You call yourself one of me?

[Stardust Solus Skirae]

Kesh

Star runner cantina

Sometimes, even when a family splits people will find a way to reconnect

Stardust was such a person to do so, it took five years of tracking info grabbing, just to find out where [member="Kei Garnik"] had disappeared to when he left with Jack raxis, cousin in law to her and their last encounter had been rough, she wanted to find him because the information about him she had gathered was....saddening

She entered the bar and got plenty of looks, a 6 and a half foot tall twilek raised a lot...and I mean a lot of attention, she started walking towards as her eyes scanned the area till she came to his slumped form

Hey" she said as she shook his shoulder" are you kei garnik?" She asked looking at him as she sat slowly down as she looked at him carefully she hoped he wasn't to drunk

 

[GhostOfProtocol]

Kesh - 849ABY
Star Runner Cantina
3 Months after Korriban
3 Months after Omega

So not even his own cousin in law, his own family recognised him. He'd really slipped into a slump. His hair was a mess, long and a mess, he had facial hair now that he didn't even know he could grow. He wore the beads around his neck, each bead a symbol of one of those who'd died in the Korriban Bombings. He hadn't visited The Ebon Hawk in months, T3 was sat in low power mode guarding it. He'd changed from his robes, they lay discarded in a corner on the Hawk. He'd rented an apartment in the city, he had a bed and 'fresher he used every so often. Otherwise it was just sitting in the Star Runner Cantina, waiting for things to happen.

He still didn't sleep, he'd been diagnosed with PTSD. He was a serious mess, the images constantly in his mind. He watched Stardust slowly, he remembered everything, how he'd walked out on her, how he'd gone off on her then gone to protect [member="Jack Raxis"] before meeting with Matsu to test those ships. Before Korriban. He didn't measure in ABY anymore, he mesured time by seeing how long it'd been since that fatal event, that bombing which was ordered by the good guys.

"The kark do you want?"

[member="Stardust Raxis"]​

 

[Stardust Solus Skirae]

Yea your definitely kei" she said as she looked him over and frowned as she shook her head" by the force you look horrible " she whispered, then she ordered herself a water and hin as well making it well clear she didn't want him serving alcohol to kei anymore today

She then looked back to [member="Kei Garnik"] " the kark I ? I didn't track you for five bloody years for nothing....I came to talk...and it looks I need to get you out of this hole" she said and stood" alright we leave" she said and picked him up and put a arm around him" time to get you cleaned up

 

[GhostOfProtocol]

His hole was fine, it was a place no-one knew him, but he was much too tired to argue. He wasn't even drunk, he'd never gotten drunk, just constantly tired. He shook Star off slowly, looking at her. After everything that'd happened, why she'd tracked him down was beyond him. He watched her with interest for a few moments, sliding his hands into his pockets, brushing his hair from his face as he lead her to his apartment.

His apartment, he had picked it up on the cheap. It was in the slums of town, wasn't very big but to be honest it was fine. He was in there when the Cantina closed and that was it, the only important thing in there was his prized possession, the lightsaber he'd built with Noriko. He used his keycard to make the door open, staring at Stardust as she entered before following her in and allowing the door to slide shut.

"Talk then"

[member="Stardust Raxis"]​

 

[Stardust Solus Skirae]

She moved away when he brushed her off, she looked to him, she had tracked him because she wanted to know where hack was, that and she wanted family back, tp apologize for yelling at him to make up for what happened five years ago.....to give him anothe chance

She followed him to his apartment looking around at the slums she was on guard until they got to his place to which she turned around and sighed" I wanted to apologize kei....for yelling at you...making you choose family over family " she said and slowly sat down" and I wanted to see my cousin again...I don't have birth cousins....I wanted to give ya another chance i...and after seeing you like so...you need some help..don't ya

[member="Kei Garnik"]

 

[GhostOfProtocol]

Help.

All of those people on Korriban needed help and he didn't offer it to any of them. Help was fragile, much like trust. Stardust had already abused his trust, why would he ever let her help him? He didn't need help, he needed a time machine, to go back and stop everything that had happened on Korriban. He sat down slowly, placing his feet up on the cheap coffee table. The apartment wasn't very big, a small open plan living room and kitchen with a bedroom and bathroom off to the side.

All Kei needed.

"I don't want your help"

He cut, his words aiming to hurt.

"You gave me a choice you know I couldn't make"

[member="Stardust Raxis"]​

 

[Stardust Solus Skirae]

She winced at his words, mistakes carried even for years, even if one didn't notice it a mistake opened a wound that would sit for years and fester or would heal....sadly the first option is what had happened, she looked down in shame as she nodded

I gave you a choice out of anger, anger I regret having"she said as she looked up to him "I regret giving you that choice because it drove you away

[member="Kei Garnik"]

 

[GhostOfProtocol]

He could of laughed, he could of laughed. She drove him away because she was only thinking about herself. She hadn't cared about him for years, she hadn't come to find him after the Korriban incident. She'd sat with her husband and her clan and laughed as so many innocents died in the Korriban bombing, in the Omega event. So many people who didn't deserve to die had died, Stardust didn't care about any of them. Life for her was perfect, she wasn't there when all of those people died in the senseless act that was the battle, the bombing of Korriban, she didn't witness it, she didn't see them die.

"Congradulations. You can read body language. You drove me away, YOU drove me away because you could do nothing but think about yourself"

He looked at her slowly, a look of sadness in his eyes.

