Ah, Connections

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Anastasia

Hello there. I doubt you will recognize the account I'm sending you this from. I apologize for that, but secrecy is neccessary. Otherwise, my query might see that I am tracking him before we ever meet. This will be a bit of a detour, but...my name is Graxin. You were very little when I last saw you. We're blood, you and I. I'm sure you've already met the other one--I am not him. I am making a short detour to one of the stations orbiting Dromund Kass. If you could come and see me before I leave, I would be very grateful.​

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With love, Graxin Rade​

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Graxin awaited in one of the private hangers in the station. It was small for what it was, to be sure. It sported only three hangers, and was more than a little ways off the beaten path. Those who came here were usually smugglers, or others of shadier occupations that could not do their trade in more civilized places. Dromund Kass had been reduced to an ice ball during the war with the Sith Empire, and since then, the question as to its habitability was entirely up to question.

He was draped in heavy leathers, the shades of a dark ebony mixed with bloody crimson in certain places. The leather coat hung down to his knees, and parted in the middle. He wore a defensive breastplate underneath, and let his twin lightsabers sway freely.

He wandered away from his own personal shuttle, and settled on a nearby crate. This was the designated hanger, and if the girl was going to come see him, it would be soon. Otherwise, he would need to get going. There was no telling when Krag would make his move.

[member="Anastasia Rade"]

 

[Anastasia Rade]

Ana read through the note a thousand times trying to figure out whom it came from. Cryax hadn't told her that there was another and she couldn't remember seeing one. Who was this mystery man? She had to know so she decided to meet him. Sure Cryax could have tracked down the account and figured it out all while they snuggled in bed. This however was something that she needed to do by herself. If things went well maybe he could meet her beloved.

Wearing normal civilian clothes Ana had equipped herself with a blaster for this meeting. She wanted to believe that this wasn't a trap but she could never be too careful. The Dromund Kass station was crowed with people so finding someone whom may not even exist was almost impossible. Ana wasn't sure how he was related to her but she wanted to find out. If there were any family out there who wanted to be apart of her life she had to try. He had cared enough to seek her out so he had to be much better than her brother, hopeful.

"Excuse me sir, but are you Graxin?" She questioned as she stepped towards a man sitting on a crate. He probably wasn't but it was worth a shot. This was the hanger he was supposed to be in. If he wasn't, she was going to be so embarrassed.

[member="Graxin Rade"]

 

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She looks like dad.

Graxin lofted a brow for the moment, playing the fool. He tilted his head back to get a better look up at the girl, and breathed a quiet sigh. It had been at least ten years since he had seen the girl in person. It was likely more, but Graxin had no idea when the Graug had taken them. He liked to think he was in his early twenties, but in reality, he was likely quite a bit older than that, and that made things even harder to gauge in terms of time.

That, however, did not matter at the moment. The Knight pushed up to his feat, clad in full Jedi regalia as he regarded Ana. His brow furrowed in thought, and a hand came up to cup his chin. "You were about four...maybe a little younger..." He mused aloud. Images of a small little blonde headed child stumbling around his peaceful old home played through his mind. He shook his head quickly, pulling him from the nostalgic reverie before it truly took him.

"My....you've grown."

[member="Anastasia Rade"]

 

[Anastasia Rade]

Ana just stood there and blinked as he stood up and looked at her. It was clear she had the right person but she didn't remember him. The young witch hadn't even had a vision which included him in it. She felt a little bad about it too as he seemed to clearly remember her.

"I have grown, I'm not a little girl anymore. I'm sorry but how do you know me? I thought all my family was dead." In her mind it was now just Cryax and her against the galaxy. He was too young to be her father so he could be an uncle on either side or maybe a cousin?

If so, why did it take him so long to find her. Why wouldn't he have looked for her before hand and taken her away from the horrors of being a slave. None of this made sense and as such she backed up a little. "What do you want?"

[member="Graxin Rade"]

 

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Now that confused Graxin. He had expected her to recall his name, at the very least. The Graug Priests must have spoken his name in passing a time or two, or she should have remembered the briefest early years of her life when their family was whole. Yet she didn't, and that surprised him.

