Private The Chaos and the Calm

[Nitya Xeraic]

The message she'd sent had been simple.
Just a few lines — no lectures, no explanations, no dramatic Force visions attached.

Dreidi,
It has been too long.
If you have the time… I would like to see you.
—Nitya

Honestly, she'd rewritten it three times before sending it. Older sisters weren't supposed to sound nervous.

The small landing pad outside her hermitage was quiet as she waited, hands folded loosely in front of her. The forest whispered around her, leaves shifting in the soft afternoon breeze. Her golden eyes followed a bird across the treeline, anything to distract from the way her stomach kept tightening.

She felt Dreidi before the ship even broke atmosphere — a bright, unmistakable flare in the Force. Chaotic in a way only Dreidi could be. Loud, even from a distance.

Nitya huffed a quiet breath. "Still dramatic," she murmured to herself.

The ship touched down with a gust of warm air, rattling a few loose leaves across the stone. When the ramp lowered and Dreidi appeared, Nitya took a step forward before she could overthink it.

"Dreidi," she said, voice soft but steady. "Thank you. For coming."

Her gaze swept her sister over fully now that she could actually see her posture, stride, energy. All of it unmistakably Dreidi.

"You look well," Nitya added, a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "Stronger. Slightly taller, maybe. Or I've just spent too long around trees."

She paused, eyes bright with a quiet warmth.

"And for the record… I didn't expect you actually to answer my message. I thought you might send a fireball instead. Or a sarcastic yes with no coordinates."

A breath — almost a laugh — escaped her.

"I'm glad you're here."

Dreidi Xeraic

 

[Dreidi Xeraic]

Outfit: Casual Attire
Companion: Grisial
Equipment: Lightsaber, Ichor Sword and Nightsister Energy Bow
Tag: Nitya Xeraic

Dreidi had spent time looking over the message. It had been so casual, very to the point and glossed over the years neither of them had been in touch. Dreidi had a son now, she had responsibilities with growing the Dathomiri clan that both Dreidi and Nitya technically belonged to. Realisation struck her that if Nitya pursued it, she could take the Mother title from Dreidi since Nitya was the elder of the two. Though, Dreidi doubted that her sister would be pursuing such a course. While they were very different people and didn't always get along, neither of them ever actively attempted to tear each other down. So, Dreidi was able to quash any such fears.

Petting Grisial, "try to be on your best behaviour here." Dreidi looked her companion in the eyes, the Vulptex was basically Dreidi's mischievous nature turned into a crystal fox. The witch had calmed down over the years, having different mindsets and attitudes when around different people. It was inevitable and something that came with maturity from being a mother the entirety of her twenties. There had not really been a chance for Dreidi to continue being chaotic and teasing since she had to accept that things were always going to be different. There was someone she was desperate to keep safe and happy.

Stepping off the ship's ramp, Dreidi spotted her sister quick enough. Though Nitya had undergone the changes that happened during Zorren maturity, her sister looked pretty much how Dreidi remembered her looking. Dreidi herself had not really aged from the age of 18 in appearance. Few people would ever seen Dreidi develop wrinkles or age lines from what she knew. Wandering over to Nitya, Dreidi gave a bow of her head, "I was surprised when you reached out Nitya." Dreidi stated plainly.

"Well, I was a young teenager when we last saw each other I believe getting taller and stronger is pretty inevitable. You are looking well though," Dreidi commented, there was no malice in her voice. She had long since given up the resentment Dreidi had felt about seemingly being abandoned by her family. Acknowledging that she had played a part in it.

A chuckle escaped her lips and she shook her head, "no... I don't think mother would have enjoyed the idea of me sending a fireball your way." Shrugging her shoulders, Dreidi didn't really know what to say, there had been so much time lost between them. "It has been a long time, any family of your own? I have a teenage son, myself... It's complicated but he is very much like dad before dad got ill." Dreidi wasn't sure how to explain that she felt the soul of their father within her child. Or what Nitya would make of that.

 

[Nitya Xeraic]

For a moment, Nitya could only take her in—the familiar presence sliding back into her awareness in a way that made the intervening years feel strangely thin. Dreidi felt older and steadier… yet still very much herself. Even Grisial's crystalline shimmer added a brightness that softened the weight of the moment.

Her gaze slipped to the Vulptex, and her expression warmed with quiet fondness. "And hello to you as well, little one," she murmured, lowering her head in a small, respectful bow a Jedi might offer a companion animal or a spirit-being. "You're even lovelier in person."

Then her attention returned fully to her sister.

"You were surprised?" Nitya echoed softly, a faint smile warming the edges of her voice. "Good. I worried you might have ignored it on principle." A gentle tease—light, soft, the safest kind.

When Dreidi closed the last few steps, Nitya hesitated only a heartbeat before she stepped forward and opened her arms—not rushed, not dramatic. Just honest. "If you'll have it," she said quietly.

If Dreidi accepted, Nitya folded her into a steady, grounding embrace. Not tight, but sure—like anchoring herself in a memory she had missed more than she dared admit. Grisial's crystalline fur gave a faint chiming sound as she brushed past them, and Nitya let out a soft breath that might have been half a laugh.

When they pulled apart, she swept a hand toward the temple entrance, the carved stone softened by moss and gentle light. "Come in. Both of you," she added, offering Grisial a subtle half-smile. "Don't worry—I reinforced the floors. Just in case."

