SithAcolyte

Darla was a little surprised by Draken’ words. Was he seeing into her very soul? Of perhaps Alora had mentioned Darla’s time away from the Force? He saw right though. Her experience he both tempered and weakened her. She tried her best not to let her unease show. It became easier when the beautiful wine arrived. Darla was impressed. Draken was apparently a man of many skills. The feeling of relaxtion returned and it felt like a vacation once more. Their ward soon arrived. The young woman seemed a little shy around them and didn't say much before leaving. Darla was polite and friendly to Raia while at the same time wondering what the girl’s story was. ... Several days passed, Darla just spent most of her time relaxing, swimming, meditating and generally clearing her mind. It had only been a short stay so far, big she already felt rejuvenated beyond what she had expected. It felt nice to just let go and not worry. She felt Alora’s touch on her mind. Saw the image of the two of them running together past a breathtaking waterfall. Yes, that would be perfect. By the time Alora arrived Darla dressed in her gym clothes. ”Let’s go.” Darla smiled at her friend.

"Thank you, Count." Darla bowed her head in greeting, she hadn't been called 'Lady Darla' for a long time. "I feel very honoured to be allowed into your home." Dressed as she was in her flight suit, she felt very out of place amongst all the beauty around her. She didn't feel very much like a 'Lady', at least in the sense that she didn't feel elegant or regal. “You were a Jedi once and a Sith.” Those words put her on edge. Had Alora already spoken of Darla and her past, or could the Count somehow tell? Then as he chuckled her tension eased. "I was, once a long time ago. But I'm neither now." Darla smiled, trying her best to hide the fading unease that she felt. "I hope that's not going to be a problem. I can assure you that I don't have allegiance to either, I choose my friends where I will." For a brief moment, Darla wondered about how Skye would feel if she knew where she was. If she knew that her friend had pretty much abandoned the mission that had sent her to Serenno.

The view from the hover-cab was breathtaking. Alora had asked for the scenic route and that was surely what they had gotten. Darla couldn't remember the last time she had been on such a beautiful planet, she'd gotten so used to living on a ship, the constellations of stars seen from her viewport had become her landscape. This place felt so alive. Wity her Force senses properly open for the first time in years, she could feel everything around her. The planet seemed to sing to her. Tiny vibrations of energy that followed through everything, connecting all like webs of silvery notes played by some master musician. No, there is no musician. Only the Force. It was hard to think that all that beauty had formed by itself, without direction. Yet at the same time, it was hard to fathom what kind of entity could create such beauty. Darla listened to the song of the Force, closing her eyes and seeing beyond what her eyes could show her. Leaves beginning to fall, turning red, then yellow, the brown. Crumbling away into the ground. Death, decay. No, reabsorption. Everything returned to the Force and everything was reborn. There was a slight chill in the air. Even though the hover-cab kept the cold at bay, Darla could feel it through the Force. Birds beginning to fly away to warmer climates. Winter was upon them. Darla suddenly imagined just how beautiful the place would look covered by a veil of snow. Was Alora going to have a winter wedding? An image of a dazzling white gown, more splendid than the snow came to her mind. All of this happened in an instant, then Darla came back to herself. Smiling at Alora. "I can't wait to see your dress either," Darla responded to her friend. Alora showed Darla around the guest suite that she would be staying in. Darla thought that she was dreaming, the whole place was so splendid. She did feel a little out of place in her flight suit, hastily tied back hair and bare face. Darla got the feeling that the people of Serenno would dress just as beautifully as the surroundings that they lived in. Before their afternoon tea could arrive, Alora's comm chimed. "It's Draken." Alora smiled and asked Darla if she would like to meet him as well as their ward Raia. It seemed as good a time as any to. Alora led them into a beautiful rose garden and Darla really wished that she had dressed a little smarter. he took a deep calming breath and let the Force flow through her, drawing on the beauty of the of the trees and flowers.

