A Mind Undone, Raien's Elegy (Taeli/Ahani)

[Yasha Cadera]

The Never Again Super Star Destroyer
Velmorian Space
Mand’alor the Infernal’s Suite

How the Sith Empress-Consort [member="Ahani Zambrano"] came to be ‘Matilda’ on Velmor was as much a mystery to Yasha Cadera as it was to little Raya Zambrano. The Sith Emperor’s half-Echani daughter vaulted over the couch, tackled playfully by Yasha’s son Reyn. They were two years apart, and between Reyn, Adara and Raya, a game of ‘Shield, shield, pew!’ descended into a jovial game of ‘inside voices’ whisper tag.

Helm and shoulder-piece removed from her beskar’kandar, the Infernal sat with one eye watching the kids, the other firmly fixed on the form in her guest bed.

Ahani Najwa-Zambrano. The insane mother of a man she was acquainted with since her step-mother [member="Baiko no Kaho"] ’s death by [member="Darth Carnifex"]’s hand on Sabarene. Why, when [member="Manu Xextos"] was her riduur’s Force Master…

… why hadn’t Yasha called him? When did the switch take place, where the most trusted in her life were her northeasterly neighbours?

She called [member="Taeli Raaf"] and sent word to Carnifex that his wife and child were found, without harm. When Kaine Zambrano came on the holo-comm, Raya climbed up Yasha’s back and plunked herself on the Epicanthix Mand’alor’s shoulders, waving her hand and with a deep grin telling her father all she’d seen on Velmor and the ship they played hide-and-ambush on to get there.

“I got to colour, and make a scabbard for my sword out of leather and then this lizard man let me have a piggy back ride while we climbed an arena and I got to play with Adara and Reyn and the Mandoloorians helped Mama! But I can’t make her remember. Can you make her remember? Are you coming?” The question hung on the line, and Yasha pulled Raya down from her shoulders, propping the girl on her hip.

“Taeli is coming, little one. She’ll help your mother remember, and then you can go home, but not until you eat a biiiig dinner and a bowl of ice cream, alright?” Yasha tickled the girl, eliciting a bought of laughter, as the sunshine child of House Zambrano hopped down and blew her father a kiss.

“I gotta eat ice cream with whipped cream and chocolate now. Bye Daddy!” Off the girl trotted, tossing her arms around [member="Adara Raxis"]’ shoulders as they chattered as little girls did. A few private words later, and the holo-comm was complete. Sitting beside Ahani’s bedside, Yasha rubbed the bridge of her nose and sipped another strong cup of stim-caf. Idle fingers glanced through reports and compiled orders to send to her subordinates.

Ahani slept fitfully, waking to chatter about nonsensical sounds, while other times rising with a scream that threatened to shatter the walls. Taeli couldn’t come too soon for the Mandalorians.

“… is there bacon? If there’s bacon, that means it’s breakfast… breakfast is when we wake up…” The hoarse voice of Ahani lilted through the air. Yasha looked over from her data pad and pulled out her communicator.

“Yes, Ahani. I’ve got cheffy making you breakfast right now. It’ll be piping hot.” Yasha called the chef to bring a meal, mentioning the bacon Ahani seemed obsessive over.

“Aha-ni… Aha! Nee… Aha! Knee?” Rocking slightly in the bed, Ahani peered round her skin, fingers rubbing against rough linen clothes. No one dared change her, while she slept. “This Ahani person is coming for breakfast? Do be a dear, I think I forgot to remember someone… do you know where I put them?”

Sweet Manda, please let Taeli come soon.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

It had been... an odd request.

That really summed up her thoughts on the summons from [member="Yasha Cadera"], the Mand'alor, to come to the Velmorian System to pick up Ahani. The insane woman was one of Kaine's wives, making her an Empress, so she had to deal with the situation. But... it was still such an odd situation. What had prompted Ahani Zambrano to be on Velmor in the first place? Not only that, but some of what Yasha said about her actions had Taeli wondering if the mental degradation was increasing.