Inside, the room felt brighter with two people in it. Nitya poured tea with slow, deliberate motions, letting the familiar scent of Commenorian juniper settle around them.

"A teenage son…" she repeated, absorbing it. "No, I have no children. No partner. My life has been quiet—maybe too quiet."

Her eyes lifted to Dreidi, glowing warmly. "But I'm glad you've built something of your own. Dad would have been… proud. Loudly so."

She settled across from her sister, hands curling gently around her cup. "Dreidi… tell me—what do you remember of him? Before the illness. Before everything fractured."

Her voice carried no bitterness. Only quiet longing—and the hope that her sister might help her fill in the parts she'd lost.

Dreidi Xeraic

 

[Dreidi Xeraic]

Outfit: Casual Attire
Companion: Grisial
Equipment: Lightsaber, Ichor Sword and Nightsister Energy Bow
Tag: Nitya Xeraic

Grisial accepted the petting and attention from Nitya, then reached into her mind to share his thoughts, I am pretty big for my race thank you very much!

Dreidi rolled her eyes as she always knew what her familiar was saying due to their bond. "He is adamant to either embarrass me or promote the idea that he is the best Vulptex alive, though we still haven't figured out exactly why he is growing larger than average." She suspected it was because of the bond that had also granted him heightened intelligence.

Shaking her head, "the years in which I resented mother, Jax and was heartbroken by your absence has passed. Mother was even at the birth of Aileni, she helped me caring for him while I was doing my work on Dathomir." Dreidi stated, there had been a time where she saw herself estranged from the rest of her family. A time where she hated the things her mother had done, hated the idea of Jax forcing himself into her life. Broken by the fact that Nitya was gone and never sought Dreidi out to connect and bond in the absence of her mother.

That time had passed, it took therapy, time and Jairdain showing effort to want to be not just in Dreidi's life but in the life of her son as well. Dreidi knew she would never deny that connection since no matter her thoughts or feelings, Jairdain and Aileni deserved to have a positive bond.

Stepping into the temple, Dreidi watched her sister move, "well, luckily I am light on my feet and teleportation magic is always handy." She commented as she walked following her sister to where they could settle in more.

Nodding her head, "it would have been nice for him to get a chance to see his grandson." There was no chance of that now, not even as a Force Ghost since there was no Force Ghost of Yuroic anymore. At least, as far as Dreidi understood it. When asked about their father, Dreidi tilted her head and sighed, "it's hard... he has been gone longer than he was around in our lives. I like to think I remember a great deal but to be honest, I cannot discern whether they are my actual memories or the things I was told about him that have now merged with the memories I have of him."

It was sad to think about but he was still alive in multiple ways. "I have learned more of his family background, he was sold as a slave but his mother was Dathomiri, she came from a clan on Dathomir that I now lead. It is why I can use that Magick." Dreidi explained. "Could be something you could learn as well. If you ever wished to learn of that way."

"Why do you ask?"

 

[Nitya Xeraic]

Grisial's voice brushed her mind like crystalline chimes, and Nitya's lips curved in the smallest, warmest smile as she ran her fingertips once more along the Vulptex's shimmering fur.

"My apologies," she murmured aloud for both Dreidi and her companion to hear, "I meant no insult. Only admiration. You are magnificent, Grisial."
Her tone held genuine fondness — not exaggerated, not awkward, simply true.

As the fox preened, Nitya stepped aside to let Dreidi enter deeper into the temple, her movements fluid and quiet, like the forest had taught her. When her sister spoke of resentment, of healing, of therapy and time and reconnection, Nitya paused mid-step, turning enough to face her properly. The glow of her Zorren eyes reflected the warm lamplight, softening.

"I'm glad she returned to you," she said quietly. "To both of you. Whatever happened between you… I'm glad it found its way back to something kinder."

She listened in complete silence as Dreidi spoke of their father — the patchwork memories, the blurred edges of childhood recollections, the sorrow of wondering what was truly theirs and what was inherited through stories. Nitya's breath drew in slow, deep breaths.

"It's the same for me," she admitted. "I remember him… but I don't always trust the memories. Sometimes I think I only remember the way he looked at Mother. Or the way he used to hold his lightsaber. Details. Echoes. Nothing whole."

Her voice carried no bitterness—only a quiet ache.

"And you're right… He's been gone longer than he was with us. I find myself wishing he had been able to see the people we became."

She stepped closer then, just enough to be near, not intruding.
When Dreidi spoke of his lineage — of slavery, of the Dathomiri clan she now led, of the Magick she inherited and mastered — Nitya's expression shifted in a way Dreidi had likely never seen before. Something like awe. Or reverence.

"I didn't know," she whispered. "About his mother. About the clan. About any of it."
Her voice warmed, softened.
"And I would like to learn, if you ever wish to teach me. Not for power. But for family."

The space between them grew quieter then, heavier in the gentle way only honesty made it.

When Dreidi asked, "Why do you ask?"
Nitya exhaled — slow, steady, almost trembling at the edges.

"Because…"
She looked away for a moment, gathering the words that had been buried under years of isolation and silence.

"After Dad died, and Mother disappeared… I didn't know how to hold everything together. I thought I had to be strong for you. For Marcus. And then Mother was gone, and Father was gone, and…"

Her voice thinned, not breaking — but showing the fracture line beneath her calm.