Darla wasn't really sure what Alora meant when she said that she wouldn't mind meeting Darex... She was smiling, strangely. Darex was a handsome man, was it something to do with that? Darla blushed a little. As much as she was mad at her husband, she couldn't forget how hard she had fallen for him and why. It wasn't just that he was tall, handsome and strong, there was a light within him. Too much light maybe... But she had really believed that that light would banish all of her darkness. For a while, it had. Darla shook the thoughts away. Then there was Kakuto... Where would she be now if she had joined him? Would she be a mother to his children, Sith children... Or would she have just wound up dead? It didn't bear thinking about. The past was the past and it was so many years ago that it seemed like another lifetime entirely. Even Alora still seemed to have soft spot for Kakuto. Darla had the feeling that the two of them may have been closer than she thought as she heard Alora's words. There was a small spark of jealousy. Being a Sith, Alora had been much more free than Darla to pursue her passions. But that spark quickly diminished. Darla had made her choice, for better or worse. It was impossible to turn back time and even if she had the chance, she wouldn't change anything. She couldn't imagine not having the twins and they were as much a part of Darex as they were of her. There was one thing that she would have changed if she could though; she wouldn't have spent so many years in hiding. I'm here now, that's the important thing. There's no point dwelling on the past. With a steadying breath, she drew the Force to herself and a feeling of serenity washed over her, with that she smiled at Alora. "I.. Didn't know that Kakuto had pheromones implanted into your body." Darla raised an eyebrow at that. She could imagine what they were used for. It was strange, Alora was one of her closest friends, yet Darla was realising after so many years away, just how little she knew about Alora's life, Come to think of it, Skye and Alora were pretty much her only real friends in the galaxy. The two were like night and day. The only two people who actually seemed to give damn about her. Was she really that difficult? Or was it just because she distanced herself from everyone else so much that no one else, except for her husband really knew her at all. There had been friends amongst the Jedi, Padawan's of Skye and Darex, but that had all gone their own ways. "I'd like you to meet the kids too. I don't know why I didn't bring them..." As she spoke she realised that she did know why. "Well, no offence... But I wasn't if Serenno was a safe place for them and if I'm really honest I just needed some time away. They've been glued to my side for the last 8 years. I spent so much time just being 'Mom' that I forgot who 'Darla' was. Besides, they're getting to that age where I just feel like I'm cramping their style. Paranoid, overprotective mom with a blaster pistol isn't a good look for anyone. They look a lot like Darex, it's the fair hair I guess. But I was blonde as a kid too. My hair got darker as I got older, so who knows. Looks aside... They are like him a lot... He's their hero, they look up to him and I'm pretty sure that they're both ready to start training as Jedi. I wanted to stop them, but I know it's not right. They have to make their own choices. I guess me leaving them behind is really letting them go. They won't be mine anymore when they're Jedi. I mean, they'll always be my babies, no matter how old they are, but they'll be out there on their own, choosing their own paths. Iknow that's the right thing to do. I can't keep them hidden forever and it would be wrong of me to try to influence their choices." As she spoke the words aloud, it dawned on Darla that this may be it. When she saw them again, they may be Padawans. Training, exploring... It would never be the three of them hiding out in their space yacht on the fringes of the galaxy again. That was alright. It felt right. It was almost as if a huge burden had been lifted from her shoulders. It would mean that they could spend more time with their father, she knew now that it had been wrong to keep them so far away from him. Darex would make sure that no harm came to them, she was sure of that and Skye, the would both protect them for as long as they could. That was all Darla could really hope for. "Thank you..." Darla replied when Alora offered her support, knowing what her words meant. "I don't know if me and Darex can ever really fix what's been broken... I don't know if I really want to. I haven't seen him yet... since he came back that is. It just seemed too hard after all that grief. I guess I'll have to see him at some point and when I do, I'll know. But for now, I'm happy..." Yes, that was the right word, there was some truth to it. "Happy to just be by myself." Darla got quite excited by the idea of having a dress made for the wedding. It had been so long since she had worn a dress, she couldn't even remember. It would be nice to dress up, feel beautiful. She'd gotten so used to wearing flight suits and jackets, practical boots, tying her hair back for practically rather than fashion. She smiled at Alora. "Well, it is your wedding after all. I give you permission to dress me up however you like." It was quite chilling when Darla heard about the cult of Morthos. She gave her friend a squeeze on the shoulder. "I'm glad that's all over and I'm so glad that you're back. Then Alora mentioned meeting Draken and Darla became a little nervous. "Is it going to be a problem for him that I have such strong ties to the Jedi?" She had to ask, after all, he was a Sith Lord.

