Nar Shaddaa - Rebel Alliance Headquarters

[MSA]

It had been months since Brazen had arrived at Nar Shadaa and the Jedi Knight was still in utter disbelief with all the change. Walking the streets outside the Jedi Outpost, he looked around in quiet contemplation, the memories of Coruscant fresh upon his mind. So much had changed since he disappeared, the Galaxy all the darker for it. But here, on the once infamous Smuggler's Moon, a beacon of hope was lit anew.

 

Yet, for Brazen, there was still alot of darkness to fight through. He was filled with anger and vengeance, wanting to seek retribution for Coruscant and the Jedi Order. And so, he had spent most of the time since his return balancing his spirit, delving deep into his meditations, as he sought to curb his resentment and angst. Even going as far as seeking the Masters of the Order for their wisdom and guidance.

 

But despite the tempering of his mind and the balancing of his spirit in the Force, despite the best intentions of the Masters, he still felt alone in this Galaxy, and unable to turn the page he found himself stuck upon. Kicking a small loose stone with his boot, he recited the Order's age old Tenents in silence to himself, closing his eyes and opening his mind as his breathing steadied.

 

"There is no Emotion; There is Peace,

There is no Ignorance; There is Knowledge,

There is no Passion, There is Serenity,

There is no Death; There is the Force."

 

With a relaxed sigh, Brazen turned the corner and back into the Outpost, and perhaps today would finally be the turning of the page. For today was the day he was to meet with Jedi GrandMaster @Adenna Alluyen for the first time since his arrival at Nar Shadaa and his realization of how much the Galaxy has changed since his disappearance almost two centuries ago. It was her who suggested that he take the time he needed to get familiarized with this new era and center himself, and so he did. But Brazen had never been one to sit around for too long.

 

When he reached the waiting area outside her office, he noticed one of these Imperial Knights @Aidan Darkfire he'd heard about sitting across the way. In all honesty, he thought them to be heretics, tempting themselves with the darkside to defeat it. But after gazing upon the man briefly, he seemed no different than Braze did, albeit Brazen was sure his armor was better looking. While he awaited the Grandmaster's summons, Brazen approached the man and offered a hand. 

 

"Brazen Makashi, but you can call me Kashi, Imperial."

[MSA]

Kashi, who had remained admittedly quiet through most of the discussion, reeling from the subtle settling truth that not only had the Sith returned, but also held such a vast Empire, sat forward and cleared his parched throat.

 

"First off..." Kashi let his words roll out casually, quickly turning to a quite coyful finish as he smiled. "Please, call me Kashi. Makashi was my father."

 

"Secondly..." Kashi's voice turned to a more ominous and serious tone as his gaze shifted down toward the table after first glancing shamefully at the Imperial Knight that sat across from him. "As you know Grandmaster Alluyen, beings like the ones you are describing so casually, I have never faced before. Cultists, Darksiders dabbling in the forbidden teachings, fallen Jedi... sure. But not the Sith. Not full fledged Disciples of the Dark."

 

Kashi's hesitation was evident in his voice, the self doubt apparent in his gaze. But his determination came out in his composure, his posture, and even the occasional shifting of his Commander Armor not seen since Eras of long ago. It wasn't out of fear that he spoke, but inexperience. And as he finished, his gaze shifted once more to Aidan.

 

"As such, lastly...." Kashi spoke with a half hearted grin, softly hiding his reluctance to work under an Imperial Knight and vaguely showing his realization of knowing his better. "I believe... Aidan Darkfire was it... should be in command and I'll follow his lead. It only seems right that those with more in depth experience lead the charge."

[MSA]

Kashi listened to the Grandmaster's words, taking to heart her advice and praise. And when the Imperial spoke, he did the same with him. It felt like a lifetime ago when he stood before the Order and recieved the rank of Jedi Knight. And yet, here and now, it felt like only yesterday. It was an odd feeling, but a humbling one. So much had changed in his time away. But perhaps this was the Force's Will. He had to believe it with all his heart.