"You don't remember?" He asked as if he were asking himself, rather than her. "Graxin. Older brother. Kept you and Bane alive for fifteen years." He blinked in surprise. Perhaps the Graug had not told her the state he had been in. Perhaps they had not told her the dire consequences he was threatened with; the terrible things that he had done for the lives of his siblings. The things that haunted him when he tried to sleep, and clawed at the edge of his mind while he was alone.

Not a soul recalled his sacrifices.

"Krag told me he had you and Bane executed after I failed an assignment...evidently, he was wrong, as I came to suspect recently."

[member="Anastasia Rade"]

 

[Anastasia Rade]

"Brother?" She blinked a few times trying to remember but she couldn't. I'm sorry, it must be all of the experiments they put me though." She looked to the ground for a few seconds before looking back up to her brother. They messed with my head. They did horrible things to us. Why? What were we to them? Bane is an animal, he hates me."

She was still a little hesitant about this whole thing but Ana wanted to believe that he really was her brother. That the records just didn't show everything there was. He seemed kind and seemed to know more than she about their situation.

There was once upon a time in which she wanted to die but now she was happy with her situation. She had finally started settling a little when this man standing in front of her was throwing her a curve ball.

"I hired a slicer well actually whatever I looked into my past and saw nothing in there about you. Why?" She had so many questions for him. If this was real she wanted to get to know him and salvage whatever she could.

[member="Graxin Rade"]

 

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Taking it better than Felicity, at least.


He straightened up a little at her questions. He had done terrible things in the name of Vulcanus, this was true, but a part of him would always have pride for why he had done these things. It was noble, if not achieved through dishonorable actions.

"I couldn't fix Bane. I tried." He admitted. It had been a labor of love, an done that proved fruitless. Unlike Ana, he had been allowed to visit his younger brother in captivity. That younger brother had grown into a beast of a man, and Graxin worred as to what he was now. That also begged the question, was Ana a force sensitive like her siblings?

"As for records, anything before about a year ago is going to be hard to find. I served the Empire for a time." He cast a quick look around. Not a soul was paying him any mind, and while the information he was sharing could cause problems, it wasn't exactly secret. He did not hide from his past misdeeds. "Most of those records were lost when Vulcanus left Mytus. I did it so they would feed you two--you and Bane, I mean."

He lifted his shoulders in a slight shrug, and offered a meek smile.

[member="Anastasia Rade"]

 

[Anastasia Rade]

Bane was a sad case and so was the past. Since meeting and falling in love with Cryax she had taught herself to move beyond the past as best she could. Ana wanted a happily ever after and to do so she needed to look to the future.

"I'm sorry I forgot you," she stated as she suddenly ran up to hug him. Ana wanted to start anew if at all possibly and to open herself up to love. She had hope he wasn't just going to run from her either. "How are you doing now? What are you doing now? I have so many questions." She stated as she took a step back from him.

This was a silly place to meet, they ought to go have lunch and catch up on all that they missed. She would suggest such but there was still that little pit in her stomach telling her it was a bad idea. What if he didn't want to? She would at least stall him for now by continuing to ask questions.

[member="Graxin Rade"]

 

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His arms flew up high as she embraced him. Slowly, cautiously, he returned the hug, if not a tad awkwardly. he brought a fist up to his lips, and coughed poiltely as she backed away, only to be bombarded with questions.

"I uh...I'm fine. I'm with the Jedi Order. A Knight now actually. At the moment, I'm tracking down father--Vulcanus. The Sith that had you locked up." He stated calmly, almost diplomatically. He had certainly taken well to the Jedi teachings. He's supposed to be on Utapau...figured I'd stop by before I went in."

He flashed a small smile his sister's way, as if discussing his planned assassination of his former mentor was as casual as a bolo ball game. He pushed up to his feet, a little over two meters tall and reminiscent of their father in build, and folded his arms over his chest. "Ask away, I suppose."

[member="Anastasia Rade"]

 

[Anastasia Rade]

"I thought about joining the Jedi. A few months after I was rescued I was introduced to the witches for help with my abilities." She frowned a little hearing that he was tracking down the Sith whom took them. Ana had been taught that revenge would not bring her parents back nor would it give her the childhood that had been stolen from her. She was angry though which was probably why she probably took to weapons so well.

