Call My Name and Save Me from the Dark [complete]

[Scherezade deWinter]

Edited to add
This thread is immediately after A Shadow in Time
Injuries on Scherezade: right arm entirely cut from shoulder to hand, bleeding. Lightsaber stab in the right shoulder, in the heart, in the abdomen. Back of the head somewhat fractured. Bruises all over (face&body).

She was in the Darkness again. Scherezade looked around, frozen in her spot. Everywhere she looked, that inky blackness that had been her prison for five hundred years, was back. She gasped and tried to take a step. She took a step. She was still in the same spot. The Darkness knew how to move with her, allowing her not to gain an inch in any direction. There was no wind, no snow, no sunlight or rain.

Scherezade sat down in the Darkness and hugged her knees closely to her chest, rocking back and forth. This. This was why she could never sleep properly. This was where she had been for long, too long, longer than she had ever been given the chance to live. Living had been amazing. She had cursed the body she had been tossed into more than once, having missed the chance to grow into it, but it had still grown on her. It had let her run, and jump, and... And fight.

And that was why she was here, wasn't it? Because she had more than lost a fight. She remembered the pain. It had started in her shoulder, then ran down her right arm, and before she knew it, her body had been entirely shishkabab'd by his lightsaber. Her list of people to kill had grown by another name, but now it was meaningless. In this Darkness, the list would never shrink or grow again.

She could feel the tears running silently down her face. This wasn't sleep. This was a worse version than what some people called Hell.

And she was in there all alone.

 

[Katrine Van-Derveld]

Nocte Aranea had already landed on Coruscant, the Nightmother was already marching through the streets in search of the weak signature. It had woken her up, the sound of Pebble's voice in her mind. Distant and quiet, the words spoke were familiar to her. Katrine had reached out through telepathy towards her but she'd been so tired from yesterday's training that she's stumbled into sleep. Next time she had woken, it had been with a scream as she seen her, as if in a small bubble being stabbed, the loud scream in her head following the scene.

Her visions were still weak though but the spirits knew and Pebble was claimed by them. Protect what is mine, wasn't just a saying to them or Katrine. It was even more personal when she was under her care, like a little sister she hadn't had before. It made her family even if there was no legality in it than there wasn't a proper legality in the fact that Seth Draclau was her grandfather or that Ryori Za'tire was her aunt. And yet, Dathomirians didn't always see family as others did. Kark... You... Pebble's spirit was strong, even as the very last vision showed her fleeting life. Katrine was already above Coruscant as it had occured. She couldn't tell was it past, present or future though. All she knew it occured or would occur soon enough that the visions ran through her mind. Her connection to the younger girl had played a vital part to it, no doubt.

Katrine didn't question it though, marching through the streets, hidden behind her mask. She'd called Gerwald to her side. Though she didn't fully understand it, she knew he was the one to call. Not even because she needed him now but she felt Pebble would need him too. It was vague and yet, she acted on impulse as she did. Now though, she wasn't sure if he was behind her or at her side, marching on with her Force Sense outstretched. Katrine wasn't fully aware where she was headed, sapphire gaze taken barely any notice to what was around her as she moved. When she had stopped, it was in front of a building, heading lifting to look up. She was there. And she walked in, removing the mask off her face at the woman, spotting her attention but rather than talking, she'd moved pass her still, heading forward to the destination.

She could hear voices in the back. Katrine could recall requestion the Captain of her ship to accompany her. He'd stayed behind now and was identifying them to the woman as she searched for Pebble, no intention of dealing with anyone else. She's dying, Jart whispered quietly, his voice a mix of sadness and anger that was obviously. "She won't die from this," she pointed out as she moved, causing someone to stop and look at her when they only heard her side of the conversation. Katrine didn't notice them now, her feet still moving forward.

When she'd stopped, it was because she had reached her destination, waving her hand as she called the Force to her, opening the doors without touching them. The sight of her Ward on the floor made her gasp as she moved forward. The smell of blood though distracted her, head turning to see the message on the wall.

