The Beginning of It All

[Aela Talith]

Power would begin to flow.

“Focus.” She said quietly. “Remember, you have to take control, you have to take the power. I can't.”

He was the one that knew how to navigate of course, he was the one who had to direct their power. That smaller trickling river within Aela, that tiny speck of power, as Micah grasped her hands it began to grow. The force began to flow from her, and their bond, that tiny clasping bond that existed between all siblings began to steadily grow.

It was an oddity at first, a strange prickling sensation at the back of her neck, but she felt it, slowly and steadily their consciousness began to touch, memories and thoughts floating together as their powers melded.

That trickling river formed into a stream, then a river, then a pouring ocean of power.

 

[Micah Talith]

Focus she said.

Well, it started out easy. He was able to slip into that meditative center of his that would help him gain his focus. His brow would wrinkle into a frown, however, once things started to feel a bit... strange.

He could feel Esmae. He always could. His dad back when Micah first attempted to track his sisters in a game of hide and seek told him to imagine a pond. A pond where he could calm the water until it was as smooth as glass. That from there, he would the tiny ripples that bonded him to his sisters, where he could follow like a line to a hook until he reached them. That pond had turned into a lake now, a wider range for him to reach for.

This. This was different.

Warmth would grow within his hands, radiating from his eldest sister. It wasn't the heat of flesh, no it was the wash of the Force. The Force through her.

And crashing into him.

It was like a damn had broken, and a roaring river went splashing into his lake, crashing like a waterfall and sending his senses in disarray. His grip would tighten on her hands, stunned, feeling a sense of overwhelming sensations, emotions, thoughts.

Like a chain link being pulled, the heavy weight of an anchor threatening to drown him.

Take control he could, but right now, he was struggling to handle the influx of what Aela was giving him.

 

[Aela Talith]

The sensation prickled at her skin, bit at her flesh, clawed at her eyes. It was strange, painful, and difficult to control. She could feel the force flooding from her, the sensation of power ebbing away from her and into Micah.

It was a massive drought, a font of power that was almost unheard of. There was a strange sensation of emptiness to her, as if the force did not really touch her, but simply flowed through her. It was an unsegmented tide, a massive rolling block of power, a tsunami. She watched the expression on her brothers, the pain in his eyes.

Panic for a brief second took her.

She stemmed the flow of the force, tried to halt it.

It went from an ocean to a trickle, then into that steady river. Her face contorted with effort as she tried to halt the massive pooling flow of energy. A steady, calm, stream.

 

[Micah Talith]

With [member="Aela Talith"] reigning the power in, taking control of that flow. Micah was able to stem his sense of being overwhelmed. However, instead of his lake, he instead now stood floating among a vast sea. In the eye of his mind, the waters would ripple as clear as if on Borealis, but continue on seemingly endlessly into the horizon on all directions.

He felt small, and that sense of being overwhelmed would come to him again. He couldn't do this alone. That was asking too much -- his fears would crash onto Aela, and the facade of that jokester who would laugh and make light of even the riskiest of situations would be laid bare for Aela to see. He was still just a kid, living in the shadow of a powerful dynasty, one where his siblings had always been quicker than he to pick up on things. In this meld, Aela would feel his doubts, the frustration he felt at times, his ambition to succeed, and under all that, the desire to make his family proud.

The longer the meld held, the more the two would bleed into the other. But with both new at the technique and only Aela knowing it in theory, they were playing with their lives for the slim chance of success.

Their lives and much worse; what lay in the dark.

 

[Aela Talith]

She felt the spike of doubt, the rolling waves of emotion.

For a few seconds it caught her off guard, but her own mind simmered those thoughts. She fought back against them, the calm reassurance of her own mind patting down Micah's doubts. She tried to hide her own thoughts, the doubts about the Covenant, her own ability, the thought she might fail, that she would lead them all to their death.

Those thoughts weren't important now.

“Draith.” Whether her voice resounded in their heads or outloud was difficult to tell. “Focus, Draith. You can do this. Just remember what were looking for.”

