New Home. New Teeth. New Life.

[Darth Miseria]

The trip home from Miranda had been the longest one of Dianah's life. The majority of it had been spent trying to get the demon child to not bite everything in eyesight. Either way they had made it to the other end without her chewing through the life support line or doing some serious damage to the control panel. Miranda had been an interesting mission to say the least. She had expected to go there to find some missing personal belonging to the CIS but they had ended up finding a group of vicious cannibals instead. To top it off Dianah had left with what she assumed was now... her child? Jaron would be pleased. She'd left Miranda so quickly, with no time to say goodbye to explain herself to anyone. Partly because she feared the reactions of her Father and brother and partly because it was dangerous for the demon child to be there. She'd have to come up with another name later.

'Come on, this is your new home. Let's find you something to eat and... maybe call a dentist.'

The palace on Krant was big enough for the three of them though, it was still partly in construction so there was time to change the plans. Another bedroom here and there wouldn't make much of a difference. Dianah picked the small thing up and set her on her waist, walking slowly down the ramp. Everything Dianah did since she had offered her hand out to the child on Miranda had been slow, cautious, calculated. She was a cannibal after all and Dianah had watched her eat her own Mother. She was sure that the demon child wouldn't have a problem eating her either. Dianah had been making a list of the things she had to do once they'd arrived there. Number one on the list was call Jaron. She'd left him behind on Miranda and he'd probably be worried out of his mind about now.

Once through the heavy double doors that led to the inside of their new home Dianah set the demon child down onto the marbled floor. Bath time was high on the list of priorities as well, the thing smelled like the back end of a bantha. But first... The commlink dialed and the noise echoed off the stone walls. Dianah tapped her foot impatiently as she waited. Was it impatience or was it nerves? She had no idea. The click sounded as someone picked up.

'Jaron, come home. I have a surprise...'

The word surprise wasn't said with her usual enthusiasm. It wasn't a surprise but it would definitely be a shock. Dianah didn't wait for his reply, she simply hung up. He'd come quick enough. Dianah looked down at the demon child and offered her the friendliest, warming smile she could manage. She offered her gloved hand out once more, just as she had done back when they met on Miranda.

'Let's get you to the bathroom. Daddy will be home soon.'

[member=Jaron Lesan] | [member=Kara Lesan]​

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

This new ship was not like her home. The first thing the girl noticed, was that the lights were on in this ship. It had hurt her eyes at first, and she often sought to shield them. The second thing she noticed was that there was no layer of dust and ashes on everything. She'd spent the first few hours experimentally sticking her mouth to things around the ship, including the floors, walls, furniture, and on occasion, the woman whom she had called Ma-ma earlier.

The third thing the little girl noticed was that everything was moving. Not like the carousel, which always went around in circles, but moving more… Straight. In a line. They were going somewhere. She had missed the view of the planet she had been born on and grown up on fading into the distance, but to be honest, she would not have known it for what it was anyway.

And suddenly they were inside a house that looked like it belonged in Cale City but bigger and shinier and cleaner. As the woman turned around to speak on the phone, the little girl continued with her experiments, trying to bite every piece of solid that came her way. Almost none of it was edible. What a curious and strange place this was, where you could not actually eat anything.

The woman turned to her and spoke words. Bathroom? Daddy? Who was daddy? What was a bathroom?

The little girl took the woman's hand and squeezed it while she clutched her old doll tighter to her chest. "Ma-ma."

[member="Dianah Vi'Dreya"] [member="Jaron Lesan"]

 

[Jaron Lesan]

Miranda had been a nightmare. The plan had been to find missing personnel, but it turned into something much more complicated. Everything had been unknown to them, and their rescue plan had turned into a slaughter of cannibals. Somewhere in the middle of the fighting Dianah disappeared, and despite the bond they carried, Jaron had lost touch of her. For a while after the slaughter, Jaron had looked for her, frantic that she had gone missing herself, but he could not find any sign of her or the girl she had followed. There was no way he was telling Metus that his daughter just up and left, but everyone knew that was what happened.

Her message had saved a lot of worry, but only added speculation.

'Jaron, come home. I have a surprise...'

