Private A Story of Blood and Steam

[Scherezade deWinter]

Immediately after "A Chapter Between Towels and Rancors"

Hekate 's warning about not being late wasn't needed. Scherezade was ever the punctual girl, making sure to arrive on time to anything she could. Being late was something she mostly used as a weapon, and not because she lost track of time or hadn't properly planned the time she had.

Her hair still damp, but her body thankfully dry and covered in a pair of shorts, a black tank top, and boots that were unnecessarily heavy, she made her way towards the Mess Hall, a small backpack slung on her back. She'd collected a few items from her ship during that half an hour, mostly trinkets, holoimages and recordings, and some random memorabilia, that she thought Hekate would like to see.

And she also brought a freshly new Whimsy-issued holocommunicator with her, already programmed to make the other deWinter family members easy to reach whenever Hekate decided she was ready. First and foremost, of course, was Celestine deWinter 's holoinfo. The rest would become available once lunch was over, probably.

It had been strange to go over the lists she kept. Brayden, not seen since… Well. Poof, that one hurt. A lot. But she didn't want to linger on her missing twin who had seen the results of Scherezade breaking but never got to see Scherezade herself. Then there was Hellys, of course. That would be Hekate's other sister. Madalena was on the list as well, as one of Scherezade's twins.

For the comminformation about Asteria and Angelo, Scherezade had decided to send Celestine the request for permission. She would decide on the timing, and she had given her, in witch-fashion, a year and a day, though she was certain it would far less time than that before Hekate got to speak with her mother.

Her heart still thumping wildly with excitement, the Sithling burst into the Mess Hall and chose a table that was as far from other people currently in there at present. If Hekate would ask to move closer to them, she'd have to say it out loud.

 

[Hekate]

Hekate arrived in the Mess Hall to find Scherezade already at the table.

Was she late? And after the request I made of her not to be late herself.

Hekate went to rush over and apologise stopped herself and breathed calmly. If she rushed over and started to apologise profusely she'd never stop then she'd get anxious and nervous again. She had had enough of that for one day. For one lifetime really. Hekate took a breath.

Time to learn about family

Her heart fluttered at the thought.

Hekate made her way over as calmly as she could given she was just about jumping out of her skin to hound Scherezade with questions. She was glad Scherezade had picked a table away from other people. Hekate tended to avoid crowds and strangers if she could. Hekate stopped herself from shying away from them with body language.

She had already made a terrible first impression on her new family. Hekate groaned inwardly. Attacking her on their first meeting. It was going to make the rounds at family gatherings she just knew it.

Hekate sighed to herself. That was ok ribbing each other was part of being in a family. They could rib her for that all they wanted to. She just hoped they wouldn't be cruel about it. She was hoping a lot based on a family she knew nothing about, had only met one member of who was a mercenary.

It was hard not to. Breathe Hekate breathe. You're done being a nervous wreck for the day.

She wished she could believe it, but she'd try her best.

"Hello." Hekate greeted awkwardly playing with her sleeve of her favourite red jacket. "Am I late? I stared at the clock on the vall until it was time to leave. I made sure to leave early."

Hekate hesitated

"I do not have my own holovatch or pad or coms device. I think I am getting on vhen ve go on mission though yes?"

Hekate paused and breathed. She sat down, waited a few moments.

"Pleaze tell me ov family? Our family. Are they kind?"

Scherezade deWinter

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

She could practically taste Hekate 's nervousness as soon as her cousin stepped through the door. Under normal circumstances, Scherezade would probably point it out. This time, she was trying to be the professional adult, the one who Knew Things[tm], the one who wasn't going to be a butt about it. So she didn't mention it, just gave her cousin a smile that, once again, she hoped was calming, open, and friendly.

"You're not late," she answered, "I got here a few minutes early to grab a good table."

As soon as Hekate sat down, Scherezade grabbed a bag of cheese cubes from her bag, and placed it between them. Sure, it was nothing like the food they sold here, but now they both firmly had their behinds in chairs, so there was no reason to break the setting just to get fed. Besides, cheese cubes were life. These ones came in various pastel-ish colors, ranging from the common white and yellow to the stranger purples and greys.

