Private The Weight of Return

[Lorn Reingard]

​

Lorn let out a low, surprised hmph at the teen's comment about the vines. For the first time since they touched down on this world, a hint of amusement flickered in his voice.

"Yeah," he said. "Sounds about right. Everything's got teeth, and the things that don't? You just haven't seen them bite yet."

The corner of his mouth twitched when Aileni shot the question back at him. "Fair enough," he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "You're right. I came in cold. Gave you a job, no manual. That's on me." He didn't try to justify it, didn't fall back on rank or mission stress or the usual Jedi platitudes. It was just out there. Simple. Honest. A rare thing in this galaxy.

When Aileni offered "Puberty?" as a half-joking explanation, Lorn snorted, a dry, real laugh escaping him. "I mean, that's one hell of a puberty you're having," he said. "Blasters, bows, existential rage, Force-induced identity crises. Pretty standard Jedi adolescence, now that I think about it."

As Aileni described Dathomir; its brutality, how close everyone was, how they survived by sticking together, Lorn's laughter faded, replaced by a thoughtful hum. His gaze shifted to the horizon, through the trees and the rain-drenched ruins of Mirater.

"That doesn't sound too far from here," he said quietly. "I didn't grow up on Naboo like the Council likes to list in my records. I was raised right here on Mirater. In the highlands. My Master, he was a Jedi Knight, left the Order to live among his people again. His sister, their family...they took me in."

He walked a few steps, then stopped, watching a cluster of wild birds scatter from a tree. His voice, usually quiet steel, turned low and raw. "We built something together. A resistance against the warlords. We thought we could fix it all with just enough will, enough good intentions. But we lost. One by one. I buried them all."

He glanced sideways at Aileni, not with pity or sadness, but with understanding. A flicker of something shared. "I'm not just here trying to save Mirater, or these kids. I'm trying to make sense of the fact that I lived and they didn't."

A long breath filled the silence.

"I think we got off on the wrong foot," Lorn said, his voice softer. "You've got a fire in you. Not just anger. Loyalty. You protect what's yours. I can respect that." Then, almost sheepishly, Lorn added, "If you're willing, I'd like to try this again. Start over. Not just as teacher and student. I think… I might have as much to learn from you as you do from me."

He started walking again, slower this time. "You miss Dathomir?" It wasn't rhetorical. The question hung there, sincere.

"Your bow, never seen one like it up close. Looks like it takes more discipline than most people realize. You think you could show me how to use it? Might be good for me to pick up something that doesn't hum when it cuts."

For once, Lorn didn't sound like a man waiting for the next betrayal. He sounded… curious. Hopeful, even. And tired of walking this path alone.

Aileni Ifor Xeraic​

 

[Aileni Ifor Xeraic]

Location: Naboo
Attire: Large brown hoodie, grey shirt
Equipment: Dathomiri Energy Bow, Practice Lightsaber
Tag: Lorn Reingard

Aileni appreciated the cracking of the ice in Lorn, his comment on everything having teeth made Aileni snort. "Sounds about right." What he heard next was surprising. Aileni didn't expect for Lorn to agree with him, he thought the old man was going to be too stubborn, too set in his ways for such a feat. But it was a positive step and it made Aileni feel bad for the coldness and the attitude he had held up until now. It was unfair to maintain this anger and frustration. It wasn't easy to drop it but Aileni saw it was necessary for their mentorship to work.

"It's more than that... I don't know what or why, but there feels to be something more. I don't know, might just be a Zorren thing since we are meant to do a coming of age ritual thing..." Aileni knew there were others who understood some of what he felt but the itching skin, the beast roaring in him, the hunger. It was something more, something feral, primal. But it didn't make sense and it wasn't what he knew of the Zorren people or the coming of age ritual.

Nodding his head, "survivor's guilt is rough." Aileni stated, plenty of Jedi had that issue, he was sure it was something his mother had to deal with from time to time since she had seen a lot and dealt with a lot. Especially in wars where many others died.

"Yeah, okay. Start over. Sounds good to me." Aileni affirmed and gave a short nod of his head. Pleased to try this again, it was important to have a good first interaction, especially since this Master/Padawan relationship was something that was going to last years. He needed to prove that he was willing to grow and listen to Lorn. "Sure, maybe, I dunno what I could teach you..." Aileni confessed with a nervous chuckle.