"…and for a short time, I resented being a mother to you when I could barely be a sister. And then you left, too. Not by malice — but you left. And Uncle…"
She swallowed softly.
"Uncle forgot me. Left me on his world. I faced my trials alone."

The next inhale steadied her again.

"I see now you faced yours as well," she finished gently. "Probably in more ways than I can ever imagine."

Then she reached out — not grabbing, not insisting — but offering her hand to her younger sister, palm open. "And I would like to meet your son." The warmth in her voice was quiet, but real. "If you allow it."

Dreidi Xeraic

 

[Dreidi Xeraic]

Outfit: Casual Attire
Companion: Grisial
Equipment: Lightsaber, Ichor Sword and Nightsister Energy Bow
Tag: Nitya Xeraic

"Do not fret, he likes to talk himself up. I think all of my mischief and chaos went from me to him." The Vulptex huffed at Dreidi's suggestion and swished his tail indignantly at the idea that he was any such trouble.

Looking over to Nitya, "hopefully you have found your own ways to settle things with her actions as well. As well as figuring your own way of handling Jax. And apparently I am no longer the youngest in the family since we have another half sibling." Dreidi mentioned, unsure if her sister had learned of such news while living out here. It was strange to not be the youngest, for three decades, Dreidi had been the youngest and the last in her siblings. Now there was someone else and it was strange.

However, Dreidi hadn't really met with the child, just knowing of their existence. Life had been far too busy for her to spend time chasing down where her new sibling might be in the galaxy.

There was something that Dreidi was holding back. It was about Aileni, about their father. About the fact that her son held the soul of their father but Dreidi wasn't sure how to explain it. It sounded ridiculous and crazy but once you saw the boy, watching the way he used the Force and his bow, felt his presence in the Force. Looked into his eyes. It was there that you would once again see their father. But Dreidi had no way of really explaining it. Or how it came to be since it was not planned, merely just occurred and something that Dreidi knew was important.

"I am more than happy to teach you, but not here. It would have to be on Dathomir. Gives you a chance to learn more on the history of it all. The stuff about our grandmother... dad did not know, it was only something I found out when I traversed Dathomir looking for answers in connection to my abilities." Dreidi stated. Not wanting Nitya to think that their father hid any of this from them. "It makes more sense why he was good with a bow and held such a strong Force connection, it was always there, in his blood. In the history of our family."

Shaking her head as she listened to Nitya, "there is nothing to feel bad about, you did not have to step up, Marcus was older. Our mother should not have left us like she did. But that is all in the past and I do not fault you for doing the best you could with the rough hand you were dealt with. Uncle should never have forgotten you either, that was wrong of him." Dreidi had only met the man once or twice but hearing that Nitya had been abandoned by him instantly put him in Dreidi's bad books.

No one did that to her sister.

"Dathomir and Zorren, they both have trials. Makes things exciting I suppose in life. I dread to think of what Aileni will have to face when he comes of age." Dreidi sighed, knowing that her son would be facing several trials all around the same time, it was a lot to deal with.

Nodding her head, "of course, he would love nothing more than to meet his aunt." Dreidi stated, wondering if Nitya meeting Aileni first would help Dreidi explain the situation more.

 

[Nitya Xeraic]

Nitya listened in the same way she always had — quietly, steadily, without interruption. Grisial's indignation earned a faint curve at the corner of her mouth, almost a smile, as she reached down to brush her fingers lightly once more across the Vulptex's crystalline fur.

"He carries it well," she said softly. "Better than I ever did."

Her gaze lifted to Dreidi, golden and gentle.

"I have made peace with our mother's choices," she continued. "Not because they were right… But because carrying the weight of them any longer would only keep me in the past. Jax, too. I understand him now in ways I couldn't when we were young."

Then, a pause — thoughtful, searching.

"A younger sibling," she murmured at last. "I had heard whispers, but… not the truth. Life has a way of widening our family when we least expect it."

There was no jealousy.
No bitterness.
Just quiet acceptance — and maybe a trace of wonder.

She followed Dreidi further inside, shedding her cloak with the ease of someone who had spent years alone yet still remembered how to host. The temple's soft light caught in her eyes, deepening the gold as she turned fully to her sister.

"You're right about father," she said. "I don't blame him. I never did. And… I never blamed you either."

Her voice softened further, low and warm.

"When he died, I was sixteen, and I thought—"
She exhaled, steady but raw.
"I thought I had to become something impossible. Something he would have been proud of. I didn't know how to look after you when I couldn't look after myself."

Nitya crossed the small room and rested a hand lightly on Dreidi's shoulder — a rare gesture for her, hesitant and sincere.

"You were not a burden. Not then. Not ever."
A quiet beat.
"And I'm sorry I made you feel otherwise."

She let her hand drop gently, not clinging, but leaving the warmth of reassurance behind.

"As for uncle…" her expression hardened for the briefest moment, a rare flash of cold steel beneath the calm, "I have forgiven him. But I have not forgotten."

A Zorren trait, unmistakable.

When Dreidi mentioned Dathomir and their grandmother, something shifted in Nitya's posture — curiosity, interest, and a grounded willingness.

"If you will teach me," she said, "I will go with you. Dathomiri Magick… it feels like a thread I have been circling without ever seeing clearly."

Then her expression softened again, something warmer forming in her eyes.

"And I would like to meet your son. Aileni."
A faint smile touched her lips.
"I think… it would mean a great deal to me. More than I realized until this moment."

