Private An Asylum to Inherit

[Adriana Fortemps]

// CASTELL, LOW ESTATE //
// Madelyn Lowe //

---

---

Nerves danced enthusiastically across the back of the Echani's neck, a new sensation to the former Lord Inquisitor of the Sith. Even as the beautiful gardens of the Lowe Estate gleamed through the viewport, the thought of danger lurked in the back of her mind. Dark fingertips tightened the hood over her features, dull amber eyes still maintained enough of their glow to give her away as Sith.

Some part of her felt relief as the vessel touched the ground, a soft jostle as ramp extended open. A short spectacle woman stood waiting outside the ship, flanked by household guards on either side.

"Miss Fordyce, if you could follow me."

The soft spoken girl adjusted the datapad in her arms as she examined the Echani up and down. With a nod, Jorryn followed the woman out of the shuttle. The guards guards following in turn as she was lead towards the entrance. Eyes followed along the statues that decorated the walkway, marble figures posed elegantly between the flowers that sat along them. The tranquility of the estate calmed the silver-haired Sith's nerves, the cool wind and naked sun bearing down reinvigorated her choice to approach Madelyn.

It would be the right thing to do, no matter how uncertain she felt about it now.

"Senator Lowe will join you soon." The girl's hand shuffled along the datapad, alerting the host that her guest had arrived. "May I provide anything for you while you wait?"

"Tea would be a nice start, dear." The words came out from beneath her hood, manners giving way for caution. Even here, Madelyn having a guest with amber eyes such as Jorryn had might not go unnoticed.

It wouldn't take long before the assistant returned, trolleying a small tray to the side of the seat the former Lord Inquisitor had taken. And here should would wait, pride swallowed as she waited for the host she would petition for help.

 

[Madelyn Lowe]

The Lowe Estate,
Castell

​

-

Madelyn Lowe had a lot on her plate. Her ascension to the Senate had meant to be a quiet note, a slow start as she eased herself into the affairs of her planet and the Alliance. Instead, she found herself on the negotiating table as the Alliance teetered on the brink of war, and centre stage for a high stakes contest for power within the senate.

Castell, at least, had been easy to manage so far. The majority had accepted the imperial transition warmly, and in return Madelyn had ruled with discretion, allowing indulgences she normally wouldn't on a planet she controlled.

All that was to say that Madelyn was having a busy couple of weeks, so when one of the house staff hurried over and told her that her guest had arrived, Madelyn felt a slight twinge of annoyance. Nevertheless she rose. Who was it she was having over tonight, one of the city's functionaries, or perhaps some droll person from the public departments? She couldn't recall, all over her appointments were beginning to blur together.

Madelyn sighed and stepped into the front room, only to see Jordyn Fordyce receiving a drink from one of her waitstaff. Madelyn's irritation evaporated in an instant. She had forgotten the missive she’d received weeks earlier, so engrossed was she in the affairs of the senate, Jorryn’s arrival had slipped almost entirely from her mind after she proffered her invitation.

“Jorryn Fordyce!”

She stepped forward, wrapping the woman in a quick embrace. Not very professional, but her relief at seeing the woman was palpable.

“You have no idea how good it is to see a familiar face.” Madelyn said breathlessly. “The Alliance is so strange, and you’d think with Tithe I could talk to someone about it but-” Madelyn cut herself off. What had just come over her?

“Let’s get ourselves something to drink.” Madelyn said. She was still bursting to catch up with Jorryn. They hadn’t really been anything more than acquaintances, but Madelyn was so distanced from members of the Sith regime, she longed to talk to someone who shared her experiences. Maybe that was something she could rectify now she was in charge of Castell.

Madelyn gave a nod to the waitstaff and took a seat opposite Fordyce as the tea was poured into delicate mustard-coloured cups with fine gold rims.

“We will talk about my problems momentarily, what brings you all the way out to Castell?”

Relieved as she was for the opportunity to catch up with Jorryn, Madelyn wasn’t exactly certain on the woman’s purpose for visiting. Her presence was welcome, of course, but anyone from the Sith regime resurfacing had to be questioned, at least to some degree.