Darla had expected Alora to laugh. At first, the sound stung her. She had spoken of her grief and her dear friend was laughing. Darla couldn’t help tensing up. The as Alora apologised and explained herself, Darla began to realise that she wasn’t amused at her grief, it was the absurdity of her marrying a Jedi. Not just a Jedi, the Jedi Grandmaster. Darla laughed at little herself. It was what it was and she knew that she needed to stop being so serious all the time. She was in a safe place with her long lost friend. It was time to relax. “I know, it’s crazy really.” She shook her head. “You have to remember, after I left the Sith I became a Jedi for a while. He wasn’t the Grandmaster when I met him. Just a Jedi and a dear friend. We grew closer over time. We went through a lot together. When it came down it, I guess I felt torn between the darkness and light. I felt that I needed to make a choice. I had a final showdown with Kakuto. I was ready to kill him or die trying. The truth is, I never could have killed him. Darex came to me, saved me from myself. I thought that it was the right choice.” Darla took a deep sigh. “Yeah, I left the kids with my good friend Skye. I trust her and I know that they’re safe with her. It means they get to see their father, I know that they miss him. I’m not ready to see him myself. I haven’t figured out if this break is... a break... or a break-up.” What seemed like many years ago, Darla remembered being invited to Alora’s wedding. She had figured that she had missed it. Not knowing that it would postponed for so long, not knowing that her friend had been held in stasis for so long. “I guess the Force brought me here for a reason.” Darla smiled at Alora. “I’d love to stay for the wedding. I’d love to explore Serenno. From the flight down it looks like such a beautiful place Also, I still haven’t met your husband to be!” A little pang of guilt arose in her as she wondered how long she would staying, how long she wold be away from the kids. Darla reminded herself that she’d spent most of their lives right by their sides. Which she knew hadn’t been good for any of them. The twins had any freedom. She had lost herself in trying to protect them. She would stay on Serenno. They were safe and they didn’t need her constantly breathing down their necks. For a moment she remembered her original motive for visiting. Darla didn’t want Alora to think that she had only come to see her to get information to aid the Jedi. As much as she wanted to see Faust defeated, the truth was that right now he wasn’t her problem. “So tell me about this cult of Mortis, was it?” Darla had never heard anything about them. “Why did they capture you, why did they put you in stasis?”

Darla embraced Alora back, a little awkwardly, trying not to disturb the feline that her friend was holding. "She's beautiful." Darla realised that she wasn't sure if the cat was a she or a he as she said it. What's happened to me? Is grief written that plainly on me? *It's a long story I guess." She paused. "It's been a lifetime." It had indeed, the twins were eight now and she was sure it was years before they were born when she last saw Alora. It made sense that Alora had been kept in stasis, she had barely changed since Darla had last seen her. "How about we have a sit-down and I'll tell you all about it." Darla gestured towards her ship. When they were both inside, Darla made some refreshments and excused herself while she quickly cleaned herself up. She came back wearing a smart black jumpsuit, hair tied neatly back. Darla hadn't wasted any time putting make-up on, she just didn't want to chat in her sweaty clothes. "Well. I got married." Darla took a sip of the tea that she'd prepared. At least the ship was clean and tidy. She'd been keeping herself busy the last week. "I don't know if you ever met Darex. It seems so strange, me marrying a Jedi. It seemed like the perfect fit. He grounded me. We had two children, twins. I guess it all got too much for me. I was terrified that they'd be a target for my enemies, that I wouldn't be able to protect them. So I took them away. As far away as I could. They mostly grew up on this ship in fact." Looking around, Darla was filled with memories of her toddlers rushing around the space yacht, not a care in the world. She smiled to herself. "I just shut myself down from the Force completely. I wanted them to have a normal life. I wanted to have a normal life. I thought that without the Force I could just be a mom. I didn't want them to be Jedi. Darex ended up being the Jedi Grandmaster. I should have been proud. But all I saw was danger. I knew that our paths were drifting. I knew that deep down, our very ideals, what made us who we were, differed so much. Darex was always the twins hero, they couldn't wait for the times when he would visit. I guess I kept them away from him more than I should have. I told myself that it was keep them safe. But maybe I just being selfish. "Then one day, he got himself killed and I felt like all my fears were justified. It was tough. Tough on the kids too. Even though we had drifted, I felt like a piece of me had been torn out. After grieving for him, really grieving, he came back. I don't know what felt worse. Losing him or realising how futile that grief had been. We decided to separate after that. I was mad as a crazed bantha at him. I said some things I shouldn't have. I decided to leave the kids with the Jedi and if that's what they want... I can't stop them. I feel like this is the first time in last decade that I've just been alone. I miss them, but it feels good to just be myself. Be Darla again and not the wife of the Grandmaster. Not be a mother. I opened myself back up to the Force. I've been training again. I guess I'm searching, for who I used to be, for who I'm going to become and that lead me here to you." Darla smiled at Alora, it felt good to say it all out loud.

