Rish'navin

Rish’navin

Astrographical Information

Region: Core Planets

Sector: --

System: Rish’navin

Orbital Position: the habitable planet is the moon of a blue gas giant, 4th position

Moons: 1 (itself)

Grid Coordinates: Not on the map currently

Physical Information

Class: Terrestrial

Atmosphere: Type 1 Breathable

Primary Terrain: Plains, mountains

Points of Interest: none

Societal Information

Indigenous Species: Yana, primitive hunter-gatherer non-space faring species (orange skin, hairless, usually wearing white paint; society is clan-based)

Immigrated Species: none

Primary Language(s): Yana

Faction Affiliation: neutral

Defense Rating: Level 1

JediRP Canon History: Rish’navin is a moon with little history. Old Republic cartographers came through the system millennia ago and noted little of interest. Emily Zsahra-Skywalker rediscovered the system and built a small palace there, subjugating the primitive natives, who worship her as a sky goddess. Her palace is located against a mountain range, near a river, and is made of local stone (mostly white, dusty gold, and black) and gold.

((Summary compiled by Amidala Skywalker. Thank you!))

Emily Zsahra-Skywalker came out of hyperspace in a small system of five planets. Only one was habitable, and it was nothing more than a large moon around a blue gas giant. The yellow star of the system burned cheerfully. Emily glanced at her navicomputer. The system was called the Rish’navin system, and the moon bore the same name. There was nothing remarkable in the files on the system. Old Republic cartographers had come through a millennia ago and noted a single, semi-sentient, very primitive life form living on Rish’navin. Emily figured that civilization had most likely developed a bit further in the past millennia, but she doubted that they would yet be a space-faring people.

“Well, Roe’gall, let’s go investigate our new home.” She tilted the stick forward and the Shadow’s Shine plummeted towards the moon. She made no effort to hide the shining black hull of her ship. It worked to her advantage to have the natives be in awe of her. As she came down to the surface, she was pleased to see it offered a mixture of blue grass plains, winding rivers, and a small mountain range. She scanned for lifeforms, and located what had to be a village. Skimming low to the ground, she brought her ship over in a flyby of the village. Comprised of conical wooden structures, the village had no more than twenty dwellings. As she flew over, a smattering of loin-cloth garbed orange-skinned humanoids came out and stared up at her in clear awe. She caught a flash of white on several, but couldn’t tell if it was war paint or skin markings. A few dared to shake spears in her direction, but most had the expression akin to being caught with one’s pants down.

She continued to fly over the area. She found several villages about the size of the one she had seen already, then came across a larger one of about 40 dwellings. She circled this one several times for effect before landing in the outskirts. Rising, she dressed in her old outfit of wrapped top and split skirt—with a pang, she remembered Quietus’ approval when she had first worn it—and clipped her lightsaber to her belt. Beckoning Roe’gall, she moved to stand at the ramp. “Time to make an impression,” she told him. “Full Sith mode, coming up.”

She lowered the ramp and heard the noise of several natives scattering away. She stood at the top of the ramp until it lowered, then strode slowly and imposingly down. “I am Eris,” she announced in a booming, Force-enhanced voice. Another application of the Force let her direct the meaning to their minds, shattering language barriers. “And from now on, I rule this planet.”

She felt some of their curiosity twinge with hints of rebellion, and stepped forward again, igniting her lightsaber. Roe’gall growled behind her, his hackles raised, 6 feet of pure horror. That was enough for the natives. They immediately began chanting and wailing, and fell down at her feet. Now that she was closer she could see that the white was indeed paint, and that they had solid white eyes. There didn’t seem to be any gender distinction, and none of them had any hair. Drawing on the Force again, she plunged into the mind of one of them, extracting all the information she needed on how they lived, their technology level, and their cultural traditions. It was pretty much as she had figured; the Yana, as they called themselves, were primitive sentients with a clan-based system, ruled by one high chief. This was the largest settlement, and there were ten others scattered around the area. The Yana spent most of their time gathering local fauna (she noted what they looked like, as she would soon run out of rations in her ship’s stores) as well as hunting for both food and defense. Their major threat was called a gono, and it appeared to be a large tusked carnivore that was feared for its speed and ferocity. Emily, however, didn’t fear them. They’d be nothing to Roe’gall or her lightsaber.

She also learned much about their religion. The Yana were very superstitious, and believed in a distant deity who lived in the sky. She grinned inwardly. That would work to her advantage. Some of the Yana around her were already chanting her name, and naming her as this unknown deity come to live among them. Good, let them think I am their goddess, she thought. But she also knew that while this deity was considered distant and non-intervening, the Yana blamed it when disaster struck, and mostly feared it being involved in their lives. Well, so, she’d have to set an example to prove her power.

“Gather all the Yana,” she said, making sure they understood. “I will return in two sun cycles.” Then she strode back up into her ship, Roe’gall towering menacingly behind her. When the ramp was sealed, she allowed herself a small chuckle. “You know, I think I’m going to like this place,” she said. She headed to the cockpit and took off, setting up a geostationary orbit above the main village.

Once the orbit was established, she rose and stretched, hungry. As she sat down to a meal, she sighed, her hopeful demeanor evaporating. It was times like this that she couldn’t keep Quietus off of her mind. She kept thinking about him, laying on his death bed on the Shadow’s Gambit in those last days, his eyes open but unseeing.

No, she told herself firmly. Don’t think about that. You are here to start a new life, and he is part of the past. He is always a part of your past. She thought about the last time he had died. It had been two years until she had seen him again. She knew he could come back sometime, but her heart told her otherwise. It whispered to her, telling her his death was the final punishment the dark side had exacted on her. And the Force was not forgiving. No, he wouldn’t be coming back, at least not for a long time. She had to accept it. She was alone.

She pushed back the remains of her meal, no longer hungry, just bone weary. She tipped the rest of her food into Roe’gall’s dish, scratched him behind the ears, then headed to her bunk.

***

Two days later, she made her second grand entrance, this one for all of the assembled Yana. Settling her ship in the same spot, she once again strode out. There was a large crowd gathered, and she strode right through to the center of the gathering, pleased to note how the Yana scrambled to get out of her way. Or perhaps Roe’gall’s way.

Once she was in the center of the crowd, she stretched out with the Force. Centering herself, she slowly levitated herself until everyone could see her, rotating slowly to astonished gasps. But Emily was just getting started. Another application of the Force sparked a brilliant flame of fire, which she directed to circle around her in a fiery loop. Then she drew water from the air, condensed it, and formed a ring of water that she looped around her in the opposite direction. Feeling the strain, she focused and let the Force fill her. It had been one of Quietus’ first lessons to teach her to sustain multiple actions at once, and it was one she had learned well. After several moments, she sent the fire and water shooting off in multiple directions over the heads of the crowd to dissipate naturally, then lowered herself to the earth. As she touched down, she gave a Force push directly down into the earth, causing a crater to form around her.

