Blood is thicker than water

[Garza]

I had no clue on where she was. But seeing as how she had been married to my brother, I wanted to find her. See if she was okay, and even possibly join up together rather than work separately. Since she was literally the last of my family, I needed someone to hold onto that was part of my line. Even if she was only related by law, she was family all the same. I wanted to find her.

And well, Here on Arkania, a planet of crystals made naturally over billions of years, and the mythed Dragons or Wyverns that were symbols of freedom, here I was, dressed in my Wyvern gear with a little extra clothing around myself to keep out the cold, inside my Chaos Messenger. While it was an open top, the military version allowed a full heavy blaster on a swivel. My face was void of all emotion. Waiting for the possible call of the woman.

Pulling the datapad up, I looked at the messages that I might have. Checking to see that I had no messages, i went to the last sent item. It was under the name of Lexa Imura. Hoping that it would reach her, as I sent it to any woman by that name,

Hello Lexa Imura,​

My name is Nickolas. I am the younger brother of a man you may have known and trained under. Possibly even married into our name. It has now been months after his death, and as the last of the Imura bloodline and Legacy, I would like to meet you so we may discus over our life, the possessions of Morna Imura, as well as simply meet as we are considered family by law. I hope this reaches you well. In a week from now, I will be in the capitol of Arkania where I hope to meet you. You will know when you find me."​

​

Looking it over, I received no response or acknowledgement of my message. I could only hope that she saw it.

[member="Lexa Imura"],

 

[Zayani Brin]

Lexa waited silently just outside the protective climate dome of Arkania's capitol city. Her black cloak made her appear slightly menacing, and hid her features, but no one was really there to see her. The frigid wind whipped all around her, but she wasn't at all bothered by it. As most people preferred the nice temperature-controlled city, she would be the only being out in the harsh tundra of the planet's natural atmosphere.

She had come here for a single reason. She was going to meet Morna's long-lost brother Nickolas. When the message had been sent to her, at first Lexa didn't believe it. It just sounded like some credit-hungry scam artist who'd figured out how much her husband's things were worth and was trying to get them from her. But then again, it might be the truth. Just a little bit. So, she decided to come and see for herself. As she waited, she saw a vehicle approaching from the horizon. She stood as still as a sculpture and waited.
[member="Nickolas Imura"]

 

[Garza]

Yes I know looking at stuff while driving was bad, but I had to do it.

Taking the wheel with both hands, I drove down the slope of snow towards the city. While it was dark out, Nighttime infact, I was really the only person on the road. Once reaching the actual road, paved and strong enough to hold the vehicle up, I slowed down a good kilometer before reaching the spaceport. Since snow was not what I normally drove in, more so sand, I expected alot of sliding. From that, I came to a stop by pulling upside the sidewalk that had only a few people walking on the outside, but a few inside that were waiting for people. I had not shut off the engine.

Instead I got out, and pulled off my hood and hat to reveal my face to anyone that may have walked by. I was told by many in the fringe who I had worked with that I had an uncanny resemblance to my brother. The only real difference was the hair and my face was more sharp and prominent. Taking that into account, I looked towards anyone to see if they would walk up. Really it could be some random woman, however I knew that Lexa was one who had a dark side of the force, not as dark as myself, but was also powerful in the fire shaping arts. So if I could feel her presence, as well as see that she could control a flame, then I knew it would be her.

[member="Lexa Imura"],

 

[Zayani Brin]

Lexa studied the man getting out of the vehicle. With the darkness making everything that much colder, what little people were outside were already making their way inside, making her the only person there. When he pulled off his hood, her breath caught in her throat. She was looking at Morna. A familiar ache formed in her chest. For a moment, she could only stare at him as he began walking her way. She quickly regained her composure and averted her eyes, instead staring at the ground. The resemblance.... It had to be Nickolas.
[member="Nickolas Imura"]

 

[Garza]

I looked for Lexa. All I had was information that she had black hair and was nice looking. and well, thats kind of hard to find even here on a planet that was covered in people who had white hair. I did find a few people, one girl even had her head down and away from me. I thought she might be looking at the phone. But even that, she had this aura around her. looking to her hands, they were at her side. So she was looking down at her shoes? was there a sudden interest in them? Still, she looked, almost, afraid? Walking over which I hardly ever do, I tapped the woman shoulder, "Excuse me ma'am, I am looking for some one, can you tell me if you have seen her?"

