Private Visions of Destiny

[Romi Jade]

JADE-INKARI ESTATE
CORUSCANT

Briana Sal-Soren

In the heart of the sprawling metropolis of Coruscant, a world pulsating with life and luminous energy, nestled an estate that stood as a testament to history, legacy, and power. The estate of legendary Jedi Master Romi Jade reached towards the sky, an elegant monolith amidst the gleaming skyscrapers. It was a sanctuary of serenity, a haven away from the ceaseless currents of the city below.

Within the estate, a room of grandeur and refinement awaited....much beyond what Romi was ever use to, but had grown use to. Its vast expanse was adorned with arches and columns that whispered of forgotten eras. Soft illumination emanated from ornate luminaire fixtures, casting an ethereal glow upon rich tapestries, and the air was suffused with the fragrance of a premium exotic incense, carrying hints of spice and tranquility; it spoke of Hapes.

At the center of this opulent room, seated upon a carved chair, was Jade herself. A figure probably associated with many things of the past and present, but she was never so far removed. Her hair cascaded like molten silk, gently touched by streaks of platinum, a testament to the battles she had fought and the wisdom she had earned. Her eyes, a striking shade of blue, held galaxies within them, reflecting the wisdom of countless stars. She wore a very much relaxed bodysuit, sleeveless, and in different shades of earth tones. A light cap flowed down just above her lower back, with slits in it that her arms protruded through.

Romi gazed out of a tall transparisteel window, her eyes lost in the depths of the city's lights. A slender holocron rested on an antique pedestal beside her, a testament to her connection with the Force and the knowledge she guarded. But on this night, her thoughts were drawn elsewhere, to the future she had glimpsed in the tapestry of time.

She had seen a vision of a young woman named Briana, a Jedi, standing at the crossroads of destiny. This vision had woven its tendrils into her thoughts ever since Eadu, prompting her to summon the young Knight to her presence. Briana, had always bore the unmistakable aura of determination and courage that marked her as a Jedi, it sharply reminded Jade of herself over and over.

Scared her even at times...

As Romi sat there, the gentle hum of the city beyond and the soft rustling of the tapestries formed a soothing beat. Her fingers occasionally traced invisible patterns on the arm of her chair, a habit born of contemplation. In her mind's eye, she replayed the vision of Briana, a warrior cloaked in the shroud of an uncertain fate. She saw flashes of battles yet to be fought, of choices that would shape the galaxy's future.

 

[Briana Sal-Soren]

Wearing: XoXo
Equipment: Lightsaber
Location:
Tag: Romi Jade

The last time she'd seen Romi had been months ago, when she'd brought her Padawan Lily to the Eadu Practicum for training, in part to help her overcome her fears with the Force and her own limitations.

Much had transpired since then. A terrible period of varying levels of devastating events that, in hindsight, seemed painfully preventable. A wave of disappointment and rippling anger shot through her at the thought of Cybelle and Brandyn and the role they'd played in recent ordeals. Cerulean eyes narrowed into icy slits, slamming down a wall over the all-too-fresh memories in an effort to try and block out the intrusive thoughts often following that particularly dark hole.

Only a week had elapsed since the death of her parents, but after all had been said and done and her parents put to rest, she'd left to return back to Coruscant to resume her duties as a Jedi — tonight, those duties involved her responding to Romi's summons.

Her aunt Alora had implored her to stay home, reminding her that her parents would have wanted her to be with her siblings through their shared period of mourning. It'd taken every ounce of strength to keep from pointing out that her parents lacked the capacity for caring about anything anymore. In many ways, her leaving was an attempt to put some distance between herself and the planet that seemed to be the perpetual catalyst responsible for all of the heartache in her family. Maybe if she went far enough, she could outpace the memory of her siblings grief-stricken expressions and her aunts face when she realized she'd lost all of her family — but it was also more than that. It was a desperate bid for control over something in her life again.

Not that it'd worked.

Even as she escaped the shadows of Naboo, the echoes of tragedy seemed determined to follow her — whispered rumors and sensationalist holonet reports fed off her family’s tragic scandal on what felt like an endless loop. Briana always made sure to change the channel promptly, never allowing herself to listen to what they were saying. The nightmares and visions that ensued only compounded matters; none of which Briana could make heads or tails of.

