Private Into the World That Whispers

[Jairdain Ismet-Thio]

The transfer hub was quieter than she expected.

Jairdain stepped off the small transport and onto the polished walkway, the recycled air cool against her skin. Her long black hair swayed with the movement, unbound, catching faint reflections from overhead lanterns. Pale yellow eyes remained open—not because she needed them to see, but because she liked reading places the old-fashioned way, letting light and shadow speak.

Her small green fox padded at her heel, a soft shimmer of Force-light drifting from its fur in lazy motes. It paused only long enough to sniff the air, then circled her ankle once before sitting patiently.

Oricon.

The name had been tugging at her through the Force for weeks—old scars, old power, and a quiet call she couldn't ignore. Whatever waited there wasn't malicious, but it wasn't benign either. Something unfinished. Something that wanted witnessing.

She adjusted the fall of her cream-colored robes and moved through the stream of travelers toward the next departure gate. The Force brushed at her awareness—familiar currents shifting, as if the river ahead was already rearranging itself in preparation for her arrival.

That was when she noticed him.

Stationed at the same gate. Alone. Preparing for the same route. The feathers, the wings, the posture that spoke of someone used to wandering—but with purpose. The Force stirred again, that quiet nudge that wasn't a warning, merely an acknowledgment.

A crossroads.

Jairdain slowed beside him, offering a polite nod of greeting—calm, centered, open in the way only a seasoned Jedi Master could be.

"Are you bound for Oricon as well?" she asked, her voice soft but steady.
"If you are, and you wish for company on the journey, I would not mind traveling together. It seems our paths are aligned… at least for now."

Her fox brushed lightly against her ankle again—an unspoken approval—before settling in a small coil of glowing fur at her feet.

She waited, patient as stone shaped by centuries of wind, letting him choose his direction.

Viari Banu

 

[Viari Banu]

ORICON​

Viari watched wide-eyed from behind the invisible barrier, glass they called it, and it was everywhere allowing him to watch wide-eyed the outside world. His eartufts raised to attention as he scanned one ship, then another, and another. No two ships were the same, some were as sleek as a pebble in flight, others looked like flying wicker baskets. How they defied gravity was anyone's guess, at first he believed they were slingshot and simply glided to their destination, but that was silly. The current prevailing theory was much simpler, obviously the pilots used to Force to simply lift them into the heavens. Yes, that must be it.​

​

Nodding in satisfaction he turned his thoughts to the real reason he was here. Hero- Saul Whesai had helped him track his father, Pyeth Raffinki , to Oricon, he even helped him charter this journey for which he was eternally grateful and with every passing moment his excitement grew until a invisible breeze washed over him.​

​

His head turned to the potential friend. Studying her graceful movements and cooing approvingly at the lightness of her robes. His feet didn't reach the floor where he sat, simply hanging in the air. His freshly preened feathers were fluffy and coated in a fine layer of white powder, seeing the fox trailing her his excitement grew. Crawling over the edge of his seat, he stared at the creature.​

​

"Taktakli!" He chirped, before the lady diverted his attention away. His head turned to face her, leaving his body pressed against the seat of the chair. "Hello Friends!" He replied, "Yes! I am Viari. What is your name friend?" He continued with greater enthusiasm still, his head bobbing as if to nod. Viari's Galactic Basic had come on leaps and bounds since arriving on Dantooine a couple months ago.​

Div created by Makeb​

Jairdain Ismet-Thio

 

[Jairdain Ismet-Thio]

The soft chirp drew her attention gently toward him, the sound bright and unguarded in a way that made the small green fox at her heel lift its head. Sage blinked once, the faint golden glow along his fur shimmering as if in greeting.

Jairdain offered a warm, patient smile.

"My name is Jairdain," she said, dipping her head in return. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Viari."

His enthusiasm was almost a breeze in itself—light, earnest, carrying a sincerity she didn't often encounter in transit hubs. She let it wash over her, steadying her presence so he could anchor to it if he wished. Her robes whispered as she shifted, calm and deliberate.

"That is Sage," she added, glancing to the fox now sniffing curiously in Viari's direction. "He travels with me. And he seems to have taken quite an interest in you."

Sage padded forward just enough to brush his tail lightly against Viari's dangling foot before circling back to Jairdain's side.

She folded her hands in front of her, serene.

"I noticed you're bound for Oricon as well. It can be a difficult world to approach alone." Her voice softened with the weight of quiet experience. "If you wish company on the journey, I would be glad to share the path."

Never a push—merely an offered hand.

"Travel is easier," she added, "when one doesn't face the unknown alone."

She waited, letting his delight, his curiosity, and his wonder shape whatever came next.

Viari Banu

 

[Viari Banu]

ORICON​

In a fit of giggles Viari rolled back into his seat, while not the Taktakli he expected, Sage was a remarkable creature of starlight their soft golden hues bringing the Rishii's eyes into focus. "Hello friend-Sage. He is very fluffy. Like Taktakli." He clacked happily and returned his attention back to the lady. The air around her was calm enough to settle his bout of laughter.​

​

Her words spoke of understanding and truth, perhaps it was researcher or first-hand experience but he felt compelled to trust her judgement in this matter. His chest inflated and without hestitation the Rishii nodded rapidly and announced, "Yes! Let's go on adventure together like... like..." His voice drifted into doubt, as he struggled to find the correct tome in his library of language. After a couple of seconds, he simply gave up and continued more calmly, "Yes, a flock is stronger together. I go to hunt. Why does friend-Jairdain go to Oricon, are you hunting too?"​

​

Nearby, through the glasteel windows their transporter landed into their dock it's crew and stardock staff quickly moving into position to refuel and prepare the vessel for the flight ahead. Inside the cockpit the Captain could be seen offering them a small wave as began going through what looked to be pre-flight checks. "Have you visited before; what can you tell me?"​

Div created by Makeb​

Jairdain Ismet-Thio

 

[Jairdain Ismet-Thio]

Sage gave a soft, pleased trill at being called fluffy—then promptly pressed his cheek into Viari's shin as if in agreement. Jairdain's smile grew just a touch, warm at the edges.

