Private Be Careful What You Seek

[Jack Daniels]

Jack took his blade back sheepishly. His mother had always hammered home that lesson. Even in a place where Jack was completely safe, Thea had always wanted the young man to have hold of his saber. He needed to be able to defend himself and not everyone could stop blaster bolts with the force. Clipping the saber to his right hip, Jack took a step back to take in the sight of his mother. It had been so long since he had seen Thea, yet she seemed to not have changed a day.

When his Mother asked her question, Jack felt a change in his mother. More specifically Jack could see the change in Thea’s eyes. It was a trait that he had but given his split lineage with Jake, his iris’ changes were far rarer. Regardless, the color of her eyes was a lighter shade of a red and peered past him and to his father.

It was here that Jack finally felt the tension in the air. It was not his Mother that broke it, even though he could see that her eyes were tearing a whole through Jake. It was not The Twelve that sliced through the suddenly thick atmosphere. No, it was the man Jack had never met; a man that he had only seen in a photo. His half-brother who lunged at his father in a scathing assault.

“You bastard!” Romano howled.

His crimson blade was drawn and came crashing down on Jakes. Father met son but unlike Jack and Jakes spar, this was no lesson. Romano wanted blood.

“Let me explain.” Jake pleaded as he deflected Romano’s onslaught.

Jack came to stand next to Thea, his saber suddenly in his hand as he had the urge to go protect his father. Thea’s hand on her son’s wrist prevented the man from leaving her side.

Romano was ruthless in his assault. Every lesson that Jake had given him was on full display. Every tactic the young Shamalain could think of unleashed in a flurry of motions that were blind to a mere-humans eyes. Jake Daniels was no mere human however. He was a highly skilled, highly trained warrior who taught his attacker everything he knew.

“Let me help!” Jack pleaded as he watched his father take a completely defensive soresu form.

“He doesn’t need it.” Mycell explained.

The Twelve remained as they were. Not one seemed concerned with Romano, though startled as they were at the sudden change, their attention remained focused on Thea. It was as if they viewed her as a bigger threat to the Duke than the man currently attacking him.

“You had an affair?” Romano screamed.

“No.” Jake replied.

“Liar!”

Their sabers slashed time and again though Romano was unable to break through his fathers’ defenses. It was remarkable to watch as two skilled fighters clashed. Jake, surprisingly, did not fight with emotion. Romano did and that was his eventual undoing. Jake waited for his opening. Then it happened. Romano was disarmed, saber knocked away and father overwhelmed his son.

Jake had his arms wrapped around his son in an advanced, disabling choke. His deactived saber held was pressed against Romano’s throat, preventing the man from speaking while Jake brought him slowly to the ground.

“I did not cheat on your mother. Master Hinata and I had a brief relationship a few years before I served your mother.” Jake explained.

Romano shoved against Jake.

“Listen to me. You know nothing is more important to me than family. Nothing. I would not lie about this. I am going to let you go but if you attack me again, I will be forced to lock you up until you calm down.” Jake said.

Slowly he released Romano and backed away.

The Shamalain Heir rose to his feet. His eyes looked to his father, then Jack, and finally Thea. He now knew why the Jedi Master was so elusive in her responses to him. He now understood as the pieces finally clicked as to why she had been hesitant to reveal anything to him. This hurt. It really did and it was evident on his face. Romano had family he did not know about. Why? Why did this Jedi Master and his father, the Eternal Apprentice, keep Jack a secret from everyone?

“I’ll be inside.” Romano said as he summoned his lightsaber and sulked away.

There was silence in the yard as Jake’s attention soon turned to Jack and the woman he had not expected to see. Not yet at least.

“I would not let him contact you.” Jake said answering Thea’s earlier question.

He knew she would demand to know why. His nerves were heightened. Everything was still unfolding as his vision had foretold. Everything. The former Sith, the Duke of Honoghr, the Eternal Apprentice, the man renowned for his composure and control held a fear in his look of the very woman that still eyed him.

This was it.

The moment of reckoning.

Jake would explain. She would become offended by his reason. She would fear for his son’s safety and like a mother lion she would protect him. Jack would be too slow. His training incomplete which would end with Jake at Thea’s feet.

