Private Tether

[Srina Talon]

Direct Tag: Darth Empyrean

______________________________________
​

In the twilight between sleep and wakefulness, she found herself adrift in a realm of shadows and silver light. The world around her shimmered with surreal clarity, reality with softened edges, that allowed a dream more vivid than any memory to take hold. The gold-hewn hollows of her eyes had been rendered distant and blank for quite some time while she stared into nothingness. The place where her spirit should have been, her soul, was inexplicably empty. Her body stood atop a barren cliff, the obsidian rock beneath her bare feet warm and familiar. Below, a sea of dark mist churned and roiled, neither threatening nor welcoming.

It was chaos.

When a figure appeared on the horizon the wintry marionette seemed to find some thread of life to hold on to. The pale fire her form was missing suddenly seemed to ignite. Life filled the emptiness of her being and color began to spread through a land that seemed malleable with her mood. He was there. She couldn't quite make out his features…It left her heartblind.

"…I'm waiting for you…"

The soft statement was little more than a breathy whisper that felt out of place in such a suspended moment. He was the missing piece. The part of her that she could never express, never know, because the man he had been, the lover, the husband, had been consumed by the parasitic force that ensured his rule. She was cold. Broken. He had been her warmth. His wit and sarcasm, his way with words, the force that held her together. He made her what she was—Just as much as she had grown into her own. "…I will always be. Here, meldanya."

"Even if you take pleasure in being...Late.."

But, this figure in the distance couldn't hear her.

He never could.

The alabaster woman remained motionless; her silhouette framed against a sky fading from deep orange into purplish-black. There was wind, cool and insistent, pulled on silken strands of partially braided hair and turned it into glimmering thread. Her clothing was modest, and plain, a simple white shift with a few buttons at the top. A grey shawl looped through her arms as if it might ward off the chill…But it never did.

Srina searched the edges of the figure but knew better than to give chase. The closer she got—The further away he appeared. She scanned the place where the sea of mist met the sky and tried to will the scenery to change. To move the earth, the landscape, rather than moving them. Perhaps then her sleep wouldn't punish her so with his image, so distant, and rare. She could feel the absence of his presence like an ache deep within her chest—A hollow space that only he could fill. Though people oft surrounded her…

This was a loneliness she was required to hide.

This dream, reoccurring, was her refuge.

A place where she could lower her guard and some level of acceptance. She could shed the game of pretend that she carried for the Imperial Court and gentle the calculating exterior that was required to survive. She could reach for him, for Maliphant, Empyrean, her Rhysion, and do so without fear or restraint. It was only in her mind. It couldn't be manipulated, used, or turned against either of them when the time called for it.

In the waking world, Srina had to be a paragon of control and pragmatic focus. Every decision, every action, was premeditated for the benefit of either her children or the empire. But here, in this dream, she allowed herself to acknowledge the depth of her longing, the raw, unguarded desire to be near him. To have the quiet moments, simple moments, that they had been denied the day of his death onward.

To see him in a place where he wasn't in pain, knowing, she could do nothing to help him.

Her fingers curled into fists at her sides, the only outward sign of the tempest that was starting to rise. She missed him with a desperation that was borderline unbearable. Every moment spent in this half-life left a wound that festered, a reminder, of the price to be paid for taking on powers that were ancient and destructive. Endless, and cruel. For seeking to destroy it. The Worm had not won…Yet he hadn't lost. He had taken from them, as he always had.

He'd merely given Empyrean the ability to take from others in kind.

Pale eyelashes feathered across pale cheeks while her eyes lowered to the ground. He wasn't there. It was just the shape of him that she remembered. From before, his hair was the shade of blood. Before his eyes were made of metal. Before, his wolfish grin of the dead was set in a perpetual grimace that both comforted and destroyed her.

Before, he'd asked that she murder him.

She remembered…And so she waited for Darth Empyrean to find her. Even if it was only to catch a glimpse of what they'd sacrificed in the birth of a new era.

He always found her.

Even if it was…Just a dream.