Her voice grew quiet.

"Family has been a distant thing for so long. I am ready to change that."

Dreidi Xeraic

 

[Dreidi Xeraic]

Outfit: Casual Attire
Companion: Grisial
Equipment: Lightsaber, Ichor Sword and Nightsister Energy Bow
Tag: Nitya Xeraic

Nodding her head, "I have yet to meet them but I am sure we both will some day. Especially if they end up as long lived as we are going to be." Dreidi commented, she was not sure if their younger sibling would go through the trials, it was a choice and there were consequences in taking this path so it would be completely understandable if someone decided to not pursue that route.

"It was an impossible situation with him. I blamed him for going on that final mission with his illness. His death was inevitable. However, the older I become, the more I understand how terrible it must have been to suffer like that and the desire to end his life while we still as a family had mostly positive memories of him." Dreidi had heard how terrible the disease that he suffered from could become and she never wanted her own son to have those memories of her so made sense her father felt the same way.

Dreidi did not pull back from the touch and just looked her sister in the eye, "you were never a burden and you never made me feel like one. As for uncle, you can forgive him, does not mean I have to. Not yet at least." Dreidi was more than happy to hold onto the frustrations and anger that Nitya had let go of.

"Of course, you can come whenever you desire and I can show you all the history that has been collected as well as the basics. It would do me some good to teach someone my skills, especially since I do not have a daughter to pass these talents down to." Dreidi stated, Aileni was not going to be able to learn Magick, not in the same way that a Dathomiri witch could utilise it. It was one of the reasons why the female population dominant the planet years ago.

Dreidi gave a grin to Nitya, "I am sure you will get along great with Aileni. He can be crazy at times, but he is still young and learning his place in the galaxy. Training to become a Jedi currently." Dreidi was hopeful that the Jedi Order would help curb some of the darker traits that Aileni had displayed before now. "Family was something I always struggled with as well, growing up. Probably why I am very distrustful and slow to express my emotions. I am afraid to be burned or suffer heartbreak once again." Her mind flickered to Aiden and the fact that he had claimed their kiss a mistake. The last person she had opened her feelings towards and he had closed the door to that.

It was tough.

 

[Nitya Xeraic]

Nitya listened to every word, her expression softening in that quiet, perceptive way she had always possessed, the glow of her eyes reflecting both the lamplight and the unspoken history that stretched between them. She could hear the maturity in Dreidi's voice now, the understanding sharpened by years and loss, and it struck her how far her sister had come while she herself had been living in silence, letting seasons pass in meditation and seclusion.

"I think we will meet them too," she murmured, her tone gentle but certain, "and when we do, it will be at exactly the right time — not forced, not rushed, but when all of us are ready to see the shape of what our family has become." Her breath eased into a soft sigh, carrying a bittersweet acceptance. "And if they inherit longevity like ours… then we have lifetimes to build those bonds properly."

She let that truth settle before shifting closer, not invading Dreidi's space but aligning her presence beside her in a way that felt both protective and deeply sisterly.

"I blamed him too," Nitya admitted quietly, her voice woven with tenderness and old grief, "but not for dying… for leaving us behind. I was too young to understand what it means to suffer the way he suffered. Too young to understand mercy, or the kind of courage it takes to face an ending with dignity rather than fear." Her gaze drifted to the window where the wind pushed shadows across the stone. "I see it differently now. I think he was trying to spare us from becoming caretakers to a version of him he didn't want us to remember."

When Dreidi didn't pull away from the touch, Nitya let her hand slip slightly closer across her sister's arm, a quiet offering of comfort rather than a demand. The moment felt like something fragile being mended gently, piece by piece.

"You don't have to forgive him," Nitya said with a softness that carried no judgment, "you have every right to feel what you feel. Forgiveness isn't a race, and it isn't required for healing — only chosen when the heart is ready. Mine… found that place because solitude gave me distance, but your path doesn't need to mirror mine." Her voice deepened with certainty. "You've carried enough on your shoulders. No one is allowed to rush that kind of decision from you."

When Dreidi offered to teach her Magick, Nitya's eyes brightened with an unmistakable warmth.

"I would be honored to learn from you," she said, sincerity flowing through her words like a steady current. "And I would be honored to be the one you pass those skills to, even if I am not a daughter. Our grandmother's legacy didn't disappear just because father never knew how to name it — it survived through you… and it can survive through me too."

Dreidi's grin earned a small smile from Nitya in return — a rare, soft expression, but one full of affection.

"I look forward to meeting Aileni," she said. "If he is anything like you — spirited, determined, full of fire you pretend not to have — then I think we'll understand each other well." A faint breath of amusement warmed her tone. "And if he's training to be a Jedi, then we already share something meaningful."

But when Dreidi confessed her fear, the deeper truth beneath the grin, Nitya turned fully toward her, expression composed but openly compassionate.

"You have every reason to protect your heart," she said, her voice low and steady, "you've been wounded by the people who should have held you the closest. Heartbreak shapes us in ways nothing else can, and it teaches us caution — but it doesn't mean your heart is closed. It means you've learned to be careful with where you place it."

Her hand rose, hesitating just a breath before resting lightly against Dreidi's forearm.

"You're not wrong for being slow to trust, Dreidi," she continued. "You're wise. And when the right person comes — someone who values the fire in you instead of fearing it — you won't need to fear being burned."