That may very well be one reason why Taeli had been called.

Her travels and studies with other Force sects in the galaxy had allowed her to grow a varied and esoteric skill set that most Sith would never have the chance of obtaining. One of those groups, the Theran Listeners of Nam Chorios, were skilled in the art of memory manipulation and the healing of the mind. If Ahani was getting worse, Taeli could probably stabilize her or even put her mind back together. She would know more once she had gotten the deranged Empress off of Yasha's hands.

Her shuttle dropped out of hyperspace in the Velmorian system, heading towards the large Mandalorian dreadnought in orbit.

"This is Sith-Imperial Shuttle Uther requesting permission to dock on the Never Again," her pilot stated.

 

[Yasha Cadera]

“Mand’alor, if she goes off our shields won’t take it. We’re already reinforcing your quarters.” The Engineer spoke into Yasha’s comm and the Infernal nodded.

“Do what you can. Bring [member="Taeli Raaf"] up the moment her ship docks.” Shutting off her Comm, Yasha watched [member="Ahani Zambrano"] walk through the corridor, little Raya holding her other hand as Ahani drifted her palm along the wall. The metal shone, kinetic energy exciting the molecules in a potentially dangerous conflagration.

“Ahani, where would you like to bring Raya next?” Yasha hissed out a breath, as the comms officer told her Taeli’s shuttle was given permission to dock. Taeli was here.

The welcome committee in the docking bay consisted of Yasha’s Infernal Guard, perfectly adorned Mandalorian warriors standing in row. At the head of the welcome was [member="Adara Raxis"], whose necklace of Nereus given to her by Darth Prazutis sat prominently on her red velvet dress. The child curtseyed, and shared a brilliant smile for her dear Taeli. Beside her, a man dressed in light armour with medical equipment in belt, a data pad in his hands.

“Taeli! Oh Taeli, thank you for coming so hastily. Please hurry. The engineers are concerned for the integrity of the corridors. Dr. Allard has the neuro-scans and bloodwork for you. Please, do come with me.” Adara went to take Taeli’s hand, her own in a crisp white glove. “I do hope your trip was pleasant… It appears something triggered triggered the Empress… all we have been able to discern from Raya is that Ahani was fine, until she got a message from her son, Yuca Najwa-Keth. Something about finding his father’s lightsaber on Sabarene.”

Adara rushed through the ship’s corridors, which was aided by a skiff, and Adara’s ability to sense where the utter insane aura of [member="Ahani Zambrano"] originated. Yasha stood with Ahani, setting her hand on Ahani’s shoulder. The atmosphere got ever more oppressive the closer the group came to the Empress. Her aura crackled, a fissuring star.

“Taeli, thank Manda. Ahani, it’s Taeli… it’s time to go home.”

Ahani’s hair swayed in a breeze none others could feel, her feet refusing to touch the ground.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Yasha Cadera"]

As her shuttle settled into the landing bay, and Taeli caught sight of her welcome committee, she could sense the damaged presence in the Force that was Ahani. Even from this hangar, she could sense the condition of the Empress had definitely deteriorated. Descending from her ship, swathed in deep purple and black robes, she appeared to be every bit the Sith sorceress that she was. She had to wonder if these Mandalorian warriors acting as honor guard respected her? feared her to a degree? She had built herself quite the reputation, and vastly different from the ones the Zambranos had forged for themselves.

But a smile broke across her face as she met the curtsy of Adara with her own slight bow.

"I came as quickly as I could, and my trip was pleasant enough. You really to need persuade your mother to visit more often, especially with Nerralyn now there," she said to the young girl, taking her gloved hand within her own dark gloved fingers. Walking beside the girl and the medical man, she listened to Adara's rushed explanation of what may have triggered, reading over the datapad from the doctor of the neuro-scans. The skiff took them swiftly through the gargantuan vessel, that feeling of brokenness only intensifying.

