An End, or a Beginning?

[Samara Galloway]

- [member="Esme Galloway"] | [member="Felix Hardy"] | [member="Nico Minuro Ike"] | [member="Aleister Grey"] -​

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[Somewhere on Upekzar]​

The rain pounded down hard of the tin roof top as Samara squinted through the darkness. Every once in a while the pitter-patter would be interrupted by the reverberating bang of the flexible saw blade swinging in the wind. With every step she kicked up more sawdust, making it that much harder to see. The smell of the rain and fresh wood was almost enough to conjure up images of home. Perhaps she was home, and that everything else was a dream. She was a little girl again, playing hide and seek in the saw mill outside of the city. Samara could almost imagine she heard the soft giggles of the twins as they hide from her. Soon their father would call on the commlink, requesting they returned to the estate. But they would take their sweet time, until they were soaked to the bone and covered in redish-brown mud. It was such a sweet reality. It would hurt to believe in it....

The crystalline blade snapped to life just as Samara spun around and raised it to block. The blade connected with an equally crystalline red blade in a shower of sparks and light that illuminated the dark sawmill. Looking back at her was a reflection, the hard ice like eyes staring back at her with a hatred she'd tried to abandoned. But her doppelganger knew better, she could not let go anymore then gravity could cease. This sawmill was proof of that. Only the most pathetic would conjure up the place she'd abandoned her siblings for vengeance. As if the specter had read her mind it quickly broke the lock, batted Samara's lightsaber away and force pushed her into the nearest wall. Sam collided with a back breaking crack, rolling to her side in pain as she slid to the dust covered floor. The dark reflection of her approached, a triumphant grin across her face. Out of the darkness two other forms approached, moving to either side. She let a small sob escape her throat when the twin's faces came into view. The same dark look in their eyes as her reflection. They both let out the soft giggle from their childhood, but it was somehow distorted, devoid of any light.

Finally the dark Samara spoke. "Tsk, tsk tsk...How could I have ever allowed myself to be so pathetic? Eh? Sister?"

Victoria took a step forward, Samara only now noticing a lightsaber hilt in her hand. "She was always weak. Couldn't even stand up to mother and father. I beat she's glad they're dead. Probably cheered when her husband cut them down."

Samara tried to voice her disgust at the thought, but her younger sister cut her off by igniting the lightsaber and thrusting downward...

 

[Samara Galloway]

*double post*

 

[Esme Galloway]

Gallinore

Even to her young eyes Gallinore had changed in the few years since the last time Esme had visited the richest world of the Consortium. All around here the brilliant sun reflected off the gleaming towers, and their sky bridges that crisscrossed over head like the richest spider silk. The causeway was crowded with the brightly dressed elite of Hapan society, contrasting sharply with the earthen toned traveler’s clothes the young Jedi wore. They were of course quit stylish on other worlds, but on Gallinore even the most expensive dress in Republic space would look like pauper’s robes. To reinforce this thought an older woman passed by Esme, eyeing her clothes for a moment before turning her nose up and stepping just a little bit quicker.

This had been a mistake to start her search here. Even Esme understood the terrible memories this society invoked in her mother. The dark emotions they created would have been to much if Samara had gone into her seclusion. Than again the younger woman just couldn’t understand what had been going through her mother’s mind when she disappeared those two years ago. Esme had only began to piece together the history her mother refused to tell her. The darkness she endured, and even pperpetrated. She could only imagine the pain she lived through. Yet at the same time Esme couldn’t help but feel a betrayal towards the Jedi Master. For years she preached the need to find balance in not just the force, but within your self. For many years she held herself as an example of a true Jedi towards Esme, but now all the girl could see in her was hhypocrisy So then, why even bother to try and find her.

With a heavy sigh Esme took one final look back at the grandiose building she’d just exited, the Hall of Titles. She’d hoped to obtain the complete records of her family, to find someone still alive, someone that her mother might turn to for shelter. But it was all for nothing. Officially Esme was still dead to Hapan officials. In her push to distance herself from The Hapes Consortium, Samara had failed to correct this assumption. Which created a paradox for her. Esme couldn’t begin to find her mother without those records, but she couldn’t access said records without her mother. Finally she turned away and made the short trip back to the small hotel where her companions waited. Not looking forward to reporting one more failure.

 

[Kyrel Ren]

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Vader's Castle Mustafar​

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Ever since his battles that he had fought against the Galactic Alliance Kyrel Ren wanted to test his skills against a more superior foe. He had fought against countless foes from Jedi Padawans to Ancient Sith Spirits and still lacked something. He had wished to go up against someone who was perhaps better than a Padawan. He wanted to face a Jedi Master. Surely there was the Jedi of the Galactic Alliance, but that is not what he had sought no. He had wanted to go after a Jedi of a far different breed. That he did not know. He knew prior to the First Order's emergence from the Unknown Regions of the Galactic Republic, but after the First Order started to make itself known they had all but vanished, and still Kyrel was left searching. He as luck would have it had heard stories of a Jedi hiding in the Unknown Regions, but where he did not know. For weeks on end it drove him mad as he would find this Jedi and hunt him down. Or better yet if not kill him then turn him to the dark side and gain an apprentice to which he could learn what true power was. Kyrel had known this as he had turned his pain into a desire for power and so this is what would happen if he should encounter this Jedi. He would find some way to exploit the darkness within, how he was not certain but he would find a way.​