"A flock is stronger together," she echoed, dipping her head in approval. "That is a wisdom many beings forget."

When he asked why she was traveling, her gaze lifted toward the broad glasteel windows. The transporter's landing lights painted shifting reflections across her eyes, soft gold against pale yellow.

"I am not hunting," she said gently. "Not in the way you mean. I go to Oricon because the Force is… restless there. It has been for a very long time."

She let the moment breathe, choosing her words with the care of someone who refused to frighten—but refused to lie.

"Oricon was once held in the grip of beings called the Dread Masters," she explained, voice calm, steady. "Powerful Sith Lords who wielded fear the way others wield a blade. They twisted the world—its creatures, its sky, even its soil—until it reflected their will."

Sage curled at her feet, fur shimmering softly as if the memory of such darkness repelled him.

"Their stronghold still stands," she continued. "Ruins now… but not harmless. The echoes of what they did linger. Old energy. Old wounds."
Her hands folded loosely before her. "I have visited once before, many years ago, during a time when those wounds were… stirring. We helped mend what we could."

Only then did she turn back to Viari fully.

"That is why caution is wise," she said gently. "And why I am glad for your company."

Outside, the transport crew raised a hand in greeting to them before disappearing into pre-flight routines. Jairdain inclined her head toward the ship.

"When we arrive, stay close to me. Not because you are weak—far from it—but because Oricon remembers the Dread Masters. And it is a world that prefers travelers who walk with care."

She softened the words with a small smile.

"I will show you what is safe to see… and we will face the rest together."

Viari Banu

 

[Viari Banu]

ORICON​

Viari blinked. He could not fully comprehend her meaning but it seemed evident to him that these Dread Masters were not the friends which only deepened the mystery. Why was his father there? What reason would he have going to place that darkness had claimed, was he like friend-Jairdain, drawn there by some desire to fix whatever was broken. That sounded like his father, Pyeth did always try to fix things even things that weren't broken.​

​

"They are not friends?" Viari questioned, as if to confirm his understanding. He rarely made enemies, which had the unfortunate side effect of making what enemies he did have quite powerful. And a little insane. "Then I fly, my feet will never touch the ground." Viari replied confidently, he knew her meaning and agreed wholeheartedly, the flock was stronger together and whatever dangers she spoke of he would prefer not to face alone. This hunt of his would be no good if either he or Pyeth got hurt.​

​

He turned his head, towards the ship outside admiring it's sleek lines with a churr. "Pebble is nearly ready, let's go friend-Jairdain and friend-Sage!" With a eager hop the Rishii leapt back to the cool faux marble floors, his wing gently patting Sage as he sprang towards the boarding gate, realising that the next time he saw them he would be on another world, "I keep you safe. You keep Viari safe."​

Div created by Makeb​

 

[Jairdain Ismet-Thio]

Sage chirped at the gentle brush of Viari's wing, the tiny green fox giving an inquisitive sniff before circling lightly around the Rishii's legs. Jairdain felt the movement, not through sight, but through the soft shuffle of Sage's tiny paws and the gentle shift in Viari's aura as he reacted to the fox's attention. The creature's simple excitement was a bright ripple in the Force, warm and earnest. After a moment of his curious inspection, Sage's tail thumped softly once against Viari's ankle before he scampered ahead toward the faint hum of the boarding ramp, eager for what came next.

Jairdain stood just behind them, her expression calm as she absorbed Viari's confusion. His presence flickered with sparks of curiosity, uncertainty, and youthful sincerity—emotions she could feel as clearly as one might see light dancing on water. She folded her hands, grounding herself in that sensation before answering him.

"No," she said gently, letting the truth fall with the steady weight of a teacher who never wished to alarm. "They were not friends. The Dread Masters were Sith Lords who wielded fear as their weapon. Not simply by threats or cruelty, but by breaking the minds of entire legions, turning their own thoughts and terrors against them. Their power left deep scars on Oricon—scars the Force still remembers."

The memories of that planet brushed faintly against her mind: the oppressive pressure in the air, the dissonance under her feet, the way even the wind seemed to hesitate. She felt Viari listening—truly listening—and she tempered the weight of her words so that he felt informed, not overwhelmed. "But they are long gone," she continued. "What lingers there now is dangerous only because it is wounded, not because it lives. Old pain. Old shadows. And shadows are far easier to face when one is not alone."

When Viari declared that he would fly, his feet never touching the ground, Jairdain felt his confidence bloom like a sudden gust of warm air. It made her smile, soft and genuine. "A wise choice," she replied. "Even the ground on Oricon carries echoes of what the Dread Masters did. Staying light—staying above it—will keep you safer."