When asked if he missed Dathomir, Aileni nodded his head, "I mean, I lived on Naboo as well as Dathomir. It wasn't the only world I called home, but Dathomir felt more like home. I interacted with a larger community, the people there, they saw me for who I was. Who I could be. It was comforting being there." Aileni confessed, he was their Night Wolf. He didn't know who he was on Naboo or with the Jedi. Not yet at least.

"It does for most people... I adopted to it really quickly, it was surprising to everyone how quick I took to the bow. But I can definitely show you some things with it. Does mean, you gotta show me some Lightsaber stuff in exchange. Nothing is free." Aileni grinned widely, "you should see an ichor sword, just as durable as a Lightsaber, no humming and they can burn green flames!" He had seen his mother using hers and it was pretty awesome, Aileni sometimes used to sneak out and try to practice with it but he never got far with that since Dreidi would always catch him.

 

[Lorn Reingard]

Lorn just listened. The quiet, focused way of someone who'd spent years in war zones and worse, soaking in every detail. He didn't cut in, didn't correct, didn't offer any of that practiced, half-smiling Jedi reassurance usually trotted out for these kinds of talks. He simply listened, giving Aileni's words the full weight they deserved.

When the boy spoke of something stirring inside him, something feral, Lorn's eyes narrowed, not with suspicion, but with a quiet, knowing recognition.

"That's not nothing," he finally said, his voice low. "That itch. That hunger. You might think it's a phase, something you can just sleep off. But if it's truly part of you… it'll demand a name, eventually. You don't tame things like that by pretending they aren't there."

His tone wasn't sharp or judgmental, just carefully measured. The kind of voice you'd use when talking about a truly dangerous creature, one you weren't entirely sure was still caged.

A short breath escaped Lorn, somewhere between a sigh and a dry chuckle, when Aileni mentioned survivor's guilt was rough. "That might be the understatement of the century," he muttered, almost to himself.

But then, Aileni said it. The words that had been hanging in the air, weighted with possibility: Start over.

Lorn gave a small, almost imperceptible nod. It wasn't dramatic, but something in the rigid set of his shoulders eased, and the tightrope that had strung itself between them finally, perceptibly, slackened.

"You don't think you can teach me anything," Lorn said, the corners of his mouth twitching, "but you already have. I've been walking this path a long time, long enough to forget what it's like to see it with fresh eyes. That perspective? It's invaluable. Keeps me from falling asleep with my eyes wide open."

He glanced over at the boy as they continued walking. "Besides," he added, a dry note in his voice, "if you can land shots with that bow half as fast as you did earlier, you've already outpaced most of my vanguard."

When Aileni spoke of Dathomir, of how it felt more like home, Lorn's expression darkened, just a fraction. Not with judgment, but with the quiet pang of something long-lost and deeply familiar. The ache of belonging that had, for him, simply… vanished.

"That matters," Lorn said, his gaze meeting Aileni's. "That someone saw who you could be. You hang onto that. It doesn't matter what uniform you wear or what council chamber you stand in. You keep that version of yourself close, always."

Then he stopped walking, turning to face the boy fully. His expression turned serious again, but not with a heavy, crushing sort of weight.

"If you want me as your Master, Aileni, I'll be that," he said, his voice firm, unwavering. "I'll teach you everything I know. How to fight. How to survive. How to hold the line when you're the only one left standing. I'll get you ready for whatever battles are coming, inside or out."

He tapped the hilt of his lightsaber, a soft click echoing the finality of his words.

"My knowledge of the Jedi? It's not pristine, I'll tell you that much. I don't quote philosophy, and I certainly don't always agree with the Council. But I've survived every battlefield i've been thrown into. And through it all, I still believe in the light."

Lorn extended a hand, not in a grand, ceremonial gesture, nor with any command. Just a simple, human offer.

"So… what do you say?" A faint smile touched his lips. "Shall we do this properly?"

Aileni Ifor Xeraic​

 

[Aileni Ifor Xeraic]

Location: Naboo
Attire: Large brown hoodie, grey shirt
Equipment: Dathomiri Energy Bow, Practice Lightsaber
Tag: Lorn Reingard

Aileni absorbed what was being said to him, that this might be something permanent. "Maybe... I just feel it is something different, something I can't describe." Aileni admitted, he was stumped about what this could be. He was usually fairly insightful and understanding of his limitations and what was going on with himself. So much so, he was able to empathise with others in ways that seemed to be beyond his years of wisdom. Whatever was going on, that seemed to grow year by year, it was new. It was different.

It scared him a little.