The Alliance is supposed to be the good in the galaxy but you have allied yourself with Sith by allying with the Confederacy. This dead one is only the beginning of your trouble for doing this. We shall not suffer those who believe peace is a lie to live, and nor should the Alliance. Deal with this, or I will.​

Eyes narrowed, anger followed before she knelt before Pebble, inspecting her breathing first. Almost too faint to heal, or it would have been for a mere human. Her eyes inspected the wounds, her fingers barely touching just above it. The blood called the Lupine but the pain called to the woman. In a moment, she had decided what was but an option when she had left the ship was the only possibility, pulling out the Midwantara. The ichor would save her, she had no doubt in that. "Spirits; strength, knowledge, shadows... hear me, save her. This is not the death she deserves. Bring her back to me," With the request given, she lifted off the top of the container and gently opened her mouth, pouring in the green supstance, making sure she had poured down the entire dose. The ichor would fall, travel to what required to be repaired. It wouldn't work immediately work, the ichor had a mind of its own. "Pebble, I need you to be strong. You're not dying today," she whispered to her.

[member="Scherezade deWinter"] [member="Gerwald Lechner"]

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

Something was wrong. She was supposed to have been back by now. Gerwald knew it. [member="Scherezade deWinter"] had told him when she was supposed to be back, and it was... she had missed it by enough. When [member="Katrine Van-Derveld"] had told Gerwald they needed to go to Coruscant, he knew.

The entire trip he wondered what had happened. There had been visions that Katrine had been talking about. The Spirits were telling her things. All Gerwald knew was that one of the two women that he could not let anything happen to was in trouble. They both meant something to him, for different, and yet the same, reasons. It was complicated, and Gerwald was the one stuck having to work it out in his own head, but right now this was beyond all of it. Every part of Gerwald ached to find the sithling and make sure she was okay.

Katrine moved, Gerwald followed. He knew where he stood with her, he trusted her, and when she wanted something from him, he would always be there to give it. All she ever had to do was tell him what she wanted. Today it was to be there. She kept talking to the spirits as they walked the streets. Ger kept close to her knowing that volume of bodies was enough separate them alone. The sights, sounds, and smells were still overwhelming as this was the second time he was on the planet, but he pressed on.

They found the note written in blood. Gerwald smelled it before anything was said. He knew. It was hers.

Gerwald growled with rage. Who had done this? It mattered little. They had written their death warrant, and the wolf was eager for the day when it would sink its teeth into the throat of the one responsible for this.

When they found Scherezade there was nothing for Gerwald to do other than to let Katrine work. He was not a praying man, nor did he give much credit to the spirits, though Katrine's conversations with them did speak to their reality. Gerwald simply did not wish to take a spiritual approach to his training. He believed in war.

"C'mon work," he found himself saying. "You cannot die!"

Gerwald still needed her, just like he needed Katrine. They all needed each other.

 

[Aston Jacobs]

Coruscant

Reach out...

What do you see? A all too familiar voice called out from afar, almost pleading with the for the time being still Aston Jacobs as he sat in a basic stance of deep meditation. The more Aston had tried the deeper his bond was growing with the force, as someone who was at his age it was quite appropriate at least for him anyway. Aston didn't have the regular training as that of other force users. Aston instead opted to venture out into the world and learn from experience and let the lessons of daily life guide him in his path. It seemed to be working, for a time. While he missed his family due to his continuous absence, he made up for it on the times that he could.

Aston on this day sat up on a roof lower level building much lower than the other massive structures that littered Coruscant. While the sounds of daily and nightly life were abundant all around him, he had done a good job at keeping them out. There is balance, that was what Aston could see, as he no longer thought of himself as a soldier of light. While his basic principles were that of the Jedi and on good in the world, there needed to be more if the true evil was to be defeated. And it didn't come down to Jedi and Sith, but to those that sought to complete eradicate civilization. At least in his mind that's how he saw it.

It was quite on the home front until he felt the presence of a signature that had just recently renewed to him. However, as the time passed and the presence lingered...Aston's eyes opened slowly and his brow furrowed a bit.

"Odd..." Aston whispered as he looked down towards the roof ceiling as his mind was trying to process what had happened. The presence that he felt was none other than his father, [member="Kamon Vondiranach"] . Aston stood up and walked towards the edge of the building and just stared off into the distance. After a few moments of doing his staring he didn't think any more of it, this was a Alliance world after all. Aston then moved to retake his original seat and that was when he felt another presence, that of [member="Katrine Van-Derveld"]


A few moments longer had passed and he could sense something was indeed wrong. The young man would then stand up again, as it seemed his meditation was over as he moved towards the elevator and take it down to the ground floor, and find out what was going on.

