For Those We Have Loved

[Lief]

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Aurum, The Outer Rim Territories // Asha's Hut​

Awaiting An Old Friend // With [member="Arekk"]​

♫ // Leave a whisper​

For the dearly departed​

And trade a bag of fools​

For the broken hearted​

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​

As she sat there, within a field of leafy greens and carrot tops, a cage of her own devising, eyes closed against the oppressive sun which broke through the jungle treetops above, Asha Hex let out a long and mournful sigh.

It had been months since she'd experienced perhaps the most agonizing sensation of her entire existence. Worse than the hell Aellin brought upon her, than what Nik had done, and than the faceless cowards who blew up the streets of Nar Shaddaa had put her through.

She had been with [member="Vik Velkarson"] when she first felt it, that overwhelming grief which flooded her soul and left her both paralyzed and a crumpled mess upon the ground. It was just after their arrival to Atrisia, at the very start of her recovery, back when she could not see, could not hear, could not express herself. And as such she'd been forced to get over it far quicker than she should have, to shut it out lest it be all that consumed her.

Devoured by her own insanity.

Here on Aurum it was hard to avoid that same feeling. That grief which latched on to her heart, and set the sting of tears to the corners of her eyes. It wasn't something she'd spoken with the Midvinter man about, nor had she even opened up to [member="Cotan Sar'andor"] about it. Silent in her grief, alone in her misery, Asha had shouldered the burden. And she had forced herself not to look too much deeper into it, though the urge was palpable.

Instead she had waited. Waited for a time like this, where all that surrounded her was serenity and peace, with the wind through her hair, and the home she had made for herself from the very wood of this land at her back. Azrael was happy to be home, even if only for a short time, he had chewed through a few of her ripe vegetables, and now curled up in her lap.

Almost as though he knew.

For someone was coming, someone whose pain was no doubt just as bad as her own - if not worse.

 

[Arekk]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQmHlQ3ZEys​

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AURUM, THE OUTER RIM TERRITORIES​

GOING HOME​

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"The cardinal rule in going after someone with an intention to kill was not to make it personal - which it almost always ended up being anyway. It did with me."​

w. [member="Asha Hex"]​

Broken. Lost. Dead.

Opening your eyes and looking at your side every morning wondering if the girl of your dreams would be there to only realize she never will hurts. It makes your chest ache like you were being stabbed a thousand times with a sharp knife and someone ripped your heart off. Jyn and Atefeh were his pillars in life and emotional support, the very unique reasons that he was still alive.

Nightmares haunted him every night where he tried to save them from the fate that they met but ultimately failed every time, just like in real life.

Ar'ekk was aware that returning to Aurum was an inminent task that had to be done soon or later but his emotions were all over the place to even considering going back there. Everywhere he set foot on, the faces he'd seen and just the thought of roaming the streets of Azar City would remind him of Jyn. The Je'daii Order gave him a home when he most needed it, and she gave him her unconditional love, that not returning ever again would be the most awful thing to do.

How many days had passed since he lied to himself that it was over? I was still alive, my loved ones were still dead. It wasn't over. The genius of the hole: no matter how long you spend climbing out, you can still fall back down in an instant.

But he had to face things again, for once and for all. It had to happen.

 

[Lief]

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Aurum, The Outer Rim Territories // Asha's Hut​

Awaiting An Old Friend // With [member="Arekk"]​

♫ // Leave a whisper​

For the dearly departed​

And trade a bag of fools​

For the broken hearted​

______________________________________________________________​

​

Time seemed to drag on.

Yet even so, she could feel the end draw near. Or more, the culmination of her present efforts. That he who had been summoned was close, that he had answered the call.

She had known that he would come. Not when, not why, but he would. Curiosity would drive him, a desire to know more, to learn all that he could. And the sorrow they shared would pull him back to Aurum, to reminisce, to recall all that had happened, to remember their faces, and their home, and their way of life. The happiness they had known, the serenity he had discovered within her.

Her.

