Private Virtuous Tragedy

[Iandre Athlea]

Iandre had been looking over her ancient flight records and mission logs. She was searching for something, but couldn't place what it was exactly. Then it dawned on her. She didn't know where her master had died, where her life had been changed so drastically that she had meditated for over 900 years. Not that she even really knew it was happening. It wasn't until Gem and Zinayn found her that she realized what had happened.

After checking her records multiple times and their current location, she paled at the realization. She was almost sitting on top of Generis. The last planet in her logs, the last mission she had been on, and it could only be where Aisha had perished.

It had been a neutral world within the fold of the Confederacy. As a Jedi of that time, it had been their duty to settle disputes and provide mediation. That was what they had been doing. Some farmers were arguing over who owned the land they were planting on. Since Generis hadn't picked a side, Iandre and her master were dispatched to help quell and resolve the dispute.

They had accomplished their mission and were heading back to their ship. That was when it all happened...Coming to a firm decision, she wanted to face this part of her past, so she contacted her love. Diarch Rellik. A man who meant more than anything to the former Jedi and the person she wanted at her side. This wasn't something she wanted to do alone.

She wasn't going to wear her armor and keep her face hidden. All he needed to do was show up, and they could then travel to this world she was afraid to revisit on her own. Still being a soldier with the Lilaste Order, she waited in the hangar of the Aurora Station for him to dock, and she could tell him about what she needed him for.

Diarch Rellik

 

[Diarch Rellik]

The docking clamps hissed and on que the boarding ramp of the Diarch's personal shuttle lowered slowly, hydraulic arms releasing in measured intervals. Rellik was the only one aboard standing at its threshold. It seemed he might have rushed out of whatever else he was doing as instead of being in full battle gear, spear, cloak and under weave suit. He was in a simple tan tunic/pants with his brown belt and boots. Only his saber on the hilt and nothing else.

When he spotted her across the hangar you could see the excitement and love in his eyes. Like a fire being stoked they burst with a flare as he locked unto her. With a large smile he descended and with a bit of quickness in his step he moved towards her. - At first, he wanted to pick her up into the air and give her a hug and kiss. Yet, he thought he felt a little bit of that same sadness she showed on Mygeeto.

He approached without a word at first, expression easing into a shy smile. Once he was close enough, his hand came up instinctively, settling against her upper arm with a quiet firmness. Grounding. Reassuring. "I have missed you my love." Gently he moved his hand from her arm up to the back of her neck and pulled her in for a quick kiss. Not the over the top movement he originally felt; as to keep her feelings from seeming pushed aside, but a show of love non the less.

Noticing she was not in her armor either he asked plainly with that same warmth in his expression and eyes.

"What is our plan for the day?"

Iandre Athlea

 

[Iandre Athlea]

Even with the sadness clinging to her, Iandre lit up when Rellik landed and walked off his shuttle. Much like she was dressed, he wasn't in his armor and almost looked like he had rushed to see her. Only their lightsabers were at their sides. Getting drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she leaned into his touch and took some strength from it and him.

"I have missed you as well."

Not resisting his pull, she returned the kiss with a sense of something subdued. Her love was there, but that shadow of sorrow hid the light she felt for him. She didn't want her distant past to come between them. While she had felt the approval of Aisha that night she had spent at his summer home, she needed to put her Master to rest finally.

When he asked what the plan was, she withdrew just slightly. Chewing on her lower lip, she pulled a datapad out and handed it to him. It presented a summary of her research and the conclusion she had drawn. This was easier to show him than tell him. Afraid to give voice to her thoughts, she didn't want to appear weak while on the station. Not where the people of the Lilaste Order might see her. In front of Rellik, she would be herself, reveal her thoughts and emotions. She felt he was the kind of man who would do everything in his power to help her. No matter what that cost was.

Tipping her head at the datapad, she drew in a quiet breath and waited until he finished looking over the information.