She also had no idea if DeathDrop issued their own holowatches, pads, whatever. She was still using hers. But she made a mental note to check, to make sure her newly found cousin wouldn't go through the poodoo that she herself had gone through when she was younger just because she hadn't known any better about what she could and couldn't have issued.

"Kind… Isn't a word I'd use," she said slowly, collecting her thoughts as her hands rummaged through her bag, bringing a holoprojecter out.

"This is your eldest sister, Celestine deWinter ," she said as she clicked a button, and a holoimage of the woman blinked into life, "We used to live together every now and then when we still had access to the deWinter Penthouse on Coruscant."

That was… An introduction. But it wasn't enough, she knew.

"Parts of our family rock," she grinned, and then frowned, "and other parts of it suck major balls. There's also quite a lot of us, but since we don't treat death in the linear fashion most of the 'verse does, it's sometimes hard to know who's around and who isn't."

Was she making it easier for her new cousin? Probably not. She wasn't sure how to make it easier.

"Okay so, you have two sisters that we know of. Celestine, and Hellys. I've just got off a call with Celestine, and she was…" she paused for dramatic effect, "shocked to hear about you. And unfortunately, she needs a few days before she can part from her stupid rancors, but she wants to meet you as soon as possible. She's got a lot of questions, just like you do."

Scherezade leaned back in her chair and sighed. She was aware that she was just making a salad out of all the information. Was there an easy way to explain it all?

"So…" she mumbled, "do you want, like, a family tree? Or have specific questions?"

 

[Hekate]

Hekate smiled gratefully when Scherezade didn't make a point of her nervousness. She was trying, but having it pointed out only made it worse. She stopped the thought that she should apologise for the accidental attack again. She was sure it had gone past the point where the constant apologies had begun to become annoying and full of false self sympathy. Plus Hekate was beginning to feel it was pathetic. A strong warrior such as Scherezade respected strength not weakness.

"Thank you" Hekate pointedly did not glance at the table chatting nearby. "I vould prefer a private conversation as vell"

Hekate picked through the cheese cubes fastidiously. It was strange being able to eat whenever you wanted however much you wanted. Hekate had seen fights break out over this much food. It was also strange that now that she had access to so much food she rarely ate. It was as if her stomach was still adjusting to all the rich food as opposed to slop she was used to. Hekate continued to pick through enjoying the fact that she had the ability to choose and picked a scarlet one.

"Thank you." Hekate caught herself in time before slowly putting it in her mouth. Enjoying the taste as it rolled around her tongue.

Grimacing slightly a little, her shoulders slumped. She had been foolishly hoping the family would welcome her with open arms, had even entered a silly little fantasy of vague blurry figures at a Spring Festival like when she was young. It hurt more than it should that not all of a family she'd never known were unkind.

"Ve don't die?" Hekate blinked confused. "Vhat do you mean?"

Hekate blinked again.

"At least I vill have one thing in common vith one of my sisters"

"I like vancors. I used to have one… she died vhen they… vhen it happened." Hekate smile grew, flickered and died as she remember her young Rancor Fluffy. "I anmed her Fluffy. At first I vanted a cat but then my parents pretended they had given her to another family."

Hekate sighed.

"I vonder if.. Celestine? Vill let me meet her vancors?" Hekate asked tentatively knowing the a rancor bond was not something to be shared lightly.

Hekate brightened.

"Ave a family tree vould be vonderful!" Hekate exclaimed beaming.

"but… first, vhat about my parent… are they not… kind?"

Scherezade deWinter

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Scherezade noted the slumped shoulders, but she wasn't sure why they were slumping. Had she said something that disappointed her cousin? And of course, there was the whole question about death, though that would be far easier to explain. Thankfully, Hekate had asked that question out loud, giving Scherezade another reason to grin like an imp.

"Oh, we absolutely can die," she nodded firmly, "we die of natural causes. As a deWinter, your natural causes of dying are if someone manages to kill you. But stuff like sickness or old age? Don't think that's happened in a good amount of generations."