 

"I thank you both for the words of wisdom." Kashi stood as he spoke, the Imperial Knight Aidan removing himself. Turning to the Grandmaster, Kashi bowed his head and finished. "I will do my very best to aid the Order that has graciously taken me in. I will go prepare myself as well, as I'm sure the Grandmaster has much to do as well before we depart. May the Force be with us."

 

With that, Kashi smiled and made his own departure. Heading straight back to his quarters, Kashi geared up and prepared himself, and shortly made his way toward the Meditation Chambers. Opening himself up, he let the Force flow through his form. He closed his mind and let the life around him echo in his mind rather than remember a life that no longer existed for him, even that which he left behind on Iego. He settled his mind on the here and now, absorbing the life that was beginning for him and took it in to remind him that life is what you make of it.

 

When the hour was up, Kashi was at the transport, awaiting Aidan and Grandmaster Alluyen, a more focused atmosphere surrounding him.

[MSA]

Kashi could only pace back and forth aboard the transport carrying him, Aidan, and the Grandmaster, their plans finished but carrying heavier weight than what they sought. It was unspeakable, unheard of at least to him, of a Grandmaster injured in such a way. Occassionally Kashi would stop, glancing down at Aidan as he worked on Adenna, flustered at the idea that he was incapable of helping, before his pacing started up again. Eventually one of the men had to ask him to sit to level the weight, but Kashi's never really left the Imperial and his Grandmaster.

 

When they arrived at Nar Shadaa, klaxons erupted as a escort reached to the heavens in their descent and guided them to the readily available hospital, the next moments a mere blur for the Knight as she was rushed away and into better hands. Running his fingers through his darkened hair, Kashi noticed his pacing had restarted as he looked down the distant hall through the sterile doors, a nervous tick he couldn't help to avoid. And when other arrived to debrief him and Aidan, Kashi disappeared in the hustle of the moment as his comrade took charge.

 

Part of Kashi felt disappointment in himself for such a failure, allowing such a commanding figure to be harmed during such a minute Operation, especially given his inexperience in dealing with the Sith. But most of him felt the dread that drove him to spend so much time upon Iego, running from what felt so wrong. War was not his venue, even as the Padawan of a Weapon Master. He could feel the unsettling of his emotions running rampant even as it did in those days and the darkness it bored with it. And it sickened him deeply, even to the point of whether the life of Jedi was truly his destiny.

 

As Kashi walked about, mostly to rid his mind of the haste and clear his thoughts, but to also get fresh air, he could feel the disgust upon him. Blood still stained his armor and skin, his weapons, and his hair. He felt dirty, even after a visit to the refresher. And he couldn't shake it. It felt as if it stained his very soul. But he was beginning to see that this war was necessary. These Sith, even mere Soldiers capable of injuring such a prominent figure as the Grandmaster forebod a deep rooted Darkness in the works and the Galaxy needed to fight it. The question was, though, would he be able to fight against it or would he become a part of it?

 

Once clean, he reached out in the Force to find Aidan. Perhaps the young Knight could shed some light upon the subject. But as he neared his location, another had already arrived.

[MSA]

A presence would begin to surge within the Force on the humbled world of Nar Shadaa, a presence that would feel eeriely familiar and yet unknown in the same token of semblance. It carried knowledge in it's precipice, like a gentle thought crossing the threshold of the Force as it flows it's natural course across the surface of Nar Shadaa' and within the halls of the Red and Black. Misal Draygo @ObliviousKnight would know it's presence well enough, though feel it more clearly than before. And Armiena Dark fire would feel a haunting presence from decades past, one she likely felt imprinted upon her former Padawan, Jedi Knight Genesis Stormhelm. 

 

And for the Neti @Frondand company @Sandy Sarna, the presence would feel as an anomaly that coincided symbiotically within the natural flow of the Force, similar to the Neti. Yet, as for the young Imperial @Aidan Darkfire, within the confines of the thought that echoed, a dread would be present that encircled his surname, as if it carried a dire memory of his family within it. A simply focus upon that said thought, should he pressure it, would reveal the name of Aryian Darkfire.

