A Future For Us Both [Nina Vi'dreya]

[Thurion Heavenshield]

Aboard the Seren Heritage
In Orbit Above Umbara

Finally slipping out of lightspeed, Thurion gazed upon the first new world he'd ever come into contact with since leaving Teth and his friends of the Silent Conclave. So many names stirred within his head, names of the past and present alike. Asha, Kära... Daux. "Kitty..." he mumbled quietly, almost like a whisper. She was the love of his life, and had been with him for the last 12 years. Twelve equally good and bad years; losing his brother back on Pelagon, just before being picked up by Master Asha and taken to Tython, where he met Daux one night and immidietly forged a bond that would last until eternity itself collapsed. A few months later he met Kära, the young Sith girl taken prisoner by the Jedi in an attempt to bring her to the Light Side of the Force. They, too, formed a bond stronger than time itself, even though having just spent a year together before she departed to an unknown destination. Asha, Daux, Kära; these three had shaped him, imprinted on him for better or worse, and nothing could ever make him relinquish his memories of them. They were his family.

And so he had come to Umbara, the only place he remembered having been mentioned by Kära, as it was her homeworld, her place of birth. In truth Thurion did not know why he had come here; there was no indication that she would be here, and likely being just a vain search. Even so, he did not have anywhere else to be; his recently attained knighthood assured he would not be called on by his master, although should anyone of the Conclave require his attention or presence, he would gladly abide. Still, he could not help but feel a sense of... freedom. He had no real obligations, only to those he loved. Unable to tear his gaze from the planet below him while he introspected himself and reminisced, he eventually gave his newly aquired beard a good scratching as he let out a sigh. "Focus, Thurion..." he said to himself. "...if Kära could be down there, wouldn't you like to find out?" A smile made its way to his lips as he finally turned from the view and sat himself back in the Captain's Chair and guided the Seren Heritage down into the atmophere of Umbara.

Umbara Capital City
Umbara

The Shadow World - where darkness always rules. What he'd heard about the place seemed true, at first glance. An eerie gloom surrounded you wherever you'd go, engulfing you in shadows - like a dark mist. No doubt this could very well play tricks on those of lesser minds or willpower. Thurion had arrived at noon, though it was hard to tell whether it was closer to dawn or dusk. Hooded, unsavory characters skulked the markets and cantinas amongst common people and higher-ups alike. How anyone could ever find anyone here is hard to imagine, he thought as he wandered through the markets, not really knowing what or who to look for. Deciding to stop and take in the scenery of the busy throng of people going about their lives, he chose one of the many fruit stands and purchased a piece of fruit before sitting down on a nearby bench overlooking the crowds. Taking a few bites of the fruit in his hand, Thurion suddenly halted his movements. A somewhat familiar sensation had just made itself known to him through the Force, and he could not help but whisper to himself: "Kära...?"

@[member="Nina Vi'dreya"]

 

[Lief]

It was just another, standard day for the little would-be-street-urchin. While she had successfully escaped a morning of cruel words, gestures and even minor violence by hurrying from the house of her new so-called-family, little Nina was still as timid and fearful as she was each morning, her eyes flicking left and right at very minute movement and every shifting shadow. Her tiny tummy grumbled slightly, hunger having taken over days before and had remained an insatiable counterpart ever since. Through the dirty strewn roads of the lower castes she wandered, eyes to the ground for the most part, as though making herself seem and feel smaller would render her petite form invisible. Every alleyway had a set of glaring eyes and sharp teeth just waiting to pounce on her, every passing hound a creation wrought from the planes of hell itself, fellow children demons in disguise, and adults the worst of them. But even so being out here, amidst the scaries, was much more favourable than being back with her foster family.

When she finally made it to the higher end and the streets began to clear up of dirty and become more looked after she lifted her gaze and searched. Somewhere around here was the home she had been brought to live in until her Father fell ill. Her little lip trembled, but try as she might she could not for the life of her recall which house it had been. With a tainted shudder she passed the rows by and instead set her sights to the market stalls which had begun to engulf her, and she bit her lip longingly as she stared at the mixed fruits from across the Galaxy, sweet roles and savoury pastries and breads; what she wouldn't give for just a taste. But Nina would not steal, she would not take that which was not hers, or not given to her. That was not how she had been brought up, and she would adhere to her old family as opposed to her new. As such she passed the stalls by without incident, although the smells themselves caused her stomach to twist in pain. Instead she re-set her gaze to the ground and carried on, her icy blue eyes glistening in the view of none. It was time to find a place to hole up for the day, preferably away from the lingering shadows.