A soft smile touched her mouth, gentle but certain.

"In the meantime… you're not carrying any of this alone. Not anymore."

Dreidi Xeraic

 

[Dreidi Xeraic]

Outfit: Casual Attire
Companion: Grisial
Equipment: Lightsaber, Ichor Sword and Nightsister Energy Bow
Tag: Nitya Xeraic

"How very prophetic of you." Dreidi teased her sister, it was only the mind of a Force Seer that would believe that paths cross at the time when it needed to happen. "I am not as optimistic with you on meeting at the perfect time, but it is likely to be inevitable." Eira stated with a slight sigh, thinking about the fact there could be thousands of years ahead of her to exist in the galaxy.

Looking over to Nitya, "do you ever regret taking the trials? Dread the idea of living for thousands of years? Seeing those around us, friends, family, loved ones... Seeing all of them die while we live on? The idea that we could live for so long that we even forget those around us?" Dreidi mentioned, the idea of those that she loved, those she cared about, that they would die never seeing her age. It was a lot to even contend with.

Dreidi shook her head, "I won't forgive him for his behaviour to you. You deserved to be treated better, respected more." Dreidi mentioned as she leaned in more to her sister, sharing that moment of closeness.

"Perhaps I will have a daughter someday. Who knows. Time is not an issue in that regard I suppose. But it is a legacy of our family that we both deserve to hold and to share with future generations of our family." Dreidi mentioned, it was just as much of Nitya's life as much as it was Dreidi's.

When Nitya commented about Aileni matching Dreidi's fire and energy, she chuckled and shook her head, "he is worse I think, but I might be biased in thinking I was not too bad. He is still growing and learning about himself." Dreidi mentioned. She was curious if Nitya would see how much of their father was in Aileni, "it has been a while since I have seen him since I tend to allow him space while he is conducting his studies so he probably needs new clothes and a check up. The boy is rapidly growing."

"Yeah. I appreciate that." Dreidi paused for a moment as she looked around, just allowing her mind to absorb all the information and her feelings surrounding everything. Letting out a sigh, "well, sorry for dampening the mood. Please, tell me something fun or interesting that I missed!" Dreidi mentioned, a grin on her lips.

 

[Nitya Xeraic]

Nitya let her shoulder rest more fully against Dreidi's, a quiet affirmation of closeness that had taken them decades to reach. Her eyes softened at the teasing, though the warmth behind them was unmistakable.

"Perhaps not prophetic," she murmured, "but… I have always felt the pull of certain paths, even when I couldn't explain them. That is our mother's blood in me, I think. Her Sight is sharper than mine ever will be, but I feel echoes of it—soft impressions, gentle currents. Nothing more dramatic than that."

She tilted her head, studying her sister's expression with that calm, steady attentiveness she'd always held.

"As for the trials… no. I don't regret them."
Her voice was quiet, not evasive but deeply considered.
"I regret the circumstances around them — being forgotten, going through them alone — but not the life they shaped. I don't dread the years ahead. I've already seen how quickly a life can vanish. If longevity is what the Force chose for us, then I would rather live it fully than fear it."

She turned slightly to face Dreidi more directly, her golden eyes reflecting a gentler honesty.

"Yes, we will lose people we love—many times. But I think what frightens me more is the idea of shutting myself away so deeply that I stop loving anyone at all. Better to feel the grief than to feel nothing."

The corner of her mouth lifted in a wry, soft smile.

"And as for forgetting… I don't believe I will forget you. Or Marcus. Or Jayna. Or Mother. Time may sand down the sharpness of memory, but it can't erase the shape of the people who made us who we are."

She leaned her head briefly against Dreidi's, a gesture rare for her — spontaneous, affectionate.

"And I know you won't forgive Uncle. You've always carried our father's fire. You guard your people fiercely."

A beat.

"And I… have always been more like Mother. Quiet. Steady. Feeling the currents around me, whether I wanted to or not."

Nitya's smile grew, soft and amused.

"It is no wonder you excel in Magick and I in meditation. No wonder you leap toward storms and I sit beside them. We are our parents' daughters through and through."

When Dreidi brought up Aileni, Nitya laughed under her breath — a warm, melodic sound rarely heard.

"If he has more fire than you did, then the galaxy should be very nervous," she said lightly. "And if he's growing fast, then yes — bring him. Let's see if he inherited our father's height along with his aim."

At Dreidi's final prompt, Nitya's eyes brightened with a faint spark of mischief.

"Something fun?" she echoed. "Well… I kissed someone recently."

She let the words linger for dramatic effect — calm face, but unmistakable amusement in her eyes.

"It surprised me as much as it will probably surprise you."

She nudged her sister gently with her shoulder.

"Your turn. Tell me something outrageous I've missed. I know you didn't spend all these years being perfectly well-behaved."

Dreidi Xeraic

 

[Dreidi Xeraic]

Outfit: Casual Attire
Companion: Grisial
Equipment: Lightsaber, Ichor Sword and Nightsister Energy Bow
Tag: Nitya Xeraic

"Visions of the future... Seeing paths that we are being guided down, that's something most Force Users have some ability to see. But you and mother always did have more of an affinity for it. Made it hard for me to trick you or play a prank." Dreidi mused as she thought over the idea, she looked over to Nitya and shook her head, "you are as strong as she is, probably stronger in some ways. Don't put your skills down or dwell on comparisons. We might be their children, but our skills and abilities are our own and we could end up doing more than they ever could."

