Changing Fate

[Antera]

Heat. The heat was growing more and more unbearable.

Flames licked at her skin, and she desperately gasped for air. Weight on her elbows, the chiss dragged herself forward centimeter by centimeter, her legs limp and useless behind her. She could not speak, her voice dying in her throat as her vision swam.

White. White and red and metal. The figure towered above her prone position, but did not look at her. Instead, she regarded a frightened girl, whose yellow eyes were wide with fear and shame.

"As always, you have proven a failure," the cloaked woman intoned, a gunmetal-gray gauntlet extending downwards to grab [member="Legion"] by her arm, yanking the girl upright, "But we will see if this next round of improvements can fix what damage has been done. I have wasted far too much time searching to lose my work now."

Somarae lifted a hand, blackened and burnt, reaching forward as half-formed words cracked past her lips. The steel boot of a second figure crashed down upon her outstretched fingers, an audible crunch of breaking bone sounding along with the impact on the Carcosa's deck. A much more complete agonized cry escaped her as she crumpled forward flat on her belly, the last of her strength escaping her.

"Look, mother. It struggles still," this girl's voice, no older than Legion's, made no effort to conceal her malice and delight at the sight before her.

The cloaked woman turned, and beneath her hood yellow eyes peered from behind ivory white bangs, "Correct it, Tolva."

There was a kick to the side of her ribs, throwing Somarae onto her back, and the woman who had broken her hand swung her red-bladed lightsaber downwards.

----------

Antera hit the floor with a thud, tangled in her sheets and coated in sweat.

Still somewhat inebriated from the night before, she took a moment to reassess her surroundings. Bed. Deck. Drawers. Nightstand. Her cabin, all in one piece. Like the last three times she'd had this dream. Groaning, she pulled herself back up onto the mattress and threw her weight flat on her back, staring upright at the ceiling.

Once could be nothing. Two could be worry. Three times... no. Even with her disoriented mental state. She remembered her training.

A vision...

She shuddered at the thought, and suddenly found herself far more concerned about just what her trip to the Unknown Regions may have set in motion.

 

[Legion]

Legion awoke early as she normally did, utterly unaware of anything amiss. In truth, the girl probably wasn't getting nearly enough sleep, but the excitement of being adrift in the vast galaxy was still almost too much to process. She felt as if she'd already slept enough for two lifetimes, besides.

A muffled, contented snort drew her attention to the slumbering dewback nestled securely against her side in the tangled sheets on her bed.

"Aww, Mustikka!" she cooed, giving the lizard's snout a gentle rub. Her affection was rewarded with a grunt, the dewback rolling over onto her belly.

Since the creature seemed to have little interest in getting up with her, she left the cozy critter to her slumber and eased out of bed, heading to the galley to make a light breakfast for herself and Miss @Antera. Nothing too heavy after a night of indulgence, she'd learned - that did not agree with the Chiss woman at all. Alcohol was a strange thing, one that she couldn't even pretend to understand. Why would her friend subject herself to such a torment day after day?

It was something to consider as she hummed to herself, fetching plates and cutlery from the cupboards.

 

[Antera]

Antera had not gotten any further sleep that evening, and while her shoulders slouched slightly with the lack of rest, her face and eyes seemed far more alert than they had in any morning of the past few weeks. She was already dressed, but lacking her duster, when she knocked slightly on the corner of the galley to get [member="Legion"]'s attention.

"Already awake, huh? Sleep alright?" she glanced aside slightly, trying not to think too heavily on her own lack the night before, "Once you're settled I'm gonna need you in the hold for a bit today. We've got some things to talk about."

 

[Legion]

The rapping of the other woman's knuckles on the corner made the Sithspawn jump - she couldn't help it, really. Once her eyes fell upon the blue-skinned woman, however, she was quick to smile.

"H-Hallo, Miss [member="Antera"]! I s-slept very well, and so did M-Mustikka!" she beamed, apparently no worse for wear.

Something about the tone of her friend's voice, however, wore at her smile, her expression shifting into something more studious.

"O-Okay ... is everything all right? H-Have I done something wrong?" she inquired, regarding her tired companion with an uneasy tilt of her head.

 

[Antera]

"No, no not at all..." she shook her head, her lips curling into an attempt at a friendly smile.

It was a valiant effort, at least.

"Get some breakfast, make sure your lizard is cared for, then meet me in the main hold in twenty. I'll explain it all there."

She didn't wait for a reply, turning and making her way down the hall back to her own cabin first. Her mind raced through possibilities. Exactly what to say, how much to reveal...

What to do about this vision that had begun to plague her dreams.

With a faint frown, she entered her quarters and pulled open her closet. There, a small safe was built into the floor. She entered her code, and pulled the hatch open. Inside were the items of another time, what had become another life. But some of them...

She clicked her tongue once, reaching inside and retrieving what she would need for the rest of the day.