 

[Darth Empyrean]

The Emperor of the Sith did not sleep, but he did dream.​

​

Not his own. Never his own. There were times his mind grew weary, exhausted from the days long struggle for his body and its control. His spirit had fought off the combined strength of the Worm Emperor for years now, but even still he could find it draining. No matter the seals, the spells, incantations, rituals he had performed to assist him. Relief was only temporary in all instances - but he had time to recover by leaning on his wife.​

​

When his mind grew too tired, Srina Talon would hold him up a little longer, ever close to their finish line - in whatever form it appeared. She would fight his battles, if only for a few hours, so that he might have even a moment of rest between his weeks of struggle. The pain of death had once been the worst part of his present condition, but as time went on he found its harsh edges were dulled by the more insidious nature of grief.​

​

How far he had fallen, to hope to protect his wife and children, only to require her to hold him up while he limped to a destiny that would serve neither of them. He had asked her for the only sacrifice he could imagine that might save her from the consequences of what he was going to do to kill the Worm - and for that, she had hated him. Mourned him, perhaps, but desperation had consumed him. Now, as they waited for those days to come, he only hoped a new avenue would show itself - that they might take an exit off this hyperlane of torture.​

​

Other days he could feel when she went to sleep, where he wished he could join her again. The things he would do, the sacrifices he would make for only a night to hold her. There were not words for his desire - not of lust, but of love. To feel no pain, only their skin touching as they wrapped themselves around eachother. Cradled in warmth and joy, he pictured them together as often as he could. It kept him sane, in spite of everything.​

​

He imparted these thoughts to her at times, but on the rare occasion he even fell into step and allowed himself to wander into her dreams. There they might enjoy each other's company for a little while, before the duties of an Emperor and Empress called them back to wear away on the great grindstone of power they had positioned themselves under. Today was one of those days.​

​

Between the images and considerations, the sensations and feelings that overtook her dreams, Maliphant would visit her for a little while. Rhysion Talon strode in fine garment, an immaculate braid, the picture of health with his old grin plastered on a coy expression. Even his eyes appeared normal - a light blue, bereft of any corruption. It was a figure where he had never suffered as a Slave, never grew to hate the world so deeply it infested every action and thought he had.​

​

It was a version of him that was happy, and more than anything, happy to be with her.​

​

Dreams were an odd place to be, the way they changed so impatiently. Temporal adjustments, flashing between this thought and that, it took only a moment for him to draw the Force to her and attach, like an anchor, to a single thought. A garden who's edges fell away into a cloudy abyss, where a waterfall bathed the area if the soft rumblings of tumbling water. He'd find her there, amidst it all, and approached as they had once done together over many lightyears distance from one another.​

​

"My moon and stars.", he offered her, gently wrapping his arms around her from behind, intertwining his fingers with hers.​

​

"Is it a restful slumber, or just a quick nap?", he said with a devilish coyness.​

 

[Srina Talon]

Direct Tag: Darth Empyrean

______________________________________
​

She felt the world shift beneath her feet.

What was once a barren cliff dissolved into a lush garden that seemed to stretch infinitely. The air was heavy with the scent of night-blooming flowers, their petals soft, glistening beneath shifting twilight. Aureate eyes took in the sight of a small waterfall blooming into existence while the delicate sound harmonized with the quiet rustle of leaves. She recognized it from one of their many trips to Eshan…The scenery was crafted from fragments of longing and echoes of the past.

It both obliterated her heart and simultaneously made it whole.

Her clothing shifted, transforming, as things were always fluid in a dream. The dark robe that had billowed in the breeze on the cliffside melted away, gone, and her white cotton sleepwear blurred into something that fit the day they'd shared. A flowing dress of pale blue, the fabric light and soft, draping over her form like a second skin. Intricate patterns began to weave themselves on the hems that bespoke the heraldry of Clan Talon, while partially braided hair, was mostly left long and loose to her hips. It wasn't the strict, studious style of the crown, but one of home.

Srina stayed still among the flora, holding her breath, because…She could feel him. It wasn't just her imagination. Wishful thinking. Her heart quickened, anticipation threading through all that she was like a current. His presence was a balm, a touchstone that grounded her, even, in the surreal expanse of her dreams. As he wrapped his arms around her a shiver of recognition and relief coursed through her so strongly that he might feel it. His touch was familiar. This warmth…

She felt starved for it.

"Rhysion…", she breathed, falling back to the name she had given him, while emotion pressed through the shrewd exterior that she offered the waking world. Their fingers entwined and she pulled his arms tighter around her body. So tight, as if she were asking to be crushed. "I…"

Words had never been her strong suit, if only, because she couldn't align the strength of sound versus the power of a tactile response. The wintry woman leaned back against his chest and savored the way they always seemed to fit together. They had found little ways to express themselves within the confines of his condition, but this was different. She could feel his heartbeat. Her eyes closed in this rare moment of tranquility, imagining, his expression. The tone was one she knew all too well.

"My sun and sky."