When they finally reached the destination, Yasha with the levitating Empress... oh that couldn't be good.

"I wish it was under better circumstances that I was visiting, Mand'alor," she responded quietly, moving carefully and slowly. She did not want to spook the Empress if she was projecting her powers uncontrollably. "Do you remember me, dear?" she asked the Empress.

 

[Yasha Cadera]

“I shall ensure we visit presently. Mother doesn’t get the chance to do anything fun lately. But maybe I can be sneaky and find a way.” That would be the ten year old’s mission, then. To discover a time when her mother could go visit [member="Taeli Raaf"] and her darling baby. Taeli’s discernible presence in the Dark was as close to heavenly as Adara could sense. It calmed and steadied the girl, whose natural predilections were so firmly placed in the Dark worshipped by so many Sith. She held Taeli’s hand, babbling quietly about her studies, when the briefing about the Empress’ condition cesated.

Maybe one day Adara would do well enough to get book recommendations from the wise library-loving Sith Sorceress.

“Likewise, Taeli. I’d love to catch up when my ship isn’t about to be decompressed by a crazy person.” Yasha kept her voice level, one hand cautiously up as [member="Ahani Zambrano"] wobbled in the air, her daughter Raya floating beside her holding her hand.

The wall fluctuated, metal waving in a frequency akin to a basso noise. Ahani’s head turned round, the rest of her floating in slower time. For a second, there were three of Ahani, but they consolidated, each a few seconds after the last.

“Lay back, little crow…” Her feet did not grace the ground, but Raya, little Raya clutched her mother’s hand and pulled.

“Mommy, Mom, Taeli’s here. Mommy?” The ten year old daughter of [member="Darth Carnifex"] nibbled on her lip, looking from Ahani to Taeli. “Taeli, I don’t know how to wake her up, this time.”

The princess whimpered, eyes back up at her mother, as the ceiling buckled, then reconstructed into a lattice pattern.

“Aaah, Taeli? If she goes off… I’ve got thousands of people on this ship.” Yasha reached for Ahani’s free hand, “Ahani? Taeli’s here…”

“You… I know your face…” Ahani veered near Taeli, dragging Raya behind her. “I know your face. Can we go flying, now?”

“Can you make it back to Bastion?” Yasha reached her hand for her spear, as Ahani’s feet hit the ground. The ship jittered, the corridor appearing to melt. Yasha held up her spear, triggering the dovin basal to shift gravity and burden Ahani down. “I can cover you… it won’t hurt her… what do we do?”

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Yasha Cadera"]

"If I had arrived on the Elidibus, we could make it back to Bastion," she said, referring to her personal Super Star Destroyer that served as her mobile laboratory. It had the facilities to contain any surge of Force power from the Empress Ahani. Her shuttle on the other hand... she doubted whether they would even be able to leave the hanger bay before it was crushed like a tin can. The little girl was happy to see her, one of the many Zambrano brood, and Taeli kept a smile on her face to keep her at ease.

"I'll have to stabilize her condition to a degree before transporting her back," she said to the Mand'alor. "I'll need a crystal or geode of some sort brought here as quickly as possible."

She didn't explain why, as she only wanted to explain Theran mnemotherapy once, and she found it helpful to explain techniques as she performed them. Plus, with Yasha's sensitivity to the Force that she kept distant from, perhaps seeing another family of techniques might influence the young Wolf to further her own studies and not hide behind that void stone pendant Taeli could sense as a void. Another positive would be the mother would understand her daughter even better.

"Adara, why don't you take Raya to get some a snack? Your mommy and I might be here for a little bit while we help Ahani."

 

[Yasha Cadera]

“Crystal… right. Like a kyber crystal or a… a geode like just a gemstone?”

“Mother? I have one.” Adara spoke up.

“Adara, shush. I’m trying to think.” Yasha heard the scrambling in her comm. Mandalorians rushing through to find what was needed.

“I have a crystal.” Adara stepped toward her mother, hands folded in front of her.