 

[Legion]

"B-But what about...?" the girl trailed off helplessly, realizing that speaking to the Chiss's rapidly departing back would do no one any good. Breakfast?

Legion took it as a sign that she was to eat both alone and in a hurry. Since time seemed to be of the essence, she settled on a simple porridge with dried fruit pieces, which was portable enough to allow her to eat while seeing that the dewback had her daily provisions.

Miss [member="Antera"] seems unsettled ... I hope everything is all right.

The Sithspawn frowned to herself as she went about her task, spoon in her mouth as she diced up Mustikka's tubers. Surely all would be revealed soon.

 

[Antera]

Once [member="Legion"] finished her preparations, she would find Antera waiting in the main hold. She had cleared a space, about four meters by four meters, near the center of the room and set out a number of smaller, empty storage containers left over from a recent haul. The chiss had her eyes shut, and in the air over the clear patch, a folded training mat slowly pulled itself open and settled into place on the deck.

Her eyes blinked open, and she turned her attention back towards the door, where she was certain her passenger would soon be arriving, if she hadn't already.

Passenger, and perhaps, for now, apprentice.

 

[Legion]

Legion was quick to finish her set tasks, hurrying along to the specified location. She fidgeted with the long sleeves of her dusty brown robe as she entered the hold, giving [member="Antera"] a nervous smile.

"I-I am sorry to k-keep you ... w-what is the matter, Miss A-Antera?" she inquired, advancing slowly towards her friend. There was an air of solemnity about the situation and the girl's expression reflected it, her reptilian-slitted yellow eyes focusing in on the blue-skinned woman.

 

[Antera]

"You aren't in trouble [member="Legion"]... it's fine, I assure you. Have a seat," she made a slightly more successful attempt at a smile, gesturing towards the prepared training mat. She lowered herself into a kneeling position, hands resting atop her thighs as she waited for the sithspawn to join her.

She spoke again once the girl had a seat, "We've been traveling together for some time, Legion. And I feel it is more appropriate to speak of certain things... but first, just what do you know of the Force?"

Her head tilted ever so slightly to the left as she listened for a reply.

 

[Legion]

Legion sat obediently on the training mat, folding her legs and resting her folded hands into the pooled fabric on her lap. She observed the Chiss's smile, or what could pass for one, though her own expression didn't change much. The question surprised her, however, and her thoughts turned to her mother.

"I-It is a power that s-surrounds us all and permeates our u-universe," she answered, realizing that her response sounded rather clinical, but it was better than allowing her mother's words to pass through her lips.

The power to shape and destroy all things living and deceased, civilizations, even destiny itself. The only true power.

"Why d-do you ask?"

The Sithspawn had an inkling of what [member="Antera"] was getting at, admittedly, but she didn't want to assume.

 

[Antera]

The chiss nodded once, but otherwise remained still, "That's correct. It originates in and flows through all living things in the galaxy. Through it, we're all connected. Though some have stronger connections than others..."

She lifted her hand, and with the gesture, one of the small boxes she'd set nearby began to raise from the floor. Antera pulled it closer, over the mat, and set it hovering between them for a moment, "You've seen some of my talents before, and from the day I found you I could sense your own connection. It's... unusual that you were never trained, to be honest. Regardless, while I am no master, I could begin to show you a few things. Help ease you onto this path."

The box settled lightly onto the mat, and Antera leaned forward slightly, "Assuming, of course, that such training is something that you want. I chose my path, and I won't take that choice away from you."

Perhaps not entirely honest, but in the end she had made her own decision willingly.

[member="Legion"]

 

[Legion]

Legion's eyes followed the movement of the box, lifting her hands only to draw her hood away from her face, untamed silvery-white waves spilling across her shoulders and framing the small horns sprouting from the top of her head.

"M-My mother was not yet satisfied with my p-progress ... she wished to train me w-when I became ... s-stronger."

The word seemed appropriate, though the list of her faults and shortcomings had hardly stopped there.

"I w-would like to learn, b-but I do not want to have to hurt anyone. I j-just want to learn!"

Her chin lifted and she gave [member="Antera"] a determined look. A strange thing for a Sithspawn to say, she knew, but as her mother had always said, her disposition left much to be desired.

 

[Antera]

"The Force isn't a weapon, though it can be used as one... harming another isn't strictly necessary. It's a tool. One that can aid you, if you know how to harness it," Antera sat more upright, taking another slow breath, "We will start simply. I want you to close your eyes. Listen closely to me, but still all other thought. Take a breath, slowly. Hold it, and release. Repeat this process. At this moment, there is nothing else. Only this room, and what is inside it. We will focus ourselves only on our present surroundings..."

Once she was satisfied that Legion was following her directions, the chiss shut her eyes as well. She inhaled slowly, stilling her own thoughts while discreetly pushing a few down and aside.

"Keep your mind still... feel your surroundings. Yourself. Let go of thought, and trust instinct."