A high-pitched beep brought her out of her trance, her tired eyes blinking away the mental haze that'd preoccupied her thoughts for the last twenty minutes. Her feet moved back a couple steps to take stock of her surroundings, startled to find herself at Romi's doorstep, finger resting on the doorbell pad – an action she was surprised to realize had been completed without conscious thought.

 

[Romi Jade]

JADE-INKARI ESTATE
CORUSCANT

Briana Sal-Soren

After submitting her request, she pondered often if she should retract it...there was soo much that has transpired, and even now it was everywhere. She quite frankly didn't know how to address it or whether even to bring it up, but she figured if they spoke about nothing today, she'd still be a presence for Briana.

She thought to the comfort she would've wanted for her own daughter in her absence. Most thought of Jedi as these overly stoic beings, but they felt...and often times felt everything, everywhere all at once. She never imagined such a relationship forming with the Sal-Soren's, the moment she met Briana, she knew...she felt a kindred spirit...she felt nostalgia of the best kind. This young woman would weather anything.

She wanted to foster that.

She jumped out of her trance at the sound of the signaling system going off throughout the home; someone was here. Their service droid had already sought out the source, trailing towards the entrance and and across her she came up from the open veranda.

She stopped just at the archway, watching from afar as the doors gave way, then she began a slow saunter.

"Briana..." sincerely.

She motioned for her to join her.

Romi could see the journey all over the young womans face, the search...she was looking for something, anything...perhaps a distraction. But would you?

 

[Briana Sal-Soren]

Wearing: XoXo
Equipment: Lightsaber
Location: Coruscant
Tag: Romi Jade

"Master Jade," Briana replied in response, summoning the dredges of that cocksure Corellian confidence for which she was renowned – the resilient spirit of one who defied being crushed under the immense weight of their struggles, even when crumbling would have been easier.

She never uttered a word about the nightmares that relentlessly pursued her or the revelations concerning her father and his sinister connections as they moved side by side through the spacious apartment, sticking to more trivial topics such as Coruscant's fickle weather patterns and its notoriously horrendous traffic that came part and parcel with the urban jungle world. Despite the banality of the conversation, Briana found solace in that semblance of normalcy and the grounding stability that just being in Romi's presence offered.

"I must admit, I'm not entirely clear about the purpose of this meeting," Briana admitted, trailing Romi into a grand chamber that'd been decorated with arches and columns that seemed to have come from bygone eras, the air tinged with an enticing fragrance from rare incense that hinted at both spice and serenity; able to recognize its unmistakable redolence as having hailed from Hapes. She walked towards one of the ornately carved chairs, tracing the intricately carved patterns before glancing back at Romi.

The tone from the Jedi Master's message hadn't left the impression that this was just a casual gathering. "If there's a mission you need me for, you know that all you have to do is say the word."

 

[Romi Jade]

JADE-INKARI ESTATE
CORUSCANT

Briana Sal-Soren

'Well first.." she threw her hands up, signaling she was proceeding with caution. "After this I won't touch it anymore--just let me say, if you ever need a place to just...disappear to, a place to just take a breath, you can come here alright? You're always welcome." She was sure Briana had the world in her ear right now, and had everything a thousand times over.

A beat.

"Honestly...I'm not entirely too sure about the purpose myself-" She spoke under her breath while circling a carved chair..."-Please, make yourself comfortable."

"I'll just get right to it. The last time we saw each other, on Eadu, during our sessions erm-I had a vision...a vision of you."

These things were never easy to explain, despite how prophetic in nature they could be, the content of Force visions could be difficult to interpret. With her own emotions and connection to Briana potentially clouding her own judgement, she was reassured by the matter that there were no coincidences. She had relationships with the Sal-Sorens, knowing their mother, and having connections with Briana and Brandyn both...she was positive in knowing these things were all interconnected.

The prophecy...

She was certain now that it truly was more than a vision.

"It'd probably be best if I just show you...what I saw." She hesitated, thinking of Briana's mental state right now. The timing wasn't right, but it always seemed like it never was. She held her hand out, seeking the younger womans.

She had learned to recall and share memories years ago by Quill, perhaps another touchpoint in this long thread created by the Unifying Force.

If/when on embrace, she'd share her vision from Eadu

 

[Briana Sal-Soren]

Wearing: XoXo
Equipment: Lightsaber
Location: Coruscant
Tag: Romi Jade

Briana watched as Romi raised her hands, bracing herself for yet another round of well-meaning condolences that did little to actually condole her. From Naboo to Coruscant, she'd heard it all, and then some. To her surprise however, what she got instead was an offer. Space if she needed it. No questions, nor the trite, 'sorry for your loss'.