Ahead of them, the transport came alive. The vibration of the engines trembled faintly through the floor beneath her feet, and she felt the shift in the ship's energy signature as its systems powered up for boarding. Viari's excitement brightened so intensely in the Force that Sage paused, ears perked, before scurrying after him—his tiny paws tapping an eager rhythm across the cold faux-marble flooring.

Jairdain followed them at a steady, measured pace, feeling the soft push of air as they moved, the shape of the ramp through the currents in the Force, and the presence of the crew ahead signaling final readiness. The hum of the hangar, the warmth of Viari's enthusiasm, and the steady comfort of Sage's small life signature all formed a vivid picture for her—one no sighted eye could have provided.

"You have a good heart, Viari," she said as she neared him, her voice rich with quiet respect. "The kind that wishes to protect others before yourself. That kind of heart is rare, and I honor it." She placed a hand over her chest in the traditional Jedi gesture of gratitude, the gesture carrying weight even if she could not see his expression in response.

"And I give my promise in return," she continued. "You will not face Oricon alone. I will keep you safe, as you will keep me safe. That is what companionship truly is—strength shared between travelers."

Sage paused at the base of the ramp, giving a small, encouraging bark as if urging them forward. Jairdain felt the vibration of it through the floor and the pull of his familiar presence waiting ahead. With a small smile, she stepped forward, letting the Force map each subtle contour of her path, each shift in air pressure, each signature of life around her.

"Come," she said softly, warmth threading through her words. "The sooner we depart, the sooner we find your father."

And with that, she stepped aboard the vessel, Sage trotting proudly at her side, the path to Oricon opening before them—not through sight, but through purpose, trust, and the quiet certainty of the Force.

Viari Banu

 

[Viari Banu]

ORICON​

Sage's reaction filled Viari with excitement for the journey ahead. He couldn't have asked for better company, with Jairdain and Sage at his side they would assuredly achieve their objectives. He appreciated her gesture of goodwill with a faint purr, and accepted the invite with an eager hoot.​

​

Viari grabbed his things, a folded piece of glistening blue silk, and a small satchel which he clipped on his belt. Practically chasing Sage, he bounded past the deck officer, while a hoot echoed into the hull, "Hello friends!". Unsurprisingly many of the available seats were empty, with Viari quickly taking the opportunity to perch himself up against a window. Leaving plenty of room for Jairdain and Sage if they wanted to sit nearby.​

​

It was almost time, he would find his father and bring him home. They could be a family again...​

​

Before arriving Viari could not quite appreciate Jairdain's warnings. Now that he was here, he could feel it. See it. The star port was nearly empty, the few people lumbered around without the slightest spark of joy and he could hardly blame them. The air was oppressive, besieging his better nature with bombards of doubt and fears. He responded in kind, pulling a vestament around himself. The blue silk rested on his shoulders, a collection of green kyber woven into a golden chain that helped secure it against his neck.​

​

It was moreso a gesture, a symbol that he was fortifying himself for the trials ahead. The true shield was channelling of the Force, the air around him changing. It was subtle, a gentle push against the dark forces that bled from the wounded planet, that turned the doubts into opportunity. The threats into a challenge to overcome, and responded with an aura of comfort and safety.​

​

He blinked and turned to his friends, "This is Oricon? It's hurting. Heal?" He asked, idly wondering if that is why his Father had come. His powers made him an excellent healer, at least compared to those he knew back home.​

Div created by Makeb​

 

[Jairdain Ismet-Thio]

The moment Viari spoke, Jairdain could feel the tremor beneath his words. Not fear—not exactly—but the instinctive recoil of a sensitive spirit pressed against something deeply wrong. Oricon's darkness was not loud; it was suffocating. Old. Heavy. The kind that didn't shout its malice, but whispered it into the mind like cold breath on bare skin.

Even before she took a single step off the ship, she felt the change in the air through the way the vibrations dulled beneath her feet. This world swallowed sound. Even Sage, who usually pranced with cheerful taps on any surface, lowered his body closer to the ground—movements tighter, more cautious, his instincts keenly aware of what lingered beneath the soil.

Jairdain reached out, letting her fingers brush the cool metal of the bulkhead as she steadied herself in the Force. Not because she needed help to stand, but to listen. The echoes here were different from other wounded worlds—more tangled, more raw, as though the Dread Masters' presence still pulsed through the fractured ley lines of the land.


When she turned toward Viari, her voice was warm, quiet, and reverent.

"Yes," she said softly. "This is Oricon. And you are right—this world is hurting."

The air around them felt thick, as if saturated with old anguish, old terror. The Force here did not flow; it staggered. She let it wash over her, neither resisting nor yielding.

"It was scarred by beings whose power was rooted in fear," she continued, her tone steady, a calm center in the midst of Oricon's turbulence. "The Dread Masters left deep wounds in the land, in the creatures, even in the atmosphere. Those scars do not fade easily."

Sage pressed against her leg, small and solid—her living reminder of gentler places.

"It is a place that needs healing," she affirmed, answering his question fully. "A great deal of it. And… in time, I hope to be one of the people who brings that healing."

She inhaled the air—not through sight, but through the shifting pressure around them, through the way the Force quivered at every breath taken on this ground.

"But healing a world like this cannot be rushed. It is like tending to a wound that has festered for centuries. The surface can be soothed, but the deeper layers… they take patience, and presence, and a great deal of care."

She tilted her head toward Viari, feeling the shield he created with the Force, the gentle aura he'd woven from fearlessness and hope. It brushed against her like the lightest of winds, green and alive.