 

But this presence did not flow locally, nor within the confines of the Red and Black District of the Imperial Headquarters. Instead, it was distant and unaware. And with this presence, came another slightly behind it's flow with a child like endeavor. Though it called to them all, it held no purpose nor knowledge of it as it leaked upon the Force, as a stream flowing into the larger river. It had felt their presence, but did not intend for it's presence to be felt in return.

 

At least, not yet.

[MSA]

The veil between light and dark had always been a thin one, capable of seeing one side from the other with a near incapable ability to truly tell the two different aspects apart. And for many, it's threshold could be crossed without conscious not knowledge. Only those who could truly see it's precipice became weary of it, and some were capable of walking the thinning line that was the veil. Since the time of Aryian Darkfire, the Imperial Knights were the closest the Galaxy had come to know capable of this, very few outside these three Orders capable of threading so lightly. One of those was the man that now stood at the Gates of the Imperial Headquarters.

 

Scorpio held no true reason to be standing here, no longer a Jedi nor Sith, and definitely not Imperial. Closest he came was during his active duty days as a Alliance Lieutenant shortly before the fall of the Galactic Alliance. And yet, he felt drawn here as he gazed upon its walls from beneath his conical hat. He could feel Armiena Darkfire @ObliviousKnightHe could feel @Aidan Darkfire. He could feel the Neti @Frond. And he could feel @Sandy Sarna. Powerful presences in the Force and two held a tie to his very own with the third something akin to his own path. And so with Railyn strapped in on his back, he made his approach.

 

A Guard stopped him as he neared the entrance's barrier, questioning his identification and his reasons for approaching the Imperial Headquarters. Scorpio smirked beneath his hat, pulling forth his ID and handing it over. The Identification Card it's self was very old, nearly a decade and a half, with the Jedi Insignia partially scratched away. The picture it's self was of a youthful Knight where now an aged man stood, causing confusion to grow upon the guard's face. Scorpio's slender fingers reached up and turned the card around to reveal prints of his thumbs that could be verified in the Jedi database next to a scuffed barcode before releasing the ID for the Guard to verify.

 

As the verification was made, a small alert would be sent to the Grandmaster's @ObliviousKnight personal communication device with a watchlist notification. It stated: Scorpio Armegedon, Knight; Padawan to Nom Anorus, Exiled. Reasons: Restricted. Death: Onderon; Dragon's Gate.

[MSA]

For someone such as Scorpio, there was never a true place within this plane of existence for them, and yet, life dictated that they exist all the same. Like the intent and hearts that lingered within the duel aspects of the Light and the Dark, the Jedi and the Sith, there was no rhyme or reason. There was only the Will. And as someone who had walked both paths, Scorpio understood this conundrum better than most, an existence with no destiny nor purpose outside of simply existing. And now, upon his back, another life dependent on his existence. Anakin had called him back from the nether to exist as he is.

 

As he stood upon the precipice of the Imperial Headquarters, he questioned his existence to the very core of himself. He was the light of his heart. Anakin was the dark. And yet, neither could nor would exist without the other. They were bound by this law even before Damon and Yue. The only difference after was the dual personalities that resided, incomplete separately, but not completely whole. It was complete and utter imbalance. And yet, the Force had willed it so, neither capable of existing very long without the other. Very much like the Force it's self.

 

To walk the path of Light wasn't benevolence nor was it kindness. It was Balance and Nature. It was an Understanding of Life and Acceptance of Death. But to walk the path of Dark wasn't malevolence nor was it wickedness. It was Power and Corruption. It was an Understanding of Survival and Acceptance of Strength. He knew these paths all too well. He understood their true depths, their root causes, and he understood why they existed. They were beliefs, ideology, concepts, and constructs. Jedi believed in being one with the Force, using it to further Life and the Natural. Sith believed in being strong in the Force, using it the further one's own growth and empowerment. And neither were wrong. So why did his existence feel so wrong?

