Private Home & Hearth

[Ran Serys]

Ran took Amani's cue and sat back down. "Well, you don't see that everyday," The inker attending the older mirialan joked as he readied his equipment. "Are you ready?" He asked her. She nodded in confirmation as the man began inking the tops of her cheeks just beneath the eyes. The pain was… tolerable. Hundreds, maybe even thousands, of small precision stabbings depositing ink under the skin. The inker worked quickly and skillfully and soon Ran was up and out of the chair. Her face was decorated for the first time with a symbol of her achievement. A symbol that showed she was moving from her past and toward her future. A symbol that tied her to the people of Mirial, her people.

"So what will you do now, Amani? Are you staying on Mirial long?" Ran asked. Her question hung as it was the lead of several to come.

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Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani took her place and inhaled deeply. The process began in earnest, and throughout it all she sat in tranquil silence. It was a process she had been through before, albeit in a less traditional setting.

This one was unique however, in that it was the first tattoo she had earned that did not mark her face. The emblem of self-redemption etched into the back of her hand, and when it was complete she studied the detail with intensity. Perhaps it would be the first of more to come; Amani always found the few sleeve tattoos she had seen to be quite beautiful.

Her admiration was cut short by the sound of Ran's voice. Her family's voice. She smiled instinctively, "…Dunno. I thought I might stick around for a bit. I don't have much else that needs my attention right now," Amani shrugged, "Maybe it's about time I spent a little effort on myself."

For so long she avoided coming here, but now that it had finally happened, she wondered why there was so much apprehension. There was some good left for her in the galaxy after all.

Ran Serys​

 

[Ran Serys]

"I think it is time you put yourself first," Ran replied as she gestured to Amani's new tattoo, the one that signified a sort of redemption. "You seem to have dealt with the past, so put some effort into the future ahead of you." She smiled. "As for me, I am leaving Mirial soon. I have got some sightseeing to do but then I am off to meet some friends in the core worlds." It felt bittersweet to say, but Ran had come to Mirial to meet family. She did just that when she found Amani. It hadn't gone down quite as she expected and she thought it would've taken longer but she succeeded. She found someone like her, she had found her origin. She was a Serys, at least half of one. And if Amani and Ran were any indication, maybe there was a portion of their family that was strong in the force. Maybe they had a great destiny as a people. That was for them to experience.

"I will be back though," Ran said. "I doubt we are the last of our family and I am determined to find them. Let me know if you do." She passed Amani the information of her ship's subspace transmitter so they could communicate across great distances. "If you cannot reach me there. I will be in the core worlds. I have been extended an invitation to study the ways of the Jedi from some members of the New Jedi Order. I believe I am going to take it." Ran explained.

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Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

"I'll see if there's anything I can find in the meantime," For now Amani was still starstruck by the fact that she had met any living family, especially in such a chance circumstance. The Force seemed quite fond of thrusting these kinds of coincidences on her. Maybe there were more, maybe there weren't, but even if it was just her and Ran against the galaxy, it would be enough. Because for the first time in a long time, Amani found a semblance of true belonging.

"I've known a few of their number from over the years. You'll be in good hands." She smiled. If Ran was serious about mastering her connection, there were few better places to be than in the Core. "I was raised on Tython, y'know. If you ever end up visiting there. It's a beautiful planet." Maybe there was a trip to be made out of it sometime. It had been a few years since Amani herself had stopped by that old farmstead.

"In any case… May the Force be with you."

Ran Serys​

 

[Ran Serys]

"I hope I get to see it." Ran said of Tython, knowing she would. The planet had a long history with the Jedi and so it would continue. Ran thanked the tattooer and the scholar, and said her goodbyes. She embraced her kin one last time before going back out into the crisp and cool Mirial air, and the bustling street before the temple. "May the force be with you too, Amani. Until next time."

As she walked the streets Ran filled with a strange excitement because she finally had family she was excited to visit. It was a very different feeling. One that searching for her "brothers and sisters" under the Sith Lord Jagos did not provide.

The End
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Amani Serys​