For a Brighter Future, Together | Midvinter Aftermath [Silver Jedi & Allies]

[Echob Krirgo]

He had absolutely no idea what was going on. All he knew was that he was going to a planet for a relief mission. The Hammerhead II he was on landed, and he walked out with a group of other Jedi and relief soldiers. As soon as he looked out, he saw devestation. It was horrible. He had never seen such destruction in his life. The streets were thick with bodies, and survivors struggled to move.

He saw a man who's brain had been warped from the fight. He creepily sneered and said "There is no escape. Death is near." He ran away from the man as fast as his body would allow, and desperately started looking for other Jedi. Along the way, he found a little boy laying down in front of him.

He was a human, and seemed to be not much over 5 years old. He was staring two bodies inside a house with a destroyed wall, an adult male. The man's head was severed, and the remains of a large blade were nearby. That must've been the kid's dad.The kid was too scared to cry at this point. The boy was bleeding in a couple places, but most of it had dried by now. Once the boy saw him, he said very quietly "Help. Find my mommy."

Wanting to obey the Jedi Code and help innocents, he replied "I will try." He put the boy on his back and walked off to find the kid's mom and the Jedi. He knew that whoever he reached first, the Jedi or the kid's mother, could help him figure out the details of what exactly happened here.

[member="Thurion Heavenshield"] | [member="Coci Heavenshield"] | [member="Matsu Ike"] | [member="Arisa Yune"] | [member="Tyluko Dubykee"] | [member="Sorel Crieff"] | [member="Théodred Heavenshield"] | [member="Catherine Soja"]

 

[Joza Perl]

Coci’s voice crackled into her ear, much to her relief. It had been a long time since she’d had contact with any of the Silver Jedi, much less a Master of the Order. Even when she lived on Voss, she hadn’t interacted with the Heavenshields much. Still, this didn’t change the fact that she’d come to offer what help she had to the ravaged village. Midvinter was close to the Heavenshield heart, that much she knew.

“Understood. We’ll be there shortly.”

The relief in Coci’s voice would not go unnoticed, and to be frank it stirred a feeling of warmth within Joza against the bitter cold of her environment. Something about vague familiarity.

The group trekked through the now ragged village, carefully sidestepping damage as they went. Though they wore armor, the Heka Healers were outfitted for practicality rather than intimidation. A bit of a bright note was that they were not alone in their endeavors—volunteers from the Silver Jedi and beyond had answered the call to the broken town to help pick up the pieces.

At last, Joza’s feet would take her to a stone house. The outer walls were battered and scarred from war, but otherwise the structure stood strong. Inside was the mother Heavenshield, arranging the home’s furnishings so that they’d be out of the way. “Master Heavenshield,” The Zeltron greeted, flanked by several healers as they filed into the building. “Here, let us help you clear a space.” Her voice was more congenial than over the comm, less rigid and more genuine. She moved to help push a few chairs to the side, noting that the table they’d belonged to was already out of the way.

“We have several speeders bringing clothing and food that should be here shortly. Right now though, I’ve brought some medics with experience in treating the wounded of a war zone.” She gestured towards the healers, a few of them shedding their protective headgear now that they had some protection from the icy winds outside. They were all Zeltron women, and though they retained their species natural perkiness, they wore grave expressions given that they respected the gravity of the grim situation. Still, they would give Coci a small smile and perhaps a little nod should any of them happen to catch her eyes.

War could wreak havoc on the mind as well as the body, and while Coci didn’t look gravely injured, Joza’s voice lowered just a tad in concern “How are you faring?”

Work like this often took a lot out of everyone, relief agents included. While she was certain Coci had seen many a battle and could handle herself, no one came out of this sort of thing unscathed.

[member="Coci Heavenshield"]

 

[Nina Heavenshield]

Nina was in no hurry to end their embrace, delighting in Théo's Valkyri warmth to stave off the cold. She could tell he too was shaken by the situation, not having been here to defend their home. While no Valkyri herself like her brother or father, Nina grew up on Midvinter alongside Théo and considers it her homeworld all the same. Umbara she finds undesirable, to say the least. Letting Thurion take her away from there and her horrid foster parents remained her best decision, despite being so young at the time.