[member="Gerwald Lechner"] [member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Katrine Van-Derveld]

Behind her back, she could hear Gerwald speaking and glanced at him without saying a word before she looked back at Pebble, hands extending just above the wounds as she concentrated searching through her. They were severe wounds, dangerous even. The ichor would work but it would take time, perhaps too much time if she didn't react immediately. It would be exactly what she did now, concentrating on the damage as her eyes closed. Katrine could heal but with a damage this bad, it would take time to get done. It would take more than one go, yet together, between her and the ichor, they could save her. The nightmother needed to believe that.

Slowly and unseen on the outside, she began to heal the wounds on her Ward, feeling the inside damage coming together and carefully correcting. With wounds this deep, she had no choice but work carefully because a mistake deep inside could cause far worse problems. Katrine had no intention of allowing that now.

It was draining on her, making her inhale a deep breath as she'd stopped a while. Katrine wasn't just healing, she was seeing, carefully sewing, connecting. It was taking more of her concentration than a simple flesh wound or cut. This would take more time but right now, she needed to help her as much as she could before she could be moved. "Gerwald, I need you to carry her. Just be careful," she told the Lupine as she stood, glancing back at the Captain. "I need you to document this. The wall, Scherezade's injuries. And then you need to find any kind of recordings from the building and anything else. I want to know who did this." The captain would move to work quickly, starting with Pebble before Gerwald could get to her, moving on to take other evidence from the room.

She waited, feeling a signature she hadn't felt in a while now, head tilting slightly to the side. Aston?" Katrine reached out through the Force, surprised his presence though he seemed far away still. Another time, another situation, she would have gone to find him but now, Pebble needed her. If he wanted to see her, he would have to come to her.

[member="Scherezade deWinter"] [member="Gerwald Lechner"] [member="Aston Jacobs"]

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

Gerwald nodded. This was something that was out his arena of knowledge. The ichor was a witch thing, and thus far he had avoided that world, though [member="Katrine Van-Derveld"] had offered to teach him more about the force. What she was doing after, that was beyond him as well. He felt... helpless. It wasn’t until he was told to carry her that Gerwald nodded.

He cautiously used the force to lift her and set her gently into his arms. She was light compared to the beast he had carried on his shoulders the night they had hunted together. Seeing her like this, it made him hate this planet. Why had she gone, and why alone? Gerwald was aware he would not always be able to protect her, but he still wanted to. His relationships were complicated, over complicated by his own mind likely, but he would do anything to keep [member="Scherezade deWinter"] and Katrine safe. He belonged to each of them respectively, and he needed them.

Gerwald looked to the captain.

”Give me whatever footage you can find. The nightmother needs to tend to the girl. I cannot do what she can, but I can go through whatever was caught over the security systems on this planet.”

He wanted to know, he wanted to see the face. There was too much around him to gather a scent. Gerwald would have already set off to find the trail of the man who had done this to Scherezade if he had picked one up. It was a simple mindset, but revenge, vengeance, whatever it was, Gerwald wanted it. Mostly he wanted the satisfaction of killing the person responsible. He was so consumed by it that he’d missed the presence of another force user. Perhaps it was too unfamiliar or too far away, but Gerwald was unaware.

”Don’t keep me idle, Katrine. No one does this to us and gets away with it. And this message... whoever did this is calling out the Confederacy. They are either a fool, or wish to die, and I hope the later because that’s exactly what will happen.”

Rage filled his eyes. Gerwald was not about to let this go.

[member="Aston Jacobs"]

 

[Aston Jacobs]

Aston found himself being quite rude and even drawing a few stares as he moved through the streets pushing his way through the crowd. Aston became a bit more rushed once he felt Katrine's presence. It wasn't too long until he was guided to her, and the urgency that he could feel as well as the sudden disturbance in the force. Aston didn't' know exactly what it was, but he did know what it felt like.

It felt like what happened to him almost a year and a half ago, something that essentially changed his life and turned it upside down. Subtly put, it turned it into a nightmare.

"Katrine, what's going on?" Aston inquired rather rushed, while it was good to see her. He knew there was more pressing matters at hand.

[member="Gerwald Lechner"] [member="Katrine Van-Derveld"] [member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Katrine Van-Derveld]

Katrine didn't miss what Gerwald told the Captain after he lifted Pebble into the air before reaching out to take hold of her. He was deciding he would receive footage and that she needed to tend to her Ward. "No, I want to see the footage," she told Gerwald first, completely serious. He wasn't going to exclude her from finding out who'd done this to Scherezade. Her family was harmed, it wasn't just going to going to away. She could heal but she wasn't going to forget this had happened. Her head turned to the Captain, as he'd paused his holo-taking, nodding to her command.

