Emerging From The Darkness Into Flames [Thyrian]

[Lief]

Onward she ventured, into the abyss. Space was tranquilizing, the stars mesmerizing as they floated on by. Sometimes Kära would sit and watch them after she left hyperspace, as awe inspired as she had been the very first day she ever laid eyes upon them and the vastness of space. It was humbling to consider how many countless systems there were, each with their own worlds, their own life. Often it was easy to forget, to get lost in self-absorbed efforts, but the Galaxy was far greater than any might really consider... And more so than this was the knowledge that out there was further Galaxies and Universes untold, unheard of...

So it was that as she emerged into orbit around Arkania Kära allowed herself a moment of silent contemplation. Truly she wondered if she would ever be able to settle in this Universe, would she ever be without space for surroundings for more than a few days at a time? Was she doomed to venture aimlessly until the end of days, on some fruitless journey of self-discovery? How useless that would be, what a waste of time and potential. She had to refind herself, and quickly, she had to find herself a purpose here. This Universe was so different from her own that she did not know where to begin. The wars which waged were not her own, she had no place amongst them.

Just as she was about to descend towards the planet, she was overcome with a sharp tug from the Force. This time it was not curiosity which bade her to investigate further, but instead familiarity. Whatever was trying to get her attention was as commonplace to her as anything else from back home... Yet all the same different, distant. She couldn't quite place her finger on it. Leaning back in the pilot seat she considered her options, before peering across to her sensory displays and noted the presence of another, far larger, vessel.

Confused, yet drawn to it all the same, Kära did something she usually would not. She sent forth communications to the ship, to try and gauge its purpose here. Such a large Capital Ship had no place here, she knew.

Greetings, fellow travellers, she began, deciding to go the route of concerned civilian, This is the Captain of Ysmir; may I speak with whomever is in charge of your fine vessel? Curiosity got the better of her and she pulled back her ship from Arkania in favour of travelling a little further out to the Capital Ship. Yet the moment she gazed upon it everything came crashing down around her. She had once owned a ship just like that. But there was no way this could be the same thing, right? After all, her Universe was so different from this one...

 

[Thyrian Hearthfire]

Aboard the Judgement​

Since having watched his Queen fade away in his arms at his own hand, the renegade Sith known as the Ashborn had been in a perpetual state of grief. There was little emotion in his voice whenever he spoke to give orders, yet it would take next to nothing to anger him. He'd lock himself away in his quarters for days on end, refusing to eat or see any of his crew. How could they even begin to understand how he felt? There was grief, yes, but more so there was frustration and self-loathing; every day his hatred for himself grew as he thought himself weak for... for not joining her. He'd taken away what he loved and lived for, and there was no repairing that.

He didn't sleep or eat; sleep brought with it nightmares, and food never tasted the same again. He'd instead spend hours devoting himself to honing his skills, taking out his frustration on training dummies. It would never last, for his sorrow only brought more frustration with it. This only made him push himself harder and further, and in the end it served a purpose as he grew in strength, physical and otherwise. His pyromancy had returned in full force since Kära's death, and once more he was truly worthy of the name 'Ashborn'. But his powers had come at too great of a cost, and so he had no appreciation for them. He was a restless soul with no enemies to fight but himself.

"Lord Taral, we've intercepted a message. It... We think you should hear this." Despite it all, his crew had remained unflinchingly loyal to him. Kära had whipped them well. Without responding Thyrian got dressed, donning his old armour he'd wear when serving his Queen. Part of him wanted to discard it, but such fine craftmanship would be a waste to merely toss away. Making his way to the bridge with long strides, his curiosity has undoubtedly as to what this message could be. His crew knew better than to summon him for no reason, and so once he entered the bridge of the Judgement all eyes were on him. "Let's hear it."

"Greetings, fellow travellers. This is the Captain of Ysmir; may I speak with whoever is in charge of your fine vessel?"

Signal was weak, but the message was there. With little reason not to respond, Thyrian returned the call. "This is the Captain of the Judgement. State your buisness."

 

[Lief]

There was some delay between the airing of her message and the response, so much so that Kairos had almost given up and returned to Arkania's orbit. But there it was, a flat reply from a gruff voice. More so than that was two chilling words. The Judgement. Her Judgement? The Capital Ship she had owned for almost a decade? It couldn't be... They were in a new Universe all together! Nothing had been the same. The voice though, that too was something all too familiar.