Serenno was a beautiful place. Not at all what Darla had been expecting. What had she been expecting? A cruel place perhaps, like some of the other Sith planets that she’d visited. No, it had been a place like that, she surely would have been seized and captured. But Alora wasn’t like that. At least, she hadn’t been like that. They had both been trained as Sith together. Darla had perhaps been the darker of the two at the time. So consumed with a rage that burnt inside her. A fractured woman after the cruelties of war, death and rebirth. It has been a long time since Darla had thought about the ’Black Dragon.’ Her alter ego. The truth was that it was a part of her. Like night and day that both pass over the same world, both equal parts of the cycle of the Force. Darla was getting stronger. She was amazed at how quickly her body responded when she began the combat drills that had once been a part of her every day. But she wasn’t readying for war anymore. When her body was exhausted, her mind found peace. While she meditated her thoughts wondered, the past, the present, places far off in time and space. She sensed no danger, only a stillness. Darla focused on taking deep breaths, filling her cells with oxygen. Calling on the Force to strengthen the flow until her body was tingling. Then she would hold her breath and just be. Day by day, she found that she could tech that stillness for longer. Soon Darla could hold her breath for quite some time without breathing. The Force sustaining her. But as always there reached point when her mind could no longer control her physical body and she would have to break her stillness, gasping for air. Darla was in such a trance when she felt a presence in the Force. Her old friend, Alora had returned. For a moment Darla was anxious and worried at how Alora would receive her. Then she felt Alora’s joy. She hurriedly got up from her cross legged pose and rushed to lower the landing ramp. As she did she realised that she was wearing sweaty work out clothes, her hair was tied in a messy bun. Darla was torn between wanted to look her best and just wanting to see her What does it matter how I look? Darla made up her mind and rushed outside to meet Alora. When she saw her she just stood there and smiled. A stray tear falling down her cheek. “I’m sorry it took me so long to come visit.” Darla wanted to embrace her friend, but nervousness held her still. But she smiled. Alora looked as beautiful as ever. This only made Darla feel more of mess.

Darla had never been to Serenno before. On her journey there she had found what she could from the holonet. It seemed a nice enough place, misty jungles and rain forests. She could certainly think of worse places to visit. At first she thought that it would be difficult to find Alora. Darla had expected to struggle we she asked the locals if they'd seen any beautiful Sith women recently. It turned out that it was well known that Alora's beloved Draken was the ruler of the planet. Yet the world remained neutral, not affiliated with the Sith. This made Dara feel a ot more relaxed. She still wasn't sure how her old friend would feel about her dropping by to visit. Also, how would she feel when Darla asked for information about Faust? Darla was beginning to wonder what her true motives behind coming to Serenno were. Of course she wanted to help Skye. But she also wanted to see Alora and to be away from Faust , the Jedi, everything that was going on with them. Even if that meant being away from her kids. She did feel a little guilty. Travelling alone to a beautiful far away world. It was true that should could have brought them along. But Darex would not have been happy about her bringing their children to visit her Sith friends. As much a they had become estranged, she would respect his wishes when it came to the children. Their father was their hero. It seemed that the two of them would follow in his footsteps. Maybe that"s for the best. Where would they end up if they followed in mine? Darla was a little concerned that Alora hadn't responded to her comm. But she really had no idea what was going on in her friend's life. After travelling so far, Darla decided to give Alora some time. Staying aboard her ship, Darla busied herself. Tentatively she began use the Force again. Reaching out with senses that she had neglected. It actually began to felt good. Not the overwhelming and scary experience that she had expected it to. She passed her days with meditation and exercise. It didn't take long before she was begining to feel like her old self. Centered and stronger. Even if she didn't find Alora, it felt good to have the time alone. To breath, to clear her mind, to strengthen herself.

A holo message arrived on Alora's comm, a long lost friend reaching. Alora's friend was far away, sitting comfortably in the cockpit of her ship, completely unaware of what was taking place on Kashyyyk. The hologram sat there, waiting for Alora to open. Whenever she did, she would see; The image flickering to life. Woman siting a pilot's chair. Tattoos visible on her bare arms, wet hair brush back from her face. A face that once held a dark beauty as a Lady of Sith, now plain with no make up. Darla looked older than the last time Alora had seen her. Frailer too. Thin and a little gaunt. Years of fear, stress, hiding in the outer rim had taken it's toll. From the small flickering image it was evident that there was nervous tension in the woman. For a moment she just sat there in silence, searching for the right words it seemed. "Hey old friend. I'm not sure where you are or what you're doing. I was wondering if I could see you." Another silence. "I'm sorry it's been so long. It's nothing personal. After the kids were born I was so scared that something would happen to them... I went into hiding. I've realized now that I can't hide forever. I'm alone. They're in a safe place. I guess I'm just trying to find myself. Get back to who I used to be." Tilting her head she let out a sigh and ran her hands through her wet hair. "You probably don't want to see me. I know that when I returned to the Jedi our paths went in different directions. I'm a Jedi anymore. I haven't been for years. Heck, I don't even own a lightsaber anymore. But yeah... It would be nice to see you." It was clear that there were unspoken questions in Darla's mind. "You can reach me on this frequency. If you want to." She nodded to the holo recorder and then the image winked out.

