The last time she had seen Balun and her son, she barely escaped with her life. In contrast to when they were younger, Falentra had always been one step ahead in combat and training. It was a blow to her ego, having lost the fight and leaving with only what she needed, but not what she wanted. She had crossed the line by casting an illusion in his mind of their distressed child lying cold and helpless on the ground, that while she drew his attention away from her, she had pushed him too hard and suffered the consequences of it.
All these years, she had been watching, keeping track of Kellan. The defensive measures the Dashells had put in place around their residences would keep her at a distance. Things had changed; she had more things to focus on, including her three-year-old daughter. A sithspawn like her, engineered by her own hands and tech to perfection. She had something to lose, and more to live for, which made taking the risk to claim Kellan outweighed by the commitment to her current family and pursuits.
Even as a mother missing out on much of her son's life - four years, in fact - she could never forget Kellan and his brother's birthdays. This year, she had prepared a gift. Even with the security measures in place, the assassin had teleported briefly into the residence to drop off her gift when Balun and the child were away, concealing her presence to avoid triggering the alert systems. She then left promptly.
A shiny cyber box stood in the middle of the living room with a large ribbon wrapped around it, waiting for the activation key - that being the DNA and force signature of Kellan sensed within 5 meters. It would whirl open. A fog of cold carbon disperses to the ground with a hiss. Wearily awakening from its short cryostasis and emerging from the mist was a small, dark tooka-like form. Crafted by herself, she had carefully engineered it for six months, using alchemy and science to create the perfect beast just for Kellan. While cute, it would grow into a formidable beast.
In the box was a metal plate with words engraved in red by her hand. Alchemised and made with cortosis that is impossible to destroy.
“Knecaetis nuyak woyunuk, this gift was created just for you. Its name is Naurdeimos. May he keep you company. It is a cruel sorrow for you to be kept away from me. But our time apart will strengthen you, I am sure of it. It should be nearly time that you learn to embrace the force in full. My son, know that you are meant for great things; do not allow anyone to hold you back from reaching your full potential. Take control and you will find your way back to me. Wonoksh Qyâsik Tu. Your sister and I are waiting for your return. Like you, your twin is kept at a distance, but I know he will want to meet you one day.
With love,
Your Dearest Mother, Darth Falentra tave Meloseyri iv Deimosza”.
LEGACY OF DISSONANCE: MY BLOOD, HER CHAINS
LOCATION: Dashiell Residence, Tirtha Cove, Joiol
PRESENT COMPANY: Kellan Dashiell & Vesha Daruun
LOCATION: Dashiell Residence, Tirtha Cove, Joiol
PRESENT COMPANY: Kellan Dashiell & Vesha Daruun
The Liberty's Edge landed on the outskirts of the Dashiell grounds, and Kellan was already unbuckling himself from the co-pilot's seat, excitedly slipping out of his chair and onto the cold durasteel floor to start making his way towards the central hub of the ship, where Vesha Daruun was seated and awaiting them both. “Whoa, what’s the rush, buddy?” Balun chuckled as he glanced back over his shoulder, watching his son while powering down the ship's engines and shutting her down.
They had recently been visiting the Rori Museum of Natural History with his brother Makai and Kellan’s cousin, Makai’s daughter, Phoebe. The two had been inseparable the entire time, and it had given Bale and Makai Dashiell a good chance to talk without family or business affairs getting in the way. Just good old-fashioned brotherly bonding, while the two little ones ran amok in the museum and had a ball of it. It had been a marvellous time, and though Balun had originally had his doubts about visiting a museum of all places, he had to admit that his brother had been right to suggest the place.
“Come Da!” Kellan called for him hurriedly from the corridor, as though they had not returned home for over a cycle. It had only been several days, but the mind of a youngling could not be reasoned with, Balun had come to understand.
Smirking to himself, Balun exhaled deeply and spared a final glance out through the transparisteel screen of the cockpit while his hands worked the buckle of his safety harness. The Dashiell Residence was always a sight to behold, the great open grounds, vast green fields with gardens surrounding the estate itself, while further behind, the two-storied building blocked the view of a portion of the distant forest where Balun’s self-contained cottage presided upon the edge of the trees. A sanctuary where he could work in peace and also focus on Kellan’s training, as he had built a training course beneath the shelter of the forest canopy for his son’s first few years of progress before he came of age, where a Mentor would be required to take him under their wing.
“Alright, kiddo, I’m coming," he relented as he stood up from the seat and paused, flicking the last of the toggles across the dash off, shutting down the ship's primary and auxiliary systems, before finally killing the power distribution across the board.
The walk towards the manor was a pleasant one, with the weather offering nothing but a clear blue sky and the warmth of the open sunlight as the three of them wandered the path from the humble landing pads to the main residence. Together, Kellan and Vesha Daruun chatted away, and Balun listened attentively, studying the female Zabrak as she interacted with his son; a biot created by Sasori and incredibly lifelike, just as Matsu Ike had informed him. Balun had to admit that their work was incredible to witness in person.
Not only did the droid act and appear every bit like a Zabrak from what he knew of the people, but to be able to provide a droid with the ability to use basic Force abilities with the Tasari Technology had blown his mind, and only benefited his son in the long run as it meant the Caretaker Droids further ability to provide for him in Balun’s absence. Something that he struggled with enough, as it were, being away from his boy.
Suddenly, without warning, something sharply tugged at his mind and caused Balun to stop in his tracks and instinctively draw his hand to the hilt of his lightsaber; though he did not tug the weapon free of it’s holster, he merely stopped in his place while his gaze fell coldly upon the residence ahead.
“Vesha. Stay here with Kell. Alpha protocol.”, he instructed her. His words left no room for argument in one of those rare moments where Kellan knew his father was serious, as opposed to his usual lighthearted attitude around the boy.
Kellan moved closer to Vesha and looked up at Balun, “What is it?”.
Balun simply extended a hand, a gesture for patience as he spared his son a pleading glance. He wanted to be gentle with Kellan, yet a tension had come over him with the presence that he felt lingering over the property, so painstakingly familiar.
Reaching the front door, Balun opened it and stepped inside with the hilt of his weapon in hand. There was something off about the presence of life he could sense within the house, not exactly the full presence that he would have expected from his last encounter with Falentra when they had crossed blades aboard the Retrofit Orbital Foundry, and yet there was something alive in here.
‘Where are you…’ He thought as he crept, placing each step with careful precision, taking his time to move from one room to the next until he inevitably found himself entering the living room and coming to look upon the large shiny cyber box…
“What in the Kark is that…”.
"Speech"
'Thought'
'Thought'
