Epilogue

[Gyossait]

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[ Korriban ]​

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The rumbling of the cage that was, in reality, a shuttle kept Gyossait's senses primed and aware as he gazed out of a small port window. It had been so long... this tiresome flight. Days, hours, weeks, all the different names for time that felt endless. Yet, the loneliness of the heart still does make it grow fonder. The one thing that was bearing down on Gyossait's mind was her, her face and those eyes.

Nothing would ever scrape away the memory, the dream. Gyossait would chase it for an eternity if he had to, from one lifetime to the next. He would find her.

As the shuttle began to descend down upon an unknown world, Gyossait closed his eyes and melded with the ship's turbulence and unease. He pictured the fantasies - rather, the mere delusions of a place and time that never existed. Their special place. The gentle sky and the swaying fields of gold, the sweetened air and endless bliss. Gyossait could die this way, peacefully. But something in the back of his mind kept him from goin along with the comfort of death.

Something made him cling on in the very last seconds of acceptance.

Touchdown.

Gyossait's shuttle buried itself into a dune of compacted sand; a once beautifully shaped and weathered wave now demolished by the abrupt intrusion of burning durasteel. The cockpit was busted open from the inside-out, allowing Gyossait to stumble and then subsequently fall to his knees into the warm desert sand. The sun pierced through the visor of his helmet, blinding him for a moment.

The traveler staggered as got to his feet, looking around.

Was he dead? Was this it?

[member="Maelasi Eramar"]

 

[Lief]

Korriban.

The place where it had all begun.

[member='Tirdarius'], Fuz, the Sith... Her steps away from the darkness of this most corrupt worlds, but also the uncertainty in the Force. An indecisiveness that could not be shaken... Not until the very Force itself took those decisions from her, and forced her into the path she now so willingly walked.

This was the start of her own Great Journey. And it would bring about an epilogue of its own, the end of an era. The child who had been was no more, and in her place Jyn rose once more like a Phoenix from the ash of her own creation. Embracing the fiery splendor which had overtaken her very core.

To complete the circle, she had to face it. To accept it, and learn to move on. The Academy had been the place of nightmares for her youthful self, today it would be a statute of catharsis. If she could even get close enough to gaze upon it.

Truth be told it is the obelisks I wish to see; my sanctuary from the horrors of the Sith, where he had first found me. Where Fuz and I had spent long hours.

The loss of her beloved friend still stung to this day, and the mere reminder of him had her skin prickling. No ashen skin, no fire, just the very slight prickling She had come so very far. She could control it now, for the most part.

She lifted her gaze to the horizon. Jyn had opted to land far from the Valley of the Dark Lords, realizing that this world was once again inhabited by Darksiders, so there would be a hike involved. What she hadn't expected to see was a small vessel spiraling out of control in the distance, not too far from her. Cutting her route in half.

Without thinking she quickened her pace. Whoever had fallen, Jedi, Sith, Civilian, deserved the courtesy of being checked. For all she knew the impact might have stunned someone, killed them. She hoped not. The sand could act as a decent cushion, she knew that from experience.

[member="Gyossait"]

 

[Gyossait]

The first steps into the unknown had caused Gyossait's predatory protocols to kick in, his brain re-configuring as investigated his surroundings. The training, all the simulations kicked in and showed what Gyossait truly was; however, that very thing implanted into his brain was what prolonged the temperamental shifts in his mindset. After confirming that the area was quite clear and void of any life, Gyossait turned back to the wreckage and began to salvage what was inside the scorched durasteel.

The smell of burnt synthetic materials and visage of bare bones more than confirmed that the shuttle would no longer be operational in any sense, the only thing it was good for now was most likely to be picked at by nomads and the like. Either that, or time would see it weathered down and swallowed by sand.

Gyossait re-emerged from the smoldering mess with a nondescript lightsaber hilt, one that looked like it had seen a fair few encounters. Scratches etched into the hilt, along with a few bands of leather dangling from the grip. Now sheathed beneath the stranger's thick cloak, Gyossait walked on aimlessly with nothing in mind.

He was empty, dead inside to say the least. There seemed to be no purpose, yet something prodded and urged to be remembered. Her.

But she had died, didn't she? No, no. She was alive...

And he must find her at all costs. Gyossait could feel her linger, she had to be somewhere. But then someone came into view on the horizon, a female figure.

Was it... her? Had he found her?

[member="Jyn Sol"]

 

[Lief]

The closer she got to the smoldering wreckage, the faster she moved. Her mind kicked into overdrive, she could feel the loss of life, the pain which accompanied wounds, the confusion, and... Something more.

The prickling of her skin soon turned into a searing pain that threatened to overtake her body in flames. Thankfully they did not surface, and she grit her teeth to keep from crying out. Right now the damn Force could lay off her where emotions were concerned. They were not her own, but anothers. One others.

Apparently nobody else had survived.

Immortal in the Force... Remember that. Remember. They did not lose their lives in vain, the Force would bring them into a whole... and through it they would live on. Or so she had been led to believe.

What choice did she have but to believe?

Finally she saw a shape discernible from the wreckage itself, a person.

They didn't seem particularly tall or foreboding. Jyn was small for her kind, her species were usually way above average, ranging within the 6 foots... If this being was human, they must have been on average. Perhaps of a height with her. Not a child then.