She had more tricks up her sleeve if she needed them, but that was enough for the Yana. They bowed and chanted and worshiped her, and she could tell they no longer had a twinge of doubt. They would serve her, and do whatever she desired.

It had been months since Captain Jacob Kira of the Shadow's Gambit had seen or even spoken to the Sith known to him as Darth Eris, but having found himself with time to spare, he decided to send her a message that was sent directly to, and coded for, the Shadow's Shine, a ship that the (suposed) late Darth Quietus had made sure the Gambit could contact anywhere in the galaxy. Such was the perks of being the owner and designer.

Lady Eris,

Forgive me the brash arrogance that you might feel I possess by contacting you like this, but it has been many months since I last was graced with your presence. I hope the time since you departed the Shadow's Gambit has brought you a semblance of peace and purpose given the tragedy that befell us all. had I been a braver man in those days, I would have expressed my willingness to support you in order to honor him. But I was not a brave man then, having found myself burdened with the entire ship's survival and continued prosperity. It was a task i was not fully prepared to take completely, and because of it you suffered with little support. But with the passing of time came clarity and hindsight, and that is the purpose of this message now; to apologize for you having to suffer through those last weeks alone. In the rare spurts of downtime I find myself possessing, I often think of what Lord Quietus would have wanted for the ship, and I strive to follow the legacy he created. It is in the spirit of that legacy of a man whom I know posessed affection for you and you alone, that I offer to you the services of myself, both as the Captain of a luxury casino ship, and as a friend. As I served Lord Quietus, I will humbly serve you if you ever have need. And while I expect the Shadow's Gambit carries many echos of pain and suffering for you, she will always have a room for you if you so desire it. Perhaps in time, this ship can provide even you with joyous memories. At the time of this message, the Shadow's Gambit is in orbit over Naboo, and attached you will find the tentative schedule for the next six months if you ever would like to return; I would welcome you as a VIP and as a friend.

Respectfully,

Captain Jacob KIra

As indicated, the message also came coded with the schedule that the Shadow's Gambit would be taking. For his part, Captain Kira expected neither the Sith to respond, or to show up at the ship. But it was for his sake that he reached out to her, a generous gesture that. he hoped, was better late than never.

The following days, Emily lived among the locals. She found some of their customs rather pleasing, but rarely showed her pleasure. She knew that they would serve her better if they feared her, at least for now. If she stayed here longer, then she could do something to ‘shower them with blessings’ or some such. Roe’gall was given a very wide berth, but for her, they built a new dwelling and coated the interior floor with soft skins of some kind of white-furred animal. She never lacked for food, as some Yana were always leaving offerings outside her new home.

She spent her days wandering the countryside. She was looking for the perfect place, for she did not intend to continue to live among the Yana. Finally, five days after she had come to Rish’navin, she found what she was looking for. It was a two days’ journey on foot from the large village, and about 5 hours from the nearest Yana settlement—a journey she could make in a few minutes on her swoop, but a hike for the locals, guaranteeing her a measure of privacy. A river poured out of a mountainside, swept westward, and pooled into a large lake before winding its way back north. Blue plains spotted with purple and green wildflowers stretched out beyond the lake towards the Yana villages in the south, and the rest of the mountain range lay to the north, east, and west. It was picturesque as could be, but had an echoing loneliness that suited her aching heart. She had already planned out what she wanted to build; a towering palace of local stone, elegant yet intimidating, full of arches and courtyards. It would take a lot of work, but she now had an entire population of slaves that would do her bidding. She was confident that in a few months, it would be done.

***

The days passed quickly. Not only was the sun cycle quicker than Emily was used to, but she threw herself into her work with a fervor which helped keep thoughts of Quietus at bay. The Yana were hard workers, and once she had slain several of the gono beasts, she had earned their dedication. They labored to build a temple for their goddess.

Emily had quickly found that the moon had an abundance of a certain stone, akin to marble, that came in white, black, and dusty gold varieties. She liberally made use of all three types in the building of her temple palace. Gold was another common element, and she used it to great effect as an accent throughout the structure.

The work progressed at a rate that astonished Emily and exceeded all of her expectations. For a culture just newly brought into the stone age, the Yana had a natural talent at working with it. Two months later, the palace was complete. It was grand, although not overwhelmingly large. Emily hadn’t wanted more reminders of her loneliness. A bit of experimentation had resulted in some native decorations, but most of the furnishings she had purchased on a brief trip offworld to the Core. That trip had also resulted in all of the technology that was gracefully interwoven into the walls and floors, bringing the palace up to the level of technological comfort Emily was used to. It had every amenity Emily could think of, and she was extremely pleased with the final product.

She allowed the Yana a few gestures of her goodwill as thanks—a few gifts from offworld—and then she disappeared into her palace. She would do whatever she wished: she would study, she would hone her skills, and she would live each day one at a time. She leaned against the smooth railing of one of the balconies and watched the sun set behind the arc of the ringed gas giant, sipping a glass of Alderaanian wine. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she was starting an exile. It was silly, of course. Just because she had built her new home away from the hustle and bustle and constant strife of the galaxy didn’t mean that she was planning on being cut off. If something happened that she felt interested her, then she’d leave her estate and head out into the galaxy once more. But for now, it felt surprisingly good to have a real home. This was the first home that she had had that was fully hers. The temple she had grown up in had been her parents’ home. The various bases, strongholds, and space stations she had stayed in over the years since she had begun her Sith training were merely places to be. Even the Shadow’s Gambit was more of Quietus’ brainchild. It had never felt like home. Even her ship had once belonged to her mother.

Sure, life here was going to be lonely. Emily accepted that. It was her destiny to never truly have a family. She could belong to the Sith Order, but they weren’t her family like they were for—had been for—Quietus. All of her blood relations were dead, as far as she knew; not that there had been many to begin with. Even the few friends she had managed to make—Nishant, for example—were long gone. She had received Captain Kira's message, and appreciated his words, but as she had only spoken to the man a few times, she knew he wasn't really a friend, and his motivations were likely mixed.

She felt Roe’gall nuzzle her hair and smiled sadly. “You’re the only one who has never left me, Roe’gall,” she said softly. She scratched him affectionately. “I don’t know what I would do without you.” She sighed, suddenly weary and heart-heavy. Roe’gall was both a comfort and a source of pain, like rubbing salt in an open wound. Sometimes she could barely look at him, while other times she just wanted to bury her face in his warm hide.