"I..I need to retrace my steps. See if I can find her. That might not be possible since that happened so many years ago. To me, it's been a year. Maybe. Her death is still painful to me, and I want to know if I can lessen that."

Her voice was calm and steely. Resolved in her decision, she wanted nothing more than to face this with him. A warm feeling swelled within her and she knew together, they could face any problem and overcome any issue.

"I want you to come with me."

Diarch Rellik

 

[Diarch Rellik]

He took the datapad from her hand, eyes scanning the information with the same focus he gave to matters of war. But his mind wasn't thinking in tactics and strategies. It was on her. By the time he finished, his gaze lifted slowly back to hers. The sorrow she carried was clearer now, but so was the strength behind it.

Rellik's eyes stayed on her while she spoke, the datapad still in his hands. He didn't interrupt. Not while she was steadying herself enough to say the words out loud.

When she finished, he gave a single, deliberate nod and returned the datapad to her.

"I can see what this means to you," he said, his tone low but certain. "If you want to put a close to this chapter… if you need to stand there again… I'll be at your side."

There was no question in it. He was honored to be thought of in such a way. If there was anything he could do to soften her pain, he would.

His posture remained straight, his voice carrying enough to be heard over the distant echo of hangar work without drawing unwanted attention.

"Tell me how you want to do this, and I'll make it happen. Whatever you need, quiet support, a watchful guard, or someone to hold and be a rock. I'm ready. We can take my personal shuttle, just the two of us if you want dear."

The look he gave her wasn't pity. It was trust. Confidence in her choice, and in her strength.

Iandre Athlea

 

[Iandre Athlea]

Taking the datapad back and replacing it in her pocket, she simply stood in front of Rellik as he spoke. Even if his posture was straight, Iandre almost felt like wilting. In a way, similar to how she had felt months ago when she was recovering. Before she had ever met the man in front of her. Before she ever thought she would know what love was. When she was a mere husk of the woman she was now.

Looking beyond Rellik and without her gaze being focused, she answered his request. Her voice was just about as distant as her eyes.

"I think I'll need you to be all of those. Yes, just the two of us. Even though the guys have seen me at my weakest, I don't want them to see me break. You, I trust and love."

Finally coming back to herself, she had a small smile and let out a little bit of a laugh.

"I should leave a change of clothes with you. That way, when I need a change, something will be there for me."

This was the first mention of her spending another night with him. Their first had been unforgettable, and she wanted more of them like it. Maybe she could cook dinner for him next time. There was no doubt in her tone or attitude that there would be another night like that one.

"Thank you."

Two simple words that carried the weight of everything right now.

Diarch Rellik

 

[Diarch Rellik]

The corner of Rellik's mouth lifted at her small laugh, the shadow between them easing for a moment. His voice was warm. "Any place of mine is yours however you would like it. Bring whatever you would want over." Through his eyes it was clear to see how much he adored Iandre.

Her thanks hung in the air, simple but heavy. He inclined his head slightly in acknowledgment, the gesture carrying weight. "I'd do anything for you. I am honored to be there when you need."

"We'll leave when you're ready," he added.

A subtle shift of his stance turned his body toward the shuttle without breaking his focus on her, the unspoken offer clear, they could go now, or they could take the time she needed.

"I'm with you, Iandre. All the way." With what he said before about his homes being hers, doing anything for her and being honored, he meant this statement in more way than one.

Iandre Athlea

 

[Iandre Athlea]

Her eyes lit up at his first comment and remained that way for several seconds. She didn't say a word, but happiness bubbled inside of her. The butterflies were subdued, but she had the feeling the fluttering might begin again any time. His feelings were reflected in her, and she took hold of his hand when he turned slightly to motion to the shuttle.

His words hovered between them, and she wanted to grab them from the air and hold them close. Lacing her fingers through his, she took the first step in the direction of the shuttle.

"Let's go."

Leaning her head on his shoulder, this simple act made her happy, and she grabbed onto it. Knowing in the very near future, she was going to need all the support he could offer.