Nodding his head, "maybe it is more, I am not sure what I could teach you. This is still all very new to me and still figuring out what the Jedi I want to be and where my skills lie best." Aileni admitted as it all still felt very new and strange, there was a sense of familiarity with it all. A sense of deja vu but nothing that stood out. He was still finding his placement within this Order. "But I am not afraid to give it a go." He added, determined to at least try and show Lorn new ways and new ideas.

"Huh. Well, only been using the bow for a year or so. Means, I will only be getting better with it." Aileni stated, he felt masterful with a bow but there were always new tricks and abilities that one could use with a bow.

Nodding his head, "I... I don't want to be a vanguard fighter. I want to be a hunter, a Jedi Shadow... I think that is what they are called. Someone willing to do dangerous, dark work to protect others." Aileni confessed, figuring that if he was open about the path he wanted to explore from the start, Lorn could help guide him best down that path. "I just want to state that since I still want to be your student and I will take what you teach me, but also give you an idea of what I want to learn."

Taking Lorn's hand in a tight grip, Aileni smirked, "stuck with me till the end then." Aileni affirmed his commitment to being Lorn's Padawan.

 

[Lorn Reingard]

​

Lorn held Aileni's hand in a firm, steady grip, one forged more in solidarity than ceremony. It wasn't a handshake between Master and Padawan. It was a promise between two survivors.

"Then we do this properly," Lorn said quietly, his voice carrying something resolute beneath the calm. "You're my Padawan now. And I'm with you. Until the end."

He released the boy's hand but didn't step away. Instead, his eyes lingered for a beat longer, sharp and thoughtful, not inspecting, but seeing.

"I don't expect you to follow me into the Vanguard," Lorn said, his voice softening. "Force knows I train enough of them. I'm not here to turn you into a soldier."

He turned, walking slowly as the canopy ahead brightened. Dusk was approaching. The shuttle wasn't far now.

"If your path leads you into the shadows, then that's where we go. I don't know everything about the Jedi Shadow path, but I'll learn. And I'll teach you what I can to help you walk it. Quietly. With purpose. With focus."

He paused, glancing back with a smirk that barely curled the edge of his lip. "Maybe you'll even teach me how to hit a target from fifty paces without looking like I'm throwing out my back."

The two of them walked side by side again, no tension now, just quiet rhythm. Boots crunched through damp leaves, birds chirped overhead, and the world slowly settled back into peace after violence.

Behind them, the jungle closed like a curtain. Ahead, the shuttle waited. It looked less like an escape now, and more like a beginning.

As they reached the edge of the landing zone, Lorn broke the silence one last time.

"You feel that thing growing inside you, whatever it is?" His voice was calm. "We'll name it together. And we'll make sure it doesn't name you first."

The ramp lowered. The stars waited. And this time, when Lorn walked up into the ship, he didn't look over his shoulder to see if Aileni followed. He already knew he would.

Aileni Ifor Xeraic​

 

[Aileni Ifor Xeraic]

Location: Mirater
Attire: Large brown hoodie, grey shirt
Equipment: Dathomiri Energy Bow, Practice Lightsaber
Tag: Lorn Reingard

Feeling the eyes on him, Aileni didn't hide away. If this man was going to be his Master then he should allow himself to be seen by the older man. Standing firm, his eyes connected with Lorn. In that brief moment, Lorn would see there were two beings within him. A savage, primal beast that roared but also something, someone older. Wiser than most Jedi out there. But then they were gone, that presence of two beings bursting inside Aileni flickered away and he was himself.

The boy was relieved that Lorn was happy to help Aileni with his pursuit of becoming a Jedi Shadow. It was something of a relief since he was keen to try and figure out what it means to be a Shadow and see how one operated as that. His fears were that he had to become the type of Jedi whoever his Master ended up being, or that they would refuse to show him how a Shadow worked. Either being against such paths or viewing Aileni as not capable enough to tread such a dangerous path.

Lorn was neither of those and it was nice. Alleviated some of his concerns he had when stepping onto the ship back on Naboo.

"Oh, that's easy... At least for me it is, teaching you... I'm sure there's saying something about older animals learning new tricks that could help here..." Aileni smirked widely in his teasing way as he looked at times.

Nodding his head, "I doubt it is anything that will become an issue..." Aileni was living off hope there more than acknowledging the feelings he truly had around it. It didn't help that he had never been confronted with this issue being so prevalent but that was occurring more often with it. He seemed to be growing, changing at a rapid rate. "I haven't talked to my mother about, she has no clue and I don't want to tell her, to add to her stresses." Aileni added as he realised that Lorn was much more likely to interact with his mother now.