“Come on, let’s get some sleep.” Turning her back on the beautiful landscape before her, she headed inside.

Emily awoke suddenly. Her heart was racing and her mind spinning. Her dream had been so vivid…

She had dreamt of Korriban, of the long darkness surrounding the crypts of the Sith Lords, both old and new, all of great renown. For a while she was walking down an avenue lined with statues of strange shapes, illuminated by the sinking sun. She felt the presence of eyes watching her, but she was not afraid, although she was completely alone on the barren dusty stretch between tombs. Her feet took her to a tomb at the end of the valley, just before a drop-off that overlooked the rising sun. But she didn’t pause to look at the blood red clouds. She immediately turned and made her way to the entrance of a tomb. Sith runes were carved over the entrance, but she had no need to read them, for she knew whose tomb she was visiting.

She made her way through the dark straight pathways, disabling the traps that she herself had set to guard the body. But as she went deeper, she grew disquieted. Something was not right. The tomb was empty. She hurried now, delving deeper until she reached the innermost chamber and beheld the sarcophagus. But where was Vex’aedr? Her worry bid her open the coffin, and as it slid open, she found nothing.

He was gone, and it was the end of everything. The Force had robbed her even of the chance to visit his tomb. She fell to her knees. It was the final blow, crushing, dragging her down into the dark pits of despair that she had been wavering on the border of for the past few months. She crawled forward, beyond tears, beyond everything. She struggled to her feet and started to run. She ran and ran, out of the tomb and across the valley to another tomb, this one larger. The heavy door slid open at her touch, as if it were waiting for her to come. Stumbling, she caught herself and continued to run. Finally, with the last of her strength, she threw herself over the threshold of another burial chamber. There was an empty sarcophagus here, one that had been waiting a long time for the one for whom it was made…

She lowered herself inside, her mind detachedly thinking it was more comfortable than any coffin had need to be. Indeed, the lining felt like the finest silk, and there was a pillow beneath her head that she had sworn wasn’t there before…

She had suddenly come to full consciousness and realized that she was in her own soft bed. Rising, she walked to the refresher and gulped down a drink of water. She normally would not have put any significance on a dream like that; after all, she had been thinking about that tomb on Korriban slightly less than constantly for the past few months. It wasn’t surprising that she would visit it in her dreams. But it had been so vivid. The urge to leave Rish’navin and visit the tomb was strong.

She shook herself. No. That tomb belonged in the past, and she doubted very much that her path would bring her there again before it was her turn to be buried. “I will conquer this,” she whispered to herself. “I will.”

Just as before, a message specifically coded for the Shadow's Shine came in, intended for the Sith known as Darth Eris. The voice was once again that of Captain Kira of the Shadow's Gambit.

Lady Eris,

Forgive me again for contacting you in this way, but I felt I owe it to you. I am not quite sure how to tell you this, or what it will mean to you in whatever life you have found for yourself now but... Within the last hour, the Ogariv II was activated, and left the docking bay of the Shadow's Gambit as we orbited Naboo. I have found nothing to point to it having been stolen, and as it were, shorty after leaving the Gambit it appeared to have docked with another ship for about five minutes, before taking a hyperspace jump towards the core. To put it bluntly...

I believe Quietus has returned.

The message was short, but Kira knew the impact it might carry for Darth Eris.

Emily sat on her balcony, robed in a flowing dress of light brown silk embroidered with white leaves and vines. Roe’gall sat at her feet, ever vigilant. She smiled and nudged his side with a slippered foot affectionately.

Emily had been on Rish’navin three months now, and it was really starting to feel like home. She liked her life here. It was simple—wake up, practice her lightsaber forms, eat, study Force methods, work with Roe’gall, eat, take a walk, relax, and sleep. She did what she wanted, when she wanted. To an outside, her life might look dull, but Emily was never bored. She was ever improving her mind, keeping her body in perfect shape, and had absolute freedom. She had even learned to stop thinking of Quietus incessantly, and the pain of his passing was beginning to heal. Life was in balance.

And that was when her comm chimed. A puzzled frown crossed her face, but she rose and went inside to her communications terminal. A green light was flashing, indicating a text-based message waiting for her. She opened it and was surprised to see that it was from Captain Kira. Her brow wrinkling, she read the message….and froze.

For a long moment, there was nothing. I believe Quietus has returned. The words echoed in her mind that was otherwise empty with shock. She found that she had sat down on a chair without realizing it. There was just no way… She had resigned herself to the deliberation that his death was the price she had had to pay for her mistakes. But Kira’s message held facts, observations. His conclusion was the only logical one. Unless…? No, only he could have activated the Ogariv II.

And that did seem to mean that once again he had come back. A tendril of joy wound through her heart. Deeper than that, more than just the fact that he had returned, was what it signified for her personally. It seemed that she had paid the price and now the Force had decided to forgive her. But more than that, it had been…kind.

A fresh, larger wave of joy swelled in her, but before it crash through, it met a sharp wall. He is back and he hasn’t come to me. The joy receded before hot, sharp anger. The last time he returned from death, he didn’t even pause to report to the Dark Lord before coming to find me! And now he is running around, doing other things, and not even giving me a second thought! Do I mean nothing to him anymore?

That last thought drained her anger away into a vast sorrow. He must not care for me anymore. That was the simple truth. The Force had not forgiven her, it was not being kind; it was being cruel. To bring back a Quietus who didn’t care at all for her? To force her to see him, remembering what he meant to her, while he had nothing left tying him to her? She had thought his death punishment grievous enough, but she had underestimated the cruel will of the Force. She would rather have him dead than alive and uncaring.

Tears streamed down her face, and she didn’t even try to stop them. It was too much to bear. She cried herself to sleep, curled up in the chair in front of the communications station.

When she woke, her mind was clear. There was a chance—a tiny, infinitesimal chance—that her conclusions were mistaken. That he still did care, at least a little, and something else had prevented him from coming to her. She was still angry, of course, but at least her thoughts were uncluttered. There was only one choice before her. If he was alive, if Kira’s inklings were correct, then even if he no longer cared for her, she should go to him. No—maybe not go to him; even if she did track him down, she didn’t think she could stand to look into his eyes and see rejection. But she could send him a message.

She grimaced. Sending him a message was the last thing she wanted to do. What would she say anyway? ”Hi Quietus, welcome back from death, I still love you but I’m afraid you don’t care for me anymore?” She shook her head. That was ridiculous, and it made her sound like a lovesick teenager.