"I missed you Star, I missed you so much"

He removed the comlink from his pocket, the same one she'd given him when he left Mandalore that day, the same one she'd given him when he'd gone to help Jack.

"I kept hold of this, hoping, praying someday you might contact me"

[member="Stardust Raxis"]​

 

[Stardust Solus Skirae]

He didn't know own the story, he didn't know own she fought at the battle of the Omega nearly dying as she was shot in the side, nor that when the bombing had happened she had ordered her planet into mourning...she had felt those lives cry in the force then silence...

I know damnit I know I did I acted in a rage and didn't think

She looked to him and she closed her eyes letting a tear fall


I know I know you did

She said a s she looked to the commlink and reached out as she took it into her hand and brushed a finger over it

I had forgotten about this...I assumed you threw it away...kei...

[member="Kei Garnik"]

 

[GhostOfProtocol]

He pulled her close, hugging her. He was a mean dude, he admitted it. He did nothing but hurt people, especially since he'd been alone for so long, his social skills were just gone. He targetted Stardust for nothing, it wasn't her fault, she acted how he expected, he shouldn't of reacted the way he did. He shook his head, staring at Stardust slowly, trying as hard as he could to form the words, the perfect words for what he needed to say.

"I'm so sorry"

And he was sorry. He was sorry to her and to every single one of those beads around his neck, every single person he failed to save on Korriban. He was sorry to all of them, and his mind was wondering back to Korriban. He needed to stop that.

"I never threw it away, like I said. Hope"

​

[member="Stardust Raxis"]​

 

[Stardust Solus Skirae]

She held him close a s she let her tears fall and patted his back" shhhhhh shhhhhh kei it is ok I forgive you I forgive you for your decision I forgive you"she repeatedly said as she held hik close

She gently stepped back and handed it to hin" you keep it then...kei...do you wanna come home...

[member="Kei Garnik"]

 

[GhostOfProtocol]

Why would he want to go home?

He was home, home was away from Korriban, home was anywhere away from Korriban. He was cozy, to be honest. He was cozy in his small little apartment with his slightly secure door. Hee was happy with his fresh start, even if that fresh start was just drinking to forget the images of Korriban. He crossed his arms slowly, watching Stardust with interest. She was clever enough to track him down, he gave her that.

"I'm happy here"

[member="Stardust Raxis"]

 

[Stardust Solus Skirae]

She looked to him and spoke to protest before she closed her mouth bowed her head and gave a smile a s she patted his shoulder and nodded

If your happy here....then I am happy for you

She said as she gave him a hug then let go" now if I remember you use the force don't you? How has that been coming

[member="Kei Garnik"]

 

[GhostOfProtocol]

He shook his head lightly, the force was a reminder of Korriban, everything was a reminder of Korriban. He'd been teaching himself to perfect one of Lady Kay's moves, force stealth as to hide away in the force, not be found out. He wanted no memory of Korriban, and the force was serving as a major reminder of that incident. He watched his cousin in law slowly, lazily pushing a small vase across the room with force push, a simple demonstration.

"Meh"

[member="Stardust Raxis"]

 

[Stardust Solus Skirae]

She gave a small smile as she then sighed a s she could tell now something wasn't right with him...guilt? Sadness?.....was it because of her?...no...has was happy to see her again he had said that....something had to if drove him here and star was gonna figure it out

I sense...guilt...and sadness coming from you..kei...what has happened since we last met

[member="Kei Garnik"]

 

[GhostOfProtocol]

Guilt and sadness, she had that right. He put his face in his hands, shaking his head slowly. He was guilty that he didn't save those people on Korriban, he was sad that the good guys turned on the innocents. He was guilty that he hadn't done more to fight in the battle of Omega, where even more innocents had died, he was sad that he'd run away from his problems. He stared at Stardust, shaking his head.

"Korriban"

[member="Stardust Raxis"]

 

[Stardust Solus Skirae]

She froze at the world and nodded, it seemed her cousin either was there or had people there, she had her own wounds on the soul...ones that hadn't gone away at all...the freshest of them was castameer

Do explain cousin...I am here to listen to you

[member="Kei Garnik"]

 

[GhostOfProtocol]

He punched the wall out of anger. He didn't even notice. He stared right at Star, he witnessed them bomb that many innocent people, that many people who didn't deserve to die. He witnessed the good guys bomb Korriban City, level it. She didn't know, she didn't know the images haunting him, playing on his mind every single time he closed his eyes.

"I nearly died. They bombed all of them, every single home"

[member="Stardust Raxis"]

 

[Stardust Solus Skirae]

She closed her eyes and didn't flinch when he punched the wall, she simply just reached out and pulled hik close send calming waves of energy in the force to maybe calm him, all the while she now could confirm what she had been hearing was true...korriban city had been bombed ..and all those lives she felt lost was true

Shhh shhhhhh your safe now ok? Your not there now your here I'm here
[member="Kei Garnik"]

 

[GhostOfProtocol]

He shook in Stardust's grip, anger and hatred and disgust flowing through him. He was never a believer in the "hate leads to the darkside" stuff Noriko kept blabbing on about, but hate made you want to literally prove a point. He breathed slowly, this was the first time he'd ever been open about the Korriban situation, the first time he'd ever spoken about it. It kept him awake at night, hearing the screams and reliving the moment the bombs were dropped over and over and over and over again, like a bad dream he couldn't shake, a bad dream he couldn't get out of.

"I hate them"

[member="Stardust Raxis"]