Focus on the objective, not the doubts, not the thoughts, just on what he had to do. It would allow him to channel that ability, grasp for it and take it, hopefully gain the knowledge that they needed.

 

[Micah Talith]

It was strange as it was familiar to hear- no feel Aela encourage him. Guide him. She was as much as a representation of his own psyche, her voice an internal compass as much as his own. Yet it was a focus for the young Talith, something for him to latch on. So he did.

Focus on what they were looking for. A path through the transitory mists. A safe route. Beads of sweat would pearl over his brow as concentration took the young man. Mara certainly blew them all out of the water when it came to instinctive astrogation, but with Aela feeding power and melding each other's strength, it sure would provide a measure of omph along with Micah's mental clarity-- that is as long as neither succumb to one of the others mental demons.

In his - their - minds eye the Force would start to take shape in a mental path. That cloud that they traveled in would appear to be a smaller representation of it. It was three dimensional, with fleeting images of it flaring in their minds. A path, a path. Where was it? His expression would tighten. Slowly, he sank himself into the Force, letting it guide him.

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Micah Talith"]

The force.

It was such a strange sensation. Power melding, warping, moving together. It caused her skin to crawl and her hair to seemingly whither for a few moments, the bright blonde losing its usual luster as the force was taken from her.

Not forcefully of course, it was willingly given.

The trickle of force she had given Micah had turned into a massive river once more, a controlled flow of power that would see him gain the strength he needed to find them their path. It was slowly draining her, slowly taking her power lower and lower, but she knew that it was working. With their minds so quickly intwined she could see that same path.

It was amazing, stunning. She wanted to speak, say something, her natural reaction of wanting to lead and take charge was quelled however, stalled by the knowledge that this was something that only Micah could do.

 

[Micah Talith]

[member="Aela Talith"]

Deep within the well of their joined minds, within the bridge of the meld, the Force blossomed and spread outward, rippling across that vast ocean of space. There were so many different undercurrents there in the black, and deeper still. Yet which held the right path? The right course to navigate through the transitory mists?

His fingers would flex against Aela's own, rough pads brushing against their slender delicate shells of her palm. Damp moisture would start to collect there, the heat of his body increasing a degree. Concentration and intense focus would carve deep crevices over his brow, and a damp glistening layer of sweat went pearling along the faint stubble of his swarthy jaw.

The teenager's breathing would spike, as would the thudding of his heart. An increasing tempo that would mirror that of Aela's own as if they were one body and one mind. His eyes would flicker under the thin veined flesh of his lids, as if he was searching and scanning but doing it through the Force.

Then it happened, just like catching the end of a current, he caught it in his mind. Sinking against it, he let the Force guide a path. Images of dust cloud nebula fragments and the glare of a sun zipped through his mind. Faster, then faster still. Until suddenly...

Copper glowing eyes went snapping open, emitting a soft almost ethereal glow as he pulsed with the Force.

'I got it.'

His lips would not move, but his voice would echo within Aela's mind.

 

[Aela Talith]

As soon as she heard the words as soon as her brother spoke, the connection between the two of them began to thin. Aela took control once more, not forcefully, not like grabbing a ball out of Micah's hand. Instead she gently grasped the reigns, pulling them away and taking control once more.

The massive flood of power began to recede, and the huge flowing river turned into a trickle, and then nothing at all.

Slowly Aela pulled her consciousness back into her own mind, well aware that suddenly removing herself from Micah's thoughts could not only harm him, but herself. So she carefully extracted herself, taking her own mind back into its folds until she was once again alone, a strange emptiness sitting inside of her mind.

A loud breath escaped her lips, her eyes falling shut as a great tiredness fell upon her.

 

[Micah Talith]

"Aela!" concern would wash over Micah's face as he saw as much as he felt his elder sister's weariness. While certainly feeling the draining effects of the Force meld and the use of the Force, it did not cloud the teenager's sense of awareness when it came to the well being of his family. He would shuffle to his knees, leaning forward as his hands went drifting up from her own to rest upon her shoulders. There he braced her, as if intending to hold her upright.

