Epilogue I

[Ellie Mors]

It was a quiet night, the humidity hardly noticeable with the pleasant cool air that drifted over the sea of green that swayed in the breeze just outside. Things were comfortable here, different than what life had been just weeks ago. She stood in front of the bathroom sink, staring into her reflection in the mirror, while one hand moved with practiced caution to apply her mascara. There was a vacant expression on her face, her thoughts lingering elsewhere, as she glanced away to put away the bottle of mascara. This was her routine most nights, to make things as pleasant for A'sharad as possible when he returned home. And tonight it had been several days, almost a week, since Lily had watched him leave for Dagobah. He was supposed to be home tonight, last she heard, and a small smile emerged at the corner of her lips as she glanced back up to her reflection in confidence at her preparation for his return.

After slipping into a simple black dress and a comfortable matching pair of heels, she quietly poured herself a glass of wine in the kitchen and left an empty glass out beside the bottle as she lingered towards the door. 'I hope everything went well.' It was the singular thought that punctuated her thoughts regarding the fight for the First Order's expansion into Alliance territory. She was still bitter over hearing that the capital of Alliance had moved to Coruscant, practically neighboring her homeworld, but that was still far from her mind at the moment. She was considering the idea of trying to get a position in the government, assuming she wasn't under scrutiny for having defected from the Alliance just a short time ago, as a way to keep herself preoccupied while he was gone and to show her willingness to try to support him in any way she could. 'I'll bring it up after he's had time to settle in.' Lily thought to herself, nodding her head to confirm her commitment to the idea.

[member="Asharad Graush"]

 

[Asharad Graush]

Graush's vessel landed in the fields nearby to the estate. Instead of going straight back to the Imperial Palace.

He required rest... Reassurance, something. He didn't know what, but Dagobah's events were still fresh in his mind. The battle was won, but as soon as the last Alliance vessel had left the system, he had gotten a shuttle and returned to his own Star Destroyer.

The existence of his subordinates allowed him to disappear back to Dosuun.

They would handle the aftermath, Graush didn' care. He needed to... Disappear before something happened.

Disembarking from the shuttle, he was herded into the estate by a troop of stormtroopers with his own house's sigil on their pauldrons, and only then did the helmet on his head come off.

Wide eyed, with the adrenaline that came with the battlefield, he hadn't processed that he didn't possess control of the Force anymore. Not completely, he felt as if he was in shock, panic setting in as his breathing picked up. Growing up, his training had consisted of many things, how many ways to kill a person with the Force, how to protect oneself with the Force, protection bubble, cleansing oneself of poisons... The basics. Never had he been without the Force, and he stumbled about the foyer of the estate.

"Leave me," he said, leaning on a banister.

And even without the Force, his loyal cadre of servants disappeared into side doors. His voice was still gruff, cold, at least, that's what he mustered for the command.

While he trudged up the steps, every creek and echo through the halls of his home felt as if it was raising his awareness, but there was no danger sense triggering.

He could sense... Feel...

Nothing.

Lost.

[member="Lily Kuhn"]

 

[Ellie Mors]

'Strange.' She thought.

The grounds were silent, the manor almost vacant of presence, and yet she knew he had arrived even if only moments ago. True, he was reserved and usually kept to himself after hisexcursions, but this was something else entirely - a stiff discomfort settled somewhere in her chest as the minutes dragged on and he still hadn't walked in.

She frowned.

'Maybe he's expecting me to come out to greet him this time?'

It was a fair question she posed to herself, and it justified - in her mind - leaving the interior of the manor and walking out and into the foyer. It was there that she found [member="Asharad Graush"], flashing him a smile to show she was happy that he'd returned. "I would have waited outside for you, if I'd realized you wanted.." Lily started to say, her voice trailing off and her expression shifting to confusion as she noticed his posture was off.

"A'sh, is something wrong?" She asked as she stepped towards him, concerned that he was injured in some way that wasn't immediately visible.

"Are you hurt?"

The question was posed as she reached out with her left hand for his arm in a gesture of comfort, an unspoken reminder of what he was to her.