The Eternal Vigilance (The Maw)

[SithAcolyte]

Skye's words rang in Darla's ears. She shocked but soon realised that she should have expected no less from the Dark Lord. Much anger flooded her mind, mostly towards herself. She was angry that she had never truly confronted Ryu. She was angry that she couldn't stop him. She was angry that she had let herself become so weak...

 

It saddened her that Skye couldn't give her any clarity on Alora's fate other than she thought that Ryu had killed her too. Why would he do such a thing? Alora was one of his own, loyal to the sith, loyal to the Darkside. If Alora had somehow returned from the terrible battle Darla was sure that the Dark Lord actions would have left her angry and bitter towards him. It really was a shot in the dark, but Darla still had Alora's personal comm frequency. If she was alive perhaps she could find her with it. Darla pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind.

 

"I'll follow where ever you lead Skye. We can go to Helix if you wish but perhaps the solitude here would be a better place for us to stay while we grieve. I don't know about you but I don't really feel ready to face the rest of the galaxy yet."

 

Darla suddenly realised that Nivana wasn't with them. Had she said something before she left? Darla couldn't be sure. She had been so wrapped up in her reunion with Skye that everything else had seemed to fade into the background. It made Darla feel awful. She wasn't exactly being the best teacher. Nivana needed her now more than ever.

 

She reached out through the force searching for Nivana's presence and found how wondering not too far away.

 

Come back to us when you feel ready to...I understand if you want some privacy...

 

It wasn't much of a sentiment, but Darla hoped Nivana could feel her concern for her through the force. After the subtle message she turned back to Skye.

 

"Let's sit down...Maybe have a hot drink, do something mundane to ground ourselves. If we're not careful the grief will consume us and lead us down a dark path that I remember all too well."

[Skye Organa]

Slowly overcoming the huge ache in her heart, Skye put the semblance of a smile on her face, through her tears.

 

"A hot cuppa might be the go. Lets collect Niv and Krishna and have one. I know you both loved Fynn as much as I, we all had a bond with him, of varying degrees. Did you know that Tares created a bond with me? Fynn was the only one of my padawan's I created one with, there was always something... special about him. I let the other bonds form naturally. He was the only one I asked if he wanted the closer bond. It allowed so much information to transfer so quickly... Just like as Tares had done with me..."

 

She stood, along with Darla, heading towards where Niv was felt to be.

[Niv]

Niv had shaken off her thoughts of revenge, realizing that such feelings were not appropriate for a Jedi to be indulging in. If Fynn had caught her in the midst of considering such dark deeds he probably would have knocked her on her behind again. She smiled at the thought, though a a slightly sadistic thought it was.

 

With her back to the wall she slid to the floor and sat there, uncaring if anyone found her in such a position. She began to slip into a meditation when Darla's message seeped into her mind.

 

'I will be fine and will return shortly' she thought back then set to meditation.

 

Niv closed her eyes and slid almost effortlessly into rumination. She let the Force embrace her into it's eternal arms...and found comfort.

[SithAcolyte]

Hearing Nivana's reply through the Force Darla told Skye. "I think Niv needs some time alone, she's come find us when she's ready."

 

The two old friends headed in search of Skye' only remaining son, Krishna. Darla had only met the boy briefly, but he had left a distinct impression. So innocent and new to everything. It had been strange meeting him, he was so naive and child-like, but because of his father's nature he had appeared to be a fully grown young man. Darla wondered if the in the time she had last seen him he had learnt more of the universe.

 

Probably...Probably more of it's harness and cruelties...

 

The whole situation with Tzeentch had been confusing enough to Darla, she couldn't imagine how confusing it must have been to the Krishna. Darla had left him abruptly, she had rushed off into the face of danger, recklessly as always. She had a little bad about they way they had parted. It would be good to see him again and see how he was doing. She feared however that he was probably doing just as well as the rest of them, which wasn't very well at all.

 

"How is Krishna? This must all be a huge burden for him to bear..."

 

Darla wondered why Krishna had remained and Skye's other children had vanished. Was it some remnant of kindness on Tzeentch's part or some cruel joke?

[Skye Organa]

"I think Krishna is still in the ship. I haven't felt him move from his room. I know I need to make it up to him, for what I said. I never meant to say anything that hurtful to him, specially about his father."

 

Skye still felt helpless with regards to her emotions, since Fynn's loss and the loss of her other children, she hadn't been the same. Since that 'other body' had died. She changed direction, not wanting to go to the cafeteria in the Eternal Vigilance, but instead making her way back towards Serenity. Her galley fully stocked on different herbal brews as well as caffa. And she wanted to be closer to her son, close enough for him to come to her when he was ready also.

 

"It's been hard on him. I know it has. Having me, his mother break down like I did... I just know I've made it worse. I love him so much..."

 

The two entered her new ship, I-Nine informing her that all was in order with the new ship. She nodded in approval to her droid, letting him go for his oil bath in the EV's maintainance bay.