Jaron could only imagine what this surprise was, though her voice gave it away that it was not one that indicated he would be happy about it. Jaron knew that something out of the ordinary was up. He sighed as he walked up the ramp of the dropship which would take him back to his own. When he finally arrived to his own cockpit he tossed his helmet onto the seat next to him and prepped the ship for take off as quickly as he could. The man had gotten himself out of the atmosphere in what seemed like record time. With the coordinates punched into the nav computer Jaron let the autopilot take over so he could change out of his armor.

The one thing he was still getting used to was the fact the Viceroy had servants, but he had no problem letting them handle his armor. It was not a far journey, so Jaron took the time to rest. Fighting in the armor always had a way of making him sore, and what he wanted more than anything was a soak in a deep tub with his lover, but her message did not give him that hope. All he could do was muse on what it could be, and wonder why they had not found the child either... Dianah wouldn't have... Jaron pushed the idea from his mind.

When he arrived at the small palace which was still being constructed, the Sith walked down the ramp and along the cobblestone courtyard toward the massive doors which would spill into the main hall of the palace. A wave of his hand opened them with ease, and the miserable knight, donned in his usual black attire walked through the main hall, his voice echoing through the unfinished portion of it.

"Dianah, ner cyare, I am home," he bellowed with a happy tone in his voice. "Come, let's see this surprise of yours!"

[member="Kara Lesan"] | [member="Dianah Vi'Dreya"]​

 

[Darth Miseria]

As she made the call Dianah watched the child with careful eyes. All children explored with their mouths but very few explored with their teeth. Perhaps it was a habit she would grow out of, after all she had been in the business of biting everything back on Miranda. Only the things she bit were flesh and blood and she expected them to come away, just as she expected the furniture or the walls to come away when she bit them.

The hand that slipped into Dianah's own felt dangerously thin, she was reminded of how desperately the girl needed sustenance. Yet, what did you feed a child that had been used to human flesh only hours before? Chicken? Bantha? Bacon? PORK! Dianah had often heard said that human meat tasted of pork, maybe she could convince her to try some. Instead of heading for the bathroom she took a small detour to the kitchens instead. There she re-told the tale to the staff and issued a lengthy list of orders to ensure there was an array of choices ready for when the demon child had taken her bath.

The bathroom wasn't a far walk from the kitchen. As they walked together hand in hand Dianah debated on talking to the thing, it was clear she could speak but the extent of her basic was almost entirely unknown to her. Save for a few words like 'Ma'ma' 'food' and 'no'. Dianah added it to the long list of things they would have to work on as time went by.

'Have you ever had a bath before?' Dianah spoke gently as they reached the bathroom door, pushing the heavy wood with her spare hand. It creaked open slowly to reveal the tiled floors and the gigantic ceramic tub in the center of it all. 'They're great fun. Warm and bubbly, just how I like them.'

She ushered her in and closed the door behind them. Dianah had no idea what her reaction to the water would be, but by Ragnos she stank. Just as the water began to splash noisily into the stark white bath Dianah felt a shift in the atmosphere. Jaron was home. She hadn't expected him to be so quick, but it didn't surprise her considering her speedy departure from Miranda. Dianah released the girls hand and removed the thick gloves covering her caramel colored hands. One of them dipped into the steaming water and swished it round gently to create the puffy pink bubbles Dianah had poured into the bottom of the tub.

'In here, my love!' She called out, partly hoping that Jaron would take his time coming into the bathroom. At least that way Dianah could have the demon child out of those filthy clothes and part way to looking like a normal human being again.

[member=Jaron Lesan] | [member=Kara Lesan]​

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

The little girl stared at Ma-ma as she asked her if she'd ever had a bath before. She did not know what a bath was; such words were no used on Miranda, where when one wanted to clean themselves, it mostly included wiping down with old rags, trying to preserve as much water as possible. It was a planet that did not have a sufficient amount of running water, and had even less water that was safe for washing or drinking. If the word 'water' had been mentioned, the little girl would have thought about how all the water she had ever seen was this or that shade of yellow and brown. The other words that Ma-ma used did not help to explain anything to the child, who put her thumb in her mouth and began to suck it while waiting for something to happen.