It was the same way that Dreidi felt about Aileni, he was not limited to being in her shadow nor was it guaranteed that he would be more than she was. He was his own person and the achievements he gained were going to be proof of his skills. Skills that could exceed her own.

Hearing that Nitya held no regrets over the trials, that she was not daunted by the very long lives that they were about to endure, it was no small comfort but it was good to know that her sister felt sure that they would not forget one another. "I suppose I fear either one of us could develop our father's illness and the longer we have to live, the longer that we could suffer with such a hideous disease." Dreidi thought aloud, expressing a concern that lingered in her mind since having her own child. It was also a fear that her son might not hold the ability to live a long life like they can and therefore she will see her own son age and die before she even looks thirty.

Letting out a burst of air in a sigh, "people used to say that and I loved the idea that I reminded them of father. I still do in some ways. But I am just as much my mother in many ways, we are the product of both. And we are our own people. There is just as much father inside you as there is our mother, Nitya. It just might not be as obvious, but you are very different to the both of them as well." Dreidi knew there were a number of qualities in herself that was similar to her mother, just as they were similar to her father.

"He'll likely be taller than father the rate he is growing as of late." Aileni was already over six feet in height and he still had many years of growing left in him.

When Nitya mentioned that she had kissed someone, Dreidi raised an eyebrow in surprise, "really? I am surprised, did not realise that you had left this world yet! How was it?" Dreidi was curious if this kiss was leading somewhere further in terms of romance or left at that.

"Myself? Well, hardly had time for romantic endeavours since raising a child and running an enclave is exhausting work that takes all my time. So, nothing too chaotic in recent memory." Dreidi confessed, there was a lot of other things that Dreidi had to spend her time thinking upon. "Perhaps once Aileni is older, and things at the enclave is more secure... I mean, we have thousands of years to be crazy if we want."

 

[Nitya Xeraic]

Nitya listened without interrupting, her posture relaxed but attentive, the way it always became when conversations turned inward rather than outward. She let Dreidi speak freely about visions and inheritance, about fear and time and the weight of living longer than most were meant to. There was no need to correct or reassure immediately. Some thoughts needed space before they could be answered honestly.

When Dreidi spoke of their father's illness, of the quiet terror that time itself could become an enemy rather than a gift, something softened behind Nitya's eyes. Not alarm. Recognition. That concern lived in her as well, a familiar presence she had learned to sit beside instead of struggle against.

After a moment, she reached out and rested her hand lightly over Dreidi's. The gesture was grounding rather than consoling, sister to sister, steady and deliberate.

"I think about that too," Nitya said quietly. "About the illness. About the possibility of living long enough for pain to deepen instead of fade. But I have learned that fearing what might come can take too much from what is already here. If it comes, we will face it. Together. Like we always have."

She drew in a slow breath, then turned her head slightly, studying her sister with thoughtful care.

"Can I ask you something?" she said, her tone calm and unpressing. "You do not have to answer if you would rather not."

A brief pause followed, not heavy, just respectful.

"Do you ever regret taking the trials?"

When Dreidi reacted to the mention of the kiss, Nitya's mouth curved into a small, almost self-conscious smile. Not flustered. Simply honest.

"Yes," she said. "It happened here. I have not gone anywhere."

She did not rush to explain further, but after a moment she added, her voice gentle and measured, "It was not dramatic. Just right. A moment of curiosity and connection. Nothing more than that. But it mattered."

She leaned back slightly as Dreidi spoke of time stretching endlessly ahead of them, of futures deferred and chaos waiting patiently for its turn.

"You are right," Nitya said softly. "We have time. And maybe that is why we do not need to hurry into love, or legacy, or becoming something simply because we think we should."

Her gaze returned to Dreidi's, steady and warm.

"We are not echoes of them," she continued. "Not of mother. Not of father. We carry them with us, yes, but we are still writing something new. You with your enclave. Me here. Aileni finding his own way."

Her fingers tightened briefly around Dreidi's hand, a quiet affirmation rather than a promise.

"And wherever those paths lead," Nitya finished, her voice low and certain, "we do not walk them alone."

Dreidi Xeraic

 

[Dreidi Xeraic]

Outfit: Casual Attire
Companion: Grisial
Equipment: Lightsaber, Ichor Sword and Nightsister Energy Bow
Tag: Nitya Xeraic

It was a small relief to hear that her sister did think about the potential risks of them suffering similar fates as their father. It meant that she was not alone in the fears and was not delusional in the concerns. "We haven't always dealt with things together. Neither of us were there at each other's trials and we both dealt with father's loss alone and distant from one another." Dreidi stated, looking down then turning her head to look over to Nitya, "but we can change that moving forward and do things together more."

Breathing in deeply, Dreidi thought about whether she truly regretted the trials or not. "I mean, don't have to worry about age lines. That is a benefit, apparently many women would die for the chance to avoid aging. Even with longer life expectancy like Jedi." Dreidi chuckled, "but I think in the end. No. I don't think it is regret I feel in taking them, just a regret that I didn't take them with my family around me. Regret that father didn't get the chance to see both of us as adults. Regret that mother was not around while we grew up."

Hearing that the kiss happened here, it was intriguing but Dreidi knew better than attempting to force more answers from Nitya. Her sister would share as much as she wanted. "Well, as long as I don't need to prepare about being an aunt then that's all good." Dreidi teased with a soft chuckle, "it is good that you got to enjoy that. A moment that reminds you why it is important to be alive, surrounded by others and what we fight for."