“I had to try and complete his training in secret. I have failed in that regard as it seems fate ensured you arrived before it was finished.” Jake said.

Force visions were something Jake had only experienced once before. It came true. This vision was just as detailed and precise.

Jack took a step aside from his mother; fully aware of his father’s vision.

Jake took a step back.

The Twelve readied themselves.

“I need to show you, Mom.” Jack said.

Gently his finger tips pressed to his mother’s temple. His mind mending with hers as he shared the vision just as Jake had done with him. The vision unfolded perfectly. Jack and Jakes training being interrupted by their arrival. Romano’s attack on his father. The tension of the twelve and even Jack sharing this said vision. What happened next had yet to unfold. It showed Thea’s eyes darkening. She would unleash a torrent of force energy that rendered The Twelve unconscious as they attempted to protect their Duke. She would leap at Jake, a mother enraged that a father hid her son away. In a flurry of motions, she would easily break through his soresu defensive posture and bring her blade across him. Jack would be a split second too late to stop his mothers’ blade and Jake would die in his son’s arms.

Pulling his fingers back, Jack held his breath as he watched his mothers eyes.

Jake meanwhile stood, expression still of defeat, his own blade in hand waiting for what he deemed to be the inevitable.
Evanthea Hinata

 

[Evanthea Hinata]

As the events unfolded Thea kept Jack by her side. Young, impatient, worried and too quick to act were traits that would only get someone hurt and Thea didn’t want anybody getting hurt that day. It took a calculating eye to see who would win the fight, and all signs pointed to Jake. She could see it and so could Jake. Only the young were fooled by the thought of danger.

Once it had ended Jack explained why he had not contacted her. The Jedi Masters frown became more pronounced as this “vision” was shared.

When it was done she looked at Jake, her eyes back to their natural brown and her body language calm.

“You’re mind is clouded by the dark side and fueled by fear. You will never see properly if you do not learn to control it.”

That was it. She didn’t reach for her weapon. She didn’t yell or have an outburst. Thea was the epitome of control and discipline as she lectured the pair of them.

“I suggest you see to your other child before he too let’s his emotions present him with a faulty vision.”

She turned her back on Jake and eyed her son up and down.

“You best go too. I believe you have a sibling to introduce yourself to.”

Jack Daniels

 

[Jake Daniels]

One Hour Later


Anahita sat quietly in the sitting room. Her legs crossed and hand gently resting on her lap. For the past hour she had remained vigilant in the presence of the Master Jedi. This woman whom sat opposite of Anahita Le’Fey was some skilled swordsman and master of the force. Well that’s what Jake personally thought of her anyway. Honestly Anahita had not seen any of that. What she saw was a woman that served as a potential threat to her Duke. Highly suspicious and ever quiet, the right hand of the Duke ensured that Evanthea Hinata did not have a moment of privacy.

There was commotion in the home however. It was not all silent sitting and suspicious eye shifting. Jake had invited everyone in. He apparently had instructed someone to start cooking which was a bit of a surprise to Anahita. By the smells she assumed it was a beef dish of some sort. Besides the smells that began to fill the bottom floor of the home, Anahita had heard the shouting of Romano Shamalain. It was silent now but boy had it been hell. There was rhyme and reason to everything Jake Daniels did. There had been a reason why he and Evanthea hid Jack. There had been a reason he had not tell his Master nor former wife about their child. It seemed Romano was less than thrilled.

“Marquess Daniels is speaking with Lord Shamalain now. Nicky is standing outside the study but they are very cordial for the moment. Marquess Daniels seems thrilled to meet his Brother, even if Lord Shamalain is still surprised. The Duke will be down shortly.” Mycell said as he entered the sitting room.

Anahita’s eyes never left the Jedi Master.

“Anahita, the Duke has asked you to step outside.” Mycell said.

“What?” Anahita snapped.

“That is his instruction.” Mycell replied.

The Right Hand snorted as she rose to her feet. Her heels slapped the floor as she made her leave in disgust.

Mycell stepped aside to allow her out.