And then they were in a room, and water began to come out.

The little girl stared at it with saucer eyes, her brain trying to make sense of what she was seeing. There was water coming freely out of a hole in the wall, and the water was white, verging on transparent. Something inside of her knew that this was clean water, this was safe water.

And the child released a scream to high heavens as she realized the water was coming out freely, the water was being wasted! Nothing on Miranda was ever wasted. To let so much water out at once… What if there would be no more of it before the sun set?

She wriggled out of Ma-ma's arms and ran to the water, dipping her head into the pool that was forming, trying to drink it all. There were bubbles and there was something strange about the taste, but one could never waste water. Water was precious. Water was life. Water was more important than food. After a few gulps the little child raised her head and realized there was more water there now! There was no way she could drink it on time, make use of it before it maybe went bad. Ma-ma was wasting water!

The girl let her head drop back as she screamed again at the top of her lungs, the distress all too obvious to hear in her voice, and she launched forward again, trying to drink it. But she could not drink so much water, even if her life depended on it, and thus she had entered a vicious cycle of trying to drink, failing to lower the water level, screaming, and trying again. Soon enough though, there was too much water in her little body, and she crouched on the floor, heaving heavily before she began to vomit.

Nothing ever got wasted on Miranda.


[member="Dianah Vi'Dreya"] [member="Jaron Lesan"]

 

[Jaron Lesan]

Jaron followed the sound of his wife’s voice echoing through the main hall and down the corridor which led to the living quarters. Maybe the surprise was where his mind was, after all the closer he arrived the louder the sound of running water became. After what they had experienced on Miranda nothing sounded better than a nice hot bath with Dianah. Just thinking about it drew a smirk to his face. His miserable demeanor was nowhere to be found as his head popped into the fresher, and returned almost instantly.

His eyes set on the girl, surrounded in a mess of what he could only assume was his own vomit. Jaron wanted to sigh, and since he could not hide that fact from Dianah he let it out anyway. The disappointment was not from finding a child laying in vomit, but rather the fact he’d allowed himself to get his hopes up. Her tone of voice should have given it away, but Jaron still had a certain track in his mind when it came to thinking about the shi’ido.

With a quiet and stoic expression, Jaron reached down and scooped up the girl, not caring if she would flail about. Not toonworied about her clothes, Jaron set her in the water, and began to peel off the rags as he did. Caring eyes turned to Dianah.

“You can finish with her, and I’ll clean up this mess. Have you called her a name yet,” Jaron spoke without an hint of disappointment.

Adoption was something that was natural in Madalorian culture, and while neither practiced the tenets to the letter, Jaron knew what Dianah has done. The child was hers and, in that right, his as well.

Jaron retrieved rags he knew they would no longer need, and a cleaning bucket from under the vanity cabinet as she answered. Quietly he set to work and soaked up as much of the puse as he could. The floor would be clean in a matter of minutes, but the stench, it would linger for a time. His nose wrinkled with every movement of the soaked rags into the bucket, nearly vomiting himself. There was something about it which was contagious, but his constitution was strong.

Once more he looked to Dianah.

“I have to admit this is true surprise. Not only will we have to tell your father we are married, but now we have to tell him we’ve adopted...”

[member="Kara Lesan"] | [member="Dianah Vi'Dreya"]​

 

[Darth Miseria]

Clearly bath wasn't a word she knew well, she could see the confusion on the small things face almost instantly. Dianah could also see the rusty cogs whirring slowly in her mind, something wasn't quite right. Her little eyes were wide and shocked as the water streamed out of the taps. It clicked just a second before the screeching started. Dianah hardly had time to focus on Jaron's slowly approaching signature, despite the emotions running through his head. Her instinct was to comfort her but just as she settled on trying to calm her down the girl made a mad dash for the bath. Dianah could only look on dumbstruck before her mind caught up with the situation.

'NO! DON'T DRINK THAT!'