"I love you too, Théo," she spoke to him, nuzzling up into his neck only to pull back a little to look upon his face. He looked older, more experienced than last they saw each other. "I'm sorry I haven't been able to keep in touch; I've been stationed on Dac for months as their Jedi liason, helping out the Mon Calamari researchers." She leaned closer as if about to whisper something, looking around as if the people around them could hear her in the first place. "Also, I'm working on a secret project of mine. I can't tell you what it is, it's going to be a surprise. Don't tell mother and father!"

She took Théo's hand and placed a loving kiss upon it, caressing it in hers. "I have missed you so terribly, brother."

Nina then turned towards the large Beorni towering over the others on the other side of the square and waved to him, and Arnor nodded in response while busying himself with the horde of little ones. "I always wondered what the Beorni would look like from your description of them. Aren't they magnificent?" Just then a stretcher carrying another butchered corpse passed them by, and Nina's smile turned into a frown. "I guess we should help them with the funeral arrangements..."

[member="Théodred Heavenshield"]​

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

There was just too much to do in order to make this place fit for the wounded, and Coci was becoming overwhelmed as to where to start although she had made good head way into clearing the room. There would be more rooms up stairs to use but for now her focus was here until the door opened and Joza walked in with her healers. She greeted them all with a cordial nod and smile and as they took control of the situation, Coci let out an audible sigh to release her built up tension.

"Thank you Joza, everything is much needed and much appreciated. I Rangers will be bringing in the seriously wounded shortly but we must make this place fit for any procedures. We can set up tents for the minor injuries ... ". She stopped. Joza knew well enough what needed to be done and in this instance, Coci felt fatigue wash over her, and it was time to let someone else take command of the situation.

Coci took a chair and allowed herself to sit for a moment, the pause helped her physically but did little for her mind and it began to reflex on what had happened and why. "I am alright", she said softly to Joza concern. She had lied and Coci knew Joza would sense it. "The attack on Thainbroek, some sort of message to us apparently, but this .. here?", this murder and slaughter was beyond her understanding.

"This was purely a senseless act, purely done for no other purpose than to take lives for the sake of it", she understood the mind of the Sith well enough by now, and understood they have no honour or and sense of the value of life and this act to them would be warranted. But even for them, this attack on an unarmed defenseless fishing village was pure evil.

"I am tired Joza", her fatigue was not only born out of the aftermath of the battle, but out of the constant fight against such evils.

[member="Thurion Heavenshield"] | [member="Joza Perl"] | [member="Tyluko Dubykee"] | [member="Sorel Crieff"]​

 

[Joza Perl]

Fatigue was evident in both Coci’s tone and the way she held herself. Joza couldn’t blame her, sharing a similar feeling as when she’d lain in bed covered in bandages next to an equally injured SIS agent after the defeat at Kaeshana. All of the alcohol, drugs and intimacy in the galaxy couldn’t rid you of the exhaustion, but it helped to dull it even momentarily. [member="Coci Heavenshield"] had a family, a loving husband and children to be proud of. That was something wonderful, but even it couldn’t take away the pain of war permanently.

“Of course,” She answered when the other woman brought up the rangers and the tents. “We’re here to help in any way we can.” It was the truth. Though Joza’s company was entertainment based on the surface, a good portion of her revenue went towards humanitarian aid. Funding from Firemane and charitable donations helped to keep things running smoothly, and there was a lot of work to be done given that galactic conflict was on the rise.

When Coci affirmed that she was alright, Joza paused from unpacking medkits. Maybe it was the soft tone of her voice, maybe it was the fact that she hadn’t bothered to conceal her white lie. Either way Joza’s gaze rose to meet that of Coci’s, olive eyes reflecting a mix of strain and burning cause.

“You know why.” Her words were equally as soft in response, a certain hardness layering beneath them. Not anger, but sincerity. Coci had faced the Sith over and over again, and her exhaustion with them was understandable. This was the life they chose, however. “You know that they did this to send a message. A different one than that at Thainbroek.” She paused, jaw tightening as her fingers idly drummed against the stacked medkits. “It would be easier if they were all brutes who killed for the sake of killing, right? But their leaders are cunning, strategic even. Or at least they used to be. It’s the only way they’d last as a cohesive unit.” Until the infighting took place. But Joza was no expert at Sith relations.