"What were our parents like? I can't remember them. I only see faces sometimes. They seemed happy." She had promised herself no more digging into her parents but he was right in front of her so she had to. He had known whom they were more so than she plus he seemed willing to answer questions.

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That was an awkward question. Graxin had been very young when Krag decided his father had no further use for the Empire. One short slip of the tongue, and they had taken his head. The memories of his parents--his father and his step-mother--were hard to dredge up. His brow furrowed as he tried to think, and eventually, he managed.

"Father was an Imperial Officer. A general, or so I'm told. He was kind, smart, and very ambitious. He didn't like non-humans much...and he said something about the Graug. They put him on the chopping block for that." He paused. His step-mother was more difficult to recall. "My step-mother, your and Bane's mom, was sweet. She was short, pretty, and always happy...which was odd, because I think she was a Jedi. She was out of place, but she had good intentions. She treated me well...I have no idea what happened to her."

He shrugged ineffectively. He didn't think about the two people that raised him in his earliest days. His life had been taken over by the Graug, and anything before that had been deemed unimportant. He scuffed his boot loudly against the floor, and dropped his arms down to his sides.

"The Dathomiri?" He asked cautiously. "Be careful around that bunch, they're dangerous folk..." He keenly remembered being captured and claimed by one of the witch women. It was not a pleasant experience.

[member="Anastasia Rade"]

 

[Anastasia Rade]

"Well, I joined only to help with my visions and to get a handle on that part of myself. I wouldn't be against learning more from the Jedi. I a Mandalorian, the little sister of the Mandalor."

She was in essence her father's daughter. A warrior in her own right. Ana had without even knowing it or him followed in his footsteps. Well, except she was head over heels for a non-human.

"I wish I would have known them. There is a part of me which wishes to go snooping around more about whom they had been. I guess I'm interest ed in our family history." She shrugged a little. It didn't matter he was just a half sibling. He was still her brother. If she wanted more history she could always ask her slicer.

"Are you planning to stick around? Will I ever see you again?"

[member="Graxin Rade"]

 

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"Mandos? I fought against them during the border wars." He shrugged, and cast a quick look around the hanger. He still had an hour or so before they needed to get a move on. "They were a tough lot. As for the Jedi....that's in your blood."

He turned about for a moment, and motioned for her to follow with one hand. "You should come by Ossus sometime. They'd welcome you." He added nonchalantly as he strode purposefully toward his transport. It was a massive shuttle of exotic design, and it certainly wasn't his. Rather, it belong to his pilot, who would remain anonymous to all until he chose to make her known. "It's where we belong anyway. You, me, Bane, it traces up the family line. We're defenders of the Republic by birth."

He paused near a small set of bags by the ship. The Knight went down on one knee, and began to sift through them. "--and sticking around? No, I leave for Utapau very soon. My query is supposed to be there. I should return though."

Or Krag will crush me under his boot.

[member="Anastasia Rade"]

 

[Anastasia Rade]

"Wasn't dad an Imperial though? I would think that if anything was in our blood it would be that. If I do seek out the Jedi though. Is there anyone I ought to ask for?"

She liked the idea though of being from a long line of Republic Defenders. If that was true she really was going to have to visit them and get in tuned with her past. Ana believed that it would do her some good wether she decided to become a Jedi or not.

"I hope so, your the only biological family I have left. I would hate to lose you as well." This meeting between the two of them was going much better than what she would have otherwise imagined. Bane had thrown a fit at her but Graxin was much different and seemed pulled together.

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"Kiskla Greyson. She redeemed me, she can help you too. I would offer to teach you, but Vulcanus takes precedence. He's my personal responsibility." He replied curtly. He seemed to find what he was looking for, as he cracked a small smile, and pushed up to his feet. In his hand was a small metal cylinder about eight inches long, with little grooves on the sides.

"--and I'll be fine. I've fought father before. He's strong, but I'm ready now. The force tells me so." He paid no heed to calling Krag father. It slipped off the tongue, and it happened so often that he never really seemed to notice. He stepped forward, holding the cylinder outward.