Then was the bit about rancors. Scherezade tried not to roll her eyes. She knew all about how Dathomiries liked their pets, but if she was frank, most animals she got to encounter were the type that she had to kill lest she wanted to be eaten by them. She didn't particularly care for any specific group of animals either, though there were a few individual ones that she would protect with her body and her life if it came to that.

Kinda the same like she did with people.

But first… The parents.

"It's not that they're not kind!" Scherezade blurted quickly, cursing herself internally for explaining it all wrong, "Asteria, that's your mom's name, she's my aunt, and I love her to death. Always will. But when people meet her at first and they don't have the privilege of being related to her, she can come off as a little bit cold. Okay no, a lot cold."

And then there was the whole thing with Angelo.

"I don't know about your dad," she admitted, "I mean, I know he's a great guy who loves his mate and daughters, but he's sort of being held somewhere against his will by your paternal grandmother, Petra, who can be a real witch sometimes. In the bad sense of the word, not the cultural meaning of it."

She threw a few cheese cubes into her mouth to have an excuse not to say anything for a moment.

"I'm also wondering what happened between when Celestine and I think you were born to day," she found herself saying before her brain had the time to yell at her not to, "seeing as it's been a few hundred years."

 

[Hekate]

Hekate blinked at that.

"Vell… that is interesting.. so does that mean I vill not age?" Hekate asked with a frown.

Hekate wasn't sure how to feel about that she'd always looked forward to the day when she could be a wisened old grandmother with her grandchildren running about her feet. Of course that had been a long time ago. Now though… now not aging would be an advantage to survival, and one thing Hekate had learned about herself was she was a survivalist. If not aging helped her to survive that is an advantage she would use.

Hekate could sense that her confession about Rancors held no interest for Scherezade. Hekate tried not to feel disappointment about that.

"It iz ok, not everyone likes Rancors." Hekate said softly.

Though in Hekate's opinion they were thoroughly misunderstood creatures.

Hekate frowned a little at hearing of the description of her mother.

"Vill she… Vill she still consider me family or vill I be a stranger to be treated… coldly?" Hekate asked hesitantly unsure of her place in this new family. If she would be warmly received by everyone or if even her own mother will consider her somehow separate for not having been raised by the family.

Hekate frowned at learning her fathers fate apparently at the hands of yet another family member. She didn't know what to make of that. She knew that if her Papa was being held against his will be anyone she would fight the whole galaxy to get him back.

"I… should ve go get him?" Hekate asked frowning confused about what her familial obligations were in this new family.

"Are family feuds such as this common?" Hekate asked concerned.

"I knew of such Clans on Dathomir usually against each other, but sometimes a Clan split. Someone married someone half the clan didn't like, someone stole something or accused someone of something. Clans could fall apart in inner bickering and turmoil. Most of those clans were Nightsister clans or occasionally one of the ones who enslaved their men folk."

"Are ve like that? Do we… fight each other?" Hekate asked becoming dejected at the answer

"Vait! A vew hundred years?!" Hekate asked astounded. "but I.. I am not a few a hundred years old. I am…."

Hekate paused as she realised she did not know how old she was. She thought back.

"They came on eighteenth summer. I know because they came during Summer Sulstice so ve vould be caught unawares." Hekate shrugged "I do not know how long it has been since."

Scherezade deWinter

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

She didn't really have an answer to the age question. As far as Scherezade knew, they all stopped aging at one point or another, but while she knew some family members made a conscious decision about it, she wasn't sure all of them actually did. "Probably going to be your choice," she shrugged.

The next answer, she understood all too intimately. She'd been afraid as well to meet her parents. Her brother. To go back to Endelaan. Only once had she seen her mother since her release from the pebble, and that had been sort of in an out of body experience. She'd yet to set foot on the planet she was a princess of and could theoretically choose to become the next queen. At first, it had been because of shame, because she had been so certain that she wasn't worthy of the legacy she had been born to. Now… There were other reasons.

"Family is family," she assured Hekate , knowing that bit for certain. deWinters didn't all love all their family members, but they were family nonetheless. Sometimes, they were just family you were sanctioned to kill.

