A Twi'lek's Self Reflection [Solo - Ask First]

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

Spoiler

Note: This is a continuation thread relating directly to the consequences from the outcome of this thread.

"I will never join the Sith. Should the Jedi cast me aside, I will fight the Sith until my last breath escapes my lips." The purple and green blades hummed in fury as they slashed across the man's chest in a crossing fashion. "The sands of Tatooine await you, my Lord."

The young Jedi Knight lunged forward in her bed, her eyes snapping open in a frantic alert. It was still very early morning, the sun not yet on the horizon. She looked around, unsure of what had just happened. Was this a premonition? Is this what is to become of me? Or was this some form of Sith trick? How would he have gotten into my subconscious to torment my dreams? Or was I truly alone there, everything simply a figment of my imagination?

Sliding herself upwards she leaned her back against the headboard of the bed, her head resting gently against it as she closed her eyes in deep thought. What mattered was that her family was still safe, at least for now, but what bothered her was the decision she had made in her state of rest. She had taken a life and it felt....Justified. She killed him because she wanted to. Because he had wronged her by murdering her family. He was right, that was not the Jedi way, but she simply didn't care. This time, it was personal, and nobody would take away her family without facing justice.

It was an incredibly shameful feeling, to know that he had been right about a number of things, despite her overwhelming disbelief of the Sith. She'd killed, whether real or not, the intent, desire, and action was still there. The fact that it hadn't actually happened weighed little on her mind when she knew that deep down, she'd have changed nothing about that turn of events. And that is what scared her. Was she traveling down a dark path which would lead to serious consequences in the future? Or was she becoming the Jedi that the galaxy needed to overcome the true darkness of the Sith? Time would tell.

For now, Seraphina had business to tend to.Like many of her people, she felt that as a sign of age, rather than looking the part of an innocent adolescent child, and hearing people constantly remind her of how too young she looked to be a Jedi, she gathered her belongings and headed to an artist specializing in symbolic tattoos, one she would entrust with the decorative inked remodel of her facial features on Onderon. The tattoos would serve to represent not only her age and maturity, but the symbolism behind that dream. The realization that she was now capable of that which she never believed possible, and that going forward she would do what was necessary to survive, or to save those she cared for most.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

Wandering along the streets of Onderon and taking in the sights and sounds was the kind of relaxation she had needed for quite some time. Between the Netherworld and that business, the endless wars fought against the Sith, the constant heartache of losing innocents and civilians, friends, allies, and the like, on top of the encounter with Krest here not long ago, and to complete the list that horrifying dream she had just that morning, Sera was overdue for some alone time.

What did he mean with that bit about Tatooine? Does he want me to meet him there? Was he threatening me by some manner of subtle cue? Why does he insist on tormenting me?

The Twi'lek sat in a grassy field that was named something park. She didn't really read the sign as she walked in, it honestly didn't make much difference in the grand scheme of things. She simply wanted somewhere to sit peacefully and enjoy the time. Finding a suitable spot nearest a large, heavily shaded tree she dropped down to the ground, her legs crossed and back leaned against the bark. Her eyes closed and her head rested against the tree as she allowed herself to slip into a meditative trance. The world grew quiet around her, leaving only the faintest breeze to pass through her min.

A great deal of time had passed since she first began this journey. Her meditation allowed her mind to relax and relive the past in one rapid slideshow. She had left Cambria while just a child to train at the Jedi Academy. She had been a gifted telekinetic and proved to be a spectacular dancer and gymnast in her free time, to which she used all of practicing one of the two hobbies. Her lightsaber training then progressed substantially, favoring that of Form IV, and upon being promoted to a Padawan level, was assigned her first master, the man that would continue this training, and simultaneous become her first true love. Despite his tragic death not more than a year into her training she was reassigned and trained under then Jedi Knight Kana Truden. She had participated in three full-scaled battles, Manaan, Kashyyyk, and Prakith.

She had also encountered a number of Sith and Dark Jedi along the way. Even more surprising than surviving all three battles was that she had somehow, by a twist of fate become close with a Sith girl by the name of Xhexania, now known as Darth Venefica. With her own promotion to Knight status a few years later, she found herself thrown into the land of the dead, the Netherworld, along with much of the population it seemed. So much time had passed with that struggle that she had not seen the dramatic toll it took on the galaxy she had left behind until she had escaped. Though once she had, she was astonished at how the territory borders were redrawn.

The Sith control the core? These are terrible, dark times.

Having exited the Nether, she noted that much of the Republic's naval shipyards were lost, and worked tirelessly to restore Nubia Star Drives to manufacturing power again, and began creating vessels for the Republic in earnest. Things were slow, but they were progressing. Finally, she had met the Zabrak, Darth Ferus. He was the most powerful Sith she had ever encountered, and nearly killed her here on Onderon, and continued to torment her through her dreams as if some kind of bogeyman. This dream, was it some kind of reflection of what she was to become? Or what would come to be? Would she become that which she despised? No. She wouldn't allow herself to become Sith. That was not who she was, nor would be. But what was this talk about Tatooine? Was he waitiing there for her?

Her eyes snapped open as a small boy poked her, laughing gleefully as he trotted away, satisfied that he had interrupted what looked like a peaceful slumber. She smiled as the small human looked back, sticking her tongue out playfully at him, and his laughter the only reply as he continued on his way. She stood from the spot she had been resting and continued onwards to the artist's shoppe. She was older now, it was time she looked the part.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

The tattoos would take a bit of time to complete. They weren't terribly intricate, nor were they flashy or exceptionally detailed, however they were after all on her face, and in a number of various areas which needed to look leveled and correct. So while it was less of a shaders work, it was entirely a job for a steady hand and a lot of patience. While the work was being performed, Sera would relax her body, mind, and soul, allowing herself to slide into a deep meditative trance. The pain was moderate, uncomfortable, but after some time she would be able to relinquish the pain and subdue the feeling of the vibration along her cheeks, forehead, and chin, leaving her with nothing but the serenity of empty thought.

Small bursts of visions from her dream, and her previous engagement with Darth Ferus would race through her mind, and she would, for a brief period, relive those memories. They were indeed terrifying, but in order to overcome the fear of it, the trauma induced pain he had given to her, she needed to confront those fears, to stand firm in her convictions, and to defeat the man that had begun to torment her with relentless hatred. I will defeat you. The Jedi would meet him on Tatooine. She had made that decision already. Perhaps he was already waiting for her, like her vision dictated. However he would need to continue waiting for the time being as she had things to tend to first.

As the artist completed her work he provided a mirror to show her the mural now canvased on her face. She smiled, it looked good. It was a unique, mature look for her, rather than the childish youth she had possessed just prior. Perhaps more people would begin to take her seriously now. Raising from the chair within the artist's booth, she provided him with the entire remaining balance on her credchit, and headed out of the shoppe. The day was still bright, young, and warm.