A System of Weights and Measures

[Kamon Vondiranach]

Varunda IX, New Habat University

Death.

Supposedly it was a new beginning for most. A journey into the depths of the Force.

In his experience, this was not the case. Perhaps it was his blood that kept this from being the truth. He'd long known that his Hinata blood would keep him from truly dying without the assistance of one of his children or his last remaining cousin. When he'd told Silas to end him if he ever fell to the dark side of the Force it was because he knew that he wouldn't be truly gone, but that he would be free for a time, and could combat the darkness within himself without the worries of tending to his body. So when he'd been frozen on Vortex, he'd used the time he was free to rid himself of the darkness that had been implanted within him by the cult that had captured him. And when he'd awoken, he'd woken refreshed, and at peace once more.

Peace that was not enough.

Somewhere out in the wild galaxy were his children, and he couldn't help but wonder if they were alright. Plus there was Hana. The last time he'd seen her he was certain that he'd hurt her. He needed to rectify that if he could. But first, his children.

From Vortex he traveled to Eshan. He expected to find Spencer there, but he did not. Nobody seemed to know where she was, but there were rumors that Ashin was on Varunda IX. If he could find [member="Ashin Varanin"] then he could find Spencer. Besides, Ashin was essentially he daughter as well. He took an interceptor from the Compact's days and flew across the galaxy to the world within First Order space. Since the Compact was mostly a defunct existence, and had never had dealings with the First Order, his ship was granted permission to land. Once on foot, he lessened his signature, and followed the lead that brought him to New Habat University. He searched among them, but did not find her. Asking led him to shuttles that left the world to a science vessel in space.

With a group waiting to go up, Kamon mingled, hiding his face within the hood of his cloak, waiting to board the craft his daughter-in-law was piloting. If nothing else, this was going to be a unique reunion of sorts. Assuming she didn't try and kill him.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Kamon Vondiranach"]

About half the time, Ashin Varanin piloted the university's shuttles; the rest of her work involved commanding S.S. Shambhala, one of their science frigates. Kamon boarded the shuttle without incident. A short transit took him and a dozen grad students to a low orbit and the Shambhala's docking bay.

Ashin made it a habit to greet new passengers in person. She'd expected the grad students, but not the man in the hood. Thus, for the moment, she ignored him.

"Welcome aboard the Shambhala." Her eyes flicked over them and settled on none of them. "I'm Captain Ashin Varanin. My job is to get you and your professors and your experiments to and from the places you study. We're at the edge of the Unknown Regions, so the normal rules don't apply. Civilian ships don't get treated with courtesy. Marauders and pirates and unexplained phenomena are the order of the day. As a result, each of you will be provided with a copy of our safety procedures. Obey them or you might die. Worse, you might get someone else hurt. Aboard my ship, that does not happen.

“Questions?”

 

[Kamon Vondiranach]

She wasn't much different from how he remembered her, save for the fact that she seemed more toned down since the events of his wedding. It seemed she was running a scientific service for the school down on the world that they had left. Something of a noble cause, he supposed. He could still sense the darkness within her, however, which of course still bothered him. This was the woman married to his daughter, so how could he not be bothered by it?

She gave a long speech to the students and the like that had come up to the ship, deliberately avoiding looking at him as she did so. Then she asked for questions and it seemed none of the students and such had any. But he did, so he lifted his hand until she noticed him doing so.

"I have one. What have you done with my daughter?"

With his question he reached his hands up to lower his hood so that she would see who it was that was speaking to her. He wasn't concerned with whether anyone else would recognize him or not. His sole focus was his daughter-in-law and discovering where Spencer was. If he found her he could also find Aston.

[member="Ashin Varanin"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Kamon Vondiranach"] - now that was a face and voice she'd almost forgotten. She'd half expected the hooded man to be [member="Dissero"] playing a prank or something. Instead she found herself remembering the last time she'd seen her father-in-law. It had not gone well.