"You feel the pain of this place clearly," she said. "That is a gift, Viari. And also a responsibility. Your father may have come here to lend his strength to this healing. Or perhaps the Force brought him here because something in him resonates with the wound this planet carries."

She placed a hand lightly on his shoulder—not directing, merely grounding.

"And now it has brought you."

Sage crept forward, sniffing at the ground before giving a soft, uneasy chirp.

Jairdain nodded. "We will walk carefully. We will respect the land. And together, we will seek your father… and whatever answers Oricon is willing to reveal."

She extended her presence outward—gentle but sure—forming a quiet anchor for the young Rishii.

"Healing begins with the first step," she added. "Come, Viari. Let us take it together."

Viari Banu

 

[Viari Banu]

ORICON​

Of course, how could he not feel a pain so ancient and terrible. So ingrained in the world-soul that it became indifferent from it's true identity, it was as Jairdain described it. Scarred. He reached for her hand against his shoulder, gently resting upon it.​

Now that they had arrived, he appreciated her company and insight all the more. It was grounded, spoken with words yearned from experience. He looked up and smiled behind his beak, ear tufts raising to attention.​

His beacon accepted the calming winds that radiated from Jairdain's presence in the Force, but in so doing revealed something he himself was unaware of, a third presence. It was subtle and unseen, like a undercurrent beneath the waves. It shifted slightly, like a tug.​

He refocused on the task at hand, grounding himself in the material world around them. "You will!" He answered with absolute certainty.​

Viari turned away for a second, as Sage caught his attention. The Rishii crouching to carefully stroke along the strange vulpines spine. "I carry. If you like?" He offered, seemingly picking up on their discomfort.​

Whatever their response, Viari would stroke them once more and begin the next step of their journey, hopping playfully towards the exit garnering looks of disbelief and confusion from the few who occupied these dark halls.​

"Dread Masters not friends..." Viari mumbled, surveying the environment below. The Star port was constructed with defence in mind, situated upon a Plateau with only a single dark path carved into the rock. A small outpost and a ray shielded gate protected the access point.​

The surface of the planet mirrored it's presence in the Force, barren wastes where shadows crawled from every corner and beasts forged, not born, roamed. The Force touched everything here, but not in way it did on other worlds Viari had encountered. These beasts did not hunt for substance, but instead sport and any attempt to reach out to them was met with hostility.​

Viari reached a hand into his satchel, retrieving his father's Data pad. With help from hero-@Saul Whesai he had tracked Pyeth to this world, and learned the necessary gestures to track the transponder from the old U-Wing he used for transport. He didn't understand how it worked, simply mimicking the hand movements until he arrived on the screen he desired. He stared intensely as waves of blue light moved over the local topography, until a weak signal responsed in kind.​

His head moved to a valley in the east, it was several kilometres out but within a reasonable travel distance. "There!" He chirped excitedly, pointing in its direction. An black stoned monolith jutted from it's center, it's construction synonymous with many of the ancient ruins scattered across the surface.​

---

The Rishii's meditations stirred, there was a shift in the winds. Ordinarily he might have dismissed it for a blip in the Force, but Oricon was forced into chains long before he arrived. No, someone or something was searching.​

The doors nearby opened with a whisper, a younger lady in beskar plate presented herself. "A transporter broke atmosphere a few minutes ago."​

"Intriguing that you would report something so mundane." He said, pushing himself away from the alter.​

"It's not the ship that will be of interest to you. It's the passenger manifest, one Jairdain her animal and a Rishii, booked under Viari Banu."​

The Rishii paused, prompting the woman to question him. "How do you want to approach this?"​

"We do nothing." He replied, the faceless helmet cocked slightly to the side. "They will come here willingly and I would prefer they are not prejudiced by an armed escort. Inform our patrols to avoid contact, give them nothing until they arrive.​

"As you say." She replied taking her leave. The Rishii silently shaking his head returned to their meditations.​

Div created by Makeb​

 

[Jairdain Ismet-Thio]

The moment Viari's hand lifted toward Sage, Jairdain felt the fox's hesitation ripple through the Force. Not fear—Sage knew danger well enough—but the instinctive caution of a creature with sharp instincts on a wounded world. Jairdain squeezed lightly at Viari's shoulder when he offered to carry her companion.

"Sage will walk," she said gently. "He is small, but his senses rarely fail him. If he stays close to the ground, it is because the land speaks more clearly to him that way."

Sage, as if agreeing, pressed his small body against her heel before turning toward Viari and giving a faint, approving chuff before padding ahead. The fox accepted the Rishii's touch—his back arching slightly beneath Viari's fingertips—but the moment he was released, he moved with purpose back to the ground, nose low, tiny paws silent on the blackened stone.

Then—something shifted.

Jairdain felt it first as a distant tremor, subtle as a breath drawn behind a wall. A third presence—not approaching, not revealing itself, but observing. It wasn't aggressive, but it was focused. Not a beast. Not dark enough to be a Dread Master echo. But not passive either.

Something… or someone… was aware of them.

Her hand rose slightly, not in defense, but to steady the currents of the Force as they brushed over her skin in a cold whisper. Viari felt it too—the boy's intuition sharper than he realized. She could sense the flicker of surprise in his aura, the alertness tightening behind his excitement.

"Yes," Jairdain murmured, her voice steady as bedrock. "You feel it. There is another presence… faint, but directed. Someone is watching."