But getting Angelo? She gave a sad chuckle to that. "Don't," she warned, "you're not experienced enough yet for the dangers such a journey would demand. Maybe after you meet your sisters, you three can plot it out." They could also do more than that, but some things were better left for others to explain. Hekate had almost killed Scherezade by luck, she knew, but tackling Petra would be an entirely different story.

And here it was. The panic and confusion about the age thing.

"I believe you believe you've experienced at least eighteen years of life," she said softly, "but it's not the same… I was born before the Gulag. I should be over seven hundred years old. Do you know how many of these years I've actually lived? Maybe fifteen."

And Scherezade knew she didn't look like a child, or even a teenager. "I was a baby when our grandmother snatched me from my family, locked me up in a little pebble, and I stayed there for centuries. I wasn't as luck as you though, since I knew I was trapped and I had my consciousness. And in that jail, I was inside the Darkness for all that time. When I was released, I was just on Ryloth, in the body of a young woman. All the bits of life and experiences in between? Never had them. And learning to be an adult…" she sighed. Those had been such horrible lessons, trying to catch up. She was glad the hardest of those years were over, "I made a lot of stupid mistakes, and I ended up broken."

With a sigh, Scherezade leaned back in her chair, grabbing a few cheese cubes just so her hands could do something. She was never good at sitting still. Had never even gotten the hand of meditation because of it.

"So I'm thinking something like that was done to you," she finally said, "obviously, you didn't feel it. Doesn't mean you weren't frozen in time or something like that for a large part of the time that's passed since your actual birth."

 

[Hekate]

Hekate paused at learning aging would be her choice.

Hekate shrugged slightly.

"I enjoy growing, aging as part ov the natural progression of life. I also believe in survival. Being young helps with survival. Perhaps once my body starts giving me random back spasms I shall endeavour to halt the aging procezz."

Hekate smiled shyly, remembering all the jokes the then older members of the village would make.

Hekate frowned chewed her lip and nodded.

"Family is family. I vill remember that. I do not think I am capable ov attacking family… vell at least not unless it vas an accident." Hekate blushed as she remembered she just had attacked family, however accidentally.

Heakte frowned not liking the idea of leaving a father even one she had never known to his fate, but then.. did she even have the right to call him her father. Family was more than blood, it was festivals, and birthdays, and arguments and saying goodnight. Saying I Love You. Hekate couldn't claim to love this father however much she might wish to meet him.

She had wondered if there was family honour at stake. In the Moonsong Clan there would have been. It would take some time for Hekate to adjust to the way this new family functioned or misfunctioned as all families did. Hekate realised not all families would have been comfortable sending her away to be taught by the Mothers. Every family every Clan is different.

Fifteen?! Hekate almost exclaimed I've been looking up to a teenager?!

Luckily Hekate kept that thought to herself. She would not want Scherezade to think she was mocking her.

Hekate paused.

"Zorry I just at the… I've been half thinking you vould be my vise old mentor, and vhen you said ve don't age I vondered how old you vere. It is different to find out you are quite young."

Hekate grew solemn as she heard Scherezade's story.

Hekate sighed.

"Iz everyone in our family cursed to live a tragic life?" Hekate asked almost rhetorically.

"I am sorry I questioned your age I did not mean to. I vas surprised iz all. To be trapped in consciousness for several hundred years, is not 'quite young' at all. And I believe you vhen you say the years since in the galaxy have not been easy ones. The galaxy is a hard teacher. You no doubt have more experience then I do."

Hekate sighed. It was a lot to take in

"If that's the case how long ago vas I born before I vas… frozen in time?"

"Do ve have any more cousins? Aunts? Uncles? The ones I am likely to meet that is. I know Galactic families don't always… stay in touch? Yes?"

It was a foreign concept almost an anathema to Hekate coming from a Clan where everyone stayed in touch even the ones who married into other clans, but she would adapt. She always adapted.

Scherezade deWinter

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Hekate was absolutely adorable in thinking she would not attack family. But Scherezade didn't say anything out loud about it. Why tell her that even the Jedi in the family had attacked other family members on occasion, and there had been no accidents involved at all? Their family was a tangled mess of a yarn, and there was one thing that was certain; though they all protected each other in their own way, they all knew that sometimes, you just had to bring the scissors out.