Was that all that had become of her dear friend? A name, a word, a phrase. How could you ever possibly sum someone up? Even with a hundred thousand words you could never truly capture a person. No, all they had were the memories.

Yet the mind was fleeting, recollections grew hazy, and soon faces would fade. Memories obscure, until you couldn't remember what had been said, or worn, or even really done.

Such somber thoughts brought tears to her eyes, and she hung her head solemnly.

It was almost time.

Time to be strong. To hold her head up high and take charge.

Today was not about Asha Hex, it was about the one who had loved and lost.

 

[Arekk]

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AURUM, THE OUTER RIM TERRITORIES​

GOING HOME​

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"The cardinal rule in going after someone with an intention to kill was not to make it personal - which it almost always ended up being anyway. It did with me."​

w. [member="Asha Hex"]​

The surface of Aurum was visible from the cockpit, a thousand memories flooding his mind instantly as he laid eyes on the place that he used to call home back in the good days. Everything felt so strange, almost like he was foreign to everything and everyone down there once again, much like the first day that he set foot on the Je'daii's home. He was a Je'daii Ranger through and through, earned the respect of apprentices and masters alike by devoting himself to a new ideology and finally becoming one of them.

All that was gone now.

Docking the Ebon Hawk into the nearest spaceport, Ar'ekk prepared for what was to come. He had already drowned his sorrows before coming here, the mental preparation would be just enough not to break him right there and there. Meet with Asha, his beloved's best friend, and try not to cry while making his way over there.

Familiar faces greeted him at the spaceport as he stepped outside and breathed in some fresh air again, something he sorely missed after living in a very polluted place like Ethos City. There was so much green that it became so overwhelming, having traded forest and lakes for massive skyscrapers and heavy rain. It felt good to be home, at some extent, but also made his heart ache.

The reunion was a mere step away.

 

[Lief]

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Aurum, The Outer Rim Territories // Asha's Hut​

Awaiting An Old Friend // With [member="Arekk"]​

♫ // Leave a whisper​

For the dearly departed​

And trade a bag of fools​

For the broken hearted​

______________________________________________________________​

​

His arrival was marked by the tender crunch of gravel which lined the central walkway of her garden.

All around them life was present, from the monkey-lizards in the treetops to the vegetable stalks and berry bushes which dotted the fenced off area Asha was sat within, the Force flowed around them both, connecting them in that instance, aware of their misery, clinging to their grief.

Asha did not open her eyes.

She did not say a word.

Yet at the same time she reached out to the kettle at her side, heated many hours earlier yet insulated enough and warmed through the Force so that it remained a perfect temperature. She lifted it, without looking, and perfectly poured two cups of her beloved tea.

Between the blend of tea-leaves, and the teapot itself, the flavour would be entirely suited to Ar'ekk's taste buds, and her own of course, different depending on who was tasting it. It also had the very real ability to calm the mind, body, and soul, setting one at ease.

And Asha knew that would be necessary with what was to come.

She held one of the cups out to Ar'ekk, waiting for him to join her in the grass.

 

[Arekk]

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AURUM, THE OUTER RIM TERRITORIES​

JOINING ASHA HEX FOR A CUP OF TEA, TALK ABOUT LIFE​

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"I’d been sitting at the bar for three hours, or two years depending on the way you looked at things."​

♫ // w. [member="Asha Hex"]​

Green pastures touching his feet instead of wet concrete were a nice thing for a change, the clean air of Aurum was raw euphoria compared to the clogged oxygen of Ethos City. He kinda missed being around here but at the same time loved being on Lithios, considering himself more of a city guy more than anything and that was one of his prime reasons to depart in the first place.

Ar'ekk was a Je'daii Ranger in name and everything, having passed the trials and journey successfully prior to his departure. It meant that he had more than he thought, being recognized with such importance brought warmth to his heart.

By the grass sat Asha Hex, who was pretty much Jyn's other pea in the pod, inseparable old friends that shared a wonderful friendship while it lasted. Take everything they've done together, multiply it by two and you'd still be counting how awesome it was everything they did in life.