Her tone was calm, not to dismiss the danger, but to keep it from seizing the young Rishii's nerves. The Force around her unfurled in a gentle, stabilizing wave, shielding him from the worst of Oricon's oppressive weight. She felt him respond instinctively—his own aura blooming brighter in the shared calm.

"It is not hostile yet," she continued. "Observation is not aggression. But we will tread carefully."

The way Oricon responded to them—how the winds shifted, how the old scars in the land thrummed—suggested the world itself was listening. And something within it responded to their steps.

Viari's excitement when he located the transponder signal broke through the tension like a flare of sunlight. Jairdain's heart softened at the hopeful chirp.

"Good," she said gently. "You've found a trail. Your father left a mark on this world after all."

She let her fingers brush over the datapad when Viari pointed—a faint vibration under her touch revealing the map's contour, the pulse of the weak signal.

"A black monolith in the valley," she murmured. "Old architecture. Old intentions. It is as good a place as any to begin."

Sage padded ahead, ears twitching, nose lifted—reading the air for direction or danger.

As they stepped toward the exit, deeper into the plateau's path, the oppressive air tightened like a fist. The darkness here wasn't emotion—it was history. She could feel the Dread Masters' residue not as voices or visions, but as wounds carved into the land, like scars so deep the world still bled memory.

When Viari stiffened—sensing what she sensed—Jairdain rested her hand against the small of his back.

"You will not face this alone," she said quietly. "Not the fear. Not the darkness. Not whatever this presence is."

Her voice held the weight of a Jedi Master, but also the softness of someone who had spent a lifetime guiding others through their storms.

"Your father is here. I can feel that truth in the way the Force pulls at you."

She stepped forward, letting the Force map the descent path by the currents of wind brushing against her skin and the faint tremors of movement in the deep stone below.

"Come," she said. "Let us follow the trail together."

She did not know of the armored woman.
Or the Rishii meditating.
Or the monolith's watcher waiting for them to come willingly.

But she felt no fear.

She had Viari.
She had Sage.
And she had the Force.

Whatever waited in the valley, she would meet it with clarity—one step at a time into the wounded heart of Oricon.

Viari Banu

 

[Viari Banu]

Viari listened in stunned silence, absorbing friend-Jairdain's wisdom. He moved slowly and with caution, like a animal hounded by something unseen and unknowable. The unknown was dangerous and he couldn't shake the feeling he had flown too far, too soon. Was this what they called doubt?

The young Rishii's tail swept through the powdery earth, he still leapt and played but every playful step closer made it worse. His whole outward self felt like a façade but Viari knew himself to be true and he resolved to remind himself why. Why he had come. He was here to find his father and take him home, and once he did everything would be whole again.

Friend-Jairdain thought so too, and that subtle push was all the proof he needed. In response, the energies that cloaked this world pressed harder, like it was alive trying to expel something that didn't belong.

He looked at Jairdain with warm eyes, "Friend-Jairdain how you and friend-Sage meet?" He asked, hoping to ground himself in the moment...

---

Through the Force the Rishii kept silent vigil on his uninvited guests, warding them against the beasts that would be drawn to such a purity. It would do him no good if the child died, and he could not fully ascertain the other Force Sensitives strength from his sight alone.

They were trained, of that he was certain but Jedi or Sith he could not immediately tell. Viari's presence wasn't strong, but it didn't need to be, the fledgling was like cleansing flame against the corruption that fertilised the moons soil, his very existence here felt like an anathema - putrid and repulsive that he couldn't so much as touch, let alone reach out to it. Was this his own presence in the Force, or was something shielding him? The other perhaps? He shook his head lightly.

Thankfully, he intimately knew the tribe Banu, the problems it had created for him and his people. There was only one reason for a Rishii carrying that name to be here, if only they had come alone he might have confirmed it personally but no matter. He would have his answers soon enough.

---

Reaching ground level, Viari moved steadily with purpose. Their objective was close-by and he was eager to conclude this chapter in his journey. He was already chirping about all the things he and Pyeth would do together, all the games they could play. Maybe he could invite friend-Jairdain, and Sage too of course, explaining that make friends with one of the Rakan.

Creatures he described as being, "Like friend-Sage! Feather not shinies..." And being about his height. Apparently, these creatures were also working animals, protectors of their broods and hunting companions and even recounted a short story that was clearly not at all factual. It was all very light hearted and seemed to distract him from the oppressive nature of the volcanic moon around them.

As for the monolith it grew steadily larger, it came not to dominate the skyline but become part of it. Clouds of exotic matter swirled above, blood red ivy choked it's blackstone walls and violet fungi stubbornly clinged any surface it could find, even trees grew within the confines of this valley their bark inlaid with veins of crystal but the earth? It was dry as charred bone and what little sunlight penetrated the mist above came down in focused beams, moving across the landscape like spotlights.

The ground dropped into the valley suddenly and without warning, the steep slopes suggested land movement, like a sinkhole but such geological features would suggest a collapsed mine or erosion.

Viari head stopped, his eyes wide and beaming. The young Rishii lost all sense and pushed himself forward flying at speed towards the heart of this anomaly, ignoring any and all warnings. He found it. His old home. He hooted loudly, a identifying cry or call for his missing parent but no reply.

He landed besides the old U-Wing, modified for medical research. A couple of black scotch marks scarred the hull, but he didn't understand what these could have suggested his sole focus was meeting his father inside. Viari landed and hooted again, lower, more uncertain.