His pupils were dilated, but the worry and concern etched upon his face would read as clearly as the aurabesh sigils in Aela's favorite tomes.

"Are you okay?" he asked her, scooting closer as if he intended to have her rest against him. Inputting coordinates could wait a few more minutes.

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Micah Talith"]

She felt worn, drained, as if she had just gone fifty rounds with a Titavian.

Most of the power that Micah had used had been her own, this was because she had wanted it that way. She knew that her brother had needed strength, and although he had nearly the same amount of power in the force as she, Aela knew that with her age she was just a tad bit stronger. That strength came in handy at times like this.

“I'm fine.” She said shaking her head slightly.

There was a lightness to doing that, her hair swaying back from side to side. It felt odd, as though she were about to pass out.

“Get to the bridge.” Aela said, barely able to keep her eyes open. “Tell Felix how to get us through the mist.”

 

[Micah Talith]

[member="Aela Talith"]

"How about we both get to the bridge?" he would counter, slowly moving up to his feet, bringing her with him. "Up you go," he said with a small grunt.

"You been dipping into the cookie jar lately, Es?" Micah would joke, attempting to lighten the mood as he would draw his sister up and against him to steady her upright. He would cup her elbow, watching her closely, appraising her health. The right corner of his mouth would perk up with familiar devilry meant to have her focus on him.

"Come on, I need you with me. Cankles and all." he would tease, not actually meaning it as much as wanting her to be a bit more active. Gentle pressure would encourage her to walk forward.

 

[Aela Talith]

She wasn't dying, or she was pretty sure she wasn't.

Aela just felt tired beyond all belief. It was as though Father had just made her run around the house for three days while lifting and X-wing with the force the entire time. It was a horrible feeling, and quite honestly all she wanted to do was get to her bed and go to sleep. She lulled slightly, her head sliding closed as they moved towards the bridge.

She found herself leaning on Micah more and more as they approached the bridge. Aela shifted, she was so tired, so worn out. It felt as though there was a massive weight hanging around her neck. Her feet shuffled, not stepping forward but instead sliding.

Eventually they reached the bridge.

“Okay...” Aela said with her voice barely audible. “Go...Tell Felix.”

 

[Micah Talith]

"Always ordering people around," Micah would tease, helping Aela to find a seat first. Easing her on it, he gave her a faint encouraging smile. "Your throne, Princess."

The panes of his face were visibly strained, his own weariness written over his brow, in his drained slight droop of his lids. However, there framed by the haggardness was a bright excited light in the twin suns of his eyes. He had the coordinates!

Pushing himself upright, he left Aela's side. His stride was a bit off, spent, but with purpose.

"Felix," the ever faithful pilot droid would turn to Micah, the tiny flaps of metal over his eyes moving in question. The teenager would step to Felix's side. "I have coordinates for you."

His fingers would move across the navigation screen, imputing what had been revealed to him through the Force. Had Felix a sense of humor or if Henry had been here, he was sure he would have heard the woes of doom over his head.

A slight grin drew across his face, anxious as much as he was giddy.

Felix would review the coordinates and the trajectory. "Coordinates confirmed, Master."

What came next? Hopefully the will of the Force.

 

[Aela Talith]

She sat down in her in throne as Micah had called it. Her eyes were tired and her hand came up to her face in order to support the very heavy weight of her head. She felt as though she was about to fall asleep.

Distantly she heard Micah speak to Felix.

There was a nod from Aela, a smaller gesture, as if she was trying to make Felix do the work faster.

It was hard to tell what happened after that, Aela certainly didn't remember. Yet it was the sound of a scratching noise, the odd sound of metal on metal echoing through the bridge that woke her up. Her head jumped, her eyes popped open, and her gaze shifted towards the sound. There she found, there she found Felix, having dragged his foot across the floor on accident, an odd little glitch the droid had sometimes.

“Where are we?” Aela said groggily, her lips smacking together.

How long had she slept?

 

[Micah Talith]

[member="Aela Talith"]

Micah didn't say anything. For once, he was unusually quiet. Instead, Aela's little brother would gesture towards the wide expanse of the viewport ahead of him.