@[member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

This warranted investigation. Could he just have lucked out and come to Umbara just as she was passing through? Or was it another entirely? Maybe he was just not as attuned with the Force as he liked to think? No matter. Rising from the bench he stowed away the piece of fruit in one of his small packs attached to his belt and strode towards the shining beacon of Force energy. Both a blessing and a curse; being Force-Sensitive often meant other Force-Users could easily single you out amongst those who wasn't, even in large crowds such as on this occasion. Gently yet determinately slipping through the sea of people, he ventured towards his destination with hurried pace, until he set eyes on his target; a small girl, much too young to be his old friend, yet not so different from her, ultimately. She looked so very tiny, easily distinguishable from the people surrounding her by her small size and stature. Her eyes were fixed on the ground as she moved about in a slow, stumbling pace, obviously tired and hungry beyond measure. Her Ashlan essence shining like a beacon, just like... Asha once did, back when he first learned about sensing other beings using the Force.

Not looking to scare the child any further, Thurion decided to play unaware of her by standing by one of the stands, posing as a potential customer. The robes he wore were not of the Jedi, after all, so few common folk would be able to single him out of the masses. His back turned to the passing girl, he picked up the piece of fruit he had bought and put it behind his back, resting in his hand. One could easily nab it from his unassuming person, should one be terribly hungry and too poor or frightenend to purchase one of his or her own. He could tell the girl did not catch the bait he'd laid out for her, and so tried something more direct. Opening his hand, the fruit remained levitating in the air without touching the palm of his hand. If this did not catch her attention, he would simply have to turn around and greet her in person. Once she did notice the hovering fruit, he sent it sailing through the air slowly towards her, his back still turned towards her. He left it levitating before her eyes, before dropping it into her possession, should she manage to catch the falling gesture of kindness before it reached the ground.

@[member="Nina Vi'dreya"]

 

[Lief]

Nina could feel eyes upon her; it was easily distinguishable by the goosebumps which made their way down the back of her neck. People rarely looked her way, after all, so when they did she noticed. It made the little child uneasy so she immediately began to search for somewhere to avoid the line of sight; what if her new 'family' had come to find her? They were forever shouting when she got back 'home'. Truth be told the tiny child did not even know why she returned home like she did, surely she was just as safe out here as in there, if not more so? The simple truth of the matter was that Nina had been brought up to respect those around her, even if they themselves lacked even the most basic common courtesy. At a loss, due to the difficulty of finding somewhere to hide, the child instead turned to confront the being with her gaze. Her eyes trailed across the crowd but she could not single out the individual. Biting her tiny little lip in thought she narrowed her eyes and focused. There, in the distance, she could finally spot the being. Their hair was not of the same white of the Umbarans, his skin likewise too tanned. Who was this stranger, and why was he looking at her?

Only, it was then that she realised he wasn't looking at her, infact quite the opposite his back was to her. This made very little sense to the child, who was certain he was the one watching. Slowly, overcome by a sudden insatiable curiosity, she made her way forwards towards him, each step slow and measured until she stood just a few feet away in the crowd. Suddenly, however, something strange happened to halt her advances. From the mans hand, which was at his back, a piece of fruit floated. He did not throw it up with the intention of catching it, no; this was genuinely hovering in place. Her eyes grew wide in both fear and fascination, and as she took a step back, narrowly avoiding walking into another being, the fruit moved towards her. It was all she could do to resist from crying out, yet when the fruit fell from the air she instinctively caught it and stared at the man. Had he meant to do that? She couldn't take it, it wasn't hers, so as much as her stomach rumbled in protest she wandered forwards, eyes glistening with subtle tears, as she tugged on the bottom of his robe gently, lip wobbling in fear.