 

"I think we should at least let someone from the Order know where we are. I'll send Darex a message, let him know you and Niv here with me. Just go through to the galley, make yourself at home, there's all sorts of beverages there..."

 

She went through to the cockpit, now more herself, not quite so overcome by the wave of grief that had hit her. Being underwater helped to soothe the turmoil that had engulfed her. She sent a quick comm off to Darex, then returned back to the galley,

 

"Found anything you like yet?"

[Krishna]

This new place didn't comfort what feeling arose deep inside, nor did what was spoken earlier. Something changed about his mother when she spoke of how to teach him to kill his own father. While that agonizing part of him embraced the feeling, there was deeper innocence that was freightened by the very words. Ever since, the young man remained recluse, wishing not to be troubled furthur, needing some quality time alone.

 

Sleep drifted in and out, forced by what thoughts and visions came streaming past him. Krishna did not wish to be apart of it all, apart of what had become anymore, wishing no more then to rest alone. He remained like this for several hours, finding himself slowly come to a deeper grip with reality, what tears were shed in the beginning have long since dried.

 

His muscular frame careened up from the bed in which he laid upon, taking a deeper moment to reflect while fumbling with the surface of his mother's old lightsaber. It was very smooth, reminding him of her sacrifice to him, to their family. While he could not truly grasp the significance of carrying the weapon as a Jedi did, he still clipped it to his belt as if he were, a token more then a tool to him.

 

Still adorned in the vibrant silk patterns, Krishna made quick work of finding the familiar presence of his mother, standing in the entryway of the galley with one hand clutched the doorway, one leg inside and one outside. Those eyes, whose warmth and vigor expressed normally, were like hallow tunnels, definite dark rings encircling just below them.

 

His glance turned towards the woman who looked vaguely familiar, yet not at the same time. He even looked older then he appeared, somewhere near his early twentiies by the toned facial features, not the smooth curved bone structure.

 

"Mother...," Without wavering from the very stern gaze, he looked up at her, not fully entering the area in which the two met. Any approach she'd made to him, the young man would only furthur back away, wishing to remain a safe distance from her for now.

[Skye Organa]

Skye turned towards her son, knowing that something had changed between them in the course of the tragedy. She wanted to go to him, embrace him and smooth all the hurt away, but she sensed something that told her not to. He was a young man, one she had to let come to terms with things on his own, as much as she wanted to help him. 'If you love someone let them go, if they come back they're yours, if they don't they never were...'

 

"I'm so sorry Krishna. I didn't mean what I said before. I... haven't been myself, and I haven't been there for you as I should have been. Can you..." she paused, glancing downwards before meeting his eyes again, "can you forgive me my son?"

[Krishna]

It was painful to see her react in a way, the way he intended her to. All the power he had to look her dead in the eye vanished, having to veer off to the side as he spoke very solemnly.

 

"There's alot I just don't understand... Things I know you aren't telling me, or just can't. Mother,.. I still love you dearly, just--,"

 

His hands clenched into a fist, sighing reluctantly, near forcing the words out now, "Just I can't be here any longer.. I need to find myself, beyond what I see from your shadow. Please understand.. I don't want to hurt you any furthur as father has. It's just what I must do, to find the truth.. Something I can't help but feel,"

 

The young man's eyes raked across the lightsaber he now had clipped, her old lightsaber. One hand moved across after he spoke, glancing back up to gauge her reaction.

[Skye Organa]

It hurt to hear it. Her only remaining child wanted to go, to leave and she could do nothing to prevent him from doing so. She swallowed that hurt, even if fresh tears threatened to prick her eyes.

 

"If that is what you feel you must do. I... I won't stand in your way. I love you Krishna, with every fiber of my being. Please stay safe."

 

Her voice almost cracked, finding it the hardest thing she would ever have to do... letting her only remaining child go.

 

"You will always know where to find me."

 

She knew there were ships in the Eternal Vigilance, the Jedi had always kept some there. Skye couldn't bare to say goodbye to him, adding only the words, 'May the Force be with you'. She couldn't stay there, couldn't even look back at Darla, nor at Krishna as she struggled to hold back the fresh tears. She ducked past, heading towards her room, this time trying to hide her pain, knowing that her son needed to 'spread his wings and fly'.

 

Behind closed doors of her room, she rested her back against the wall, tears now flowing freely down her cheeks once more...

[Fynn Relmis]

As her despair deepened...something in the force swirled in the air. She could be confused about the source, and forgiven for not fully understanding what was happening. Fynn surely didn't comprehend it...he could see without eyes, hear without ears, even talk without mouth. Here...wherever here was resonated throughout the force, it was everywhere and nowhere at the same time. The last thing he could remember was a pain in his chest that seemed to suffocate him.

 

Fynn had been stuck somewhere between existence in one world and emergence in another. He couldn't feel anything, or rather sense anything, he could though feel emotion. He felt it so strongly, that when given the choice between what he thought was a oblivion, and the pain of loss...he had chosen the pain of loss. It anchored him like a tether to a windship in the skies of Dantooine. Now he reached out by calling thier names...then yelling out at them. Nivana had not heard him, and Darla had brushed her hair away, not quite realizing that the breeze on her shoulder was not natural.