A genuine smile pressed itself to her lips. It wasn't forced, barely there, or anything of the sort. Most would assume that her face might break from showing that much emotion but he would know the truth of it. Her smiles were rare, fleeting, but they did exist. Most often for him. Her form swayed a little at the question of the status of her sleep while her thumbs brushed lightly against his in a caress so soft it was barely there. "Well…", she murmured softly, tilting her head so that she could meet his gaze. It was startling, even if, she had seen it before. Blue eyes. She blinked…

Had he always been this handsome?

"That depends on you. If it is restful…Or quick."

The deadpan delivery would leave most wondering if she was being serious or not and she made no effort to help him figure it out. The vaguely impish light in her eyes settled the longer she looked at him. Tracing the lines of his face, as if, she had forgotten. Her vision shifted. White hair turned bloody red and unblemished skin took the texture of leather. For a moment, the garden burned. For a moment, she died, willingly, in his arms. Another blink wiped the vision away… Her voice when she found it was calm, though, it carried a depth of longing that was…Endless.

"…I miss you."

She turned slowly in his embrace, letting go of his hands, so that she might rest them against his cloth-covered chest. There it was again. That steady beat of his heart beneath her fingertips. It was as if Odavessa had never happened. As if she had never, ever, felt him die. They were whole in this place…Even if it was only for a little while. Slowly, she leaned up on her tiptoes and kissed his chin.

It was soft, tender.

Completely, out of character. But…For Rhysion? Entirely in character. This was his wife. Not his Queen nor his Empress but the Echani woman who longed for nothing more than his company. Her fingers slid up and traced the line of his jaw, touch light, but deliberate. "You do realize…"

"I will never stop fighting for you."

 

[Darth Empyrean]

"I'd be disappointed if you did.", he offered back, quietly, withheld.​

​

The power of the dream allowed the world to change on demand, and so it did. Rhysion ushered in a blanket, a small meal set out for them familiar in appearance and flavors. It was a meal he had served her on one of their dates, so many years ago, when his hands could still create. He motioned her forward, and followed close behind to find his own seat amidst the blanket. A hand carefully pulled some cheese and smoked meats from a basket, and he prepared them a small, dreamy, snack.​

​

"There will be a day you will no longer have to miss me, when all of this is behind us."​

​

It wasn't guranteed, but why focus on reality in a dream? It would serve neither of them, so he would live in spite of that cold truth. Let it stay cold and frozen somewhere far from this most holy of places. A place where they could be happy with the thought of assured hope, where their strength was still eternal and untested, a world where in they would be invincible to all that assailed them - fate or man.​

​

God they were young then.​

​

"For now, you should eat.", offering her a small gatherings of snacks he had carefully arranged in the most pleasing order of flavor combinations he could think of. It was a trifle of a thing to impart to her the flavors he knew, and thus the food would be as real as he made it, and she would know the taste of his food amidst the warmth of his love.​

​

"How fare out children? Have they conquered a world yet?"​

​

Srina Talon​

 

[Srina Talon]

Direct Tag: Darth Empyrean

______________________________________
​

Her eyes lingered on this dream form, this, unearthly being that had been her partner for decades.

How could she stop watching him?

How could she not shiver with loss when he withdrew from her even if it was to do something that any husband might do. Set down a blanket, and provide a meal, with things she recognized. Her favorite small plate dishes and snacks. It drew on memories of the flat they'd shared on Geonosis so long ago. When he would painstakingly cook and assign her lovingly with the most menial of tasks. Chopping vegetables, serving tea, and watching the timer. Srina had been so afraid to burn things that she sat right before the oven, on a stool, meticulously watching it count down.

She followed the gesture he made, as if her soul were commanded by it, and the Echani folded down like a lotus near to his side. Her legs tucked to the side, bent at the knee, swallowed by translucent blue fabric and white silk. Srina waited, patiently, because he had no idea how pleasing it was to see him doing something so pedestrian. Part of her wished they had never left Eshan so long ago.

Wished…that she had fully taken on the mantle as the matriarch of Clan Talon. She had only ever used the authority granted to her by trial of combat to safeguard her home. To ensure that their respective positions within the Sith Order didn't rain some, new, fresh hell down upon them. It had happened before. Srina had spurned, shunned the leader of a rival nation, irritated, a previous and petty Mandalore to the point where they invaded, subjugated, and orbitally bombarded her home under the false guise of the Six Sister's being slaver colonies. Her eldest sibling had died.

Srina had become an Avatar of Death in the eyes of her Naneth.

Nothing would ever change that.

But…She could protect what was left. If only she had thought to protect her husband, even, from himself and the ambition that all Sith seemed to hold. She had voiced her displeasure with the Worm countless times but perhaps she had not been loud enough. Persistent enough. Her mind often ran through what she could have done differently, how, their lives might have been entirely changed if only she had arrived to Odavessa two minutes earlier. If only, she'd been stronger.