"You know, it was nearly a millennium ago that I set foot on Generis, but to me it's only been a year. I wonder if anything will remain from my time there."

Speaking loud enough for him to hear, the sounds of the hangar filled the brief silences. Keeping her gaze forward, when Rellik said he would be with her all the way, she glanced at him and just nodded.

"If there's anything you ever need from me, I'll be there for you as well, my Diarch, my love."

Squeezing his hand, they walked onto his shuttle, and she took a seat as he got the route set and they took off.

Diarch Rellik

 

[Diarch Rellik]

Rellik's fingers tightened around hers as they stepped up the ramp together. He said nothing at first, simply letting the warmth of her head against his shoulder settle deep inside him. The simple weight of her there felt powerful. Once inside, he moved with the practiced motion, setting the shuttle's systems live and beginning the route to Generis. The hum of the engines filled the cabin.

When she spoke of the passage of time, his eyes flicked to her briefly, then back to the controls. A thousand years for the galaxy. A single year for her. It was something he had no experience with but the whiplash of the event must be hard. He pondered the best way to correlate to her pain but decided it was best to simply be a shoulder and ears to listen. Acknowledge and value her experience. "Anything we find, we can bring home if you would like love. What is important to you is important to me."

The navicomputer confirmed the jump coordinates, and he reached to set the shuttle into hyperspace. Only then did he turn back toward her, gaze and voice soft. "I know that if the day ever comes I falter… you'll be there for me too."

Iandre Athlea

 

[Iandre Athlea]

Even though her attention was focused on Rellik, her gaze was not. It looked as if she were seeing her past again behind her eyes. Pain and sorrow crossed them, but she wasn't entirely distracted from the man she was traveling with.

"I buried her there. If anything is left, it might be her lightsaber or belt. Since leather doesn't decay easily."

Her bones might also be there, but Iandre didn't mention that or dwell on that for very long. She wanted to remember her master at the height of her strength and power. When their clones shot her down, Iandre had to go into hiding. The good thing that came out of her tragedy was that she ended up with the Lilaste Order, the Diarchy, and Rellik. She wouldn't change a thing even if she could.

"I think she approves of you."

Focus finally found her eyes as she watched him set the coordinates and wait for the confirmation from his navicomputer.

"Home. I like the thought of that, Rellik. Though I don't think Laphisto would like you staying in my room at the station."

Time would tell, and she would take the advice he had given her to heart precisely as he intended.

"Yes, of course I will be there for you."

Diarch Rellik

 

[Diarch Rellik]

Rellik's hands slowed on the controls when she spoke of the grave. The quiet admission of what might still rest there. He didn't look away from the viewport, but his voice carried the same calm gravity he gave her before.

"If we find her lightsaber… her belt… anything at all, we'll bring it back. I am sure she would want you to keep it. Remembering those we loved in such a way is good. At least I believe so."

Her words about approval drew his gaze to her, and the faintest smile curved across his lips. "If she does, then I'm honored. I don't take that lightly."

He eased the shuttle into its course, hyperspace swallowing the stars around them. At her mention of home, and Laphisto, he chuckled under his breath. "Laphisto has not said anything to me yet, have you told him about us?"

Iandre Athlea

 

[Iandre Athlea]

Folding her hands in front of her mouth after she spoke, it was almost as if Iandre was saying a silent prayer. She glanced at the back of Rellik as he talked about remembering those they loved. As she thought about it, maybe she had loved Aisha in a way. Forbidden attachments or not, she did miss her first master, but not that old life.

"Do you have anything of your parents?"

Standing up, she walked into the cockpit and leaned against the side of the door as he put the ship into hyperspace. The stars faded to the shimmering blue. Looking at that sight for a second or two, she looked at her love as he chuckled. Wanting to address the subject of her first master, she considered what she was going to say.

Her words came quickly and honestly, but she didn't rush in her speech.