“I could be wrong. Maybe they just wanted the village to sate their bloodlust.” Her head shook slowly as she rose with a grunt. “Would you like some coffee, Coci?” She’d dropped the Master title given that her mind was elsewhere at the moment. “We’ve got some of the instant stuff coming in with the speeders. It’s kinda chitty, but it helps calm the nerves and bring a little sense of normalcy back.” Her thumb jerked over her shoulder towards the distant whirr of approaching speeders before a thoughtful look dawned on her face. “Do, uh, people here drink coffee?” Her voice was laced with pure honestly as she realized that she really didn’t know anything about Midvinter beyond “ice giants and snow”.

 

[Théodred Heavenshield]

"Well there is no fear of me telling mother and father anything, cause you have not told me anything either", apart from the fact she had so secret project, he smiled at her and nodded to give her his word he would stay quiet even though he was very curious himself. He followed her gaze to find the Beorni, Arnor. The very same Theo had met what seemed like a life time ago now and he was none the less impressive in his stature from that day to this.

Théo had heard the army of the Beorni had come to help defend his homeland and so Théo broke away from Nina's embrace and bowed low to the giant Arnor in respect and gratitude. And he vowed to find time to catch up with Arnor later in proceedings.

They were both brought back to the reality of the situation as the stretcher passed them, "Come on ..uncle looks tired and could use our help". He took Nina by the hand, a habit since since childhood and for a moment they would appear as those time had turned back the clock as they approached Thyrian. Théo released Nina's hand and threw his arms around his uncle's shoulders and pulled him in for an embrace.

There was no words to pass his lips, what could one say to the King in this situation yet the well of emotion within Théo's heart began to surface once more, the need for revenge bubbling through his body that he held hidden from this immediate family became apparent and it showed on his face in a snarl. But neither Thyrian nor Nina would see that.

"Let us help you uncle, there is too much to do for one man". He said pulling back from the embrace to look into his uncles fire eyes. Never does Théo expect to see emotion there, so hardened and closed is his uncle to such things but he knew deep down, the man's heart was with his people and his family. And today his uncle's heart was broken.

​

[member="Nina Heavenshield"] | [member="Thyrian Hearthfire"]​

 

[Tyluko-Kai Kaimana]

Tyluko continued to walk through the remains of the ravaged village as he looked around, finding himself unable to look away from the destruction that had befallen the quaint fishing village. Again, Tyluko felt his mind being beset by thoughts of sadness as he continued to dwell on everything that had happened. A gentle squeeze on his hand brought his mind back to reality as he looked down into the innocent eyes of the young Valkyri boy. Tyluko smiled gently down at the child, rubbing the boy's head affectionately. "Umm mister, my feet are getting tired." Thonro said in a soft voice. Tyluko could see how exhausted the boy was, how weary he was from experiencing the horrors that had befallen his village. The Dolphinarian smiled as he scooped the child up into his arms and placed him upon his shoulder feeling the boy's small hands cling to his dorsal crest as the boy rested upon his shoulders. "Is that better Thonro?" Tyluko asked the boy who proceeded to nod in reply.

The pair continued to walk through the village, the cold salty breeze of the ocean tingling their senses as Tyluko's dolphin-like tail proceeded to leave wave-like marks in the snow. Tyluko felt at ease as he allowed his mind to briefly focus on the smell and sound of the ocean lapping at the icy shore. He opened his eyes and looked around at the sights around him. Villagers were beginning to clear away debris and also attending to the dead, wrapping the bodies in rags before carrying them off towards a funeral pyre. Families huddled together trying to support one another in these trying times, the sound of various people weeping filled the air. Tears began to form in Tyluko's eyes but he managed to hold himself together as he reminded himself that he had a job to do. He had to help gather water for these people and he had to try and find the boy's mother who he prayed was still alive. He then suddenly felt the boy hug against his neck, nuzzling against him. "Thank you mister......I am glad you are here" Thonro replied softly. Tyluko felt tears form in his eyes as he smiled at the boy's kind gesture. Tyluko proceeded to gently wrap his prehensile head tendrils around the boy in a caring embrace. "I am glad I am here too Thonro, I am honored to be among you and your people. I think we were destined to help one another"

Tyluko began to think about his own words, perhaps the Force had brought him here for a reason.

