Private Family ritual

[Lyssara Thrynn]

Here I am, somewhere on Dathomir. This blood-red planet, shrouded in thick mist and twisted roots, is the homeland of the Nightsisters and other... let's say, colorful tribes you might stumble upon if you stray too far off the path. Today, I have a rather special appointment. A family meeting.

My own mother decided to make the journey. She wants to meet me here, on this ground heavy with history and secrets. A symbolic place, no doubt chosen carefully. Or strategically.
Hands in my pockets, I walk toward the coordinates she gave me. The Dathomirian forest swallows me gradually. The trees are gnarled, almost alive, and a faint green mist lingers lazily between the trunks. From time to time, I hear spirits whispering fragments of forgotten words. I hear them, of course. How could I not? But I didn't come for them. Their murmurs don't call for me. Not today.

What could she possibly want? Why now? When I was younger, she never spoke about this planet, or about the blood that runs through our veins. She always kept that part of herself hidden. Of us, really. So why reach out now? Why stir it up?

Eventually, I reach a small clearing, ringed with ancient moss-covered stones. The silence here feels heavier. Alive. I sit on a half-rotten tree trunk, senses sharpened, and close my eyes to meditate. A place like this might have terrified me once. But now? I feel at peace. As if something in the damp, magic-laced air recognizes me.

I breathe slowly. My heartbeat syncs with the pulse of the ground. I'm ready to listen.

 

[Nyxara]

A low humming sound echoed through the damp air, weaving its way between Dathomir's twisted trees. A small, standard-model starship, gray and slightly weathered from travel, slowly descended between massive roots and moss-covered rocks. It landed in a nearby clearing, stirring up a cloud of red dust and dead leaves.

The engine noise faded, giving way to the strange, humming silence of the planet. The ramp lowered with a soft hiss. She stepped down calmly, one hand on the railing for balance. She wore a simple but neat outfit, practical for travel, with a long dark cloak draped over her shoulders.

She gave her surroundings a quick glance, took a deep breath, and gently closed the ramp behind her. Her expression was calm, though a hint of tension showed in her features a restrained emotion. Without hesitation, she set off along the narrow path that led to the designated clearing.

A few minutes later, the soft sound of her steps through the dead leaves announced her arrival. She pushed aside a branch and stepped into the clearing, where Lyssara was waiting.

The moment she saw her, her face lit up.

"My darling..."

Without waiting for a response, She quickly approached and wrapped her daughter in a hug, holding her tightly.
A real embrace, without formality or distance. Just a mother, truly happy to see her child again.

"I missed you so much, Lyssara. And... thank you for coming. Really. I didn't know if you'd accept this meeting, but I'm so glad you did."

She stepped back slightly, her hands still resting on Lyssara's shoulders, taking a better look at her. Her eyes sparkled with sincere tenderness, mixed with relief and pride.

"How are you? You look well. Really."

She offered a soft, almost shy smile, as if despite the time apart, she was rediscovering something precious.

"It means so much to see you here. What's up ? How the business work ? "

 

[Lyssara Thrynn]

"Hey, Mom."

I see her walking calmly toward me to give me a hug it's been a while since we last saw each other. I feel a little awkward, not being the most affectionate person, but I can't really blame her for it.

She asks way too many questions about my personal life. Still, I guess I'll answer them anyway. I slowly lift my arms to return her hug, offering a friendly smile. Keeping connections alive is hard in our line of work. We're constantly being pulled to the far corners of the galaxy, and sometimes we have to make choices.

Today, that choice brought us here to the land of our ancestors. Apparently, she has a few surprises to show me. I'm curious to see what they are.

"Yeah, I'm doing fine. And you?"

She asks about work next. Honestly, my business is doing well I've got billions of credits at my disposal. I'm now fully part of the Diarchy, and I'd say I've done pretty well for myself, career-wise.

"I'm managing, I suppose. I've joined a pretty solid group. They've taught me a lot of incredible things. I've got plenty of good memories from it."

I pull out a thermos of coffee and take a slow sip once my mother lets go of me.

"And you, what's new? What brings you to Dathomir for this little meeting? I'm guessing this isn't just about having caf together?"

 

[Nyxara]

She smiled warmly, clearly pleased to hear her daughter speak with such confidence.