He tried to reason with her, asking not to be kept idle. No one does this to us..., he'd said, making her look back at him. Gerwald kept talking about the Confederacy, about the assailant being a fool or having a death wish. "Us?" The single word rolled off her tongue first. "I don't care who they're calling out. She's dying. They tried to kill my family, my sister. I don't care who they're calling out if they're just fools or not, I will rip them to shreds." Katrine Van-Derveld normally didn't snap at anyone but now she'd snapped. Whoever had done this couldn't begin to understand the importance of her words. Katrine had traveled through time to find her big sister and she'd never found her. Instead, she'd discovered a girl who became her Ward, her little sister. It made her angry enough that a growl came out in her words. Nobody harmed her family, nobody harmed her siblings.

Aston's signature drew closer rapidly. She'd turned even before he'd spoken, moving closer to lean into his chest without so much as waiting to speak. "Later," she only muttered, counting in her head to keep herself strong. Pebble needed her, she couldn't just break now. She was her little sister, her family. She had to be a big girl now, had to make sure was fine with anything else. Slowly, she'd forced herself to pull away as she swallowed, sapphire gaze looking up at him for a moment longer. When it came to family, Katrine had a lot of them and yet only some were close enough to her that she'd be willing to show her weaknesses in front of them. Aston was certainly one of them.

"We need to go," she said after a beat, glancing back at Gerwald, Pebble in his arms and the Captain behind them. The other man had been given his instructions, they had to get Pebble to the ship and now was no time for pleasentries. They would have to wait. "Come on." She'd only said before leaving the small room. She'd thought about dragging Aston with her but right now, she needed to walk on her own to keep strong. Pebble needs me, she reminded her once again, knowing full well the rest would follow.

[member="Scherezade deWinter"] [member="Gerwald Lechner"] [member="Aston Jacobs"]

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

Naturally Gerwald said Us, and he was not referring to the Confederacy when he said that. While the rest of what he said could easily be taken that way he had referred to the pair of them as Us. [member="Scherezade deWinter"] meant something to them both. For Katrine she was a sister, more than her ward, and for Gerwald she was an intimate friend. Even if they had not been sleeping together intimacy would always describe their relationship because of a moment shared over a dead beast consuming the raw heart of the thing. That one moment would always mark them, whatever the future held for them. Right now, that future seemed rather bleak.

"Fine we will watch the footage together, once she is stable."

Katrine was speaking like a Lupine. A hungry smile pulled at Gerwald's lips at the mention of ripping the guilty party to shreds. He imagined the iron flavor that would fill his mouth when his teeth sank into whoever had done this. If Katrine thought she was going to make the kill alone, she was fooling herself. It was as much Gerwald's kill as it was hers. His mind was drawn back to the present when another joined them. Katrine's immediate reaction told Gerwald she knew him. He looked away as she embraced him, Gerwald didn't even notice that he had done that. It was quick. They were heading toward the ship.

Gerwald followed as Katrine led the way. He knew where the ship was, and if needed he would continue ahead without the others. The expectation was that he would find a medical team ready to assist him upon arrival. While he did not understand the magic that Katrine had used, Gerwald knew things like vital signs and comfort were still important. When they reached the ship a mobile bed was ready. Gerwald set Scherezade onto it and followed the team as they wheeled her toward the ship's infirmary. He wasn't going to leave her, not unless he had to.

[member="Katrine Van-Derveld"] [member="Aston Jacobs"]

 

[Aston Jacobs]

Someone was hurt, and incredibly badly. Aston gathered, as Katrine leaned in and gave him a hug he had never seen her like this before. And if that was the case, then something was indeed terribly wrong. He wasn't sure what he could do to help, however it seemed that they had gathered evidence or video evidence that is of who was involved in this. Aston's ship was docked at Coruscant however he would be here for a few days so he would just look to catch a transport back.

Truth was Aston too had wanted to see who caused this ordeal, and if he could help out he would do his best too. Once on the ship Aston took a seat as he let them do their thing, he wasn't going to tr and get in the way, however he still did want to see the footage as well If that was something that could be done.