There was something that was both simultaneously refreshing and comforting about it.

"I'll think about it," Briana nodded, "An escape might be nice." Deep down, Briana knew that the likeliness of her actually taking Romi up on the offer was minimal. She'd been sprinting from Naboo ever since the events, what would remain when she tried to take a minute to stop that headlong progress? Briana wasn't sure that she was ready to find out.

As the moment passed and the topic moved on, Briana's brows nudged towards each other, listening while Romi tried to explain the reason for calling her here, arms unfolding and hands moving to rest on her hips, shifting her weight. "A prophecy with me, huh?" Generally, she didn't place much faith in things like prophecies, viewing them as being too easily misinterpreted and seldom reliable — but with the recurring vision she'd been having, Briana entertained the possibility that there might be a connection between the two.

She took a deep breath and a moment of contemplation. She didn't fully understand what Romi meant when she said she'd like to 'show her'. Flow walking was something she'd heard and read of in the Jedi text, and she'd even learned to mind-meld with Valery Noble and Iris in the early throes of the Second Galactic Hyperspace War, but she'd never had anyone share their own personal memories or thoughts with her. Would they play out like scenes from a holofilm? Would Romi be able to see what'd been rattling around inside her head? Drawn by the deep sense of trust she held for the Jedi Master, Briana took a few measured paces and decidedly placed her hand in the one that'd been laid outstretched for her. "Well, I've already tumbled headfirst into chaos once; might as well see what else the Force has in store for me."

 

[Romi Jade]

JADE-INKARI ESTATE
CORUSCANT

Briana Sal-Soren

The veranda extended from the opulent chamber, a seamless continuation of the grandeur within. Tall, slender columns framed the expansive view of Coruscant's cityscape, the twinkling lights like stars fallen to Earth. The gentle night breeze carried with it a mix of scents, both natural and artificial, creating an intoxicating blend that heightened the surreal ambiance.

The delicate patter of the breeze against their skin was a soothing counterpoint to the weighty conversation that loomed. Above them, the sky was an expanse of velvety darkness adorned with the faint glow of distant city lights that sprawled like constellations.

Romi having fixated her gaze on the city's sprawling panorama as she began to speak. "Briana, the vision I saw was like...a tapestry woven with the threads of your future. I saw you on distant planets, facing trials that will test your strength, your courage...--None of that is doing it any justice"There were moments of darkness, shadows that sought to consume you, but--" she found it hard to convey in words which is why she went and suggest she just share it.

"Well, I've already tumbled headfirst into chaos once; might as well see what else the Force has in store for me."

On the veranda of the grand estate, Romi Jade's voice carried a weight of destiny as she spoke to Briana. "There are no coincidences..."

As Briana surrendered herself to the Force, the world around her seemed to shift and morph. She'd feel an otherworldly sensation, as if her consciousness was being gently drawn into Romi's mind. And then, like a curtain being drawn back, the vision unfolded before her.

She stood on the edge of a cliff, the winds of destiny tousling her hair. The chasm before her seemed to stretch into infinity, a symbolic representation of the choices she would have to make. The sky was a mélange of colors, a reflection of the complexity of her journey. And amidst this panorama, she saw herself, a figure cloaked in the traditional robes of a Jedi, illuminated by the glow of her lightsaber.

The tethers of the Force, swelled between them both and started to tear images from Romi's head into Briana's; her eyes had gone a complete white.

The shadow will rise​

​

Four to doom, or four to deliver​

In the depths of a mystical Force vision, the veils of reality shatter, giving way to a haunting tapestry of darkness and despair. Swirling tendrils of malevolence dance across the ethereal canvas, foretelling of a rising darkness that threatens to engulf the galaxy in its merciless grip. Amidst the chaos, the stench of destruction hangs heavy in the air, whispering of impending doom.​

In this dire landscape, four guardians or four perils, their destinies entwined in the fabric of the Force. Each possesses unique talents and strengths, yet they are bound together by a shared purpose—to confront the encroaching darkness or fall to it.​

As the vision unfolds, the guardian stand at the precipice of a ravaged cityscape, once teeming with life but now reduced to crumbling ruins. Charred remnants of buildings stretch towards the darkened sky, smoldering embers casting an eerie glow upon the desolation below. The weight of sorrow hangs heavily upon this one hero...it seemed as if she lost half of herself.​