 

[Lorn Reingard]

​

Lorn stepped into the shuttle's dim hold, the faint echo of his boots on the worn durasteel floor almost swallowed by the quiet hum of the dormant vessel. He didn't head straight for the cockpit. Instead, he lingered by the ramp, a hand braced lightly on the frame, as he looked back down at Aileni. His gaze held something steadier than amusement, yet lighter than outright concern.

The flicker he'd seen in the boy's eyes,a quiet conflict between two beings, still resonated with him. It wasn't just strange; it was achingly familiar. The Jedi often spoke of the Force working in patterns, of destinies taking distinct shapes. But Lorn had long since learned that, sometimes, it was simply broken people carrying echoes of each other.

Aileni's teasing jab about old animals learning new tricks coaxed a genuine chuckle from Lorn, brief but honest. "Just be prepared for a lot of groaning," he warned, a wry smile playing on his lips. "And probably one pulled shoulder. Maybe two." He gave the boy another measured, thoughtful once-over, then his voice softened, the hint of sincerity unmistakable. "About what's inside you… you really should talk to your mother."

His expression wasn't stern, but it carried a quiet weight. "You said you didn't want to stress her out. I understand that. But listen, kid, she'd rather be worried and know what's happening than be blind to it until it's too late." He paused, his thumb tapping once against the ramp's frame. "If you want, I can talk to her. Ease it in. Just say you've been feeling… off. She and I aren't strangers."

He met Aileni's gaze directly, offering not pressure, but plain honesty. "But I won't go behind your back. I won't break that trust. This stays between us unless you say otherwise." Another pause followed, not awkward, but gentle. "You're not alone in this. Not anymore."

Aileni Ifor Xeraic​

 

[Aileni Ifor Xeraic]

Location: Mirater
Attire: Large brown hoodie, grey shirt
Equipment: Dathomiri Energy Bow, Practice Lightsaber
Tag: Lorn Reingard

Aileni rolled his eyes at the comment of groaning and pulled muscles, it was something he knew a few older Jedi suffered with but it was something he wondered would not affect him for centuries... Maybe even thousands of years. "I..." Talking to his mother seemed a daunting notion. Even if Lorn was right, there was just something that seemed to hang over his head when he thought about confronting her about it. Like there was a lie in the air, or a secret she had kept from him and he wasn't ready.

That time could keep this from becoming a growing issue.

"You can talk to her about it... I'm... I'll try." Aileni didn't sound all that convincing that he would talk to her, not yet at least. "I appreciate that, it means a lot." Aileni nodded his head, he was glad to have someone that he felt more confident in wouldn't report his confessions to his mother. Aiden and Briana were close family friends but they were his mother's friend for a lot longer than they were his. "I'm gunna take a moment to meditate in the room. I'll talk to you later."

Part of him needed to spend the time meditating to sort out what he was thinking and feeling, as well as figuring out the growing sensations in his body. What could it all mean and was it tied to the deja vu that he was continuously feeling as he trained in the Jedi ways. Whenever he held a bow in his hands.

 

[Lorn Reingard]

​

Lorn watched Aileni, saying nothing as the kid grappled with his decision. He recognized the hesitation, that unspoken wall between a son and his mother. Lorn had seen it countless times before, in others, and long ago, in himself.

When Aileni finally gave him permission, uncertain as it was, Lorn offered a single nod. "I'll keep it light," he promised. "Just let her know you're figuring things out. Nothing more." There would be no lectures, no ominous warnings, just a quiet hand extended in the dark.

As Aileni spoke about meditating, Lorn's expression shifted, if only by a fraction. It was not pity or even simple concern, but something closer to quiet respect. "Good," he said softly. "Center yourself." But then, as the boy turned to leave, Lorn added, his voice gentle but firm: "And when you're ready, don't let meditation be where you hide. Face it. Whatever it is." He didn't push, just let the words settle like stones waiting for footsteps.

Lorn stood for a moment longer as Aileni disappeared into the back of the shuttle. Then, with a quiet sigh, he turned and walked toward the cockpit, sliding into the pilot's seat. His hands moved across the aging controls with a muscle memory older than he liked to admit, bringing the engines to a low hum.