Jyn was so much more confident when dealing with youngsters.

Expecting the best, Jyn held up both hands as she approached. For all she knew this being was a Darksider. Then again, his presence spoke otherwise. It held confusion, a glimmer of hope... And the only darkness within was borne of natural causes. Same as any being held.

"Are you okay?" she called out, narrowing her eyes slightly to better discern the being through the glare of the sun. She noticed the armour that was worn, and pondered whether it was for practical or aesthetic reasons. Perhaps it was a flight suit. Who knew.

Right now she was more bothered about checking him visually for wounds.

[member="Gyossait"]

 

[Gyossait]

As the figure advanced, Gyossait lowered his head and body to the ground, like a beast locking on to its prey. Unfortunately for the woman whom clearly meant no harm, the subject didn't understand the gesture; however, strangely enough, this woman felt like her. How was that possible? She looked nothing like her, and it wasn't her voice.

Scared and confused, Gyossait threw open cloak to reveal a blackened, slightly modified body-glove with cybernetics and small bits of computerized tech. Of what origin or where the suit came from was entirely unknown and bore no insignia to discern such a thing. Midnight clad hands adorned with bladed finger tips stood out like a sore thumb in the otherwise bland desert terrain, all the while Gyossait unleashed an inhumane, otherworldly screech as per part of his offense protocol.

Yet another psychological marker on how Gyossait was purposed for battle.

The subject wouldn't do anything to outright kill the stranger, or at least not attempt just yet. He kept his sights on her, however. if she acted in a provoked manner, then it would only validate the usage of Gyossait's totality.

After the cry of war, silence would fall. The masked survivor waited in his predatory position.

[member="Jyn Sol"]

 

[Lief]

Jyn's harmless probing had sent the being into predatory mode. Body low to the ground, defensive, and an animalistic battle cry that rang through the air and sent a shiver down her spine.

The young woman immediately halted. She kept her hands up, a sign that she had nothing within them, and nodded her head ever so slightly in the direction of the man. It seemed to be a man, after all, though for all she knew there could be anything beneath the mask and body suit. Was the being infected? She had heard of viruses which turned ordinary beings feral. Is that what had happened? A scientific ship crashed?

She mentally shook her head.

No, what she could sense from this being was far too human for that. Lamenting. Loss. Confusion. It pained her so deeply that she had a hard time fighting back the flames. A slightly ashen hue took control of her skin, and she monitored her breathing to keep herself under control. Sinking into the fire right now would not end well, she realized that much.

"I mean you no harm. I sense your pain, but I'm hazy to its source. If you are hurting, I can help... Were you wounded in the crash? It's okay... Look, I have nothing that can bring you further harm friend."

She hazarded a glance at the smoldering wreckage and cringed slightly.

"Might I suggest that you move away from the ship? I'll keep my distance, I don't mean to antagonize you, only... I have a feeling we don't have long before the fire spreads to fuel. Then we'll have a real issue on our hands."

Slow, calm, patient. All the things she knew she had to be. Panicking would only worsen the situation for them both. She didn't suppose he'd enjoy the sight of a woman turned to flames, after all.

[member="Gyossait"]

 

[Gyossait]

A twisted manifestation of pain and memory pulled on Gyossait's insides like a hook buried inside the maw of a fish. He couldn't free himself of the confusion and the continual progression of how bizarre of a place he was in, no matter how he tried to come to terms in this moment, he couldn't clear the overwhelming mental fog.

The woman's passiveness only became bolstered with an unbiased kindness. The way she talked was almost calming, but alas, Gyossait held little trust for anything else sentient, especially with his experience prior to crashing upon Korriban. The subject's weaponized gloves eased and lowered as he turned to look at the wreckage, the durasteel hull now ablaze with chemically altered flame and cloaked in toxic smoke. Not being a fool to obvious danger, Gyossait pushed passed his insecurity and distrust to join the unknown woman at a distance from the hazard.

Before any kind of dramatic explosion were to take place, Gyossait stared daggers at his newfound sentient. Through the Force, he spoke. Not with tongue, but with his mind. "You have a brief amount of time to tell me where I am, and who you are." Gyossait's tone was that of a very militant and direct person, albeit not quite hate-ridden. He was scared and lost, that much she already could piece together.

Soon after the attempt to force conversation, the shuttle exploded. The sand around it began to collapse and swallow the vessel whole before another, smaller explosion erupted from the ground. Then silence.

[member="Jyn Sol"]

 

[Lief]

She was grateful when he did the sensible thing and opted to move from the smoldering vessel. True to her word she remained the same distance from him, each step he took forward she took back, til they were away from the ships range. Even with the explosion, she felt its heat and pieces of shrapnel fell into the sand around them. Surprisingly nothing hit them directly, though, and she could not help but say a thanks to the Force for that... Now that she was back on good terms with it, and all.

The sense of pain only heightened from the man, and by now her skin was becoming somewhat ashen. Beneath the skin itself she could feel the flames, burning her blood and causing her to grit her teeth. She wanted to give in, she wanted to so badly... But she didn't.

Finally he spoke.

"Korriban" she immediately responded, "This world is Korriban, and I am Jyn Sol. A nobody. I mean you no harm, I swear it; I saw your ship fall, and I wanted to ensure that any survivors were safe..."

Would he believe her? Would it be enough?

[member="Gyossait"]