Her...her presence radiating with both power and arrogance. This young woman, imbued with immense abilities, bears the burden of hubris—the sin of excessive pride. Her confidence, bordering on arrogance, fuels her desire to dominate the encroaching darkness, but it also blinds her to the dangers that lurk within her own heart.​

The vision shifts, and the brown haired beauty finds herself engulfed in a ferocious battle against an army of shadowy figures, one that has shared one day a many with her, but remains obscured.​

As the battle rages on, she's consumed by hubris and becomes reckless, her confidence morphing into a dangerous overreach. She charges forward, heedless of the warnings from his companions. In her arrogance, she underestimates the power of the darkness, believing herself invincible. But the darkness, cunning and patient, seizes this opportunity, ensnaring the guardian within its suffocating grasp. Everyone would feel the weight of their own vulnerability and recognize the perils of unchecked pride.​

And then, as the vision began to fade, Briana would feel herself gently pulled back into the present, the sounds of the veranda and the ambient city noise returning to her senses. Romi opened her eyes, her breath ragged, her heart still echoing with the vividness of the experience; the veranda seemed to hold the weight of their shared experience.

 

[Briana Sal-Soren]

Wearing: XoXo
Equipment: Lightsaber
Location:
Tag: Romi Jade

Briana's heart raced as the vision reached its final culmination, watching on with both a sense of familiarity and dread as three other figures materialized alongside her in the midst of a raging battle against the growing darkness. Among them, two shadowy like figures flickered, ever so elusive. Yet, a sense of recognition washed over her—the two individuals felt so familiar, like someone whom she had known and cared for deeply. Visions from her restless nights came flooding back like a fragmented jigsaw puzzle steadily piecing itself together... an intricate design that'd lain dormant in her subconscious all her life.

Though, before the revelation of their identities took hold fully, Briana felt herself pulled at nauseating speeds from the scene and back into reality.

Blotches of darkness filled her vision and Briana felt her knees buckle beneath her. "R-Romi...I..." Briana barely choked the words out before her body began to slump and give way. The weight of the past week collided with the startling intensity of the vision, finally tipping the scales of the stubborn willpower that'd kept her going.

As her eyes rolled back, a final and chilling apparition took form: her brother, Brandyn Sal-Soren. His eyes burned like a crimson inferno before his visage fractured in front of her, transforming into a million twinkling embers that were ultimately devoured by a dark and stormy haze.

And so it was that with a stifled gasp and quickened breath, the guardian of hubris crumpled onto the veranda floor.

 

[Romi Jade]

JADE-INKARI ESTATE
CORUSCANT

Briana Sal-Soren

As the vision dissolved and the weight of the moment settled on Briana's shoulders, her body began to betray her. Her breaths grew shallow, and her limbs felt like lead, as if the intensity of the vision had drained her of vitality.

Romi's concern deepened as she saw Briana's posture slump, her once-gleaming eyes clouding over. She moved swiftly, her instincts taking over as she reached out with a steady hand to steady her apprentice.

"Briana," Romi whispered urgently, a note of alarm in her voice, "Breathe."

But Briana's response was not one of someone finding their center. Her eyes rolled back, the whites showing, and her body seemed to go limp. It was as if the vision had taken a toll on her, a toll that her physical form struggled to bear -- Romi blamed herself for opening a box that she may have not been ready for.

Romi could see the torment and conflict etched into Briana's visage, as if she carried a burden too heavy to bear.

Romi's heart raced as she watched this disconcerting display unfold. She had seen the Force manifest in many ways, but this was unlike anything she had witnessed before. Unknowingly to her, Briana's connection to her past, to her family, had become a turbulent maelstrom that threatened to overwhelm her.

With a stifled gasp and quickened breath, Briana crumpled onto the veranda floor, her body giving way to the overwhelming force of the vision. She lay there, her breathing shallow and irregular, her consciousness teetering on the precipice.

Romi's mind raced, her instincts demanding immediate action. She knelt beside Briana, her hands gentle but firm as she cradled the young Jedi in her arms. "Briana!" she urged, her voice laced with urgency, "Bring some water please!"

She closed her eyes briefly, drawing upon the metaphysical energy they all knew to reach out to Briana's fractured psyche. With a gentle mental touch, she sought to anchor her apprentice, to guide her back from the precipice of the vision's tumultuous aftermath.