 

As Scorpio turned outward from his thoughts, the Guard handed back his Identification and asked for his weapon, a general gesture that Scorpio quickly refused out of regret for even coming here in the first place. Turning to leave, the guard reached for his blade, causing Scorpio to grasp it's hilt and twist, unlocking the mechanism that locked his blade in place. Beneath the conical hat, his eyes darted toward the Guard as his irides burned with rage.

 

"You heard it too, didn't you?" Scorpio began to speak as he brought the unlit hilt forward and placed two fingers at it's emitter to draw the Cyan Blade from it's confines. But a voice drew his attention from this conflict.

 

"Stand down, Lieutenant." A familiar, yet gruffed tone spoke as a form emerged from the blast doors leading inside. Standing before Scorpio, a tall rugged form towered over him and a hand pushed him clear of the Guard Station and back onto the streets of Nar Shadaa. "Why are you here, Scorpio?"

 

"I'm beginning to ask myself the same question." Scorpio responded, placing the hilt back into the confines of it's sheath, locking it back into place as he gazed upon his former comrade. "Nostalgia I'm guessing."

 

The Kiffar looked at Scorpio with sorrowful eyes, seeing the former Knight filled him both with relief and disdain, a dread he hadn't wanted to feel since Scorpio's Exile. Luckily, he was the one who received the alert of Scorpio's arrival and quickly came. "Nar Shadaa is one thing, but Imperial Headquarters? You're an Exiled Jedi Knight!

 

"Was an Exiled Knight..." Scorpio retorted, his gaze shifting across his shoulder toward the sleeping head of Railyn who slept so peacefully and content. "Now I'm not sure what I am."

 

"Still... You shouldn't have come here." The Kiffar spoke as he gazed at the child of Scorpio with even more sorrowful eyes, knowing the life she would inevitably lead with the sins of her father, no matter which personality created her. "You're listed as an Exile for a reason. If the Imperial Knights were to find out about Anakin and you, it's unlikely even the Grandmaster could protect you. They'd see you as an abomination, and even worse, a threat."

 

"That's what I am." Scorpio spoke with sorrowful jest, the smirk of his grin trying to hide the pain of his eyes. "Neither Jedi nor Sith, an Abomination. A life without purpose."

 

"That's not what I meant and you know it." The Kiffar retorted in return, raising his arm to point at Railyn upon Scorpio's back. "You have purpose, just not the one you seek. When you died at Onderon, Anakin sought to restore you. You cannot exist without him no more than he cannot with you. That was the curse Master Damon warned you of before you chose to split yourself from him."

 

"And what was I supposed to do? Let the Poison corrupt me until I was no more than a puppet for the Darkside? To never know the embrace of the Light ever again?" Scorpio spoke with rage filled eyes. "It wasn't just you're run of the mill Sithling Poison. It was different. It was the only way. Even Master Anorus knew it."

 

"I know. As Master of the Jedi Exorcists, Master Damon knew there was no alternative." He responded with a knowingly sorrow in his voice. "The Sith have a way of destroying lives well beyond death."

 

"Oh, don't feed me that line of crap. Anakin was Sith. I have his memories." Scorpio spoke, shaking the rage from his mind as he concluded. "The Sith have no more power than the Jedi. The Force is the Force no matter which view point you look at it from."

 

"And that's why you're in exile." He spoke with a sigh at Scorpio's remarks. "Even if your were successful in rejoining your souls into a singular personality, you would hold knowledge of the Sith as much as the Jedi, and your view points would never align with our teachings no matter how much you tried."

 

A moment of silence envelopes the two before the Kiffar finally breaks it.

 

"Just go Scorpio." He speaks, placing a hand upon the back of the neck of his former comrade. "Just go and live long enough to find the peace that you desperately seek. Find it in your child if nowhere else."

 

As he turns to walk away and Scorpio begins to depart, he glances back to gaze upon the man that was born from the fellow Padawan he knew during their time together so long ago. Scorpio had been dealt a sorrowful hand in life and he could only hope that he would one day find peace within it. But Scorpio was right about one thing. He would never be a Jedi nor a Sith, but something in between. Whatever that birthing would be, he could not see. For the Force that swirled around the son of Armegedon was a cloudy one. If only Aryian Darkfire was alive and well, then perhaps he would be able to see Scorpio's path more clearly. But Scorpio was the only one to return from Onderon's surface.

