Private How We Got Here

[Ariel Yvarro]

Ariel had wanted and even intended on telling Djorn, but then she decided both stubbornly and arrogantly that she could handle parenthood on her own. When Djorn had left after celebrations in early Dekatos of 862. He left with the intent to return, and what neither of them anticipated was their child. Thus far, Djorn Bline was completely unaware of his daughter's existence. Ariel was supported by the women in her family as she went through her pregnancy and the eventual birth of Ivalyn. Ivalyn was born in late 863 in the waning days of the ninth month, Ennatos. ​

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War in the Galactic North presumably kept Djorn away and when an opportunity presented itself to return to Dosuun. Well, it was the very reason why Ariel now made sure her penthouse was just as clean as it had been when he had arrived over a year ago. Deke, the droid presented a colorful holographic presentation of the galactic basic alphabet to Ivalyn who rested in her bassinet. Ariel took a deep breath and exhaled because nervousness was an absolute understatement and in her mind, she tried to think of just why she hadn't told him outright. Given her position of power, she could have easily made it so that he knew of Ivalyn. ​

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A ping to Majel from the lobby, and the artificial intelligence chimed.​

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"Mr. Bline is on his way up, Ariel."​

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"Thank you, Majel."​

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She exhaled hard and looked back at the baby in the bassinet, who cooed at the beautiful display of lights. Ariel smiled softly with a motherly affection toward her infant daughter. The bassinet rested beside the sofa, and the home itself no longer felt so distant and cold, but rather warm and close. The Galidraani woman could hear the lift's chime and suddenly everything that had been kept in secret was about to come out into the open.​

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[Djorn Bline]

S N A K E
AVALONIA
FOCUS | Ariel Yvarro

A time of reprieve, even if it was a short one. A small moment of peace between firefights would help him in some capacity. Take off some stress that weighed down on him, affecting his mind although he adapted to the violence and gore that he experienced on the battlefield. Anger and hatred made a combustion reaction to produce his vengeance that consumed him. A personal vendetta against the Galaxy as he bear witness when Naboo and Commenor joined the defense of the Sith at Dantooine. He wasn't the only one that felt these raw emotions.

Emotions that only kept him going forward, a battery to accomplish the mission. The defeat at Dantooine, humiliating and painful as it could be, only continued that fire in his soul. A fire that could only be extinguish from dying.

His personal vendetta in this war distracted him from her. He made a promise to see her again as the two Imperials found intimacy between each other and longed for more after their passionate nights together. It had been a year since he last saw her.

Too damn fast.
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Too damn fast time went by. Hard to keep track of time when one was too busy killing people.

With the time available to him, he decided to see her. Go good on his word that he uttered to her. Arriving at the penthouse he rapped his knuckles on Ariel's door, dressing as appropriately as he could while being cleaned up. Whatever injuries he received in battle faded away in the texture of a scar on his person.

"Ariel, it's me."

 

[Ariel Yvarro]

Ariel exhaled and ordered Majel to open the door. "Hi Djorn," she greeted with a smile, "come in." She side stepped to let him through the threshold of her place. Ivalyn was certainly in plain view. "We should talk." Perhaps the three words most people don't like to hear but this time, it was important. Deke greeted Djorn rather happily as Ariel walked Djorn to a spot on the sofa opposite of Ivalyn. She drew in a breath and exhaled, she took her seat beside the bassinet. ​

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"I hope your trip was smooth, all things considered," the war - an implication rather than stated, "um..."​

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Ariel swallowed hard and just shrugged, nervous laughter unfolded, "yeah so, uh..."​

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She smiled through her teeth and just shook her head, "um, wow, okay this is uh, there's no easy way around this so..." Her voice trailed off and she looked at her daughter. A moment to gather herself and her courage and then she shifted in her seat to look at Djorn directly, partially blocking his view of Ivalyn. "This is our daughter Ivalyn."​

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"She was born in the last week of Ennatos, and I... I meant to tell you early on, but you were busy with the war and I- I'm sorry Djorn." Ariel also didn't want anyone outside her family to really know the baby existed, however; Djorn being Ivalyn's father, had every right to know.​

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Djorn Bline ​

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[Djorn Bline]

S N A K E
AVALONIA
FOCUS | Ariel Yvarro

Everything seemed tense, even before Ariel opened the door to her apartment. It wasn’t hard to notice it, both of them knew that. One year it had been since they last seen each other which was around Life Day here at Avalonia. A time where they had the chance of getting to know each other a bit more and share her bed in the flesh. He blamed time, although that was more of pushing the blame off of him. It was hard to maintain an interest in someone when being fat apart, especially when it was a blooming relationship. Everyone was a fool to believe everything ended with fortune in their lives.

They needed to talk?

He could only understand what that meant and speculate what followed next. She was seeing someone else or simply had no interest in continuing this affair with him. Those were the only two topics he could think of. Djorn did catch sight of the baby in the bassinet. Probably an offspring from one of her relatives.

He followed her to the sofa, taking a seat on the opposite side of the child.

