Another Family Reunion

[Taeli Raaf]

Taeli had just been about to leave Rendili when her datapad had starting going off like crazy, which had only meant one thing. Her other sister was starting to wake up, and Taeli had no idea if her doctors were even still around, given the events going on. Hoping into a small, but fast interceptor, Taeli had immediately jumped to Coruscant to reach the planet before her sister was fully awake.

She wanted to be there for her, for [member="Melori Raaf"], and she urged her ship to go faster than it already was. She was not going to let her think she was alone anymore, that her only other living relative was a Jedi Master. She loved Corvus, and hoped that eventually they could mend the fences of their family and be all together again, but Melori would need to be trained. To be able to control that anger and hatred and direct it somewhere more constructive than trying to kill her sister.

Arriving in the Coruscant system, Taeli streaked towards the hospital's landing apd and she could see that the chaos was here too, albeit more subdued by the continuing presence of Sith forces that hadn't disappeared into the Nether. Landing on the pad, she didn't even wait for her ship to settle completely before she was leaping out of the cockpit and running as fast as she could towards her sister's room. She could alreade see half of the hospital staff had disappeared, but Melori's doctor hadn't. Thank the Force for that she thought as she almost skidded to a stop outside her door, composed herself and went inside to sit next to her stirring sister's side. This was going to be an interesting conversation.

 

[Darth Timoris]

Disinfectant. That was the first thing she was aware of. An overwhelming smell of…hospitals. Then there was the bright light. She tried to lift her arm to block it out but was aware there were more tubes and wires plugged into her than an average protocol droid.

So she tried to lift her head but immediately gave it up as a bad job. The pain was overwhelming and she didn’t even feel she had the muscle power to lift it. It was as if she’d dystrophied. Which prompted a thought.

The last thing Melori remembered was the Jedi invasion fleet. No, there was more. She had headed to the surface of Prakith and two fighters came out of nowhere. She was hit immediately and did her best to land as softly as she could. In truth that astrodroid did the hard work. She just braced herself for landing. Corvus' precious droid had saved her. And she hated it for that fact. When she found it, she'd dismantle it part by part and melt it down and send it to her karking sister. Feeling pleased with this plan of action, she thought more about her situation.

So was on Prakith. That made sense. In a hospital. Yep, it was still making sense. And she’d been out for a while, hence the feeling of being so weak. So far, so good. They hadn’t killed her - in fact keeping her alive was positive, right? Maybe they knew who her sister was. Boy could she tell them stuff about her precious big sister.

Actually, she reflected, she could tell them very little. But that wouldn’t stop her trying. She could make something up after all. She tentatively pulled the Force to her. In her weakened state she could feel it but would be able to do little with it. No wonder they’d not wanted her at the Academy. They’d only taken her in when Corvus ‘died’ out of sympathy no doubt. So she pushed the Force away. If her sister used it, she wanted nothing to do with it.

She was aware a machine was bleeping nearby. And a white coat was fiddling with it. She kept her eyes closed. She was not in the mood for questions. And then she heard the door open and someone come in. Another white coat no doubt. But this one sat beside her. She could…feel her presence. It was familiar. For a split second she thought it was Corvus and her eyes immediately snapped open. In the harsh light she struggled to focus but she could see her. The hair. Those eyes. Only her mother deserved to have those eyes. “Get her away from me. Get her the KARKING FETH AWAY FROM ME NOW. NOW, NOW, NOW.”

[member="Darth Arcanix"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Melori Raaf"]

Well this was slightly unexpected to say the least, Taeli thought as Melori yelled and tried to get away from her when the girl was not really up to moving yet. She had spunk at least, and while she had felt her trying to call on the Force a little bit, she was not trained and was suppressing her more powerful nature. She would need to coax that out it seemed, but for now . . . she had to deal with the other problem.

"I'm not here to hurt you, in fact I rescued you from that shipwreck on Prakith," Taeli said calmly, not really moving from her spot. The doctors knew better than to try and ask a Sith Lady to move, even if it was causing the patient severe stress and emotions. "My name is Darth Arcanix, but you can know me as Taeli. We have some things to talk about, if you would stop screaming and carrying on like that."

She probably thought she was Corvus, oh joy . . . this whole trying to reunite the family was off to a very great start. Just lovely if this was her reaction to seeing her sitting by her bedside.

 

[Darth Timoris]

Melori heard the voice and cocked her head to one side. That wasn’t Corvus’ voice. She may have left Corellia when she was 14, but she kept the accent. This woman wasn’t Corvus.