Following that intangible line of sight would direct the elder Talith towards the view beyond. What she saw would explain why her brother had not been fit to explain it. He couldn't. He could only show her.

There, beyond the faint hazy mist of clearing Transitory mists, was a scene reminiscent of a few years ago, back at Carida. Only that this time, it wasn't just a massive surprise fleet in the pocket free of nebula matter.

No, Micah mused to himself, his lips a straight line of displeasure. We certainly got more than we bargained for.

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Micah Talith"]

Her eyes popped open.

It was a planet.

No. So much more than that.

It was an entire system filled with life. She could see it, her eyes narrowed as the Rising Tide drifted closer. Massive superstructures surrounding the planet,huge amounts of ships, dozens of stations. Her lips thinned and her face went pale. Aela had never seen anything like this...or rather, nothing out here in the mid rim.

Fondor came close, Kuat maybe, Coruscant? She had never seen the last but she could only guess. She turned into a pale ghost, as their ship slowly drifted closer and closer.

That's when she saw them. “Micah. Look.”

What she had thought was a singly orbital structure, what had looked like another accented ring around the world, was instead a massive armada of ships. Almost each and every single one of them looked exactly the same, all smooth and cut edges, biting and dangerous looking with cannons sitting atop them.

“There's...” She was stunned. “There's thousands of them.”

 

[Micah Talith]

[member="Aela Talith"]



"Yeah.. no kidding." Micah shot back under his breath, his fingers skimming over the console in front of him. "Never going to hear the end of this..."

His heart was starting to thump in a quickening beat. Yeah, this wasn't just like Crina. Oh no. It was far, far worse.

"With the sails damaged as they are --"

That is when Felix's metallic voice modulator broke the increasing tension. [ We are being hailed, Master. ]

"Gorram it." he cursed, his lips drawing into a thin line. It even felt as if his stomach was plummeting for a moment. He cut a glance over to Aela, and he took a deep breath.

"Get ready to dust off your diplomatic skills..." He cut a nod towards Felix, then said the sentence that threw them from the pan into the fire. There was no going back.

"Patch it through, Felix."

 

[Aela Talith]

This was odd, alien.

She didn't quite understand it. Two of the ships were heading towards them. They were lithe, quick, almost designed to cut through atmosphere instead of hang about in space. More importantly however, their numbers were insane. The fleet that hung around the planet was large enough to take on the One Sith's Coruscant Defense force, not to mention the shipyards she saw and the dozens of defense platforms.

Where had this all come from? Who had built it? Why wasn't a planet like this on the map? The world was the size of Kuat with the shipyards to match it. Her jaw set hard, her teeth grating against one another. What the hell had she and Micah stumbled into? Bright orange eyes flicked to him, a nod dipping her chin.

She felt awake now.

“Unidentified vessel. You are trespassing i—SHHHHH-Space.”

There was a massive amount of static which caused Aela to wince, she assumed the communications array was broken in some way.

“We bid you leave this place and never return.”

Well, at leas they weren't opening fire, that was good. Aela reached over and clicked a small key on her chair. “Greetings.”

She tried to sound cheerful.

“Though we would like nothing more than to comply, I'm afraid our vessel is damaged beyond our capabilities to repair.” She bit her lip as she waited for an answer.

 

[Micah Talith]

[member="Aela Talith"]

Well this was a tense situation as any.

Micah would be silent in all of this, his fixed orange gaze upon the massive fleet ahead. Worry would arch up his spine, and his hands hand a white knuckle grip upon the metal console in front of him.

Yeah, this wasn't good.

He silently thanked that Aela was still able to negotiate and present herself in such a cordial tone despite her obvious weariness. He could also only hope that whoever commanded that fleet would not blow the Rising Tide out of existence.

There was a quiet lull after Aela explained that their ship was suffering severe damage. Perhaps they were being -- A beep and an alert would confirm his suspicions. They were being scanned.

"Well.. they can't ignore just how damaged our solar sails are," he would mutter under his breath, attempting a measure of humor to lighten the mood.

He couldn't help it. It just was who he was.