 

Their was one left who might hear him, but each time he got close enough to her, he felt pulled away. As if someone or something was trying to revive him...Now Fynn tried it again. He summoned all he had learned about the force and every bit of energy and screamed....CAN YOU HEAR ME!!! he waited...but there was nothing. Skye seemed to be as unaware as Darla or the others...

-----

 

Frustrated, depressed and feeling despair, Fynn stopped and contemplated his predicament. "Feeling sorry for yourself as always I see..." said a dark voice from over his shoulder. Fynn spun, trying to see where the voice had come from. "Who are you...where are you!? Can you hear me?" Fynn asked, tired but relieved that someone could finally hear him. "Of course I can hear you...are you that stupid?" the voice said again with a slight laugh. It was closer it felt like it was over his shoulder. "What!? This isn't funny...I can't see you..."

 

"Come now Fynn, you didn't think the Witches of Dantooine left you completely alone did you? You remember the stone circle rituals...you even still do them. You needed help, your father...my father...Garm, he knew that you weren't strong enough on your own to survive. I, Kern, was dying, so he did what he thought was best...he had the witches combine our souls. I wasn't much more then a wild beast...in fact I was a beast, an animal if you will."

"Your lying, Garm loved me he wouldn't have done that...your the one I faced in that cave, your the sithlord!" Fynn said denying what he knew could be possible. "I'm no sith lord...please I'm not that petty. Trust me Fynn, out there in the galaxy you would have been overwhelmed...but I couldn't use the force like you could...so together we are far stronger. Then you had to go and die. I swear...no matter how hard I try you would never let me help you...I'll I could do was give you the killing instinct when you needed it. I'm tired of being in the shadows...when we comeback...it will be my turn."

 

"Your turn!?...lets say its true...were dead there is no coming back." Fynn said with absolutel certainty. "Come on Fynn, if we were meant to die we wouldn't be here. I can't fully explain it. Maybe its your bond with Master Skye she doesn't let go easily. Besides she is certainly tempting isn't she? Alone, husbandless...desperate." Kern said with a sick sort of twist. "What are you talking about!?" Fynn said growing disguted. "Oh come of it Fynn you know you like her...of course, Darla's more alluring. Maybe it was her love for you eh? So... powerful...animalistic...what I wouldn't give-" Fynn cut him off cold..."Stop it!!", he said as Kern was getting under his skin.

 

"Take it easy Fynn...you'll bust a blood vessel....oh thats right...you don't have one..." Kern laughed again. "Then theres Nivana, you sly bantha...I never imagined that someone so young, so vunerable could be so exciting, she might be better then all of them. Maybe some skill yet unborn in her reached out and pulled us back..." Kern said with a sort of coldhearted rasp. "Oh I know you won't let me hurt her...that is you, isn't Fynn ever the gentleman, ever the jedi...don't worry I'm not going to hurt anyone."

"Is there a point to all this?" Fynn said as he tried his best to remain sane. "Yes of course...don't forget about me! I'm tired of being ignored...you gave up part of your soul, so dont expect me to be so laid back anymore." Kern said with a sinister quality to his voice. "Now...it looks like your going to be reborn...I've seen it before...just remember, I will be there." the voice paused "Wait a minute...I think someone heard you...to bad that can't talk to you. Well its been fun but we really must be getting reborn...give my love to Darla." The voice laughed hard and then vanished.

[Skye Organa]

Skye now lay on her bed, the light cover pulled over her to stop the cold chill that seemed to creep up on her. The tears ebbed off to a slight trickle now. She felt that if she had of been in the same room as her son any longer she would have tried to stop him from going. She didn't want him to think she was ruling his life, she had only ever guided him, wanted the best for him... and her other two that she'd lost. That her last remaining child was wanting to leave home... not that they had a home to leave. Her ship had come as close to a 'permanant' home as she'd had and that had been the Destiny's Dream, not that Krishna had been in that ship all that much. That she'd felt she couldn't go on with that ship any longer, the Serenity would have to become her home now.

 

She slipped into an uneasy, light slumber having cried herself out once more. The pain of the last few days, everything had built up. The tears she had shed, over her family, over Fynn and now Krishna wanting to leave. She felt torn into pieces. Never had she felt this vulnerable before, even when she was back as a hopeful, she'd never been this emotionally open. She was lucky she was within the presence of friends, otherwise if an enemy got to her now they'd destroy her for sure.

 

Maybe it was because of this state she was in that she heard it. A very faint whisper... on the edge of her slumber... not even sure if it were real or just her mind playing tricks... CAN YOU HEAR ME!!! Her memories shifted, remembering the old padawan she had just lost... in her sleep, her tears now dried, a very slight smile turned up the corners of her lips... Fynn. Visions of the vibrant man floated through her mind, how they had met, how he had become her padawan, his training, how she asked if he wanted the bond created rather than letting it occur naturally.