@[member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

As the tiny child caught the fruit, a smile made its way to the one having kept it afloat. Once she tugged gently on his robes, he slowly turned around to meet her fearful eyes and quivering figure. Rather than take the fruit from her hand, he kneeled down to her level while keeping the warm smile on his face and gazed into her icy eyes, from which tears had begun to form. Gently he embraced her tiny hand in possession of the fruit, and brought it towards her chest. He then pointed at her small tummy, which then rumbled loud enought for anyone to hear. "No, this is yours, my dear." Pulling up another piece of Umbaran fruit from within his pack he took a large chunk out of it, smiling as he did. "They're really tasty. Of course, I've always had a soft spot for sweets and fruits of all kinds", he carried on, unsure of whether the little girl before him understood a thing he said. Her puzzled expression left him with the same feeling Daux would when he would speak to her. Perhaps she was a mute as well, or most likely she did not speak other than Umbaran, of which Thurion knew little of. The few words he did know of were those uttered by Kära on occasion back on Coruscant, and that was over a decade ago.

@[member="Nina Vi'dreya"]

 

[Lief]

When he turned to face her the little girl bit her lip all the more, wanting nothing more than to run scurrying away, but instead she held up the fruit towards him, hoping he would accept it. Instead the man did something she hadn't expected, he took her hand within his own and made it known that the fruit was for her. Why was he being kind to her? He did not know who she was. Her lip quivered all the more, and a few tiny tears made their way down her cheek. Only when he began to at did she too lift the fruit. First she sniffed at it, before taking a tiny little bite, all the while watching the man for a reaction. His words made no sense to her, so she did not focus in on them. Instead she let his actions dictate his desires, and it was clear that he had intended the fruit to be for her. Gratefully she continued to eat, although it wasn't too long before she felt as if she had eaten enough, despite having eaten barely anything. Slowly she raised her hand towards his cheek and settled it there, her eyes set upon his. Thank you he would hear within his mind as she transferred her thoughts to him. While the words had been in Umbarese in her mind when transferred to his he would have no issue understanding them, if not the language itself.

@[member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

When she placed her tiny hand upon his cheek, Thurion did not flinch or shy away from her touch. She did manage to surprise him by then proceeding to speak to him through telepathy, something he had experience in thanks to his Umbaran childhood friend. The girl's touch was so soft and gentle that it almost felt as if it was never there to begin with, had it not been for the difference in their skin temperature. Gently he leaned his head into her palm while raising a hand to place onto the back of her hand. "You're welcome, sweetie." While her words travelled through touch, his travelled through the Force and planted themselves into her mind. He watched for her reaction as he kept his smile intact. "You looked like you needed it", he continued. "Don't be frightened by me speaking to you; I was taught how to by an Umbaran girl, just like yourself." His eyes wandered across her figure, looking her over for anything indicating she belonged to someone. "If you don't mind me asking, where are your parents? Are you out here all alone?"

@[member="Nina Vi'dreya"]

 

[Lief]

The tiny child did not know how to react, this man was communicating back at her as though it were as simple as breathing, and what's more he did not seem afraid that she could. Ontop of this the man was somewhat comforting, and his own hand settled over hers much like her Father's once did before he fell ill. It caused a twinge of pain to spread through her and a tiny whimper escaped the child as she stepped back and tried to break free from the mental conversation that had been struck up. Gone she said into his mind as a last minute response, after all she had been raised to respect her elders, but it was all she could manage before she broke free and began to back away, lip trembling. The respect she had for those she did not know was all that stopped her from dropping the fruit and running away, but she did continue to back away from him. Nina just wanted the parents she had lost during the move.