[member="Gerwald Lechner"] [member="Katrine Van-Derveld"] [member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Her body lay in a bed aboard the Nocte Aranea. The girl who had lived in the body - she had been lively at the time, barely sleeping, always jumping from place to place, running around and more than once even caught singing in it as she grew and learned to control herself and her body, as well as some of her abilities.

There was no resemblance to the girl who had lived these five months. The one who lay in the bed now was pale, her breathing so slow it sometimes seemed her was not breathing at all, her eyes unmoving beneath their lids. Despite her size, never had she seemed so tiny, so fragile. The ichor worked in her body, but the ichor needed time.

And what did the girl have, other than time, as she had been tossed into the Darkness once more?

Nothing.

The last time she'd been there in the full sense of the word, it had taken five hundred years before she could get out. In between her fits of silent tears, she couldn't help but wonder how long this would take. What would be out there for her in another five hundred years? What is this time it would take longer? A thousand years or more?

There would be nothing, that's what. There would be no making silly faces with Katrine as she tried to add swear words to spells with a complete lack of elegance. There would not be a fresh list of first times to excite her. There would probably be no auntie Asteria, or Morgaine, or her cousins. And there would probably no more be a Gerwald, who's smell was the only thing that had enabled her to get normal sleep every now and then.

She raised her head, looking at the infinite Darkess again. She had experienced silent places, first hand. None of them had been a deadly as this. There were no sun rises or sun sets. No buildings to jump from. No Hutts whose body she could wear and dance around. No hunting, no cutting of the the prey. No more ship-made sausages and broken elevator shafts. No more Verberri in Coruscant, chewing her head off about her duties and responsibilities in the ancestral home.

No more nothing.

And still, she could feel herself. The first time in the Darkness, she had been nothing but a baby, barely aware of her own body. Now she'd had five months to get accustomed to the body of a woman on the cusp of womanhood. She could feel her limbs, her skin, her eyes, her... Her heart. It sounded almost broken.

Scherezade stood up in the Darkness and screamed.

She would not survive another imprisonment. If it would take that long, or longer, to get out this time, there would be little of her remaining. What would remain would not be herself. She had to get out of there. She forced her legs to move. Run. They obeyed her. But it did not bring her anywhere. There were no walls within the Darkness, no skies, no rifts. But she kept moving. She had to keep running. Escape this place, and all it brought with itself.

"Child, why are you running?"

Scherezade stopped running and turned around. Behind her stood a woman. She was short, and pale, and her barely clad body was covered in tattoos. Her long red hair reached down to the middle of her back. She knew who this woman was. Aeval. Her grandmother had hated her.

"I have to get out of here," Scherezade replied, the shaking in her voice all too evident.

"You can't," Aeval replied, "this Darkness is forever."

"I have to," the girl cried, "I can't stay here again. Not like this. I have a life to get back to. I have people I want in it."

Aeval looked at her, and only now Scherezade noticed that there was something different about her than the version that was in the memories her grandmother imprinted on her. But Aeval said nothing, only stared. Scherezade started to walk again, but no matter how fast or how far she moved her legs, she was still in the same place. There was no distances that could be crossed in the Darkness.

"You are your mother's child," Aeval said at last.

"Obviously."

"I loved your mother," Aeval resumed as though she hadn't heard, "I dedicated that year in complete servitude to her. I brought her home and made her the Queen. And she betrayed me."

"Uhhh... Sucks for you?"

"I died before you were born. I wonder... You look so much like your mother. But are your insides the same as hers?"

"That is a seriously messed up question. And I also don't know my mother."

"I want to see your insides."

Before Scherezade could respond to that, Aeval produced a sword. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Scherezade knew the sword, but it didn't matter. Aeval used it to decapitate her in the Darkness, and her head fell to the floor, blood spurting everywhere.

Aeval walked to her body, still standing, and began to poke her fingers inside the mutilated neck.

"There is no future for you, child," Aeval commented as she began to pull chunks of meet and blood out and toss it on the ground, "you'll be in the Darkness forever."

Scherezade screamed.

Scherezade opened her eyes. She was in the Darkness. Again? Still? There was no sigh of Aeval. Her head sat right on her shoulders. Not even a scar. This was, afterall, the Darkness. This was all there would be for eternity to come.

An elegant cough caused her to turn her head. Next to her, was her grandmother. Scherezade tried to scramble back and reach for a knife, but she had none.

"Be calm," Shery said, the glow of her eyes illuminating the Darkness with a layer of emerald green.