"Might I know who I am speaking to, Captain?" she inquired, trying to be as unsuspecting as possible so that she didn't spoil her cover. "I once knew of a ship by that name, the same design too... Tulak Hord... A good vessel, to be sure." She couldn't help herself, usually she held far more restraint than this, but if this was a tie to her past then what else would this universe hold?

[member="Thyrian Ashborn"]

 

[Thyrian Hearthfire]

The voice was female, but there was little recognition beyond that. "Ensign! Clear up that static," he barked at one of his crew. Their communications equipment had not seen use since before Kära's death and as such was not yet calibrated properly. "Yes, my lord! That should do it." A disapproving sneer found the corner of his mouth. "'Should'?" There would be no reprimanding the poor excuse of an officer at this time. Instead he looked straight ahead, at the vessel coming into view.

"Have you not heard that Sith deal only in absolutes?" There was no emotion to his deep growl of a voice, yet his crew knew when to interpret his words as jokes and when not to. The smart ones did, anyway. A round of hushed laughter spread throughout the bridge. It didn't phase the Ashborn.

"My name is..." He hesitated. Who was he? 'Lord Taral'? 'The Ashborn'? Those names were known aliases of his in some parts of the galaxy. "Phoenix," he finally said, like a soft whisper. His eyes closed when he said it, a brief glimpse of all the times she'd call him such flickering to life for but a split-second, then opened them shortly thereafter. "Phoenix," he repeated more audibly. "To who am I speaking?"

 

[Lief]

Everything in that moment seemed to freeze, then when motion finally kicked back in it was slow. She lifted a hand up to her head, feeling sudden heat behind her eyes, yet in doing so she left a trail of nothingness in her wake... She could see the blur of her hand as clear as day. Thumping resonated through her ears, and her breath caught in her chest. It felt like an eternity, yet in truth it lasted for just a second.

"M-My name?" she stammered, before blinking and catching herself. This was not the Lady Kairos. This was not Darth Kairos. She was not weak and misguided, she had a strong mind, she did not break under pressure, under revelations... Snap out of it, Kära, and face this like the Sith you are. "My name is insignificant, see you have me at a disadvantage. For you are many, and I am one. You'll forgive me for my caution, Captain. With that said, I'd like to request a meeting, if possible. Perhaps on neutral ground."

Her gaze moved down to the planet in the distance. Perhaps coming here would reveal not just Dejah's past but her own, at least where this Universe was concerned. "I used to know a man by your name, I used to know a vessel just like your own. I promise I won't take too much time out of your day, good Ser. I just mean to talk." It was a longshot. The Phoenix she knew was rather reserved, he wouldn't do what she wanted without first realising it was her. But she couldn't just tell him as much - after all, she knew nothing about this Galaxy.

[member="Thyrian Ashborn"]

 

[Thyrian Hearthfire]

There was something about her voice. Something he could not put his finger on. But she was a bold one, asking the Captain of such a mighty vessel to meet on neutral ground. Was her intention to assassinate him? A strong possibility considering his past actions to Sith and non-Sith alike. All in the service of her. But that was not the reason he decided to accept her offer: This was the first intriguing thing to happen since she... passed away. For once he actually felt something, and that something was curiosity.

"You shall have your meeting, Captain of the Ysmir. We'll meet at these coordinates," he responded to his crew's surprise and shock. "My lord, it... This woman cannot be trusted! Surely you don't mean to go down there alone--" The officer was abruptly interrupted by the fiery stare of the Ashborn who turned to face whoever thought himself brave enough to question him. "WHO ARE YOU," he roared, face bursting into flames. "WHO ARE YOU TO QUESTION ME!" The flames now spread down to his hand just before he struck his subordinate, a black scorch mark upon the poor man's cheek. "Prepare my shuttle."

With that, he left the room. For the first time in years, the Ashborn felt truly alive.

 

[Lief]

There was no hesitation made as she cut the comm-link and returned to the pilot seat, directing the vessel down to the planet below and toward the coordinates provided. She knew that it was no trap on either of their parts, for the man from the Judgement did not know who she was. But she knew of him. What kind of a man would she find in place of her Phoenix in this strange new world, though? The thought made her somewhat nervous, though she would never show or admit as much.