[member="Coci Heavenshield"] [member="Thurion Heavenshield"] [member="Joza Perl"]

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Confident that her Master would call on her if she needed help, Sorel returned to her previous activity and soon had supervised the building of the huts and the field hospital.

As was her way, she immediately looked for something else to do, but as she allowed her senses to radiate outwards, she sensed a number of Jedi in her proximity. So she headed towards them, wondering if they might need any specific help.

As she walked, she smiled at people as she passed them by. Good humour costs nothing and often was enough to raise spirits. She never underestimated the value in just being there for people. Many still saw the Jedi as a beacon of hope, and for those people, she was not going to let them down.

And as she walked, she saw a new construction that caught her eye and demanded her attention. It was a funeral pyre. So she changed direction and hastened towards it.

There she saw the Grand Master and another — and by his looks, he was clearly related in some way, but Sorel did not recognise him.

But before she reached them, the Grand Master spotted her and came towards her. She quickly took in the request and nodded. “Of course, whatever I can do is at your disposal.”

Her voice was calm but the proximity to so many dead was clearly impacting her in some way. “Grand Master,” she said. “I am a Jedi. Death is inevitable and I do not mourn the loss of colleagues in an entirely negative way. I celebrate their life in my mind. But innocents? On this scale? I have never seen so many needlessly killed. I do not know them, and I do not have any attachments to them, but their deaths seem to have hit me harder than the loss of people I have known. Is that normal?”

[member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

 

[Thyrian Hearthfire]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TchHlLC80-w​

Watching his brother stride down the street, the High King returned to his duties, both overseeing and partaking in the construction of the funeral pyre, using wooden debris from the destroyed houses as kindling. The buildings damaged by the attack will be torn down and rebuilt from scratch, rather than attempt to patch them together. "Your grace, what about the people who are now homeless," asked one of his generals. Thyrian's gaze drifted from the man to a family recently reunited, and then looked to the Great Hall sitting atop the hill overlooking the entire city. "They will make use of my home. Too many halls have stood empty for too long."

He was then approached by his niece and nephew, and was somewhat taken by surprise by the latter's embrace. He felt unsure whether or not to return it, but eventually his resolve crumbled and he too wrapped his arms around Théodred. "I tried," he told him, feeling the fatigue wash over him as he finally let go of the facade he'd erected for his people. "I am sorry, father," he whispered, as if the young man embracing him was someone else. A soft sniffle escaped him, before they pulled back from their embrace and he offered his nephew a warm smile. "You look good, Théo. You look like him." Whether he spoke of his brother or his father was unclear. Perhaps both.

"And look at you, Nina," he moved onto his niece for a warm embrace. "You have become a beautiful, young woman." Nina said nothing - as always - but instead placed a kiss upon her uncles bearded and scarred cheek, feeling the tingling of his innate warmth against her lips. Their embrace came to a close when suddenly a large shadow was cast over them. Arnor approached them, having finally escaped the clutches of his horde of tiny, adoring fans to greet the High King he had come to aid. Thyrian stepped towards the Beorni, and behind Arnor several more of his kin appeared, having now entered the city as well.

The King kneeled before them, and following his example so did the rest of the Valkyri. Without the Beorni the city would likely still be under siege and so many more would no longer be standing. "We are in your debt, my friends. Midvinter yet stands, and stands united." The great white bear and his comrades gazed upon the denizens of the city paying their respects to their kind, and a whole plethora of emotions washed over him. He reached out to the King of the Valkyri and took his hand firmly to urge him back on his feet, and so did the rest of the city. "You - fight for Midvinter," he spoke in the common tongue, albeit with some difficulty and extremely thick accent, and gestured towards the people of Tháinbroek. "Beorni - fight for Midvinter," he gestured to himself and his brethren. "Together, we fight for Midvinter."

His words were simple, but to the point. They were all family, in spite of religious beliefs or cultural differences. They all called Midvinter 'home'. As their kinds had walked side by side in ages past, so they would again. Thyrian smiled and raised Arnor's hand into the air, and the crowd cheered with hope restored. "We help you say goodbye," he then told him over the cheering, gesturing towards the pyre behind Thyrian. "Thank you, Oathsworn." Arnor simply looked down at Nina and placed his large hand upon her white hair. "Thank this one."

