Are You Stranded, Or Is This Your Home?

[Sheff Zee]

The shuttle that transported Aeon Caedus brought him down onto the surface of the unknown planet. From one of the servants within his household, he had found out that there was supposedly someone upon the planet who had made attempts at stealing from his family. When he had gone to verify with his parents, they had confirmed that once upon a time someone had tried to steal from their family vaults, but they had escaped. Only with their lives unfortunately.

That had been years ago, and the Crown Prince had only been ten years of age at the time. Not old enough to realize what was happening, if he even knew what was happening.

The ramp to the ship opened up, and the speeder that carried the hateful Prince, sped out of it's cargobay and into the horizon beyond. If this is fruitless, I'm killing every single last one of them. He thought to himself, of course speaking about the servants who had given him this information. He hadn't thought about how they would have gotten such information until he was on his speeder, and his yacht disappeared in the distance behind him.

In fact I'll kill them when I return. He thought as the ship maneuvered around the trees upon the planet. It was ridiculous how he had actually come to such a planet to find what...A hermit? But any reason was good enough to escape the Ado Sector where his home was.

Turning off the speeder, Aeon Caedus leapt off with clothes that were made for such a planet. And a pack of backup clothes for if he had decided to stay upon the planet. Or Force forbid, he got lost.

Without him really understanding what had happened, he saw a red blur flash past him in the corner of his eyes and his head snapped around to look what it had been. He wasn't quite sure, it had been red yes, but it wasn't exactly red. It was more like hair than anything. Said the being in his mind. Though it was his conscious, Caedus considered it as a whole other being considering he hardly, if ever listened to it.

"Who is there?" He barked out as he turned around with his back to his speeder. "Come out and face me!" He screamed into the trees. He knew someone was there, watching him, he felt as if he could sense them. More than them just watching him, but rather studying him as well.
[member="Galina"]

 

[Galina Kerrigan-Alcori]

Hearing the ship land in the distance and soon the sound of a speeder, she knew only one thing could be coming: Trouble. Every last being that had landed upon this rock since she had been trapped so many years ago had only brought the young wild one trouble, danger and nearly death. Right now she was not willing to take that chance. She would have to investigate in her silent manners.

The last eight years had taught her all she needed to survive in the forests, and to survive well. To hunt with more primitive weapons and come out on top. Bow in hand, arrow strung, drawn tight as her feet barely made a sound in the forest at all. Bare feet and many years to practice the skill of silence had brought her close to the sight of the stranger.

Her eyes narrowed upon him as she passed close, perhaps a little too close in her investigation of this new threat to her and her home. He spoke in basic, though the words took her time to understand, for she did not grasp basic in the same way that all others did for she had only begun to learn when tragedy struck and she was stranded here alone, with both parents dead and nothing but really a mangled mess of a ship and a datapad to her name. Now writing basic, she was far better at, the speaking part she still struggled with. And having rarely heard the dialect in her time her at all, she still had learned so little. Hard to form the words upon her own lips, so she resorted to all she had, the datapad to write what she felt. To talk herself through the devastating and madding loneliness that she experienced everyday.

Her only relief from the madness was hunting and that she had done quite well, surviving even the harshest of winters on her own, alone. Just a young girl with so much on her shoulders. And none so young should have had to bear that burden alone, but still she had made it this far. A survivor if anything was she, the crash that destroyed her life, and the lives of her family should have killed her. Miraculously, she only minorly injured as her parents both dead upon impact in the burning ship.

Galina's eyes wandered the form of the man before her, well off by the looks of it. Nothing like her in her tattered hides and furs that protected her from the elements and kept her modesty intact. Everything about the man just off a little ways from her spoke of danger, spoke of her to retreat, to run. Though there was something else in the air, tangible and dark much like her. Now that did hold her curiosity for a moment, but only a moment. For she feared this was no fight she could win, not with what little she had for armaments, and weapons. A fight would easily result in her death, she knew this. Not fully understanding the being Galina did what her heart commanded of her.

