The Echoes That Lead to Home

[Kaalia Pavanos]

Kro Var spaceport​

Sometime at night​

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Kaalia's heart was pounding in her throat.

Public transport was used. A random set of planets were visited first, all under different aliases to throw everyone off her trail as the woman entered Galactic Alliance space. Enemy space. All to make sure nobody knew who she was as she landed on the planet of Kro Var, and to make sure nobody who may have been following her knew she had travelled here in the first place.

But that wasn't the reason she was so nervous. That honor went to the reason she took the risk of being identified as a Sith in the first place.

After twenty years, Kaalia Voldaren, soon to be Kaalia Pavanos-Voldaren, would seek out her parents.

She had held on the information about her roots for years. She had learned of their names, Gideon and Syrin Voldaren, and the fact they lived on Kro Var through the one who had taken her away from them, her former Jedi master Sorin Tava after he had sought her out on the day of his death. He had grown old and he would return to the Force that day, and simply could not bear the thought of never imparting that knowledge onto her. Upon their meeting she had tried to kill him out of hatred, but couldn't. Not because he was too powerful, no, he was defenseless, but because she couldn't hate him. Despite his flawed ways he meant the best for her, and cared for her throughout her childhood.

The security checks went without a hitch and a small trek through the spaceport later Kaalia breathed in the outside air of the planet she was born on. Her blood was from this place and as she took the first steps outside she felt that sensation she had felt during her other visit here, one that drew her towards something. A call. It was a trip with much more malicious intent- alongside [member='Krest'] and a number of other Sith they captured a Master Shaper and extracted his knowledge, something she wanted to forget ever happened. There were other ways to learn the Shaping ways, and if she had known she was from this world earlier she would have never agreed to doing it. Yet, the guilt was hers to bear.

The thing that stood out more than that guilt was the pull of that feeling, no doubt exerted through the Force. During the woman's final meeting with Sorin he told the story of why she did not grow up on the planet she now stood on, that her parents had turned to the Light and feared their child, Kaalia, would be taken from them by the tribe they abandoned by leaving behind the Dark side. That pull she felt was, according to her once-master, the call of her parents. The call now guided her footsteps as she took in the environment of the planet she could have grown up on. How different would have life have been? It was a question that would forever be left unanswered. They weren't far, she could feel it. It was as if they knew she was coming on this day. Perhaps the Force had told them.

Before Sorin died, the redhead made him a final promise. To go back. Yet, she was afraid. Kaalia stood firmly in the Dark side then, and did so now. Rejection was something she feared and so she never went back, but that fear was overpowered by a need now. A need that came over her as she travelled to Balmorra with the love of her life, [member='Ishana Pavanos'], and their close friend [member='Hazel Zanteres']. It had been years since Ishana had seen her parents, and seeing their reactions changed something within Kaalia. Her mother's shouts of pure joy, her father's embrace, miala's tears. Family bonds couldn't be ignored. No matter how strong in the Force she had become, how far she had made it, family was family.

And nothing had made Kaalia Voldaren, soon to be Kaalia Pavanos-Voldaren, more afraid than finally meeting her family.

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

Deep breaths were taken as every step drew Kaalia closer to her destination, a place she did not know. Yet the Force guided her like it had done so many times before and never had it lied to her, so she had no reason to question the path she took. Quickly the woman left behind the settlement that was built alongside the spaceport and began to traverse the barren and inhospitable landscape of the planet. No matter the destination, her determination had taken precedence despite fear still constantly gripping at her. There was the chance she would leave Kro Var empty handed, or even worse with nothing but the rejection of those she shared her blood with. She dreaded the chance it would not end peacefully, her allegiance to the Dark side in direct contrast to what she was told about Gideon and Syrin.

Something felt off, however. She most definitely was the only one who felt the call, it was meant for her, yet she did not feel the Light through it. She felt emotion. The pain of heartbreak and loss, grief, but above all she felt love. Whatever or whoever called her had endured incredible emotional pain in the past, scars that would never heal much like the scar that was prominently featured on her face. But the love she felt trumped all. As if they finally were able to leave behind the pain and start anew. The feelings and emotions became stronger with every step the woman took and eventually it started overwhelming her, forcing her to stop and sit down. A tear started rolling down her face but she did not wipe it away, instead it came down all the way to her cheek where it stopped. A deep breath in and out later she once more started moving. She was close, and there no longer was any doubt that she would finally uncover her past. What could've been.

In the distance was a simple home. Kaalia could not make out much just yet, but one thing was for certain: Two figures were standing in front of it, waiting. Her heart dropped and the young woman fell to her knees and broke down, sobbing uncontrollably at the sight. She had not even been able to see any more than vague shapes, but the overwhelming tidal wave of emotions that flowed from both them and herself was a kind of thing she had never felt before, and would likely never feel again. There, on her knees, with a trembling voice, she muttered.