[member="Théodred Heavenshield"]​

 

[Aster Rose Baelor]

Entering Thainbroek, Aster smiled softly upon seeing several members of the Wolfsglaive already at work assisting the locals. Though she did not vocalize it, it was clear from her expression that she wished there was something more she could do to help.

"Why don't you try contacting your uncle, the Emperor to see if he is able to offer some assistance? I'm sure he is willing to help the Silver Jedi," Everly suggested upon noticing the expression on the teenager's face then set up a small communications device for the girl to use.

"Good idea," Aster nodded and begun the transmission.

"Greetings uncle," she began nervously. "I am contacting you to request assistance as our friends, the Order of the Silver Jedi, has suffered at the hands of the Sith and would greatly appreciate our help in their hour of need. So I am requesting able-bodied men and whatever we can spare in the way of building materials and emergency necessities to be sent over to assist in the rebuild efforts," she said, speaking with a solemn tone and awaited the Emperor's response.

[member="Isamu Baelor"]​

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

"I am not really looking for answers Joza, as you say .. I know why indeed. And like you, I have been fighting this for as long as I can remember .. longer", it seemed like countless years well beyond a life span, "But this message of theirs lacks originality", Coci even smiled for the same amount of time she had been in the fight the same message had been told time and again.

"I am fully aware this was aimed at Thurion and myself, and as a bonus .. the Silver Jedi, but what they fail to understand is that Midvinter is not the only place that is in our hearts. All of the systems within our protect are". The target could equally have been any of them and the reaction would have been the same.

And then came the magic word, and the idea of a nice fresh brew of caf would do wonders for her soul. "Yes I would love one", she said pulling herself off the chair. There was a knock at the door before the Ranger enter, "Master Heavenshield, the funeral pyre is nearing completion in accordance with the custom of the Valkyri. It seems the villages had put up a good fight as among the dead were numerous bodies the enemy and by the looks of it one particular unit of .. ", the Ranger unclear as to what they were, "soldiers". The villages had defended themselves as best they could before the village was put to the torch. "We have already, disposed of them away from people of Husavik".

"Thank you, I shall attend to the ceremony shortly". And as the Ranger left them, the first of the seriously injured was stretchered into the room. There would be no time for caf, at least not now and everyone would begin to work. Coci would lend her experience and skill to the lesser injuries and give comfort to those she could.

​

[member="Joza Perl"]​

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

Striding down the street with [member="Sorel Crieff"] in tow, Thurion listened to her introspection. On their way they passed several more of the Beorni making for the city centre, seemingly paying the two Jedi little mind. Once she'd posed her question, he stopped and turned towards her. "Sorel... if you had reacted any differently, I would have honestly worried about the state of your sanity. Any Jedi can sense death when it occurs, but mourning for the dead is as normal and, for lack of a better word, human as breathing is." He reached out to place his right hand upon her shoulder, his left still resting upon the pommel of his sword.

At that moment, the first ray of the sun broke through the thick blanket of clouds, casting its light upon the city of Tháinbroek and prompting a smile from the Grandmaster. "It is through mourning that we remember those now One with the Force or, in the case of the Valkyri, feasting in the mead halls of Beornskald. Mourn them, but also be happy for them, for they have no more plights or worries. They are at peace." His hand settled upon her cheek to wipe away a speck of dirt. "Come on," he then said. "We've not seen the last of death this day..."

Now outside the city where the snow-covered field had been more or less cleared of bodies yet remained more blood red than white, Thurion waved over one of the pilots performing maintenance on his shuttle. "We are needed in the west, and thus in need of transportation. I'll drive." The young man had little to do or say that would deny the Grandmaster his request, and simply stepped aside without so much as a word when Thurion commandeered the vessel. "Ladies first," he invited Sorel aboard the shuttle before boarding it himself. Within moments he had them take off in the direction of Husavik.

Utilising the shuttle's comms, he contacted his wife. "Coci, I am headed for Husavik alongside Master Crieff. How are the relief efforts coming along?"

