Private Endless Bonds and Broken Promises

[Jax Thio]

Location: Netherworld
Equipment: Travelling Robes, Jax's Prosthetic Arm, Jax's Third Lightsaber, Promise Ring to Jairdain
Tag: Jairdain

Jax took a deep breath looking over at the unusual place that was the Netherworld. In a way it felt relaxing being in another realm away from civilization being one with the Force and begin able to see friends and loved ones long gone. However, as tempting as it was to stay here, Jax knew that the people living their lives in the realm of the living need to be protected. Their lives feed into this world of the Cosmic Force which in turn exerts energy into the Living Force which Jax holds great reverence for. It was a cycle that Jax preached to his Padawans and students. The Jedi Master approached the cliffs of once belonged to an ancient civilization that was long erased from history. "Jairdain has to be here somewhere......" Jax mumbled leaping off of the ancient platform and flipping onto the middle platform that had a waterfall crashing onto the abyss below.

Jairdain disappeared when Jax returned to Alliance and the people who last saw her stated that she left without warning. It wasn't like Jair to abandon her duties which made Jax wonder if Jair left because she couldn't bear the thought of Jax dying in battle. "I can't afford to lose another love," Jair's words echoed in Jax's mind when she revived him after dying during the Stygnan Campaign. Yet Jax kept throwing himself into battle after battle until he fought a battle he could not win and it cost Jax dearly. He fell to the Dark Side of the Force, Dreidi Xeraic nearly died because of him, and Carnifex banished him to the Outer Rim. I was likely Jairdain felt Jax's fall, near death and probably assumed the worst.

"Oh Jair," Jax walked through the ancient statues his heart heavy with regret. "I messed up I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

He came to the Netherworld because, Jax knew that it was Jair's favorite place to be so she can commune with her dead husband and family. It was a hope, a forlorn hope perhaps but the Netherworld made sense. "I promised Dreidi that I'll bring her back," Jax said. "They may not be on best terms, but I want my family to finally heal after we've endured so much pain. I owe that to Jair and I owe it to Dreidi."

Jax took a deep breath and reached out to the Force. "Come on Jair," Jax said closing his eyes and concentrating. "I know you can hear me, where are you?"

 

[Jairdain]

One thing Jairdain forgot about was how time passed. Sometimes, time in the Netherworld flew by in the real world or was slowed down, where hardly any amount of time passed. So, what felt like a few hours for the Jedi, at least several months had gone by on the outside. She was oblivious to it all and spent hours with her dead parents.

There had been so much they couldn't do while they were alive. They had been taken from her when she was just fifteen. It might explain why she was such a crappy mother to her teen children. She didn't know what to do, and so she ran. Even though she hadn't realized that was what she had done.

The woman was unaware of everything that had happened in the Galaxy. Focusing on how to tell Jax she was pregnant took most of her thoughts and time spent with her family.

As Jax tried to find her, if he chose to smell the air, he would find the familiar scent of cooking pizza. For her, she did not hear or feel him calling for her. Maybe the Force had decided to help them reunite. If he followed his nose, he would start approaching a building where he could hear a conversation. At the distance he was, he probably wouldn't understand what was being said clearly.

Jax Thio

 

[Jax Thio]

Location: Netherworld
Equipment: Travelling Robes, Jax's Prosthetic Arm, Jax's Third Lightsaber, Promise Ring to Jairdain
Tag: Jairdain

As Jax landed on the platform, a familiar scent filled his nostrils. Pizza? Did BB-12 somehow found his way into the Netherworld? While a funny thought, Jax knew that there wasn't any food to be found in the Netherworld. It was a Force fueled land, filled with lost memories of times long gone. "Jair must be close," Jax mumbled his heart racing.

He knew why Jair went to the Netherworld, she still mourned Yuroic and longed to communed with his spirt. Try as Jax might, he would never be as good as Yuroic was. The man gave his life for his family and the Alliance while Jax slunk away the moment he gave into the Dark Side. "It's a struggle to even communicate with Dreidi Xeraic ," Jax said. "I never deserved a family, I let Dreidi down, and Jair prefers her last husband."

