Morning Mists Do Clear With The Burn Of The Sun [Master D.]

[Coci Heavenshield]

Voss​

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the morning mists of the Barrenwoods ..​

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[member="Josiah Denko"]​

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.. but leave behind sucker for life.

Abaigeal sat waiting on a rock moist the settling moisture, the sun would climb high in the Voss sky soon enough and what little moisture are to be found in the Barrenwoods would be gone. It is strange here, the trees all twisted and gnarled with elements and time, rock formations as old as the galaxy itself crumble and crack with the vast temperature changes. Yet it is beautiful here..

Only a few days ago, she had received a message for an old friend of her mothers, a man Abaigeal had met when she was but a toddler. She does not remember much of the man save for his generous offering of puff cakes, which she enjoyed that day, but her mother had told her of Master Denko, that he was her first master when she had began her journey as a Jedi. Oh to what great heights mother had reached on her path, Abaigeal sat thinking of this how her mother had stuck to her ideals regardless of those that had told her she was wrong, and had called traitor .. to mothers mind she had been traitor to her purpose for too long and it had been time to find her path once more.

What is my purpose? Abaigeal had to wonder now ...

Time for contemplation later, Master Denko would be arriving soon to their appointed location. Abaigeal made her way along a stone path that lead to broken bridge of old, on one side stood the old ruins, the gap between the rock ledges was not that wide, a Jedi could jump across with ease, and so she did. Abaigeal sat on the path between the two pillars and simply looked around her.

 

[Darth Metus]

Although he knew better, Josiah blamed himself.

Her death was something that had occurred several thousand light years away, yet the pain that followed...it was something very real and very close. How does one cope with the passing of an apprentice? How does one deal with the passing of a dear friend? Iella E`ron was the first student that Josiah had ever had the honor of mentoring...and now she had gone on to become one with the Force. Yet, despite the very real Jedi edicts to not mourn, Josiah found himself grieving. Despite knowing that she was in a better place, he could not close the gaping hole in his chest.

And so, he blamed himself. Maybe if he had reached out to her before her passing...maybe he could have taught her something that would have kept her alive. Maybe, at the very least, he would have been there by her side; either to perish together, or to liberate her from death. Yet playing the blame game was a frivolous act. Iella was gone, and there was no changing that. However, the very thought of reaching out to his apprentice produced another. One that was infinitely more productive. There was nothing he could do to change what happened to Iella...but maybe, just maybe, he could prevent the same from happening to her daughter.

Josiah had met Abaigeal only once before, and she was a teenie youngling back then. However, she recalled her mother's former master enough that she was fine with arranging a meeting. Voss was the place: home of the Silver Sanctum. Josiah promptly made his way thus and descended upon the world in a manner that truly presented his current path. From above, the quiet of morning would be disrupted by the din of engines. Twin streams of ion propelled the TIE Fighter through the air before gracefully landing in a clearing nearby.

And out stepped a man clad in black robes, adorned by the iconic Masque of Ren. Yet despite his dark visage, Abaigeal would sense nothing of malice. In fact, she would possibly feel the Light that slept within him. He paused before approaching, reaching back into his vessel so that he might produce a simple, white box. Then, confident strides bore him to the woman that bore a striking resemblence to a woman he once knew. "WOW." Josiah practically exclaimed. "You've grown up so much..."

The box's lid was then flipped and the contents extended for her to see.

"Puffcake?"

[member="Abaigeal E'ron"]

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

The Tranquility was cut by the approach of a ship, it's engines heralding the arrival of Master Denko. She knew it to be him, she sensed it, a strange connection to this man long ago forged through the relationship with her mother. Her mother never had a bad word to say about him, regardless of his adventures or falls or deeds, he had been the man that first taught her mother about the force and it's workings, he was her master once.

Abaigeal remembered the man, a kind face and heart with, but as a child open to all things because she had not been restricted by conformity, she had sensed his sadness. A broken hearted man and maybe even his spirit. She did not know why, did not know his past like mother did but that mattered little for she held great admiration and respect for him all these years. They would find each other much changed, whether for greater good of themselves or not was yet to be seen.