Aboard The Persephone, speeding through hyperspace, Darla began to relax. The ship had become her home. In all her travels along he outer rim, years in exile, her ship had been a constant in her life. She had watched her children grow up on the old space yacht. In wasn't a large ship, but it was big enough for a small family. Darla had actually gotten used to the small space. There was something comforting about it, like her own little cocoon. She wasn't much to look at, but that was the idea. Darla had wanted something unassuming. Comfort over style. Most importantly as passerby would thing it was a small cargo ship and not the home of the wife of the Jedi Grandmaster and their children. Darla hadn't taken Skye up her her offer of a shower and clean clothes. It would have felt strange wearing Amon or Krishna's clothes. A reminder that even their own mother didn't know where they were. As well as that, she had just wanted to get away. To get moving. Although she wan't really sure exactly where she was going. There was the pretense of trying to gather information to help the Jedi stop Faust. But in reality, Darla just wanted to see her old friend. For some reason she was drawn to Alora after all these years. On some level she felt that she would be able to regain some old part of herself long lost. The darker part. It wasn't that she wanted to rejoin the Sith, but there had been a ferocious strength in her own dark part of herself. She'd lost that. In the light side of the Force she had found some peace. But in the end she'd walked away from it all; the Jedi and the Sith. Something was drawing her back. She knew that her children would become Jedi. She knew that she couldn't just stand in sidelines. She needed to be strong once more to support them through the trials that they would face. If she didn't, if she kept out of galactic affairs as she had for so many years, she'd lose them. The truth was, she didn't want them to become Jedi, but she knew that she couldn't stop them. These thoughts swirled through her mind as she showered, hoping the heat and steam would purge the anxieties away. To some extent it worked. She dried herself, dressing in a simple vest and loose pants, happy to be alone and not having to care how she looked. Darla made her way to the cockpit, data pad in hand. "Let's give this a go." She said aloud as she began to key Alora's comm frequency in.

Darla had never expected this. How could she have thought so little of him? How could she have thought that this amazing man, who she loved, who had done so much for her wouldn't listen to her and understand? That was her problem though. Within her own mind she could make such a mess of things and she had a tendency not to speak about the things that were bothering her and letting them build up until a something that would have been a small storm easily weathered became a hurricane. Why hadn't she trusted him? Why hadn't she just spoken to him? If she had should could have saved them so much grief and pain. How could they possibly mend things now? She had tried t take his children. Darla felt sick. "No... Don't you dare. Don't you dare take responsibility for this. It's not you that needs forgiveness, it's me. I should have trusted you and should have spoken to you. I should have thought better of you. All it would have taken was for me to bring these things up when they happened and we could have dealt with them. Instead I let it come to this. I got so afraid for the kids when Faust came onboard and you just seemed so far away dealing with all your Jedi business... But that's no excuse... I should have just spoken to you... "I don't know if I'm cut out for this. You know when the kids were born I was so terrified... I wanted to run then... I was going to leave them with you. I thought that they'd have a better life that way. I don't know what I thought I was going to do. As much as I was afraid of staying I know I would have been lost without you. And now I know I'd be lost without Alana and Jax... "I'm still afraid." Sitting next to Darex, Darla trembled. "I pushed you so far, you wanted to hurt me. I felt it. You're the calmest, most controlled man I know. If I could push you that far..." Darla cursed quietly, closing her eyes tightly. "How could I let things get to this?"

Strong arms had lifted Darla drom the ground, she was dimly aware of being carried away as she continued to be lost in her despair. It was Darex, he had come to save her even though she didn't deserve it. She could feel feeling emanating from him that she'd never really felt before. Hints of anger. He was normally so calm and controlled, she never felt anger from him. Darla really had pushed him to his limits. What was I thinking? Did I really think that I could go through with something like that? Darla felt sick. She felt sick when she thought about how close she had been to running away, leaving Darex and taking their babies with her. As quickly as she had felt Darex's anger she felt it ebb away to be replaced by sorrow. She had broken his heart, that she was sure of. Darex began to cry too and Darla didn't know what to do. How could she possibly make up for the hurt she had just caused him? How could she explain her reasoning for choosing to leave him in the night. After a long silence, tears stolling down both of their faces, Darex finally spoke. "Why?" The simple word felt like a thunderclap in her ears breaking to silence. "I...I..." Darla stuttered, not knowing what to say. "I felt like... I felt like I had to get away. Away from you and the Jedi and the Sith and War and everything, everything that could harm them. I had to get them somewhere safe... I don't want them to be Jedi, I want them to have a normal life and I don't want them somewhere where people like Faust can find them. When we came aboard the EV it was so would have somewhere safe to raise them and so that we could fly from system to system and stay safe. I know that you'll never leave the Jedi and I know that the Order comes first. I felt like I didn't have a choice. But when it came down to it, I just couldn't... I couldn't leave you..." Darla couldn't make eye contact with Darex while she spoke. She knew that her words would only widen the rift between them.