“I must apologize for Anahita’s behavior, Miss Hinata. We are naturally suspicious of anyone we do not know, Anahita most of all. It was some time ago that the Duke was the target of an assassination attempt that nearly took his life. It affected us all greatly." Mycell explained as he came around so the Master Jedi could see him.

Unlike Anahita, Mycell was soft spoken and completely respectful. It was almost as if they were Jakes little shoulder angels. Anahita the devil, Mycell the angel.

“If you would not mind following me, Miss Hinata." Mycell said, motioning his hand towards what would be the dining room.

It was not a far walk by any means. A few steps really though given the construction of the home, the smells of the kitchen seemed to engulf the dining room. It was not too overbearing while at the same time subconsciously helping one get hungry. The dining room, like the rest of the home was meticulously cared for. Not a blemish or eye sore to be seen. Fourteen chairs adorned the table; six on either side and one at each head. The head nearest where they entered had an occupant already; Jake Daniels, whom sat looking over some papers.

"Miss Hinata, if you please?" Mycell asked as he pulled the chair out from the other end of the table.

She, like Jake, would be in a seat of power this evening.

Jake's eyes very slowly rose to those of the Jedi Master whom now sat directly across from him.

"Mycell, take these to Nicky and let her know that the acquisition will suffice. I need her to monitor the transactions for the next few days. Should anything give her the wrong feeling about the investment, I want her to pull the funds back." Jake explained.

"As you say, Sir." Mycell said as he took the now stacked papers from Jake.

Turning back to Thea, an uncomfortable silence had settled in the dining room; only briefly broken by the appearance of a person here and there whom brought the pair a couple of glasses, filled them with wine, along with two pots and two mugs that rested in the center of the table.

"The metal is coffee. The wooden is tea. Most guests prefer tea while I am more of a coffee person." Jake said.

He stood and walked part way over to fetch the coffee pot but stopped for a brief moment. Though Thea had wine, that was more so for dinner. Jake just had a feeling that it was brought out earlier than normal due to the tenseness of the days transgressions. The house had seen unease but never to this extent.

"Would you like some coffee or tea?" Jake offered.

Giving Thea what she asked for, Jake settled back into his chair and took a quiet sip. He, himself, was still very uneasy. His vision had proven wrong. It had not before. Why was it now? What exactly had the force been trying to tell him that he apparently misinterpreted?

"You look good Thea."

Evanthea Hinata

 

[Evanthea Hinata]

While Anahita was agitated and kept her eye on Thea, the Jedi Master sat quit calmly and patiently. Some found it unnerving just how patient a Jedi could be. Indeed Thea seemed more like a statue than a person as she sat so still and serenely. The only sign of life was her occasionally sipping the water she had been offered.

The dining room smelled good and though Thea had always been a light eater she thought dinner would be good. Jake was already in the dining room doing something business related. She thanked the people who brought her wine and pointed out her seat. When Jake rose to get her tea she merely watched him and nodded towards what she wanted, which he gave her and sat back down.

His compliment washed over her ears and she offered a small smile and stood up. She approached him and he stood as well, perhaps thinking she was going to embrace him as she had their son after so long. However the Jedi Masters hand flew quickly across his cheek with a loud slapping sound. Her hand stung with the impact, but it wasn’t really a gesture to cause pain. If she had wanted to hurt the man she would have. No this was a message about how much of fraking nerf he was for taking her son away for years.

The sound had caught the attention of his guards but by the time they reappeared Thea had already seared herself again and was sipping her tea calmly.

“So do you.” She smirked over the cup at him.

Jake Daniels

 

[Jake Daniels]

Jake rose to his feet as Thea approached. Both out of habit to not want anyone standing above him and potential anticipation of what she wanted. Maybe a hug perhaps? An embrace with the man that fathered her child? Nope. She unloaded with the palm of her hand which had caught him cleanly and sent his head jerking to the side. The sound of the smack pierced the silence of the dining room. He deserved that. There was no denying it. The smack had not been one of an enemy. It was one of a passion that only a mother could give; a mother that had been denied her child. Evanthea Hinata was showing a side of herself that Jake did not expect to see.

She was showing an attachment he thought she would forever deny herself. For Jake, the assertiveness she showed the man was one very few ever tried and even fewer managed to succeed in achieving over him. It was both an incredibly attractive quality while at the same time eye opening. Evantha was not one to be trifled with; even by someone as close as Jake.