Exiting the vessel, Kära breathed in the air of Arkania. She had been here once before, in another life, to help bring the Arkanians onboard with the Sith Empire, their minds had proven invaluable where scientific and medical research was concerned. But for now Dejah and his troubles would have to wait.

She had someone to meet with.

[member="Thyrian Ashborn"]

 

[Thyrian Hearthfire]

The shuttle left the hangar aboard the Judgement with the greatest of haste, at the Sith Lord's request. Seemingly all that mattered right now was to make contact with this woman who felt all too familiar. He did not buckle up nor sit down during the flight, but rather stood beside his pilots and gazed out the viewport with his arms crossed over his chest, much to the dismay of his subordinates. Breaking through the atmosphere of Arkania, the vessel cut through clouds until the ground below became visible. "There," he pointed. The two pilots couldn't see what their overlord was referring to, but he knew. He could feel her presence.

Once they'd touched ground the Ashborn left without a word, walking down the ramp. Making his way around to the front of the shuttle of former Sith Empire-design, his stride lessened in pace and conviction as he drew closer to the woman. His hood remained covering most of his face, so all she would see would be the stoic lower-part of his face. But Thyrian felt anything but stoic as he approached the petite woman, white of hair. His steps had diminished into a slow crawl compared to before. When he finally stood before her, his mouth began to twitch.

"No. You're not her, you can't be..."

 

[Lief]

The man who emerged before her, as the dust kicked up by his shuttle began to settle, was not the face she had expected to see. Her Phoenix had been a man-on-fire, embers for skin when the armor was removed. But this one had flesh, as scarred as it was. He had a full head of hair, the same which coated his jawline and settled above his upper lip. It was not a traditionally handsome face, prematurely aged by work and worry and goodness knew what else. But through it all, this suit of skin he wore, one thing remained the same. His eyes, aglow like the flames she had grown to love, spoke of deeper things. The way his gaze fell upon her spoke of familiarity, even disbelief. Something had happened to make him doubt her existence, and she could see that the man had been tortured by whatever it had been.

This was her Phoenix, all right...

No words were spoken by the Lady in White as she stepped forward to where the halted man stood; one hand lifted as her gaze examined every inch of his face, the features she had never before had a chance to see. She reached for him then, uncaring of the result, her fingers stopping mere inches from one of his many scars, fingers twitching above his cheek. Her expression depressed first into sorrow and then relief, and for the first time in what felt like an eternity her eyes began to water. "It is you" she whispered, her free hand lifting to cover her mouth. After all she had done, after all the time she had spent in this empty Universe where nothing lay in wait for her, Kära had found her rock. The stability she'd had since her youth, the only constant she had ever known.

Fear gripped her then, that exposed woman who felt ten years old again in a world of abnormalities. "Don't leave me" she gasped, concerned that he might flee from the sight of her. A fleeting memory gripped her; it was not her own, yet seen through her own eyes all the same. Of a room engulfed in flame, the raw, undiluted emotion which accompanied the loss of life. With a blink it was gone, all the while a solitary tear singed a line across her cheek. It burned like wildfire, marking the occasion. Kära turned her gaze down, her hand beginning to slip through the air back to her side. She might have been a Sith Lord, and an emotionless one at that, but any wall could crumble with the right exposure.

[member="Thyrian Ashborn"]

 

[Thyrian Hearthfire]

The Ashborn was confounded. The woman looked every bit like her, save for the scar he'd caused upon her cheek. She carried herself the same exact way, had the same voice... but then she did what the woman he loved would never do. She reached out and touched him, unabashed and unafraid. He'd hoped that this was all some dream, that maybe the shuttle had crashed and that he was dead and reunited with her. He froze as her fingers barely met his scarred skin, and immediately after there was a feeling of comfort in her inspection of his face. "Y-you can't be..."

He was completely floored by her presence, and suddenly his own weight became too much to bear. His legs buckled and made him fall to his knees, now at the same height of the white woman. At first he dared not meet her gaze. "I... I killed you. Held you as I watched your life leave your body. My reason to live disappeared with it..." Thyrian thought himself unable to ever cry again after losing his beloved. He'd felt drained; of life and love and tears. But then he braved meeting her gaze, and somehow this woman inspired all of these things in him all over again.