"Get me the krak out of here!" the girl demanded.

"No," came the simple answer.

"Why are you doing this to me?!"

"Because you are weak. You were meant to lead the path for the family and return our name to glory. Instead, you have poodoo'd all over it, quite literally. What child of deWinter and Darkness advances so little in five months? What child of deWinter and Darkness chooses to live as a peasant, when she was given the galaxy on a platter? What child of deWinter and Darkness cries over the loss of her parents instead of celebrates the suffering she brings?"

Scherezade looked at her grandmother, her jaw dropping.

"You are nothing more than a monkey swinging off the branches of the universe."

Between the two, the Great Web appeared. Scherezade blinked, realizing that not once she had looked at it in her five months of existence. But now she could see it so clearly, all the strands. Move on strand, affect some or most or even all of the others.

Shery produced a little knife. It was an elegant, with a hilt covered in emerald green jewels and a tribal pattern that she recognized as the deWinter pattern, in silvers and purples.

Scherezade wanted to scream but there was no time. Shery cut the strand that was Scherezade. It tore apart.

And now Shery was gone, and Scherezade was dust, her body no longer existing even within the Darkness.

It was as it had been for five hundred years. Only consciousness.

Scherezade screamed.

​

[member="Katrine Van-Derveld"] [member="Gerwald Lechner"] [member="Aston Jacobs"]

 

[Katrine Van-Derveld]

Katrine had barely heard Gerwald as he'd agreed but she knew he had even if it seemed a little hazy. In her mind, an image flashed. Sometime soon, she'd see the future and it would be shocking and make her angry. She would be furious with the knowledge but her visions were still messed up and confusing that she didn't bother trying to look into them any deeper. They'd eventually see who it was and they would go after that someone.

For now, though, they'd gone back to the ship where Scherezade had originally been placed in the med-bay while her immediate wounds were handled. Katrine had done a very small amount of healing on them, enough so her transportation didn't inflict worse damage. After a few hours, she had her Ward moved into the suite since it would provide her with the most comfortable rest.

She hadn't been able to part with her so when she awoke the next morning on the floor, it hadn't been that surprising though Katrine couldn't remember when she'd passed out. She did remember watching over her, listening to the spirits mutter their chants as they guided the ichor inside her to where it was meant to go. Some traces of it hadn't gone to the wounds though, they'd warned but they hadn't offered her an explanation of what exactly it had meant. She'd rubbed her cheeks as she'd sat up, looking up at her. When her brain had been working a little more, she'd come close to the girl and listened for her breathing when she couldn't even see her chest moving but it was there, extremely shallow. It only continued her concern for the girl as she watched her. Scherezade looked so calm, too calm even as she lay there. Katrine continued to watch her until the med-staff walked into the room, coming to check her Ward's vitals. "I'll be back in a few. Don't leave her alone for a second," she ordered before she'd turned, getting a quick shower before she moved through her closer, not fully aware what she was picking out, getting dressed. Her feelings were all mixed. She was worried about Pebble, she was furious at a mysterious creature she hadn't found out about yet, she was confused at what the spirits were telling, trying to stay strong before the Lupine she had feelings for and the guy who always came to her rescue when she needed him. And most importantly, she was trying hard to stay collected for Pebble because her breaking when she was still recovering and could wake up any moment and need her to be strong for her. It was jumbled in her mind.

[member="Gerwald Lechner"] [member="Aston Jacobs"] Scherezade deWinter

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

Like Katrine, Gerwald had not been able to leave the side of [member="Scherezade deWinter"]. She had almost died, and what was worse, Gerwald had allowed his intent to visit her in quarantine to be interrupted so he could have sex with another woman... and not just any other woman.

He looked away to where Katrine had been sleeping on the floor. How was he supposed to be there for both of them, in the way the both needed him? He couldn't. Gerwald had sure made a mess of things and all because he had been thinking with his hormones and the pull that had been there from the first day he had met the blonde. He needed a shower. His clothes were still covered in Scherezade's blood, not a new thing for him at all, but everything was going to come to a head at the worst possible moment, and he knew it.

Gerwald didn't want her to die. He cared for her.

He hated to see Katrine hurting as much as she was. He cared too much.

Gerwald cared for them both.

He let Katrine be. She needed the sleep, he could get some when passed out. Gerwald was a soldier and used to staying awake for long periods of time when it was required of him. This would be no different.