@[member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

When the child stepped away from him, Thurion remained on his knees; to rise to his feet would surely spook the child further. "I am not going to hurt you, child", he said, well-aware she probably did not understand him. "I do not seek to do you any harm, my child. I only wish to know where your parents are." Another piece of fruit was taken from within his pack and held in his hand, gesturing for her to come closer. When realising that it would fail, he went for the one thing he had not idea whether it would affect her or not. Slowly rising to his feet and brushing off his robes of any dust and the likes, Thurion called out to her through the Force. "Please, stay with me, Vi'dreya." His eyes remained trained on hers, with a hint of seriousness being found in his gaze. "I beg you", he resumed while holding out the fruit for her to grab from his palm. But the girl did not stop, not before she accidentally backed into a menacing-looking type who angrily turned around; a bounty hunter, from the looks of it. There were lots of them here on Umbara, it being the Shadow World; where people came to disappear from prying eyes and ears. The little girl looked on with frightened eyes as the shady character rose a hand to strike at her forcefully to punish her for her insolence. Grabbing hold of his arm in the last second, Thurion appeared at her side in time to stop him from inflicting any injury to her. "Let the girl go. She's done you no harm, and you have better things to do than lynch her here in the open square for such a petty offense."

The grizzly man could not pay any less attention to Thurion's attempt at diplomacy, and as such signaled one of his lackeys to attack from behind. Without hesitation Thurion turned to face his assailor and proceeded to Force Push him away straight into one of the many stands with a loud crash. More of the henchmen were thrown at him, thinking to surround and trap the Knight. With a gesture of his hand several items from a nearby pottery salesman flew to his aid, striking most of them down as pots and plates were sent their way, causing them to eventually flee from the scene. Once the goons had been dealt with, the bounty hunter himself attacked from the rear in a clumsy attempt to knock Thurion to the ground. Instead he merely stepped aside, tripping the man into a fall onto the hard ground as he produced the blue blade of his lightsaber and held it down towards the man's face. "You forced my hand, bandit. Now scurry off to the nearest cantina to drown away the failure of this endeavour." Putting his saber away as he watched the less-than-threatening man run off, his attention was then returned to the small child. Or at least it would have, had she still been around. She was not.

@[member="Nina Vi'dreya"]

 

[Lief]

Nina stared at the man as he spoke in a tongue she did not know once again, but when his words made their way into her mind she flinched back and continued to back away. Her name... He knew part of her name, but how? Her eyes widened and it was clear for just a moment that she understood, that this man was right about who she was. Yet she could not reply to him without physically touching him so she merely shook her head to show as much before finally stumbling back into something hard. Her entire body tensed up and shook in fear as she turned and faced the man towering above her. He looked livid and she knew what was coming next, in fact she outwardly braced herself for such; in her new home she had learnt quickly that if you ran from punishment it would only be worse the next time around.

What happened next was too fast for the child to keep up with, but by the end of it the child was on her knees with her hands covering her ears, eyes closed tightly shut in an attempt to block it all out. She was not adversed to arguments or fights, but she avoided them at all cost. Within the movements she ended up hidden away beneath a stall, curled up and trembling, part of her fearing that the end had come, part of her fearing for the kind man who had helped her. No, Nina did not understand what was happening, not truly. And thus she remained curled up in place.

@[member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

Once the gang had all been dealt with and the people gathered to watch the spectacle eventually dispersed, Thurion closed his eyes and calmed himself, trying to discern the location of the little girl. While he did not seem threatening or forceful in his actions, he did have a burning desire to find her, and eventually find out about Kära through her, if at all possible. For all he knew, she could just be a much younger sister. Removing the hood which had kept his identity largely unknown to prying eyes, he ran a hand through his golden hair and set off in her direction. Finding her was easy, her Ashlan presence acting like a white beacon amongst the masses. Suddenly as he moved, people were much less in the way than they had previously, and so granted him the space to move about freely. No more bandits and cutt-throats would bother him in the immidiate future, that's for sure. Coming up from behind the stall under which she had taken refuge, he hunched over it by supporting his weight onto his forearms, proceeding to speak from above her, without ever having laid eyes on her. Yet he knew full-well she was hiding under it, and thus he said: "It's okay, you can come out now, my dear." Emphasising his intentions, he held another piece of fruit by its stem and dangled it in front of her, still without having made any sort of eye contact. "It's alright, little one. Nobody's looking to harm you anymore. I only wish to ask you a few questions, if you would let me." The next move, as they say, was hers to make. She could easily just get up from underneath the stall, which was positioned away from the man, and run away, hoping to lose him in the large crowds - or - she could indulge his inquiries.

