Private Sins of the Father | Isley

[Kenji Verd]

The Things We Leave Behind​

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SHUIQUI​

Tagging: Darth Metus
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The young man walked towards the small building he had traveled to many times, his feet slowly sinking into the mud as he stepped into the doorway, slipping off his shoes beside the door and walking in, "Yǒurén zàijiā ma?"

A small woman peeked from around the corner, her eyes meeting the man and giving him a warm smile as she walked over to him, wrapping her small arms around the man squeezing him tightly her hair long and straight with soft facial features, but the wear on her hands had come from the many years of farming that she had done. Their eyes met as he smiled back, "Huānyíng huí jiā er zi."

The taller man nodded softly before he let go of his mother, motioning towards the table before he made his way into the kitchen. He hadn't been home in many years, but he knew that he should treat his mother as he would've before he was taken away. Everything in the kitchen was where his mother had left them when he left all those years ago.

His hands worked automatically as he put together the ingredients of his mother's favorite dish, the young man felt the eyes of his mother burning a hole in his back as he cooked, the pot boiling before him as he stirred the contents of the bowl, the fragrance inside slowly beginning to fill the entirety of the house as he could feel his mothers mood shift from happiness to pure joy behind him.

Walking over the Kenji placed both bowls before the pair and he sat down beside his mother and began to eat with her, both of them remaining silent as they ate. Slowly they both finished and all Kenji could feel was his mother's hesitation to ask him about anything that had happened since he had left all those years ago. "Hái yǒu yīcì māmā, wǒ zhǐshì lái gàosù nǐ wǒ hěn hǎo." His mother nodded and the pair began to reminisce about the days past and his time growing up on the small farm.

Kenji was up with the rising sun, leaving his mother with a gift before he slowly stepped out of the house into the dewy morning, the thickness of the hair filling his lungs as he walked off the small farm he had once called home, he knew his mother would be sad that he hadn't stayed longer, but he knew he could not stay there forever, he wasn't sure where his path would lead, but he knew that it was not there.

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Spoiler: Translation

• Yǒurén zàijiā ma? - Anyone Home?
• Huānyíng huí jiā er zi - Welcome home Son
• Hái yǒu yīcì māmā, wǒ zhǐshì lái gàosù nǐ wǒ hěn hǎo - Another time mom, I just came to show you I was okay

 

[Darth Metus]

Wearing: Executive Formal Wear​

SHUIQUI - FARMLAND

Shǒuhù Tiānshǐ.

Two simple words carried a lifetime of meaning. They conveyed gratitude, happiness, and sorrow. A lifetime ago, a hot-blooded Mandalorian descended upon the distant world. His battle was with a mark - a man guilty of many crimes throughout the Outer Rim. Isley was not a warrior of righteousness in those days - his sword was available to those who had coin. The client...or rather clients...were a community. A quiet commune of farmers who wanted their home back. They scraped together the Mandalorian's sum and off to battle he went. He was confident in his skill - perhaps too much. Isley did achieve victory. Isley did tear the head clean off of the target. Isley liberated the daughters who were kept under the monster's lock and key.

But, he was far from unscathed.

While the victims fled home, one stayed. And within the battle-scarred warehouse, she tended to his wounds. She called him Shǒuhù tiānshǐ. And for just a moment, his hot-blooded nature cooled. In the coming days, Isley would take nothing from the farmers. Their fee was returned. He saw to it that the woman who had cared for him was in turn cared for. She had asked him to stay - to consider a life of peace and quiet here in the Outer Rim. But the nature of his people called him home. Battle was his religion. To follow his King was his way. They savored their time together before he departed, leaving behind a gift and legacy. He was woefully ignorant of this fact - but his flesh and blood lingered long after his departure.

A son, born with his might. But thankfully, not his temper.

In the present day, the hot-blooded Mandalorian had matured into a charismatic entity. His beskar'gam was exchanged for suits and ties. And though he yearned for the weight of armor upon his person, duty demanded of him this path. Today, as his world was quiet, Isley returned to the path of old. Returned to see the woman who had called him Shǒuhù tiānshǐ all those years ago. As morning broke over the farmland, Isley strode quietly down the path. He did not expect to see any travelers along the way - but he was not alone. Before him strolled another. One whose might he could feel. A rarity to be sure, especially around these parts. Curiosity saw him raise a hand in greeting as they approached.

"Good morning" he said in the local tongue. "Do you know if Keiko still lives here?"

Kenji Verd​

Spoiler: Translation

Shǒuhù Tiānshǐ - Guardian Angel

 

[Kenji Verd]

The Sum of Experience​

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SHUIQUI​

Tagging: Darth Metus
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Keni kept his hands in his pocket, the cold breeze of the early morning flowing over his form as he took a soft breath, slight wisps escaping from his lips as he continued back towards the space-port to catch a ride off-planet to continue on his way doing good throughout the galaxy, the man was no being of light, but he did wish to make a difference.

Kenji thought back to the day he was taken from his mother, being forced to train in the darkness that the force held within itself. He remembered being honed in swordsmanship and in his ability to harness the force for his own will. During these years of turmoil is where the young man found a master who saw the boy's true potential outside of this small planet.

He thought of Master Zhou and how he saw that he had more strength than just fighting for the Noble houses that resided on Shuiqui to ascertain dominance over one another in the eyes of their Emperor. Zhou had taken Kenji under his wing and taught him much more about the galaxy as a whole and how Shuiqui was a small dot in comparison to the entirety of the galaxy. This is where Kenji had was truly forged as a weapon of peace, spending less time in the combat styles taught to him by his captors and taught how to perfect multiple forms of lightsaber combat, mostly focusing on fighting multiple opponents. Zhou also taught the young man how to use the force for more than just war and how the force was truly tied to both the light and the darkness that resided in the galaxy.