Stars gleamed ahead. Lorn sat in silence, staring out at the dark stretch of space, his hands resting on the controls but not yet pushing forward. Behind him was a Padawan. Somewhere ahead, a future neither of them understood yet. But for the first time in a long time... Lorn wasn't flying alone. He eased the ship forward, his voice a low mutter audible only to himself. "Let's see if I'm a better teacher than I was a student."

Aileni Ifor Xeraic​

 

[Lorn Reingard]

​

Lorn found her precisely where he expected: in the mess hall, alone at a back table. It was Dreidi Xeraic. Even at rest, her presence carried the quiet edge of someone who had seen too much and survived most of it.

He hesitated in the doorway, arms crossed, his cloak still travel-stained. He never liked this part; hard conversations always weighed more than warzones. Still, he crossed the room and slid into the seat opposite her without asking, without ceremony. There was no point pretending he wasn't about to say something difficult. "You've got an interesting son," he stated, cutting straight to the core.

There was no preamble, no small talk, just the stark honesty he'd learned was often all he had left. Lorn let the words hang in the air, watching her reaction, not judging, simply observing. "He wasn't what I expected when they assigned him to me," Lorn added, his voice not accusing, but rather tired, perhaps even respectful. He leaned forward slightly, bracing his forearms on the table. "And something's growing inside him. Something he doesn't understand. Something he's afraid to tell you." He paused, his expression softening, just slightly, but noticeably. "He wants to tell you I believe. He just didn't know how."

Lorn exhaled slowly, glancing away for a moment before meeting her eyes again. "I figured you'd want to know. But I told him this would stay between us until he gave the word." Another silence stretched between them. Then, in a softer, lower voice, Lorn finished, "I can help guide him. But you are his mother. If anyone is going to help him name what's coming, it's you." He didn't ask what she intended to do. He simply waited.

Dreidi Xeraic​

 

[Dreidi Xeraic]

Location: Naboo
Outfit: Jedi Attire
Companion: Grisial
Equipment: Lightsaber, Nightsister energy bow, Ichor sword
Tag: Lorn Reingard

Dreidi had heard that Aileni had finally gotten his Jedi Master, it was a first big step on his path which Dreidi was equal parts excited and nervous about. She was excited for him since this was something he had always wanted to explore but the past words of who Aileni would become rang in Dreidi's mind. For many years, Dreidi downplayed it as simple lies from someone who wanted to weaken Dreidi's position. However, the recent years showed that the curse was very much real and there was concern in Dreidi when she saw that beast behind the eyes. Hopefully it was something that would be tamed and remain where it was currently.

Eating her food, Dreidi had expected that she would meet whoever her son's Master was now since Dreidi could give a detailed background on the training that Aileni received before arriving at the temple. There were also a couple things about Aileni that Dreidi knew that her son was not aware of as well. Things that she had not figured out how to tell him since they would change a lot of things about their relationship. When Lorn approached, Dreidi gave a welcoming smile, remembering the man from her lesson on illusionary magick.

"Welcome Lorn, take a seat." Dreidi offered, maintaining a polite smile. Then the man cut straight to the point, Lorn was her son's Master. Dreidi gave a slight sigh and chuckle, "well, hopefully he didn't cause any issues for you on the first day. He might have too much of my mischievous youthful energy. My sister struggled with that." Asaraa had spent a long time ensuring that Dreidi's days of pranking and causing mischief was calmed down from how it had been.

No longer being the gremlin she had been infamous for as a young child.

Blinking, "what were you expecting from him initially?" Dreidi asked, curious what had been the thoughts that her son would be beforehand. When there was mention of something growing inside Aileni, Dreidi grew quiet. Moving the food around her plate aimlessly. Not hiding the fact that she already knew what was going on with Aileni in that regard. "It is not him who needs to tell me..." Dreidi confessed, "it was something I hoped would not come to fruition."

Shaking her head, "it is you who needs to prepare him for what is coming. He will not want my presence with this." There was a sadness in her voice, "not when I tell him the full situation." Dreidi was looking down at the plate, avoiding eye contact as this topic was something she had to address with Lorn.

"I cursed him. Not intentionally and I was trying to protect him... Dathomiri magick... It is fickle and emotionally driven, so even with the best of intentions, you can still make errors." Dreidi admitted quietly, "I do not know what it is that is growing inside him but I was told it was a beast, something that makes him more Dathomiri than I am, as dangerous as all life on Dathomir is." Dreidi sighed as she remembered the day that she met the witch who had seen the future of her son.