Was the love he had for Jair just a temporary thing for the two of them? Was it not meant to be? With Jax struggling to connect with his stepdaughter, it was unlikely that there will ever be a happy family. Especially with Jax making things awkward with Dreidi and her siblings. The Jedi Master could feel Jair's presence as he continued to get closer. Jax watched with bated breath as he saw an ancient looking building. It dated back to the First Great Hyperspace War based on the architecture. The Jedi symbol engraved on the door suggested that this was part of a Jedi Temple located far away. Jax entered the building and saw Jair in the middle of the room.

"Jair....." Jax ran towards his wife and immediately hugged her tightly pulling her into a long kiss. "I found you," he whispered as he kissed her again.

 

[Jairdain]

Her parents had advised her, and Jairdain knew what she would do when she saw Jax again. There wasn't a reason to keep her pregnancy a secret. He wasn't like Bradshaw but he still seemed to collect his share of enemies. She didn't think he needed to be deprived of this knowledge. Having made up her mind about this, the Jedi took a cooking lesson from her mother.

This was the smell Jax had followed, and when he wrapped his arms around her, she was pretty surprised.

"What are you doing here, Jax?"

Returning the kiss, she blushed because it took place before her parents. Not that they didn't understand. Eventually, she pulled away from him and put her eyebrows together.

"What's wrong? I've only been gone a few hours. Also, meet my parents. My father is Donlan, and my mother is Valdea."

Waving a hand in the direction she thought their spirits were, she waited to hear Jax's answer. On the table next to her was a well-made pizza ready to be eaten.

Jax Thio

 

[Jax Thio]

Location: Netherworld
Equipment: Travelling Robes, Jax's Prosthetic Arm, Jax's Third Lightsaber, Promise Ring to Jairdain
Tag: Jairdain

Jax still couldn’t believe it.

He thought he was in a dream in a way he was in a dreamlike world but when Jair returned his kiss pressing his lips with as much passion and vigor, Jax knew that this was real. Jair was real as well as the shimmering force ghosts that were her parents.

“Oh!” Jax eyes lit up in shock as he let go of Jair. “Ummm chit I thought you came to the netherworld to talk to Yuroic!" The Jedi Master chuckled nervously as he felt his ears heat up as if they were dipped in the warm baths in the Room of Thousand Fountains. "Nice to meet you," Jax said. "I'm pretty sure your daughter has told you a lot about me."

He turned to Jair when she asked what he was doing in the Netherworld. Jax raised an eyebrow, bewildered at the response. "What I'm doing here?!" Jax responded. "I'm taking you home Jair! You've been in the Netherworld for too long."

It was then what Jair said was made Jax's blood run cold. He forgot that time in the Netherworld was different from the physical, what was hours for Jair was a long time for Jax. "Jair....." Jax placed his hand on her shoulder. "You weren't gone for hours, you were gone for a few years."

He didn't even look at the Pizza that Jair placed on the table, Jax wanted Jair to process the information before he continued. "I....." Jax looked down. "I need to take you back, your family needs you, I need you especially in light of what happened to me after we talked on Alderaan."

 

[Jairdain]

At first, what Jax was saying really didn't have much of an effect on the Master. However, as the truth of it hit her, she went pale. She grew almost white as much as he blushed in front of her parents. Shaking her head in denial, she could feel what he said was confirmed through the Force and their connection.

"I rarely visit Yuroic. You are in the now; he was in the past. There is no bringing him back."

That wasn't entirely true, but he didn't need to know. Besides, he might be able to figure out she could have brought her dead husband back if he had wanted her to. This was because of her exposure to the Sith and Dark Side, an area and path she chose not to follow anymore.

"What has happened, Jax?"

Turning to face her lover, Jairdain would have been meeting them if she could have looked him in the eyes. As it was, it only appeared that she was.

"How could years have passed while it was just a few hours for me?"