 

For the first time in days, Skye fell into a deeper sleep, more at peace with what had occured, the exhaustion now exacting it's toll, though her mind remained open to those near her...

[Krishna]

It was heart breaking seeing her storm out like that, knowing despite her words she was upset with him. Krishna lowered his head and took a few deep breathes, trying his damnest not to fall into the same pit of emotion his mother felt. Ever so slowly did he grasp her lightsaber, the last token of remembrance he would have of her when he departed, before equipping back to his side.

 

"I'm so sorry," A rasped voice could barely whisper out, "This isn't the life for me.. I have to walk my own path. I love you, mother.. I will return. I promise.."

 

Darla was able to overhear him slightly, but made no move towards her. He only hoped she could have heard the last of his statement, sighing deeply before retreating, he stood at the doorway, clutching the walls. Within a few seconds, only footsteps could be heard as he moved into the hallway.

 

The young man was well aware of the Eternal Vigilance, having paced down the hallways for nearly an hour before gaining enough courage to confront his mother. The hangar bay was down to hall, finding an easy manuverable shuttle that required less manual piloting, near automatic with exception of the start up process.

 

Looking past the viewscreen, he made one last silent wish of good will upon his mother, upon the people he had grown to know, even for alittle while, before turning back. There were no more tears to shed. This was final. This was his destiny..

 

Farewell,.. I will return. I promise.

 

Switchhing the last control, the smaller version of the Lambda-class shuttle with a tan brown hint made headway into the planet's atmosphere, soon breaching and calculating for Deep Space. Where he went was entirely of his own decision, left for his heart to decide..

[SithAcolyte]

Darla felt horribly uncomfortable. Krishna needed to find his own place in the galaxy but his leaving only added to Skye's already overwhelming sense of loss. When Skye left the galley, Darla respected her privacy and chose not to follow. Even if she had gone to console her friend she knew that there was absolutely nothing she could say to make her feel better. Loss, grief and despair were all around them. If Darla hadn't been so consumed with her own grief she might have paid a bit more attention to the un-natural breeze that blew across her shoulder. All she thought was perhaps the ships air-circulation system needed looking at.

 

Skye's galley was well stocked with more palatable food than the normal mess hall pre-packed meals Darla had gotten used to. She briefly thought about having something to eat but was afraid she was still too distraught and didn't want to risk vomiting it back up. Instead Darla decided to make a cup of one of Skye's soothing teas. By the time she had finished sipping the hot drink Darla felt considerably more relaxed. She wasn't sure what was in it or if it even had any real medicinal properties.

 

For quite some time Darla stared into space. Her mind became empty. No tears left to cry. No words left to say. She sensed to the periphery of her force senses that Krishna had departed. All Darla could feel was slight regret that she hadn't gotten to know Skye's son as well as she should have.

 

Darla wondered where Nivana was, wondered how the young woman was dealing with her own grief.

 

I hope she's dealing better than I am...

[Niv]

Nivana's eyes opened, the surrounding ambient light causing them to sting and water a bit. She looked around and realized that she'd spent quite some time lost in her supple little cocoon of meditation. It was slightly disappointing to trip back into the torments of reality.

 

While more emotionally stable than previously she was, Niv still was weighted down with sorrow. But she refused to let it hinder her. Nivana stood, stretched, searched through the force for Darla and Skye. It seemed that they had moved to another location...back in the general direction of the hangar bay? She'd find out later. Now, she felt compelled to move in a different direction. As if some soft, spectral whispers were seducing ther away from the other women. Niv picked up her satchel and slipped deeper into the ancient superstructure.

 

Eventually she came to a room, her desitnation. As soon as she stepped into it she felt inwardly illuminated. The feeling was warm and welcoming and it humbled Nivana immensely. She dropped to her knees and placed her satchel purposefully on the floor before her. She stared with wonder at several intricately designed cubes. "Welcome." a soothing male voice sounded. "I am one of the guardians of these holocrons. I am called Sephan." A moment later the ghostly image of an elderly male stood before her. Dressed in typical Jedi garb, the visiage smiled down upon the kneeling Niv.

 

"I'm...Nivana Orren." she introduced, unsure of what else she should do.

 

"You are here to seek knowledge." the guardian stated.

 

"Yes...I suppose." Niv suddenly felt eerily comfortable with Sephan. As if she'd known him forever. "Knowledge and peace." she said quietly. "I was taken on as a padawan by a wonderful master by the name of Fynn Relmis. But in the midst of training my master perished protecting Coruscant from attack."

 

Sephan nodded solomnly. "Do you know the Jedi Code, my dear?" he asked gently, as would a father consoling his saddened child.

 

Niv nodded.

 

"Those words, they are but memorized words idly inhabiting your in your mind at the moment. Let them seep into and saturuate your heart and your soul, Nivana. You are a Jedi. Embrace and believe the Jedi code wholly. Only then will you you truly begin finding that which you seek."