She scanned the faces of the assembled grad students - curious, apprehensive, confused. Prurient interest. If he wanted to talk in front of them, so be it.

"Gave her fifteen years of marriage and a home, Vondiranach." She smiled faintly. "Not to mention the throne of Eshan. Everyone, it appears we have a guest. This is the Dark Jedi Master Kamon Vondiranach, my father-in-law. Maybe he's enrolled."

 

[Kamon Vondiranach]

"Not quite what I meant, but that's good to hear. As for the rest, former Dark Jedi Master. When Silas killed me I was able to free myself of the darkness."

He did take a moment or two to nod his head to the students, though he wasn't really there to pay any mind to them. Nor was he there to harm them or cause a ruckus, as it were. He was just looming for his children and Ashin was the best lead that he had available to him. Granted he wasn't a member of the First Order and was actually its enemy, but they didn't need to k ow that at the moment and it wasn't relevant to the time and place.

"What I'm really asking is whether or not you know where she or Aston are? I can't seem to find either of them."

Arms crossed behind his back, in so doing making twin sabers visible, but as his hands were not near them, it clearly wasn't a threat. He also stopped hiding his presence such that ahe would feel the light in him.

"I need your help, Ashin."

[member="Ashin Varanin"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Kamon Vondiranach"]

"Dismissed."

In short order, the passengers dispersed to the wonders and joys of a science ship. A handful of crewers hooked the low, lean Ithorian shuttle to the Shambhala's lines - fuel, power, data. Like Ashin, they wore the off-white uniform of NHU's civilian star service. The hangar emphasized the background noise of their work. Ashin judged the level of privacy sufficient.

"Freeing yourself from the Dark Side takes profound and sustained sacrifice. What did you kill for your redemption, I wonder." Her gaze refocused on Kamon. "So the double on Spencer's throne didn't serve your purposes, then? All right. I haven't seen Aston Jacobs in years, but I know exactly where Spencer is. What I want to know is why you want to know."

 

[Kamon Vondiranach]

He watched the others go. They were curious, of course, but not enough to deny their dismissal. While Kamon didn't care if people heard their conversation or not, why should he, it seemed that Ashin did. It was her ship, so he respected her desire to deal with things as she was. Then he listened to what she had to say and sighed. Sacrifice was indeed the of order of the day, but such a sacrifice had been easy to make.

"I was the sacrifice. My body was killed to free my mind of ha ing to deal with it. While it regenerated I dealt with myself."

His eyes focused on hers when she looked back at him. She was cautious because of his recent volatile past. In some respects he was grateful for that. It meant she did value his daughter enough to protect her.

"A doppelganger is not my daughter, Ashin. I want to see my children. I miss them. I want to Ser they are well. I want to atone for my sins towards them. They deserve better of me than I have given them."

[member="Ashin Varanin"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Kamon Vondiranach"]

"If once you walk down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny - isn't that how the old line goes? Some Darksiders have a sense of restraint, Kamon, a sense of proportion. I'd like to think I'm one of them. You, I'm not sure about. Your fall was...well, for some, catastrophic, wasn't it. You're an unknown variable to me, and normally I don't care about unknown variables, but this one's attached to a dangerous magnitude. I consider you a peer, and I don't consider many people that. You're strong, you're unpredictable, and I have no compelling reason to trust you with my wife's location.

"That said, she's an adult, she's probably stronger than both of us, and she knows her business. She can handle anything that comes her way, and I think she'd prefer to make her own decisions when it comes to you. It's not my place to stand between you.

"She's a student here under another name. Undergraduate, political science, though she's doing well in her poetry electives."

 

[Kamon Vondiranach]

"I'm not really that strong in the Force, Ashin. Give me a lightsaber or a starfighter and I'm an equal to most anyone, but that's largely spatial awareness enhanced by the Force. I can't conjure storms or throw perceptions around like some can. I can hide myself if I want, but you still give me too much credit."