She ran. Taking off into the dense woods, she raced on hoping to out run the stranger and find a safe haven. So many questions ran through her mind as she kept going as fast as her feet would carry her. Why was he here? Was it because of her? No ... No one had come for her in all these years, surely that could not be. Perhaps it was for hidden treasures, or something else. One more thought did race through her mind, if he came her by ship and not crashed, then there was some small chance if she proved herself no threat that he could take her away from what had been her prison for the last eight years.

But she just could not chance it as the last visitor had tried desperately and failed to kill her. Her feet now moving even faster through the dense forest made little sound, almost silent. If he chose to give chase only now and then would he catch a glimpse of that bright red hair among the dense vegetation. Knowing she could not lead him to her home, she raced on hoping to reach the cave system that she knew was nearby. The question was would she make it that far, or would the stranger somehow catch up with the young and albeit frightened girl.

[member="Aeon Caedus"]

 

[Sheff Zee]

There had been a being watching and studying him. A mind that was confused, scared and interested all at the same time. He didn't know that though, not that he'd particularly care. She was probably a primi-

She ran.

He didn't need his gift that was the Force to know that. He heard it and saw it as the red blur passed and disappeared again. The prospect of a chase hadn't even crossed his mind. Usually when he gave orders, they were carried out to the letter. Here? The thing dubbed the red blur did as they pleased. That was his job.

He gave her a few moments, mostly to prepare himself for what would most probably be an extreme chase, while subconsciously the Force was empowering his body, and then he gave chase. The first tree that was in his way was stepped around as he hurried. he felt more like a being with too much energy within them and didn't know what to do. The difference with him was that, he knew where to put it all.

The chase.

And he saw her again briefly, this time closer he believed. His legs pumped, they were carried off the ground as he leapt over a boulder and made his attemps at knocking her over through the Force. At best it would have been as harmful as a baby trying to push somebody down. Who just so happened to be an adult.

Though it could have tripped her completely or slowed her down because it would have been so sudden and the attack was applied to her legs.

[member="Galina"]

 

[Galina Kerrigan-Alcori]

[member="Aeon Caedus"]


Galina was growing more and more frightened by the moment, terrified really as the man gave chase. She had hoped to slip away into the forest and somehow lose him but it seemed everything she did, everything she knew to slip away, to throw him off the trail, he somehow seemed just a step ahead of her. Always catching up, always finding the false trails always finding her. Something that worried her more and more by the minute. What kind of being could track her in such a manner? Whatever he was she knew for a fact she did not want to meet.

Panting, she knew she could not run forever. No, her body would eventually fail her and she knew this reality far too well. Leaping over a giant fallen tree was when she felt the attack, like some invisible thing had clutched at her legs pushing them aside. A cry was heard as she hit the ground shoulder first. Her shins skinned badly upon the bark of the tree, her palms both badly scrapped up as well.

Even with the pain radiating horribly from her shoulder, only she could guess at the injury within. But fast as lightning she pushed herself from the ground, knowing she had no other options. Galina knew without a doubt that she could not be caught, not here not now. But pain even in her ankle drew a limp from her, slowing her down greatly. Apparently her shins, and shoulder were not the only injury she had received in the good ten foot drop over the giant tree.

Closing her eyes she grimaced knowing that this day, this chase would not end the way she wanted it to. But up ahead she could see the caves. Now if only, if only she could reach them before her pursuer caught up with her she might have a chance to evade him in the dark twisting tunnels. Right now it was the only chance she stood, hurt, wounded and slowing down. Either she could find a place and hide in the darkness, or there was a very simple reality, that he would now catch her with her injuries slowing her down greatly. Still, she was not easy prey, tough as nails to have lived alone on nothing but the wilderness and what she could find for almost a decade now. Even when he did catch her, he might be surprised at what he found he had to contend with.

 

[Sheff Zee]

His curiosity within the woman continued to grow as he watched her fall, and then she simply got back up without a problem. Besides that limp, that was a large problem. And one that he meant to take advantage of to catch up to her, and with renewed hope and determination he leapt up onto the tree that she had fallen on only moments after her and sped upwards towards her.