 

Nivana nodded again, realizing that Sephan was correct. She'd memorized the Jedi code, knew it word for word forward and backward, but had yet to fully understand and embrace the ancient affirmation. She closed her eyes and quietly recited the Code over and over again until she felt it's truth sprinkling like a gentle shower upon the parched landscape of her heart and soul. When finally her thirsting body and spirit felt quenched, Nivanna opened her eyes and smiled up at Sephan. She felt invigorated.

 

"I believe I am now ready to seek more..." the dark haired young woman resolutely informed the guardian. She wanted to seek more not only for her own benifit, but for the opportunity to honor her master's memory by becoming a Jedi Knight with unwavering principles.

[Skye Organa]

She didn't know how long she slept for, her dreams focused around her former padawan Fynn. Her first thought upon waking though was of her son. Stretching out she realised he had indeed gone. She wanted her son to be happy, if that had to be without her... she would just have to live with it. She was now however, at a total loss at what to do. She rose from her bed, heading into her refresher, showering and changing into a black tunic and robes... A colour she hadn't worn much before, normally wearing midnight blue and silver. She now swapped that for the shiny black outfit.

 

Skye left her room, heading into the galley and getting herself a tea. She was now calmer, her dream putting her more at peace with Fynn's passing, believing him now to be one with the force. It was still painful, as that of her family all gone now. She would just have to try and move on, find a new life for herself... find something to do to keep herself occupied. She did want to create a new saber now, already having the crystals to do so from her last visit to the caves.

 

Skye made her way over to Darla's side, at least she had Niv to keep occupied with.

 

"How are you doing?"

[SithAcolyte]

A vacant looking Darla looked up in response to Skye's question.

 

"I keep telling myself it could be worse...But really I don't kow how it could be." Darla felt a little pathetic, even Nivana seemed to be coping better than she was and Skye, she had lost so much more than Darla could ever imagine. " I used to believe deep down that the light would always triumph. Even when I was deep into the darkside I thought some miraculous light would save me one day...It's just not fair. Fynn deserved a long and happy life and Nivana deserved a real Jedi to train her. I afraid that my ideas will corrupt her. I've already begun to teach her the things that I've learnt. I just don't want her to end up like me with the darkness inside her, just beneath the surface always threatening to emerge. I used to think it was a gift, that my eyes were open to reality, that the darkside existed for a reason just the same as the light...I'm not so sure now."

 

Darla was silent for another moment then she suddenly began to speak again.

 

"I loved Fynn...But not in the way he wanted me to. I wasn't in love with him. If I was everything would have been so much simpler. It seems like I only fall in love with homicidal maniacs. There must be something wrong with me." Darla smiled weakly.

 

While what she said sounded funny, it was still painfully true. Fynn had been the nicest sweetest guy that she'd ever met, but her heart still belonged to darkness.

[Skye Organa]

"I know it sounds strange for me to say this, but I think I felt him, just before I went to sleep. I know my thoughts, my dreams were focused on Fynn. I don't feel so sad about him anymore, he's watching over us... I just know he is..."

 

She placed her hand upon Darla's arm. While still sad about her family, Darla was her best friend. They could overcome this together.

 

"Love comes in many forms. I think we all loved Fynn in our own ways. Who knows what may have come... for now, we should concentrate on Niv. It's what he would have wanted. I'm sure between the two of us, we can balance things out with her training. It should serve as part of all of our healing. You do realise that if you let the darkness claim you, you won't be able to heal? That is why neither of us can let that happen. You are becoming a good healer. Don't let this take you down towards the Dark Lord's path again..."

 

Skye had known how Darla felt about Fynn, felt that it was far different from how she had felt about Kakuto. Skye also knew how Fynn had felt about Darla... She could kind of understand how Darla had been attracted to the darksider, Tzeentch had had his dark moments. If Skye let herself give in to that influence, she would lose more than what she had already. No, she couldn't succumb to the darkness, however tempting it was. She had to remain true to the light to remain a healer.

 

"Somewhere out there... there will be someone special to love... for both of us."

 

She added a more humorous comment, set to get both of them smiling again,

 

"I can't see myself staying single... can you?"

 

While she was one that remained loyal to her partner until something happened to break that loyalty, she was one that did have a big heart. She'd had alot of admirers before she had gotten involved with Chen, before he had seduced her. She wouldn't be as foolish next time with her heart.

[Niv]

A hint of what may have been a grin momentarily twitched at the corners of Sephan's lips. "Your master would be proud of your resolve. You have lost. You have learned. You have progressed."

 

"Progressed to what, exactly?" Nivana couldn't help but ask.

 

"Why, you have progressed many steps closer to that which you seek." Sephan went on to explain that a Jedi's life is one of sacrifice and in times of conflict those sacrifices will, more often than not, be the lives of fellow Knights and Masters. He shared the reasoning of the Old Republic Jedi, how they were forbidden to hold strong attachments, for such attachments lead to destructive emotions, hate, anger, fear. Sephan took great care in explaining how overly potent affinities can and usually will be the means by which a Jedi can be manipulated to the dark side.

