Pain & Sorrow [Regret-Edition]

[Arage Bao]

Kiffu​

Republic Space​

Two days after the Bloody Fields​

[member="Lyna Moridena"]​

A couple of days have passed since Dromund Kaas. The field of blood and fire weighed upon my shoulders. The slain, Jedi and Sith alike, haunted my dreams with soulless eyes staring at me. Whispering questions of why, I never had an answer. Words of justice, and duty. Of freedom and serenity were lost to me in those nightmare-fueled fever dreams.

It was only the sun who kept me alive, it’s burning light cleansing me with each morning. Convincing me to go on, I had made a promise to her and I would keep it. Royce and his brother were on leave now, they understood I had to make this journey alone.

Too much time had passed already, I had wanted to go immediately. But wounds had to be treated, during her passing.. I didn’t even notice the deep cut in my hip. But I noticed it now. Bacta aside, I was walking with a limb. Doctors said I had to be careful, and I would make a full recovery.

We were bound for Kiffu, Diana’s family was there. By now they probably already knew what had happened, but it mattered not. I had a duty to tell them personally. They might have questions, and few others were there to answer them. We were still at war, the Sith had re-emerged without warning.

Our eyes had looked upon the Unknown Regions where the Confederation slumbered, our gaze had been set on the broken horizon of the Sith Empire. But we had ignored the lingering corruption that was far more close than we had ever expected.

The Sith were strong, and we were overcommitted. Many Jedi had lost their way, including Daella, once friend to Diana. Sopher too was gone, with his new Master. Few others had been close to the Blade of the Order, not that I had been that.

But I had a duty, and I would fulfill it.

My ship landed in the Port of Kiffu, but it took me some time to find the proper house. Two droids were behind me, carrying obscured packages, which were filled with Diana’s possessions. As I stepped to the door, I could already feel pain radiating from the house.

Pain and sorrow and anger.

They knew already.

I carried on still, my hand knocked courtly against their door and then I waited.

 

[Cedric Dorn]

What greeted Michael was not a warrior, not a great soldier or a Guardian for peace. No, what opened the door was a kindly looking woman with black hair and gray eyes, whose facial structure resembled Diana's though her cheekbones were far higher. The womans gray eyes were puffy and red, tears still glistening slightly within them. She smiled at Michael, as if instantly recognizing him as an old friend, though of course it was his robes that gained him such a friendly smile.

“Hello.”

Her voice was cracked and Broken, unable to keep steady with the despair she still felt.

Behind her was a flurry of activity. A young woman ran from one side of the room to the next, throwing about clothes, weapons, and what appeared to be a small doll dressed as a Jedi. The voice of a man yelling could be heard as well, stern, but not at all harsh.

“I'VE LOST ONE DAUGHTER TO THE SITH! I WILL NOT LOSE ANOTHER.”

The girl stopped behind her mother, far off into the room of course but she was clearly visible to Michael. Lyna Moridena was the spitting image of her sister, the two very well could have been twins if it had not been for Lyna's cool gray eyes.

“No. You wont.” The girls voice was harsh and biting, as if it constantly dared everyone around her to a fight. “But they're about to lose a whole lot of Sith.”

A sigh of exasperation could be heard coming from the male voice, and Lyna stalked over to another end of the small home, clearly she was gathering supplies. The woman that had greeted Michael ignored all this, acting as if it hadn't actually happened.

“May I help you Master Jedi?”

Her voice was motherly as could be.

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Lyna Moridena"]

Over her mother’s head I could see Lyra, packing it seems for something. The words came later, and I understood she wanted vengeance. I blinked. Then my eyes focused again on the mother, teary-eyed and sadness radiated from her. But in spite of it all, she kept her calm and that was something I could respect.

“Merely a Knight, my Lady. I.. have come from the fields of Dromund Kaas with news. But it seems it has preceded me already. I can.. return later, if my presence is an inconvenience now.”