 

[Adriana Fortemps]

// CASTELL, LOW ESTATE //
// Madelyn Lowe //

---

---

As Madelynn entered the room, the former Lord Inquisitor raised to her feet. A smile made its way onto her black lips as the blonde made her way over, the relief of seeing a familiar face being more refreshing than the Echani had assumed it would be. During the collapse of the Empire, many of the well-meaning bureaucrats and soldiers had either been killed or left. It left only the ambitious. The Echani had no presumptions about the nature of the Sith, but when even the soldiers below her had thought they could be rewarded by finding a weakness in their Lords, the paranoia created itself.

Even the fact of relaxing and visiting friends had long since passed, first the war and all the troubles that came with it. Then being Lord Inquisitor over nothing, information and chasing traitors took too much of her time. If Jorryn had to be honest, she was hardly the best Inquisitor ever. A damn sight shorter than her master had been. She had been so tired for so long, but seeing a familiar face washed the sensation away.

"Oh-"

A hug hadn't been the first thing Jorryn expected from Madelyn, it reminded her how little pleasantry she had in the transition since the fall of the Empire. It was nice, a reminder of much more peaceful days.

"It's good to see you too, Madelyn." The Echani leaned in as she returned the hug, taking the reprieve from her nerves in turn. As the Senator spoke, Jorryn stifled a laugh at the mention of the Alliances strangeness. "I'm sure Tithe was already an expert in the strange."

She took her seat back along with Madelyn, taking a small sip of the tea after it had been poured. The smile on her face faded weakly as the blonde asked why she had come, a reminder that this wasn't just a visit to a friend. Jorryn would have loved to just catch up, gossip about what Tithe had worn to the latest meeting. But she was here for more than that.

"It's not that it isn't to visit you." Her fingertips tapped rhythmically against the porcelain cups, drumming a nervous tune. "It's been some time since I've seen a friendly face myself, and I'd love to chat." Dull amber eyes peeked out from beneath her silver hair. "But I'm here for more than that. I'm here for..." The words trailed off weakly, unsure how to best make her request.

She looked into the tea, eyes reflected in the liquid.

"I'm leaving the Sith Madelyn. They're finished as much as our Lords and Ladies would have us deny it." The next words were hard to say. "But I'm not... I'm not leaving their like." Embarrassment filled the Echani, a pathetic look crossed her face as she turned back up to meet the eyes of Madelyn. "Agents of the Maw have approached me and I think... I think I'm going to accept."

Jorryn was unsure how Madelyn would react. She was a Senator of the Alliance now.

An enemy of the Maw.

Everybody was. Even the Echani knew the rumours that had surrounded the Maw, but she had no choice. There were few people that she hadn't burned bridges with, and what she needed to ask, she could only ask Madelyn.

 

[Madelyn Lowe]

The Lowe Estate,
Castell

​

-

Having regained some reign over herself, Madelyn sat back and sipped her tea, quietly revelling in the distraction from the affairs of the Senate.

“Tithe is more suited to this than he ever was to the Sith. He’s found his people.” Madelyn replied with a snort, before sitting up a little straighter and fixing her eyes on Jorryn as she explained the purpose of her visit. As she spoke, Madelyn felt a wave of nostalgia. Her tenure in the Sith had been marred by tragedy, and her rule was over an empire in its death throes. And yet, those had been some of her best years. The height of her power, her respect, and her comfort. Seeing the former Lord Inquisitor brought those memories to the fore, mixed now with the bitter note that all of it was gone.

As Jorryn continued, Madelyn nodded along with the woman’s words. The story she was hearing was in many ways parallel to her own. A higher functionary who clung on to power, only to see everything crumble around them, now left wondering where they could go from there. The Sith were over, and Madelyn, having left their rank and file already, would show Jorryn the way to a new life.

But then the woman kept talking, and Madelyn realised that perhaps their paths were not quite parallel like she had first assumed.

"Agents of the Maw have approached me and I think... I think I'm going to accept."

Madelyn's eyes narrowed, just for a moment, and she expected in that second for the room to erupt into violence, as though some plot was unravelling before her. Even her wife, Yves, who at that time had been hovering towards the back of the room, bristled. When nothing happened, Madelyn relaxed. Jorryn was genuinely coming to her for help. Old habits died hard, she guessed. In the old regime such an admittance usually meant that something terrible was about to unfold. She let out a long sigh, and levelled her gazed back at the woman, whose amber eyes were ever so apparent in the tastefully lit sitting room.

"I get it. While I wish I could tell that you're making a mistake going to them, but I can't. People like us don't have a place anymore. The Alliance is no better suited than the more to the old order. So, I won't try and steer you from your path. Just, try to keep yourself safe."