“I…I’m sorry. I thought you were. I mean…sorry. And…” Gears were whirring in Melori’s mind. "What do you mean ‘on Prakith.’ You mean we’re not there now?”

“So you’re a Sith right? Taeli? I thought…Oh kark it. Listen, thanks for saving me and all that and yeah, I didn’t mean to shout at you. So Darth Arcanix right? Are you a Lord or a Knight?” As her eyes became accustomed to the light she could see the woman clearly now. “But I have to say you look a lot like someone I know. I mean knew. But now I’m rambling. Sorry, it’s a family trait apparently…”

[member="Darth Arcanix"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Melori Raaf"]

"I'm a Sith Lady," Taeli said, smiling a little as her youngest sister rambled. Apparently, it really was a family trait, even if Taeli's ramblings became more of a lecture as she went than anything else, but she chalked that up to her scholarly ways. And now, how to broach the subject that she seemed to be broaching herself. "And you're correct, we are currently on Coruscant in the main medical facility since I requested you were brought here to recover. You very nearly died before I found you."

Tapping her chin, she smiled at the young woman as she appeared to think about what to say next.

"Who do I remind you of?" she asked, her purple eyes dancing with amusement.

 

[Darth Timoris]

Melori listened as Taeli spoke. Coruscant? That was…unexpected. “A Sith Lady, right, got it. Lords are men, yeah - understood.” Her tone was truculent, considering she was in the medical position she was in and there was a Sith sitting only a foot or so away. But then there was no fear in her. Only anger. Pushing, prodding, pressing for a way out. Under the surface but ready to break free at a moment’s notice.

“Thanks for saving me by the way.” There was precious little gratitude in the voice. She’d been clearly brought up correctly but the action was a reflex, it didn’t come from the heart. And the final question threw her. Like it was some sort of trick. She wasn’t exactly paranoid but she was wary. The Jedi teachers were always asking dumb question supposed to catch you out. I mean, it was obvious to Melori who she looked like - but how would this woman know that? So she played dumb - for now.

“You remind me of my mother now that I see you properly. The eyes mostly. She’s the only other person I know with eyes like that.”

[member="Darth Arcanix"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Melori Raaf"]

"Ah I see," Taeli replied simply, letting a little silence stretch in the room except for the beeping of the machines. Her youngest sister was certain a bit more . . . spirited than she had fully expected. There was a deep seated anger there, Taeli could feel writhing under the surface and see it in the girl's eyes. That was a lot of power to have inside, but it was also a slight problem because it was directed specifically at Corvus. That would need to change, but should she drop the bomb shell now . . . or wait a little longer.

"Can I ask you something?" she finally said. "When you were with your parents, did you ever see anything that meant they were sad about something else? Something they couldn't control, something they regretted?"

As she spoke, she twisted the small chain the locket rested on and pulled it up so the main part was draped over her hand.

"Do you know what this?" she finally asked quietly.

 

[Darth Timoris]

As the silence stretched, the more Melori was convinced she was right. It was a trick. And she sure as kark wasn’t going to fill the void of nothing. She was probably expected to confess all.

Her mind started racing. What if the Jedi had taken Prakith? One hospital room looks like any other. What if this was her sister’s doing. “Did my sis-“ she stopped as the woman spoke again.

And then another asinine question. This time she wouldn’t play along. She wasn’t here to be a figure of fun, seeing how far she’d be pushed before she cracked. So she shrugged. “All parents regret stuff. Me getting busted for drugs aged 13 wasn’t one of their high spots.” She smiled. This was starting to become fun.

And then this woman pulled out her mother’s locket. She made a grab for it but was too weak to reach. “Give me that back. That’s mine now. It was my mother's. She wore it every day. How did you get that?” She tried to sit up and despite the pain managed a pretty decent job. The monitors played a tune that suggested this was not doing her health any good. “She put you up to this didn’t she. My precious karking sister. WHERE ARE YOU, YOU queen. COME KARKING HERE WHERE I CAN SEE YOU CORVUS. YOU DON’T EVER TOUCH MOM’S STUFF YOU HEAR. I’LL RIP YOUR KARKING THROAT OUT.”

[member="Darth Arcanix"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Melori Raaf"]

"No, I'm afraid Corvus didn't put me up to this," Taeli said, admiring the reaction. She was definitely not one to shy away from emotion or keeping her thoughts to herself. Much more passionate than Corvus, but they would need to work on redirecting that anger eventually. "I found this in family home on Lorrd when I visited my parents there . . . apparently they were lying to me for a very long time."

Opening the locket, the images of their mother and father came up.