With tears in her eyes, Dreidi looked up, "but that isn't everything Aileni is... he doesn't have to succumb to this beast form and he doesn't have to know of it. Just because it was seen in a vision, doesn't make it true. He is more than that, there are other forces within him that could temper the Dathomir magick in him." Dreidi mentioned in a vague manner.

Demonstrating that Dreidi knew there was even more to Aileni than the curse. Something she had buried in her mind from the day he had been born.

 

[Lorn Reingard]

​

For a long while, Lorn said nothing, simply watching Dreidi. Much of what she had told him merely confirmed his existing suspicions, but even more unsettled him in ways he hadn't anticipated.

When he finally spoke, his voice was steady, though something heavier now weighed upon it. "I wasn't expecting much," Lorn admitted, glancing down at the table. "Another half-trained kid with too much to prove. The Council figured someone like me would iron him flat. I've trained commandos, not Padawans. I told them that." He looked back up at her, his gaze sharpening. "But he's not what I expected." After a moment of silence, he added quietly, "He's better."

Lorn leaned back slightly, the rigid tension in his frame refusing to ease. He wasn't the type to fidget; he sat perfectly still, like soldiers do when bracing for something truly terrible, something worse than blaster fire. "You knew," he said softly, without accusation. "A curse." He said the word as if it tasted wrong, as if it didn't belong in the air between them. "I'm no witch. I don't know magick. But I know darkness when I see it stalking someone." He exhaled hard through his nose, the sound brittle. "I've seen boys his age lose themselves to anger, to grief, to the parts of the Force we don't speak about in Council halls. But this isn't that. This is something deeper. Older."

When Dreidi met his gaze, tears brimming, Lorn didn't look away. "I know what it's like," he said softly, "to look at someone and see the end of them in your mind, and to keep hoping that vision never comes true." Another moment passed. "I'll train him," Lorn said simply. "I'll prepare him for whatever's coming, whether that's a beast, a curse, or merely the war inside himself. You have my word."

He leaned forward again, his voice quieter now. It wasn't Commander Reingard speaking, but simply Lorn. "But you're wrong about one thing. He'll need you. Maybe not now, maybe not soon, but eventually." His gaze was tired, yet not hollow. Lorn's hand drifted from the table, resting at his side; it wasn't offered, nor was it reaching for comfort, merely still. "You're his mother. That matters."

Silence settled again, thick and uncomfortable. He let it linger before finally standing. "I'll keep your secret, for now." He glanced down at her face. "But someday, he'll ask. And when he does, you owe him the truth."

Dreidi Xeraic​

 

[Dreidi Xeraic]

Location: Naboo
Outfit: Jedi Attire
Companion: Grisial
Equipment: Lightsaber, Nightsister energy bow, Ichor sword
Tag: Lorn Reingard

Hearing that Aileni had exceeded the expectations that Lorn had, it wasn't a massive surprise for Dreidi, she knew that the spirit of her father allowed her son to come across more of a natural in combat and the abilities in the Force. She had sensed that from an early stage in her pregnancy and it amplified when he had been born. "That is good to hear. I am glad that he is exceeding the expectations that you had when it came to Padawans." Dreidi didn't know how to express that her son had talents of her father embedded in his very soul.

It was something that was easier felt by those who knew her father than something she could discuss or convey with her words.

"I feared." Dreidi corrected with a soft tone that did not hold judgement or resentment. "I did not seek confirmation. Not yet at least. But it was something I feared from what others had spoken to me on him." Seeing it true was something that Dreidi feared more than anything else in the galaxy, so better to play ignorant than realise the truths.

Realising that she needed to be straight with Lorn, that he could only guide her son if she was open and honest with the man, "there are two forces within him, one is the curse. This beast that could change him into something else, something new. And there is my father within him. A Jedi Grandmaster whose soul lives on within him. The wisdom and experience that comes with years of training at the fingertips of someone still learning who they are." Dreidi sighed, it was complicated, confusing and she had no clue on how to process it all since Aileni was still so young and yet he held power that exceeded her own skills.

Her father was a much more powerful Force User than she was right now, she was concerned a Padawan holding that much potential was a dangerous combination.

Dreidi's gaze softened and she looked up to Lorn, "thank you. It is more that I fear he will resent me for placing this curse upon him. For being reckless and ensuring he lived a terrible life when I was trying to do the opposite. Trying to make sure he had the strength and protection to stop harm coming to him." There was a long, deep sadness in Dreidi's voice, one that brought Grisial to her side for comfort. "It is why he needs someone else to turn to. Someone in the Order, because he is facing a life that will be far from the natural, standard ways of a Jedi."