As she had done before, he now raised a hand to let his fingertips barely make contact with her pale, smooth skin. Even now he expected her to lash out and strike him down for his disobediance. But he didn't care at this point. Instead he'd now settled his entire palm against her cheek, still expecting there to be the scar he'd inflicted upon her so long ago. It shamed him to this day, having caused pain to the woman he loved, yet she'd never held it against him. "Snowflake?"

 

[Lief]

In that moment it felt as though everything else, all she was and all she had ever been, was submerged, leaving her there before him unadorned, unadulterated, the way she had been when they first met. A slight hint of curiosity in her gaze. But there was more to it than that. The sight of him there, her Phoenix, when around her was only chaos, was overwhelming. When he sank to his knees and reached to her cheek the woman - who had at this point lowered her gaze - turned her face into his touch and closed her eyes. There she breathed in his scent and shivered softly. He still smelt like ash and brimstone.

"I forgive you" she whispered; she knew now of the vision she had seen, brought about from her connection with Phoenix. How odd it was that she saw it through her own eyes, as though she had somehow become psychometric for a moment. The Force did strange things, after all. Lifting one hand up from her side she settled it over his own, holding him there. Struggling to catch her breath, Kära bit down on her lip to cease its trembling and stepped forward towards the knelt man, closing what little gap there had been between them. She buried her face into his hair, the other hand lifting to tangle within it. In a Universe of strange new things he was the familiar individual.

And she needed him.

[member="Thyrian Ashborn"]

 

[Thyrian Hearthfire]

Now he wished that it wasn't a dream. She was there, with him. At long last. The how and why didn't matter, it never did. Whatever higher powers were out there had seen it fit to restore her, be they the Force or otherwise. Again, that part didn't matter. As she closed the gap and embraced him, the Ashborn utterly surrendered himself to her. His free hand wrapped around her nimble frame and held her close, fearful of ever letting go. His face nuzzled into her shoulder, and once again he was able to breathe in the scent lost to him for so long.

"I'm sorry," he whispered despite her having forgiven him. "I'm sorry..."

 

[Lief]

Kära carefully shook her head to his apologies, turning her head slightly so that her cheek settled atop his hair. She slowly caressed down the side of his cheek and trembled lightly in his embrace. It was real, it was all so real... She pulled back slightly to look down at him, yet in truth she never wanted him to let go. Lowering a hand down to his chin she tipped his gaze up to meet her own, staring intently into his eyes. She wanted to make sure that it was truly him, as if she needed any further evidence than this.

"You're no longer aflame" she whispered, gently flexing her thumb against his temple in a soft motion. "You look so different, Phoenix; yet it seems as though you're torturing yourself. Let it go, my sweet..." Leaning in she softly lay her lips against his forehead. They barely touched, just grazing the skin, yet it was enough to burn her lips which proceeded to tingle. She found it surprisingly agreeable.

[member="Thyrian Ashborn"]

 

[Thyrian Hearthfire]

This all felt too good to be true, almost as if a dream. No, it couldn't be; she was there, right there! He could feel the beating of her heart and soft breath against his skin. As she tilted his face up to meet her gaze, ice and fire intermingled as he looked upon her. "Kära, I..." Then came the kiss upon his forehead. She'd taken his breath away. "...I love you." It was hard keeping his gaze locked onto hers without flinching, especially given what he'd just told her. Up until now she would've most certainly scoffed and ignored him, but the way she's been acting during these few minutes alone has him taking chances he thought unimaginable before now.

 

[Lief]

She stared at him intently for a few moments, before dropping her gaze back to the floor. As the silence stretched out around them she leant her cheek back against his hand and smiled softly... Oddly at peace, were that even possible for her kind. And then a small flurry of words cut through the air, the likes of which she had never heard uttered before. She did not fully comprehend what they meant, having been raised devoid of emotion, yet it caused her to ache all the same. If he was waiting for rebuke it was in vain; instead Kära remained exactly as she had been.

Her fingers tightened against his own at her cheek. "I don't know what that means" she whispered, afraid that someone might hear her. She did not break away from him, however, she did not demand that he rise back to his feet as she might have done in another life. Her hand lifted back to settle at his cheek again, before she buried her face back into his hair. "Please... Help me." Those were words she had never before uttered. She would likely never say them again, either. What the pair were experiencing, sharing, right now would never leave their privacy. But she was not going to stifle it either.