She didn't know what else to say to the woman. The Maw was an unknown to her, and the things she heard did not give her any comfort that Jorryn would survive there. But it was true that the Galaxy reviled people like them. If Fordyce could carve out a place for herself within the Maw, maybe she should take that chance, and who was Madelyn to tell her to squander that?

"So, what do you want from me?"

 

[Adriana Fortemps]

// CASTELL, LOW ESTATE //
// Madelyn Lowe //

---

---

The anxiety was clear on the Echani's face, whatever fragile smile she had been softly holding onto slipped away as she felt the air in the room change after her admission. As the woman who had begun to flank Madelyn shuddered, Jorryn felt the weight of her admission cloud the room. For most of the people in the Galaxy that admission would have gotten her arrested or killed.

For most people in the Galaxy that would have been a threat.

But there was no pride of her new position in her voice. No glorious declaration that she would be joining the next great Sith in their crusade against the Galaxy. It was melancholic in its own way, presented as a matter of fact instead of some revelation. Deep down the former Lord Inquisitor knew it was the coward's choice. So often did the path of least resistance run parallel with the Sith, her future tempered by her past.

"Thank you." She muttered weakly, embarrassment robbing the words of their strength.

That was until the Senator asked what her reason for coming was, and the request sat anxiously in the pit of her stomach.

"I, um..." Pearly white teeth chewed upon her black lips as she found the best way to put the words forward. "I have lived as a Sith for a long time, Madelyn. Far longer than most." She spoke with renewed strength as she pulled her hood down, sitting tall as her amber eyes flared. "I don't remember a point in my life when my eyes didn't look like this, no memories of my mother or father. No idea if I have any other family out in the Galaxy at all." The vigor in her voice faded for a second as her eyes turned down. "I was taken by the Sith, raised by them. I haven't known any other way of life... I still haven't."

"But I do have family now." A soft smile penetrated her pensive look as her mind turned to think of her children. "Two daughters and a son." Passion reflamed as she turned to meet Madelyn once again. "And I refuse to let them grow up as I did. I want them to learn more of life, to have the opportunity to be what they want instead of what has been decided for them."

"Madelyn..." Her voice trembled as she took the blonde woman's hands into her own, looking deep into her emerald eyes. "I can't bring them with me to the Maw. While the younger two aren't old enough to show signs yet, my daughter is gifted in the force. I won't have her follow the footsteps I've laid out." The passionate glow her eyes once held waned as she pleaded with the Senator, traces of the lavender hue that sat beneath them almost imperceptibly visible. "Will you please take my children, and raise them in the Alliance?"

 

[Madelyn Lowe]

The Lowe Estate,
Castell

​

-

Madelyn sat slightly apprehensively as the woman went on. Jorryn appeared visibly uncomfortable, explaining her situation. Madelyn remembered what it was like after the Sith crumbled, approaching former associates for favours. The humiliation, the shame, and the gratitude at having even simple requests accomodated. Madelyn could only imagine the emotions running through the woman's head at that moment.

She explained how the Sith had overtaken her life, outshined every aspect of it, erased family history and personal bonds. Madelyn remembered the feeling. It was a lot to unlearn, she was still unlearning it, deciding what to hold on to and what to throw away. The Sith had a way of getting under your skin, of making you less human.

"But I do have family now.. Two daughters and a son. And I refuse to let them grow up as I did. I want them to learn more of life, to have the opportunity to be what they want instead of what has been decided for them."

So, Ms Fordyce had found herself a family. That wasn’t very common for the Sith and their ilk, but it wasn’t unheard of in the Empire. Madelyn certainly wasn’t the type, but she got the feeling Jorr would make a good mother. But still, the Maw, that was all the more terrifying with the prospect of dragging along your children.

"I can't bring them with me to the Maw. While the younger two aren't old enough to show signs yet, my daughter is gifted in the force. I won't have her follow the footsteps I've laid out. Will you please take my children, and raise them in the Alliance?"

Ah.

Madelyn hesitated, and the tense moment hung in the air. A true sign of goodness from the woman. Madelyn wouldn't wish a life amongst the Sith on her children. If she was in Jorryn’s position, no doubt she would do the same thing, a difficult choice though it surely was. Madelyn levelled her gaze at Jorryn’s eyes, now an attractive muted purple, and pursed her lips.