 

A flush of shame raged through Nivana as she recalled her morbid fantasies of revenge. She'd become too attatched to Fynn. Her feelings for him had allowed darkness to slither into her heart and poison it. She suddenly knew that clearly defining the line over which she could not step, would be difficult. It would change from person to person, from circumstance to circumstance, from moment to moment. The effort she'd need to put forth to stay unattached would be tremendous. It seemed a nearly impossible task. But Niv was determined to prevail no matter how long or difficult it would be.

 

"I no longer feel those dark emotions." Nivana finally said, her voice gently swirling through the silence. "In a hideous sort of way, my master's early demise has benifited me. Had I lost him farther down the line I'd have been even more attatched to him, and therefore I'd have been more suseptable to dark influences." Niv's eyes closed and she called forth the image of Fynn's smiling face. "I accept that my Master is gone. That his sacrificed life may have saved hundreds, perhaps thousands more lives. And I will no no longer mourn him, for he is not truly dead. He is one with the Force. A part of it, of me, of everything. But at the end of the day... I will still miss him."

 

"Rise up Nivana Orrin." Sephan benignly ordered. "You have learned a considerable lesson here this day. And so now comes the time for you to step forward on your path to Jedi Knighthood. You may think it odd, but to continue forward you must now step back. Back into the distant past. Back to the beginnings of the Jedi. Open your mind..."

 

Nivana stood, clasped her hands behind her back and looked to Sephan respectfully. She then closed her eyes and imagined a set of massive and highly ornate iron gates. A symbol of the entrance to her mind. She willed the gates to swing open...

 

Immediately her mind was flooded with a barrage of information. An overwhelmed exhalation escaped Nivana's lips as endless torrents of Jedi history surged into her brain. At some points Niv felt as if she were experiencing the past, as if she were standing thick in the midst of the honorable as well as horrible eras of Jedi antiquity. When finally the information came to an end Nivana opened her eyes and tried to thank Sephan for imparting his knowledge to her, but she couldn't find her voice. She was still in awe of what had just transpired.

 

"When time permits, delve into the knowledge I've gifted you. It will help you to understand who you are and, more importantly, who you are meant to be. But right now, return to your friends. They too possess a wealth of knowledge that I'm certain they'll be more than willing to share with someone as eager to learn as yourself."

 

Niv picked up her bag and again tried to thank Sephan. Frustratingly, she still couldn't speak.

 

"You're very welcome, Nivana." the guardian said with a kindly and knowing grin. A second later he uncerimoniously vanished.

Nivana turned, left the room and made her way towards where she sensed Darla and Skye to be.

[Niv]

((3 days))

 

Nivana took her time as she roamed the stately passages of the structure. Each step echoed disticnctly in the empty halls, seemed amplified by the quiet that enshrouded her path. She didn't mind the near silence or the solitude. Both were prized by the introspective young lady. Coming from the synthetic and unsleeping planet of Coruscant, the stillness of this new place did not go unappreciated.

 

When finally she found herself back in the hangar bay, Niv cautiously made her way to the ship that contained the others. She crept aboard and followed the subdued sounds of Sky and Darla's voices. She waited for a break in the conversation before entering the room.

 

"Sorry to come creeping in, in such a manner." she addressed the ladies. "And sorry for sneaking off as I did. I hope I've not offended you by any of my actions."

 

Her eyes, brimming with sincerity, were a hundred times more apologetic than her words.

[SithAcolyte]

Darla was lost in Skye's words...

 

 

"Somewhere out there... there will be someone special to love... for both of us."

 

Skye's lighthearted comment afterwards didn't seem to touch Darla's ears. She couldnt help but ponder those words. When she thought about it, she wasn't sure if there was anyone out there for her at all. She felt alone even though she was amongst good company. All Darla could think was that she was a mess and nobody could ever love her. Fynn had, but she couldn't find it in herself to return the feelings.

 

What the hell is wrong with me??

 

It was only when Nivana entered the room that Darla seemed to return to the here and now.

 

"Niv, nobodys offended. We all need to deal with our grief in different ways. If you needed to rush off that was fine. You shouldn't worry too much about your actions, just do what feels right to you." Darla poured an extra cup of tea and her sad eyes seemed to brighten slightly. "Anyway, how have you been?"

 

Darla wasn't sure how much time had passed, but it felt good to see Nivana again. At least she had something to focus on, something to aim towards. As long as she was in charge Nivana's training she wouldn't be able to wallow in her grief anymore. Darla would be strong for Nivana's sake and finish what Fynn had started.

[Niv]

A smile hinted upon Nivana's lips as she shrugged slightly. "How've I been? I've been better," she admitted as she moved into the room. "Just been out living... and learning.

 

Niv sat and wrapped her arms about herself.