[member="Thyrian Ashborn"]

 

[Thyrian Hearthfire]

When the words "help me" were uttered, something old and once rusty was activated in the Ashborn. Confidence settled in him as he suddenly rose from his kneeling position. He felt like he hadn't stood up for ages. Once at full length he looked down into the face he cared so much for. For the first time since her breaking of his will decades ago, she truly needed his help. The little girl was still very much present in the woman stood before him.

"I will protect you, my Queen, as I always have and always will. I will lend you my strength and skill. I would face the abyss time and again if it would guarantee your safety." Lifting a hand to settle upon her cheek, he leaned in close enough to place his forehead against hers. "Because I love you," he whispered before carefully placing a soft kiss upon her forehead.

 

[Lief]

"I am no Queen" came the hushed response as she watched him rise from the ground before her. The pair were opposites in every sense, she small, pale and stark white, he gargantuan, tanned and dark haired. Like ice and fire. She closed her eyes as his hand settled once again to her cheek and his forehead met her own. There she nuzzled him softly and inhaled his scent - unable to get over the mesmerizing way it reminded her of home.

When his lips brushed against her forehead Kära breathed in, cherishing the moment. How long had she wished she could stand this way with Phoenix without the risk of burning up... Literally? "Come with me" she whispered, "back to Umbara... I don't want you to leave." There was no commanding tone, no expectations, simply a plea the likes of which Kära had never dared utter. Was this a weakness, a flaw in her person? Or was it her humanity finally stepping forward?

[member="Thyrian Ashborn"]

 

[Thyrian Hearthfire]

Her plea came as a surprise. Thyrian knew well to listen for her commands, and this was not one of them. It was earnest and uttered with worry in her voice. She was afraid of being abandoned, just like him. It made him put his arms around her and hold her in close embrace once more. "I would never leave you, Snowflake. I couldn't." He thought back to the many times when the Kära he used to know would simply disappear months at a time without telling him. Deep inside he'd felt betrayed by the way she would act. Was this a human thing, to feel inadequate in the eyes of those you love?

This 'new' Kära was different. The Queen he once knew was dead; he watched her die by his own hand, and it had torn him apart. Now he was being mended by this other incarnation of the woman he loved. There was much that he did not know about the universe, stuff that went over his head many times over. This he did not care to understand, but instead relished that it had happened. "We'll go to Umbara, Kära. I do not know what you hope to find there, but I will take you there. The Judgement awaits its true Captain."

 

[Lief]

She stepped into his embrace entirely, her face burying into his tunic which she in turn proceeded to clutch, as though clinging on for dear life. The pet names, the loss of formality, raised her spirits slightly; she was not the Master anymore, he had surely earned that within his own rights by now. If he chose to serve her then that would be by his own bidding, she could find further subordinates, she had broken many minds before, and won over countless others. Phoenix had earned her respect long ago, it was time that he saw the same of himself.

"I hope to find myself" came her murmured response, "the child I left there so long ago." Leaving Umbara had never been her choice, in either of the Universes, simply a necessary task she had to endure and carry out. How different would things had been had she stayed behind? Then again, Umbara was a suffocating, corrupting environment in its own right. Perhaps it was better this way. Kära did not release her hold on his shirt, wanting to hold on to the moment for as long as she could. Part of her yearned to retake the helm, so to speak, of her faithful vessel, yet there was nowhere onboard that she trusted to resume this conversation, this moment in time, as things stood. She didn't even know the current crew onboard.

[member="Thyrian Ashborn"]

 

[Thyrian Hearthfire]

The Ashborn held his beloved Kära close, something he thought an impossibility for his whole life leading up to this point. "You're wrong," he said. It wasn't often when he thought his once-Queen wrong, be it something she did or said, but this was one of them. "The girl I met long ago - who I spent my entire life protecting; watched grow into a woman and rise through the ranks of the Sith; trained and fought with on the battlefield; who I died for - is still here." He gently grabbed her hand and placed it above his heart. "She never left, Snowflake. When I look at you I see a scared little girl. I see a confident, strong woman. I see the one person I have ever loved."

He'd tip her head up to meet his gaze throughout his speech, and once more he found himself lost in her eyes. A sudden urge arose in him; some human instinct he thought buried and long dead. Very hesitantly he leaned in to place his broken and scarred lips upon hers. It was not a kiss for the ages by any means, but one filled with care and devotion to the person he loved.