The panic in her voice reverberated off the tiled walls, but it was a little too late. Green coloured spew covered the pristine white floor and spread thickly between the grouting. The smell alone made Dianah retch, despite the distinct flowery scent from the bubble bath she had used earlier. What had she gotten herself into? Dianah made a move to sweep the child up just as a heavy sigh met her ears. The air shifted around her, as did the atmosphere as Jaron walked swiftly into the room and dumped the demon child into the bath rather unceremoniously. Dianah could have kissed him right there and then but the fact that she could feel and hear the disappointment in his tone as he spoke stopped her.

'A name? Actually, I have. I wanted your opinion first though.'

That was all she had to say on the matter as she closed the distance to the bath and knelt down beside the demon child. She gathered the soft white cloth laid out on the side of the bath and used it to soak up the warm, soapy water. Dianah didn't really want to tell Jaron the name, but their shared bond had likely already given the game away. That seemed to be the only negative thing about their bond, it was even harder to hide things from him. It didn't give her the ability to foresee his reaction to things and though Jaron wasn't usually the type to have negative reactions toward her she couldn't help but feel her choice in name would rock the boat.

Jaron busied himself cleaning up the vomit. In that moment alone Dianah was more grateful for him than she could say. Vomit had never been her thing. She set her hands to wiping off as much muck from the youngling as she could. The water was already beginning to turn a dull grey colour, a stark difference to the crystal clear it had been moments before. Yet underneath all the dirt, puss, blood and now vomit a child was beginning to emerge. A soft sigh left her lips as Jaron spoke once more, his words lingered in her mind for a long minute before she replied. Jaron wasn't saying no, he couldn't say no, but Dianah still felt like she owed him some kind of explanation.

'I couldn't just leave her there. Look at her, she's half dead already and I accidentally killed her Mother...' Dianah spoke quickly, barely giving her own mind time to catch up, never mind allowing Jaron to interject. 'They ate people Jaron, what kind of life is that for a child? You should have seen the ship she was living on, the walls would have crumbled in on them in a week, I swear it.'

Dianah was still struggling with the fact that she felt some form of sympathy for the demon child she had taken under her wing. She made it plain on her face and in her voice as she ranted. There was no reason for a Sith to care for anyone that couldn't provide a useful service to them, yet Dianah couldn't help herself. That day on Miranda she had discovered the limit to her darkness. An innocent child with little to no understanding of the Galaxy and the way it worked did not deserve to die. She hoped Jaron would understand.

[member=Jaron Lesan] | [member=Kara Lesan]​

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

She was inside the water. She was inside the water! The little girl screamed her heart out, not understanding what this feeling was. She had stood in rain before, she knew what rain felt like, but this was not like being in rain, this was more like drowning. She was dying. SHE WAS DYING! All this water was killing her! Why was ma-ma trying to kill her? Who was the man that had thrown her into the water?

But… But… She wasn't dying?

The screams stopped abruptly as ma-ma began to touch her with the white cloth. It was whiter than anything else the little girl's eyes had ever beheld. She stared at it as though entranced, watching as… Still silent and blinking with big wide eyes, she stared as ma-ma began to remove dirt from her skin. The little girl couldn't remember what her skin looked like without it. Everyone on Miranda had the grays.

"Meat," the girl smiled contently after ma-ma told the stranger about how people on Miranda ate other people, "meat good," she added, giving a firm nod before returning her gaze to how ma-ma was cleaning her, almost purring in response. Maybe this bad thig was okay, even if it was a waste. She wanted to turn the tap on to see if there was any more, but she also didn't want to move away from the white cloth thing.

[member="Dianah Vi'Dreya"] [member="Jaron Lesan"]

 

[Jaron Lesan]

"No, you couldn't leave her there, and that is one of the reasons I love you, ner cyare."

There was more truth in those words than anyone could ever know. Jaron had been abandoned by his family. His father had certainly made him feel unwanted, and Jaron refused to do that with this child. She needed a name, and Dianah had waited for his input. While this was not the surprise that Jaron had been hoping for, he still found himself happy at the thought he and Dianah were parents, or would be. He paused for a moment and looked up at the girl from where he had been cleaning the mess of puse she had left all over the place. His eyes floated back to Dianah as he stood up to his full height.

"There is only one name that I have ever cared to name a girl if I were to ever have one. If it is okay with you, there is no reason she should not have my mother's name."

