Voph was never one to stray from inevitability. His path had been irreversibly set millennia ago. That fateful day when he made a gamble to save his homeworld. A gamble that wouldn't pay off for thousands of years. But pay off it did. Time and again he would be haunted by that shadowy force that sought to take hold of his very essence. But one day, take hold it did. At first, the naïve boy thought it a boon. Power he could use to take back his homeworld. But the years revealed it to be something else. Something terrifying. Even at the pinnacle of his understanding, Voph could only see the shadow as a virus. One that was corrupting him, and would soon spread if he didn't stop it. So stop it he did.
Voph paused as he walked through the hall of the archives deep within the Kingsrest. Though it was a part of the official archives, this section was private. For Voph, and those he trusted alone. Even his wife had not spent much time within its walls. But hanging on the wall before him was a collection of lightsabers. Plaques to denote each. That of his son, and the two wives he'd had previously. It was a painstaking effort to find them centuries later. But locate them he did. And now they hung in memorial. A reminder of the people he'd left behind. Voph's hand reached out to rest upon his son's blade. Cortrin. His supposed cure for the virus.
What Voph never anticipated was that the Virus only held a single host. And in destroying him, Cortrin had made himself the new carrier. Voph did not know the exact details. But he knew that the Virus died with his son. Voph was saddened that it had come to that. Guilty, even. But he could not change the past now. He drew a deep breath, and sighed quietly. As he turned away from the display, his gaze lingered upon the rest. The hall was filled with memorials. The names of every man and woman that Voph had ever sacrificed in the pursuit of his endgame: Peace. Thousands upon thousands of names lingered within those halls. But Voph was filled with hope, knowing that the list of lives he'd saved was longer still.
As Voph exited the archives, his thoughts returned to his final showdown with his old nemesis. Truthfully, it had broken him. He was ready to think he'd been wrong about some things. About some people. But in the end, he was proven exactly right. The Jedi were of no help. And the Sith did not care for anything that was not a direct threat. He had stopped his nemesis at great cost. But as he lay dying in his beloved's arms, a new spark was lit.
It had taken him years to recover. In truth, his illness still plagued him from time to time. Just like in the old days. But he felt no shame for what he'd done. His part in this story was over. Now it was time to see the new chapter on its way. He had sent word to his children, by blood and by bond, to meet in the family home. His children were of age. It was time for them to venture forth. To find their own way. To write their own stories. But first, he wished to see them off.
As he drew near his waiting family, he smiled. A simple, thin smile. One that carried precious little mirth. But expressed his pride in his offspring. They knew the task that had been laid before them. They'd been given gifts of vessels to carry them to the stars. But there was one final gift that Voph had for each of them. As he stopped before the trio, he felt his old friend and companion land upon his shoulder. Horace had aged as well. But Voph would not trade him for all the power in the galaxy. Voph's blindfold turned between each of them before he finally spoke.
"My children. Today marks the final day I can speak of you so completely in a single word. For no longer are you children. Today, you claim your birthright. Today, you begin a legend of your own. And though I've given you much to help you, there is one more I would give each of you." Voph reached up, and unfastened his cloak, folding it quickly and neatly as he paused in front of the first child. Ilyyana. His blood daughter. He paused for the briefest moment, then extended the folded cloak to her. "Ilyyana. My most resourceful. Years ago, I saved a man's life fending off the Mandalorians on Eshan. He gave me this cloak. That it might defend me as well as I had defended him. May it be as useful a shroud to you as it has to me."
Voph then turned to his other daughter. Inara. An orphan caused by his own mistake. She was but one of many. But she had been found by him, and welcomed into his family without question. Her bright and sunny disposition was often a comical contrast to his own quiet. And that was something worth protecting with everything he had in him. "Inara. The heart and soul of this family. You carry the hopes and dreams of the galaxy. Perhaps in your hands, this tool that once crushed such things will enable you to defend them till your dying breath. You guard your mind well. This will make you a nigh impenetrable fortress." Voph reached within his robes, and withdrew a small chain made of Vylmirium links. The craftsmanship was second to none, a perfect bond for girl and gift. From its length dangled an all familiar ring. The Ring their father had worn for so many years. His mark of office within the Sith Empire. Not unlike the rings the trio bore already to mark them as royalty of the expanse. He placed the ring within Inara's hands, then turned his attention to his only son.
"Kyyrin. My son. My greatest warrior. To you, I grant the only tool you shall ever need." Voph gestured to the lightsaber hanging from the boy's waist. "The Lightsaber. An ancient weapon from a more civilized time. With that, and the Force, you can be stopped by nothing. Limited only by your mind." Voph reached into the folds of his robe once again, and withdrew his single most steadfast companion. A blade that had stood the test of time century after century. It was not any lightsaber. It was HIS lightsaber. He held it tenderly in his hands, looking over the hilt one last time. He heard the soft gasp from the children, realizing what this meant. Voph had preached one thing above all else to them. Never part from one's blade.
