Private Till I See You Again

[Lady Falentra]

A lust for revenge had led the young sith knight to discover something very unexpected. She wanted to find the woman that had terrorised her and to make her pay, instead she left with a trail of crimson behind her that was not hers, but two that were very much so. Her appearance, with her suit soaked in blood, Falentra left the facility with them. Falentra did not know what to do with the fragile things she had just acquired... or at least one of them. The other belonged to a xenomorph she was very familiar with after she had made a trade - a promise - in exchange for a beast of power.

While she held them making her way back to the ship, there was a whirlwind of emotions the crashed upon her. She didn't know how to feel... confusion, happiness, dread? As she operated the ship back to her home, they has started wailing, desperate for a feed. It only stressed her out - Falentra wasn't a mother, she felt nothing sort of nurturing or maternal to the younglings, only seeing them as a hinder to what she was working to achieve. They only continued crying, the young woman taking no attempts to sooth them... lest she grew attached. Love was dangerous.

While she was on route to Morlana One, she had decided to turn away into another hyperspace lane - towards Joiol. The babes already looked well over a couple months old, one of them taking her distinctive tentacle hair, the other more human-like. It reminded her of him. The assassin-spy had put a tracker on the whereabouts of Dashiell men and in their home, enough to know that the patriarch was at home, and the other who she still was not ready to face, was not. Falentra was a threat not only to him, but to these younglings, they needed to be far away from her and the horrors she delivered.

The dark ship decended, enterring the planet's atmosphere, landing not too far away from the Dashiell estate. With seemingly little care leaving the babes in the ship, she traipsed down the hanger, the long tentacles were like serpents slithering behind her. Then trailing down the path to the Dashiell estate where she walked only once before, the night when they had the big fight. It relived many memories, while mostly pleasant, she wouldn't be the Sith she was today if she stayed.

Falentra would seek out Judah Dashiell .

 

[Judah Dashiell]

JOIOL

Early morning.

Judah had finally taken a day off and what did he do? Hit the beach right as the sky was starting to brighten, coated in orange and violet, to go fishing on the beach. An advantage of having a home right on the ocean. Long days of managing multiple companies and this was the reward, a quiet morning on the beach.

Two lines set up, he was drinking caf barefoot on the sand as the waves lapped ashore. Part of saltwater fishing was letting the bait soak in water at first to attract anything worth catching. It wasn't as thrilling or exciting as deep sea excursions but that was the entire point - it was about enjoying nature and taking in a peaceful quiet.

Until the quiet was interrupted by a vessel flying overhead. He tracked it, landing not far from the family compound, before the vessel settled. Joiol was a relatively quiet planet - specialty farms, fishing and canneries, large-scale produce production. Starships typically stayed near the main hubs where cargo was loaded - but it wasn't overly unusual to see one land in the fields. Residents or workers coming in often simply wanted to be close.

Not having any scheduled visitors today, he chalked it up to perhaps the kids having a guest over or someone coming to inspect the fledging vineyard.

Lady Falentra ​

 

[Lady Falentra]

With an estate this grand, there was no doubt the security and surveillance was tight. But her force senses lead her to the Dashiell patrairch not within the estate but on the beach. There were no guards around from what she could tell, nor weapons on him. She'd think a billionare like him would want more security around.

Falentra approached the man, stopping a few metres away. Alarmingly, her suit was still soaked in blood from all the skirmish before. "Judah. I need your help - a favour to ask. " She skipped the pleasantries and went right to the point.

 

[Judah Dashiell]

Caf set down in the sand, Judah had begun to busy himself starting a third fishing line. Shrimp put on the line, he leaned back and casted, effortlessly gliding far out into the surf. Absorbed in his task, focusing on the rising sun and horizon. In true ocean side fashion, the breeze had kicked up and it appeared to be an overall decent day. At least no rain on his 'off' day.

Alarmingly, her suit was still soaked in blood from all the skirmish before. "Judah. I need your help - a favour to ask. " She skipped the pleasantries and went right to the point.

Head still not turned, the voice was familiar, so he spoke first. Pulling back on line, slowly reeling in.

"Bale isn't here." Head turned and he finally took in the sight. Brow furrowed. "If you're going to ask me to hide a body the answer is no."

 

[Lady Falentra]

“I know he isn’t here. I’m not here for him.” What did Judah think of her, the ex of his son? The breakup then was less than pretty, she left without a word. But that was the least of her worries, the priority being the things wailing atthe back of her car currently.

Falentra scoffed. Disposing a body was an easy task which usually required some flammable fluids and a small spark. “None of that.” She looked down at herself seeing the concern on his face. “Suppose I should have dressed a little better.” Falentra said before her shoulders lifted and fell in a nonchalant shrug.

Then she turned and began down the path she had taken. “Follow me, I have something I think you’d really like to see. “

“Please.”

 

[Judah Dashiell]

Skeptical look crossed his face. Having hit the beach in sandals, he was hoping whatever this 'have to show' wasn't far. Why she wasn't here for Bale was beyond him. Judah had met his sons girlfriend approximately one time during a family dinner. Beyond that he couldn't say a thing about her besides what he had heard in passing.