Voices in anger, her father did not want her to go. She wished for blood, in that she was a stark contrast to her sister. Diana had been one of the finest warriors the Order had ever seen, but serenity had been her armor always.

If needed, I would return later. They needed time to heal, that much was for sure.

 

[Cedric Dorn]

“No. Please, come in.”

Diana's mother inclined her head an swung the door open to allow Michael the pass her. As soon as Diana's father saw the door move open and instantly his tone of voice changed. His eyes stared daggers at Lyna however. His were orange, like those of Diana, and their familial ancestor, Moridin. His expression was one not of anger, but concern, and despair. He looked as though he did not want to lose the one thing he had left.

“Don't worry.” Lyna's voice turned from a tempest of anger into a more soothing tone. Walking up to her father and ignoring Michael completely, she patted the hulking man on the shoulder. Rubbing at ancient Kiffari tribal tattoos before speaking. “I'll be okay. They won't see me coming.”

She nodded over towards the ancient particle beam rifle, a weapon meant to hit hard and kill Energy Spiders here on Kiffu, though it would be well suited against Sith, lightsabers didn't work against Particle Beams. Lyna's father nodded, as if knowing she was right.

“We have company.”

Her mothers voice seemed to break Lyna out of some sort of spell, and her eyes snapped over towards Michael. It didn't take long for her to recognize the Jedi robes, and she huffed slightly, stalking off to continue packing.

 

[Arage Bao]

Lyra was nothing like her sister, I had already seen that. But I didn’t judge her, Diana was dead. If I, who had only exchanged few words in a single conversation, had a tough time with it.. how would she feel? Never had siblings, but I went through the loss of two parents in short succession, I could understand part of her fury and pain.

I had lived it myself.

“Lord, Lady Moridena.” I said with a deep bow, wincing just a little bit at the ache of my side. “I wish to share with you my deepest regrets, I have collected Diana’s belongings and brought them here.” Almost on cue the droids stepped in, and carefully placed the boxes into the room, and then retreated again.

“If there is anything I can do, please tell me.”

 

[Cedric Dorn]

Diana's mother stared at the boxes for a few moments, it must have seemed like hours to her. She stared, her eyes shifting from box to box and tears welling up within her again. The little woman shifted slightly, only stopping herself from bursting into tears when her husband placed a hand on her shoulder.

Despite the two of them, it was Lyna who stepped up the droids and opened the boxes.

In one lay Diana's armor. The broken helmet and the pristine fiberplast plates, the custom made jetpack and the perfectly hemmed suit. It would be too small for Lyna to wear, but she ran her fingers over the shattered mask, as if in reverence. Her head then shook slightly to the side, and she crossed over to the other droid. In that box she found something more familiar. Dianas twin violet lightsabers, her gun, and a collection of knives.

The young woman did not dare pick up the lightsabers, instead taking one of the more viscous looking knives, a serrated curved blade that looked eager to bite into flesh. She watched it for a time, seeing her own reflexion in the blade...a reflexion that looked like Diana. With a scowl she flicked the knife into her belt, turning and carrying on with her packing.

“Her body?'

It was the only question Diana's mother asked. They had no knowledge of the Force, they did not know that there was no body to be brought back.

 

[Arage Bao]

They didn’t know. Of course they didn’t, the Force was a strange entity which seemingly no rules. How would I explain this? My hands crossed themselves behind my back, and I regarded the mother in silence. Waiting for her to calm down a bit.

“Diana was the representation of what it meant to be a Jedi. When she.. passed, her body turned into raw energy. She became one with the Force.”

My hand fidgeted a bit with my sleeve, trying to ease their minds, just a little bit.

“She is at peace now, my Lady.”

 

[Cedric Dorn]

Diana's mother and father looked at one another in confusion, as if they did not believe Michael. Slowly however acceptance crossed their faces. Michael was a Jedi, so of course he would not lie, there was no reason to here, especially after he had brought them their daughters last remaining possessions. They both sighed slightly, and nodded their heads, coming to terms with something they quite honestly did not fully understand.