His robotic hand reached out for the hot steaming cup of tea as he carefully sat down next to her in complete silence. The pain in chest increased tenfold while his eyes were at the point of getting watery, ready to flush out all the emotions held within that had accumulated for the past 365 days of silent suffering.

They shared the pain in their own way.

 

[Lief]

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Aurum, The Outer Rim Territories // Asha's Hut​

Awaiting An Old Friend // With [member="Arekk"]​

♫ // Leave a whisper​

For the dearly departed​

And trade a bag of fools​

For the broken hearted​

______________________________________________________________​

​

Still no words were uttered.

The two of them sat in silence for some time, with Asha's eyes remaining closed, and Ar'ekk simply holding onto the teacup which had been sent his way. Untouched, yet hopefully soothing regardless. The scent alone was often enough to bring her tranquility, but the burden which lay heavy upon their souls was perhaps a little too oppressive in this case.

At her feet Azrael awoke, and slowly but surely the kitten made his way to where the man was sitting, rubbing up against him gently as could be. As with Asha, he could sense the man's lamentations and sought to set things right.

It wasn't until this moment that Asha opened her eyes, shielding them from the worst of the suns rays which broke through the overhead canopy by way of the hood which covered her hair and set some small shadow over the upper half of her facee.

"It has been too long," she remarked, softly, trying not to disturb him too much in the process, "It pains me to know that grief is what must bring us together."

 

[Arekk]

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AURUM, THE OUTER RIM TERRITORIES​

JOINING ASHA HEX FOR A CUP OF TEA, TALK ABOUT LIFE​

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"I lied to myself that it was over. I was still alive, my loved ones were still dead. It wasn't over."​

♫ // w. [member="Asha Hex"]​

He sipped from the mug to taste the delicious tea that Asha had given him, its sweet taste making his tastebuds go all crazy because of how delightful it was. He had heard from a very good source, Jyn, that his old friend was addicted to tea and experiencing this for the first time only confirmed what she had confessed long ago.

With a snuggly kitty to match and his fingers reaching to scratch behind its ear, Ar'ekk appreciated Azrael's presence.

"Too long, too late." He eventually said with a somber tone, almost struggling to even say a thing. "It aches every part of my body and mind."

Looking away embarassed as tears dripped down his cheeks, Ar'ekk couldn't help but let the emotions flood out of him like a volcano eruption after so long holding them out. Jyn and Atefeh meant everything to him, they were the light of his life and losing them without being able to even say goodbye was gut-wrenching.

Like being stabbed by a thousand iceforks over and over for the eternity to come, living in a shell of a body while the rest of you died with them.

 

[Lief]

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Aurum, The Outer Rim Territories // Asha's Hut​

Talking Over Tea // With @member="Arekk​

♫ // Leave a whisper​

For the dearly departed​

And trade a bag of fools​

For the broken hearted​

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​

Asha poured herself a cup of tea, and held its warmth within her grasp.

For long after he had spoken she remained quiet, listening to the general life of Aurum's jungle around them, the wind through the trees, the fauna creeping through the underbrush. Despite their somber and mournful mood the space around them was filled with peace and tranquility, and the first sip of tea she took only heightened those sensations.

Reaching out she placed one hand against Ar'ekk's arm and exhaled slowly. Through the Force a small, temporary bond was formed, allowing the two to better understand one another for the time being, provided he did not try to resist it. Then and only then did she bother to speak.

"I'm glad that you came," she whispered, and despite how quiet she was being Ar'ekk would have no problem at all hearing her, "I am sure you have many questions, which I have the answers to. If you feel strong enough, I can even show you. Though that is entirely up to you."

There was more to why she had summoned him, of course, but for now this would do.

 

[Arekk]

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AURUM, THE OUTER RIM TERRITORIES​

JOINING ASHA HEX FOR A CUP OF TEA, TALK ABOUT LIFE​

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"I lied to myself that it was over. I was still alive, my loved ones were still dead. It wasn't over."​

♫ // w. [member="Asha Hex"]​

The wildlife of Aurum reminded him of good times, roaming around the jungle alone and sometimes meeting with Jyn by the lake close to their home. Little Tefie would go around picking up flowers to give back at everyone on the streets, Kipo ever so hungry devouring whatever was left from the bag of dry fruits. Everything reminded him of them.