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He had meditated for days imposing his will, and trying to sense something in the darkest depths of space. The Supreme Leader's will had seen all and so it wouldn't be too difficult to find the slightest trace of the Light buried in the dark. Finally, after what seemed like weeks his search had borne fruit at last. He had sensed something a tremor in the Force, but it wasn't his fellow Ren. He could tell it was Jedi, and so he poured through the star charts with the help of the force, and constant meditation in the dark side he had finally found it. It was a world known as Upekizar. A remote system deep within the Unknown Regions but not noticed by the Ren or that of the First Order. He felt tremendous excitement go through him, as he finished last minute repairs and walked in a purposeful stride down the hanger. His appearance mimicked that of death itself as he climbed aboard The Reaper. A New personal ship for Knight of Ren. He set in the coordinates for the system knowing it would take maybe a day or two at the most to get there. As the ship rapidly went through the sulfuric atmosphere and into orbit. Kyrel thought of nothing else but getting to the system before anyone else did. He set the coordinates for Hyperspace and as the ship disappeared he said through his cold commanding baritone of his vocabulater. "At Last, I will finally test my skills. I am coming for you Jedi. You can count on it." And so his journey began.​

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[member="Samara Galloway"]​

[member="Esme Galloway"]​

 

[Aleister Grey]

[SIZE=14pt]Gallinore[/SIZE]

A short breathe from the time [member="Esme Galloway"] arrived at her hotel…

There was a surprise awaiting the young lady. A single enclosed letter for her. If Esme asked the concierge, he would have said the message just arrived moments ago.



The envelope itself was light blue, with the slight hint of vanilla and lavender, sealed with a crest of the House of Grey. It was an official correspondence from the Duch’ix Aleister Grey, a prominent figure in the Hapes Consortium. Did it seem out of place for Esme for the Duch’ix to take notice of her?


If Esme opened the envelope there was a single piece of parchment, a note hand written in Aleister’s own handwriting.

Dear Duch’da Esme Galloway,
I would consider it an honor if you could grace me with your presence at noon. It is a beautiful sunny day. It is a perfect day to have lunch in the gardens of the House of Grey. If you so desire, you may bring your companions.

A Loyal Servant of the Hapes Consortium,
[SIZE=20pt]Aleister Grey [/SIZE]

It was an invitation to lunch from a man whom had the power to give Esme access to the Hall of Titles. Could the Force give Esme a boon to help find her mom? Why did he call her by the title of Duch'da if she was legally dead?

 

[Samara Galloway]

- Esme Galloway | Felix Hardy | Nico Minuro Ike | Aleister Grey | [member="Kyrel Ren"] -

[Somewhere on Upekzar]


Blue eyes snapped open, the irises contracting multiple times, trying to focus. Finally the gray blur of rock overhead came into sharp focus. Samara sighed once her mind fully connected with reality. She was back in the lava tunnels on Upekzar. Stiffly she sat up and surveyed the surroundings. Same was acutely aware that her body was covered in sweat. Her thin tunic sticking to every curve of her body, and now nearly black hair plastered the her face. It was to be expected. The volcano that fed the tunnels had recently be active with signs that it would be against soon. But this was where the darkside was strongest. She wouldn't move until she made sense of this vision, until she passed this trial.

Taking one of her full canteens in hand Samara drank all the water before reclining back on the ground. She allowed the cooling effects to circulate and felt her body returning to normal. After nearly twenty minutes Samara moved back to her feet and began the repetitive motions of Alchaka menditation. With each cycle of movements she fell deeper back into the ebbs and flow of the force, allowing the vision to pull her back in.

 

[Kyrel Ren]

Kyrel was lost in meditation for several days during the trip to Upekzar. Kyrel also practiced his saber skills in the face of the confrontation that would happen. He would finally face a Jedi Master. This would be the ultimate challenge of his skill with the dark side, and so he practiced and trained for the several day trips into Hyperspace. He could not sleep and when he could all of his thoughts were that of killing the Jedi. He pictured standing over his corpse with his saber brandished in triumph. He would soon do just that. Stories would go back to the First Order of how Kyrel Ren, Knight of Ren and Enforcer of the Supreme Leader killed a Jedi Master. The thought was comforting and so exhilarating he couldn't wait to face his foe.

After several days he had finally reached the world. Little was known about it in First Order records except that it was a world ruled by the Ancient Sith Empire. 'Smart Jedi using the Dark Side to hid yourself from me.' Indeed it was a smart tactic as it shows how he was able to hide in the Unknown Regions without the Supreme Leader's knowledge. But Kyrel would find him soon enough. The Reaper descended rapidly through the atmosphere as Kyrel activated the landing cycle. He then brought his starship into a forest clearing where the landing gear activated. Kyrel than walked down the ramp slowly. Looking around. He sensed someone was here, but his vision was clouded with the strong dark side aura this place had created. He began his hunt as he left his ship and ventured into the dark depths of the forest.

[member="Samara Galloway"] [member="Aleister Grey"]