Jaron could have gone without knowing the girl they were going to adopt was a cannibal, but things could have been worse? She wasn't trying to bite him at the moment, and maybe that would change later, but for now he was safe. This girl had no idea that eating her own kind was not a good thing, and Jaron knew it would be an uphill battle to get her to liking other meats. It was a battle he would fight though, he appetite could be honed for battle. This one could be a great warrior, and for now, their secret.

"The Mandalorian in you will have us taking in every stray orphan you find... perhaps the people of Krant need a benevolent gesture from their new Viceroy. The could use an orphanage that helps to facilitate adoptions. It will not make people fear you, but they will love you for it."

He turned his attention to the girl and smiled.

"You can thank the Manda, Dianah found you. She is more gracious and much less bleak than I am. You would have been miserable with me for sure."

[member="Dianah Vi'Dreya"] [member="Kara Lesan"]

 

[Jaron Lesan]

WHY!?

 

[Jaron Lesan]

JUST WHY!?

 

[Darth Miseria]

Dianah looked at Jaron with more love than she could truly express in words. She had known deep down he would support her, but to hear it from him was something of a relief. 'I can't even begin to explain how much I love you right now.' The water under her hands sloshed as she wet the now slightly grubby cloth once more. She maneuvered herself so both of her arms could sink into the warm liquid. In one fell swoop she had cupped her hands together, collecting as much water as possible, and dumped it over the top of the demon child's matted hair. A brush would do no good at the minute, it would likely snap trying to work through the tangles. It would be easier after a wash.

A grin spread over her face. 'That's exactly what I was thinking.' She didn't dare turn around to face him and show her smile, but she knew he could feel it. There was a swell of joy bubbling to the surface, the deep connection they shared would likely be brimming with it. 'Kara, hold this for Ma ma while I wash your hair.' As she tested the name she couldn't help but feel like it was a perfect fit. It was likely Kara wouldn't recognize she was talking to her, so she held the white cloth out in plain sight for the young girl to see. 'It suits her.'

Dianah reached for the bottle of fragrant soap as Jaron spoke. The idea was genius, in fact, she felt rather taken aback that it was Jaron who was talking about it. 'Cyar'ika, that is an amazing idea. I'd have to check the statistics and make sure we have all the funds. It might involve a few new mandates and a couple of new laws but... I think it's doable.' As she poured the thick soap into her palm she risked turning her head to flash him a rather impressed glance. After she had caught his gaze she turned back to massage it into Kara's scalp. The last part of his sentence had brought forth a small revelation. 'I don't think I want fear for my home world. People shouldn't live in fear. Krant is too beautiful a place to be ruled with an iron fist. Let the rest of the Galaxy fear me. Here I am just Dianah.'

A soft tut came from her lips as when he addressed Kara, though it wasn't unkind. 'You'll make a great Father. Don't doubt yourself.' She spoke with resolve, almost firmly, telling him rather than offering him a reassurance. She needed him just as much as he needed her, and Kara needed them both.

[member=Jaron Lesan] | [member=Kara Lesan]​

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

The little girl paid even more little attention as the two grownups above her were speaking. She did not understand what Manda was, she did not know what the rest of the words were either. She did not care. Her lack of care was not born of malice though; instead, her hands began to drum on the water, trying to make it splash. The occasional strange sound erupted from her, one that sounded like giggle but more… Primal.

When ma-ma waved the rag in front of her, the girl grabbed it, waning to touch it. It wasn't white anymore. It was… It was… Spoiled. With a grunt, she tossed it behind her back, not looking to where it might even land.

Her little and moved to the tap then. She wanted to touch that too. To know what that shiny brass would feel like when her skin made contact with it.

And SUDDENLY, there was water on her head.

The little girl screamed at the top of her lungs again, but remained in place. Instead of going for the tap, she turned around, looking at ma-ma. Ma-ma had been rude. So the little girl put her hands under the water and then raised them up as fast as she could, wanting to splash ma-ma in the face.

Instead, the water splashed into her own.

The little girl laughed now, and tried again, and again. By the fifth attempt, she managed to make the water go towards ma-ma and the man.

[member="Dianah Vi'Dreya"] [member="Jaron Lesan"]