It was hard to stay quiet. At every word that Hekate uttered, every sentence pronounced, Scherezade had something she could say, a way to respond, to react. But she was almost bouncing in her seat as she tried to maintain the energy inside instead of letting it explode out. So far this was probably one of the best long lost family member found events she'd gotten to witness. And while she seemed charming and pink enough, she knew she could sometimes… Scare people away. Be too much. Old whispers were old, and whispers, but they didn't actually disappear.

Alas, it was not to be. As soon as Hekate mentioned the words old and wise, the Sithling burst into a fit of giggles.

"I've never been called wise before," she gave her cousin an Impish grin, "old, sure. But wise? Moi?"

It wasn't really a secret. Her early stages in this life had made certain people think the worst of her and her abilities, and even though she'd proven herself time and time again that she was not the useless scrunt they thought she was, they would never come to appreciate her. She had learned to just leave people like that, but some wounds only turned into scars, without properly healing all the way.

And then her eyes flashed with excitement when the question of more family members came up.

"Let me show you!" she almost screamed, jumping from the chair and almost knocking it over in the process. From her bag she pulled one of her scrolls and unceremoniously dumped it on the table, letting it roll open from edge to edge. It was long. And it contained names and sketches, all arranged in what was supposed to be a family tree but looked more like a family wreath.

"Ta daaaaaaaa!" she announced with pride, "not my work, but I love it nonetheless. This is the known part of our family."

Now she grabbed the chair next to Hekate, almost slamming shoulder into her shoulder. "Let is out," she encouraged, "whatever you're feeling now, whatever you wanna say. This isn't the time to be shy."

 

[Hekate]

Heakte grinned abashed as Scherezade teased herself. It felt… good, natural. Like two cousins bonding after some time apart. Swapping stories, talking of family. Like the only thin that happened was they'd been on separate trips. She had read a holonet serial of two young women on Alderaan she thought or maybe Chintrilla or Naboo who had gone on separate journeys around the galaxy. Light hearted adventures, of love and romance. Though Hekate had blushed furiously at certain scenes she had enjoyed the series.

This felt like that. Not the blush scenes. The young women returning to each other after their romantic adventures, meeting over a cup of coffee. Like the only care they had in the world was pretty boys and each other. Hekate had read it on a stolen commpad. It had been the first time she had felt guilty for stealing something to survive, and the last thing she had sold before she would starve.

Hekate tried to think of something witty her favourite character would say.

"Vell perhaps not old. Vise not old. Old means wrinkles and bent back. Young and beautiful but vise"

It was all she could think to say. She knew it wasn't very witty, but she thought this was one of those occasions where it was more important to banter then to sound smart.

Hekate gasped as the family tree was rolled out before her, she grasped it eagerly, followed by immediate fear that she would tear it in her enthusiasm. She gently let id down and scanned it furiously.

"Thiz Jonathan haz a lot of children… doez he… doez our family marry many people?" Hekate asked confused.

"Would I be expected to marry many people? Or be one of many?" Hekate asked with a flash of concern.

Some Clans practiced such usually the ones that kept slaves. Hekate had still held hope that she would find true love some day. Even through the worst of it. It was the only thing that kept her going at times.

"Ve live for a long time yes? There are descendants not on this tree?"

Hekate shrugged at Scherezades question.

"I guezz I just vorry they vill not like me… or I vill not like them" Hekate hesitated to admit the last it felt selfish, ungrateful. "Not you! You are lovely and very kind. Even after I.." Hekate blushed she needed to stop bringing up her accidental attack it was impolite. "… but I have learned hard vay not to trust eazily."

Hekate shrugged went back to scanning the family tree.

"Ve are a very pretty family." Hekate murmured. Though it felt arrogant to include herself.

"Tell me more of Celine and Aurelia?" Hekate asked eagerly "I have alvays vanted zizters."