"No rush, though I am sure that mother would love to have more grandchildren to dote over. You should have seen how she was with Aileni when he was a baby." Dreidi chuckled softly, "Yeah, not echoes." She affirmed as her body leaned back and rested against the wall, letting out a slow sigh from her lips. "Hard to remember that sometimes when it comes to Aileni though. He carries too much of father." Dreidi confessed.

Looking over to Nitya, she gave a small smile with the nod of her head. "So, what do you want to do next?"

 

[Nitya Xeraic]

Nitya smiled at that, a real one this time, soft at the edges and touched with a hint of amusement that eased some of the weight lingering between them.

"No need to prepare to be an aunt yet," she said lightly. "It really was just a kiss."

She tilted her head, considering her sister with warmth rather than defensiveness.

"And I mean that in the best way. It wasn't a promise or a turning point or anything that needs to be rushed into meaning. Just a moment where I felt present. Alive. Seen." Her shoulders lifted in a small, easy shrug. "After everything, I think I'm allowed that."

Her expression gentled again as Dreidi spoke about regret, about the trials and their parents. Nitya leaned back slightly as well, settling beside her sister rather than facing her head-on, the way people did when they intended to stay for a while.

"I don't regret the trials either," she said quietly. "But I understand what you mean. I wish we'd had each other then. I wish our father had seen us afterward. I wish our mother hadn't vanished when we still needed her." A pause, thoughtful rather than bitter. "Those wishes don't undo what we became, but they do explain some of the quiet spaces we carry."

When Dreidi mentioned Aileni carrying too much of their father, Nitya nodded once, slowly.

"He does," she agreed. "But he also carries you. And that matters just as much, even if it's harder to see right now."

At the question of what came next, Nitya glanced around the space, then back to her sister, the answer unforced.

"For now?" she said. "I'd like to stay right here a little longer. Talk. Maybe argue about something inconsequential. Maybe plan a visit that doesn't involve duty or expectation." A small smile returned. "We spent enough time surviving separately. I'd like to try living alongside each other again."

Her gaze met Dreidi's, steady and sincere.

"What about you?"

Dreidi Xeraic

 

[Dreidi Xeraic]

Outfit: Casual Attire
Companion: Grisial
Equipment: Lightsaber, Ichor Sword and Nightsister Energy Bow
Tag: Nitya Xeraic

Dreidi chuckled deeply, "I hear you, well, hopefully you get to figure out more of what you want with that stuff in time. And you deserve to be seen, loved and doted upon." Dreidi stated, not wanting anything but the best for her sister.

"Yeah, it is all well and good wishing for the different outcomes but we just have to move forward with how things have fallen into place." Dreidi sighed, there was a lot that she wished could have been different but time and therapy had told her that it was more important to accept what has happened and moving forward with it.

Shaking her head, Dreidi knew there was differences between Aileni and their father since he was not a clone or perfect copy of the man, there was just more of him than Dreidi ever thought there would be. "There are things about him that I need to explain more... Should try to explain about him but might be best if you meet Aileni first." Dreidi stated, she wasn't really sure how one could explain everything that was going on.

Listening to what Nitya wanted to come next, Dreidi nodded her head, "that sounds nice." Not yet answering what she wanted yet. Dreidi just took a moment to relax and let out a soft sigh. "Well, I want to enjoy the break from everything. Relax. Learn more about you and everything that has happened till today. Maybe coax you into visiting Dathomir sooner rather than later."

Dreidi shrugged, "just enjoy the time that we spend together while we are together."

 

[Nitya Xeraic]

Nitya smiled at her sister's laugh, the sound easing something in her chest she hadn't realized was still tight. She reached out and nudged Dreidi's arm lightly with her own, affectionate and familiar in a way that only siblings ever managed.

"I appreciate that," she said quietly. "More than you probably know. Being seen isn't something I ever expected to matter so much…but it does. And it's easier to admit that now."

She nodded at Dreidi's words about moving forward, her expression thoughtful rather than resigned.

"I've learned that wishing for different outcomes can become its own kind of trap," Nitya replied. "It keeps you standing in doorways instead of rooms. I don't want to live there anymore. I want to live with what is, even if it's imperfect."

At the mention of Aileni, her gaze sharpened with gentle curiosity rather than concern.

"Then I'll meet him first," she said simply. "I trust you. Whatever it is, I'd rather understand it by knowing him than by trying to hold explanations that don't yet have a shape." A faint smile followed. "He sounds…important. In ways that words might not manage."

When Dreidi spoke of Dathomir, Nitya didn't immediately answer. She leaned back, letting the idea settle, then looked over with a small, amused glint in her eyes.

"You're persistent," she noted softly. "I'll give you that."

Then, more seriously, "I won't promise soon…But I won't promise either. I think, one day, I would like to see it. With you. Not as a trial or an obligation, but as family."

She turned slightly, angling herself closer to Dreidi, the quiet of the moment stretching comfortably between them.

"For now, I want what you want," Nitya said. "To rest. To catch up. To learn who we are now, not who we were when everything broke apart." Her voice softened. "We've spent enough time surviving separately. I'd like to see what it's like to just…be sisters again."

A small pause, warm and unhurried.