"I... I am home."

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

"I am finally home."

With a single motion Kaalia wiped as much of the tearstreaks from her face. The Force did not exert the things she had feared. There was no rejection or disappointment that came from the two figures in the distance that were awaiting her. The Light side of the Force did not flow through their connection, it was clear they were no Jedi. Chances were Sorin had lied for one reason or another, but the woman's mind was not occupied by that question. The only thing she could think about was family.

After the redhead got back on her feet she immediately started running, sprinting, towards the figures. As they came closer and closer she once more started tearing up but it was as if she did not even notice. The approach felt like it lasted for hours, like every step was followed by them taking two steps backwards. For so long Kaalia wanted to know where she came from and now that answer would finally be answered. Why was she separated from her parents? Why was she never allowed to know about home as a child? Who were her parents?

"Kaalia!"

The woman snapped out of her trance as the man known as Gideon Voldaren called out her name. A smile that went from ear to ear formed on her face as she approached and immediately embraced him, tears flowing free as her arms were locked tightly around his ribcage. He was a stoic looking man with long, grey hair that was tied up. The stubble on his face had much the same color and several small scars adorned it as well. His eyes were a mixture of red and suplhur, showing his connection to the Dark side which the young woman had felt before. Despite the stoic feeling he exerted he smiled as he was finally reunited with his only child. Looking to her right she locked eyes with the woman next to them and Kaalia immediately went to embrace her as well in much the same way. Where Gideon's smile was one of pride, Syrin's was one of sheer joy. Kaalia's mother had shorter, similarly fiery hair and it was quickly noted she was about as long as Ishana. Her eyes were a deep, ocean blue, and it was clear she did not wield the Force as she and her father did.

"I cannot believe it. After all those years we thought we had lost you for good, but our beautiful daughter has found us."

"After you were taken we were heartbroken, but you have returned, our Kaalia. I am so sorry for not being there for you all those years."

The lump that had formed in Kaalia's throat made it difficult to speak to speak, but she did not want to stay silent any longer. "No, I am sorry. I am sorry for not seeking you out earlier." She tightened the embrace with her mother who also had started to spill a small number of teardrops. "I was afraid. I believed in the lies of the man who had taken me. But I am home now."

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

"Hey miala, it's me. I found them. They welcomed me with open arms and the feeling was... I can't describe it. I also told them about you and they were overjoyed. It is unlikely they can leave the planet so they won't be able to attend the wedding but my father wrote you a letter to give his blessing, it's a Kro Varian custom. I will give it to you when I'm back."​

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"I will be back soon, miss you."​

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Kaalia pressed the icon that stopped the recording and a few taps on the holodevice later the message was sent to [member="Ishana Pavanos"]. She then put it away and looked around the small room she had been using as her bedroom. It actually was her bedroom as a baby, although she had no recollection of it.

"Kaalia, are you ready?"

"On my way, dad."

It was a surreal thing to say, 'dad'. The woman smiled as she said it and without delay she got up and walked out the door of the room into the small living room where Gideon waited. He carried a large jug of water which would be used for training. With a quick tilt of his head towards the door he signaled to move outside.

In the past Kaalia had already learned the Kro Varian techniques of Fire and Wind Shaping and over time she had mastered both. They were her only connection to the world in which her roots were. Unknowingly she had walked in the footsteps of her father, who in time had become a Master Shaper. He had quickly decided it was Kaalia who was to carry on the torch, and so he would teach her the basics of the arts of Earth and Water shaping, so that she could master them in time. First was the element of water.

"Focus on the ripples in the water, how it moves while I shake it from walking and setting it down." It was as if the parental bond had made it easy for Gideon to teach her. She had been able to learn very quickly, although it was likely amplified by her mastery of the Force in general. Without hesitation she reached out in the Force and sensed the small waves of energy found in the water and looked to connect with it. It was not entirely unlike Wind Shaping, although here it was more about the raw movements rather than the amplification of the movements' strength. Slowly the water started to rise as the redhead's hand did, the liquid bent to her will.

Some hours passed as Kaalia kept her mind focussed on the water, looking for the opening for her to seize control. Her father simply watched on as he looked at her and saw himself in so many ways. In the past he had been as immersed into the Dark side as his daughter was now, but as he grew older he slowly but surely started finding himself walking a more neutral path. It was up to Kaalia to decide how to live her life and if it was the Dark side she belonged in he was at peace with that, however.

"I see. That is how Water Shaping differs from Wind and Fire." The water shot up into a spike and started turning into a small cyclone before calming back down and slowly easing back into the jug. "Looks like the old man is still capable of passing on some of his knowledge. You're going to need to practice more before truly refining it, but you're starting to master the basics. Well done."