And still... he clung to the idea that they would eventually return one day. But deep in his heart, it was impossible.

Asha's hand reached out to give him some relief, the soft touch against his skin made him go through a very serene sensation as per act of magic. He did not resist to the gift that life had given him, the Force, and allowed this connection between the two to flourish freely. And with that done, he listened closely.

"I need to know." Ar'ekk said while his voice almost cracked, giving way to his actual emotions to reveal themselves. "Please."

Closure.

 

[Lief]

Asha needed no more encouragement than that.

"Know, then, that I have not looked for myself. What we see will be new to us both."

And then, without waiting for any sort of response or affirmation from the man, she grasped his hand - his organic hand - within her own and intensified that focus she'd been building since before his arrival. The connection which had been established between the two seemed to increase tenfold, and whether Ar'ekk had his eyes opened or closed the world around them began to shift and change. Gone were the trees, and the hut, and the quaint little vegetable patch, and in its place was a murky setting shot through with drizzles of rain and the occasional crash of thunder.

Every now and then a wavering image of Aurum would overlay, usually timed well with the flickering of lightning, forging an anchor of sorts so that they would not lose their way. It was a technique the girl had developed over time, after all flow-walking was very dangerous if mishandled and could lead to the separation of mind and body in the Force, locking one within the strands of time, and the other to wither away in the realms of reality.

Ar'ekk, of course, would recognize their dreary surroundings, but for Asha the streets of Lithios were entirely foreign. Air speeders drifted overhead, billboards loudly shouted their advertisements in the language of flashing lights and bright colours, and all around people milled. It was somewhat gaudy in her eyes, overwhelming and claustrophobic, and for a few moments the scene wavered more so than it ought to. That was until the woman inhaled a slow breath and set her mind back into a more neutral state.

For a moment it seemed as though they had the wrong memory. The wrong strand of time. But then, as if on cue, a familiar face passed them by. A dark wash of hair, bright blue eyes, Jyn was a sight to behold and merely looking upon her after all she had felt through the Force brought tears to Asha's eyes, blurring her vision for a moment. Clutching the woman's hand was the much tinier form of Tefie, and glancing upon her allowed Asha to realize that the girl, unlike the woman, was alive. Somewhere.

After so long drifting through time, Asha had her ways of sensing such.

"Your daughter is alive," she informed the man, knowingly, as she began to follow the pair and kept her hand in Ar'ekks - forcing him along for the walk. Where they would be led, and what they would see, Asha did not know, but the knowledge that one of the two had survived provided at least some small measure of relief for the Lorrdian.

[member="Arekk"]

 

[Arekk]

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AURUM, THE OUTER RIM TERRITORIES​

FACING THE HARSH TRUTH​

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"I lied to myself that it was over. I was still alive, my loved ones were still dead. It wasn't over."​

♫ // w. [member="Asha Hex"]​

Their connection allowed them to transport themselves to another dimension, a very much familiar place to Ar'ekk than could ever be. Sights and sounds that hit close to home, way too close for his own comfort. Assumptions had been made for the past year of what happened, the what ifs, the what nots, that Jyn and Atefeh disappeared on Lithios and not elsewhere as the rumours began to spread out and he started making inquiries.

Eventually, they laid eyes upon them in crystal clarity, a chilling sensation going down his spine. Tears immediately began to fall down his cheeks like a waterfall but making no sound whatsoever, unable to control the emotions flooding out after being held inside for so long. They looked as beautiful as they were in life, he had missed them so much that the pain of remembering was unbearable. Seeing them once more was already a soothing thing to experience but at the same time hurtful because they weren't there anymore, at least one of them.

Releasing a deep exhale to try and relax, Ar'ekk tried his best to focus and keep going with what they were doing together. Hearing that Atefeh was alive brought him an immense joy that was undescriptable, not everything had to be despair. A light at the end of the tunnel.