@[member="Nina Vi'dreya"]

 

[Lief]

With a small whimper the child crawled out from under the market stall upon hearing his words and realising it was simply him. There upon she proceeded to wrap her arms around his leg and hugged it tightly in thanks, sniffling a little as she closed her eyes and remained in place. Although touching him at this point she was not yet feeling confident enough to talk to him mentally and thus she didn't, instead she remained in place. The fruit meant nothing to her, she had eaten her fill and to have more would be greedy and gluttonous. Finally she shuffled back a few minuscule paces and stared up at him, unsure on what to do. Should she humour the man, or should she flee while she still could?

@[member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

Frankly, the girl didn't have a say in the matter, as the Knight very gently loosened her grip around his leg and knelt down before her, wrapping his arms around her tiny frame. Truth be told, this was as much for him as it was for her; he missed his Kitty, and thus sought every chance at physical contact. It was something he had developed from Asha; bodily contact always set him at ease, and he was never one to withhold an oncoming hug or a hand-holding. Raising his hand to settle it behind her head, stroking her white hair in a slow, harmonious pace, he decided against speaking to her. She seemed slightly shell-shocked over the commotion that just had transpired, still quivering even when engulfed by his embrace and warmth. Instead he proceeded to hum for her, hoping to set her at ease. They remained like this for a few good minutes, shutting out the outside world for the duration. Eventually he did speak to her. "I promise you: not another soul will ever lay their hand upon you so long as I'm around." Taking a small breath, he recited the words he had spoken to another Vi'dreya a long time ago, for he was sure the girl in his arms was in fact a Vi'dreya. "I'll keep you safe." Gently letting go of her, something that took a lot of convincing to actually do, he introduced himself. "My name is Thurion. Thurion Heavenshield", he said, settling a hand upon his heart for emphasis. "May I ask you of your own, sweetness?" Removing his hand from his chest he brought it towards her and poked his index finger into her tiny tummy gently, hoping to put a smile on her adorable face.

@[member="Nina Vi'dreya"]

 

[Lief]

The man seemed undeterred and soon she found herself embraced within his arms. The little girl tensed up for a moment, fear pulsating through her person, until she realised there was nothing to fear; this man was not attempting to harm her in any way shape or form, and it was all that kept her from fleeing as she had so desperately wanted to do. His name, it seemed, as Thurion, and just the fact that this man had given her his name made her want to reply, to confer upon him her own. But could she? He had already guessed at her heritage, he knew she was a Vi'dreya, what harm would it do to give the rest of the name? And besides, this man was her elder, and as such she had to respect him as she had been raised to do. It was all becoming so difficult that her little lips wobbled yet again. N-Nina... she passed into his mind, M-My name is Nina, and my parents are gone. There, she had answered two of the questions he had posed to her. Her tiny eyes flicked up and settled upon his for all of a second, before she looked down to the floor, afraid to anger him or those around them.

@[member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

Nina. Nina Vi'dreya... so that was her name. Such a cute little girl, she was, with hair as white as snow just like her sister. Her innocence shone through more and more each passing moment, something the Knight could relate to; back on Tython he had at many times put his innocent youth on display for all to see, without remorse for having done so. A child should be just that; a child. They should not be passed judgement on by their elders, who themselves most likely where just as childish at some point in their youth. Master Asha had always allowed for him to act as a child should, without ever showing dislike for his doing so. The future lies with our children, after all, and if he could guide this one child - set her on her path - he would at least be able to feel like he has been worthy of a fraction of Asha's attention and care. Like she had been a mother to him, he in turn would serve as a father for this youngling; she said her parents were "gone". Did they abandon her on the streets, or had they passed away? In whatever case, she was an orphan by the sound of it. That being said, better be sure she has nobody waiting for her to come home to. "Gone? They abandoned you?"