[member="Coci Heavenshield"] | [member="Sorel Crieff"]​

 

[Théodred Heavenshield]

"If I could be half the man he was, I would be a good man", he replied to his uncle before he let go of him. A crowd had gathered around them, not there so much for the family but for Oathsworn as he approached them. There is so much mystery that surrounds Midvinter, and Theo knew they all would discover more in time, Midvinter would never give up it's secrets so easy and sometimes it would prove a benefit to all, other times .. the cost would be great.

Like his uncle, Theo knelt to pay reverence to the Beorni but when he stood the sun streamed down around them casting a golden light giving warmth to not only the body but the soul. He turned to his uncle the King, "You are King of Midvinter, and you will fail more then you will succeed, grandfather knew this and all he would ask is for you to do all you can. And you did, and Midvinter still stands. We will be stronger for it, you know that. So .. let us go and fail again".

"Uncle, no one knows the Grand Hall better then Nina and myself, let us help you house those that have lost their homes, we must get them settled before the ceremony", this was more for the children, they needed to be sheltered before nightfall and would not be attending the lighting of the funeral pyre. He took his sister's hand once more. "Nina we need to gather all the warm blanket and fur we can find, even if we have to go house to house to find them" and the central hearth would need to be lit once more.

Theo would not take no for an answer, Thyrian looked exhausted on his feet and in much need of a little respite to gather himself for the coming service. "You are no good to anyone flat on your back Uncle". The three of them would head to the Grand Hall.

​

[member="Thyrian Hearthfire"]​

 

[Tyluko-Kai Kaimana]

Snow continue to gently blanket the ground of the sea-side village, the new white snow covering the blood stained snow already on the ground. Thonro's still nuzzled against his head, his eyes closed as the boy took a brief moment to rest. Tyluko still had his head tendrils wrapped around the boy in a caring embrace. Tyluko thought back to his younger days back on Mon Cala, when he would frolic in the tropical oceans with his two younger brothers. He remembered how when his youngest brother would get tired, Tyluko would carry him on his shoulders the same way he now carried Thonro. But that was all in the past, his family was long gone, taken by a terrible disease manufactured by a dark-side fanatic. Tyluko could feel himself sadden again, but he stopped himself and reminded himself that they were now a part of the Force, a few new drops to the great galactic ocean. His purpose was to be here, to help this boy somehow. He had no idea what to expect but he was certain that the Force would guide him.

Suddenly he felt something...something he couldn't explain. Something was tugging at his brain as if the Force was trying to tell him something but he couldn't figure out what. At this point the two had reached the other end of the village where there were less dwellings but even they had been destroyed in the fury of the Sith attack. The pull in his mind grew stronger, tugging at his conscience trying to lead him somewhere. He felt as if the Force was leading him to the destroyed remains of a village hut on the outskirts of the city.

"That was my house" Thonro spoke.

Tyluko was startled as Thonro suddenly spoke. "That was your house?"

"Yes it was. When the bad men attacked, momma told me to run" The boy said starting to cry.

Tyluko took a deep breathe and walked towards the house. Continuing to embrace Thonro tightly.

[member="Coci Heavenshield"] [member="Joza Perl"] [member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel wasn’t the tallest of Jedi, so when someone like Thurion stode, she needed to speed up her natural pace to keep up. Fortunately she was fit and so was able to maintain the pace and talk without becoming short of breath.

And she found the simple act of walking and talking therapeutic — cathartic even. It was good to hear from someone as wise as the Grand Master that her thoughts were not at odds with a typical Jedi. For that was her only reference point still — how a Jedi thinks and acts. She was not even aware of what an average person would do, or even if it was relevant.

And was it prophetic when the ray of light broke through the clouds? Was there always life after death and hope after despair? Sorel believed so. So was surprised at the Grand Master’s next words, but decided to hold back any questions until they arrived at wherever they were going to. She was aware of the planet and knew a tiny part of its history — in that there was a connection to the Heavenshields — but she was not entirely familiar with its geography or politics even.

And once more they hurried and Sorel managed to keep pace with Thurion’s long strides and before long they’d reached a shuttle — which clearly the Grand Master decided they would borrow. She bowed politely to the pilot and suppressed a smile as the man was clearly unsure what to do other than to accede to Thurion’s request.

She took his offer to board first as chivalry and not sexism and made a mental note that his son would have been made to pay for the comment. But this was not Théo.

And once he’d spoken to Coci, Sorel decided the time was right for her burning question.