He stepped inside, looked around. The small hydrophobic lab still active, but the herbs meant for curative poultices and pastes were overgrown. He looked into the corner, finding his old nest, the handwoven blanket still bolted to a wall forming a sort of tent. "Where..." Viari voice broken, the first hint of doubt striking what now felt like a castle of glass.

His claws clicked against the plates of the ships deck, as slowly searched the cockpit. He found a couple of discarded feathers and a burnt out console. He picked one up and retreated back into his old nest to gently preen. The world felt numb, his heart fragile as paper but heavy as stone.

He didn't understand. Why did he run away? Why was he so afraid? Was it him? Was it the persistent questions about an absent mother..? Had he... He couldn't think. It was exhausting.

He curled his tail around himself and clutched the feather tightly and just preened, trying invoke imagery of his father playfully pushing away from his affections.

Jairdain Ismet-Thio

 

[Jairdain Ismet-Thio]

The question drifted to her on a quiver in Viari's voice, gentle but aching beneath the surface.
Friend-Jairdain how you and friend-Sage meet?

She slowed her steps, letting the chill air of Oricon settle around them. The memory Sage sparked within her was soft, one of the few peaceful lights in a very dark time of her life.

"I met him during a time I was… not well," she said quietly. "I had gone to a river to meditate, trying to find something calm inside myself. I remember the water. I remember how cold it was. I remember how alone I felt."

Sage trotted ahead, then paused, looking back at them with gentle curiosity — as if he remembered too.

"He came to me without fear," she continued. "I felt him before I heard him. A small presence near the water's edge… curious, warm, unafraid of the darkness I carried." Her voice softened even more.

"He brushed against my hand. That was all. But it was the first touch of peace I had felt in a very long time." A faint smile warmed her expression. "He decided, in that moment, that he would stay. And I… I have never once asked him to leave."

Sage chirped and bounded forward a few paces, tail twitching like a green flame.

"Some companions choose us," Jairdain said gently. "And Sage chose me when I had forgotten how to choose anything for myself."

They walked on.

And then the world changed. The oppressive weight of Oricon thickened — darkness crawling out of the volcanic stone like living breath. The closer they came to the valley, the sharper Viari's fear became, until she could feel it trembling through the Force like a wounded chord.

By the time she followed him into the U-Wing, she felt the glass-fragile shatter of his spirit.

The air inside was stale with old herbs and the faint sting of burned circuitry. Roots and vines crept through the seams where nature fought its slow reclamation. Her hand hovered along the metal wall, the Force filling in what her eyes could not: an abandoned nest, a scorched console, feathers shed in haste or fear.

"Viari…" Her voice came soft as breath, shaped to hold without caging him.

She knelt beside his old nest, feeling his small form curl inward, clutching the lone feather as if it were the only thing tethering him to hope. She didn't touch him at first. She waited — until his grief broke open entirely, the way brittle bark cracks under frost.

Only then did she reach out, her hand resting lightly on his trembling shoulder. "This ship still remembers your father," she whispered. "Every corner of it holds echoes of his care… and of you."

Sage slipped into the nest beside him, pressing his warm flank against the Rishii's side, a soft growl of comfort vibrating through his small body.

"You have not been abandoned," Jairdain murmured. "I feel no death here. No finality. Only distance… and purpose." She stroked the feathers at his neck, slow and steady.

"Your father did not run from you," she said with quiet conviction. "Something pulled him away. Something he could not ignore. And he wanted you safe while he faced it."

Her forehead lowered until it touched the edge of the nest — her version of an embrace, requiring no sight at all.

"You are not alone here, Viari," she whispered. "Not in your grief. Not in your search. Not in your fear." Her hand stayed with him — warm, grounding, unshakeable. "We will find him," she promised. "Together."

Viari Banu

 

[Viari Banu]

ORICON​

​

Viari recoiled beneath friend-Jaindain's touch his head flicking up to trembling stare , shadows drawing long claws across her face, twisting her soft-spoken words into harsher realities. He felt it through the Force, it moved beneath the waves, concealed within the very currents of this place as it circled his faltering beacon. He tried resisting it, but had neither the training nor understanding to shield himself, his father was gone... everything wasted.​

​

You have not been abandoned​

Your father did not run from you,​

You are not alone here, Viari,​

​

The island was sinking, the waves all consuming and the predator waiting. There could be no escape, he was a lone island amongst a sea of crushing depths. He wanted to fly but wind clipped his wings. He wanted to run but where could he go. He blinked, feeling something warm and soft, it's feeling washing through him like a cleansing wave but that wasn't all, he felt Friend-Jairdain's hand stroking his neck, her head touching the edge of his nest, respectful of the safe space he had tried and failed to create. Words could lie but actions betrayed their purity and he recalled the words of his father's letter.​

​

My Viari.​

​

My. He loved him. He did not leave by choice. He did not abandon him. They had arguments but there never any hate. They both made mistakes but they were forgiven and forgotten. He left because he was a afraid, not because he wanted too. He came here because he loved him and it was his friends that made this journey possible - friends that supported him even now and what were friends? A family under another name.​

​

"Thank you... Friend-Jairdain... Sage..." Viari whimpered, leaning forward to delicately press his beak over her shoulder. Quitely he gently pushed back, reaching out to the predator for some connection, some understanding in the Force and it answered. On the surface, it was dark and powerful, a force of nature that could be neither controlled nor tamed but beneath all that it was just another wounded soul. A perceived wrong, a betrayal of faith and... Eostre?​