"Even if things were changed…There will be times when you are not near. I miss you, always."

She changed her response.

Srina dared not address the elephant in the room that might shatter this dreamscape. Erase the scent of flowers, the sound, of whistling birds singing merry tunes. She could feel the reluctance in him to follow the path that went back to the truth of their situation and allowed her focus to drift back to the sustenance he had provided. She couldn't get nutrition from a dream—But the memory of flavors she had previously enjoyed would make it real. His love…made it real.

She started with a piece pale orange fruit. It went perfectly with the cheese and cleansed the palette from the stronger flavors the meat held. Thin crackers, flaky, and crip gave a little bit of structure…And her heart both bled and warmed. Everyone thought that she was the stable one, that she, was the perfect example of a wife. What they should be. Loyal, supportive.

That was Rhysion. It had…Always been him.

"They are too young for that…But one day. Their training is challenging for them on many levels, though, Carnifex often raises the difficulty to ensure their potential is reached. Our moon struggles, with her emotions. With the isolation. Our star shines bright. More level than his sibling, though, with a distinct touch of cleverness…They both remind me of you. Quinn is finding herself, slowly, but the less time she spends lost in relationships where devotion is uneven…The better."

The inclusion of the Eshan Princess would have been nothing new, but there were things that she wanted to discuss with him. She had practically raised Quinn Varanin but it was only recently that she had entirely dropped the use of "god" before the word "daughter" when referring to her. "She has become a support system like no other. In a galaxy where no one can see our beloved children for who and what they are…She sees them. They see her."

It was a family.

Even, if some of the pieces of the puzzle were lost or broken.

"I have not seen Arcturus in quite some time, but our grandson, Zachariah has returned. He has not yet come to me again…But I assume our paths will cross."

 

[Darth Empyrean]

"I wish I could help them grow into themselves.", he said quietly. There was a shame in it, but one that neither of them were unfamiliar with.​

​

"You know...", he said with a new smile, looking over to her from his relaxed position aside her.​

​

"... I never have gotten the opportunity to scare my daughters boyfriend or girlfriend. Do you think I should give it try for Quinn Varanin ?", he said with a much more familiar, devilish coyness she had fallen in love with. It was a far stretch from the monster he had become, but somewhere beneath the pain and anger - this man was still there. Somewhere.​

​

"Do you think a warning from the Emperor might help make sure they're home by 10 o'clock?", he said with a muted laugh.​

​

"As for Zachariah Conway and Arcturus - They will find their way to us, if they have need. I trust my son, and his son, to find their place in the Galaxy."​

​

And he meant that. In so far that he didn't hear of their soon to be execution, their deaths, or their enslavements. In all of those instances, he would make sure that who ever had crossed them would suffer - even if he had to use the entire Empire to do so. He only hoped that when the day came to pass, that he would fall before they did. It's a cruel thing for a father to bury his children.​

​

Srina Talon​

 

[Srina Talon]

Direct Tag: Darth Empyrean

______________________________________
​

This dreamscape was both comfort and torment.

The lush garden and its soft, shifting sunshine and twilight, seemed to cradle her longing…But beneath it all was the ever-present shadow of reality. She stayed close to him, her Rhysion, whose warmth was the only constant she could trust in this place of fleeting certainty. Watching him prepare things as he had done a thousand times before, such a simple gesture, cut deeply into her. How long had it been since they had been able to share mundane joys? Since she had seen his delightfully smug smile?

In the back of her mind…Red flashed with white. Healthy skin became leathery. His beautiful eyes dipped themselves in metal. A wolfish, rotting grin. With too many teeth. Not enough flesh.

She blinked—And the horror was gone. Rather than to chase the truth she focused on the impromptu picnic, selecting morsels, with quiet reverence. Each bite, though illusion, felt real. The flavor was real and she savored the memories that it triggered. Evenings spent within their shared flat on Geonosis while she sat perched on a stool near the auto chef in the kitchen, stubbornly, watching the timer like a hawk. He wisely only gave her a few duties lest she turn their meal into hazardous material…

But she tried. Determined; to show she could be a good partner.

She gave a ghostly smile at his teasing, aching, with how much she missed the sound of him. "I think Quinn's current choices in romantic partners would drop dead…", she responded, almost considerately, while a gleam of something that could have been called mischief flashed through her. "Though…I imagine that she would secretly be pleased. You are the only father figure she has ever known. She will interpret the threat as affection—Something she was often denied."