[MSA]

An aura in the Force rolled upon the waves of the mystic energies that flowed through the Rebel Alliance Headquarters on Nar Shadaa as a presence made his solemn approach. For nearly a decade, the once young man had sought himself in self exile, walking a path that his parents before him sought refuge and peace within. But no more could he sit idly by, no more could he ignore the march of war that constantly traversed the space lanes and planets of the Galaxy. And step by step as he approached the Gates that led into the compound set aside for what remained of the benevolence, his mind churned with what led to this point.

 

Once a Jedi, he stood for life and preserverance. He picked up his blade to defend and let its light shine truth upon the Dark Side. But through war, he found himself lost upon the currents of the Dark Side and fell into its corruption. He became what he fought to extinguish. And as a Sith, he fought to perish all who opposed. He carried his blade high to spread the corruption he once fought against, revealing in the carnage and onslaught he brought with him against the Light of the weak. A warrior he had always been, and through war, he thrived. It was his evolution. 

 

But as all Warriors, time inevitably takes its toll upon the soul. With more power comes less challenges, and with less challenges comes boredom and thought. He grew tired of war, he grew tired of the constant 

[MSA]

An aura in the Force rolled upon the waves of the mystic energies that flowed through the Rebel Alliance Headquarters on Nar Shadaa as a presence made his solemn approach. For nearly a decade, the once young man had sought himself in self exile, walking a path that his parents before him sought refuge and peace within. But no more could he sit idly by, no more could he ignore the march of war that constantly traversed the space lanes and planets of the Galaxy. And step by step as he approached the Gates that led into the compound set aside for what remained of the benevolence, his mind churned with what led to this point.

 

Once a Jedi, he stood for life and preserverance. He picked up his blade to defend and let its light shine truth upon the Dark Side. But through war, he found himself lost upon the currents of the Dark Side and fell into its corruption. He became what he fought to extinguish. And as a Sith, he fought to perish all who opposed. He carried his blade high to spread the corruption he once fought against, revealing in the carnage and onslaught he brought with him against the Light of the weak. A warrior he had always been, and through war, he thrived. It was his evolution. 

 

But as all Warriors, time inevitably takes its toll upon the soul. With more power comes less challenges, and with less challenges comes reflection. He had grown tired of war, had grown tired of the constant stagnation brought about by consistency. And in the light, a glimmer of hope appeared. His siblings had survived just as he had. It was in that moment that the weight that had bore its self into his heart lifted and Scorpio had felt a new chance at life. He hung up his blade, left the field of Battle, and sought out his siblings. And in his travels, one by one he grew past his former life and into a new one. 

 

Then came Onderon. His death. Aryian's death. The fall of the Galactic Republic. As war once again called at him in passing, he sought to make amends for the transgressions he once placed upon the Galaxy. He sought redemption. It was here that war took its final toll upon his soul. He wanted peace. He wanted solace. And as he began his new life after Onderon, he sought exile. And so he settled among the Miraluka. And in his exile, found his path not as a Jedi or Sith, his redemption not as a Warrior or Hero, but found both in his daughter as a Father.

 

And so he settled his weary heart into a life full of joy and fulfillment, becoming a teacher among the Luka Sene and a pillar and of the community. This was where the Force placed its last curve into his life in the form of the Jedi Padawan Genesis Stormhelm, a padawan to Jedi Master Armiena Draygo, a Jedi who once aided him upon Manaan. Compelled to help the Padawan with his path, Scorpio was drug back into his Jedi role. And through Genesis, brought back the stirring of his former Life in the Force.

 

It was Genesis that led Scorpio to Nar Shadaa, and Nar Shadaa that rippled the tides of the war that would come. It was here that temptation to remain observant and unbound called to his heart while reflections of his daughter's life under Sith rule called to his soul. And after his meeting of Frond, his mind settled upon the path. As pointless as it seemed, that war would forever be a constant for the Galaxy, he knew he would have to play his part if only to give Railyn a glimmer of hope for a free life ahead of her. And so he picked up his blade once more, his hunger for war a thirst that brought fear to his heart.