"As I said, my name is Taeli and when I was first born, my parents gave me up for adoption. I was adopted by the Rae family and taken to Lorrd, but unlike what they promised my birth parents, they never gave me anything to contact them when I was finally old enough. So, after a rather unfortunate event, I discovered something about myself I think might interest you. Corellia was my actual home world, and I went to my family home to find everyone had been murdered by a bounty hunter, except two people. Can you riddle out who I am now?"

 

[Darth Timoris]

Melori heard the first few words and wanted to interrupt. To put her fingers in her ears and not listen - but something compelled her to keep quiet for once.

As the story unraveled she went through a whole host of emotions. Denial was in a dead heat with curiosity and it was a good thing there wasn’t a cat around. “But…that would make you?” She looked around again. “This isn’t a trick is it?” Something instinctively told her Taeli was telling the truth. “You must be what, a couple of years the oldest?” She refused to name the other person in the triangle. “I killed him you know. That county hunter. A rodian. He shot first. I don’t even know what happened. I was always told I wasn’t that strong with the Force. But the anger and the pain, they welled up in me and I wanted him dead. And he was. And I was glad!”

“I sat with them for hours before I called the authorities. I laid them out and made them hold hands. It was her fault, but you already know that.” Her eyes suddenly flashed with a spark of insanity and her voice rose an octave. “We need to kill her. Yes, you and me. I couldn’t do it by myself but with your help we can avenge our parents. She must die.”

Her breathing was ragged and she gripped Taeli’s had as hard as she could. “Will you do that for me…sister?”

[member="Darth Arcanix"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Melori Raaf"]

Well then, that was an interesting request by her sister . . . and not one she had any plans of carrying out. After spending time with Corvus, and worrying if she was okay given the current galactic crisis, Taeli had no intention of killing Corvus at any time. Maybe try and turn her to the dark side eventually, just so the family was together, but no killing. The fact Melori had already killed someone, with the Force no less, interested Taeli and told her the girl's full potential had been locked away within her.

"Tell me, why do you blame Corvus? Besides running off to join the Jedi and not making contact with our family for years?" she asked, looking with a little concern at the manic look in Melori's eyes. She would need to kill that sign of insanity immediately. "I can understand you blame her for having that bounty hunter come along, but I think there is something else to blame for that. Something a bit more broad and general."

Leaning towards her sister, and feeling a bit guilty for having to do this, she whispered, "Instead of blaming Corvus, you should blame the Jedi as a whole for taking and changing her into someone who didn't know about family connections, even blame the higher up Sith for posting the bounties in the first place. I opposed the idea on the grounds it was pointless and needlessly violent when the smarter idea is more interesting. You want revenge on Corvus, fine, but killing her isn't the sweetest revenge you could get. I want our family together as one again, not reduced further. What if instead of killing her, we turn her to our side . . . break down her complete view of the world and have her embrace the dark side. In a way, you would be killing the sister that abandoned the family and replacing her with a new Corvus."

Whether or not Melori would agree was besides the point, but if she could turn her anger towards the Jedi in general for taking her sister away and changing her into something else, then she could convince her turning Corvus would bring back someone who was actually family.

 

[Darth Timoris]

“Why? WHY? Sorry.” Her voice returned to a sensible level and this time she sounded genuine in her apology. She looked around and reached for a glass of water and took a sip. “I feel so weak. You’re my sister you know.” It was as if the news was only slowly permeating her brain - maybe it was the meds. “Why do I blame her? Because it’s her fault. If she’d turned up when she was supposed to she would have killed the rodian instantly and we’d all be alive. If she wasn’t such a do-gooder. So perfect that mom and dad would never hear a bad word said about her. How she was a success and I was a failure…”

“I hate the Jedi and their stupid Code and karking principles.” She considered turning Corvus. On one hand it sounded delicious but that meant being around her and that was a step too far at the moment. “I’d still rather kill her,” she said dispassionately - as if choosing something from a menu. “But I’ll think about it.”

[member="Darth Arcanix"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Melori Raaf"]

"And that's all I ask," Taeli said, nodding. Seeing the root of the problem had her brain going a mile a minute as she considered what she could do for Melori. Every thought kept going back to the same conclusion though, and that would be a very interesting arrangement. It just might help her with that whole inferiority complex she had towards her sister.

"What would you say to my training you as a Sith?" Taeli asked. "While the Jedi wrote you off, I can sense something they didn't. You've got great power hidden away in you, locked up inside. I can help undo the chains containing your power and you can prove the Jedi wrong about their assessment of you. You'd be come something . . . great, something successful."