"The night we spent together at your summer home was when I felt her. Or at least, I think I did. I was thinking of her and got a warm sensation over my back and shoulders. Like she was hugging me from behind."

Drawing in a breath and letting it out, she gave him a partial smile.

"Yes, I made him dinner, and we had a wonderful conversation. He gave me some suggestions too. Not that we needed it or anything, but he also approves."

That partial smile changed, and she gave him one that seemed to contain all her love and feeling for him.

Diarch Rellik

 

[Diarch Rellik]

"The cloak I wear was left for me by my father. I found it on Lah'mu, sealed away in one of his private facilities. He knew I would try to find him. Whatever he is doing, wherever he is… in a way I always feel his hand on my shoulders." His gaze went distant for a breath, then returned.
"Since then, we've uncovered other things, the droid that was with me when we first met, Onyx was my fathers and left Taris with me when we had to abandon our home. The Diarchy has poured time and blood into recovering what he left scattered across the galaxy. Within the library of the Crucible there's a secure section for his works, and some of his things rest in my personal chamber. Artifacts, holocrons, art."

His tone shifted, quieter. "From my mother, I have never had anything."

A breath slipped quietly through his nose, not weary, but reflective. "Some of it is useful. Some of it dangerous. But all of it… it's him. What remains of him, until we find more."

The thought of her master's presence in the force lingered in his mind. Their connection must have been strong to endure so many years apart. He was happy for her in that regard. Yet, he did not truly voice that as he knew their mission today was to bury the weight of the past, not chase it. Instead, he turned his attention openly to her, his voice softer.

"The force can be a beautiful thing at times. It can be like a smell like brings back memories. I am happy to be on this journey with you and honored that the feeling of warmth, the sensation of your masters presence was when we were together. Thank you for reaching out to me for this journey Iandre." His voice was genuine. Rellik's perception of the force was not always something he enjoyed. At times he felt a slave to it, in others it brought about magic. In this moment, he appreciated it fully. As it let his love feel that, if just for a moment.

Letting the ships auto pilot work on its own he rose to stand by her.

When her smile brightened, with all of her love the dam of his emotions broke in return. "And if Laphisto approves too, then perhaps I'm doing something right." - he said as he slowly moved into her space eyes glinting with a full heart.

"We should be nearing Generis soon. It is a trip but not a long one from Bastion." In an almost confused way he looked behind Iandre for a moment. There was a soft sound as though something was scratching the walls near the rear of the shuttle. "Do you hear that? It sounds like we might have a stowaway?"

Iandre Athlea

 

[Iandre Athlea]

"With that cloak on you most of the time, I'm not surprised it feels like he's on your shoulders."

Making a small play with her words, she hoped he would take it as she intended. A comment that could be taken in more than one way. As she was standing behind him, she didn't see his face, but she could hear his tone. He went distant when he spoke of the search for his father and softer when he mentioned his mother.

"Cherish what you do have. I didn't have anything from my parents. So you have more than I ever did."

Her voice was as quiet as his but not reflective. Only sympathetic and there was an unlying desire to understand.

"Maybe you can show me sometime. Like showing me how to shock."

Shrugging, it was something she had asked him to do that night they spent together. Since then, their duties had kept them apart until today. She wanted that to change, but the feeling lingered in her mind, and she didn't give voice to it yet. Something told her to wait until after this journey was over.

"What were their names?"

Such a simple question, and one Ian would not be able to return. Her first life was so far in the past as to make little difference now. Who her parents were didn't matter and never would.

What do you even see in me?

A thought that might travel into his mind as strongly as she was thinking it. But she wasn't trying, and she listened to him speak. His thoughts on the Force and memories. How something could be triggered, and how they were sharing this journey, and just bringing the two people and souls closer together.

"He also said if you treated me poorly, he was going to have words with you. I don't sense that will ever happen, Rellik. I'm not scared of that at all."