By the time they both had found their seats Eduardo, Stephanie, and Edwin had emerged from the kitchen. All three stared at Jake first, then Thea, then back to Jake who had a hand gently over his cheek.

“It is ok. Just a Mother ensuring a Father does not step out of line again.” Jake said.

His eyes never left the Master Jedi as a smile appeared on his face as he spoke. Had Thea been anyone else, his son’s included, whom had laid a hand upon him, the former Sith would have retaliated in kind. Yet he held no ill-will towards the woman. He had no urge to try and harm her. Thea had every right to hit him and she actually deserved to do so much more.

“Is dinner ready?” Jake asked as he finally turned to Eduardo.

“Shortly, Sir.” The Guard replied.

“Thank you. Please ensure that Lord Shamalain and Marquess Daniels are served upstairs. I will need complete privacy with Miss Hinata tonight. You are all excused.” Jake replied.

Jake finally lowered his hand from his still warm cheek as the three ventured back into the kitchen.

“You have quite the hit. I’m surprised I’ve never been on the receiving end of it before; I tend to rub people the wrong way.” Jake playfully remarked.

He took a drink from his coffee quietly, still chuckling at what had just transpired and just how nonchalantly Thea had refound her seat.

Silence again found the room though a lot had changed since they had last met; Jake had changed. Hand to the Honoghrian Mal’Ary’Ush, a Duke, but perhaps the most surprising he was not consumed by darkness. Sure, Jake was not pure but he did not radiate the Dark Side as he once had. Behind his eyes; even as he and Thea seemed to share a game of ‘who would blink first’, there was evidence of a tired man. A man whom had a lifetime of war and pain, a man whom now spent every waking moment ensuring the safety of his family. Just as Thea had shown Jake a side of herself he had not expected; perhaps he was doing the same.

“So I guess I should start by explaining the twelve guards I have running around the compound and why they are so quick to protect me.” Jake said.

He took another sip of his coffee.

“You’ve heard of Gladiatorial contests, correct; the ones they put on for show on some planets as a means to display their old traditions? When I was roaming the core worlds I caught wind of a gladiatorial contest. I thought, at first, that it was another show for peoples entertainment. I could not have been more wrong. Have you ever heard ofHoplomachi Gladiatorial contests?” Jake asked.

Evanthea Hinata

 

[Evanthea Hinata]

Thea was busy adding sugar to her tea when all the guards showed up. She seemed completely unconcerned with them, knowing perhaps Jake knew he deserved whatever he got. He sent them away as she put her spoon back in her napkin and sipped the now sweetened drink.

She snorted as he mentioned he had never been on the receiving end of her hand before. The truth was Thea was not an overly emotional woman. The only time she had been was during pregnancy. That had been rough for someone as disciplined as her. The hormones had made her cry and yell and laugh and do all sorts of things she usually didn’t do too often. It had been new and confusing and had come at a time when she was laden with guilt for her sexual escapade with the man on the other end of the table. Of course he had helped her deal with it. He had actually helped process a lot of emotions she wasn’t used to and that had made the pregnancy far easier. Her frown seemed to soften a little as she remembered that kindness.

He asked his question as some staff brought out salads. Thea started picking at her food while he talked and shook her head when he finished.

“Not that particular group. I did help break up a slave ring that made gladiators of their captives. I imagine this group has similar brutality?”

She put some veggies in her mouth and started to chew. There were only tiny flecks of scarlett in her eyes now as they had almost returned to their natural brown shade. Perhaps he had been forgiven. At least for now.

Jake Daniels

 

[Jake Daniels]

“I was in the core worlds searching for Romano’s mother. I had just left Coruscant when debri orbiting the planet his damaged my ship. Unfortunately, the moment that happened I slipped into hyperspace which worsened the damage. I pulled myself out and came into orbit around Chandrila. I landed and mechanics told me the belly of my ship had been stripped. There was significant damage to internal components. I would be stuck here for several months as they had to get specialized parts for it.Since I had previously found some of my Masters artifacts on this planet I thought to do a second search here. Maybe there was something I missed about his Mother.” Jake explained.