Being tugged along, they kept walking...

 

[Lief]

Though she felt equal amounts of emotions as the man at her side, having known Jyn for countless years at this point, she was forced to suppress the majority of them in order to keep them on the straight and narrow, and avoid succumbing to the void. That was her duty as walker of the strands, especially when she had company along them. She could mourn and cry later, if that was what needed to be done.

Together with the man, still grasping his hand in order to keep that connection alive, she ventured through the streets of that foreign landscape, that urban jungle, after the woman and her child. It felt like an eternity that they tailed them, with Asha soaking in every ounce of detail she could concerning her friend so that she might never forget her visage. Which was easier said than done - having been blind for months, Asha knew first hand just how quickly your visual memory could fade. It was horrifying, truth be told, not something to dwell on in that moment.

And then, all at once, they were forced to halt. Before them Jyn and Atefeh had been accosted by a group of brutish men, and as Asha drew closer the sound of their conversation rang between them, with she and Ar'ekk more than capable of listening in.

"You're Daesharacor's woman, ain't ya?" one of the men was saying, eyeing up Jyn for a moment before turning his glare down to the child at her side, "Got himself a kid, 'as he? Reckon he knew better than to make that public."

For her part Jyn seemed to hold the girl close to herself protectively, and it was obvious to those who knew her that she was looking for a way out of the situation. Even through the strands of time Asha could feel the subtle musings of the Force flourished around the woman, before all at once it was drained from existence. The air felt stagnant and cold, and Jyn's face turned to horror as she came to the same conclusion as Asha had; the Force would not work for her in that moment.

"Didn't think we'd come unprepared, did ya?"

The head honcho produced a small crystalline-like structure from within his pocket. Asha had never seen a Void Stone so closely before, but even the sight of it sent a shiver down her spine.

"You see, he did us bad back on Nar Shaddaa, an' rumours are... That was your doin'." He tipped his head, gesturing toward Atefeh, and two of his men stepped forward and began to pry the child away from the woman, much to the distress of both the girls. Jyn fought tooth and nail to try and keep hold of her daughter, before being knocked to the ground by a heavy hand.

"Don't worry, sweetheart, we ain't got no qualms with your kid, ain't gonna harm her, though she would fetch a pretty price on the market... You lost us credits, girly, figure this should cover some of those damages..." The final two men hoisted Jyn to her feet, while those who held Atefeh watched on with the crying girl struggling. Her attempts were futile, of course, she was so tiny in comparison, and even if she had known more of the Force her own abilities were dampened.

"I reckon we'll paint these streets red, maybe then he'll get the message. We ain't to be trifled with, love, and you don' fethed up."

[member="Arekk"]

 

[Arekk]

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AURUM, THE OUTER RIM TERRITORIES​

FACING THE HARSH TRUTH​

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"Saying goodbye is painful."​

♫ // w. [member="Asha Hex"]​

Every strand of his hair was up as they walked through the concrete jungle of neon lights, eyes observing the fate of loved ones unfold before them. His heart ached and blood smouldering like hot lava erupting from a volcano, the desire to just walk behind Jyn and Atefeh and try to do something that at the end he knew was nothing but futile. To keep going, Ar'ekk wiped the tears off his face with the sleeve of his jacket and tried to mantain his composure.

Hands held together in a tight grasp, Asha led the man through the narrow alleyway by retracing Jyn and Atefeh's steps until they stumbled upon an horrorific sight that made his heart drop and knees feel weak. The brutish men were nothing but familiar faces, men that had swore loyalty to the "Champion of the Kajidii" and now they were there to claim their revenge in the ugliest of ways.

It can't be. Run, run. Please.

When Ar'ekk laid eyes on the Void Stone, he knew this would be the hardest moment a man could ever face. To see your loved ones, the light of your life and pillars to get up every morning and not end your life, being cornered by street thugs with nothing between the ears making threats was the worst sensation one could feel. They were after him, it was his fault. You can't run from your past. You'll end up running in circles. Until you fall back down to the same hole you were trying to escape from, only the hole's grown deeper.