All of this thinking was soon disturbed by the feeling of a presence coming towards him, Kenji glanced up from his downward glance and looked upon the figure, he saw a man dressed in clothes clearly not from this planet, he seemed too well dressed to be out this far from any of the main cities. Kenji figured the man must have had his reasons to be out here. When the man outstretched his hand all Kenji could do was give a nod.

"Good morning" he said in the local tongue. "Do you know if Keiko still lives here?"

Kenji raised a brow as he heard the foreigner's use of his native tongue, it had clear indications of being foreign but was still as crisp as running water and was understood easily to the young man. "Good morning to you as well....." he began to respond before he heard mention of his mother's name stopping him dead in his trail, "How..... how do you know my mother?"

Growing up Kenji had learned much of his mother's life and truly didn't recall her ever talking about a man like this before, he could only imagine what his mother was hiding from him, and what this man had to do with his mother.

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[Darth Metus]

Wearing: Executive Formal Wear​

SHUIQUI - FARMLAND

The man paused.

For a moment, the sable-skinned manned wondered if the traveler was simply going to point him in the right direction. His footsteps ceased immediately - and Isley could feel. Curiosity radiated from the young man, enough so that Isley lofted his brow momentarily. The reason why? The native tongue fell from the traveler's lips with the answer. Keiko, the one who dubbed the Mandalorian Guardian Angel so long ago, had a son. "Ahhh," he began.

Immediately, Isley began to think. The one before him was a young man...similar in age to the majority of his children. But, he appeared to be cut from the same cloth as the natives around these parts. Isley knew better than to trust this as the sole truth. His son Rann and daughter Morrigan were proof of that much. For but a moment, he entertained the notion - but simply dismissed the thought as quickly as it came. "Our story, Keiko and I, is very old." he answered, once more speaking in the native tongue.

"When we were young, the farmers were slaves to an evil man. He took their daughters, their coin, and their land. They hired a warrior to end this crime." By his estimation, the story would have been one well known around these parts. "I was that warrior. Keiko was one of the daughters taken. She was kind enough to care for my wounds after."

"It has been...a lifetime. I wanted to see her before.."

He mulled over his words, deciding whether or not to divulge what was on his mind. "It's simply been too long."

He motioned towards the young man.

"I didn't know she had a son. It's good to meet you."

Kenji Verd​

 

[Kenji Verd]

A Lifetime of War​

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SHUIQUI​

Tagging: Darth Metus
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The younger man looked at the mysterious man before him, listening to his words as he stood before him, his mind listening to the man's story, taking in the information quietly, the thought of his mother being taken was one that had frequented his mind, but he had heard this story, but his mother most certainly only ever was sparing was the details.

Kenji nodded towards the man softly, as he extended a hand, "Kenji is my name, I would be more than happy to lead you back to my mother's house, she would've just gotten up, I was hoping to leave without a trace but I see fate has something else in mind for me today." he said giving a warm smile chuckling.

He could feel the man connected within the force, he couldn't make out the details as he could with those who were trained around these parts, so he knew this was at least a man with great skill and power with the force, but beyond that, he could not grasp the man before him.

Falling into pace beside the sharp-dressed gentleman he led him forward onto the path he had just walked, his steps still fresh in the slightly damp soil, his mind gently whispering from one thought towards another whilst he walked.

"It has been many moons since I have heard your story, however brief it was when my mother told it, I have also heard whispering here and there from the others from my village but it has been many moons and was before my birth for me to remember your exploits."

Kenji had met a few Mandalorians in his time, and if the story he knew was to be true he was very underwhelmed by the man's appearance, but what he felt told him that he was powerful enough that carrying around beskar was unnecessary for the older gentleman.

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[Darth Metus]

The Son of Keiko extended his hand.

Thinking nothing of the gesture, the Sith reached out in turn. A firm shake was given - but in the moment of release, the Force howled within the rear of Isley's mind. An awareness. Such that his eyebrow lofted ever so slightly. It was the same sensation he'd behold when speaking to a sibling, or one of his many offspring. Interesting. Holding his peace for the time being, Isley simply nodded and offered an equally warm smile. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Kenji." he began, before motioning towards his mother's abode. "Pleaase, lead on."

Together they strode, initially in silence, until Kenji spoke of the tale.

Isley nodded. In places such as these, where it is easy to fall back into the routine of life, the tales of old suffering can easily grow quiet. They are never forgotten, for the scars run deep. But when the harvest is on the horizon, it is more important to reap than to wallow. For winter always comes - new suffering may not. "I consider you fortunate then." he answered. "This land must have known peace for the story to not have floated. I can only hope I assume correctly."

By the time he finished his thoughts, the pair had reached Keiko's residence.

Isley stepped forward and gently knocked on the door.

Kenji Verd​

 

[Kenji Verd]

Where does this lead?​

_________________________________________________

SHUIQUI​

Tagging: Darth Metus
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Kenji stood just behind the older man as he heard the rapping of knuckles on the old door. The sound of light footsteps could be heard as they made their way from the inside of the home, "Honey what did you forget, you have not even been gone long enough for me to miss you...."

The sentence stopped abruptly as the door opened up and Kenji's mother took in the sight of Isley once more, the swelling of emotion in her chest as she looked upon the man who gave her the most precocious gift in her life, her child Kenji.

Tears hung at the corner of her eyes before she shook them off slightly a frown returning to her face, "You said you would come back." These words were not like the others, they were much colder then before, her initial reaction hidden under the dense shell that was Keiko proving resilient even in such unique a situation.

In the whirlwind of emotion that his mother was feeling there was Kenji, as confused as ever about what his mother was even talking about, and what the waves of emotion that had just rushed across her had been about.

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