“I managed to get acquainted with the Noble Houses of Chandrila. Many of them were purchasers of old relics, scrolls, and journals. Anything of importance to the old Sith and Jedi. If they had that stuff then they may have had knowledge of her whereabouts. I took the name Casimir Goetschl and continued to delve deeper into their world. After awhile I was invited to meet the Salintino Royal Family. They were former Royals of some Mid-Rim planet; exiled here but they continued their lavish ways.” Jake took several bites of his salad.

The way he ate, quick and hurried indicated that he was tense. His blood pressure was rising and the normally light complexion was slowly tinting a light shade of red. The first sign of anger.

“I did what I did best. Continued my infiltration hoping to find any knowledge that I could. They bought my identity as a Nobleman of Honoghr hook, line, and sinker.” Jake explained.

“When the Salintino Family realized how wealthy I was, or at least they thought I was, they invited me to participate in some of their more illicit affairs; underground gambling. Their favorite was armed gladiatorial combat between soldiers they've abducted from various planets.” Jakes voice trailed off when one of the twelve entered to grab the tea and coffee pots.

There was a sudden shift in the force. A quiet rage that only those attuned to it would feel. Jake pushed the remnants of his salad away as his gaze lowered from Thea, the Dukes appetite suddenly lost. His eyes had changed. His iris’s gave way to a bright yellow before darkening to a darker gold. Around his eyes, his flesh darkened with lines that seemed to course downwards.

“I am a military man. I had a Legion under my command for over twenty years. I had a respect for them unlike any other so to insult a soldier like they did, to do what they did, it brought back a wrath I had not felt since my war against the Jedi Council. As was always the case I was systematic in my approach.” Jake said.

The Duke fell silent as the pots were brought back in.

“I don’t talk about this with them in the same room out of respect which is why I keep going silent.” Jake said.

“Back on topic though. I began by acquiring weaponry that was stolen from local law enforcement. From there I located where these gladiatorial slaves were being kept. It was here that I noticed something. The women were missing. Mycell explained that the women were used for more than just fighting. The men of the family, and some of the women, forced themselves routinely on them.” Jake bit at his lower lip as he continued to try and hide the darkness that consumed his complexion now; the dark side emanating from the man as the memories flooded back to him with absolute ease.

“We were ruthless; bloodthirsty really. We found and executed any Salintino that proved to be a threat. We executed any man we found with the women. We found most with the exception of Anahita. She was the personal favorite of the Patriarch of the Salinito family.” Jake suddenly rose from his chair, approaching Thea and taking a seat next to her.

Very gently Jake placed his index and middle fingers against her temple so that she could see as he saw.

“Open your mind to learn my truth.” Jake instructed.

Mind melded to mind. Jake Daniels and Evanthea Hinata were now connected in a way they had never been before; every secret easily accessible. Thea, after this, would be able to recall many memories of Jakes past, as the man had no way of holding them back. He could however force one to the forefront and that is precisly what he did. Jake wanted to show her how it all ended.



Several Years Earlier
The room itself was gorgeous in appearance. A testament to the vast fortune of the Salintino Royal Family. Canopy bed, leather chairs, golden nic-naksnic-nacks and furniture made of wood that was rarer than many elements in the galaxy. The floor were wooden planks which was covered by a vast animal skin. The smell of the air was that of burning incense; rose if Jake had to guess. Still he was not here to be awestruck. He was here to find someone.

Jake Daniels, hand to theHonoghrs Mal’Ary’Ush, the fall Jedi and former Sith, old commander of the Siths 62nd Marine Light Infantry Legion, and covert assassin, stalked the bedroom silently. His eyes missed no detail; even as the smell of smoke began to fill his nostrils and the sound of blaster fire rang in his ears. Chaos enveloped the home as the once former Gladitorial Slaves hunted down their abductors.


Jake was dressed as formally as he always had been. A man of stature and poise, his eyes glowed violently red as his ears listened. He was trained to be the best at the hunt; a man whom brought down and fractured an entire Jedi Order as nothing more than a single apprentice. Now he hunted for someone.