She mused this more to herself than out loud, but those in the room would likely still hear it. The Netherworld was odd. Not cold or hot. There was no actual weather here. At least, not in any of the areas Jairdain had ever been in.

"You're right. I have to go back. Before that, I have something to tell you."

She took his hand off her shoulder and placed it on her still-flat stomach.

"I'm pregnant. I only learned about it today. Well, what was this morning like for me? Probably another lifetime for you."

Jax Thio

 

[Jax Thio]

Location: Netherworld
Equipment: Travelling Robes, Jax's Prosthetic Arm, Jax's Third Lightsaber, Promise Ring to Jairdain
Tag: Jairdain

It relieved Jax to know that Jair had finally moved on from Yuroic, he spent countless hours comparing himself to Jair's ex-husband often seeing himself as inferior to the man whom she loved, the man who Dreidi Xeraic looked up to. Jax still does feel inadequate being a major part of Jair's families lives after Yuroic passed away. The Jedi Master never had a family of his own, being thrusted as a stepfather and a husband was new territory for him and he's struggling how to the perfect family man.

"Lots of things," Jax responded his tone became heavy with sadness and regret. "I..... fell to the Dark Side Jair." He looked away. "It happened during the Hyperspace War. Dreidi and I were fighting my father and he continued to probe my mind until I broke. Dreidi tried to stop me but....."

Tears started form in Jax's eyes, he was never meant to be a parent. How could he after Dreidi witnessed his fall? "She was impaled by Carnifex's Lightsaber." Jax finished. "She survived but I ended up going into self-exile out of shame. I even lost my connection to the Force in the process though I eventually reconnected."

The Netherworld was an incomprehensible place filled with mystery and wonder. At first glance, one could assume that this was a realm of the Force: Pure cosmetic energy that unifies life itself. But Jax had a feeling there was more to the Netherworld than just being the comprised of the Force. "Time moves differently Jair," Jax said. "You know that as well as I do. Sometimes one hour here can be one hour in the physical world. Sometimes could be a thousand years."

Just as Jax turned on his heel to leave, his heart stopped when Jair uttered the words he thought he never hear.

"I'm pregnant."

"What?" Jax feet was rooted on the ground he didn't hear the rest of Jair's statement only hyper fixating on those two words. The joy on his face quickly faded and replaced with uncertainty and fear. "I-I....." Jax turned around forcing a smile. "I'm overjoyed Jair...... how long have you've known?"

 

[Jairdain]

Sensing some relief in him when she mentioned she really didn't visit Yuroic, she wondered why. She didn't remember ever comparing them, and she hoped her daughters hadn't either. Then again, she just learned she had been missing for YEARS. She suspected quite a few things had been exchanged between him and her family—one, she wanted to be united again. Listening to what Jax said, she kept silent and accepted the change. She too had once fallen to the Dark Side, it had been with great difficulty that she had turned away...

"Your father?"

While she didn't remember every conversation they'd ever had, she was sure she would have remembered him talking about a father. There had also been times when she wasn't connected to the Force. Thankfully, they had both recovered that. Jairdain would have to ask how he accomplished getting it back. Not right now, though. If she had been gone for years, then time still passed while they were in the Netherworld.

"You're right. We should leave."

Turning to where she sensed her parents' spirits were, she blew them a kiss and hugged them, promising to come back again. As she was walking just behind Jax, when he stopped, she ran into him. Taking a step back, she rubbed her nose as she had smooshed it into his shoulder at his sudden halt.

"Since this morning. Well, my morning. Not yours. Ugh."

Letting out a sigh, she grabbed the pizza she had almost forgotten about.

"I made this for you. Eat it on the way back home."

Jax Thio

 

[Jax Thio]

Location: Netherworld
Equipment: Travelling Robes, Jax's Prosthetic Arm, Jax's Third Lightsaber, Promise Ring to Jairdain
Tag: Jairdain

Jax took the Pizza Jair gave him and immediately took a bite out of it wincing a bit when his tongue touched the hot cheese and sauce. He chewed on the Pizza smiling in the process. "I forgot how good your cooking was," Jax said. "I've spent most of my time back in the Alliance relying on protein bars and BB-12's cooking. To think he and I were going to start a Pizza Restaurant."