“It was fine, a bit strange,” he replied back in regards to his trip here at this side of the Galaxy. Right before Ariel began to stutter, trying to find words in what to say of this important matter they needed to talk about.

Just say whatever you have to.
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He was prepared for whatever words that would come next. Prepared for some form of rejection of him. It would hurt, but there were worse things than that.

And then...

"This is our daughter Ivalyn."
"She was born in the last week of Ennatos, and I... I meant to tell you early on, but you were busy with the war and I- I'm sorry Djorn."

Out of all the things he thought he would hear that was not one of them.

His daughter? Their daughter?

To bring life was something to celebrate and be happy about. Every culture celebrated that event. But for Djorn? He didn’t know how to feel about this. Eyes staring at Ariel, and then Ivalyn, and then back to Ariel. His face told her that he was at a lost for words, completely dumbfounded.

“Oh...”

Fuck.​

Part of him wished he knew she was pregnant, but he was grateful to not know about that during the war. Would’ve been a distraction in his operations to think Ariel was pregnant and delivered their child. Djorn’s emotions were a mixed pot to simply put it. Emotions drawing from the war with those of determination and vengeance in a professional killer. And now this?

A hand went to his face, sinking in as if going in a deep think with a sigh exhaled out of his nostrils. Did he wish he didn’t have to hear those words now? He didn’t fucking know. These days were just weights of stress burdening his shoulders.

“I’m guessing you were gonna tell me eventually whenever I came back then?”

 

[Ariel Yvarro]

"I wanted to tell you before she was born," remarked Ariel, she could see his face the dumbfounded expression that Djorn wore. She rose from her seat and sighed, she crossed the room and disappeared into an office. Ariel reemerged with a journal and took her seat beside Ivalyn and handed Djorn the journal. "I wrote so many letters, and I rewrote them, I-" ​

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Ariel's voice left her she took in a deep breath and exhaled, all the emotions she felt when she found out about Ivalyn. They all flooded back to her and all the woman could do was wipe her tears, "but your answer is yes." She could feel his frustration and Ariel didn't look away from him instead she held out her hand. "Djorn."​

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"She's beautiful, she's healthy and while my life has been hectic, she's amazing," in spite of everything, Ariel wouldn't have changed anything. Ivalyn squirmed and made noises familiar to babies her age. Ariel turned her head and got a look over her shoulder, "here."​

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Ariel moved away from Djorn momentarily to pick Ivalyn out of her bassinet. "She'll be two months old in a few days."​

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Djorn Bline ​

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[Djorn Bline]

S N A K E
AVALONIA
FOCUS | Ariel Yvarro

She could feel his frustration, for sure. And he was frustrated, although he kept it at bay to not implode it on her and their child. War did that. A veteran of it, and he damaged himself more and more with every operation he pursued. Forever a soldier on the battlefield, never knowing an age of peace. Emotions swelled up in the woman, triggered by those of guilt; guilty for having kept this secret until now. Letters were brought to him written by Ariel’s hand with every intention to send them to him.

Her hand held out to him, inviting him to hold her with his own. He accepted it, all he wanted to do was relieve himself from his traumas and emotions he developed in the war. They were intimate with each other, yes, but did that intimacy evolved into something else?

Her hand moved away from his to pick up Ivalyn from the bassinet. In her hands she held her out to Djorn, for him to hold her. He was surprised by this, eyes widened out. He didn’t know what to except to grab Ivalyn and hold her in his arms.

“Yeah, she’s beautiful,” agreeing with the mother of his child. He stared at the baby, observing her and Ivalyn did the same as she had never seen his face before. He felt odd; having a child and in his arms. He had no intentions of siring any children, but what’s happen happened.

“Her name means something to you?”

 

[Ariel Yvarro]

"My great-grandmother's name, from my father's side, Ivalyn Yvarro. Ran a good portion of Belsavis' prison gangs in her time, quite the firecracker based on the tales my father spoke of," explained Ariel who paused briefly to look at Djorn holding their daughter. "Per tradition on my mother's side, she has my name as her middle name. Ivalyn Ariel Bline." Ariel called their daughter's name in full. The idea of having a child hadn't been on her mind before Ivalyn, but here she was - with Djorn. The last man that she expected to have one with, not because she didn't care for him but simply because they had scarcely gotten to know one another.​

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Ariel's penthouse was otherwise quiet, Deke chirped around where he could. ​

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When Djorn was ready, Ariel took hold of Ivalyn in her arms - cradling the infant close to her chest she got a look at the babe. Ariel placed the baby back in her bassinet and looked at her for a moment or two. Shifting in her seat, the woman turned to look at the man with her on the sofa. Both of them knew how they had gotten there, but the question remained, where would they go from here. "I suppose the question is now, where do we go and what will we be?" In terms of their relationship with one another and whether or not Djorn would accept the idea of becoming a family man.​

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Djorn Bline ​

 

[Djorn Bline]

S N A K E
AVALONIA
FOCUS | Ariel Yvarro

It was quiet. Awkwardly quiet between them. The penthouse was hardly alive when they last stood here. Alive as in being vibrant and active around the living spaces, not silent. The reason? For the child they parented. Maybe things would’ve been different if he was told in advance, but that wasn’t the story being told here. It all came to him unexpectedly; shock and awe.

