From the time they had departed from
Ikeda Grove to the present—It felt like a sordid blur. The young Exarch had left the Atrisian Delegation (
Junko Ike
and
Kurenai Yumi
) in what felt like a positive standing. There were still small details that needed to be smoothed over, but, they had thankfully come to an understanding.
“Everything went as expected…”, she assured
Darth Metus
through her
Holo-Comm. Atrisia was proud, independent, but the benefits outweighed the detriment.
In the end—The Royal Family saw the future. The past was, well, the past.
Srina also sent a missive to her youngest sister
Eira Talon to let her know that she was fine to keep her course toward Atrisia if she wished. The planet was rich in culture and there was much that could be learned from its people and those that governed it. Part of the conditions that Srina had promised their parents, upon leaving Eshan, involved ensuring that Eira continued with her education.
All in all—It was just another day.
Then, suddenly,
it wasn’t.
She could feel terror bubbling up from the city below like a primordial wave. It was crushing. The nascent hopelessness stole the air from her lungs. Her icy countenance washed away the humanity that lingered from the diplomatic encounter. Silver eyes closed slowly to coalesce the screams, the rolling pain, and the agony that echoed in the Force so that she might turn it into something she could use. Srina had learned to turn her own emotion into a weapon, but here, could she do the same? Dread had become her namesake. Shouldn’t she be able to control this? Become it? Every part of her wanted to end the sudden outbreak of madness. To protect her people. And they were, if nothing else,
her people.
A soft sense of fury had begun to build with the notion that someone had the
audacity to test the Confederacy in such a way. Something, someone, was taking her people away from her. Life slipped away, down the drain, returning to the Force in a deathly sweet exhale. Over and over. It was an atrocity.
It was a waste.
To her sister she sent a new message: Do not come to Atrisia. Do not come to Atrisia.
It was sent on a loop. Playing at intervals, over, and over. Srina needed Eira to stay far from here. She could not be here. She could not bury another sister.
Could not.
The feeling of someone taking her hand drew her from a dark reverie that found her metaphysically chasing down the dying whispers and wails of the populace. A sense of warmth carried through her. It was a reminder that pulled her back to the present. He was here. She, was here. Not in the terminal chaos below.
“I am…”, she trailed off softly, unable to form words, while his heartbeat reverberated against her palm.
“I am here.”
Here. She could not explain, though, he would sense the conflicting sentiments that burned in her core. Mercurial eyes were deadened while they slid over his features. The sharpness of his jaw caught her eyes and she spent a few selfish moments to memorize his face.
“Thank you, Maliphant.”
He was trying. For her. She could see it in everything he did, every time he followed her, fought for her. She could see it in the way he held her hand. Feel it.
“I wish I held your optimism.”, she trailed off softly, taking a step closer, so that the others on the ship would not overhear. They were important to Atrisia, but, their lives weighed no more or less to Exarch than the people below. She detested the fact that politics required that they meet safe haven first. Her fingers moved slowly, tightening, in the fabric of his clothing.
“I have seen this before.”
“On Melida-Daan. I have seen the dead rise, walk, and consume. We had no choice…We destroyed it. Fire burned through the capital and all organic material was swept away.”
She leaned close and let her forehead rest against his shoulder. Eyes closing again. The dead walked below. From beneath—
It devoured.