​

"I... sorry." He continued shaking, "I just... I want him back and... I put friends in danger..."​

​

---

The Rishii cast aside the bronze basin spreading it's dark waters across the slab floor, desperation had made a fool of him. The child had touched his mind, laid his secret bare. It wasn't the act alone that frustrated him but the method, it merely asked and some subconcious desire answered. It did not manipulate as he had done. It did not force itself upon him. It wasn't uniquely strong in the Force nor particularly powerful. It simply asked. And that woman and her pet whelp were supporting it, a problem to be dealt with or perhaps an opportunity. He already dealt a blow to it, would one more tip it over the edge?​

​

He exhaled, relaxing the tension from his wings, at least they confirmed their target. He turned to the a unremarkable elderly man standing nearby, "I have confirmed our target. See that my retinue prepares the Nocturne for launch, I will tend to our cargo."​

​

"Very good, m'lord. Should I prepare additional accomodations for the woman?"​

​

"Yes." He answered leaving the chamber, was she it's master or a mere companion. Why was she here and why did she feel familiar to the taint of this world? All questions to be answered or extracted.​

Div created by Makeb​

Jairdain Ismet-Thio

 

[Jairdain Ismet-Thio]

The recoil hit her like a sudden rip current.
One moment, Viari was curled inward with grief; the next, he flinched away from her touch as though the darkness itself had sharpened into claws.

But Jairdain did not withdraw.

She did not reach further, nor did she press the connection — she remained, her presence soft and steady, letting the force of his fear crash against her without judgment.

She could feel it:
The shadow circling him, tasting his doubt, dragging ancient teeth through his fragile hope.
It whispered through the molten stone beneath them.
It breathed beneath the currents of this broken world.

And Viari…
Viari was drowning.

She leaned closer, not touching him now, but letting the warmth of her presence speak where words could not. Her breath slowed, her heartbeat steady, an anchor dropped into the roiling tide.

She did not fight the darkness.
She refused to move.

When he whispered Thank you… friend-Jairdain… Sage… her heart folded inward with quiet relief — not for herself, but for him. The most minor shift, the gentlest trust, meant he had found a branch to cling to.

The soft pressure of his beak against her shoulder made her inhale sharply, a breath caught between sorrow and tenderness.

"You have nothing to apologize for," she whispered, lifting a hand to rest lightly — feather-soft — against the side of his head. "Grief does not follow rules. It does not wait for a safe moment. And you did not put us in danger."

Her hand moved in slow, grounding strokes along his feathers, each movement a quiet reassurance.

"We chose to walk with you," she murmured. "Sage chose to guard you. And I chose to come because the Force led me to you."

Sage let out a soft chirp, pressing his tiny body more firmly against Viari's side. The little fox trembled once — sensing the predator in the Force — but did not flee.

He would never flee from Viari.

Neither would she.

Jairdain felt the shift before Viari spoke of it — the way the darkness changed shape. The way the predator's presence recoiled, not in retreat but in recognition.

A mind touching his.
Testing him.
Seeing through him.

The cold ripple traveled up her spine like a hand brushing each vertebra.

She turned her face slightly, listening with her whole being, her voice a bare murmur:

"You reached back. You found something."
Not accusation — understanding.

"There is power watching us," she continued softly. "Old. Wounded. And angry." Her hand paused on his feathers. "But you did not give it weakness. You gave it honesty. That is why it pulled away."

The darkness did not feel like genuine hatred.
It felt like a memory twisted into pain.

"You have a good heart, Viari," she whispered. "Even in fear, you reached out with kindness. That is not something the darkness here understands. Not yet."

She shifted slightly, enough to bring herself fully to his side without crowding him.

"Let that be your strength," she said gently. "Not fear. Not shame. Only truth."

She did not yet know that forces were moving towards them — ships being readied, decisions being made in rooms of stone and shadow. But the currents of the Force trembled, warning her that the world around them was not done shaping their path.

She lifted her head slightly, voice steady despite the knot tightening in the air.

"Your father is not far," she murmured. "But we are no longer alone in this valley."

Her hand slid down to cover Viari's claws gently.

"We will face whatever comes next together."

Sage's tail flicked once — alert, bristling, ready.

The darkness stirred.

And Jairdain breathed in, calm and unyielding as a mountain in the storm.

Viari Banu

 

[Viari Banu]

ORICON​

Cloaked in the colours of a cardinal-bird the Rishii strode into the tainted garden, his loose fitted clothes flayed in the wind, his talons biting deep into the soft crust. Every step brought him closer to the realisation of the grand scheme that dominated every facet of his life since before he could spread his wings. Everything he had done, all the pain he wrought, was necessary and in the end they would thank him for it. Eostre. That name was synonymous with a blight, a cancer that must be brought under control and failing that destroyed.​

​

---

Viari felt the wind tremble, retreating in the path of a turbulent storm that grew nearer by the moment, but Jairdain was as unmovable as a mountain. He tried once more, but whatever connection he had was gone. The predator retreated into the oceans depths. If they were wounded he wanted to help, but he knew better than to try treating a wounded beast, especially when they didn't want it.​

​

Gently he pulled away from Jairdain's embrace and brushed his feathers over Sages spine. Their soft fur was comforting to the touch and he was sincerely grateful for their combined company. He didn't know what challenges this quest of his was throwing their way, but knowing he wouldn't face them alone was a comfort he could ill afford to refuse.​