He returned to the room after Katrine had left. His hair was still wet as he didn't take time for it to dry, and he was dressed in a t-shirt and a pair of jeans. Gerwald wanted to be there when Scherezade woke up, and he hoped that Katrine would be as well. For now all he could do was watch.

"Tell the captain to bring the security footage here. We also need a data station to watch it... and before the Nightmother returns."

It was the least he could do. The footage would occupy their time.

[member="Katrine Van-Derveld"] | [member="Aston Jacobs"]

 

[Katrine Van-Derveld]

*delete*

 

[Aston Jacobs]

Aston didn't know how long had had been sitting down for as he dozed off for what seemed like a few hours. Few people passed him every now and again however Aston was in his own little bubble right now as he tried to get a figure on the situation at hand. He wondered who would go as far as to do what they did, and even worse if this individual was as important as mentioned why do something as stupid as risk the fury of entire family on you. While Aston couldn't linger forever had had eventually returned to his own vessel and mentioning that he would return as he showered and changed his clothes and did what he could. He couldn't exactly leave his ship behind, but he would remain with the trio long enough to see who caused this devastation.

After his return Aston moved towards the room where the girl was being held and that was when he heard one of them speak about seeing the footage, and he hoped he could look too.

[member="Gerwald Lechner"] Was there, and the young woman rested and while he didn't know the individual he felt it be best he introduce himself. "Hi, I'm Aston Jacobs. I'm sorry about what happened." Aston spoke sincerely as he looked over to the girl. Aston was by far no expert healer, this was indeed beyond his skill to heal. "How is she doing?" He whispered to Gerwald as he awaited a response.


[member="Katrine Van-Derveld"] [member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Katrine Van-Derveld]

Dressed, Katrine stepped out of her closet just as Gerwald was finishing his sentence. "Before the Nightmother returns?" She wondered as she moved, moving her hair over one shoulder. Aston was just introducing himself to him just then before he'd whisper something to him. She moved over to Aston, leaving a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you for being here," the blonde told him with a tiny smile. Her connection to Aston was extremely important to her. He was the family she could relate to, the one who could understand how complicated the Witches of their clan were and the one who seemed to come whenever she needed him, whether she was aware of the fact that she'd called for him or not. Last time, it had been the message for her Mother, this time it was probably the Force. It didn't matter, he'd saved her. Only a handful of people in the galaxy had actually saved Katrine that she held them in such high regard.

Next, she'd moved over to Gerwald, hand reaching for his arm as she took in his wet hair. She suspected what he could have referred to earlier, as it seemed to be the elephant in the room weighing in on them as much as Pebble's condition was. Katrine knew her Ward had helped him with his Force powers and she remembered him mentioning that while she'd lost the bet, he'd been the one taking the wager since they'd assumed she hadn't been playing it. And knowing the girl, she knew she was a force to be reckoned with. You either loved her to death easily or you feared what madness she could cook up. Katrine loved her and she enjoyed the shenanigans she did, even if some people in the Confederacy worried about it. She was aware but frankly, Katrine didn't. As long as she didn't try to harm Uncle Isley, she was free to be herself all she wanted. "She's stable," she looked to Gerwald than Aston. "Her wounds are healing, the ichor is doing most of the work. She's just so calm, it's freaking me out." Katrine shared with both of them, glancing over at her again. She'd already checked her breathing when she woke and she still had the urge to even if she could tell she was still there through the Force.

[member="Gerwald Lechner"] [member="Aston Jacobs"] [member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

There had been no time to introduce himself to [member="Aston Jacobs"] before Katrine returned. He wasn’t sure how he and Kat knew each other, but it appeared they were close. Gerwald knew better than to let her question hang in the air, however, so he answered.

”I wanted it here so we could watch it when you got back. We are going to go insane if just watch her, but since neither of us want to leave, I figured we could watch the footage here.”

Gerwald didn’t know what else to do. All he could think was that he had not been there for her, in fact, he hadn’t seen her since she’d made them all sing. A sudden wave a guilt attacked him when he thought about what had happened. He should have gone to see her, find her, but instead he had run into Katrine, which had kept him quite occupied. Gerwald wasn’t about to blame the fact he was drawn to the nightmother. That would be the cowards way out, but the fact remained. Ger had only been with Katrine since that day.

Aston had asked how the girl was going, and again Kat had answered. It seemed the best time to finally make an introduction.