“You said that the killing had not ended. I thought the battle was over. Is there something I’m missing?” It was an honest question and she was almost ashamed to have to answer it, but to pretend she knew what was going on felt entirely wrong.

[member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

 

[Thyrian Hearthfire]

His nephew's words were wise, and true. Thyrian settled a hand upon his cheek and offered him a smile. "You are wise, like your father." He then nodded to himself. "Yes, let's get them inside..." He turned and dusted himself off before addressing his people once more. "Everyone! Those of you left without a home or people to care for you, I invite you to join me within the Great Hall where you shall find food, water, and warmth. It shall be your home, as it is mine."

He stepped towards a small girl and her even smaller brother, and effortlessly hoisted them unto his shoulders much to their amusement. "Follow me, please!" Joined by Théodred and Nina, the three headed up the hill to the Great Hall, with hundreds of Valkyri following in their footsteps. The heavy doors were thrown open, and children were the first to rush inside, immediately taken to exploring the enormous main hall. People poured in, and together men, women and children of every creed and trade helped each other out in stowing away the longtables in order to fit as many as possible.

"Gather all the furs and mattresses you can find," he told the guards. "Haul in bales of hay and straw if need be!" Already whole families began claiming their own spots, starting along the walls and moving inwards. Thyrian turned to his niece and nephew and couldn't help but grin - a unique sight to say the least! "This will be the greatest sleepover any world has ever seen," he proudly proclaimed. The many hearths roared to life as leaf-dry logs were thrown on the flickering embers, bringing with them light, warmth, and hope all at once.

[member="Théodred Heavenshield"]​

 

[Joza Perl]

“I agree with you on that.” She grunted softly at the mention of originality. “You’d think they’d come up with classier ways to get under our skin.” It was good to see that after years of strain fighting against a Sith threat, Coci still held fast in her beliefs. Joza was unsure whether she could call herself a Jedi, but she shared the Silver Jedi Master’s sentiment when it came to Sith. Their ways may have held some childish allure for the Zeltron in the past, but now she found them wholly distasteful and unappealing.

The work to be done was largely silent and grim, but necessary. The Zeltrons spread throughout the makeshift relief area were not bright and bubbly as their species generally appeared. Their pink faces were lined with focus and concern as they went through the motions. When motivated correctly and given the right training, they were surprisingly adept at handling patients with gentle, skillful hands.

As the ranger came knocking, Joza kept one ear open. A funeral pyre was something she’d only heard about—the mass burning and cremation of bodies—but never witnessed. Regardless, the Zeltron would shift her full attention back to the older man she was caring for in conjunction with one of the more advanced healers. Their charge had taken a nasty lightsaber wound to the face, searing part of his jaw which made both eating and talking incredibly painful and nearly impossible. Unfortunately there was little to be done in the way of healing the wound, given that it had cauterized flesh and melted bone. Reconstruction would likely be a series of expensive, painful surgeries and even then it was unlikely he’d regain use of his jaw entirely. For now they did what they could, administering painkillers and soothing the burn.

There were several healers in training fluttering around, helping to ferry supplies and setting up relaxing incense around the perimeter of the area. One of them, a Zeltron girl roughly around 14 approached [member="Coci Heavenshield"] with a hot cup of coffee in one hand. “Here, Mrs...uh, Master Heavenshield Ma’am.” She offered the cup a bit awkwardly, unsure of how to address the woman before her. She hadn’t been with the Healers for very long and probably wouldn’t be dropped into a hot zone for another year or so when her training was complete. Part of being a good healer was to learn to read the situation and help out with whatever was needed. While she wasn't allowed to tend to patients herself, the girl looked for other ways in which she could support her companions.

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

Coci's grin grew a little at Joza words, just as a young lady approached her with that much needed cup of caf. "Thank you", she said with true appreciation and looked into the dark brown heavenly liquid. Dried, instant, it mattered little at this point and warmth of it trickled down her throat felt life giving and immediately Coci's spirits lifted somewhat. "I doubt that day would ever come".

She was about to take another sip when you comlink beeped and upon opening the communication she heard her husbands voice. She pulled in a long breath with a strong sense of relief that he was coming here, along with Sorel, the wounded could use all the help they could get and alongside Joza, they are master healers. "Slowly", she began. "The wounded here are many and with horrific injuries, the Rangers have worked tirelessly and cleaned up as best they could but the village will need to be re-established .. there is not much left".

