Private All But The Crying

[Domino]

Domino lounged back at her desk, staring at the terminal screen that provided the room's only illumination. Her eyes dropped to the whiskey glass still holding a finger. When she had started typing it'd been that far from the rim. Blinking her gaze turned to the bottle to see if she'd really drank that much. She had. Below her chair her feet rubbed back and forth over the slumbering form of Munnah, letting the soothing textures and warmth of her skin settle her drunken mind. She'd done it, it was something she'd been putting off but could no longer lie to herself about. Now she just had to do the hardest part, admit defeat and say her goodbyes. Maybe stop her sins from hurting those that came after. It was cold comfort that there likely wouldn't be many people that remembered her to be hurt.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she hit the 'send' button. Her message was short, and would race to the three people that she figured would be hurt the most by the choices she'd made today. The ones she had been putting off, the ones that made her a responsible person. In a pique of fury domino snatched up the glass and drained it before flinging the thing to shatter against the wall. Below her the Tuk'ata let out a rumbling growl and was half-rolled to her feet before realizing it was just her. then she gave Domino a wounded look that worsened as she found herself shut out from her alpha's mind. "Sorry girl." Domino said squatting down to tiredly rub behind the beast's ears. "Its just best you don't fret."

The message she'd sent had been rather short and simple. It asked the recipients to come visit her at her Bespin estate on Cloud Nine, that there was a private matter she wanted to discuss with a few friends and she'd appreciate their company. Reading it one last time, Domino shut the machine down and left to her bedroom, surprised at the weight that had lifted from her shoulders and sudden certainty with which she walked. She didn't notice the tears until they ran down her cheeks.

Sasmay Cull Matsu Ike Syn

 

[Sasmay Cull]

The sound of a message was something she was slowly becoming accustomed to. A sound that once might have upset her before this. Taking her time reading the message, concern grew in quick order before she made the choice to cut her jump short. The vessel shuddered briefly back into realspace as she plugged in the new coordinates and began this new leg of her journey.

The droids in the hold protested briefly before being told the destination, of which quieted them quickly.

---

There was quiet as she watched the clouds roll by. An uneasy one that she didn't realize that had sprung up as the ship descended and found itself a spot to park. Other vessels were here, something that made her hesitate over her weapons. But this was Domino. And nothing would likely happen here without forewarning.

She left her ship with little more than a knife in a belt sheath. Even her usual armor was set aside for this impromptu meeting as she strode quietly towards her goal. What could she have asked her here for? Thought swirled and darkened the corners of her mind as she called for Munnah, clearing the doorway and waiting in the silence.

Domino Matsu Ike Syn

 

[Matsu Ike]

Domino Sasmay Cull

THe message came and the jedi master remained in her seat, the brightly lit chambers in the temple of the Precept gave her a full view of the murals that were depicted and the strange statues that were here. She raised an eyebrow though at the message and rose slowly using the interface on her wrist to quickly have the ship begin to be prepped. She would need to get up to the docks and then dressed. there was a lot to do and most of the world was quiet as the jedi master approached the waters edge this far down and her companion the ashla's root formed... massive or at least large enough as the equiine like manifestation of the root appeared with the water shimmering in the light of the glow rods.

She moved to climb on it and took a breath as she was enclosed within its for a moment... sensing the algae that formed it and sending the message that she wanted to go back up to the temple the water horse moved and dove under the water as the jedi master felt it holding itself together and her within it as it was moving and had the pressure easing her up but she wouldn't have to equalize herself it was doing it automatically. They arrived up quickly and she popped out of the water rising into the air and coming down as she touched down quickly.. one of the droids was there with her outfit so she could change as the bay of her ship came down.

She used the automated systems to set the course as the manifestation of the ship through the collected stars came up. The cosmic energy allowing the ship to create its own personality and more so then that control itself spoke. "Setting course Master Ike." Then they were leaving thanks to the faster systems that were abel to spin up and get everythign going much faster then normal.

 

[Syn]

"Master there is a message for you." The spirit of the ship spoke as the jedi master was busy... the focus on fighting the thing in front of him while the comlink in his ear relayed it. He wasn't one to get distracted but he picked up everything as one hand went out and the mutate was pinned against the wall. "Stay" He said it and finished listening before speaking. "Prepare the ship, I shall return shortly." The jedi master turned to look at the thing pinned to the wall and tilted his head for a moment compressing and throwing it out the window. Then waited for a moment walking back towards the doorway and the ship that had moved in and was hovering outside of the tower, He moved into it and setting the course to go and meet Domino the jedi master meditated for the trip allowing himself to focus and limit what was needed for the time... at least for those sensing as he and the shadows who followed the old ways could mask their power and limited it. Making it seem more like he was a padawan or barely a force user to outward appearances as the ship arrived and he walked in to join keeping the fell star on his chest that he had found and his saber on his hip.

 

[Domino]

Upon arrival each of the three were greeted by a personnel servant proffering a chilled drink upon a silver tray and bade to wait for the full group. Facing them together would be hard enough, Domino didn't think she'd be willing to go through with it alone with each of her friends. So they were offered refreshments and the services of the estate until the last of them were ready before being asked to follow to the innermost part of the house. To a sunbathed garden full of planters and the sound of water as it fell into channels.

There Domino sat on the edge of one of the paths, pant-legs rolled up so she could bob her feet in the water of her meditation garden. Seeing them, she gave a sad smile and stepped forward to give Sasmay a hug before taking them to a seating area. "Syn, Matsu, Sasmay, I don't really know how to start, so as weird as it is I'll just say it. I asked you here because I wanted to say goodbye." There it was out, no turning back now, no 'surprise! it was secretly my birthday!' She opened her mouth to continue and mentally stumbled, what to say next? Just tell them she was leaving? She couldn't without explaining why. And how to even start explaining that? Her already crumbling mask fell and the three that knew her better than anyone else were free to see how utterly lost she was, that she was utterly spent and the drive was gone from her.

