Private Save the "I Told You So" for Later, Please

[Liin Terallo]

A part of me says that I should not do this. At least not with him. But perhaps that could just be my own fears getting in the way. The rumors; the near recent dinner at his family's estate; all of it could make this construed into something that it is not.

That is if he even makes the journey. For given the news that I have there is a very high chance that he will become so angry with me and so judgemental that all contact could be severed. At least that is what I am afraid might happen.

But he has to know. One way or another he will find out anyways. So it is better for it to come directly from me. But am I brave enough to tell him in person? Not in the slightest! The safest and easiest way is through a holo-message:

~Mr. Dashiell,

I hope that you are well.

I am a little nervous in expressing this, but I am in need of your expertise. Not so long ago I finished a large part of my research. It was a success! At least in most ways. My work continues however as I process and learn about the abilities and side effects.

One of the negatives is that it seems to draw Force Wizards to me like a beacon. And not all of them may be friendly. So I humbly request a few lessons in self defence, if I may. But there is no pressure. I will fully understand if you are busy or if this goes against your convictions. I will not hold it against you.

I await your response, regardless.

Sincerely,
Liin~

I send the message off and do my best to keep myself busy until a reply is received. I can only hope that he has been too busy to watch the holo-news.

Tag: Balun Dashiell

 

[Balun Dashiell]

Save the "I Told You So" for Later, Please
TAGS: Liin Terallo

~Mr. Dashiell,

I hope that you are well.

I am a little nervous in expressing this, but I am in need of your expertise. Not so long ago I finished a large part of my research. It was a success! At least in most ways. My work continues however as I process and learn about the abilities and side effects.

One of the negatives is that it seems to draw Force Wizards to me like a beacon. And not all of them may be friendly. So I humbly request a few lessons in self defence, if I may. But there is no pressure. I will fully understand if you are busy or if this goes against your convictions. I will not hold it against you.

I await your response, regardless.

Sincerely,
Liin~

Balun Dashiell scrolled over the message, his datapad held in his right hand against the surface of his office desk as he remained seated with the view of Meridian City in the transparisteel windows over his shoulders. He wasn't on Joiol at the time, but had returned to Jhaessa Prime, accompanied by Kellan Dashiell and Vesha Daruun, who shared his company this time around.

Life was constantly moving, and there always seemed to be a challenge that required his attention; a consequence to his many desires and aspirations. Balun had wished to complete his training in the Force, so he had sought a Jedi Master to train him. He had stumbled upon an undiscovered World with ample opportunities, and quickly decided it was worth investing his livelihood into. All the while with Dashiell Retrofit™ and his very Family in the background. He hadn't considered the fact that he wouldn't be able to meet the demands that each of these area's of his life required, until he had started to struggle with feeling so stretched for time and finding that he was missing out on pivotal moments in the lives of those most important to him.

Receiving Liin's message was entirely unexpected, not simply in her request but in her reaching out at all. Unless it was some sort of emergency, their contact was often minimal to none. Their last meeting had been by way of his father's invitation which had been a very pleasant evening back at their home on Joiol, and Balun had been more than glad to catch up with her after so long, having been former colleagues and all; Yet as he read the contents of her message, he soon came to understand exactly why she was seeking his audience.

[Liin,

By now, you should know that Mr. Dashiell is my father, and that you can call me Balun, or "Bale" as my friends call me.

You are right to be concerned about the disclosure of the nature of your work; however, it is not I that you need to be cautious of. There will always be people out there who will look at your work and see it as a potential weapon or a threat, as I've previously expressed to you.

I remain under the belief that this synthesised manifestation of the Force, this sentient made version, is not in line with the natural or Living Force, that which creates and binds all life together. That said, it is also not my place to judge, nor my place to correct the course of such things. If this discovery of yours is truly abhorrent to the natural cycle, then fate (for lack of a better term) will see things put right, with or without my involvement.

So where does this leave me? And the two of us?

I will help you, gladly. Regardless of whether or not I agree with your work, your well-being and safety are important to me. If I can help you learn to control these abilities, then I will do everything I can to assist you. Let us not muddy the water with discussions about the future of your work. Tell me where I should meet you and we will focus on the day-to-day.

I should warn you though that learning to use this power requires something of an open mind. You must remember that I consider myself a spiritual person with regard to the Force and while I will do what I can to minimize that kind of talk out of consideration for your beliefs, when talking about the use of our abilities, sometimes there may be occasions where I slip up. You'll have to excuse me if I sound preachy sometimes. Give me a kick in the shin every now and then if it gets too much.

Go ahead and send me your coordinates and I'll get back with an expected time of arrival]

"Speech"
'Thought'​

 

[Liin Terallo]

A reply had come. And at first glance I see that it is a long one. And that can only mean a lecture.