Stop. Running. Was the command that he had sent to her through the Force. She needed to stop, through the Force, he conveyed kindness, surprise at seeing someone upon the planet, and even his own curiosity in the woman as she limped up ahead of him. I can help you. He projected at her and he waited upon her response. I'll get you off of this planet.

Even if she didn't respond or stop, he was still fast approaching upon her position, and up ahead he saw caves that she was heading to, he was certain he would get to her before she could even get to them. Or at least, catch her just as she entered them.

[member="Galina"]

 

[Galina Kerrigan-Alcori]

[member="Aeon Caedus"]

Galina, greatly pained by her wounds to her shins, her shoulder that she now clutched as she limped forward, turned back to glance at him. It was the feelings conveyed not the words that made sense the easiest to her. Their communication barrier was only made more difficult as she didn't think in basic. Galina had to think in her native language and translate to the few spoken words she knew. His ability to speak into her mind, gave way to concern for she'd never met someone like that, who could do that. It all seemed like sorcery, magic to the young woman. The words, she clearly seemed baffled by for a moment, but she had paused her race while she tried to work it out. Her bow she had slipped from her shoulder and pulled a single arrow, strung it, but kept it pointed to the ground. Not an overt threat but just one of simple defense. The words she still took a moment longer to work out in her mind.

Slowly now she started to back up towards the cave, her trust not exactly instilled in him, but he had her curious. And he was offering the one thing she wanted more than life itself.... Freedom. Something she had not had in eight years of sweltering summers and harsh winters upon the strange world. This was an opportunity she did not want to miss for fear, but her heart told her to keep some distance between them. Just in case it was needed for an escape, or a fight should it come to that.

She shook her head slowly, "No ... trust ... you." The words staggered out, struggled to speak. Her thoughts within her mind in another language all together as she tried to piece enough for him to understand her. "Last ... thing ... tried ... kill .. me." It should be slowly becoming clear to the stranger that basic was not her first language at all. She blinked slowly looking down, searching for the words again. "You take .... me.... You, me ... leave?" She asked, clearly even uncertain if those were the right words. All she wanted in her life was to leave this place behind, to leave the memories she lost of her life before behind. The yearning desire to escape the planet so clearly expressed in the air, though she had no intention of doing it. She, a force user but entirely unaware and a powerful one at that to be broadcasting such desires, with ease without any training.

She had two last questions for him, "Who ... you? How do... I .. trust ... you ... to no ... kill ... me?" Her voice strained, clearly having not spoken aloud in quite some time.

 

[Sheff Zee]

When the red haired woman stopped running and started to turn around and look to him, he kept moving forwards until he stopped less than three meters away from her. Now that he saw her, he saw the damage that he had done. Deep down, he was happy he had done that to her, happy that she was in pain, the dark side within him fed upon that pain and it only replenished him further.

On the surface, and what he conveyed through the Force to her, he projected sadness, a little bit of happiness for she had finally stopped and confusion as to why she had drawn her bow and arrow. But he didn't say anything just yet, he understood what she was trying to say, there were only a few words missing from her speech, but he'd let her think of more words before he spoke.

Once she was done, he said, "I'm not here to harm you, I am here to help you. I can take you wherever you want, back to your home, you can come with me, wherever."

Meanwhile, he was moving closer to her while he tried to assure her, until he was right beside her and the back of his hand pushed a strand of hair out of her face and his other hand remained upon her own to stop it from lifting the bow up again. The Force was used in a way to explain to her that he could keep her safe from anyone.

[member="Galina"]

 

[Galina Kerrigan-Alcori]

[member="Aeon Caedus"]

Through the Force, though she did not understand it as that, knew nothing of it or even Jedi or Sith for that matter ... What was projected, emotion plain and simple she understood that. It seemed the one thing that was universal in the galaxy. Everyone felt the same pains, sorrows, frustrations, confusion and even angers as everyone else. Emotion, a universal language if one knew how to use it. As he stepped forward, even slowly moving as he was, panic rose up in her. Her breathing grew ragged, her fears showing plainly. Everything screaming for her to run, but she knew her body couldn't take it anymore. The cave entrance as far as she could get and now he approached.