Darla had a choice to make... She had wanted her children to be somewhere safe. Away from the Sith. Away from her enemies. Away from anyone who would them harm. When they had first been born on Tython she had horrible dreams where they were taken from her and she was unable to save them. This hadn't seemed beyond the realms of possibility. There were many men in the Galaxy who had tormented Darla and would relish taking her children from her. Although the Jedi sanctuary at Typhon was hidden deep in the jungle it was a Jedi base none the less and if it were discovered by the Sith would surely be a target. The fact that it was so far away from any kind of civilisation meant that if it was attacked Darla and her children would be sitting ducks. As soon as she was able after the births, she had left with her children, their father and her dearest friend. Darla had hoped that the five of them would find a place of sanctuary, far from the rest of the Galaxy where her children would truly be safe. Where she and her family could live in peace away from Jedi, Sith, wars and all the horrors of the Galaxy. They had decided to find the Eternal Vigilance, a place where Darex had once found solitude for a time and use it as their home. The idea had been that they could travel around, not stay in one place and also be far enough away that they wouldn't be stumbled upon. But that wasn't to be the case, Darex's role amongst the Jedi, being Grandmaster no less had led him to bring the eternal Vigilance out of hiding. How could Darla tell him not to when he felt like he needed to? She knew that his role made him feel like the Jedi order needed him. Not only that but that the Galaxy needed him. To defend it, to right wrongs to fight for justice and peace. All Darla wanted was for him to leave the Jedi behind and be her husband. But how could she ask him to do that? Being a Jedi was the core of what he was. She had known this all along. He would never give up his beliefs and he would never stop fighting for what he thought was right. A long time ago Darla had felt the same. But after years of fighting and becoming a mother, Darla just didn't want to fight any more. Of course she would fight if she had to. She would fight to save her children, Darex, Skye, but she wanted nothing more than to keep her children safe in the first place. She wanted peace and time to watch them grow. She wanted to be their with them. Always. A dead hero mother would do them no good. As would a dead hero father. At times Darla was terrified that Darex would get himself killed. There were only so many times someone could be pulled back from the clutches of death through cloning. Not long after coming out of hiding they found themselves at Coruscant, the very centre of the Galaxy. Two Sith Lords, the two men who had once taken Darla's life no less, had been there. One Darla had hoped to help and redeem and had unwittingly revealed the existence of her children. The other Darla had been terrified of, terrified that he would come for her and her babies and that there was nothing she could do. How could Darex take their home to Coruscant, let it became a bustling place of Jedi activity? How could he allow Faust onboard? Darla had been horrified. Instead of taking them to a place that was safe they had been taking to the heart of the Galaxy. And this was why Darla had to make a choice. Could she possibly stay here with Darex any longer or would she have to flee in order to keep her children safe and hidden? In her mind Darla began to make plans. How could she get away? How could she sneak out of the Eternal Vigilance without anyone knowing? It wouldn't be easy, she would have to find a ship. The most difficult part would be getting the twins out with her. When they had first been born Darla had felt like she wasn't good enough to be a mother to them. By being their mother she had felt that she would make them a target for her enemies. Because of this she had wanted to run away and leave the twins with Darex and Skye. But now that her head was clear she knew that she could never leave them. But could she leave Darex? Was it the only way that she could get her children to safety? Did she want her children to grow up to be Jedi? For weeks Darla thought about all of these things. When Darex was away from their apartments on business sometimes she cried in secret. She loved him dearly and always would, but every day she questioned wether or not they were right for each other. He was a Jedi through and through and she was... well, she wasn't even sure what she was anymore. Not a Jedi, not a Sith, but she had been both of those things. Then she had traversed a grey area between the two. Now... Now she barely ven used the Force. She knew that she could if she really wanted wanted to, but it just seemed that the Force was no longer such an important part of her life. It seemed that all the people who chose light or darkness, all it did was lead to wars and disputes. An energy force spilt into two. Both sides that could be devastating in their power. Why more people didn't see it for what it was, she didn't know . The Force was what it was, just the Force. No light, no dark. By making the division and forming religions and belief systems around it the Galaxy had been torn asunder. Many times. Her husband to be stood for one of these factions, the light. Darla herself wanted to be apart from such distinctions. She had been willing and surely would be willing again if the situation arose, to use the powers that many called the Darkside. How could they ever hope to raise their children together when they had such different beliefs? Darla really had thought that they could make it work. But since Darex had brought them out of exile and to the forefront of Galactic affairs she questioned wether or not they could make it on a daily basis. When she saw Darla she didn't let on. She kept her worries to herself and merely showed him her love. He had enough to worry about himself and she didn't want to drag him down in any way. If she was going to leave she wanted to make the most of the time that she had left with him. Darex surely noted that she had become fiercely passionate when she saw him as well as te sadness in her eyes when she looked at him in quiet moments. When questioned she would make excuses or smile and say that everything was fine. This went on for some time. By day Darla began to train again, when she wasn't looking after the children. She wanted to be strong again, strong enough to defend her children in a fight if it came down to it. Once she had been a fierce fighter, but it had been a long time since Darla had seen combat. Not only did she want her old body back, but she wanted to be stronger than ever. Day by day she lost the last of the baby weight she had still been carrying and began to regain her old level of fitness. Darla also got hold of some blaster pistols and began practicing on the firing range. Eventually she began to get her old aim back. Darla no longer possessed a Lightsaber and had no desire to on a quest to build herself a Jedi weapon. Blasters would have to suffice. Darla also approached Skye and asked her friend to help her retrain in the Force. Skye gladly offered her help and under her wise instruction Darla began to grasp the Force again. She had no desire to become a Jedi once more, but being able to use the Force was a valuable skill that not everyone possessed. If she was going to go it alone she would need all the skills that she learn, or 're-learn for that matter. If her Force skills could mean the difference between protecting her children or being salin by a Sith, then she would hone those skills to the same level as ny Jedi or Sith. It wasn't easy and it took time. But day by day Skye taught Darla to re-use the Force. Some days Darla was so frustrated and exhausted that she wanted to cry. But she wanted to be the best that she could be. While she was training the children were left with Nanny, their droid. During this time Darla didn't see them perhaps as much as she should have, but she kept telling herself that everything that she did was for them. They had grown so much. As the months had rolled on they had began to walk, said their first words and before long it had been their first birthday. How time had flown... And Darla still had to make a choice; would she stay or would she go. Now she was in the best position she had ever been to protect her children. Fitter, faster, stronger in both body and spirit. She began trying to procure a ship in secret and figure put where exactly she would take them where they would be safe. Would she take Nanny along too? Could she? Would the droid object? If she didn't the children would miss her sorely... But then they would also miss Darex and Skye... Could Darla really do that to them? I have to take them away from here, away from the Jedi, it's for their own good One night when Darex was sound asleep and Nanny had been shut down, Darla put he plan into action. Her new ship was waiting in the docking bay, Darla had managed to convince Darex that she was going to use it for flight practice, since she had once been a great pilot but rarely got to fly anymore. In secret she had stocked the ship with everything that she would need. She left their apartment and powered up the ship, then made sure that the twins new beds were ready. Upon arriving back at their apartment Darla spend some time watching Darex sleep. He looked so beautiful. She was going to miss him. If she looked at him any longer she knew that she would change her mind, so she left the room wiping tears from her eyes. Now there was the question of getting the twins out of bed without waking them and getting them onto the new ship. When Darla had originally thought about spiriting them away, they had been a lot smaller. Now she would have to carry them one at a time. This wasn't going to be easy. She took Alana first. Gently she lifted the sleeping girl and walked with her to the hanger bay. Using the Force she gently masked her image, if anyone saw her they wouldn't immediately notice she was carrying a child. She also had to move slowly and deliberately not to wake her daughter. She stirred a little but remained asleep. Darla lay her down in her new bed and headed back to retrieve her brother. Quietly she entered the apartment, drawing on Force to help every movement be a gentle as possible. If Darex awoke now, there was no way of hiding what she was in the middle of doing. Slowly she lifted Jax and smoothly and quietly made her way out of the apartment. As the door shut behind her Darla exhaled and then began breathing quickly. She hadn't noticed that she had been holding her breath. She suddenly began to feel an urgency and rushed to get Jax to their new ship, to his sister. Jax began to stir and groan as his mother almost ran carrying his sleeping form. He was starting to wake up. It didn't matter now. Darla would be at the hanger bay soon. She began to rush across the hanger bay and had drawn the attention of one of the guards. "Miss! Umm, Darla?" She stopped in her tracks but remained silent. She began to tremble, visibly. Another guard walked to the open ramp to the small space yacht that she had bought. In his arms was Alana, crying. "This is your daughter, right? Miss, what was she doing alone on your ship at this time of night? She's frightened, we heard her crying." The guard spoke over what sounded to Darla like a cacophony of screaming and crying. Jax had awoken and was wriggling in Darla's arms, responding to his sister's screams. He was crying too. Both children were red faced, tears streaming. Darla's legs buckled and she fell to her knees almost dropping Jax. "Are you alright?" Darla wasn't sure who was speaking to her, their seemed to be several people around her now. "Is she alright?" "What do you think she was doing?" "Are the kids ok? Are they hurt?" Darla began to cry too. What had she been thinking? She had spent month planning how to abduct her own children, how to take them in night, far away from their family. Darla lay crumpled on the floor, Jax had been taken from her arms. She lay there in a heap, crying like a child herself. She felt comforting hands on her shoulder and whispers that everything was alright. But the kind gestures meant nothing. What she had tried to do was awful. Laying on the floor curled up in ball Darla cried for a long time...