Moving in the sands, Judah secured his fishing line in the holder buried in the sand, then started to walk with Lady Falentra .

"Just a note, Salacia will never pay for my release in a hostage situation."

 

[Lady Falentra]

Falentra scoffed slightly as she continued walking. It was a valid concern, but not something she'd do. She was well-off with the work she did, even if it involved getting her hands very dirty and her knees deep in blood. At least he was somewhat disposed to follow her despite his worries, she'd prefer handing the child herself, rather than dumping it on his doorstep if he did not. She believed herself to be better than that, knowing that the same likely happen that led Balun to be in the Jedi's possession in the first place.

They walked down the path. An air of silence between the man and the young woman. They neared her ship, when they arrived she finally broke the silence. "Wait here." She told him before entering the hangar. She was greeted by the loud wailing of the twins who were still strapped securely to the seat by its belt. She sighed knowing that they must have spent their entire lives together in the labs, and now they were going to be separated. But she told herself that they were far too young remember any of it - not her, their sibling, and especially not the trauma they've endured so far.

Pressing her two finger's to one's forehead, she muttered an incantation, willing the force to make the tentacle-haired baby sleep. "Rejoice, child. You belong to someone else." She whispered. When it had gone silent, soundly in a nap, she unstrapped the other. One of her tentacles wrapped around the child and lifted the crying babe up. She couldn't will herself to cradle it in her arms... the babe that she knew herself to be abandoning in another person's care. Yet she knew it would have a much better life and loved than she'd ever be able to provide.

The aquatic emerged out of the ship, the long tentacle carrying the baby. The burgundy tentacle extended towards Judah, showing him the wailing child within its grasp and for him to take it. "This..." She went on. "Is his."

 

[Judah Dashiell]

Perpetual state of confusion could describe how he felt walking in silence through the grounds of the compound. A small yawn as he waited, hands in his pockets as he stood and waited. Was he waiting to get killed? The blood was a little disconcerting, although if he was personally going to kill someone it would be away from this place - too many security measures not visible to the naked eye.

Wailing of a child reached his ears before he saw the youngster. Instinctively, he reached out and took the infant, holding the child close to his chest to hopefully bring some type of calm.

"This..." She went on. "Is his."

Mentally, he calculated a timeline - trying to remember if Lady Falentra looked pregnant at the family dinner. Depending on species and body type these things could be difficult to tell. Did he doubt this child was Balun's? Slightly. Testing would be done - as anyone would do in the situation.

"Why didn't you wait until Bale is here to deliver his child to him then? You two have quite a bit to work out, I am not going to intermediary - if you two are old enough to create a child you're old enough to handle the fallout together."

 

[Lady Falentra]

When Judah reached out, Falentra found herself reluctantly letting go. The baby now cradled in his arms, somehow she knew it was in good hands. The wailing slowly died down, Falentra wondered if they’d been in the warmth of an embrace before with their time in the labs.

She wasn’t surprised when the old man started chiding her. If only he knew how he came to acquire the babies. “We live drastically different lives, Judah. I didn’t come here to be lectured. Trust me, I never knew they existed until hours ago.” She sighed. She could tell him, help him understand how the babies came to be and why she couldn’t see Balun. The threat she posed just grew the longer she stayed.

“It’s a risk I’m taking coming here. You and your family are good people, you don’t deserve the consequences of my choices. “ A clawed hand extended toward the baby in the man’s arms. She couldn’t help herself, rubbing its cheek endearingly. “Until I see you again, little one.” There was a sorrow to her words, but she knew better than to raise a child herself, surrounded by horrors and bloodshed.

“I have business to take care of.” She looked up from the baby, her gaze met Judah’s again. “Take care of it.” Falentra turned around and began walking back to the ship.

 

[Judah Dashiell]

Being in business, one learned to listen and listen intently. He didn't miss the word 'they' meaning plural. Yet he kept a poker face, there was a reason one was being dropped off and not the other. Having deep pockets, it would be easy enough to investigate on that front - twins or perhaps some twisted experiment? Judah didn't miss the 'just finding out' about the existence of a child. Seemed odd to him but perhaps Bale would prove to have more insights.

Considering Lady Falentra was referring to the poor baby as 'it', words were true that he or she would be much better off growing up in the family. Not that Judah had anything against the Sith but it was more the callous nature of the entire exchange. The lack of explanation. It seemed there were a good number of 'mothers' in the 'verse willing to abandon children without a look back. There were difficult choices and then there was a complete detachment from the situation.

"Of course. The baby will be fine."

He wanted to tell her not to return but that wasn't his place. Seemed something Bale would have to work out on his own. With the little one calmed down a bit, Judah gently bounced the baby. It was time to tell Bale to stop playing around in the 'verse and head back home.

 

[Lady Falentra]

It was a relief to have one child off her hands, she wondered if she’d change her mind. The sith were selfish… possessive. But no matter how dark she went, there was always a sliver of light within from the bond within the force. The child was in good hands.

At the threshold of the ship, she turned around, taking one last look of the baby. “Thank you. I wish you all the best.” Little did the man know, she had put a small tracker microchip within the back of the baby’s head. She would always be with it in a sense. With that Falentra departed, the ship leaving as quickly as it arrived.