For a while she dismissed the thought of sending him a message period. She forced herself to get on with her normal schedule. But the entire day, she kept thinking about what she would say to him. Finally that evening, she found herself in front of the comm station once more. She hesitated. “You are no coward, Emily Skywalker,” she told herself firmly. Reaching out, she keyed for a full holographic message.

After she was done recording, she bit her lip and hit the send key. Taking a deep breath, she turned away. “What will be, will be, and there is nothing I can do to change it now.”

Whether Darth Eris was prepared for a response from Quietus or not, one came none the less. Much in the same fashion as her original message, when activated, a full sized hologram of Darth Quietus appeared. He looked as strong and confident as ever, his emotions hidden so well behind his stoic face There was barely a pause between the hologram appearing, and Quietus' voice speaking.

"Mīļie..." He began, the Sith language rolling off his tongue, "As you have guessed, there is more truth than not in the rumors. I have indeed returned, so sadly, there will be no punishment for someone taking the Ogariv II. Please, try to suppress your disappointment; there will be plenty of poor fools to punish in time."

There was a small, arrogant smile that crept across his face before fading, as the tone of the message changed as well. All at once, Quietus' eyes focused, almost as if he could actually see Eris and was looking at her longingly.

"I am sorry my dear. I have found myself apologizing to you far too many times, both in death and in being reborn. I awoke in my tomb, and knew instantly that it was you who had laid me there. I can not imagine, and I can not atone for the pain I have put you through, both in mind and heart. Too many times have I returned and immediately sought you out, only to drag you along on whatever mission I find myself. I wished this time to be different. I wanted you to not feel bound to follow me as Roe'gall and Vex'aedr follow us. You deserve more; you are a Sith Lord in your own right, and you should not be obliged to follow me as if you were still my apprentice. There are things that are, and will forever be left unsaid between the two of us. Secrecy is part of our lives, our doctrine as Sith."

The hologram paused for a second as Quietus appeared to be working through his words in his head before speaking them out loud.

"Things have indeed changed my love. Things always change, for that is the nature of the galaxy. I do wish for you to walk a different path, but I wish for you to walk a path that is your own, instead of a path that is in my shadow. Our paths, and our destiny, are our own. I for one, choose to ensure that my path crosses yours in due time, and many times following."

The hologram paused again, as a much more warm smile crossed his face.

"I know that you love me. You are more than just a former apprentice and lover to me, and you have never made me question your love for me. I only hope that I have made my feelings equally evident to you in our time together. I have always known that you love me. Quite right too. And I suppose, if its my last chance to say it, Emily Zsahra-Skywalker --"

This time the hologram really paused, and froze for a second before distorting. A few seconds later it blinked back to normal, and Quietus was caught mumbling about interference and something about burning up a sun before he returned his attention to Eris.

"Right, sorry about that. As I was saying, I love you too. In the meantime, I want you to continue living your life as you are now, but knowing that although you are not at my side, you are never far from here, and forever here."

As he spoke, Quietus first pointed to his head, indiciating his mind, and then placed his palm on his chest to indicate his heart.

"Until we meet again Mīļie."

Another smile crossed Quietus face before the hologram blinked out for good this time, ending the message.

Emily waited for some time, wishing, hoping, dreading. So it was that when she heard the new message chime, she accidentally dropped the bowl she had been holding, although she managed to catch it with the Force before it shattered on the tile floor. Hastily setting it on the counter, she headed back into the communications room, her heart so full of such a jumble of emotions that she barely felt anything.

She reached out and keyed for the message, and a full-size image of Quietus blossomed from the console. She barely registered his first few sentences. She had hoped so much to believe Kira's message, but it was something different to find all of her hopes realized. He really was alive. Her hand reached up to his holographic cheek, and a smile came to her face. "My love..." she whispered.

As if in response, Quietus' hologram turned to look right into her eyes as he apologized. His words could in no way make up for what she had been through in the past months, but she valued them anyway, especially coming from a man whom she knew loathed apologizing. His explanation of why he hadn't sought her out was acceptable, although it didn't completely drain her anger. He doesn't know me if he thinks I've ever let myself be dragged along by him, she thought, shaking her head. I'm not some dog trailing along on his heels, and I never will be.

He seemed to pause then, and when he continued, she was a bit confused. She hit the pause button. He wanted her to walk her own path, and he wanted that path to be separate from his, and yet he seemed to be saying that as far as he was concerned, nothing significant had changed between them. What he didn't seem to understand was that Emily chose her own path. She always had, and she didn't care what others thought she should or should not do. That was more and more the case in this last year or so. She had never felt herself beholden to walk in one direction, not even when she was a Sith apprentice. He did not seem to think about the idea that perhaps the path she wanted to take was one that kept her at his side, shadow or not. She smiled slightly. Men. They don't always think things through. Oh well. That's a discussion we need to have face-to-face anyway, not over holos. She resumed the transmission.

An equally warm smile graced her features as he continued, but then the transmission distorted and almost cut him off. It was as if in that moment, her heart cried out in a burst of anguish that he would be cut off right before he could say the words she was most hoping to hear---but the distortion only lasted a few seconds before resuming, and the threat of anguish vanished like a popped bubble to be replaced by warmth and joy. This had better not be your last chance to say that to me, my Lord Quietus, she thought with a malicious smile.

Her expression changed as Quietus finished. "And you, my love," she said. "Force willing, I will be at your side soon."

She watched the holo message again before closing down the terminal. Turning, she made her way to her favorite balcony. She felt as light as air. As soon as she saw Roe'gall, she embraced him, pulling his face to hers. "Oh, Roe'gall, who would have thought things would turn out this way? I am not abandoned. The Force is a harsh master, but it is just and not overtly cruel after all. The ones we love never really leave us after all."

The next few weeks made Emily feel like she was a new person. She worked and studied, but it was no longer a means of distraction. Rather, it gave her a contented satisfaction. She poured through datafiles on the history of the Force, studying techniques of Sith, Jedi, Fallanassi, and others. Some of the techniques were detailed enough that she pushed herself to try them, although most had such limited data that the study was educational only, and not practical. When she studied those tomes, she would supplement her education by extended work on her lightsaber technique. She also worked to push herself physically, testing her limits, so that if she was ever caught without the Force again in the future as she had been in the past, she would be far from helpless.

In expanding her mind, she also gained significant perspective on who she was. She had walked through a dark time in her life, but the cost of following the dark side so completely had been too high, and had taken away who she really was at heart. Now, what she was was finally revealed. She was neither Jedi, nor Sith, but something in between. She believed more and more in a wholistic view of the Force. The Jedi and the Sith both limited themselves by subscribing to one aspect of the Force and pursuing it's goals just because they felt they had no other option. But Emily was her own person, and she would never lose herself again. She would do what she wanted to do when she wanted to do it, and no one could make her do otherwise. Even acceding to someone's request--be it Sith, Jedi, or neither--would be completely her decision.