He begins by commenting on my use of titles when addressing him. I was raised to always do so out of respect. Only once did I ever call him by his first name, and that was during a moment of heightened frustration. And it felt strange to do so, as though his name was a foreign word that I was pronouncing incorrectly. I only stopped referring to myself with any titles once I had begun to live in exile after New Cov was taken over by invaders. I am not a lady of high standing any longer.

And then came the part about my research and how others will view it one way or another. We had gone through that discussion before. It was what had me living on the run in the first place. This is entirely different. But he'll be sure to understand that once he nears me.

For a moment I fear that he would decline to teach me. Yet those fears were unrealized the further that I read his message. And it seems clear to me that he has not paid any attention to the holo-news. He does not appear to know about the anomolies. That is a good thing.

A simple response is all that I need to send out to him:

~Old habits die hard, Balun. Or so they say. Using titles is common practice for me.

Thank you for accepting my offer. I will pay for your expenses. Consider it as being under my employ once again.

I have a secure residence on Bastion. I shall attach the co-ordinates and will notify security and the proper channels to allow you entry.

Thank you,

Liin~

Tag: Balun Dashiell

 

[Balun Dashiell]

Save the "I Told You So" for Later, Please
LOCATION: Bastion
TAGS: Liin Terallo

Three days later...​

The Liberty's Edge descended upon the landing pad designated for Balun Dashiell's arrival. The last time that he had visited the world of Bastion, it had been under the control of the Sith Order, whereas these days it was governed by the Diarchy, whom he remained rather unfamiliar with beyond their rumored attempts to distinguish themselves apart from the Imperials and Sith-Imperials, instead seeking to carve out a piece of the Galaxy for themselves under an iron dictatorship run by the old playbook of 'nessecary evils'. Peace through power, yet not to the extent of being ostracised and identified in the same league as the Sith, so to speak. That was the impression Balun had gained through word of mouth, and nothing more conclusive or fact-based.

Thankfully, today wasn't about a meeting of political minds, or even corporate interests. He had arrived to assist Liin Terallo in her request as he had given her his word, and to that extent, it didn't matter to him where she called home. She could have lived on a Sith Holy World for that matter, and he'd still have made the trek, running the risks for the sake of a friend. Whether it was a case of complete idiocy or strength of ideals, sometimes the line between such things could be difficult to distinguish, yet he had arrived in a timely fashion, given his travelling from High Republic Space, his fight departing straight from Jhaessa Prime without a single stop on the way to his arrival on Bastion itself.

Against his better judgment, Balun had brought his Son and Vesha Daruun along for the journey. He didn't necessarily like the idea of Kellan Dashiell having to accompany him this far into the northern territories, through the old systems that once played home to the Sith. His boy was, after all, half Sith-Spawn by blood, thanks to his Mother, and due to that single fact, Balun was overly cautious regarding his Son being influenced by the Dark Side of the Force. Typically, all Force Users were susceptible to the influence of the Dark Side, but for those created by Sith Alchemy, that influence was inherently strong. Kellan, while not a creation of the Sith, still had Nouqai Veil's blood running through his veins and therefore her legacy. Likewise, her strengths and her weaknesses.

"Vesha. No one goes near the boy without my approval." Balun instructed the boys' caretaker as they moved toward the rear of the ship, stopping only to ensure that the Zabraki Woman had heard him. Naturally, she had, as while she appeared sentient on the outside, her internal makeup was entirely artificial. "Terallo is the only one that I trust here; everyone else is fair game. Her hospitality shouldn't be compromised, but I don't like being back here, so keep an eye on Kell at all times. Don't let him slip away from you," Balun elaborated before smacking the loading bay release button with an open palm, the cargo bay lighting up with a flashing yellow light as if a silent alarm had been triggered. The bay depressurised and the landing ramp opened, soon lowering to the hangar floor.

After the recent battle of Sarko IV alongside the Jedi of the Republic, it was difficult to shake the tension that had remained in his shoulders, let alone how tired he felt mentally. Balun led Vesha and his three-year-old son down the landing ramp and out into the open air of the Hangar, searching for Liin and whoever her entourage would encompass, unsure what kind of welcome party to expect.

While being out this far north, he couldn't help but also wonder if Cerys Dyn had possibly come out this way after she had fled the battle. Why had she disappeared that day when they could have all fallen back together, and why had she not returned to Naboo with him and Brandyn still confused and frustrated him. To some extent, it reminded him of Nouqai, back when she was first with the Sith Empire, never knowing if she had been safe or not. Never knowing what she had been doing, what nefarious acts the Sith had been influencing her to do to others, yet Cerys wasn't like that. She must have had her reasons, but Balun just couldn't understand or see why or how as of yet.