​

"Yes, together." Viari murmurs, slowly tucking Pyeth's plume into his downy so it stuck up behind his ear tufts. Pyeth was out there, somewhere. There was no body and no signs of death, only a few missing feathers likely lost in a rush or panic and finding the ship, was progress. It wasn't the reunion he hoped for but perhaps he might come away from this encounter with more answers than he had before.​

​

He hesitated taking a step to outside his nest, the nest was his island. Comfortable and familiar and this step felt different somehow, like he was beginning a new journey to somewhere unknown and dangerous but necessary. The galaxy was alien to him, he was alien to it.​

​

He closed his eyes tightly and felt the cold deck warming beneath his feet. The next few steps came easier and he moved to the bulkhead to look outside.​

​

Viari paused head locking target with the Rishii that approached. It wasn't his father, he knew that immediately and he clutched his cloak to hold it closer to his chest. "Hello friend..." He said, although his voice lacked the usual enthusiasm he carried of meeting someone new.​

​

Their strides slowed to a stop as they regarded him, bright baleful blue eyes standing strong against the striking black and white feathers while a bright red mantle, glistening in black and orange kyber.​

​

"Hello." They replied, their voice plain and without emotion. Their feathers rippled with recognition to him and attempt to hide their true feelings.​

​

"Viari right?" They continued more softly.​

​

Viari didn't like that but nodded slowly, they knew his name but he didn't know theirs and they didn't wait for the question, introducing themselves.​

​

"I am Rharrk Zaltli, you are Pyeth's brood, right? He is a friend of mine, spoke highly of a Viari."​

​

Viari flinched and took a step back deeper into the protection of the U-Wings hull. Zaltli, he heard of that tribe before, but where and when remained a mystery. It was their words that caused him to doubt.​

​

He did not hear the warm confidence of someone speaking naturally, it felt forced. Subtle hesitations and hints of frustration marred what should have been words to welcome and introduce.​

​

"Where is he?" Viari asked, a simple question​

​

"In the ship behind me, he's very busy in his work. Have you seen what he has achieved?" He replied, it sounded rehearsed, artificial even, leaned back slightly to scan across the nearby terrain almost admiring it.​

​

Viari studied the flora more closely, taking note of the veins of glistening lines that wrapped through the bark of trees, almost like they were crying a crimson and diseased sap. If this was his Father's work, he did not recognise it. Pyeth lived by a mantra, he treated all life as something sacred, something to be shared and cherished. This. This felt more like a mockery, like someone was defacing Eostre's temple.​

​

Viari only looked back and shook his head in disbelief. The Rishii sighed in defeat and frustration. "Very well, if you do not trust me then perhaps I can persuade your friends. You trust them, right?"​

​

Viari didn't like it and looked at his friends, trying to convey a message. He didn't like it. This felt like a trap.

Div created by Makeb​

 

[Jairdain Ismet-Thio]

Jairdain felt the shift long before she heard the footsteps.

The Force tightened around them, the way a still pond tenses before something breaks the surface. Viari's small body reflected that tension immediately—his feathers drawing inward, his breath catching, the edges of his presence shrinking as instinct urged him to retreat.

She didn't reach for him this time; she let her presence open, warm and steady beside him, the way one might offer a hand without forcing it to be taken. Sage pressed closer as well, his soft fur brushing her ankle, the fox's quiet growl more felt than heard.

The new arrival's presence was unmistakable: shaped, deliberate, carrying a weight that did not belong to the uncertainty of someone stumbling upon a lost child. The Force around him felt… arranged. Controlled, smoothed over in a way familiar to those who lived by hidden intentions.

Jairdain listened not outwardly, not with her ears alone, but with the layered sensitivity of someone who navigated the galaxy by its currents rather than its light.

Viari greeted the newcomer, and she recognized the strain beneath his words instantly. Tension. Confusion. Hope clashing painfully with instinct. When he looked back toward her and Sage, she felt the weight of the message he could not yet express in words.

This is wrong.

She stepped closer—not in front of him, not shielding him like a child, but close enough that he could lean into her presence if he needed to. Her hand found the warm edge of his feathers, fingertips brushing lightly in reassurance.

Her voice, when she finally spoke, was directed to Viari alone—gentle, warm, and steady enough to cut through the tightening spiral around him. "Stay with me," she murmured. "You choose your steps, Viari. No one else chooses them for you."

She lowered herself slightly, aligning her posture with his, not because she needed to see him, but because he needed to feel her focus fully on him. The Force stirred softly around them, mirroring her calm.

"If something feels wrong," she continued quietly, "you do not have to move toward it. You do not have to agree. You are not bound by anyone's words but your own."

Sage circled once around Viari's legs before settling at his side, tail wrapping protectively around the young Rishii as though anchoring him in place.

Jairdain rose again with slow, controlled grace, one hand still lightly brushing Viari's feathers, the other relaxed at her side. Her posture remained utterly open—no aggression, no challenge, no fear—but also immovable in its serenity.

She faced outward, toward the presence at the valley's edge, her blind eyes lifted in quiet awareness. She did not confront. She did not accuse. She did not probe.

She existed as a wall of calm between Viari's fear and any pressure attempting to sway him. And then, in a tone soft but firm enough to hold him steady, she added for Viari's ears alone: "Whatever choice you make… Sage and I will walk with you."

No drama. No escalation. Just a quiet truth wrapped in unwavering loyalty.

And then she waited—still as stone, soft as breath—inviting the next words or intentions to come from Viari or the newcomer, but never from her.

Viari Banu