 

As he approached the Red and Black's entrance, a lone guard standing at the Gate's Entrance, Scorpio tossed a worn out ID that would signal a warning beacon across the Base's Imperial Channels. He knew the repercussions this action would undergo, but it was time he faced the music and see his choices through to the other side. As a Fallen Jedi, former Sith, and War Criminal, he would have to stand accountable. Whether it be as a Prisoner or as a Soldier, would be singularly left to those in charge.

[MSA]

"I'm afraid not...Admiral". Scorpio spoke as he examined the man's uniform and stars, taking notice of Rank as he unclipped his blade from his hip and held it in the one hand, offering himself in surrender. "Its been many years since my name has likely been spoken amongst the remains of the Republic, as I am a former Jedi from the era of Onderon Starlisk. A fallen Jedi."

 

His gaze was stern but kind from beneath the Conical Hat that adorn his head, one that spoke of his set mind and hope of redemption. His gaze briefly shifted to the Lieutenant as did his wrists as he freely offered himself up for arrest. Deep down, Scorpio understood the confusion and likely hesitancy one might form in this moment, but his choice had been made, and his fate bound to the will of the Force.

 

"I'm here to offer my unconditional surrender." He spoke softly as his gaze shifted back toward the Admiral while his hands remained in place and in plain view. "And my aid should it be asked."

Edited March 21, 2022 by MSA

[MSA]

Scorpio's confusion only followed Beck's own as the man instead offer his lead rather than stuncuffs, his brief and blank stare at the scruffy man speaking more volume than words before he departed. Scorpio, himself although aged, had never been able to produce a full beard, let alone much more than a baseline five o'clock shadow. His face was as clear and silky as that of a child's despite the age lines and scars that lingered even in his cloned form.

 

As the Admiral poised the question, Scorpio removed the conical hat and held it to his side where the now sheathed weapon sat once again. "Its one I'm sure you've heard quite often. I started out an orphan, became a Jedi, fell to my own inner darkness, and now seek redemption." He spoke with a loosely hearted chuckle. "But to be honest, it's only been a singular path that I've walked. Jedi Guardian, Sith Warrior... the path of a soldier, of war. I thought in exile I would find peace, and did for a time...."

 

His gaze met with Beck's a hardened and stern look as the serious depth of his thoughts read within his turquoise eyes. "Peace is an impossible dream now. I have higher stakes at play and if the Sith manage to conquer all, my daughter's life will be forfeit." His eyes squinted snakishly, as if he recoiled in defense. "That's something I am playing for keeps. A father's bet, if you will."

[MSA]

Beck's words rang the truest sense of the epitome that is truth, peace impossible to find despite searched for by all, even those who have walked darker paths like himself. Whether through tranquility or through conquering and submission,  it was never able to be found. That was the truth of the Galaxy's history and why war plagued it so. Only in death, was Scorpio ever able to find a semblance of it. And technology had claimed that right from him as well. Still, one always had to try, for without the attempt, it's ideology could never be replicated even if only for a moment.

 

"A feeble attempt, that is true. But one all seek to experience even if only in falsehood." Scorpio attempted a jest, but it rang the seriousness of the reality all the same. "Still, even if only an ideology, a fleeting moment can be attained through preserverance and luck."

 

As the room and windows rumbled with the departing ship, Scorpio barely reacted, the activity of a spaceport something he had lived around his entire life, even in indentured servitude as a youth. Instead, his eyes remained on Beck respectfully, taking in the man's actions and words as one warrior to another would upon the precipice of looming war, an inaudible moment of reflection and learning from one to another. And as Beck's words left his lips, Scorpio simply smirked before fading away to the harsh reality of his reply.