"No, querida. Please..." He said in a hushed tone, voice breaking inbetween. "Run..."

Atefeh was taken away by one of the thugs and once he saw that, the rage was too unbearable to hold within that he just let out the most infernal of screams one could ever hear, feral almost. The connection seemed to stammer slightly as he became tried to get closer and do something that he knew was inevitable, still holding onto Asha's hand, and she eventually tried to stop him.

"I can't."

 

[Lief]

Even as they watched, as Ar'ekk's scream rippled through the vision and threatened to leave some small impression in time, the scene refused to pause. Instead it played on, the head honcho gesturing for the little girl to be brought over to him, which she was. He leaned down, staring Tefie in the eyes, and frowned softly.

"Don't worry, little one, you won't have to watch," he told her, "Just look away."

After rising back up to his full height he gestured for the men to keep the girl's back to what was about to happen, before stepping around her to Jyn.

"Let it not be said that I don't take matters into my own hands," he said, to the group at large, apparently proud of the fact that he was going to carry the act out by himself. He pulled out a particularly horrifying knife, its metal edge glistening in the bright lights of the city, and leered down at the woman. Jyn continued to struggle and to fight, with more aggression in her than she'd previously shown now that Tefie wasn't looking, her skin beginning to flare up with the curse that often coursed through her veins, yet it was not as potent as it ought to have been due to the Void Stone.

"Look away, Ar'ekk," Asha said, almost in unison with the man once again telling Tefie not to watch, "You don't need to see it."

As she tried to pull the man aside, so that he would look elsewhere, Jyn finally spoke aloud amidst her struggle, apparently realizing that her end was nigh.

"I love you," she said, seemingly to the child, though moments after she added, "Querido, I love you," addressing not just Atefeh but the man she had come to Lithios for, the man she had hunted down on Nar Shaddaa and pulled from the depths of depravity. That same man who had saved her back on Coruscant, and ridden the Red Dragon with her. Though she knew he would not hear her, her last thoughts had been of him, and of the child they'd adopted together...

[member="Arekk"]

 

[Arekk]

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AURUM, THE OUTER RIM TERRITORIES​

FACING THE HARSH TRUTH​

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"I couldn't save them."​

♫ // w. [member="Asha Hex"]​

"Noooooooooooo! You fething bastards!"

He went against Asha's wishes and continued to watch the scene unfold to its very last part, bawling his eyes out and screaming at the top of his lungs until the blade touched ripped through Jyn's flesh, blood dripping through the cold pavement and watching her fall in front of his eyes. A vast amount of light that was within him had faded away with his beloved, though Atefeh remained alive.

"I love you too, my sweetheart." A faint whisper escaped from his mouth as he saw Jyn go down, the men behind her began to laugh as they walked away with Atefeh, tears rolling down his cheeks and voice breaking. "I'm sorry."

Falling to his knees and letting go of Asha's hand, Ar'ekk couldn't help but cry outloud and hard, not being able to take it any longer. The pain was too overwhelming to keep himself in check, to even say a thing, just cry and cry until you couldn't move. Everything around him had become dark and sad, life had become too much of a burden to continue going after witnessing the death of his beloved.

"I can't do this anymore. I can't."

Being her last thought during the last few moments just made everything even harder to face, let alone accept. No amount of mourning or time would heal him up, or so he thought, the road to even consider such was too blurry and unclear in his mind. All he wanted was to close his eyes and reunite with her in a better place.

"I love her so much..."

 

[Lief]

All fell apart around them the moment that Ar'ekk released Asha's hand.

The poor woman had her work cut out for her then, hastily trying to break the connection through the Force without it leading to difficulties. She hadn't ever had someone release the physical connection before the metaphysical one was done with, so it was with great relief that she found the man in one piece when she finally came to and opened her eyes.