Allowing him to move close to her, he distracted her from the sound he was hearing. Shaking her head, she turned to try to listen for the sound he had heard. Then it came again.

"What could have gotten on board? Do you think it's from the planet or the station?"


Diarch Rellik

 

[Diarch Rellik]

The corners of Rellik's mouth lifted faintly at her play on words, but his tone remained steady when he answered. "My father's name is Kakus. No matter how many times I asked him, he never told me my mother's. She passed away during my birth, and I think he struggled even to speak of her."

He let the admission settle between them, voice quiet but even. "What I do know of her, I've had to piece together from fragments, visions, second-hand mentions, and what little my father allowed himself to say... Once on a journey to my fathers home I heard her sing to me. It is enough to cherish."

A faint hum of the hyperdrive filled the pause, the shuttle steady as stars stretched beyond the transparisteel. He glanced sidelong at Iandre, the weight in his expression softened. "I have heard there are techniques similar to the traditional "Sith" lightning that do not require tapping into the dark side of the force, those I do not know. Yet, if this is something you wish to learn dear; I will show you and help you with the weight of it."

A faint ripple brushed his senses then, a whisper in the Force, soft but undeniable: What do you even see in me?

Rellik's steps slowed just slightly, enough to bring him closer at her side as they moved toward the sound at the back of the shuttle. His voice dropped, low and steady, as though answering a question spoken aloud. Instead of outright saying he was replying to her thoughts he shifted it to the point of worrying about Rellik treating her poorly.

"The way the light gleamed on you the first time I saw you without your armor on Bastion it sent a streak of something magical through me. I saw strength in combat and when you injured your leg. I see kindness in the reports that have come in from the several missions you have provided medical aid to people... Both friend and foe. I see someone who trusts me, is honest and real with me. It would take some brutal betrayal for me treat you poorly. I don't see that happening soon either."

The quiet hum of hyperspace filled the silence after his words, Rellik's face keeping a soft warm smile. That was until the scritching noise came again from the rear compartment.

Rellik tilted his head toward it, the weight of confession giving way to something lighter, a hint of humor in his voice.
"And right now… I also see we've picked up a passenger."

He shifted his stance slightly forward, protective out of instinct, but calm. Slowly making his way to a large container in the room. When he opened it two large creatures appeared.

"An Akk dog?" Being an avid hunter the Diarch made sure to take a strong posture and stare the creatures in the eye as they jumped out.

Iandre Athlea

 

[Iandre Athlea]

"Even if your father started as a bad example, I'm glad you had the opportunity to have him."

Crossing her arms over her body, she wasn't trying to keep them apart; more, she was trying to stay out of the way. She was in the doorway, and this was his ship. However, he didn't seem to mind, and he joined her in the doorway. Hearing his offer, she would consider it, especially since she had asked for the help.

Looking at him as he mentioned there were other forms of lightning, she lifted an eyebrow.

"That would certainly be something I'm interested in learning about. I'll ask Laphisto and see if he has any knowledge of it. If you wanted, we could do it together."

Finishing with a bit of a smile, it faded from her face, but not her eyes, as he answered what she had thought. While he did subjectively interpret it as being about mistreating her, she knew it was based on her thoughts and unspoken question. His breath caressed her cheek, but that mysterious sound distracted them from what might have been.

When he opened the crate, two akk dogs charged out. He decided to stare at it as if challenging it. Iandre, on the other hand, reached out with the Force to connect with the other one. They were Force sensitive, and in her day, there had been some kept at the Temple. It wasn't about controlling the beast, but about connecting.

"Shh...sweet one. You're safe."

Her left hand reached forward while her right one hovered next to her lightsaber hilt. As it advanced on her, the Force flowed, and the connection happened. What could have turned into something deadly instead turned into the akk dogs licking her hand and taking a seat next to her on the hold floor.

Petting the now docile friend, she glanced at Rellik to see how he was doing with his.

"Do you need help?"