“Adara…”

“But I do! Papa gave it to me. Raya, hurry! Our ice cream will melt if we don’t run!” Adara waved her friend on, and the children scurried off as the floors above and below the group ceased to be felt by any with the Force.

Ysalamiri moved in, out of sight but with a bubble originating with [member="Ahani Zambrano"] where the Force remained. The last thing Yasha wanted was [member="Darth Carnifex"]’s wife dropping dead in her care.

“Pretty raven… why are you strange today, pretty raven? Dressed in tin and cherry pits and… Raya?” The energy fluctuated. A wash of frigid air coated the walls with frost. “Why are you ignoring me, my raven!?”

Yasha’s hands tightened around her spear’s shaft. She took a deeper defensive stance as Ahani thrashed in the gravitational field created by the Longinus’ dovin basal.

“Tuulu, help Adara.” A snarl crept out from the hall, the massive form of the Gurlanin Tuulu shapeshifting from his hiding spot, to sprint in lupine form for the girls. He would be faster then they, even with two children on his back. As Ahani flailed, cursing wildly in languages Yasha didn’t understand, Yasha increased the gravitational pull of the dovin basal.

Ahani crashed to her knees, hands splayed on the cool corridor floor.

“My little… raven… why can’t I fly?” Yasha’s boots began to slip, the wealth of Ahani’s distortional powers pulling her inward. Toward the centre.

“Here!” Tuulu rushed back, a curiously dark-sided Vexxtal crystal in his forepaw. He transformed into humanoid shape as he neared, handing the crystal to [member="Taeli Raaf"]. “The girls are well away.”

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Yasha Cadera"]

While Adara was offering her necklace as the gem to be used, Taeli knew that would be a horrible idea on many levels. One, the crystal was part of a Zambrano pendant and adding any of her own work onto something like that might cause it to become unstable. Two, she did not think little Adara carrying around a gemstone filled with negative memories and insanity would be good for her own continued development. It was a good thing she and Raya left the room, although it aggravated Ahani far more.

Yasha's spear was interesting, using a dovin basal to contain Ahani, although it was clearly becoming a struggle. Ysalamiri were being moved in, but that wouldn't work for Taeli once they had the...

"Thank you," she said, accepting the Vexxtal crystal. It would serve for the moment, at least to stabilize the Empress long enough she can get her back to Sith space and use a prepared geode for the technique. "Yasha, I can't have ysalamiri near me for this work, please have them back off as they also might kill Ahani. Her condition is... unique I've been told."

The Emperor had been vague when explaining it to her before she departed, but Ahani couldn't survive in a void of the Force for longer than a few minutes. Something from her past had resulted in her needing the Force to sustain herself. Curious, something to ponder at a later time. At the moment though, there was more pressing business. Neverminding the trashing and distortion occurring around the Empress, Taeli fell into full on lecture mode as she positioned herself near the Empress.

"So, the technique I'm going to be using is called mnemotherapy by some, vein routing by its creators the Theran Listeners of Nam Chorios," she said, explaining it for the benefit of Yasha as though they were in a classroom and not a part of a ship threatening to tear itself apart. "Using the crystal, and placing Ahani into a semi-placid state between dreaming and deep sleep, I can access her memories and mind and start shifting out negative influences into the crystal for storage. If we didn't have a crystal on hand, one of us would have to keep her memories alongside our own which isn't very good for long term sanity."

As she was speaking, she was using her own command of the Force on the Empress. Nothing invasive quickly, for fear of her lashing out, just a calming hand to guide her into tranquility for now. Not very Sith like, but then this wasn't a Sith technique. The invasion into her mind and to find the root cause of her insanity would come soon enough.

"On a slight tangent, the Theran Listeners have also developed the ability to hear sounds at far lengths. For example, I can hear a couple of your men... oh four decks away muttering about how the crazy woman is going to kill us all. Useful for espionage operations, any way, once Ahani has settled I can begin routing through her memory and the crystal will display what I'm looking at as I store it away."