"To you I leave my greatest weapon. My steadfast ally. May it serve you as well as it served me." And with that, Voph handed his son the lightsaber. He stepped back, turning to face his children at once. He bowed to them, and gestured to the waiting shuttles behind them. "So long as your mother and I draw breath, you will be welcomed within our halls with open arms. But now it is time for you to see what the galaxy has to offer. To witness what lies beyond the veil. You, my children, are destined for greatness. It is time to fulfill that destiny. Good luck. And may the Force be with you."
Voph paused as he walked through the hall of the archives deep within the Kingsrest. Though it was a part of the official archives, this section was private. For Voph, and those he trusted alone. Even his wife had not spent much time within its walls. But hanging on the wall before him was a collection of lightsabers. Plaques to denote each. That of his son, and the two wives he'd had previously. It was a painstaking effort to find them centuries later. But locate them he did. And now they hung in memorial. A reminder of the people he'd left behind. Voph's hand reached out to rest upon his son's blade. Cortrin. His supposed cure for the virus.
What Voph never anticipated was that the Virus only held a single host. And in destroying him, Cortrin had made himself the new carrier. Voph did not know the exact details. But he knew that the Virus died with his son. Voph was saddened that it had come to that. Guilty, even. But he could not change the past now. He drew a deep breath, and sighed quietly. As he turned away from the display, his gaze lingered upon the rest. The hall was filled with memorials. The names of every man and woman that Voph had ever sacrificed in the pursuit of his endgame: Peace. Thousands upon thousands of names lingered within those halls. But Voph was filled with hope, knowing that the list of lives he'd saved was longer still.
As Voph exited the archives, his thoughts returned to his final showdown with his old nemesis. Truthfully, it had broken him. He was ready to think he'd been wrong about some things. About some people. But in the end, he was proven exactly right. The Jedi were of no help. And the Sith did not care for anything that was not a direct threat. He had stopped his nemesis at great cost. But as he lay dying in his beloved's arms, a new spark was lit.
It had taken him years to recover. In truth, his illness still plagued him from time to time. Just like in the old days. But he felt no shame for what he'd done. His part in this story was over. Now it was time to see the new chapter on its way. He had sent word to his children, by blood and by bond, to meet in the family home. His children were of age. It was time for them to venture forth. To find their own way. To write their own stories. But first, he wished to see them off.
As he drew near his waiting family, he smiled. A simple, thin smile. One that carried precious little mirth. But expressed his pride in his offspring. They knew the task that had been laid before them. They'd been given gifts of vessels to carry them to the stars. But there was one final gift that Voph had for each of them. As he stopped before the trio, he felt his old friend and companion land upon his shoulder. Horace had aged as well. But Voph would not trade him for all the power in the galaxy. Voph's blindfold turned between each of them before he finally spoke.
"My children. Today marks the final day I can speak of you so completely in a single word. For no longer are you children. Today, you claim your birthright. Today, you begin a legend of your own. And though I've given you much to help you, there is one more I would give each of you." Voph reached up, and unfastened his cloak, folding it quickly and neatly as he paused in front of the first child. Ilyyana. His blood daughter. He paused for the briefest moment, then extended the folded cloak to her. "Ilyyana. My most resourceful. Years ago, I saved a man's life fending off the Mandalorians on Eshan. He gave me this cloak. That it might defend me as well as I had defended him. May it be as useful a shroud to you as it has to me."
Voph then turned to his other daughter. Inara. An orphan caused by his own mistake. She was but one of many. But she had been found by him, and welcomed into his family without question. Her bright and sunny disposition was often a comical contrast to his own quiet. And that was something worth protecting with everything he had in him. "Inara. The heart and soul of this family. You carry the hopes and dreams of the galaxy. Perhaps in your hands, this tool that once crushed such things will enable you to defend them till your dying breath. You guard your mind well. This will make you a nigh impenetrable fortress." Voph reached within his robes, and withdrew a small chain made of Vylmirium links. The craftsmanship was second to none, a perfect bond for girl and gift. From its length dangled an all familiar ring. The Ring their father had worn for so many years. His mark of office within the Sith Empire. Not unlike the rings the trio bore already to mark them as royalty of the expanse. He placed the ring within Inara's hands, then turned his attention to his only son.
"Kyyrin. My son. My greatest warrior. To you, I grant the only tool you shall ever need." Voph gestured to the lightsaber hanging from the boy's waist. "The Lightsaber. An ancient weapon from a more civilized time. With that, and the Force, you can be stopped by nothing. Limited only by your mind." Voph reached into the folds of his robe once again, and withdrew his single most steadfast companion. A blade that had stood the test of time century after century. It was not any lightsaber. It was HIS lightsaber. He held it tenderly in his hands, looking over the hilt one last time. He heard the soft gasp from the children, realizing what this meant. Voph had preached one thing above all else to them. Never part from one's blade.
"To you I leave my greatest weapon. My steadfast ally. May it serve you as well as it served me." And with that, Voph handed his son the lightsaber. He stepped back, turning to face his children at once. He bowed to them, and gestured to the waiting shuttles behind them. "So long as your mother and I draw breath, you will be welcomed within our halls with open arms. But now it is time for you to see what the galaxy has to offer. To witness what lies beyond the veil. You, my children, are destined for greatness. It is time to fulfill that destiny. Good luck. And may the Force be with you."