As he reached up to brush the fiery lock aside, she closed her eyes tightly on the verge of tears, still afraid. For in this place, these woods she had every reason to be frightened of those who landed or crashed upon the planet's surface, lost ones often like her, many survivors of horrible crashes. But others came here with other intentions, in her mind and heart always she always feared the worst for only the worst had happened in her life. "You ... hurt .. me." She said still struggling to form the words between her panicked breaths. Her only free hand motioning to the wounds on her shins from nearly her knees all the way to her feet skinned raw, blood oozing down even as they spoke, then to swelling bruised ankle, and a touch to her aching left shoulder. Just having a feeling that strange push she felt came from him. Otherwise she knew herself enough, knew the woods enough not to make such a foolish mistake. Sheer dumb luck had left her better off than she could have been.

The hand he placed on hers, keeping her bow down, tensed under his, trembling. Knowing she held no defense at all without that bow, without some space. She may have been tough as nails but this was never a situation she'd been placed in before and nothing she'd normally do would seem to work in this singular situation, he too close. Her dominate hand beneath his, with her bow and an arrow in it, so not exactly useful right now. The one word he spoke that she instantly recognized brought a massive wave of sadness and sorrow from her. Home. That word she knew, but the place she no longer remembered. One of the many memories stolen from her in the crash upon this world.

Tears fell with ease, the sadness so easy to see in her eyes and feel within the air. "No .. re-re ... re-member ... home." Her eyes closed tightly and her body relaxed, even the tension felt in her hand eased away as she melted into deep despair, leaning heavily against the rocky cave entrance. Everyone in the galaxy had a home, but her. And even if she knew where home was ... There was no family to return to. She had no one, and nothing to her name save for the bow in her hand, the arrows on her back and the datapad in the small bag that ran across her shoulder to her waist. "No ... fam.. family... Killed ... here." Even them she scarcely remembered. Her mind found it much easier to shut those memories out, lock them away than to deal with the reality that she was utterly alone for eight dreadful years. The reality was, and easy enough to work out, the girl before him had no place to go, and nothing to return to.

 

[Sheff Zee]

The hand that had brushed the strand out of her face had remained upon her face the whole time. His thumb wiped away any grime that was underneath her eyes and he just stared back at her. His own ice blue eyes looking into hers, he felt that she didn't trust him, that she wanted to run, but through the Force, he projected that false presence of warmth and kindness. A place that you would rather flee to, a place that protected you from all the bad things in the world.

"I did hurt you, but sometimes you hurt people to protect them." He said softly, and he even tried to explain that to her through the Force, though albeit not that well. He was better at masking his true feelings and putting out false auras than actually translating things through the Force in a way they would understand. He knew he'd understand if they tried to do the same for him, it just bothered him that he couldn't get them to understand. It brought an anger that vexed him because there were flaws in him that prevented him from being the perfect being he portrayed.

Through the Force he felt the nostalgia that she herself felt for her home, once he had said the word she had only leaned into him more and the hand that had been pushing her bow hand down, he rubbed her side as if to make her feel better. It felt awkward to do such a thing, but he projected a feeling of his own uncertainty and want, no, need to help her.

"I'll protect you then if you have no home. Your wounds will heal on my ship, come."

He lead her away from the caves, while his arms were wrapped around her to prop her up, letting go of her with one, he brought two fingers to his comlink and spoke swiftly saying, "come to my coordinates and prep the medbay."

He heard their confirmation and his fingers dropped down to his side as he wrapped that arm back around her as support. They continued to descend the large tree and he rubbed her arm to try and soothe her more. "I am, Aeon Caedus, Crown Prince of the Ado Sector. Who are you?"