 

"I was once a Jedi. Also a Sith. As a fellow soldier of war, you know my skills in depth. I am a walking weapon forged for war either in hands or simply fist... Scorpio spoke as his smirk shifted to the reality of what he was and what he sought to find peace from, his hand signaling the blade at his hip before coming up to form a fist. But in the fleeting moments such as the one they lived within in this moment, war loomed upon the horizon along with the harsh reality. "But as a Force User, I am a weapon of mass destruction."

[MSA]

It wasn't out of ego or pride that Scorpio's blunt words had came from, but from his own experiences. The Force was as mystical and mysterious as it was vast and selective. In truth, Scorpio felt that those able to wield it had long taken advantage of it and set the course for the constant wars that inevitably plagued the Galaxy throughout its vast history. And against those who were unable to tap into its flow and use its limitless aid in battle, technology had always been their only salvation. The exiled Dark Jedi had always been a relative example of such history with their ruling over many species including those whom they derived their current name. In truth, he was biased against the Force due to his time in exile.

 

But the truth was still the truth. Wielded properly with training, it was the best weapon of any arsenal and as deadly as any technological weapon currently produced. As Beck called for weapons from his personal armory, Scorpio held his hand up in dismissal.

 

"I'd prefer destruction to be my last course of action if you don't mind." Scorpio spoke, gracious at the offer, but reluctant in the idea of expanding his current arsenal. "I still wield the Saber of my Jedi roots, as lustful as its hunger is for action, and my armor and the Force should be the only protection I need in battle. Your men will need them more than I."

[MSA]

Scorpio returned the simple nod qnd readorn the conical hat before pinning the medallion to a fold on the chest his robes below the pauldrons. As Beck and the other departed, Scorpio made his own leave, turning into the hall opposite of the Admiral and his Captain as he followed the flow of the Force and its inevitable will.

 

The consequences of the orders received had already began to hustle, the alarming of the klaxons ringing its mind piercing echo as the trumpets of feet clambered in the halls. The foot soldiers were on the move and their superiors were issuing constant repercussions. A shadow within the realm of those that moved with the march of war, Scorpio moved against the grain as he treaded with transgressions. For a Warrior, it had been a long time since Scorpio marched to war and never under the guise of the average soldier. To put it plainly, Scorpio had been the unorthodox when it came to war, listening to its drums rather than orders, and this time the difference was self evident. 

 

The chaos had began, the dire emotions of those planning to fight simple beacons upon the flow of time. Fear, Anger, Hate, and Desire. So many paths define by the Dark only became reality in the moments of war, and war had never ceased to be a constant. It was why so many Jedi were prone to fall, and why Scorpio had taken the plunge. Only the semblance of hope of a new day held back the eternal, hope of winning that held back despair. And it was hope that had been his redemption. And in this moment, as Scorpio walked largely unnoticed against the hustle of the shuffle, he delved into the Force and enlightened that glimmer of hope in each soul that passed.

 

It may have been a small thing in the grand scheme, but to bring that hope to the foreground of their thoughts and emotions would raise awareness and moral. And that alone could turn the tide of this upcoming battle.

[MSA]

The roll of the tide that was the Dark Side came crashing in like that of a cold tide against the warm seas as Scorpio was taken aback in a brief moment of surprise. It was suffocating and nearly immobilizing as it washed over his form with bitterness. And then the moment passed, his attention turning toward the viewport nearest him as he gazed out upon Nar Shadaa's cityscape. A sludge of pity rolled from his shoulder as he made the realization for the unsuspecting casualties that awaited their demise, for the Sith had come to Nar Shadaa.

 

He wasn't sure the last time Nar Shadaa had recorded such a war, or if it ever had. Which, of course, made the entire scene that more devastating to behold. For he had witnessed it on multiple occasions, and those like him knew the same. He could feel the emotions lingering upon the precipice and daring to look down into the despair. Nar Shadaa would hold this wound for millennia to come and never would it be the same. A simple truth, but one that bled with horror.

 

Turning to the distant voice as his thoughts came back to reality, Scorpio was surprised to see Armiena making her approach, her Visage aged and different than he remembered. And in truth, he could exactly place the last moment they had met gazes, only the distant memory of Aryian being the first to approach his mind. He attempted to smile, but dread only hindered his attempt as he fell into line behind her at her beckon.