"Sisters" She enunciated more clearly. W's were hard but her S's only slipped occasionally into Z's. She was getting better, learning correct grammar through watching comedic holoshows.

Scherezade deWinter

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Marriage? Scherezade couldn't stop herself from laughing when Hekate posed the question. Marriage was one of the few things that in their family, was truly rare. There were other options of course, various ceremonies, claiming, bonding, mating, however one wanted to call it. It was still rare.

"We marry when we choose to," she answered after the laughter died down, "but no. Most people in the family marry only once, if even that. You're not expected to do anything you don't want to in that regard."

And then there was the question of Jonathan… Scherezade sighed. That was a hard one to explain to most people. "He did not marry anyone. All his children are the result of unwanted and undesired actions, and I think there's hundreds more that we just don't know about. We don't even speak about him, but we accept all his children and their children and so on. Not their fault their sperm-donor sucked."

Leaning back in her chair, the Sithling sighed and grabbed her drink, taking a few long gulps. Hekate, understandably, had a lot of questions. Not for the first time, Scherezade hoped she was doing a good job at answering them and reeling her in rather than out. She had been accused so many times of not knowing how to read a room or do that whole diplomacy thing that she believed it too. But Hekate seemed to be fine with her presence so far. So maybe… Maybe she wasn't screwing it all up.

"We live a very long time," she nodded absentmindedly, her thoughts now turning to Celestine and Aurelia.

"I don't know Helys very well," Scherezade admitted, ignoring the fact she hadn't used her full Aurelia name, and there were reasons for that, but she wasn't about to go into it right now, "but Celestine and I shared grandma Shery's Penthouse on Coruscant for a while. She's very… proper, in public. Very lady-like. Thinks highly of herself, as one absolutely should. She has a soft spot for rancors and runs a few farms or… Something like that. She might seem distant at first, but give her time too. She will warm up and show you what lays beyond a slightly cold exterior."

Only now did she realize that every word uttered could have been said for her auntie Asteria as well. That was funny. That was also something she would never tell Celestine. You're so much like your mom! wasn't something people took as a compliment in most cases.

 

[Hekate]

Hekate blushed as Scherezade laughed at her question about marriage. It wasn't her fault! She didn't know! The galaxy was a strange place people had all sorts of customs that were unfamiliar to her. Hekate got over her mortification quickly when she learned about Jonathan.

"Oh I see… I shall remember not to be alone vith him." Hekate said quietly. She had known men like that. A flash of anger surged through her reflected in a flash of red in her eyes. She had once cursed such a man. "Though a part of me vishes I vere. So I could curse him to feel all the fear a voman feels. Over and over again."

Hekate shook her head dismissing the accidental calling of power she had summoned with her anger. Checking her hands to make sure the scarlet swirling energy retreated. Last thing she wanted was to accidentally attack Scherezade again by losing control.

"Zorry." Hekate murmured softly.

Hekate sighed and tried to concentrate on learning about her sisters. She was both disappointed and relieved. Disappointed not to learn more about one sister… Helys? Relieved to learn she had something in common with the other.

Helys? A nickname. Should she call her Helys? Hekate sensed there was more to the story and that Scherezade was uncomfortable telling it. Was it something like it had been with Jonathan? If it was it would be better if Hekate didn't pry. Hekate would feel sad if one of her sisters had such an experience… or was the one who had subjected another to it. Hekate blanched at the repulsive thought. If that were the case though perhaps she should know?

"Zhould.. Zhould I call her Helys?" Hekate asked tentatively not daring to pry more than that. It was as close as she dared, knowing her constant barrage of questions must be getting tiresome as she blundered through sensitive family secrets.

"Zorry I zhould not pry. You are not comfortable." Hekate shook her head glancing down.

"I am relieved Celestine and I both have a love of Rancors. I hope… I believe ve vill be able to bond over that." Hekate shifted subjects clumsily.

She was growing frustrated with herself at her obvious weakness. This was obviously a powerful family she was entering into. She would have to be powerful if she wanted to be accepted… and protected. Her constant apologies, doubt, fear, muttering and stuttering even her accent. Showed someone who was at best unsure of herself. At worst someone crippling anxiety. She had to be strong. She would become strong. She may not be yet, but she was a survivor. That she knew of herself.