[member="Galina"]

 

[Galina Kerrigan-Alcori]

With his hand still on her face, her eyes remained closed, as he wiped away perhaps years of grime beneath her eye, so much upon the rest of her. Even her hair a tangled mess. It was simply the reality of her life, one didn't exactly stay clean in these conditions. Beauty not the priority at all.

The feelings of warmth, kindness, easily picked up by her. He seemed caring, kind, but still she feared. Though slowly, very slowly she seemed to be relaxing to him, letting him in but very slowly. Trust with her, was clearly going to take time and then some to earn. Not to mention the language boundary they seemed to have.

This world had in a way become the home she knew, and knew here she could trust herself and herself alone. The idea of letting go and trusting a stranger, was a new concept after so many years here.

Her brow furrowed at his words, he had been the one to hurt her. That much she could piece out of words he spoke. The feelings in the force, didn't seem to explain it well enough. "Why ... hurt ... me?" She seemed lost on that concept.

In the end she let it go, moved on feeling his clear desire to help her. Which had been far more than anyone had done for her.

Still, she had curiosities about that strange power that had pushed her legs from beneath her and caused her fall, the injuries she now endured. A wince came heavily as she took her first steps away from the cave with him, and his support. Her ankle clearly had grown much worse in the time that they had spoken trying to understand one another.

What comfort he did offer, gave little to her confidence of the situation. Crying out she nearly doubled over reaching for her ankle as they climbed over the tree. Her foot bothering her more and more by the second. Clearly far more than a sprain at that point, to her.

In the distance she could hear the ship approaching them, her heart starting to race as it came into view. With it, she knew she'd be leaving behind everything she had known, as her memories before the crash were still blurred, gone from her mind and out of reach. The unknown came with the man holding her up, and the ship coming for them.

His last spoken words, she'd taken a moment to process before forming any response. "Aeon." She seemed to mull the name over, though it bore no meaning to her as much of the rest of that sentence did. But she knew it was his name. "Galina." She replied, no last name given as she remembered none.

Needing his help just to walk at that point, she put more of her weight on him as she limped up the ramp and into the ship. He, leading her to the medbay. A place that only rose her fears, seeing all kinds of instruments, medicines, needles, and droids. Never had she recalled seeing one, and recoiled as one moved forward to assess and help her. Only Aeon there to comfort her, to confirm this was the help and healing he spoke of.

Her heart pounding in her chest as she was finally coaxed onto one of the beds, finally getting her to lay down. To let the droid do his work. Her eyes moved quickly between the two as it seemed to scan and look her over. It only confirmed what she had thought, the ankle broken but a good break, with proper care it would heal quickly. The rest of her injuries minor though none the less painful. Her shoulder only bruised and strained, her shins missing a fair bit of skin but bacta patches would care for that.

After all was said and done, only a small cry came from her as the droid removed what little of a shoe she wore to wrap the ankle in a special cast, designed to bring the healing time down to just days instead of the old school weeks. Her legs, cleaned, bacta patches and soft wraps covering her legs. Her shoulder, would just take time to heal but given a dose of pain meds to help ease what she felt and relax her further, the woman still frightened of all that was happening, not understanding the words exchanged above her so quickly. Her eyes grew heavy with the drugs, nearly falling asleep, almost.

The shift to hyperspace, startled her from her near slumber, making her jump in the bed feeling the pull on her body and fearing what that meant. Everything, absolutely everything here was new, and none of it she seemed to understand. "What?!" She seemed not quite able to finish the sentence before they were well on their way, the pull seemed gone but a strange hum remained in the ship, odd to her after being so used to the quiet forests. Mechanical noises all seemed too foreign to her, leaving her more worried, concerned and fearful of what could happen. After all the last time she could remember being on a ship, it did not end well for her.

[member="Aeon Caedus"]

 

[Sheff Zee]

When the ship had come out of hyperspace, he had been there for Galina when she had woken up. He was quiet while they had worked upon her, and he had watched intrigued. It was interesting to see another human be so scared of technology that she would have surely had when she had been stranded, but had forgotten after being there so long. So when they had dropped out of hyperspace and she surged out of her slumber, his hand tightened around hers showing that he was still there. "You're safe."