"So let's stay right here a little longer," she added. "No plans. No expectations. Just time."

Dreidi Xeraic

 

[Dreidi Xeraic]

Outfit: Casual Attire
Companion: Grisial
Equipment: Lightsaber, Ichor Sword and Nightsister Energy Bow
Tag: Nitya Xeraic

Nodding her head, "it is something that can be easily forgotten. But perhaps that is why mother needed the time away from us, needed to connect with Jax. She had lost something deeply important to her and couldn't stay afloat anymore." Dreidi mused, there had not been a love like that for Dreidi romantically at least but she knew that if Aileni was ever lost to her then she was very likely to burn the galaxy down in revenge.

"He is the most important thing ever to me. I need him in ways that I never thought I would need a person in my life." Dreidi stated quietly as she sighed, "but I also fear for him. The galaxy is entering darker times. He is being trained as a Jedi when there isn't peace, where there isn't a bountiful number of Jedi protecting the galaxy." It was a time where warriors were needed, where war was inevitable and peace was lost to most of the people in the galaxy. Dreidi could only hope the cursed protection spell she casted on her son would reveal itself as worth the risks.

Dreidi smirked and shrugged her shoulders, "you said that you were interested in learning our family legacy from that side. I'm not going to forget that any time soon, also, it can get a little lonely being the youngest Xeraic on Dathomir." Dreidi chuckled softly.

Letting her feet swing somewhat while she was sat down, Dreidi gave a nod in agreement with Nitya. Sitting down and letting them have the rest was important. "So, this person you kissed... They have a name? Just so I know who to tease if I ever cross their path." Dreidi gave a mischievous grin as she leaned back.

 

[Nitya Xeraic]

Nitya listened closely, her posture still and attentive, but there was a subtle shift in her expression as Dreidi spoke of darker times and the need for warriors. The words settled heavily, not because they were unfamiliar, but because they touched something she had carried quietly for years.

"I feel that too," she said at last, her voice low and honest. "That sense that the galaxy is bracing itself. That it is asking more of people than it once did."

Her gaze drifted for a moment, unfocused, as if looking far beyond the room they shared.

"And sometimes," she admitted, not without a trace of regret, "I wish I had been made differently. I was never meant to be a warrior in the way others are. I can endure, I can survive, I can heal and guide and stand when things are falling apart… but I was not shaped to be the blade that meets the darkness head-on."

She exhaled softly.

"There are moments when I am sorry for that. I wonder if I should have pushed myself harder in that direction. If I should have tried to become something sharper, more dangerous, for the sake of people like Aileni. For the sake of what is coming."

Her eyes returned to Dreidi then, steady and resolute despite the vulnerability in her words.

"But I also know this," Nitya continued. "Every age needs more than warriors. It needs people who remember what peace feels like. Who protect it quietly, stubbornly, even when the galaxy forgets why it matters. If I can be that for even a few people, then perhaps I am not failing it entirely."

At Dreidi's teasing grin, a small smile finally touched Nitya's lips, softer but genuine.

"Yes," she said, with the faintest hint of amusement. "He has a name."

She paused just long enough to make it clear she was choosing to share this, not being coaxed into it.

"Delvin Jeth."

The smile lingered, restrained but warm.

"And for the record," she added gently, "I have not gone anywhere. It was just a kiss. But… it mattered."

Her attention settled back on her sister, calm once more.

"And if the galaxy truly needs more warriors," Nitya said quietly, "then I will do what I can to make sure the ones we love survive long enough to become who they are meant to be."

Dreidi Xeraic

 

[Dreidi Xeraic]

Outfit: Casual Attire
Companion: Grisial
Equipment: Lightsaber, Ichor Sword and Nightsister Energy Bow
Tag: Nitya Xeraic

There was a solemn nod of her head, "I was never the warrior type. I might seem it with the weapons and the scars and tattoos. Sometimes I even feel it when I fight and move with the grace of the years of experience I have in training in combat and experience I gained from fighting wars." There was a slow sigh, "but then I see Aileni, I see the way he fights, the way he carries himself and it reminds me that there is a difference in being a warrior and having been forged as one through necessity."

Dreidi fought because she needed to fight. What she saw in Aileni, in others who were natural warriors. It was the drive that differed so very much.

"I prefer reading, studying. Learning the ways of Magick and helping communities come together far more than I enjoy wielding a sword or Lightsaber, or even the bow." Looking over to Nitya, she gave a smirk, "that's where I think our mother shines in me. The blend of both parents I suppose, knowing how to fight when needed thanks to father but then wanting to study and understand the larger picture thanks to mother."

Shaking her head, "never be sorry for who you are. Forcing yourself to be different to stand differently... That would have more likely gotten you killed or worse. Best to stay in the lane that you are most suited towards. There are others in the galaxy that could have done more to help, done more to push forward." Dreidi stated, not being beating around the bush that she felt others failed far more than either Nitya or herself did.

"Delvin Jeth.... Hmmm... Need to remember that so I can start doing some scrying spells and making sure I keep an eye on him." Dreidi poked her tongue out. While it was possible to do such things with her Magick, it was not something that Dreidi intended to do. She trusted Nitya to know what she wanted and how to achieve it.

Leaning back once again, "we will both be doing that. I just fear that... hmmm... Not fear, I am just concerned that they will get lost somewhere along the way." Dreidi mentioned, it was easy to fall from grace when surrounded by darkness.