Allowing her time to answer, should she choose to at all, he then reached for her hand and, while gazing into her big, round eyes, he brought it to his lips and planted a delicate, chaste kiss upon her almost impossibly tiny knuckles. Everything about the girl spelled adorable; from her cute button-nose to the small, delicate fingers resting in his hand, basking in his warmth. When looking at her, he could see the similarities between her and Kära, even though she had been older at the time. That being said, Thurion could not refrain from noticing a hint of Asha in her icy blue eyes, and her almost mute state reminded him of Daux. Poor Dauxy... where was she now? Last time they saw eachother, back on Teth just before his departure, she had just gotten around to walking properly, and even learnt to speak a few select words. Although he figured she would not so readily leave Jaxton's side, and thus would be safe with him wherever they would go. Ah, well... the time for reminiscence had passed, for now. The little girl standing before him was his primary concern at the moment, and hopefully would be for the foreseeable future, if the Force had in fact guided him to find her.

Settling a gentle hand against her soft cheek, he could feel the kind nature within the child; there was a hint of strength buried within her small frame, along with the goodwill of a student of the light. She had morals, even when living this life of poverty on a world of deceit and shadows. "Nina, do you have anywhere to live? Someone who looks after you? Anyone at all?"

@[member="Nina Vi'dreya"]

 

[Lief]

@[member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

She shook her head slowly to his question and looked away, biting her tiny little lip. She could not lie to this man, this stranger, to do so would be wrong and rude. But at the same time she didn’t exactly know what to say, after all just what had happened to her Family? Nina had recently found out that those who had raised her weren’t her real parents, and that she was able to be passed around from Mother to Father regardless of what she wanted. Bowing her head slightly she closed her eyes and sighed. N-No… she asserted timidly into his mind, they were dead but she couldn’t formulate the words. Although, that being said, the connection the pair presently shared mentally would have been enough to confer this knowledge to him. At least, Nina had been told they were dead, whether this was true or not could not be said.

She timidly shied away from him, biting her lip all the more, but her gaze lifted to meet his. He knew something more than he was letting on, but she could not determine what; perhaps it was not for the knowledge of a child to know it, perhaps he himself did not yet know it. When his hand settled upon her cheek she felt a comfort like no other and her worries melted away. Stepping closer to him she resisted the urge to let loose her emotions, her little trembling lip the only outward sign of what she was feeling. It made her miss the man she’d been raised to think of as her Father; he had always been so calm and caring with her. I do, b-but... she admitted, unable to complete the sentence, yet the worry, fear and even disdain which came alongside this revelation would be enough to show that she was unhappy there, all the same she could not say a bad word against them, such was not her way.

And yet just as with the loss of her parents the nature of her new foster family would be endowed upon him, allowing him some minor amount of understanding; they were no family, they did not care, and Nina was left to wander the streets to avoid their wrath.

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

The little girl in his grasp reminded him so much of Kära; so reluctant at first, yet profoundly grateful for the attention she was given, as if nobody had ever showed her signs of love and caring. She seemed less intimidated by him, at least, and so Thurion removed his hand from her cheek and grasped her tiny hands in his, bringing them together between the two. Just as the other Umbaran girl having entered his life so long ago now, she was much cooler in temperature and of a more pale skintone than himself, adding to the skinny and starved look of her figure. Fitting both her tiny hands within his one, he raised his other hand to place beneath her cheek, gently tilting her head upwards slightly to look at him. A warm smile met her quivering lips, followed by his calming words. "My dear, little Nina... If what you say is true, and I have no reason to doubt your word, then would you consider coming with me? I'd take care of you, if you'd let me. I have a ship, I can take you away from here. You wouldn't have to starve, and no longer would you ever - ever - be alone again. This I swear to you." Having said his piece, he let her head tilt back down as he leaned in to place his lips against her smooth forehead.

"I'll keep you safe."

@[member="Nina Vi'dreya"]

 

[Lief]

And thus came her salvation.

This man was willing to take her away, from this miserable life, and give her something new... And Nina wanted that more than anything else. He had shown her, in the space of an hour, more care than anyone had since her Father. The tiny child wrapped her arms around the man and held him close, hiding her face into his shoulder with a soft whimper. She said nothing, but truth be told she didn't have to say a word, it was obvious what she wanted. Her arms did not remove themselves from around his neck, and she softly began to settle there, exhaustion taking over. Little Nina was tired, it had been a long day already and she wanted nothing more than to leave this place. Her trust was fully placed within the arms of this man, she only hoped he did not misplace it.

@[member="Thurion Heavenshield"]