Diarch Rellik

 

[Diarch Rellik]

The Akk dog's gaze locked on his. Its posture stiff, tail low. Rellik mirrored the stance, weight forward, shoulders square. For a heartbeat it was an old hunter's stare-down.

Then, quietly, he said, "Come."

The word was a command from but the tone carried warmth instead of authority. For a half-second the dog hesitated, then its entire body shifted, muscles uncoiling, tail wagging hard enough to echo in the hold.

"Oh, no"

It bounded forward and hit him full in the chest. Both of them went down in a tangle of limbs and laughter, Rellik's armor-less shoulder thudding against the deck as a wide, wet tongue caught his cheek. He tried to fend it off with half-hearted pushes, laughing as the beast insisted on affection.

"I - ha - don't think - help is - necessary!" he managed between bursts of laughter, though the look he shot Iandre was full of mock desperation.


The second Akk barked once as if in triumph before circling them, tail wagging.


At last Rellik caught the dog's massive head in both hands, holding it still long enough to meet its eyes. "Good boy."

A soft tone chimed through the cabin, followed by the shuttle's navigation module:

"Approach vector locked. Preparing for planetary descent. Arrival at Generis in five minutes."

Still catching his breath, Rellik pushed himself upright, one hand resting on the dog's scaled neck. "Well," he said, glancing toward Iandre with a crooked smile, "seems we'll be touching down soon. We could leave these trouble makers in the hold if you want and I can have my droid watch them. Or they can come with."

Iandre Athlea

 

[Iandre Athlea]

She chuckled softly, stepping back slightly as Ilyth darted and spun around the cabin, tail wagging wildly. Through the Force, she could feel the female Akk's boundless energy, a chaotic rhythm that pulsed like electricity around her. Her grey eyes followed Ilyth's every movement, tracing the arcs of her leaps and spins, anticipating her next playful dart. "Oh, she's definitely trouble," Iandre said, a teasing lilt threading her words. "But maybe that's exactly the kind of trouble we need right now."

As Ilyth skidded close, Iandre reached out a hand, and the dog barely slowed, brushing against her fingers before darting back into another circle. She laughed softly, feeling the mischievous pulse of the Akk through the Force. "You're full of energy, aren't you?" she murmured, letting her senses track the way Ilyth's movements rippled through the room.

Her focus shifted to the male Akk, who had zeroed in on Rellik with unwavering devotion. He leapt up, licking Rellik's face with abandon, tail thumping against the deck. Iandre felt the warmth and loyalty radiating from him through the Force, a protective current beneath the storm of his excitement. She suppressed another laugh, stepping lightly to avoid Ilyth's playful spins as the two dogs weaved around each other, their energy tangling with her own amusement.

"Harmless enough if we keep an eye on them," she said softly, voice threaded with delight, "though I'd argue their antics make this descent far more lively than I expected." Ilyth skidded past her legs again, and this time Iandre reached down and tapped her on the nose, eliciting a joyful bark that echoed off the walls. The male Akk lunged again, earning a mock groan from Rellik as he struggled to fend off the wet affection.

Stepping closer to Rellik, Iandre's grey eyes flicked between him and the dogs, reading every subtle movement and intention. "Honestly, I think they'd both rather travel with us than be cooped up in the hold," she said, amusement softening her words. "And judging by how he's already claimed you," she nodded toward the male Akk, who paused mid-lick to gaze at Rellik with quiet, unwavering loyalty, "he seems to have made that very clear."

Iandre's smile lingered as she extended a hand toward Ilyth, letting the dog sniff her fingers before darting away again, full of motion and playful spirit. "At least with them around, we won't be lacking for company—or for a little chaos." She let her senses drift through the Force, catching the ebb and flow of energy from both dogs and Rellik alike, feeling the subtle comfort that came from being attuned to those around her. Even in the midst of travel, unpredictability, and spirited companions, there was a quiet sense of reassurance—and a little joy—in the wild energy that filled the cabin.

Diarch Rellik