The veranda seemed to fade into the background as Romi's entire being was focused on the task at hand. She was determined to help Briana find her way back from the darkness that threatened to engulf her, to be the mentor that Briana needed in this moment of crisis.

"I'm sorry--that was probably way too much too soon." Referencing all that had transpired leading up to this moment.

Briana Sal-Soren

 

[Briana Sal-Soren]

Wearing: XoXo
Equipment: Lightsaber
Location:
Tag: Romi Jade

Consciousness gradually seeped back into Briana's eyes, who felt as if she'd been submerged into a deep, dark, and icy abyss and was only now rising back toward the surface.

Each increment of awareness brought with it the realization of her surroundings, where she was, and the events that'd unfolded. A mounting pressure within her skull seeming to pulse in tandem with her rapidly beating heart.

Panting slightly, she gazed up, only to find Romi's worried expression coming into focus before her weary eyes. The visions she'd been shown fluttered through her mind like fleeting shadows: some fading in and out of existence, others lingering just long enough for her to grasp their significance. Guardian of Hubris. Her eyes closed again, dark lashes resting against the tops of her cheeks. Amid the chaotic mosaic of memories and this newest revelation, there was one image that held her attention through it all – the twisted, grim visage of her brother.

"Romi... I—he... I saw..." she murmured through gritted teeth, fumbling at her words as she struggled to come up with a coherent sentence to explain what she'd experienced, shaking hands wiping away the perspiration that clung to her face like dew on morning grass. "My brother... Brandyn." her voice shook and faltered, "I saw Brandyn, at the end." Slowly and strenuously, she pushed herself up from the veranda's floor, taking solace in the support of Romi's grip. "I - I'm sorry." Briana whispered hoarsely, feeling the emotions she'd kept buried deep down starting to bubble up her throat. "I don't know what happened."

 

[Mother Askani]

Location: Coruscant
Tag: Briana Sal-Soren | Romi Jade

The towering spires of Coruscant reached up into the starlit nightsky, casting long shadows over the sprawling cityscape below. On the top floor of the Jade family estate, the air was thick with with a metaphysical type of tension as Romi Jade, and Briana Sal-Soren, a Jedi Knight with an air of mystery about her as far as CJ knew were both trembling in each other’s presence.

In this moment, at the same time Romi shared her vision with Briana, being the catalyst for the big reveal, Cortana's mind was not in the home but somewhere far away, deep in the Force. She was experiencing her own force vision of the future, mirroring the events transpiring inside. The visions came unbidden, a torrent of imagery and emotion, and she could feel the urgency of her own revelation as the Force revealed the same dire prophecy.

Overwhelmed by the weight of the revelation, Briana's strength gave way, and she collapsed to the floor in a faint. Though, as Cortana’s own vision had been interwoven into reality, she had found some strength to propel herself forward — rushing, she had tears in her eyes.

Briana whispered hoarsely, feeling the emotions she'd kept buried deep down starting to bubble up her throat. "I don't know what happened."

Cortana, sensing the urgency of the moment, burst into the room — “Mom!”

With a mixture of various emotions in her voice, Cortana said, "We have to-to ensure that this moment, right now, remains unchanged. The fate of the galaxy depends on it. I sa-saw what happens if we don’t.”

She glanced down at Briana.

 

[Briana Sal-Soren]

Wearing: XoXo | Equipment: Lightsaber | Location: Coruscant | Tag: Romi Jade , Mother Askani​

There was nothing on Briana's face except shock and confusion as Cortana came barreling into the room, the young woman's declaration still sinking in as her brain tried to make sense of the images swirling around in her mind, her skin pale as death.

"Mom?" Briana muttered, turning to glance at Romi with an arched brow. Wasn't Cortana a... child? But then, who was this? Yet there stood this older embodiment; a striking likeness to Romi, radiating the same unmistakable force she had come to recognize. For a moment, Briana's mind reeled in disbelief before finally setting it aside, ultimately deciding that it wasn't important right now. It was just another impossibility to add to the list of unexplainable occurrences, a mystery to be solved later. There were more important discussions that needed to be had right now.

Swallowing hard, Briana mustered the courage to question further. "What do you mean, the fate of the Galaxy?" Briana had seen Romi's vision, had seen her brother at the culmination of it — and dreaded not only the answers she might receive, but the potential decisions she might be forced to confront.