All that was left would be a constant reminder of the devastation and death that visited them this day. So when Thurion and Sorel arrived, they would find the scene disturbing to say the least, it was more because of the nature of what happened here rather then the result. The Valkyri that died, although put up a fight, died in almost a systematic way. So well crafted this attack had been, the application of it, haphazard which only told her they cared little for the suffering they had wrought down on the villagers. Well, that was to be expected ..

"Come as soon as you can my love", she hoped he would be here as fast as possible, because she could do with warmth of his support and she needed to be able to give in return. If she can do this now, Coci will begin to heal.

​

[member="Thurion Heavenshield"] | [member="Joza Perl"] | [member="Tyluko Dubykee"] | [member="Sorel Crieff"]​

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

"I'm coming, baby," he replied with soft voice. "We'll be there soon, I promise. You just sit tight." While her pregnancy was yet in its early stages, his wife's delicate state had him feeling even more protective of her well-being. The same was for when she carried Théo, when he had been forced to relieve her from her duties to not endager their child. This time around there would be no need for such measures, as their future looked to be considerably less perilous if all went according to plan.

As [member="Sorel Crieff"] voiced her question, Thurion's gaze remained trained on the horizon while working their shuttle overtime to arrive at their destination sooner rather than later. "While we were busy defending Tháinbroek, Sith raiding parties attacked one of the smaller settlements. Husavik, a fishing village sitting at the far western shores with barely a hundred inhabitants. Most of their fighting men would have been at Tháinbroek." He turned to look her in the eye for a brief moment. "They put it to the torch."

What remained of their short trip by shuttle was spent in silence. It became a moment of introspection for the Grandmaster, burdened by guilt at this unprovoked attack. Thoughts consisting of what-ifs occupied his mind, yet few ever amounted to anything more than a brief sense of regret at how it came to this. In the back of his mind he'd known for years it would only be a matter of time before Midvinter was beset by a war that was not theirs. He'd thought his homeworld untouchable - invincible, even. Then again, he'd thought the same of his father right up until the end...

"We're here," he told Sorel as the shuttle began descending before the ruined village. Coci's aura stood out from the others, appearing to him as a beacon of light, brighter than all the others combined. Before stepping outside, however, he stopped to check up on his passenger. "Thank you, Sorel," he said, placing a hand upon her shoulder. The two shared a brief moment before facing the harsh cold of Midvinter once more.

The destruction was horrifying to behold, with butchered corpses scattered about and most, if not all, homes burnt to cinders. Taking it all in, Thurion strode straight for Coci and wrapped her up in his arms. Having recovered from his wound, it was now his turn to tend to her and their unborn child.

[member="Coci Heavenshield"] | [member="Tyluko Dubykee"] | [member="Joza Perl"]​

 

[Théodred Heavenshield]

It did not take too long before the large rooms of the Grand Hall filled with families, some still waiting to hear something, anything from their loved ones yet to find them. The longer time when passed, the worse it would be as most likely they would not be returning to them, and it was increasingly difficult to remain with hope for them. Yet they most address the current situation first, and as all manner of bedding was found and gathered in the Grand Hall, Theo helped to set up the groups with enough covers to keep out the cold. The hearth in the center of the room gave them all a sense of hope with the yellow light that cast across the faces of many, all of them looked tired and with a sense of numbness as reality set in.

"Sleep overs need food Uncle", he said with a small grin. And mead, and after today they all deserved to partake in it. Theo glanced to Nina and nodded toward the back door of the Grand Hall, that way took them to the corridors that lead to the kitchens and cellars. It took him a little time to cut across the room dodging the many families settling in, not wishing to tread on anyone. But finally he gain the door and once Nina arrived they would go get the much needed supplies.

He took her hand, "We are going to have to ration what we have so everyone gets enough to fill their bellies tonight". Already the kitchen was warm with the fires for cooking, and the scent of roasting meats and vegetables began to sit on the air. A large pot sat bubbling as the stew took form and bread baked in the stone ovens. Already a good start.

​

[member="Thyrian Hearthfire"]​