In short, it was freedom, true and simple. She approached things on an individual basis. And she loved it. Now if only I could get Quietus to see things my way... She smiled ruefully at the thought and immediately took it back. Trying to force her point of view on him was exactly the opposite of what she had come to believe, and while she might wish he would change his viewpoint, to change him in that way would be to take away all that she loved about him.

Despite her introspective life, she had not become a herrmit. She was too young and vibrant to desire that kind of life. Rish'navin had become home, but she still traveled quite a bit for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it was for amusement, other times for other reasons. So it was that one day when she found herself studying ancient Sith lanvaroks, she stumbled across the name of one scientist, who, rumor had it, studied ancient Force artifacts. Not having any reason not to, she bundled Roe'gall into her ship and set out to see him.

After the debacle on Onderon, Emily had returned to Rish'navin. She bore the scientist no ill-will for trying to kill her, as annoying as it had been. She had long since gotten used to the quarrelsomeness and lack of trust found among and between Sith. Her study of ancient Sith weapons and tools, however, dwindled after that, and she found herself new lines of study.

The amount of knowledge that was out there, waiting to be gained, was endless. There were always new aspects to study. The Force had been studied for millenia, and she had all of that data at her disposal, if she only sought it out. Her digital library in her palace home grew steadily over the next year. She rarely paid attention to what was going on in the universe, although she had watched the events going on in the Memorial on Coruscant with interest. But it had all come to nothing, and in the end the affect on her was little. She studied philosophy mostly, although she did not neglect the alchemical, physical, and experimental aspects of Force learning either. Overall, she was content. Lonely, but content.

But this was not to be the end of her story, fading away into oblivion. She had too much life left to live.

About a year after the incident with Faust, she was sitting on her balcony, reading a new tome she had uncovered about a lost Force order known as the Blademasters. It was the second text she had read on their order, and it fascinated her. A new desire arose in her, and as she finished the book, she rose. A little searching, she hoped, would point her in the direction of any remaining Blademasters.

A few hours later, her computer had returned her a surprisingly short list. In the last fifty years, there had been only a very few Blademasters, and all were deceased now. But there was one name that tugged at her: Vegeta Isolder, who had a footnote in his file saying that he had, for a time, been known as "the Moon Knight". That sounds like it has Force connotations, she mused. She changed the focus of her search to that title. Very little came up, and most of it was wild speculation and rumors. The only thing the rumors had in common was a location known as the Temple of the Moon, which seemed in most accounts to be on Tatooine. There was only one other bit of information that seemed trustworthy. It was from a Jedi scholar who had been researching Force methods of mental manipulation as well as different ways of detecting Force sensitivity. Emily had read some of his work before, and knew him to be a fairly trustworthy scholar. But the only thing he said in relation to this Moon Knight was that it was a title passed on through the Force and seemed to have some sort of ancestral memories linked with it.

It wasn't much to go off of, so she dismissed it. But a few days later she was still thinking about it. She was itching to get off Rish'navin anyway, and while Tatooine wasn't exactly a vacation destination, it might be illuminating to see if the rumors could be believed and if this Temple of the Moon existed. Finally, she gave in, packed a few things, and headed off.

During the flight home, Emily had been meditating and ruminating. Slowly, she got an idea. It seemed that nothing had panned out with training Karys. The massassi was an interesting character to be sure. She remembered the last time she had tried training an apprentice; Kenneth had been a disappointment from the start. Karys had more potential, but he seemed content to follow his own path. A regular Sith probably would have given him up by now, but Emily knew she'd still be willing to offer him whatever training he sought out. But she wasn't just going to sit around waiting anymore.

Roe'gall was happy to be back at the palace. Emily herself had mixed feelings. She liked her palace, but it was a fortress of solitude. Being around the two Mandalorians so much recently had reminded her how lonely she was. She wasn't meant to be alone. She toyed with trying to seek out Aryian Darkfire again; she knew she'd always have a place at the hermitage on Mechis III. But it didn't feel right to her. No, what she wanted was to grow, to become more powerful. And for that, she needed the Sith.

So for the next two weeks, she did her research. She found many interesting things, but one in particular stuck out to her. It was the tale of an old Dark Lord, an alchemist called Haphaestus. He had last been seen on Almas, and then there was nothing. There was a chance that he was dead, but somehow Emily doubted it. Sith rarely just disappeared when they died; usually it was in some spectacular way. Not that it really mattered, she decided. If he was still alive, perhaps he could teach her something, and if he wasn't, perhaps there was an artifact or something of his left on Almas that she could learn from.

So it wasn't long after they arrived, that Emily and Roe'gall took off again.

After a long time away, Emily finally came home again. She had some trouble with landing at first, given that she hadn't programmed her palace's computer to allow ships other than the Shadow's Shine to land, but eventually got into the system and put in her backup code. As she strode down the ship's ramp, she sighed deeply. "Good to be home, isn't it, Ro--" She caught herself, and winced. You're alone, she told herself for the millionth time. He is dead.

She made her way to her sleeping quarters and dressed in a flowing gown, something that wouldn't put any pressure on her still-healing scars. The palace seemed quieter than normal. Roe'gall rarely made much noise, but his presence haunted the palace like a ghost. This had always been Emily's fortress of solitude, but now it was even emptier.

She set her jaw and headed over to her state-of-the-art communication station. She had determined on her flight here that as soon as she arrived, she'd send out some invitations. You can't hide from this any longer, she told herself firmly.

Keying the comm on, she sent off a message to Raynuk. For a moment, she debated sending another one, this one to Jaina, but then figured that the two of them were together, and one invitation would serve. It'd be difficult to see him again and for him to be here of all places, especially with what she had to confess to him. But she was determined to make as much of a clean start as she could, and he deserved to know the full truth.

Now all she could do was wait to see if he would come.

Over the next few days, Emily labored to get herself back into shape. She was still weak from her days of starvation and her physical trauma. But the absence of busyness was her motivation to work on it, and after a few days, she was already feeling more like herself. The physical regimen also helped with her mindset. She was still depressed, and would often lapse into periods where she just laid in bed without moving for hours. But while she couldn't bring herself to think positively about the future, she could at least see that a future would come.