“Thank you.”

Was all her father said.

Lyna on the other hand simply stared at Michael, her eyebrow cocked and a look of disbelief on her face. Diana had of course explained the force to her at length, but she had never mentioned becoming...pure energy. For some reason the Scout found it hard to believe that her sisters body had simply...disappeared.

She looked at him for a moment, then to her parents. “You.”

Lyna pointed at Michael, and then towards the door. They would discuss things more privately, she was packed and ready to go, and it was time to leave, time to begin her mission. Before closing her backpack Lyna grasped Diana's lightsabers gently in her palms, slipping a bolt of cloth around them and placing them in her pack.

She did the same with the Morp Gun, but left the armor to her parents.

Once Michael was outside she bade her mother and father goodbye, hugging them and squeezing them both with tears in their eyes. She promised to return, and to remain in communication. Then she followed after the Jedi Knight out the door.

“Diana had an apprentice, Avalore.” It was a statement, not a question. “Where is she?”

Lyna had met Avalore only once before, but she knew that Diana would want the girl to have her lightsabers. That would be her first task, the first thing she would do before killing Sith.

 

[Arage Bao]

When the father thanked me, I wanted to ask him what for? I hadn’t done anything. But instead, I just gave him and his wife a silent deep bow, again wincing at my damn side. Sometimes the only thing a family need is closure, and with the return of their daughter’s possessions their healing process could start.

I wouldn’t be able to do much more than that.

When Lyna asked me for a private conversation, I quarked my eyebrow, but in the end followed her. Their farewell was short, but emotional. I walked a few steps away from them, allowing them a small measure of privacy.

They deserved at least that.

My eyes scanned the horizon, the sun was setting and dusk was upon us. The sky was painted in red hues, it reminded me of the fields of Kaas. Blood and fire.

“Cato Neimoidia.”
I answered her, eyes still lingering at the beautiful and dreadful sight.

“Her temple.”

 

[Cedric Dorn]

Well Lyna supposed that made sense.

Diana had told her of the temple she had constructed on Cato Neimoidia. It was her sisters favored world in the Republic and the temple there had been a labor of love. It was small in comparison to other Jedi temples, and truly it supposedly held only about a hundred or so Jedi at a time, but it was where Diana had made her home, high up in the mountains of Cato Neimoidia.

She let out a loud sigh, realizing that she would have to venture to those awful bridge cities of the bug eyed Neimoidians. Closing her eyes Lyna pinched the bridge of her nose in exasperation, knowing full well how difficult it would be for her to gain access to a Jedi temple on her own.

Lyna glanced at Michael, her tone softening slightly. “Thank you for bringing her things.”

With that she turned away from the Jedi, having nothing more to say. Her ship about nearly an hours walk away from here, and she wanted to get going as fast as possible.

 

[Arage Bao]

As she started leaving there was a tug, an echo from the Force. Or maybe I was just tired, and somehow felt responsible for Diana’s death. Either way, I felt compelled to help her sister out.

Maybe, I was just a sucker for women who needed help. Damn I really need to get some help for that.

I sighed to myself, and then turned around. Calling out to her.

“You will need someone to vouch for you, if you want to enter the Temple."

 

[Cedric Dorn]

Lyna stopped in her tracks. He was right of course, but she didn't exactly want a Jedi traveling with her. For a few moments she thought. She could simply leave him on Cato Neimoidia, dump him there and move on to Dromund Kaas. It was simple, and Cato Neimoidia was really only a few days journey from here, she wouldn't have to put up with him for long.

She let out a sigh.

“Come on then.” Her voice was less then thrilled, but she waved for him to follow along. In her head a plan was already forming. Give Avalore the lightsabers, get off Cato Neimoidia, get to Dromund Kaas, find out who killed her sister, and proceed to murder everyone they had ever come in contact with.

That thought made her smile, and her trigger finger itch.