Srina was guilty, for that. She did all that she could to be there for Quinn Varanin but she couldn't help the sense that she had let her down early in life. The pale woman was not exceptional at expressing herself and was often taciturn, cold, and unfeeling. Her best would have confused most younglings but it had to have been difficult to peer behind the curtain to find the truth. Thankfully their shared heritage helped bridge the gap and their daughter didn't seem to blame her for her ineptitude. "Should you visit her paramour…Tread lightly. Quinn loves fiercely, though she masks it. Considering her last partner used to consume her regularly…It is an improvement. Our princess has endured enough."

She deserved more than rampant narcissism and commitment issues. Far, far more.

Her hand drifted to his, fingers intertwining, grounding her to him. Her anchor. Srina listened to his words about Zachariah and Arcturus, nodding slowly. There was some unease there born from the way their grandchildren's mother had been removed from the home, but she trusted Arcturus to make the right decisions. She still remembered holding the youngest. So soft, so small. It made her think of Lunaria and Soldane…Of the things that she would do to keep them safe. Of the people she would kill. Of the worlds she would burn. Justified, or not. "You're right…I know you are…But I worry for them. For our children.", she admitted, with more than a little difficulty.

It was weakness to express such sentiments.

Would the galaxy be kind to their children? Would it grant them space to live and grow or would it devour them as it did so many others? She wanted to believe as he did, to have faith in their resilience, but the scars of her past and the things she had endured were deep and presented clear warnings. Soldane had already been injured. Lunaria, was too emotional by half. Almost ruled by the lack of Rhysion in her life. Tortured by living a lie. "If they suffer…I will know."

"If they fall…I will catch them. They are ours…And we protect what is ours."

They were words that were both promise and prayer. As soft as it was spoken, there was steel in her tone, laced with a threat that was far more chilling than if she had threatened violence. Srina had already buried one child. She had no intention to do it ever again. Quietly, she picked at the snacks that Rhysion had prepared. Surprisingly hungry, in her sleep.

"There are times when I think…This will never stop. That we will always, only know war, even if we annihilate the Alliance and reduce the Jedi to ash. The stillness between battle has become foreign to me.", the ivory-haired woman explained, brow furrowing, while she tried to find the words. It wasn't as easy for her as it was for some. She had to think about things. Consider the implications of the words she spoke before they left her lips…"When and if it ever ends…"

"Will we still know each other?"

She didn't mean "know" in the traditional sense. Srina…Meant it in every sense. No one in the galaxy knew her the way he did. He had done monstrous things while carrying a burden no one could understand. Srina had done monstrous things, burned cities, murdered thousands, all on her own. She was not the same Echani he had married so long ago. His hand in her own, here or awake, was a relief she didn't have the words for. His caustic nature, his terrifying visage, was a balm to nerve endings that felt entirely raw and exposed. Everyone needed something from her. Forever, always.

He was the only one who wanted her. Not the Empress, Dread Queen, or Darth Omnia.

Just her. Just, Srina.

 

[Darth Empyrean]

"Hm...", he hummed quietly as he thought of her question.​

​

"When I was young, I was tortured for entertainment. Pit fights. Any number of callous acts I will never shed. They were harsh, and I reacted to them poorly in the moment - but as time passed, I think I found myself, somewhere amidst scars. I think when all of this is done... we will know eachother better than we ever have. No matter how it ends.", he said with a quiet smile towards her, reassuring, if not at least knowing.​

​

They both knew they tread dangerous waters. They had a picture of a solution, something beautiful where they all walked away from this unmarred and capable. Empyrean hoped that would be all that would come of it - but the Galaxy had a way of spitting in their faces, and in their wars today they have committed far greater sins than they ever had before. Such was simply required of them. For their dreams, for their children, and for their love.​

​

"You spoil your dream with such visceral thoughts. Have another macaroon.", he said as he pulled them from the basket and set in front of her.​

​

"But no - I won't hurt our dear Quinn Varanin , or scare her would be lovers. I choose to have faith they can survive their own choices, but as you said... should the need arise they do need help, then we will be there. I have no qualms using my authority to settle petty greivances, especially ones that threaten them. That is, of course, if they're in true danger - or if they ask for help. I won't turn them away for that either.", he mused as he popped one of the cookies in his own mouth.​

​

"Did you know I've offered all of them wealth beyond imagination, and they deny me? How cruel of them, to deny their father. Ships, star destroyers, planets! We've spoiled these children, nothing I give them is good enough. I bet they wouldn't even think my cooking good enough.", he said with a wild grin, looking back to her.​

​

Srina Talon​