What had since been a safe haven for Darla nd her children had now become a hubbub of Jedi activity. Darla wanted nothing to do with any of the Jedi. Masters, apprentices, council members all arrived on the EV. For so long it had been merely Darla and her family and close friends aboard the ship. Without any discussion with her, her fiancé had turned the place into a Jedi base of operations. Darla wanted to leave. Having that many Jedi around made the EV a target. The idea of them using the ship had been to stay safe while their children were young an vulnerable. Now they were in the center of Galaxy preparing for who knew what. It seemed that Jedi affairs were definitely coming between Darla and Darex. She didn't know what to do about it. Deep down she knew that he did what he did because he cared. He wanted to change the Galaxy somehow for the better. But none of that meant anything to her. All she cared about was her children. Whilst Darex met with Jedi and Skye aided the injured, Darla stayed in her room with Nanny and the children. She tried her best to stay calm and not get worked up. Why couldn't Darex just be with her and the children? Screw the rest of the Galaxy. He had paid his dues fighting for man years, why couldn't he just be with his family and be happy? Darla wanted nothing more than to go ar away with Darex and Skye and keep the children safe, away from the Jedi, away from the Sith, away from war and pain. Why did Darex have to save the Galaxy? Alone in their room, Darla sobbed while Nanny looked after Alana and Jax. After some time utterly alone she claimed herself down. What could she do right now to make herself feel better about the situation? Darla decided to go for a walk. Instructing Nanny not to open the door to anyone except Skye or Darex, Darla had the droid lock her out. She wandered the large vessel collecting her thoughts. There were so many Jedi aboard. What was going on? Darla really had no idea. Suddenly Darla felt a chill run down her spine. Her rarely used Force senses tingled with a presence that she had not felt in years. Could it be? Could it truly be him? Darla wantd to throw p and run away at the same time... Unless her mind was playing tricks on her, Faust was onboard. How the hell had he gotten onboard the EV? All of Darla's fears about her children being taken from her rushed over her. Who had let that monster onboard? Did Darex know? Giving no more thought to the situation Darla ran back to her room. After Nanny had let her inside she locked the door and clutched both of her children to her, one in each arm. The babies could tell that their mother was upset and they both began to cry. "It's alright. I've got you. It's alright. Everything's going to be ok." Darla didnt believe the words herself and began to cry along with her children.