 

[Darth Timoris]

Melori travelled to Prakith with the sole intention of joining the Sith. Sure she’d gotten cold feet when she’d arrived there - but the chance to show her sister how powerful she could become was too tempting. Melori knew she would never be a Jedi. Her ability to control the Light-side of the Force was at best average. Not exactly Knight material. Definitely not Master and Council Member calibre. But a Sith? She’d killed that rodian hadn’t she?

And that must have been linked to the Dark-side, somehow? She was still wary of Taeli. She may be her sister but then, it could still be a trap. She’d have to be wary until there was more proof. She ignored the logic of the locket and the family likeness. Even overlooking the fact that she thought it was Corvus at her bed-side.

But the promise of power was seductive. Alluring. She imagined facing Corvus one day and exacting revenge for their parent’s death. When she could surpass her sister in prowess. That day would come and with Taeli’s help, it couldn’t ever be sweeter. The oldest Raaf sister helping the youngest to defeat the runt of the litter. The goody-goody one. Her parents would be proud of her, yes - oh so proud.

Her desire for her sister’s demise was obscuring the logic in her brain. Re-writing it to fit her own feelings. Now, in her eyes, she was the avenging angel and her parent’s wouldn’t rest until their murderer was brought to justice. And Taeli was in that moment accepted as Melori’s kin.

“I accept sister. When do we start…”

[member="Darth Arcanix"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

"Right now if you want, although you won't be leaving that bed for another day or so," Taeli said. "So, given that, I'm going to give you a few things to think over. The first is the Sith Code, something that every Sith must know by heart and embody every day. It is the mantra that gave birth to our source of power, so I want you to memorize these phrases."

Leaning closer to her sister to whisper in her ear, Taeli said, "Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken."

Moving back, she continued in a normal voice saying, "Some Sith take the meaning of the Sith Code to mean they can do anything they wish, whatever horrors they wany to indulge in. My eprsonal take of the Sith Code, is yes it grants you the freedom of choice, but it's mroe than that. It grants you permission to be human while being a Force User, not someone who rids themselves of their humanity to be a mindless and emotionless puppet."

Strangely enough, Corvus hadn't been like that at all, although other Jedi were. Her brain started to analyze that, but she stopped herself for now. It wouldn't do any good to dwell on that train of thought right now.

"Some Sith are barbaric brutes, such as Lord Vornskr, but I prefer the cunning path. The one of patience, of carefully orchestrated plans, is what brought the Jedi Order to its knees once upon a time, even as we use the dark side to fuel our powers, we must control our anger and hatred, not the other way around. An iron will is needed to do this, to maintain a calm and patient exterior, even showing niceness and happiness, while inside you nurture the anger and hatred towards the people responsible for ruining your life or you can't stand. Such as what the Jedi have done with our family, taking one of our family members and trying to twist her into a mindless and emotionless puppet."

"But, Corvus can still be shown the correct path, from what I saw when I met her on Corellia," she continued. "We need to merely be patient, but that's for another time. For now, I want you to think on the Sith Code and tell me what it means to you, and think about what I said."

Getting up, she smiled and placed a kiss on her sister's forehead.

"I took the liberty of having your name changed in the system from Raaf to Rae, just in case we attract undue attention from others," she said. "I'll see you in a few hours, I gave you a lot to think about."

[member="Melori Raaf"]

 

[Darth Timoris]

Melori committed the lines to memory. At the very least, a thirst for knowledge was a family trait.

“I can think of one person that’s a mindless and emotional puppet!” She held up a hand as if to say she’d overstepped the line and noticed for the first time how skinny her fingers were. And she was rewarded by a kiss on the forehead.

As her sister left the room, she went over the mantra in her mind. Over and over. 'Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken.' The words were straightforward enough.

And then she reflected on the remainder of Taeli’s words. She couldn't imagine herself being barbaric, but cunning? That she was capable of. She was used to getting her way and manipulation was second nature to her. So she returned her mind to the Code. Not just words but a deeper meaning.

As she thought, she closed her eyes. She wasn’t going to sleep, just rest for a moment. In a matter of a minute her breathing suggested she had indeed succumbed to sleep.

[member="Darth Arcanix"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Melori Raaf"]

Taeli walked slowly through the understaffed hospital, thinking hard. That amount of hatred was beyond anything she had actually expected from her youngest sister, but it would be a powerful force. She just needed to finish redirecting it, although she still felt bad about directing it at the organization Corvus served faithfully, but it was the only thing that came to mind and it might actually serve a purpose later.