Hekate frowned straightened her posture and looked Scherezade in the eye, as she considered her next question.

"Vhat do ve do for powver in this family?" Hekate asked bluntly, directly.

Scherezade deWinter

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Well there was something Hekate was probably not going to have to worry about in the foreseeable future. Jonathan had been missing for centuries, though anyone who knew when people were dead said he was not among the dead, but she wouldn't have to actually work hard to avoid him. Just live her life, and that would likely be beyond enough in that department.

"Yes," Scherezade responded to the question about Helys, "she doesn't respond to Aurelia for some reason. I don't know why."

To the rancor thing, she gave her cousin a happy nod. Yeah, they were definitely going to bond over that.

But there was something happening with Hekate. Scherezade couldn't exactly put a finger on it. She was not really gifted in the arts of reading people or drawing out what was going through their minds in a nice way. Sure, she could do it violently, but that wasn't why either of the women were here now, so she wouldn't.

"Whatever we want," she answered with a simple shrug, "Your maternal grandparents were each the Dark Lord of the Sith at one point or another. Grandma Shery was also the Empress, before the Gulag. Your grandmother Petra basically ran Dathomir for a few centuries. My parents rule a hidden secret Sith society. Your mom took over the brothel business from her own mother. The galaxy is literally your oyster, it's up to you what you do or don't do with it. There's no report card or annual review or anything if that's what you mean."

Scherezade sighed and put her cup down, only now realizing she was still holding it.

"Just… Try to find the things that make you happy," she said softly after a short silence, "screw what everybody else thinks. If you're unhappy somewhere, get up and leave. Find people you care about. Things you care about. Your passions. Your own dreams. Don't let anyone ever force you into doing anything else. You're your own person, Hekate. You always will be. And you need help in dealing with people who are trying to tell you otherwise, you call me and I come separate heads from bodies."

 

[Hekate]

Hekate nodded filing away the information on not to call Aurelia by her name but Helys. Hekate frowned wondering if she should continue to badger Scherezade with questions she may not know the answer to. Hekate shrugged internally. If it were a problem she'd say so. Scherezade didn't seem like the shy demure type.

"Vhy Helys?" Hekate asked with a frowned. "Not vhy does she not like to be called Aurelia, just Helys does not seem like a natural… conjunction? Of Aurelia."

Smiling shyly at Scherezades happy nod to her comment about rancors, Hekate was hopeful, looking forward to meeting at least one member of her family.

Hekate face fell a little as she learned her families power and how they got it. So that was the family she was entering? The Mothers would tell her to walk away and there was a time she would have… but that was before. Before she learnt how cruel the galaxy could be. Power was safety. She was entering a powerful family. That meant safety. Hekate had done things she wasn't proud of to survive. They had done the same only to thrive. Hekate didn't know how she felt of her new families… proclivities of power. Sith Lords, Rulers even a brothel owner.

Hekate had seen pale imitations of those in power. It was enough to make her scared of those in greater power.

"I see" Hekate said softly swallowing.

Hekate nodded as Scherezade encouraged her to find her own path. It was good advice. Only Hekate didn't know what that path was. She never had. Even in her village her talents meant that some thought she was destined to be a priestess, she had always assumed that was the only path before her. As a slave and in the camps it had been just pure survival. Even joining this space station of mercenaries had been a matter of survival. It had been a long time since she had been asked what she wanted for herself.

"I… do not know. I'd like to learn I think. About the galaxy, it's cultures and technology. I like technology. Ships maybe? I like ships, but I'm not much of a pilot or mechanic." Hekate shrugged knowing she sounded silly and childlike. Learning? Who cared about learning when you needed power to survive. "And to harness my powers better. To train how to fight better. If heads need separating from bodies I'd rather not have to go running to my cousin to do it."

Hekate decided to change the subject.

"What of…" Hekate studied the family tree searching for family members to ask about. There were so many to choose from. Picking one at random, Hekate asked. "Madalena? What is she like? What's her story?"

Scherezade deWinter