Another thing she did once she was strong enough was spend a lot of time down in the forge. Of her weapons and armor, the only thing that had survived had been her father's war axe, for the simple reason that it had been left here last time she had gone off-world. It had been a few years since she had spent much time working in the forge, and she spent the first several sessions practicing on lumps of ore, relearning her skill. Once she was satisfied that she was back up to the level of skill she had had, she began to make new throwing stars. Over the next three days, she made a dozen of them. It was enough to last her a good long while. These ones were a dull gray in color with white edges, as she had chosen to use native ore, but just as strong and sharp as her previous ones, if a little lighter.

After much deliberation, she also made two new lightsaber hilts. While slightly different in shape, she made them a matching set. She had ore special ordered, and after the basics were completed, wrapped the hilts in a matte gray metal. Then using a special type of acid, she carefully acid-etched designs into them. The detailed work demanded all of her attention, which was good, for it kept her mind from lapsing into dark thoughts and wondering if Raynuk and Jaina would come or not.

She had no crystals for them. That thought brought on a streak of indecisiveness. She could forge her own crystals; it was the Sith way, and it was what she had done for her first lightsaber. But she wondered if it might be better to choose a nature-made one this time. That would mean leaving the moon again, though, and she wasn't quite ready for that. Not until it was sure they weren't coming.

So for now, her hilts sat empty, and she pushed off the decision for now. Her next task would be a new set of armor, although she debated just ordering that. She had no skills when it came to forging that, although she could learn.

Though delayed further than likely expected, a response did come from Korriban.

Much of her next day, Emily spent pouring through ship catalogs. The pragmatic part of her mind knew she would need a new ship, and she hated the idea of keeping the one she had flown here. It's mere presence was as a constant reminder of the Cult. She wanted something small, sleek, and easily modifiable. It took a great deal of discipline to keep her mind focused on the task at hand, for it inevitably kept attempting to betray her with two different thoughts: firstly, her regret at losing the Shadow's Shine, and secondly, of the last time she had been ship shopping that one last happy day on Coruscant. She finally picked out a Svelte-class Imperial shuttle. It was much smaller than the Shine, but still retained the capability of carrying passengers or cargo as needed. The dark hull was matte, but it nevertheless reminded her of her old ship. When she went to place her order, she hesitated briefly, then shrugged, punching in the access number for her account that had been set up a few years back. It was fed a small but steady stipend from the Shadow's Gambit. She figured the Sith could at least pay for her new ship.

She rubbed her face and sighed. Quietus was everywhere today. She was used to those days. When he was dead, he had consistently haunted her. And now, even though he was alive, it was much the same. She rose. They'd pass in time; she knew that, too.

As if her thoughts had summoned it, however, there was a chime on the comm unit. Crossing over, she touched the access button, and an audio message crackled to life. It was short, but contained information that threw her mind into a whirl of mixed emotions. His tone was...not as harsh as she somehow expected. That gave her a modicum of hope, although she knew whatever he felt towards her would be changed drastically when he learned all that had happened, and not for the better. The news that he was not with Jaina astonished her. Why...what in the galaxy happened? As incredible as it was, perhaps Jaina hadn't reciprocated his feelings.

She rubbed her face again. One thing at a time, Em. It's really not any of your business. Not anymore. For now, she would focus on the fact that he was coming. That was what mattered now. His response had provided a tiny sliver of comfort to her weary soul, and she was grateful that no matter what he was thinking or feeling, he was still willing to come. And when he did, she'd be as ready as she could be.

~~ A comm comes in for Emily from Aunt Alora ~~

Raia was so engrossed in trying to translate the Sith texts, she only registered her father’s presence as she saw his retreating form enter the cockpit as 2V followed him. Closing the book on Darth Zannah, she rose and followed him to the cockpit, having guessed that they’d be exiting the swirling vortex of hyperspace soon.

She caught the tail end of 2V’s comment and looked at her Sith father curiously before smiling at him confidently, displacing 2V from his usual seat as her intelligent gray eyes fixed on Raynuk. “I know this will be weird,” she began. “Things between you and her are complicated now. They were even before she hid the baby from you. I still choose to stay with you though. It seems cruel to say so, but that’s how I feel.”

She sighed and turned to face the spinning planet that was steadily growing larger as Raynuk brought the ship in for a landing, one hand tracing the now-black patterns that played down her arms. The tattoo was going to do what it was going to do, she’d finally realized, and there wasn’t anything she could do as of now that would counter its changes across her body. Besides, Emily and Raynuk were two of the people she knew she didn’t have to hide from in the galaxy, which is why she’d opted for something easier to wear without having to worry about hiding her tattoo.

“Are you going to tell her you adopted me?” Her words were careful, remembering how she and Emily had parted ways, her own fears of being cast away once the two of them had had a child of their own having melted away after the events that unfolded in the sands of Korriban.

Raynuk’s entire head and gaze fell from the planet that he was piloting the ship to, his eyes refocusing on the controls in his hands as he sighed.

“I… don’t know Raia. We’ll see. I suspect… that a lot more has happened to Emily than we know. The news might delight her, or it might sadden her; that all depends on the state in which we find her.”

He looked up at her, wanting to be clear. “I don’t plan on keeping it a secret from her; secrets between us is what caused all the turmoil between us in the first place. I just want to find the right time to tell her, when such news won’t hurt her more. If you wish to tell her, I won’t stop you.”

He turned his attention back to the looming planet before them. “Hell… it might even be better coming from you than me anyway.”

<> 2V’s voice came from behind him, to which he waved the droid off.

“Yeah yeah, I know… I know.” He replied, sounding a little exasperated.

The Ravenhammer broke through the outer atmosphere, it’s passengers falling into relative silence as Raynuk piloted the ship down through it. Once the ship had punched through the upper cloud layer, he leveled it out while he compared their current location to the coordinates Emily had sent in her message. They were over one of the countless plains that dotted the planet, and from what he could tell, would arrive at the palace nestled into the mountains within ten minutes.

“She’s going to be proud of you ya know.” He spoke into the silence, keeping his eyes on the terrain before him. “With how much you’ve grown, as a Force user and as a person since she last saw you. I… I don’t even know if she knows you’re not on Dathomir anymore actually.”

A dark look crossed Raia’s face at the mention of her homeworld. Would Emily truly be proud of her if she knew that Raia had played a hand in her own village’s decimation? In truth, Raia was still coming to terms with it herself. As quickly as it had appeared, the dour look faded and she offered Raynuk a smile and a nod. “I never had a chance to comm her before she went missing,” Raia admitted.

The pair finished out the approach to the palace in relative silence, Raia’s excitement at seeing her former teacher alive was now commingled with her own memories of the power that had been unleashed on her home world and clan.