"I can feel the force in you. It's calling you, and the Jedi need you if we're to stop the Sith. We all need you there." He paused, and flicked the activation switch on the cylinder. A bright cyan blade sprang to life, and he held it sidelong. "This was mother's. It was given to me when I started my training. It's too small of a blade for my liking, but it should fit you."

He flicked off the blade, and held out the hilt expectantly. "Find the Order when you can, and I'll return there. You'll be safe with them. Eventually, the Sith will come for you and your abilities. You can't fight them off without training."

[member="Anastasia Rade"]

 

[Anastasia Rade]

"The Sith have already come after me, my family. They killed our last Manda'lor but we are stronger now. I'm stronger now and I know a few spells. Perhaps I would be better as a Jedi instead of a witch." Sighing she shrugged.

Ana was just getting her life together and now was being thrown this curve ball. Her brother was asking her to train to be a Jedi. She was happy with how things were now but..

"This was my mother's?" She twirled the hilt in her hand a few times. It felt right as if it was something she ought to have. Igniting it she swung it around a bit. She never had held a Lightsaber before.

"I could wait till you return for training."

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He nodded. The second blade was crucial to his lightsaber forms, but he would make due. He would have a new weapon soon enough, one far more fitting. "Perhaps you'll help bring peace between the Mandalorians and the Republic." He mused.

To bring her into service with the Order seemed like the right way to go. The Mandalorians were a threat, though that he would keep secret. The Republic needed to be the only standing faction remaining once this was all over, and the more Jedi that stood to protect it, the better. He would get to know her in that time as well, perhaps train her as his Padawan. The thought was pleasing, and would help with his later plans.

Vulcanus would be dead soon. Someone of great power would have to take control of the Graug hordes. He was that someone. Graxin's desire for power had not been sated when joining the Jedi Order. They had helped him find peace, and a purpose, but the call to something greater was still there. As much as he denied it, he still yearned for a position of strength. It was his base nature.

He still felt the call.

"If you like. I could train you as well, though if you were to be my Padawan...you would have to be dedicated to the Order."

[member="Anastasia Rade"]

 

[Anastasia Rade]

She would love to train with her older brother. It would definitely be one way to bond with the family that did seem to like her. There was that and she wished to learn to use her mother's lightsaber. Ana felt it was what her mother would want if she was here and even holding it made her feel closer to her.


"I would like to learn from you but leaving the Mandalorians." She sighed and shook her head. The young woman had been though a lot with them and they had taken care of her. Ana couldn't leave them, it was one thing she wouldn't do. "I want to stay with them. They are special to me, they are the ones whom saved me. I can't see myself not being with them."

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Graxin lofted a brow. The Jedi part of him told him to leave itat that. She didn't wish to follow down the path, but the Order needed warriors. Not only that, but those with his blood were strong users of the force. She would make a valuable asset to the Jedi Order, and an eventual enemy as a Mandalorian. A lot of Jedi knew the Mandalorians wouldn't be able to contain themselves--they hadn't in the past. He had fought them as a Sith, yes, and he knew the danger they posed. He couldn't leave his little sister with the mongrels.


"Not even for a time, simply to finish your training?" He asked quietly, eyeing the lightsaber he had just given her. "The Republic needs us. We're strong in the force, we can stave off the Sith.'" He continued, playing off the guilt card. "They've taken care of you for a year...I bled, killed, and did horrible things for the both of you, you and Bain, for more than ten." He added softly. It was a persuasive technique, and one he knew well.

"Still...it's your life. If the Mandalorians are for you, then they're for you."

[member="Anastasia Rade"]

 

[Anastasia Rade]

"Why are you making me chose? Why can't I have both? It was you whom said that I could unite the Republic and the Mandos. I have the tools to do just that."

Ana didn't like being put on the spot just like this. She couldn't understand that after all she had been though why she couldn't have both. She was willing to work hard for each organization to get what she wanted. She wasn't looking for a hand out just assistance to get her down the right path.

The young woman wanted to get along with this brother and to train with him. Hopefully they could work something out.

[member="Graxin Rade"]