 

"To think about it...that's basically all life is. Isn't it? Living and learning." she mentioned. "And if you stop learning... you have basically stopped living."

 

Nivana suddenly closed her eyes and silently chastised herself for unwittingly skirting the topic of death. She sat back and began to absently twist a finger into the ends of her hair.

 

"But then again, what do I know. " she added with a sheepish grin. She looked at both Skye and Darla, her smile widening a little. "I'd be the happiest person in the universe right now if ignorance truly was bliss," she half-heartedly joked.

[Skye Organa]

((sorry Niv, would have posted for you but I was waiting on a response from Darla ))

 

Skye looked around as Niv came in, giving her a welcoming smile. She was coming to terms with what had happened, letting go of what had been. She had to... to move forward. She noticed that Niv had come to terms with things as well, giving her a look that showed Skye was proud that she hadn't let her grief take her down a dark path. She was concerned about Darla though. It seemed harder for her friend to let go her grief.

 

"Life is all about learning. You are right there Niv. We all have to let go the past and move on with the future. Please. Tell me, what did Fynn cover with your training?"

 

She knew she'd done some with Darla as well, Fynn had mentioned something about it the last time she had seen him. It was no use skirting around his subject. Not when she had felt him watching over them. She gave a soft smile, glancing at no one inparticular, though the smile could have been directed at the man himself.

 

"We can't forget he is gone... but he isn't really. He is with all of us still, watching over us and in our hearts."

 

She added then another comment,

 

"I don't know about the two of you, but if we keep dwelling on what has happened it will make it very difficult to move forward, and if our enemies found us like this they'd walk all over us..."

 

It was time to begin again... right now. Let go the past completely and move forward. She would forever have her children in her heart, even if she had lost them all through them either being taken from her, or by them going their own paths. She straightened up, taking a deep breath, and letting it all go...

[Niv]

She silently nodded in agreement with everything Skye had said. Niv had come to terms with what had happened and had learned something from it, but it was still a pity that such a lesson had to be learned in such a horrible way. She thought of Fynn and silently thanked him for everything he'd taught her...

 

"We have covered meditation, levitation, some combat training, force enhancement of actions, and an unforgettable saber training session..." Niv said quietly as her mind roamed back through her memories, "...and we covered the dark and light sides of the force."

 

Niv looked down at the small bag that was lying at her feet.

 

"Darla and I were supposed to engage in further training at the Jedi temple but we left as Coruscant fell under attack. From there she and I went to Ilum. I retrieved a crystal and have started constructing my own lightsaber." She glanced up and smiled across at Darla and added, "We also touched upon the subject of healing. It is a subject that I am interested in and would like to learn."

[Skye Organa]

"Fynn made a good teacher. Remind me one day to tell you some of the mischief he got up to while he was my padawan."

 

She smiled at Niv, moving towards her and resting an arm across her shoulders, giving her a gentle squeeze. She released her and took a step back.

 

"Healing is a good area for you to branch out in. I can teach you that if you wish. I've been teaching my star pupil here"

 

She indicated to Darla, showing how proud she was of how Darla had overcome alot of things to be able to focus on Healing. Her concern at the moment was that Darla would let her grief rule her actions... she too had to let it go to move forward.

 

"So. Where do you wish to start?"

[SithAcolyte]

Darla stood up and unravelled the bandage on her hand. Her knuckles had swollen and congealed blood filled the cracks in her skin. Because she hadn't treated the wound it had flared up her hand a mixture of purple and yellow bruising.

 

"I wasn't sure if I was able to heal myself in the state of grief I was in. There were too many dark emotions filling me. I'm letting go of them. I want to heal just as much as the rest of you, on the inside. But this could be good practice for you Niv, a real patient to practice healing on."

 

The idea sounded good in Darla's mind but she wasnt sure if the other women would agree.

 

"Skye, heal my hand. Let Nivana watch and feel through the force as you mend the tissue. Then leave one last cut and let Niv try herself. What do you say?"

[Skye Organa]

Glad that Darla was coming round and hoping that through the simple healing of her hand, that it would lead to more internal healing she nodded her head. Turning to Niv she spoke,

 

"Now, I'll leave my mind wide open for you to access, I want you to follow what I do, and then attempt it yourself. Let me know if you have any questions."

 

Skye opened her mind to the two women in front of her, giving Darla a wink as she gathered in the light energies. Even for just a hand injury, it would take a while through the manipulations through the force. She reached for Darla's hand, touching it with the healing energies and letting them swirl around the wounds. In her mind's eye she visualised the white healing light flowing over Darla's wounds. Ever so slowly, the blood vessels began to do their work, the force working to close the wounds and to flush the bruised and congealed areas from the wound. It took quite some time for it to begin to ease, the pain soothed away... once only a few of the cuts were left, Skye stopped and looked towards Niv.

 

"You saw how I did that, now I'd like for you to heal the rest of her hand."

 

She indicated for Niv to start, still open to her and ready to answer any questions she may have.