"Well, it sounds like things are going smoothly for you... and that really makes me happy, you know. You seem well surrounded, stable, strong. That's all I ever hoped for."

She paused for a moment, letting her gaze wander across the forest around them. The twisted, ancient trees seemed to watch in silence. Then she looked back at Lyssara.

"And yes... you're right, I didn't come here just to share a cup of caf. Even if I wouldn't say no to a second one,"

she added with a small smile. Without rushing, she sat down on the fallen trunk next to her daughter and, in a familiar, easy gesture, reached for the thermos beside her. She poured herself a bit of coffee, as if that simple, everyday action helped ease the moment. After taking a quiet sip, she continued, her voice softer.

"I felt something recently. A stirring in the ichor... something familiar. Your awakening. That connection you carry, even if you didn't ask for it. And I thought it was time."

She leaned in slightly, not forcefully, just enough to emphasize her sincerity.

"I never brought it up before because I didn't want to impose that path on you. You had your own journey to follow, and I wanted to respect that. But now that the ichor has recognized you... if you want, I can share a bit of what I know. Nothing dramatic. Just a few basics. Enough for you to start understanding what you're feeling. What you carry."

She gave a small shrug, a knowing, playful smile tugging at her lips.

"And if you'd rather talk credits, tactics, or the latest starship models, I'm always up for that too. Of course! So, what do you want started, today ? "

 

[Lyssara Thrynn]

So it was to talk to me about my origins that she decided to come all this way. In a way, it's for the best if I can learn directly from her, I've found myself a private tutor. And on the land of our ancestors, no less. The ichor is particularly strong here. Every emotion we feel can trigger subtle changes in the planet itself. It's as if it responds to our very essence.

She didn't answer my question about what she's been up to, but it's not a big deal. I suppose she's been busy with matters here and there. I watch her casually helping herself to my flask, but… well, I can make an exception when it comes to coffee.

"Now that you mention it, I do have one or two questions, actually."

She wants to teach me the basics I'm not about to say no to better control over the ichor. It'll be useful in the future, and a bit of improvised training can only help.

The fact that she chose Dathomir is clearly no coincidence either. That old saying about Nightsisters being connected to one another... maybe there's some truth to it. Like a master and an apprentice. You can feel it. I have to give her that much.

"You know, I have big ambitions, and I fully intend to see them through. Would you be willing to help me? I might need your expertise."

My command of the ichor is still pretty basic for now. I decide to tell her about what I've learned to do with the Dathomirian steel ingot how I can transform that metal into a sword or an energy bow. It's really quite a practical thing to have.

"I performed a ritual to learn how to control the ichor and its properties within a clan. I received my special steel ingot, and I take great care of it. I can shape it into a blade or something else if needed."

 

[Nyxara]

She listens without interrupting, fingers wrapped around the warm cup she filled earlier. Her eyes never leave her daughter, and a faint smile begins to form at the corner of her lips as the words come out. She nods slowly, approving silently, letting Lyssara finish speaking.

When she hears about the steel ingot and the ability to shape it, her smile deepens just a little. She takes one last sip of the coffee, empties the cup calmly, then sets it down on the moss-covered trunk beside her.

"That's very good, you've already begun to touch the ichor, to let it flow through you. Shaping metal, creating weapons... That's no small feat. Few young initiates go that far, that quickly."

She says at last. She lets a quiet pause settle between them, almost reverent, then adds in a softer tone:

"But it's only the beginning."

Her voice shifts slightly. It becomes more grounded, more deliberate not cold or solemn, but deeper.

"The ichor is alive. It runs through the roots, through the stone, through our bones. The stronger your bond with it, the more it becomes... responsive. Close. It can answer your will, yes but it can also warn you, protect you, teach you."

She lowers her gaze slightly, as if to weigh her words.

"There are other forms of expression: illusion, manipulation of perception... possession, when mastered... even the weather, in some cases. But one thing at a time. You need to strengthen your sacred link first. Without that, everything you do will remain surface-level. Unstable. Vulnerable."

She lifts her eyes again to Lyssara, with quiet sincerity.

"You've already passed the first threshold. Now, if you're willing, we can begin to open the others. One by one."

She extends her hand, palm open not as a command or a test, but as a simple invitation. A bridge.