Emily had just returned from a swoop ride in the mountains and was just changing into something clean when she heard the computer system chime. Crossing the room, she checked the screen. There were two lights blinking. The first indicated she had a comm message waiting. But before she could hear it, she saw the second, and forgot all about the message. Her heart sank into her stomach. There was a ship approaching her palace. The automated defenses immediately targeted it, but she deactivated them. It was the Ravenhammer. Even though she had only seen the ship a few times before, there was no mistaking it.

She let out a long breath, trying to steady herself. She was honestly dreading this. Yes, it had been her own initiative that had set up this meeting, and she hoped that in the long run it would do more good than harm, it didn’t mean that she was looking forward to it. She had a habit of running from her problems; one that she was trying to break. But that didn’t mean the impulse was gone. And this was going to be hard no matter what way she looked at it.

She squared her shoulders and headed towards the landing pad with all the determination she could muster. When he arrived, she’d be there to meet him. Reaching out to the Force for strength, she waited just inside her palace, watching the arc of the ship as it came gracefully down.

With a soft thud, Raynuk landed the Ravenhammer on the landing pad outside the palace and began shutting down the engines. He stole a quick glance at the palace before him, scanning and examining it for a few seconds before removing himself from the seat, turning to Raia.

“She’s in there somewhere I suppose. No doubt she knows we’re here, unless someone else decided to turn off the defenses and not shoot us down.” He flashed a grin and began to leave the cockpit, but paused again next to 2V.

“Keep the ship on alert… I don’t want any surprises; from here or from space. Got it?” He spoke in quiet tones, trying to keep Raia from hearing it. 2V merely nodded, and Raynuk exited the cockpit.

After rounding up Vex’aedr and Roe’gall, he made his way down to the boarding ramp, and pushed the button to lower it. He began descending before the ramp even finished touching the ground, with the two tuk’atas meandering slowly behind him. Vex was moving only as fast as Roe’gall was, both because Roe was still nursing his injury, and because clearly the older tuk’ata was familiar with this place, while Vex found it to be entirely foreign.

Now on the ground, flanked by the tuk’atas, Raynuk took another wide look around, taking in the entire scene before him; the palace, the mountains, and the plains set out before them. If nothing else, it made Raynuk nostalgia for the planet of his childhood and its natural beauty.

Maybe someday…

Emily watched as the ramp lowered, and then she saw him, and everything else faded. Seeing him again, she felt like she was looking at a stranger. His hair was brown now, and short, and he had a beard that completely changed his profile. Even his eyes were no longer the clear gray she was accustomed to. If it hadn’t been for his Force presence—a presence she had known and loved for the past ten years—she would have wondered if she was meeting a stranger. It was jarring, but it only served to reinforce her earlier determination: this was not the man she had fallen in love with. Quietus was gone, and this man before her was no longer him. Her realization during her master trials came back to her in full force. The only way I’ll ever truly get him back is to go back in time. The man she had loved--still loved--was a memory.

It was that sad truth that, ironically, gave her strength. Given that, and given her newfound perspective of herself, she had no idea why they had even stayed together for those first few weeks after his latest resurrection. Honestly, she had no idea what he had ever seen in her. Perhaps he hadn’t seen anything. Perhaps he had been with her out of a sense of duty. Maybe he simply had been bored and saw her as a way to have some fun. Or perhaps, impossibly, he had really loved her.

But it didn’t really matter now. Emily was a shattered husk filled with broken dreams. Whatever she had thought or wanted or dreamed...they were all gone.

Just having him here felt vulnerable. No one else knew of this place; it was her palace of solitude, and having anyone else here felt strange, like exposing a wound to open air. But she had come to realize that it was only through exposure and vulnerability that these wounds would begin to heal.

With another deep breath, she hit the button to the side of the door, sliding the transparisteel entrance open. For a moment, their gaze met, but then Emily was distracted by the sight of the massive Sith monsters flanking him. Her heart skipped a beat, and the shred of dignity she had managed to gather flew to pieces.

There was a whine and whuff from Roe’gall as he spotted his mistress, and with an injured but nevertheless impressive bound, he darted forward as fast as he could limp. Emily’s knees went weak. She collapsed onto the tuk’ata. “Roe’gall,” she managed. “My dear, dear companion…” Never had she dreamed that the beast could have survived the fires of Dathomir. It gave her hope that perhaps not all was lost. But the idea that he had survived and Raia had not was baffling, and that, coupled with the fact that he was with Raynuk, caused Emily to glance up at Raynuk again. “How…?”

Raia wasn’t sure why she hesitated at the top of the Ravenhammer’s ramp, but memories of the fires of her homeworld and the choking, acrid smoke stole the mountain air from her lungs for a few moments. The sound of Emily’s voice drew her back to the present and a few more deep breaths and she was able to muster the will to force one foot in front of the other as she descended the ramp, not sure what her former teacher must be thinking.

“My former clan was far enough away that Delta-Ca’Aran’s ship didn’t immediately destroy them,” she answered as she came to stand just behind Raynuk. “You were right. I never should have gone. I-”

Anything further she would have rambled on about was cut short as she felt Emily’s arms pulling her close.

“RAIA?!?!”

All thought of what was coming flew out of Emily’s head as she ran to embrace the girl. “I--” she choked with emotion. “I thought you were dead!” She felt like she was going to squeeze the girl to death, but could bring herself to let go. “I heard what happened to Dathomir. And knowing that I went against my better judgment, and left you there, and then that…” She hugged her even harder. “Thank the Force you’re alright! Can you ever forgive me? I shouldn’t have listened to you. I should have stayed by your side. But I was too busy thinking about myself. I am so sorry, Raia. I was a terrible teacher. I never did anything right by you. I...I’m so sorry for everything.”

The mere fact that Raia was alive was a mind-blowing, unbelievable truth. Never in her wildest imaginings had Emily dreamed it was possible, not after she had seen the holonet report. The girl signified hope, and Emily desperately needed it. The revelation that both Roe’gall and Raia had survived Dathomir’s purge was the breaking point for her, and the tears poured down her face. But they were healing, cleansing tears. Tears of hope--proof that there was still goodness and rightness to be found in the universe, stars against the blackness of space.

Roe’gall was clearly overjoyed at seeing his bond-partner again, expressing his affection with whines, smelly breath in her face, and the quivering of his hindquarters.

Thank you, Emily thought, reaching out to the Force, as if in a moment of prayer. Her earlier doubts as to whether or not she had the strength to face the coming conversations vanished. The reappearance of Roe’gall and Raia was just the push she needed. She would cling to the knowledge of their safety as her lighthouse in the midst of the coming storm. She would get through this. It’d be rough, and messy, but maybe, just maybe, in the end, there could be a measure of healing.