"I suppose the question is now, where do we go and what will we be?"​

“Well,” he began, his eyes lingering on Ivalyn before looking at Ariel. “We take care of her, we’re responsible for her being here. We’ll do our best to her.”

Ivalyn was an open path for him, one that could bring him a life of peace. Something he lacked in his life, and ultimately something he rejected. All to accomplish something he promised to himself, and he wouldn’t fall short on that.

“But I can’t stay, Ariel. I still have some things to finish out on the Braxant Run and Stygian Caldera. I won’t rest until the Sith are purged from where they stand; I won’t tolerate their existence to be something we have to suffer with.”

“Does...does your family know about her?”

 

[Ariel Yvarro]

"They do," answered Ariel plainly with an exhale that felt more like relief, "my oldest sister moved here to help take care of her. Mother's even stopped by to watch her, my niece Niance has been by as well." She rattled off the relatives who had been there, Natasi of course - had been there from the start. Her Majesty was there when the child was born, "and my cousin oversaw her christening." Ariel had heard what Djorn said and only nodded to that effect.​

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She would tell him however, "and you know that I can't leave, first foremost reason being our daughter and second because I am now the Grand Moff. My position places me here with the people of the First Order."​

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"My duties to them mean that I am to oversee their worlds and tend to their needs and wants," she paused briefly and looked over at the wee child in the bassinet. "Ivalyn of course will have her future with myself, my cousin, sisters, she'll be as much of an Imperial as the family is."​

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Ariel shifted once more on the sofa and gave her attention to Djorn, "but I suppose this puts us at an impasse."​

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"I care a lot for you Djorn, however; unlike my mother Fiolette who was content to play second to her wife's ambition and power. I will not play second to anyone else's ambitions, powers, or schemes." She laid it there in plain sight, "when you are here I will give you my attention when I am able; assuming you would still want it."​

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A sigh, slightly defeated - Ariel was conflicted - she liked Djorn a lot - cared deeply for him but she blamed the timing of it all. She also refused to give herself away simply because she had made a mistake. "I don't suppose there's much else to say."​

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Djorn Bline ​

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[Djorn Bline]

S N A K E
AVALONIA
FOCUS | Ariel Yvarro

Maybe if the timing was right-

No.

Maybe if he was a different man, one that wasn’t so hellbent in his desires of fulfilling a personal vendetta of his from pain that lingered in him ever since he could remember which led him to a lifetime of war, then he could’ve give dedication as a man to his daughter and Ariel.

But he wasn’t that man, and he could or would never be that man. No matter how fulfilling or what abundance of joy it would bring to him. The decaying Sith were almost rid of, but after that? There would always be another fight, another war to anticipate.

“I understand, and congrats on that promotion,” although it was one with many responsibilities and duties to fulfill. One that would burden the shoulders and test one’s resolve. “I won’t take you away from your duties and responsibilities you have to the First Order, nor uproot the life you’re creating in this region of the Galaxy.”

“And I do want that, yeah. Your attention. It’s why I came over here, to see you and to give myself some relief between the firefights. It’s been rough, I won’t sugarcoat it. Not after Dantooine. Not after when the damn Galaxy rallied against us.”

“Fuck them.”

Venom seethed through his teeth. His words filled with a hatred that they could kill if they had that power.

“Well, there is plenty to say and plenty to do,” and stood up briefly just to sit by the woman.

“I’m sure your cousin detests me.”

 

[Ariel Yvarro]

Ariel rose to her feet and addressed Djorn matter-of-factly, "do you want something to drink?"​

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"There is as always, a lot of work to do, and it is quite a shame about Dantooine." She heard the reports, but of course, she heard them it would be hard not to as the Grand Moff. She was pleased to hear that he would still want her attention, however; she understood it seemed to be more of relief on his part - a way to get his mind off it. That she could understand and to the best of her ability she would help him, but Ariel had her own ambitions and plans for this side of the Galaxy. "She does not, rather she detests me and my..." how to say this, Ariel thought, and then simply went forward with the statement, "my inability to have good judgment, essentially, when and when not to have an affair."​

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"Rather not to have them at all, but I suppose it is where I have much to learn," and so Ariel thought she would do her best to emulate the sort of life her cousin once led. "But that does not change my feelings for you, nor will it sway me in my goal." Ariel would ensure that the people of the Outer Rim and indeed upward toward the Unknown Regions would want to welcome the First Order. A nation for the good of all, a nation for the command man, and an imperium of man. "We can if you like head out with Ivalyn a little later this afternoon, I am looking at property in which to purchase. See, my cousin has intended for me to have Herevan Place as my country residence."​

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Ariel fixed the drinks and headed back toward Djorn, "however, I recall my life there and it is not somewhere I wish to go, there are... memories."​

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"So, with that in mind, I am looking elsewhere within the nation for a place to call home."​

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Djorn Bline ​