 

"Understandable..." He managed to slip out just before the barrage of questions came with little room left to respond, ultimately sending Scorpio into a brief chuckling fit before he could respond. "Her name is Railynn. She is three, coming up on four...." He managed to get out amongst the chuckling, as he pulled a small rodent like stuffed animal briefly from his satchel to show in response to the favorite toy. "Stuffy, her first steps was at thirteen months, and there's no denying she is mine. I pooped that turd out for sure. And she hasn't ever been sick."

 

There was no hesitation in his words, no lingering thoughts of deception, only the returning dread as he finished answering her questions as his thoughts briefly settled back on Onderon at the sight of her. With a sigh, he returned the conversation back to Railynn and the task at hand. "I can introduce you to her after this battle is over if you want, assuming we survive. I make no pardons for the life I lived before fatherhood, only that you will need my blade for what is coming as much as she does.

 

Meanwhile, the Bleached Mynock attempted to leave Nar Shadaa with the Elder at the helm, destination unknown as she attempted to relocate the people under her care.

[MSA]

For a brief moment, Scorpio saw the Armiena her knew so long ago shine through the visage of age, bringing about his own brief smile and relaxing aura briefly crossed his form. It was hard to believe that nearly two decades had passed since Manaan, the Eternal Vigilance,  and Nom Anorus. So much time, so many lifetimes. And yet, in that brief moment, it didn't feel so long ago.

 

"I was, indeed. " Scorpio spoke after a sigh as reality of the moment sank back into play, the rough of engines and lingering war awakening them. "Good kid. Rough life. Had a part of himself that he couldn't accept. Needed to see the consequences. Your mother was there as well. Stubborn, but I can see where you get it from."

 

Scorpio could barely remember his parents, only the strife he endured after their loss. He has his mother's build and his father's looks, but that's all he could remember. It brought joy to see others retain a relationship with their own for him that he rarely spoke upon. Which is likely why he took to Genesis so warmly, kindred spirits of distant pasts. "I'm glad you gave him the Rank of Knight. We need more Jedi like him. Is he well?"

[MSA]

"The Life of a Jedi... Scorpio began to reply, but the roar of her sublight engines overpowered his voice, causing him to stop briefly with a quick look to his rear until the engine's roar quieted down enough for him to finish. "... is always hard for the young. Especially for those of us who knew previous lives before coming to the Order."

 

Scorpio's words held knowledge of the subject, as he himself, knew nearly twenty years of life as an indentured servant before he found his way to Coruscant and Manaan. Perhaps it led to his inevitable fall to the Darkside, Scorpio wasn't completely convinced. But it did present a challenge of adapting to the ways and tenants of the Order, and the wars that he fought in. Perhaps there was wisdom in taking younglings in at a younger age, but given the Order's need and requirements over the last two decades of war, such wisdoms weren't an available option. It was either replenish the Ranks or perish.

 

Scorpio's brow furrowed as Armiena finished her words. He knew the inevitable as much as the alternative, but her wisdom as his elder was welcomed. War had been a constant for over the last two decades, his own childhood a byproduct of such things. Even in the moments of Galactic Peace, the Sith War Machine was never far away. The many scars the riddled his body was evident of that singular fact. His life as a Jedi began in war, his life as a Sith began in peace, and his life as an exile began in what was considered a final battle. And yet, here stood another at the precipice as he returned from exile. Placing the palm of his hand upon the butt of his sheathed hilt, he smirked.

 

"I have walked in the Light, and hid in the Dark. I have known more time at War than I have ever known Peace..." Scorpio spoke in return, the essence of his warrior ways coming across cocky and yet wise, as someone who once reveled in his lust for blood but sought to shed none this day. And in his tone, came across a hint of the will to survive no matter the cost. His voice spoke his decision to fight for the freedom he sought for his daughter, free of Sith Imperial Rule. "Even if we do not survive, know the Alliance will. We may be products created by war, but let us ensure that our children know a life without it, one parent to another. If I must unsheath my saber, then I will do so for that singular goal."