Still she refused to quit and pressed on. "I uh, noticed it first a few years ago. I thought it was stress, just a few forgotten tidbits. Then larger gaps, looking back I could always piece together the logic trains for my actions, but then I started reacting to things that hadn't happened yet, or might have happened. Or could have, would have, happened." Her hands folded together in front of herself and twisted about. "I'm loosing myself and I can't stop it."

Sasmay Cull Matsu Ike Syn

 

[Syn]

He stood there for the time... looking at her and declining a drink but he paid attention. Hmmm he didn't need to speak instead going silent and still as she continued. THe jedi master didn't know how to respond to the situation but he was more then willing to be here for her. The other two who were in the room well he knew one of them the other was unknown and so stay on alert should be be needed. He would wait and see what else might be said... Matsu was here and the jedi master was worlds smarter then all of them here.. maybe then most of the orders and he was fairly certain she forgot more then most masters knew.

 

[Matsu Ike]

Sasmay Cull Domino

"I see." THe jedi master was more animated but she moved closer looking at her and held a hand out. "It seems strange to call you an old friend and this is not news that one would want to hear... who else is going to support me in my crazy ideas ore adventures... or talk me out of fighting against force beings on a cosmic scale." The jedi master said it and looked at the twi'lek with a small hint of sadness she wasn't one to show emotion on her face but she stood there and looked back at Sasmay... someone she had no idea who she was but surprised there wasn't more people here.. Domino did know several important people.... and Joshua... why wasn't he here to make it all about himself.

 

[Sasmay Cull]

She listened, if silently. The eye patch might have helped hide the words made her feel initially if anger hadn't rolled through before sadness swept it away. Confusion rode it's coat tails as she waited for an explanation before becoming angry. She had been doing better about it, even if Domino had been the one to temper that anger.

A steady hand in her training, and in her life with which she was now losing, along with so much more.

She swallowed the angry words, instead clicking her tongue before rolling her lips backwards to keep from being terrifically emotional. The need to be upset, to be supportive, and reach out were battling for the top spot, forcing her to pause in the light of the revelation.

"Is there anything we can do? Or...do you just need...space? Time?" Sasmay offered quietly while trying to not choke on the words, content to completely ignore the others as though they simply didn't exist. Her singular eye was focused on Domino without a thought thrown to the others. There was no concern about backstabbing, or betrayal. Not when Domino had called them here.

Domino Matsu Ike Syn

 

[Domino]

Sasmay's anger, though short lived, was clear and hot to her and she gave a little wince. This was perhaps most unfair to her, someone who was more than just an apprentice to Domino. Matsu got a little head shake, they'd never discussed fighting the so-called 'Force gods' so she wasn't sure if the woman was jesting. "I'm sorry Sasmay, even if I cut myself off from the Force the damage is done and I've already gone through some rather intense medical treatments." Even cloning had proven ineffective, if littered with interesting side effects.

"I mostly just wanted you here to say good bye and to let you know I'm leaving you everything except the Sangromancer." She was also taking her Alsvin armor and sabers, but that should be a given considering they really only worked for her and she'd be needing them. "I've been doing a lot of thinking and I figure one last grand adventure sounds good. One of the ones people talk about but nobody knows how it ends. Something pushed the 'Vong to invade all those centuries back and I'm going to go find out what. Maybe visit a little hell on them in return." Domino hadn't been able to look any of the small group in the face while she spoke, but towards the end she looked towards Syn, an unspoken invitation to the only person she'd never held back in a fight against, the only person she could go all-out with. He'd joked before about the two of them sitting on a porch in a thousand years bickering after all the empires had died. And even though nothing had ever happened between them and never would, this was his chance to have it if he wanted to babysit an insane master for the rest of their lives.

Sasmay Cull Matsu Ike Syn

 

[Syn]

Domino Sasmay Cull

The jedi master listened to her but also looked with a raised eyebrow at her plan... it wasn't exactly something that was sound... traveling to investigate the source of the vong could take centuries... longer possibly as they had gone through several dozen generations on massive world ships. He looked at the one and was more looking in the force as he spoke finally his voice coming out smooth and controlled. "You know I am always around and it wouldn't be the first time there was a memory imppaired force user with a lot of power but there is small danger in letting those who seem to care for you handle you for now. I can have patience and await my turn."

 

[Sasmay Cull]

There was a bitterness to the truth. But it was plain by the words effort had already been put in. Avenues gone down to dead ends. It didn't help in the moment, but she pushed through for Domino's sake. Her nails bit into her palm, a tooth buried into her tongue to keep from crying.

Even with what they had, it was out of her hands for what Domino needed at the moment. Was out of her range of care to properly help. The best she could do was to step back and let her do what was needed.

Having all of her things wouldn't ease the feelings. Likely wouldn't touch much of it besides to be sentimental. Everything was thousands times more precious to Sasmay now with the news. Her eyes shut tight briefly, opening and making herself smile.

Even if it was a bit wobbly.

"Think it would be best if I stepped back then. That's...this is a bit...out of my range. I can't punch bite or kick your problem...so..." She struggled, words failing to express the frustration she had. She cared, she just couldn't express it to Domino .

"I guess. Goodbye...then." Sasmay finally said looking to Syn with what was an incredibly forced smile. She was angry, hurt, confused, but was trying to be sincere.

"Don't know you. And right now I'm...I don't want to. But...take care of her please." Was all she could muster before nodding and stepping back. She wrapped her arms around herself and turned, headed for a private spot to sit. To process it all.