Darex was right, Darla really did need to let Julio follow his own path... On the shuttle journey back to the Eternal Vigilence Darla thought a lot about what had just happened. Something about the whole scenario had awakened a spark in her. For so long she had just been going through the motions of her life. What had suddenly made her want to fight for something. The soul of a former Sith Lord. The man had killed her, tomented her. Yet the idea of his redemption had ignited a spark in her. Was it her destiny to save lost souls or was she just desperately trying to make herself feel like she wasn't lost? The idea of the twins being near the Sith had awoken something in her too. A fear and a desire to run. She wasn't sure if that was a good thing. Yes, it would be good to get the twins safely away from the Sith, but why didn't her children being in possible danger illicit the desire to fight back? Shouldn't she want to fight ot protect them? The old Darla would have. Had becoming a mother made her soft? Or had she already become soft? It had been years since she had been in any kind of combat. There was not longing for battle and blood in her anymore. All she wanted was to keep Alan and Jax safe... and Rose... That's what it was. Julio's plea for his daughter's protection. Even before she was a mother Darla would have strived against all odds to protect an innocent young girl. Now that she had children of her own that longing to protect was amplied. To protect... But not to fight... Perhaps she was becoming a Jedi after all. Darla laughed at the idea. She was so far away from being anything like a Jedi or a Sith these days. She barely used the Force anymore. "Sorry if I slipped up there..." Darla took Darex's hand in her own. "I really wans't thinking straight... To be honest, I don't know what I was thinking at all." She sighed. When she got back to the ship, Darla discovered Skye alone in the lounge. She smiled at her friend as she passed though and entered the children's room. Both were fast asleep. Darla stood over them for a little while watching their small chests rise and fall with each breath. They looked so beautiful. Their robotic Nanny stood sentinel, watching over them. In an instant she would be ready to tend to them should they wake. Darla walked over and kissed the droid gently on her metallic head. "Nanny, you're a life saver." She whispered. "Mistress Darla, I have saved no lives today. I am not a surgeon class medical droid. I'm a child care unit" Her feminine vocabulator was on it's lowest setting as not to wake the sleeping children. Darla laughed a little. "You're the best child care unit I know.' Darla winked. "Why thank you mistress Darla. Although I accpet the conpliment most gratefully, might I suggest that we converse another time when the children aren't asleep? We wouldn't want to wake them." "Of course." Darla patted Nanny gently on the arm and then left. When she got back to the lounge, Darla sat opposite Skye and waited for Darex to join. "Thank you for looking after the kids. It looks like you really wore them out." Darla smiled at her friend but her smile faded. "That really was something down there... Furion offered to join the Jedi, well sort of... Then he ran away. There was Geki and he escaped his cell... It was really pretty insane." It was obvious that the events from earlier in the day still weighed heavily on Darla's mind.