“I am not the motherly type, Jorryn.” Madelyn opened her mouth to go on. It would be so easy to dismiss the woman, to tell her that she was focused on her career, that she had never really wanted children, that she simply wouldn’t have the time. Instead, other words spilled from her lips, propelled by a sense of sorrow and responsibility deep in her chest. Where else would Jorryn go?

“I don’t know that my parenting style will be personal or… Affectionate, as you might like.” Madelyn sighed. “I don’t know that I can be a proper mother. It’s just not who I am.” Madelyn clasped her hands together. “But, I can promise that if you leave them in my hands, they will have a good life here. I will ensure they are well cared for. They’ll be safe, educated, ready for when you return. I can see to that, at least.”

Madelyn let out a sigh. “If you go through with the Maw, you can’t come back here, not for a long while. Perhaps we can arrange visits under the guise of holidays, but understand that ostensibly, you would be cut off.” Madelyn looked at Jorryn seriously. The woman was desperate, and Madelyn was willing to help, but she was also a risk, a liability. She had to be sure if they were to go through with this.

“What do you think?”

Adriana Fortemps ​

 

[Adriana Fortemps]

// CASTELL, LOW ESTATE //
// Madelyn Lowe //

---

---

An air of sadness clouded the relief that came across the Echani's features. She was overjoyed that Madelyn agreed to watch over her children, the knot in her stomach loosening but barely. A sad smile curled on her lips as she looked down once again, her hands fiddling together as she tried to find the words.

"I think the Sith left a lot for us to desire in the affection department."

Dim eyes grew misty as she thought on it. The Echani had hardly been an amazing mother herself. Their father wasn't, nor had been, in the picture of their family, and Jorryn had hardly been involved with the kids too much herself. She knew she loved them, even if the words never rang true when she said them. Family had never been a reality for her, ever since she was a young girl the only things she had were masters and instructors.

It was new and it was scary. So she had thrown herself into her work as Lord Inquisitor. Late nights had become later, meetings dragged longer. In truth, she felt that her old HRD had almost been more of a mother to them than she had. Insecurity was a new feeling to the Echani, her boisterous personality had been able to push down whatever she felt in her life before. But it was difficult to bear when it came to her kids.

"Thank you, Madelyn." The words murmured weakly as she reached over the small table, pulling the Senator into a tight embrace. "I understand it won't be easy. I don't want to force motherhood on you." A tear rolled shamefully down her face, unable to tell if it was relief or sadness. "Just knowing that they'll be safe and cared for is more than I can offer them right now. I owe you more than I can ever repay."

Then came the words that Jorryn had known would inevitably escape Madelyn's lips, the knot wound itself tighter with every syllable.

“If you go through with the Maw, you can’t come back here, not for a long while. Perhaps we can arrange visits under the guise of holidays, but understand that ostensibly, you would be cut off.”

She knew it was coming. Before she had arrived at the estate, even when the idea had first popped into her head on Yavin IV. It didn't stop the helplessness from crossing her face. The Echani turned her features down to hide from Madelyn, the sensation of shame crawling across every nerve in her body. She felt stupid for feeling this way. This was the only way this could ever happen.

But still.

"Of course. I... I knew this was coming." The words parted from her black lips defeated and weak, struggling to reveal themself more than asking for help did. "Don't worry Madelyn, I didn't come here under any foolish notions. As much as my children, I don't want any harm to come to you either. You've been a dear ally of mine for some time and, if I'm not presuming too much, a friend."

Friendship had been rare in the Sith, everyone used each other. Jorryn herself couldn't even fill her fingers with the people she considered herself close to. The silver-haired Sith had always been fond of Madelyn, admiring her ambition and skill in the bureaucracy. But it wasn't admiration that brought her to Lowe's doorstep. Jorryn needed someone she could trust, someone she wanted to trust.

And as her eyes turned up once again, she felt comforted in the presence of the woman, even if they may never meet again.

"They're on a freighter above Carida right now, in the care of my droid. I'll message for them to come, it won't be long." Melancholy took hold of the Echani, but it was nice, a bittersweet feeling that gripped her. "I don't expect to see them much after this, nor you. Maybe one day we can be together when I-" The thought ended where it began, as lost as the Echani had felt. "Thank you, Madelyn."

The purple in her eyes sparkled once more, the hope of a good life for her children permeating whatever selfishness and cowardice had held sway over Jorryn all her life.