She waited, observing not with her senses but her gut, waiting for Legion to ease herself into the unfamiliar state.

"We start small... I have seen what you can do, even unrealizing... I can sense the potential you carry inside you... Open your eyes, [member="Legion"]... and reach out. The box before you. Lift it from the deck."

 

[Legion]

Legion nodded, closing her eyes to focus intently on Miss [member="Antera"]'s instructions. This was important, she knew, and she was eager to learn.

Inhale. Hold. Release.

It reminded her of her mother's meditation practices, at least what little she'd witnessed of them, but recalling her friend's instructions, she let go of that thought and all the others nipping at the edge of her consciousness. It wasn't long before the sound of her own breathing - and the Chiss's, but less so - was all that held her attention. It was a pleasant calmness, one that felt similar to what she experienced when working her hands into the soil.

As more instructions came, she felt a wave of uncertainty wash across her body. Could she do this? Was she ready?

No, she couldn't allow herself to doubt. Instead of acting immediately, she took a few more moments to find her center again, easing back into a perfect stillness.

When her citrine-colored eyes opened at last, the box flew into the air, holding for a few seconds.

Unfortunately, this turn of events took the Sithspawn aback. She could do it! The box fell just as promptly as it had risen, rattling on the deck and causing the girl to wince. It was a start...

 

[Antera]

Antera remained silent, utterly still save for a small approving nod, "A start, Legion. An excellent start... such techniques seem to come quite naturally to you. I imagine you've exerted your will through the Force in small ways many times, even without realizing it. Like you had before, when we found the creature beneath your old home."

"Now, again. Keep your focus. You must concentrate, Legion... let nothing distract you. Let no stray thoughts shake you, let no outside stimuli steal your attention. Focus. Lift the box."

 

[Legion]

"Y-Yes, Miss Antera." Legion closed her eyes briefly, bowing her head in deference to her friend and teacher.

She had to focus. The girl cleared her mind, inhaling, holding the breath, and then slowly releasing it. The calm seemed to come more easily this time, or at least she was able to locate it more readily, and this time she simply reached out with her mind, willing the box to rise.

Her eyes didn't open. She didn't want to risk breaking her concentration. Somehow, however, she could feel that her task had been accomplished.

 

[Antera]

"Good, Legion... very good..." Antera lifted her right hand, absently bringing her hand before her chin, the side of her index finger against her lips as she pondered for a moment, "Hold it still. But reach outwards... keep your eyes shut, let the Force replace them. Listen to it through your instincts... sense your surroundings without deception..."

She rose slowly, "We will test you further... where is Mustikka, Legion? Feel for her presence... Can you feel her? Do not let the box fall..."

It was a good deal more of a test, admittedly, but Legion had grown familiar with the dewback hatchling. Perhaps such familiarity would help her, compounded with the lack of other large living creatures aboard the ship.

 

[Legion]

"Mustikka...?" Legion inquired, the box shuddering slightly as the girl's attention slipped. She remembered herself, however, and it soon hovered smoothly and levelly once more.

Somehow she would have to split her attention without allowing the box to fall. Easing back towards the calm balance seemed ... right, and so she withdrew deeper inside of herself for a moment before projecting outwards, trying to feel the olive-colored dewback's presence. The Sithspawn allowed herself to think of Mustikka's large eyes, the sound she made, the familiar smoothness of her scales - though in focusing so much on her companion, her hold on the box slipped somewhat, the parcel sagging down a few inches before she 'caught' it once again. It was enough time to locate the illuminated aura of the adorable beast.

"J-Just outside of the hold," she stated, the strange warmth and brightness of the dewback's presence retreating as she returned her attention solely to hoisting the box.

As if on cue, a little snuffling sound emerged from the far corner of the room near where Legion had first entered.

 

[Antera]

The chiss continued her observation as the small container dipped, steadied, and dipped again. It remained in the air, if just, but then...

"J-Just outside of the hold."

The snorting and snuffling of the dewback caused Antera to actually chuckle quietly for just a moment, "Lucky guess? No, of course not... very good work, Legion... you may relax."

She crossed her arms in front of herself, tilting her head to one side, "How do you feel, Legion? This was only a first step... but the change in your relationship with the rest of the galaxy begins here."

 

[Legion]

Legion exhaled a breath, her shoulders quivering after exerting herself in such an unfamiliar way. The box immediately rattled to the floor once again and she cringed, instantly bursting into an apology.

"I-I am so sorry! I f-feel ... a little t-tired. Drained," she corrected herself, though she smiled, an excited gleam in her eyes. "Will it g-get easier?"

The girl slumped slightly, a hand patting her knee to summon the dewback closer. Mustikka faithfully obeyed, wandering over to the girl's lap and lifting her head, expecting to be picked up. Legion did not disappoint, slowly scooping the beast up to let her rest in the Sithspawn's lap and receive petting.

"Raaaaaakkk," Mustikka chirped. At least one of them had energy to spare.