”Gerwald... a shame to meet like this, but well met...”

The door swooshed open, the footage had finally arrived. Gerwald took it over to a data station and realized he was not sure how to operate it. The tech on Stewjon was antiquated compared to what the Confederacy offered. He looked to Aston.

”Do you mind... I’m still learning.”

[member="Katrine Van-Derveld"] | [member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Aston Jacobs]

Aston nodded his head easily in agreement when Gerwald had spoke to him. He wished these were under better circumstances, however what sort of galaxy would this be if there wasn't a bit of tragedy and turmoil here and there. Not that Aston approved of this, it was just something that he had grown to accept during his long travels across the galaxy. All the things he had seen and felt, it was the will of the force.

"Yes indeed." Aston said easily enough as he nodded his head respectfully towards Gerwald and when the footage had arrived and he had requested for help Aston didn't shy way. "Oh not at all." The man said once he received the footage from his new friend and began to take the necessary steps to set it up and shortly the footage would begin to play. Aston was indeed very curious as to who would do such a thing, and essentially risk the might of an entire organization.

"Let's see who the fool is, shall we?" Aston inquired without waiting for a response as he took a step back and the footage would begin to play.


[member="Gerwald Lechner"] [member="Katrine Van-Derveld"] [member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Katrine Van-Derveld]

He'd wanted to watch the footage, as she'd expected. They'd watch it here when she didn't leave the suite for too long. He right, of course. It needed to be watched. The very idea though left her stomach in knots. "Yeah," she only managed, sitting down at the edge of the bed while Gerwald exchanged greetings and worked on the recording. She, instead, sighed, not yet looking in the direction of the projection. It made her angry someone could harm Scherezade, she was only seventeen. Head-turning her, another sigh escaped her lips. Each of them had gone through ordeals at seventeen. They were different, unique in their own ways and yet, the scars on the inside would remain, no doubt.

Katrine heard Aston's question and stood without thinking about it too much, moving towards the projector. It started out boring, unfamiliar faces going in and out. Her hand rose as she reached to the Force, fingers gesturing as she sped up the recording through the irrelevant bit as she had no patience to watch what wasn't important. She only paused again as she caught sight of Pebble and a man with lighter hair, letting the hologram and sound moved normally. Pebble was ushed inside by the figure, the first words spoken on camera by the man. "My name is Master Vondiranach. This girl is a Sith who claims that the Alliance has an alliance with the CIS. Can you confirm this?" She was seeing red, eyes unblinking as her head snapped to Aston. "Is he lying or is that actually him?" Katrine suddenly raised her voice. Her vision blurred just slightly though it was rage and shock muffling her eyes in the moment. She knew the name though she'd never see the face. She knew the story of how Kamon Vondiranach had trained and been under the protection of her Nona. And how Aston Jacobs Hawk was his son, as was his twin sister. The only two children of Satara Hawk who didn't have her Nono for their grandmother. Yet, Katrine had never seen or met the man and right now, she wondered if someone was impersonating the man or if the man had been nothing more than a liar, fooling her own Nona.

[member="Gerwald Lechner"] [member="Scherezade deWinter"] [member="Aston Jacobs"]

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

He didn’t know what he was watching, but Katrine seemed to know of this man named Vondiranach. She was not the only one seeing red. Gerwald memorized the name. He would pay for hurting [member="Scherezade deWinter"]. No matter what the future held for them, she would always have a place in Gerwald’s heart that would make him react in this way. Yes, they had spent more time together than he’d spent with any one person, but it was beyond that. The moment where they had shared the heart of the beast he had killed had bound them in some way. She was always going to be close to him.

”Who is he,” Ger asked as it seemed he was the only one who didn’t know of him. ”And where do I find him so that can sink my teeth into his jugular...”

Gerwald found himself growling in his throat. His wolf wanted desperately to come out and hunt. One his pack had been hurt and the man would pay. He walked away from the footage and walked to Scherezade’s bed. Gerwald sat on the edge of the bed and placed a hand on her forehead.

”I promise he will pay with his life.”

Katrine was write about Scherezade. She had a way of making people hate her, or love her to death. Gerwald had experienced many things for the first time because of her, and he not only owed it to her, but in some ways he felt this was his fault. Gerwald could only feel partly responsible in the first place. Would she have gone to Coruscant without him had he visited her when she was in quarantine?

[member="Katrine Van-Derveld"] | [member="Aston Jacobs"]