but it wasn't sentient as far as her senses could tell. Within moments it came around the corner.
Sure enough, the four-legged insectoid came skittering toward them. Normally Nal's first instinct was to attack, trying to catch her opponent off guard. This time she snapped on her lightsaber and waited. A Jedi was supposed to use their weapon for defense... never to attack.
She filled her mind with peace and tranquility as the beast crashed down on them.
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