The tears dried quickly, and she regained her feet. Her first instinct was embarrassment at her outburst, but she pushed the feeling away. Once again, she looked over at Raynuk. “I guess you’d better come in,” she told the two of them after a moment of silence. “We...have much to talk about.”

The sound of a door opening on the far side of the landing pad brought Raynuk’s attention to it, and there beyond it he saw the form of Emily. She was, as she had appeared in the comm message, slimmer than when he had last seen her, and despite what he knew was her best attempts to look strong and collected, she was still looking rough and frayed. They met each other’s eyes only briefly, before Emily’s shifted suddenly and her eyes widened. A split second later, Roe’gall rushed past him, even injured knocking him off balance, and quickly greeted Emily, who collapsed onto the tuk’ata in turn.

With a small smile, one that came from knowing Emily was overjoyed in that moment and even a bit of smug satisfaction knowing he had been right when he said reuniting them both would quicken both of their recoveries, Raynuk took a few slow steps towards Emily. He didn’t want to interrupt the reunion that was before him, and was more than willing to give Emily control over just how quickly or slowly this meeting would go. Vex’aedr was still keeping close to him, his own attention spread around investigating this new place. He came to a stop as Emily looked back up at him, finding that the emotional look on her face caught him off-guard and momentarily confused.

It gave his response to her question enough pause that Raia’s voice sounded from behind him as the teenager made her own way down the ramp to stand beside him. He had turned to look at her as she approached, but the feeling of movement in front of him brought his attention back to Emily, who he barely managed to step out of the way of as the woman enveloped Raia. It only took another heartbeat for Raynuk to finally see the picture that Emily had painted in her own mind.

To her, everyone she had ever loved or cared about, had left or been taken from her. Her parents, Raynuk himself, Roe’gall, Raia, and if his suspicions proved correct, her child. Emily had suffered these past weeks thinking that Raia and Roe’gall had both perished on Dathomir under the onslaught of Delta’s orbital bombardment, and had reached out to Raynuk as a last gasp of hope and purpose.

He found himself taking another step back, his gaze cast downward as Emily, Roe’gall, and Raia embraced and greeted each other in joy; the smile having left his face now that he had a hint of the world Emily had wrapped herself in. Where he moments ago had felt smug satisfaction, he now felt only sorrow for her, knowing that he had laid the foundation upon which her nightmare had been built.

“I guess you’d better come in…”

Her voice brought Raynuk’s eyes back up from where they had fallen. “We...have much to talk about.”

He nodded silently, choosing to turn to Vex’aedr and command the white tuk’ata to come as well as they all made their way into the palace that Emily had built.

“I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner.” He finally spoke, his own voice hinting at the thoughts he was keeping to himself.

Another long pause turned awkward before Raynuk decided to try and change the subject. “I was on Dathomir when Delta began bombarding the planet; with Alora and Draken as a matter of fact. Alora sends her love by the way…”

He realized he didn’t want to directly bring up the Cult to her, not knowing how she would react to it, and so he decided to try and tip-toe around it.

“We were on our way back to our ships when Vex’aedr took off running into the jungle… He had sensed Roe’gall nearby and I guess Raia too, and went to them. It wasn’t long before Draken Alora and I found her and the tuk’atas.”

He looked at Roe and Raia in turn. “They’ve both been with me since then…”

He fell into a momentary silence, but spoke one more time. “...Yeah, we have a lot to talk about.”

Raia managed to hide her wince as Emily pulled her into a crushing hug. She didn’t mind the slight discomfort at all as her own tears were shed, in relief that Emily wasn’t upset with her. As the older woman released her, Raia’s good hand found hers as they walked toward Emily’s home while Raynuk provided the “short” version of what had happened since their parting.

“I would have been dead if it wasn’t for Roe’gall,” Raia admitted as she took a seat where Emily indicated. “Raia Selik is dead. The one you left on Dathomir is, but I have a new future now. The Raging River Clan...no longer exists.” The girl suddenly went slightly pale as the memories kept eating away at her. While she hadn’t exactly keeping what had truly transpired on Dathomir a secret, she had yet to recount it in its entirety, all sordid details included. “C-can I show you something Master Raynuk showed me? Raynuk knows some, but not everything. I-I haven’t,” she trailed off, “Do you want to know what happened? Both of you?”

Emily led them into an open and airy living area. Open windows poured sunlight onto the white and gold marble floors, and a light zephyr teased the delicate curtains framing them. On the other side, the room opened to one of the many flower-and-tree-filled courtyards Emily had built her palace around. Raynuk’s apology heartened her, and she simply nodded once gratefully. It was a promising start; it showed, at least, that he wasn’t completely enraged at her.

He continued on, giving a brief explanation to the question she had asked on the landing pad, and Raia added her own perspective. Emily squeezed the girl’s hand. She reached out through the Force and brushed Roe’gall’s mind. Good boy, she told him, her heart stirring with gratitude and pride. He gave a low rumble of happiness, then carefully laid down on the large bed she had always reserved for him in this room.

Raia took a seat, and after a moment, Emily did as well. She had expected to have to dive right into her reason for calling Raynuk here, but Raia clearly had something she needed to get off her chest. Looks as if you’re not the only one wanting to clear the air, she thought. Raia hesitantly asked if she could show them something, and Emily found herself once again exchanging glances with Raynuk. But after a moment, she nodded. Their discussion could wait a bit longer. “Of course. Go ahead, Raia,” she replied gently.

Raynuk followed along as Emily led them into the room, opting to remain standing as they entered. But he noticed the subtle change in Raia as she spoke, and his brow furrowed as she indicated there was something else he had not known; not out of anger, but out of concern. Emily must have sensed the same, as the two of them exchanged looks before Emily sat down. He moved a chair closer, having some semblance of what Raia wanted to do, and then sat down in it as well, giving Raia a reassuring nod.

As the two of them agreed and moved closer together, Raia reached out with either hand and touched each of their temples as she opened herself up to the Force and reaching out to the both of them as she did. Her shuddered breaths grew deeper and more stable as she prepared herself to release the painful memories that had followed her arrival in the Dathomiri jungle.

She showed the two of them everything, from her capture by the outer guards to her encounter with Delta that had ultimately lead to her own mother disowning her. Raia held nothing back allowing them both to see the entirety of where her choices had led her, including her own near-attempt on her life and her revenge against Mitral.

By the time her hands broke contact with them, tears were falling down her cheeks, though they were hastily wiped away as she stood firm before the two of them and waited for their reaction.