Well... In one piece might have been a bit of an overstatement, as he was crumpled in a heap against the ground. Asha continued to fight to keep it together; she might have been the woman's best friend, and just witnessed her bloody murder, but Ar'ekk had been her lover, and no doubt needed a pillar of strength and stability in that moment, not someone else who was breaking down.

She sank to her knees and wrapped an arm around him, pulling him close. Truth be told she had been fully intending to cut the connection before the men drew blood, but it had happened so quickly that in the end that wasn't so simple.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, "I'm so sorry, Ar'ekk..."

[member="Arekk"]

 

[Arekk]

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AURUM, THE OUTER RIM TERRITORIES​

FACING THE HARSH TRUTH​

_______________________________________________________________________​

"She has brought me here, to this moment of clarity, where time slows down, and I choose to look back, to see myself. And in that act of seeing, I am reborn."​

♫ // w. [member="Asha Hex"]​

"My Querida, my Stardust." He said between sobs, holding himself tight to Asha and crying on her shoulder. "I can''t keep going..."

The world seemed to fall apart all around him, pieces of broken mirrors ready to pierce his skin anywhere he walked. A small beacon of light remained in his soul, Atefeh, she would continue to give him a reason to live. He couldn't see that now between the sadness that invaded him, like darkness tried to grab the best of Ar'ekk and attempted to drag him down with it.

Between the loud cries and cursing, the rage that the man had kept in control all this time thanks to Jyn seemed to come out spontaneously but without harming Asha in absolute. He screamed and kicked and punched the ground with fierce, his voice eventually giving up and his body falling once more in defeat.

It was tough to keep living, to even consider moving with his life. But he had to.

For Jyn, for Atefeh.

That's what his Querida would've wanted.

 

[Lief]

"Stay with me, Ar'ekk," she said, once his fit of rage began to dwindle and her poor garden was no longer being abused. The man had fallen back into a state of utter depression where he knelt, barely keeping himself upright from the ground. "It's bad, I know it's bad, but you have to stay strong, Ar'ekk. If Tefie is out there, then she needs you. She needs you strong, and she needs you as you are, not darkened, not corrupted. She needs her papa."

Pulling back to look at him she frowned softly. Having successfully numbed herself from the horror of what she'd seen, and the upset she felt, Asha's mind was much more level than it had any right to be.

"Come, come with me,"

She rose up, reaching down a hand toward him. She had intended to show him when they were done, and he had calmed down, but perhaps it would help to see the space that Jyn and Tefie had spent so much time within.

If he rose she would lead him further down the trail, through the jungle and into a clearing. There lay Tranquility, Jyn's personal vessel, that which had swooped down to Nar Shaddaa to fetch him, and had picked up Tefie from Dromund Kaas.

"I know she'd have wanted you to have this, not me."

[member="Arekk"]

 

[Arekk]

_______________________________________________________________________​

AURUM, THE OUTER RIM TERRITORIES​

FACING THE HARSH TRUTH​

_______________________________________________________________________​

"She has brought me here, to this moment of clarity, where time slows down, and I choose to look back, to see myself. And in that act of seeing, I am reborn."​

♫ // w. [member="Asha Hex"]​

"You are right, you are right." Ar'ekk realized during a moment of clarity, being strong during difficult times was something that Jyn taught him very well. "She's still out there, alone. I need to find her."

Looking back at Asha and quickly realizing her garden had been ravaged by the man unwillingly, he gave her a small "I'm sorry I did this" kind of apologetic smile of sorts, that despite being broken inside and smashed into little pieces he could find the way to bring up such expression.

The man was eventually dragged through the deep jungle of Aurum and down familiar trails that he and Jyn had walked together during better days, it was nice to be back to the place he gladfully called home once. What he would witness next was something that warmed his heart but also brought him the same pain felt before, this time more controlled and collected than before.

"Tranquility. This is the ship that started it all." He looked back with nostalgia, memories flooding his mind. "So many stories inside this beautiful vessel, you know? Too many to tell but beautiful to remember."

His beloved would live here forever in spirit, everywhere he went and through whatever he was facing. She'd be there.

Always.