[member="Lexa Imura"],

 

[Zayani Brin]

Lexa didn't look at Nickolas's face. She instead focused on his clothing. Her hood kept her face hidden however, so it wouldn't really be that noticeable. "I suppose I can assist you. What does she look like?" She asked with an emotionless tone. Her voice still sounded light and soft.
[member="Nickolas Imura"]

 

[Garza]

Walking over, she looked down and I thought she was reaching for something in her pocket. My first instinct was to have my right hand go to my hip close to my lightsaber. I didn't know here, therefore I could not trust her. But as she kept looking off to the side, I looked around as I spoke, acting as though I normally put my hand on my hip, "Looking for a woman with white to olive colored skin, black hair. almost coal black. She's about your height actually..." I then reached out with the force to her. My mind softly feeling her for a signature of some kind.

I then leaned in close to her, trying to look at her face. "Ma'am, may I please see your face." as I had walked over she hid it. Almost as though she were trying to hide from me. "I would like to be able to talk to someone face to face. Not trying to be rude... Miss?"

[member="Lexa Imura"],

 

[Zayani Brin]

Lexa sighed quietly. Reaching up, she pulled down her hood and revealed her face. "You're Nickolas Imura, aren't you?" She asked, her voice still soft. she had known from the moment she saw him. That face... Her eyes remained on his clothes. She refused to look up from them.
[member="Nickolas Imura"]

 

[Garza]

Looking at her as sh turned her head. I shifted my weight back to my off hand foot. I looked down toward her to see her face as she looked to my jacket and other clothes. It was when she looked at me I nodded my head. Standing up straight, I offered her my hand.

"[member="Lexa Imura"], I would like to formally introduce myself. I am Nickolas Imura. The younger brother of Morna Imura, and a Shaper or the House of Imura."

 

[Zayani Brin]

Lexa visibly winced when Nickolas spoke her husband's name. This was almost too much for her. Everything was somehow bringing Morna back to her mind in some way or another. She cleared her throat and smirked a bit, avoiding his eyes as much as she could. "That's a fancy intro," She said jokingly. It was a half-hearted attempt to lighten her own mood. It didn't work as well as she wanted it to.
[member="Nickolas Imura"]

 

[Garza]

I smiled lightly as she commented about my intro. I shrugged my shoulders as I let my hand drop. "I want to be formal for once. Sue me." I then looked around and I dropped my head, "I had hoped that we would have met on more favorable circumstances. I would rather not hash it out as of now when it will still be raw for myself, as well you." I then indicated with a head nod towards my vehicle. "If you would like, I could take us somewhere so we can talk inside where it is warm." I was about to stop but continued. "I mean, We don't have to use our powers to keep ourselves warm." Hinting at both of our abilities to use fire shaping and the use of heat as a power source. I offered my hand, palm up and open as though I were going to help her up from a seat.

[member="Lexa Imura"],

 

[Zayani Brin]

Lexa chuckled a little. "Warmer? It's like a sauna out here. The cape's just so people won't notice that I'm wearing a bathing suit." she said, taking his hand with a nod. The comment was actually true. She couldn't feel the cold like other people. What was deadly cold to them was nothing more than a cool breeze to her. Though she hadn't gone so far as to wear a swimsuit. She was warm, but she wasn't crazy.
[member="Nickolas Imura"]

 

[Garza]

I shook my head as she took my hand. Commenting about wearing a swimsuit in a place as cold as this. Leading her to the vehicle, I pointed at the steps on the sides. There was no real door as you literally vaulted over the side into the seat. As she would make her way up, acing like a gentleman I would help her up. Once she was there I made my way around the front to sit in the driver seat.

Already the engine was on, and with a flip of a shifter, I moved into first gear and started to speed of. "Tell me Lexa, how was my brother when he was alive?" knowing that it might hit a cord, I continued without pause, "That is if you don't mind relaying to me about him. Last time I saw him was over 30 years ago."

[member="Lexa Imura"],

 

[Zayani Brin]

Lexa kept her eyes forward as she spoke. "He was...... Powerful. He could do things that no one will ever be able to do again. He taught me everything I know, but I'll still never compare to him. He had the Dark Side flowing so strongly within him, it was scary sometimes. But, he was kind. The kindest person I've ever known. He would help others merely because he wanted to. Whenever I was with him, there was always a smile on his face. It was like he knew he could make everything alright, and he wanted to show it. He had a wicked sense of humor. Could always make me laugh. He could get pretty cheesy a lot, but that just made it easier to have fun. There was this gleam in his eyes. Like there was always a rebellion within him. He loved to do do crazy, dangerous things. So did I, to be honest. We were always getting into some kind of trouble together. And he played the guitar and sing along with it. His voice was amazing. He used to make money that way he told me. I loved to hear him sing...." Her voice trailed off. The ache was back. She placed a hand on her collarbone. It came when she was trying to remember happy things. She hated that.
[member="Nickolas Imura"]