"I might not tell him everything, but I do not lie. If he pointedly asks about this, I will make sure he knows. I just pray he does not need to find out." Dreidi admitted, she was selfish in that regard. Praying her mistakes would not harm her son anymore than it already had.

 

[Lorn Reingard]

​

Lorn sat in silence, listening as Dreidi laid out the truth: not just about the curse, but the soul of a Jedi Grandmaster tied to her son. That revelation hit him harder than he expected, showing in the slow, almost imperceptible lift of his brows. He was now processing two immense forces: one ancient and wild, the other wise and dead.

"I've carried ghosts before," Lorn said quietly, "but not like that." His fingers drummed lightly against the table, not from anxiety, but deep thought. He was processing, calculating the shape of the storm they were now both walking into: a beast in one hand, a legacy in the other, all wrapped up in a boy still figuring out which parts of himself even belonged to him.

"He's already torn in half," Lorn continued. "Even if he doesn't know it yet." He looked across the table at her, more gently now. He wasn't speaking as a soldier or a mentor, but as someone who understood what it meant to fear the future and know that fear had your fingerprints on it.

"You made a choice," he said. "Out of love. It wasn't clean, and maybe it wasn't smart, but it was love all the same. That counts." After a beat, his tone shifted, becoming more pragmatic. "But if this thing inside him, this beast, starts to wake up, I need to know how far it goes. What kind of damage it can do. What kind of damage he can do, if he gives in to it." He wasn't accusing or blaming; he was planning.

"And this other part," he added, his voice quieter, "your father. Aileni doesn't even know what that means, does he?" There was something almost like sympathy in his tone, not for the boy, not even for Dreidi, but for what that immense legacy could become, for what it might demand of someone unprepared to carry such weight.

Lorn's gaze met hers again. "You're right. His path won't be a straight one. He won't be the Jedi the Council expects." A faint breath escaped him, half a tired laugh. "Good. Neither was I."

He stood again, slower this time, his shoulders heavier than before. "But if he's going to survive this, both halves of it, he'll need more than a good Master. He'll need someone to remind him that his story doesn't have to be written by the people who cursed him, or by the people who came before him." His voice steadied, low and even. "He needs to know he's still writing it himself."

Lorn looked at Dreidi, there was no wall in his eyes, just quiet, aching truth. "I'll make sure he gets that chance."

Dreidi Xeraic​

 

[Dreidi Xeraic]

Location: Naboo
Outfit: Jedi Attire
Companion: Grisial
Equipment: Lightsaber, Nightsister energy bow, Ichor sword
Tag: Lorn Reingard

Dreidi shrugged her shoulders, "you know all that I do. Even the most experienced clan mothers of Dathomir cannot state in confidence on what will happen to Aileni if his beast emerges." That was the scariest part in all this. Dreidi knew there was something different in Aileni, he was displaying Zorren traits but not having gone through the ritual and he was still aging for the moment. "The issue is that I am not purely Dathomiri, I am not like the others in my clan. Therefore the racial traits I passed onto Aileni... it can react differently with the Magick of his curse."

Leaning forward, looking down at the table again, "he is known by my clan and others as the Night Wolf. Not a Night brother like other men of Dathomir. Night Wolf. They believe he might display more canine, wolf traits than I do. How severe those traits become, I cannot state. What I fear is that there will be times he transform into a beast. Or permanently changes into one." There was a defeated shrug of her shoulders as there was no information or records that Dreidi could compare this situation to. "But this is all new, so you know as much as I do on it."

Shaking her head, "he can't. Not because he wouldn't be able to handle it. But if he knew that his spirit was the one of my father's, he might believe he has to live up to those expectations, that he has to follow that pathway. I want him to be his own person. To make his decisions and forge his own path. Aileni is my son, and I don't wish him to feel or be seen as anything other than that."

Dreidi looked up and there was a golden fire burning, this was not a matter to be discussed. It was a secret that would ruin the life of Aileni since it would blur who he was and whether he was doing or enjoying something because he wanted to or because his previous life it was something he liked.

That was not something Dreidi wanted her son to be concerned about.