She stood up, as he approached, and smiled. Her eyes falling over him, taking note of his attire, with insignia of the First Order. A uniform of a group now pressing forward to become a force to be reckon with in the galaxy. Her surprise would clearly be seen on her face and yet there is no sense of ill will, in fact the opposite .. he is very happy to see her. As she is him.

There is light in him .. still.

As she approached him, Abaigeal took the simple white box from his hands and placed it on the flat surface of broken pillar before wrapping her arms around his frame. "It has be too long .. ", she pulled away from the embrace only to look upon his face. "Take off the mask, I want to see your eyes. I want to see the change in you and you will see the change in me".

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[member="Josiah Denko"]​

 

[Darth Metus]

There was a small part of Josiah that was wrought with uncertainty.

Although there was no malicious intent radiating forth from his being, the very attire he wore spoke volumes. He was no longer the zealot that had faced Ashin Varanin on Barab I. He was no longer the young master who instructed Iella during the good old days. Josiah had made a choice: one that cast his lot in with those fervently dedicated to Order. Yet, their methods were harsh. Yes, they spoke with violence before words. Yet in a Galaxy where the Light failed time and time again, this method seemed to have promise.

However, despite his confidence in the cause, Josiah was uncertain about how Abaigeal would react. Would she be repulsed by his choice to join the butchers of Eriadu? Would she be disgusted by his election to tolerate a noticeably dark Knighthood? All those questions were promptly laid to rest once the box was removed from his grasp. She promptly embraced him, completely catching Josiah by surprise...but he then found himself returning the gesture.

He gave the young woman a warm squeeze before hearing her request. Lose the masque? For her? Absolutely. Reaching up, Josiah liberated his face from the helm and let the piece fall to the grass below. The hood was then lowered, his head shaken to free his hair, and a smile given. That grin hadn't changed over the years...and more importantly, the amber tinge of Darkness did not stain his eyes.

"I'm sorry that I did not reach out to you sooner." he said.

If I did, Iella might still be alive.

"I...Well, I hope you like the changes you see. I, for one, am thrilled to see the growth in you. Wisdom. Grace. Strength. You're a little dragon, just like your mother. But, I feel like there is room for more. I know there are legions of capable mentors within the Coalition, but perhaos you would do me the honor of helping you tap into some of that extra potential?"

If I taught her better...Iella might still be alive.

[member="Abaigeal E'ron"]

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

She remembered the fresh face of the Master when she was a little girl, so long ago now it seemed. When Josiah removed his masque, a look of surprise would be seen on her face, simply because it was not the memory. Battle scared, tried and older. Abaigeal smiled and she touched his cheek, her fingers lightly tracing the scars on his face, who was she to judge such things, considering there was little places on her own body that did not bare scars from torture.

"You have changed, I should have been expecting it", she smiled more, a warm smile. Her growth had been forced. She is but twelve years in the galaxy since her birth, but standing before Josiah is that of a woman of twenty five. Her mind drifted to that day, just for a moment, she was lost to thought and her eyes saddened. But shaking her head to clear her mind and bring her back to the here and now, she looked into his eyes. They are the same, still full of life and behind them, rests the man she once knew. He is still in there..

"There was not much you could have done", she could sense his sadness over her mother. "She did what she did knowingly". How could see explain it, it was still hard to think about let alone talk of it. But Abaigeal owed him this if he wanted to hear the story.

She could not help but laugh as he called her little dragon, funny how things works, as Abaigeal is called the black orchid. "Thank you Master Denko .. Josiah. I do have a mentor in the Sanctum and she is training me well. But there is always room for more and .. ", she hesitated and would not continue, but she has lost contact with her father and would love to have a father figure in her life. Although she is not happy about his .. station in life, but like her mother, Abaigeal cares little of politics. Over time she hoped she would learn to understand Josiah's decision.

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[member="Josiah Denko"]​