 

[Garza]

Hearing of how my brother was made me somewhat happy. Knowing that he lived a rather full life considering to what happened around him. Just listening to Lexa speak about him made me almost look up to him. He had forgotten about me because of what had happened. For a long time I had blamed him. Now I don't. He didn't move on because he wanted to, he did because he needed to. Not wanting others to get into the same situation as he was. I made some small assumptions about him. That he was not really a person who wanted to have power, but went to look for it so others would not take advantage of it. He wanted the power to do good even when in the forms he did so, were dark in nature.

A single quote came from my mouth. Others told me that he would say this when people asked him who he was. "I am a simple man." and in truth, he was. He wanted to live a quiet life with his wife. And just that simple notion allowed him to move mountains.

"I know it's hard." my hands gripped the wheel hard. So hard my right hand knuckles were turning white. "To lose someone hurts. More so. Someone you would lay down your life for." I hardly knew my brother. We had been separated for over thirty years. A lifetime if you will. And the only time that I saw my brother, was in holovids, and images. Now I will never see his real face. "Thank you for that, Lexa"

[member="Lexa Imura"],

 

[Zayani Brin]

Lexa nodded once, still looking out at the tundra before them. "My husband lived his like he was going to die the next day. He took nothing for granted, and fought to keep what he had. I just...... Wish I could have done the same......." She knew that Morna didn't want her to blame herself. He was the one who chose to leave. And for her. So she would be safe, and so they could start a family in peace. But that didn't stop the pain, nor the torment, that haunted her dreams at night. No. Nothing would stop her nightmares. Her tears. Her guilt. Nothing except Morna.
[member="Nickolas Imura"]

 

[Garza]

In her tone of voice, as well as her actions of hiding, I already knew that she blamed herself as much as I did. I thought that if I got to my brother faster that I could have saved him. But in hindsight, I was nowhere near him. Even if i got the chance to save him. Would I really do it? I shook my head as she was almost breaking down next to me. Adjusting my hands on the wheel, I used my left to drive as I reached over to my right and grabbed her hand. Warm even in the cold wind of the vehicle. "Don't blame yourself, Lexa. He knew that if you came, you would have died as well. He didn't want that." I choked up a little knowing that even if he was one of the, if not the most powerful Fire shaper in the Galaxy, that the both of us, would become more powerful than he ever could.

"Lexa, when I was a boy, I remember my father teaching Morna and myself about family. And weeks before our parents were killed, he spoke to us about dying. Saying that if they ever were to, that we would continue on without them. Look back only for one second to remember of them, but to move on so that we could grow stronger. Morna believed I was dead. And he moved on as my father told him. I was mad at him for doing so, but after remembering some of my childhood, I no longer blamed him." Squeezing her hand to make sure that she was still paying attention to me, I looked over for a second with a sad smile on my face. "We need to move on, so that we can become stronger. Not for Morna's sake, but for our own. So that we can continue his work and legacy. He is not gone Lexa. He is just out of the picture. He is still residing inside of you, and me. We need to act and perform his deeds so that he can still reside with us."

I turned back to the road so we didn't crash into anything. and let the small silence that followed to hang and stir within Lexa's mind. Even if she was years older than me physically, She still had much to learn. "Move on, but don't forget."

[member="Lexa Imura"],

 

[Zayani Brin]

Lexa sighed. She finally turned and met his gaze. With tears in her eyes, she gave a smile in return, squeezing his hand back. "That's something Morna would've said to me," She said, her voice sounding small. "You're a lot more like him than you know. Thank you."
[member="Nickolas Imura"]

 

[Garza]

I opened my eyes wide when she said that what I said would have been something to come from my brothers mouth. I shrugged my shoulders. I had to believe her on that since she was the one who married him. She squeezed back in my hand as I continued to drive. There was something about her that liked her. A thought of her being perfect for morna came to my head. And it was true. If she was not, then he wouldn't have married her.

"Then I guess we really were brothers." I gave her a smile to keep it at a light mood.

[member="Lexa Imura"],

 

[Zayani Brin]

Lexa said nothing else as they drove on. What was starting to bug her was that Morna..... He wasn't really gone. Physically, he was dead. But his spirit was currently residing inside the mind of a man named Asher Kellan. With this knowledge, shouldn't she be at least a little bit happy? After all, he hadn't truly left her. He'd stayed behind. Yet still, her heart was broken.
[member="Nickolas Imura"]