The strike was fast and precise. Jakes blade cut through the wall nearest the private bathroom. Instantly the wall gave way; revealing the concealed door and behind it the patriarch of the Salintino Family. He screamed as his body hit the floor at Jakes feet. The former Sith stepped onto the Salintino’s wrist holding the blaster. Jakes other foot kicked the pistol deeper into the room. His crimson blade hovered over the mans face. Across the Salintino’s chest was a gash that burned; deep enough to inflict horrendous trauma but not to cause immediate death. This one would be slow and painful.

This man was not who Jake hunted; what he had hidden in what the wall revealed to be a staircase to another room was. Holding his saber out, Jake illuminated the staircase and made his way up. The smell was pungent. Sweat and blood. He knew it all too well. A thick warm musk that filled their air which crinkled the nose of the otherwise composed former Sith. As he reached the top of the stairs, his eyes turned to what was a room. Barren except for a single bed and upon it…


Jakes fingers pulled back from Thea’s temple. She had the memories now; most if not all of who Jake was, what he had been through, everything he had seen, witnessed, and felt had been passed to the Jedi Master. It might take her a great deal of time to sift through everything; though what remained at the forefront for both of them was what Jake saw. Slowly the man rose from the chair and retook his seat.

“I carried Anahita out of the room. When Mycell and the others caught up to us; he took Anahita from me while I finally ended the life of their Patriarch. It was in that moment that I decided I would fill the royal void left by that pig of a man. I would later create the alter ego of Casimir Goetschl, Duke of Honoghr. Then though, my attention remained on the twelve survivors. At the time I had a small residence and allowed them to use it. I nursed Anahita back to health. Since then; all of them have vowed an oath of loyalty to me on their own accord. I do not make them stay here. They choose to do so. At any moment they are free to leave.” Jake explained.

“Why would we do that, Sir? With how much trouble you find yourself in who’s going to save your hide if not for us?” Eduardo said coming in with the next course.
Jake could not help but laugh.

“I unfortunately do not like how the beef turned out so I used the last of our venison to make tonight’s dish. Perfectly cooked, if I do say so myself, with just the right Rishi seasonings. The vegetables are from our garden outback and assorted. Bon Appetit, you two.” Eduardo said as he made his leave.

Jake had no more taken a sip of wine and glanced to Thea than had soft music play along with the dimming of the lights.

“Eduardo!” Jake called out laughing.

“Can’t hear you Sir… mopping.” He replied.

Jake smirked and shook his head. Just in his approach with them, it was apparent that Jake loved these people. A man whom had found company in the graces of those that had served, like him, in a strict regiment. A man whom now lived with a group of people whom would all lay their lives down for one another, and for him, warmed him. The darkness that had momentarily illuminated Jake had vanished and in its place, sitting directly across from Thea, was simply Jake Daniels; a mere man sharing a meal.

@Thea Hinata

 

[Evanthea Hinata]

Thea was listening to the story politely and picking at her salad. She could tell it was a very emotional story for Jake so she chose not to interrupt. She too knew the horrors of war and the actions it could bring. Her mind drifted to some of the scumbags she had dealt with in the past as they tried to force themselves on others, one even on herself. War caused awfulness in others. Hatred bred hatred and eventually these acts would take over and morality was lost. It was an awful thing indeed.

While Jake was getting emotional Thea remained calm. A Jedi had to be detached from revenge and anger. It was the Jedi way, and really the only way Thea knew how to exist in the galaxy. He sat beside her and touched her temples and all at once emotions started pouring. She saw what he saw, and felt what he felt, but there was something more. His touch caused goosebumps on her skin. All at once she felt a lurch in her stomach. Her eyes turned blue and darkened and her breathing increased. He pulled away and sat back in his seat while Thea tried to deal with this sudden madness that had taken over.

Someone else was speaking. She blinked and shook her head, like a dog trying to get water out of it's ears. "Um.." She blinked again, trying to make her eyes go back to their normal brown. Say something, she thought to herself.

"You've dealt with your share of war stories. I'm sure these people think you a hero." She blinked again. Her voice sounded off, even to her own ears.

Luckily dinner arrived and she was able to start picking at food. "This is very good."

Jake Daniels