It had taken nearly two hours but the ship had landed at the spaceport and the duo, with Aeon's associates had been transported back to the capital and to the Castle that Aeon Caedus named home for now. It was quick, his parents had tried to get a hold of him through his comlink but he had ignored it, for Galina's sake and sooner than he had expected, they were walking through the doors to the Castle.

"This is your home now. I'll protect you here, and you'll be safe." He said to her as he laid his hand upon her waist, and continued through the hallways.

[member="Galina"]

 

[Galina Kerrigan-Alcori]

[member="Aeon Caedus"]

Everything about the place he'd brought her felt so strange. To her, she remembered nothing of worlds like this. Nothing of cities, spaceports, speeders, roads, even it so strange to her to see other people about them. It all felt like a crazy dream. Could it possibly be real that she was finally out of her eternal prison from hell? Either way, fear was ever present in her as they came to the castle.

His confirmations of safety did little to encourage her, still skittish and jumpy at every unfamiliar sound. Once upon a time she had lived on a small world in the outer rim, but that was locked within her mind in a place she could not reach. Her mind would not allow the memories to come so easily to her.

Once inside the castle, she had yet to say a word, seemingly overwhelmed by their surroundings. With him guiding her along, keeping his arm around her waist, she let her eyes wander taking in every detail and every turn within the building.

She glanced to him as if to question what they were doing there. "Home?" She finally asked a bit confused. "Safe? .... Here?" It certainly didn't feel like it to her. This seemed more the jungle than the one she just came from. The questions may have been short and simple but, the best she could manage given her circumstances. Coming to a bedroom, lavish by far to anything she'd had in nearly a decade. Soft grasses, leafs and a few furs her bedding, nothing like this.

"Mine?" The last thing she'd ask. Feeling every bit out of place in a building, her clothing, the weapons she carried. From all she had seen, no one carried what she did. No one looked like her. All in the castle she had seen were so different, her hair, long frizzy unkempt, herself not the most cleanly, after all a lake had been her only place to bathe for years. Everyone seemed to be polished, giving odd looks when they had passed. Now at least within the bedroom, there weren't others to give her strange looks.

Her brow furrowed, somehow feeling guilty about this, he so willing to help her, to give her a home when she had nothing, not a thing to her name that was worth anything. Slowly she shook her head, "Can ... not." Her tone firm, not wanting to accept if it really was what she was thinking. Despite having felt his need to help her back on the planet but this seemed all too much for her, quite overwhelming. Just trying to take in all that had happened seemed to take a while, so many things to process, new smells, sounds, sensations.

"Not ....." There was a long pause, "Understand." Words still struggling with but always taking her time to speak, think through the words, trying to make sure they were right. Every part of her wished she could speak basic better than she could now. To not seem as rude as it made her feel.

 

[Sheff Zee]

He smiled at her when she didn't understand why he was doing this, where she was, and why she was so scared of everyone close by. Unfortunately, the looks that they were getting weren't just because of how she looked, because she had been cleaned up nicely on his ship, it was because it had been the first time in a while that the Crown Prince had actually done something nice for people. Like he was now, helping this stranger - to them, walk on her own two feet.

Now that they were alone, he took her hand and guided her to the bed where he sat her down and sat down beside her, he giving her a smile that showed it was safe. "I'll tell you, everything that I was taught. You can be like a Princess." He thought for a moment, perhaps she didn't even know what that was anymore, if ever. "An important person on this planet." He said with a smile, she would sort of be the sibling that he had never had, not that he had ever wanted one. And he wasn't going to start now.

Resting one hand upon her lap, and the other upon her cheek, the hand caressed her face gently, before gently, but firmly wrapping itself around her neck and pulling her slowly closer to him as he pressed his lips onto [member="Galina"]'s. It may have been sudden, but he had been slow-going, but in this situation, he wasn't going to be denied, and the hand on her leg moved it's way up her leg and onto her waist, and kissed her.

[member="Galina"]