He took a deep breath when Jair questioned his father. "I thought I told you," Jax said with sadness in his voice. "I guess not but Jair..... Carnifex is my father. He unleashed my inner darkness and I lost Jair. Dreidi tried to help but I drove her away and she ended up getting impaled by Carnifex."

Jax closed his eyes. "Because of me......" he said. "She and I aren't on the greatest terms Jair but I want to tell you that I'm sorry for failing her, and failing you. I don't think I'm cut out to be a father or even have a family."

 

[Jairdain]

It was a surprise for the blind woman to hear her cooking complimented. Cooking was never her strong point, and that was why she was here taking lessons from her mother. Shrugging her shoulders and giving Jax a smile, she wondered if he was just saying that to make her feel better. Listening to what he had to say, she shook her head when he mentioned his father again.

"You never told me. Maybe you told others, but I wasn't around, as you said I've been missing for years now."

Giving his hand a squeeze, Jairdain allowed him to guide her out of the Netherworld. All the while, she listened to what he was telling her. When he blamed himself for her daughter getting impaled, she stopped walking. Shaking her head, she attempted to make soothing motions to him.

"It couldn't have been your fault since she was there by her own choice. She is a lot like her father. And you don't have a choice about being a father. Remember?"

Pointing at her stomach, there was a life in there that was half of him.

Jax Thio

 

[Jax Thio]

Location: Netherworld
Equipment: Travelling Robes, Jax's Prosthetic Arm, Jax's Third Lightsaber, Promise Ring to Jairdain
Tag: Jairdain

Jax nodded. "Yeah," he said. "I guess but I wanted to tell you Jair, I don't know if our child will have a connection to Carnifex like I have." That was the part that frightened Jax. If their baby could hear Carnifex's whispers, Jax would never forgive himself. "I don't know if I'm ready to be a father. Like I said, I failed Dreidi and Nytia."

The Jedi Master looked away. "You know that Dreidi is a Jedi Knight now?" He said. "She's an interesting one at that, she's integrating her witch powers with the Force. A marriage between Nightsister and Jedi. I have to admit, I was skeptical, but she managed to become a fully-fledged Jedi in spite of her unusual ability."

He sighed. "We need to get you out of here ASAP," Jax said smiling. "Who knows? The next we see the children; they might be on their deathbeds wondering why we're not there to see them."

 

[Jairdain]

Shaking her head as Jax spoke, she wondered what connection he had with the Sith Lord. That was how Jairdain thought of Carnifex. He was an enemy and one she would gladly try to trample under her feet. However, she didn't think that chance would ever come.

She was happy to hear about the updates on her family.

"How could I know Dreidi is a Knight? I've been here for years to you and them."

Shrugging a shoulder and tilting her head, there wasn't anything Jairdain could do to change what happened. All she could do now was try to repair her fractured family and reunite them, maybe with the help of Jax that could occur. Time will tell.

"Lead the way, Master."

Hoping what he said wasn't true; there was always that risk.

Jax Thio

 

[Jax Thio]

Location: Netherworld
Equipment: Travelling Robes, Jax's Prosthetic Arm, Jax's Third Lightsaber, Promise Ring to Jairdain
Tag: Jairdain

"I mean come on Jair," Jax said smiling. "You're always one who's always takes themselves so seriously. What I said about you having knowledge of Dreidi being a Jedi Knight it's a joke."

The Jedi Master swooped in and gave Jairdain a kiss on the cheek. Oh how he missed her calming and serious presence. As they walked to the portal that Jax used to find Jair, he figured right now it was best not elaborate on his connection to Carnifex. Jair needed to process the fact that she went missing for years and needed to process everything. "Welcome home my love," Jax said taking her hand as he went through the portal with her.