Jedi Master: Ala Quin
Major Faction: The High Republic
Sub-Faction: Jhaessa Prime
Conglomerate: Dashiell Incorporated™
Subsidiary Company: Dashiell Retrofit™​

"Speech"
'Thought'​

 

[Liin Terallo]

The time was picked, as was the day for his arrival. And of course I was nervous about it the closer that the time came. I can only hope that his father is unaware of this meeting and my request, for I have little doubt that he would see it as some excuse for some romantic rendevous; which of course it is not! And with the two Diarch brothers busy running their sector of the Galaxy as well as looking after their families; who else do I know that could help me? There is no one else. And I do not need others to learn about what my research has accomplished just yet. For as some has warned me; they will see me as either a threat to others, a threat to myself, or something to be used to their benefit. I know that he will not be pleased about it, yet I hope that he can spare the lecture and just be of some assistance.

As his ship landed, I waited at the hanger on my own. I had requested some privacy for this and given my connections; it was not a difficult thing to get. So there I stood, by myself. Fortunately I had some wine earlier, so that at least helped to calm the nerves a little so that I did not accidently use my abilities. Still, I felt my heart beat a little faster once the ramp began to lower. I blinked in surprise as I saw that he was not alone and had brought his son and his caretaker for this trip. How very much unexpected that was, indeed.

I cleared my throat a little before speaking, not entirely sure if I had already felt different to him. Or if such a thing only happens when I try to use my abilities. Either way, I have to try to put my best foot forward.

"Welcome to Bastion. I hope that your journey went well."

Tag: Balun Dashiell

 

[Balun Dashiell]

Save the "I Told You So" for Later, Please
LOCATION: Bastion
TAGS: Liin Terallo
NON-PLAYABLES: Kellan Dashiell & Vesha Daruun

​

"Welcome to Bastion. I hope that your journey went well."

Balun smiled upon seeing Liin Terallo , leading Vesha Daruun with Kellan Dashiell alongside her, over to greet their host for this trip. She had decidedly greeted them independently of an entourage, which was quite honestly perfect for him. Balun wasn't certain what standing was that he would have in the eyes of the Diarchy, especially given his history of fighting Imperial-types.

"Good to see you again Liin" he greeted her, soon turning side on and encouraging his three-year-old son to come to his side; "You've met Kellan and Vesha before. I figured a change of scenery would do him some good, but we'll not be hindered from the reason I'm here, I assure you" he explained.

Vesha Daruun remained every the stoic Zabraki symbol of femanine strength that she was, although a biot in all but appearance. Now that they weren't in the company of his father, Balun was less concerned about Liin potentially picking up on the lack of sentient life-force coming from her. If she were able to sense life around her, given her current point of progress in her newfound abilities.

"Da, what's wrong with her?" Kellan asked. At three years old, consideration for how he spoke and how others were subsequently made to feel was still something that he was learning. The young Sith-spawn lads bright cyan eyes, stared up at Liin as though she might be feeling ill.

"That would be the Bantha in the room, kiddo", Balun replied with a quiet chuckle as he glanced down to his son, placing a hand atop the boy's crowned head, brushing back the tendrils that surrounded his human hair. "Miss Terallo here is a very good friend, but the Force doesn't respond to her the same way that it does to us and that's why I'm here to help her figure some things out" Balun explained to Kellan before glancing back to Liin.

"How about we talk about things somewhere more...-Quiet?", he chose his words intently, mindful of Liin's feelings on the matter and the potential risks of others nearby hearing their conversation. Balun wasn't certain how protective the Diarchy would be of Liin's work, yet the potential for there to be spies lurking around every corner hadn't exactly gone over his head.

Jedi Master: Ala Quin
Major Faction: The High Republic
Sub-Faction: Jhaessa Prime
Conglomerate: Dashiell Incorporated™
Subsidiary Company: Dashiell Retrofit™​

"Speech"
'Thought'​

 

[Liin Terallo]

I dip my head to them all in greeting. I was a little unsure of the entourage that he brought with him. That is until the little man spoke. He could feel it as others have. Perhaps that in and of itself is some kind of test.

I give the little man a polite little smile, hopefully letting him know that his question was okay to ask. But I have not been around children since I went to school at a young age myself. So this is highly unusual for me and puts me a little outside of my depth. "Yes, I am hoping to get some lessons while you are here." My response was to the little Dashiell. Shortly thereafter I turn my attention to Balun and gesture for him to follow. "This way, please. My residence is on the other side of the park. And not to worry; there are enough guest rooms for each of you. The Diarchs' have done their best to have me be made comfortable. I helped to fund them when they first began; so in a way this is a return on that investment."

The walk through the park is a peaceful one. There are fields, trees, flowers, pathways and little forests. I often venture into one of the forests to try to hone in my abilities on my own. And there is little doubt in my mind that that practice will continue. Afterall it is not safe to practice inside of my residence. Something could fall and break!

Tag: Balun Dashiell