He sighed and turned to look about them, not really wanting to look at her. The darkness but again. An old analogy for an old time of absolutes. There were no absolutes, really. The potential for change was present in all of them should they choose to accept it.

"That's an old ideology from a time when the Jedi were just as misguided as the Sith. I once thought that way myself, but I disagree with it because it precludes the notion that darksiders can be redeemed, which necessitates they instead be killed. I don't agree with that. Not anymore.

"As for Spencer, she takes the strength of both of her parents and amplifies it. She will always be a greater Forcer than I. But shes still my daughter and I still love her and wish to see her. You are my daughter too, whether you accept such a reality or not. I care about you too and am glad to see you are well. If you feel more comfortable telling Spencer of my presence before I go to see her I will not object."

[member="Ashin Varanin"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Kamon Vondiranach"]

"Right answer," she said. "We are what we choose to be." Another faint smile. "I'm not comfortable being called your daughter, but I appreciate what I think you mean by it. Give me your contact information - I assume you're incognito while in First Order space - and I'll pass it on to Spencer. I'm sure she'll be in touch one way or another."

She mulled over a thought, then shrugged.

"If you're interested in building ties, and if you're not too busy being a Jedi of whatever stripe, sign on with me. We're about to leave for some unusual destinations, and I could use a solid shuttle pilot. I have fairly broad latitude to hire temporary contractors."

 

[Kamon Vondiranach]

"I'm traveling under the guise of the compact. A simple representative traversing the galaxy. I haven't even arranged a place to stay yet."

He contemplated her offer, and though he did honestly consider taking it, he didn't think it would be right of him to neglect the necessity of protecting people for the sake of a potentially long term venture. Not yet, anyway. That thought could change at a moment's notice, however. While it would be good for them to build ties, he still needed to see Spencer and find Aston. That was more essential to him.

"In the future I may take you up on that. It would be nice to not have to fight for a while. For noe my priority is my children, but I have other tasks as well. Life is never anything but busy."

He shrugged and pulled out a data stick which he offered her.

"My contact information. Both of you should keep it and call if you need my help. I'll come, regardless of the danger or reason."

[member="Ashin Varanin"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Kamon Vondiranach"]

The data stick vanished into one of her uniform pockets.

"Come to think of it, there's actually something you could do now, or whenever you have the time. There's a First Order civilian doctor named [member="Irajah Ven"] who lives on Dosuun. She worked for the Zambranos until they decided to torture her for some asinine reason. I've been teaching her a little - specific skills that should help her get her revenge. One skill I don't have is vanishing. I can see through the White Current, but I don't have the knack for disappearance. If you find yourself in the area, she has an estate called Blackwater Reach, and I'm sure she'd make good use of what you can teach her. Would you be able to do that?"

 

[Kamon Vondiranach]

A frown touched his lips at what Ashin said. Torture at the hands of darksiders was something he was intimately familiar with, as was the desire for vengeance. But that wasn't the right course of action. If he said that to her, though, she's likely scoff at him for his line of thinking and then he wouldn't have the chance to help this woman, this [member="Irajah Ven"] that she had mentioned. And helping her was something he could do.

"I can show her the current, and what she does with it is up to her. I won't condone vengeance, but that is her choice to make."

He crossed his arms in front of him, sticking hands up into opposite sleeves.

"I will go fond her once I know if Spencer wishes to see me or not."

[member="Ashin Varanin"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Kamon Vondiranach"]

"That's all I ask," said Ashin. "And thank you. I've got a long voyage or two ahead of me; it's a load off my mind to know that someone competent will be helping Irajah. She's a good person who's seen too much, so take it slow and be patient with her, even when she wants to learn very quickly.

"Speaking of my trip, I have a long list of boxes to check before the Shambhala can embark. Feel free to look around and have a meal in the mess if you like, and the shuttle can take you back groundside when you're ready. We're leaving orbit in about an hour and a half - plenty of time for a bite to eat. I'm afraid I'm out of time personally."

She offered a handshake.

"Force be with you, Kamon."