Thinking of Corvus, she hoped her sister was doing okay in the current crisis. Things were crazy right now, and the Sith were preparing to move onto Corellia next for the next world that was ripe for the pickings. They had received news that the Republic had moved to take Alderaan back, along with a few other Core Worlds, but they had lost both Kuat and Rendili, two rather important worlds. It would take the Republic trillions of credits and manpower that they didn't have to undo the damage the Vongforming of Alderaan had done. It was a Pyrrhic victory at best.

Sighing, she stopped at a window that looked out over the city-world. Traffic was actually not bad right now, but at least the panic that had griped the capital was subsiding as the Sith showed that they were still capable of maintaining order on the worlds. She would need to teach Melori, show her just how powerful she really was, and it was going to be interesting. If she was anything like Corvus and herself, she would quickly become her prime apprentice, beyond even anything Sophie or Valtryx were. Melori had so much power that had been suppressed it would take some coaxing, but hopefully not too much.

Again, her thoughts started straying towards the idea of turning Corvus, but she had no idea how to go about that. Appealing to a sense of family would just have her sister possibly sever ties with them, not something Taeli wanted at all. Using a dark side poison or other such technique just left a bad taste in her mouth, it wouldn't be genuine and she would have coerced Corvus into joining the Sith. No, it would require very careful patience and cunning, pieces and pieces of a game needed to be set. Then again . . . this crisis could be telling about someone.

If Corvus had gone through into the Nether, the only exit she knew of was the one on Alderaan, which caused a blind murder rampage to grip whoever passed through it. Tapping her foot, she decided to think on things later and find somewhere to rest in the hospital. She hadn't gotten anytime to refresh herself since this whole thing had started.

 

[Darth Timoris]

Melori awoke. In the artificially light room any amount of minutes or hours could have passed. Days even. She held up he hand again, ignoring the doctor in the room. Her hands were like skin and bone. Just how long had she been unconscious? She'd meant to ask but forgot.

So she reviewed the Code. It was all there was to do after all. She knew the Jedi version. All about doing good and being a servant. Now they were chains all right.

“Peace is a lie. There is only passion.” She said the lines out loud. But what does it mean. Well peace was temporary, wasn't it. It was just a matter of time before it was shattered. But passion was eternal. It was enduring.

“Through Passion, I gain Strength.” And it was clear that through her emotions she'd tapped into the Dark-side of the Force. She didn't know how - so there was no strength at the moment. But if she learned to harness her passion she would be able to do great things. And she realised now that it was a step. No more. Strength as and of itself was pointless.

“Through Strength, I gain Power.” Now it was making more sense. True freedom came from power and that was something she craved.

“Through Power, I gain Victory.” Victory could only be achieved by using her strength to gain power.

“Through Victory, my chains are broken.” The is where the Jedi are so wrong. Their Code were chains that held them back. By embracing power and seeking victory, she would achieve her potential and that was key.

“The Force shall set me free.” With freedom comes endless possibilities. She can finally rid herself of the bane of her life. She would only be free when Corvus was dead. But she decided to keep this last part to herself. Taeli might not understand - she seemed to already have a soft spot for Corvus. She would have to watch for that.

[member="Darth Arcanix"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Melori Raaf"]

"I see you've been learning the code," Taeli said, opening the door having heard her sister from the other side. She had gotten a few hours rest, meditating on everything running through her head and trying to form a course of action for herself and her youngest sister. "That's good, so can you tell me what you've thought of it? Your interpretation?"

She was very curious to see where Melori would be the same and different to how she defined the Sith Code, as each person viewed it slightly differently from the next . . . unless one saw it as an excuse to be a monster. She might be many things, some choices being morally ambiguous in the name of science and research, but she was not a monster. No mass-killings, no slavery, no torture except for debating and twisting a person's words back into their hearts. They would never find her name attached to them.

While she waited for Melori's response, she checked whether her sister was okay physically. She was a little thin and weak, but nothing a hardy meal or two wouldn't fix and some tough physical training.

 

[Darth Timoris]

"I see the lines as a series of steps. Understanding that each allows you to reach the next. For example, strength allows you to have power but that is not the end goal. Power allows you to have victory. It is the power of the individual to break the very chains that hold the Jedi back. Only by completing all of the steps can I achieve greatness. My full potential. Then and only then can I stand and not bow down before anyone else. The strong will survive and the weak will die."

"And that must mean the Sith too, yes?" She looked at Taeli. Not for praise or to see if she'd got it right, but for enlightenment. If she'd misunderstood, she needed to know.

[member="Darth Arcanix"]