[DarkJedi K'munee]

*The trip was longer than he anticipated, giving him time to clear his mind and relax. He took a moment to go over the roster of Jedi that had been assigned to Internal Affairs. He was surprised to see Darla's name on the list. Why hadn't he noticed it before? Maybe he had been preoccupied with all the monotonous waiting that has become procedure with the Jedi order. Exhaling heavily, he dismissed the negative thoughts from his mind. The indicator light on the navigational console, signalled the return to real-space and that the programmed destination had been reached. The stars reverted from long white lines to numerous individual specs over a black canvas.*

 

*K'munee switched the autopilot off, piloting the ship manually as he descended pass the points of higher and lower orbit markers. The Svelte-class Shuttle hit the upper atmosphere, encountering turbulence and heavy storms. The winds in the stratosphere whipped against the shuttle making it hard to keep it leveled. DJK put the ship in a dive to try and escape the harsh weather. He leveled out about 7000 feet above a churning ocean. There where no visible land structures or land. He continued to pilot the ship along the course plotted by the navicomp, while conducting a sensor sweep.*

 

*His long range sensors locked on to a submerged vessel. About the same time he was targeted by the same vessel. He reduced his speed and set the ship to hover. He began to transmit a series of secure access codes that were assigned to all council members for entry into various Jedi facilities. The other vessel's targeting systems were turned off, after he had finally found the corresponding code, granting him clearance.*

 

*From beneath the water rose a massive, circular vessel. In comparison, it made DJK's shuttle appear as a flea in front of a watermelon. It's transponder identified it as the Eternal Vigilance. A docking bay door was opened, along with signal lights to show where to enter. The shuttle easily cleared the giant doors and landed on the specified landing area. The docking doors were immediately closed and an alarm sounded, signaling that the vessel was about to descend. K'munee powered down all of his ship's systems, leaving it on standby. He left the cockpit, heading for the cargo hold. He lowered the boarding ramp, pausing briefly to allow all the excess water to run off his shuttle. Stepping out into the landing area, he looked around, wondering where to start. He opened himself to the force, allowing it to guide him. He left the hangar and walked the inner corridors.*

 

*After about an hour of following his senses, he found himself in a section of the vessel that was populated with three Jedi. They seemed to be involved in some kind of exercise. He stood there in the doorway watching, but saying nothing. Whatever they were doing must have called for intense concentration because none of them seemed to noticed he was there. Moving closer, he pretended to clear his throat and alert them to his presence.*

 

"Excuse me. I am Jedi Master K'munee. I have come seeking the Jedi Knight Darla and padawan Nivana." He said tucking his thumbs into his leather belt.

[Skye Organa]

Having already completed her own part in healing Darla's hand, the Healer looked up as the Jedi Master approached. She wondered why I-Nine hadn't announced that someone had boarded her ship, shaking her head and deciding that they had been too involved in their task to notice. She motioned for Niv and Darla to continue with the Healing exercise and stepped over towards K'munee.

 

"You've found them both. If you can wait a moment though, Niv is about to complete the Healing task on Darla's hand. Can I help you with anything? I'm Skye Organa."

 

Having been away from the Jedi Order since the birth of her children, even though she had continued to take on padawan's. She didn't use her rank of Master Healer. It would be obvious by the look of all three of them that they had recently been through an ordeal so she added softly,

 

"You'll have to excuse us all, losing someone special, even when they become one with the force, takes some time to overcome. We all were bonded to Fynn, one way or another. What we are doing now, is still part of the healing process."

 

That Skye had been Fynn's Master would have been in the database records. She figured for Darla and Niv to have been found, her message of where they currently were must have been received. Skye had no idea where she fitted in any longer... not after all she had been through. That she was true to the Light side of the Force was her only constant.

[DarkJedi K'munee]

*K'munee was awe struck. Jedi master Organa was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Darla and Nivana were not bad looking either. Her voice was soothing, making him feel extremely comfortable and welcome. He could do nothing more than smile as she addressed him.*

 

*Then she made the comment about the loss of Fynn Relmis and how all three of them were connected to him, brought his mind back to the task at hand. The smile he had previously shown disappeared and turned into a look of genuine regret.*

 

"It's funny you should mention him, master Organa. Actually he is the reason why I have come here, seeking Darla and Niv. I was with him at the end of his life." K'munee said solemly lowering his head.

 

"His dying request was for me to find them, so that I could pass on his last request. When they complete their task, I would be honored if you could introduce me to them, master Organa." He said bowing to her respectfully.

[Skye Organa]

Skye gave him a sad smile, nodding her head in response to his request.

 

"Of course, as soon as they complete their healing task. Fynn and Darex were both with me a while outside the Last Call before that last battle broke out. When Darex brought me some news I was hoping hadn't happened. No matter though, I digress."

 

She turned back to face the other two women where they were still involved in the healing exercise. Skye spoke again to K'munee,

 

"Would you like some refreshments while you wait?"

 

She also indicated for him to take a seat if he wished.