Dreidi let out a soft chuckle, "I never expected him to be. I am a far cry from the ideal Jedi. I am sure some see me more as a Witch than a Jedi. Even though that was the path I took first, the path I was raised on." Shrugging her shoulders gently, "but I am glad you are his Master Lorn. He needs someone like you, someone who will be stern but kind. He is someone who will try pushing boundaries and testing the limits. He always has been and this is the training he has waited on for years now."

 

[Lorn Reingard]

Lorn remained standing by the table, one hand braced on the back of the chair, the other resting loosely at his hip. He listened carefully to everything Dreidi said, absorbing her tone, her grief, and her quiet fire. When she spoke of the unpredictable storm of Magick and genetics within her son, Lorn's gaze sharpened, not with fear or apprehension, but with a deep familiarity.

"The Night Wolf," Lorn repeated softly, a faint smile touching his lips as he tasted the name. "Fitting." He straightened, squaring his shoulders. "If that beast emerges, I won't run. I won't let it consume him. I'll protect him, Dreidi, from it, from himself, even from the galaxy if necessary." His words carried no dramatic weight, no oaths or posturing, just a quiet certainty carved from a lifetime of war.

Dreidi's concern about Aileni's heritage, specifically her father's spirit living within him, made Lorn pause. He didn't interrupt, simply watching the conviction ignite in her eyes before he gently nodded. "You're right," he agreed, his voice careful. "That kind of legacy can drown a person, even a strong one. He should make his own way, choose who he becomes, not who he's supposed to be. When the time comes, if it ever does, I'll follow your lead on that." A subtle shift occurred within him then, not a release of tension, but the long weight of command softening, if only for a moment. He looked at her, seeing her not as Aileni's mother, or even as a Jedi, but simply as herself. "You keep saying you're not the ideal Jedi," he mused, his voice warming slightly like embers in an old hearth. "But I've fought alongside a lot of the so-called perfect ones. Half of them were dead before they hit the ground. You? You're still standing, still protecting, still loving that boy in a galaxy that keeps handing you reasons not to." He paused, letting the silence settle before concluding, "That's what makes a great Jedi."

Lorn reached for his cloak, tugging it back into place with the practiced ease of someone for whom true relaxation was a foreign concept. "I'll keep him safe," he stated again. "However long this lasts, I'll train him to wield everything he is, light, dark, cursed, gifted, and survive it. And not just for your sake." A brief, wry smile touched his mouth. "He's already gotten under my skin." With a small nod, he turned to leave, pausing just before stepping out of the hall. He didn't look back, his voice low, meant only for Dreidi's ears. "I don't think he's going to be either of us," he murmured. "I think he's going to be better." Then he stepped out, the door hissing closed behind him.

Dreidi Xeraic​

 

[Dreidi Xeraic]

Location: Naboo
Outfit: Jedi Attire
Companion: Grisial
Equipment: Lightsaber, Nightsister energy bow, Ichor sword
Tag: Lorn Reingard

"Hopefully the latter won't be an issue but I am glad that you have his back, Lorn." Dreidi gave a small smile, "if you didn't, who knows what you might end up happening to you." A friendly tease as the Dathomiri magical energy swirled around her fingers. "Joking aside, it is good you have his corner but remember he needs someone to be strict and firm. Aileni is the type to push boundaries and few are like me where they set the hard boundaries early on with him."

There were several friends that allowed her son to get away and enjoy far too much in her opinion, though that could be the tough, strict Dathomiri in her. The witch that saw harshness in the galaxy as something to achieve, that softness was a weakness that could not be afforded to a warrior. Especially one that Aileni would be with the challenges he was set to face in life. Dreidi shrugged her shoulders, "I just think sometimes there are Jedi you admire and look to as inspirational. And then there are Jedi you desire in a fight by your side. I am probably someone of the latter. My thoughts, opinions and actions... I am not someone who would be a council member or viewed as inspirational to the young Jedi. But put me in a fight, defending lives, and not many have the skills or experience I do to survive."

Dreidi had survived a lot, probably too much for a woman as young as she was. She had seen factions rise and fall, some rising back up again. A lot had come her way and Dreidi knew there was going to always be more to deal with.

She chuckled and nodded her head, "that is something he is talented at doing. Getting under the skin and burrowing his way into a person's heart." It was something she was glad he had, it was a good trait to have since she had never met a bad, truly evil person who could do such things. There was good in him and it was shown by the connections he could make. "I hope he can demonstrate that skill to be better than us." Dreidi bowed her head, curious to see what becomes of the training that Lorn gives Aileni and how it will forge his future.