Maybe You Should Just Fall

[Ellie Mors]

[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TWr2pj6kqM[/media]​

Three weeks.

She woke to the sound of birds, brown little sparrows, that nested among the bushes, just beside the bushes of roses that her father always stood by at this time in the morning. Slowly she slid forwards, hands scooting the silken sheets from her pale legs while she rose from the bedside. The back of her throat stung and she coughed in hopes that it would alleviate the burning, but as she neared the door from her room she found herself tumbling towards the handle with tears flowing from her eyes.

It had been three weeks since she last saw the face of her mother, her father, and now she was at home - alone. Almost a month had passed from the day her parents had abandoned the Kuhn twins to their own devices, declared dead by the popular media throughout Sith space and beyond, and she was already grasping at straws. Money was not an issue, nor was safety, but what she obsessed over was a sense of inferiority - that her parents had left because of something she had done, that she had been, or had not.

Her sister took out her anxiety in fits of rage, going out to bars and other places until far too late in the night. Lily, unlike her sister, didn't want to ruin her image. She was completely obsessed with appearing perfect, like the picturesque bright child. She had been attending the college of naval warfare on Anaxes, ran a business the twins inherited from their mother, and fought tooth and nail to remain on top of Empress Teta's "in" crowd. This was during the day, of course, when she was in front of the public. When she was alone, well, that was quite a different image to portray.

Lily turned to spice, drugs, alcohol, things her sister shied away from - though primarily because of allergies than choice - while in her private, alone, time. Pills lined the drawers of her wardrobe, one for every day of the week for every possible problem. When she felt the tears surge she took one to ease her ability to process emotions, giving her a bored, almost depressed, outlook on the day. Her rage was quelled with a cocktail of drugs and spice with a shot of vodka, a dangerous mix that made her pale complexion even paler, which she covered up with excessive amounts of make-up, and ramped up her drive for the risque.

Sometimes private and public bled together, however; today was indeed one of those days. She had learned from her mother's former assistant, and acting representative for Koros Spaceworks, that she had sold an older company to a contact she'd obtained through connections in the Sith - a [member="Darell Irani"]. Perhaps it was misinformation, perhaps miscommunication between Silara and Leena Haven that led to the misunderstanding, but Lily Kuhn, desperate and confused, send out a request not simply to Mister Irani, but to the whole of the One Sith in search of the man - not by name, but for the man that might know more of her mother, who in turn would be with her father. In hindsight it might have been a stroke of luck, but today, right now, luck was anywhere but here.

[member="Darth Carach"]

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Lily Kirsche Kuhn"]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]She was not an anomaly to him, simply because the Voice of the Dark Lord had long ago learned to keep tabs on any associates he had, to make sure that his business partners weren’t working against him and the causes he pushed in the Galaxy. All of that changed though, when Silara Vantai became Silara Kuhn, in a world like theirs it was very difficult to retire with grace.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Most people never get to retirement, they get killed on the battlefield or murdered by their friends.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]But not Silara Vantai, she had been… left alone. Perhaps it had been her connection to Alric, the CEO of Titan Industries, perhaps it had been some form of nostalgia that had stayed Carach’s hand from ripping out her throat or perhaps the Voice simply had too much other things to do, to really focus on a wayward daughter and her loyalties.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]His men had kept him in the loop, of course. A daughter, a second daughter, a family that seemed to be happy and with enough money and power surrounding them that they seemed almost [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]immortal[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]. Of course, then Tefrexis’ message hit the HoloNet.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Dead. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Both of them?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Darth Carach had not ordered their deaths, and neither had any other Sith Lord of power. The Dark Lord and his Wrath had sheltered Alric, because of his usefulness, but it seemed that not even the Dark Lord could protect all his faithful. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Two messages had been sent, one to one Darell Irani. One of the most successful CEOs in the Galaxy, rich, powerful and so up the ladder that few would have been able to get in touch with him. But the name ‘Kuhn’ opened doors that would have been closed for the others.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“ Miss Kuhn. ” the letter would start with, no familiariance or acceptance of such. Irani had never been close to Silara, Irani had simply wished to broker a deal to buy a defunct company, but that was where the connection began and ended.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“ My condolences for the passing of your parents, Alric and Silara Kuhn were pillars of the Galactic Community and their loss is felt heavily. ” [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“ Sadly, I did not have any deep relationships with either of them, so I cannot offer any worthwhile insights on that front. But if you ever need advice or help with the company you have inherited my door is always open. ”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“ Signed, Darell Irani. ”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]A respectful letter, a letter of [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]dignity[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px], but it wasn’t the letter she had been looking for. That letter came four days later and was far less extensive in prose, but the meaning of it meant so much more.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“ You are taking unnecessary risks, young Vantai. Travel to Prakith, the Sphere of Ancient Knowledge and we will have a talk. -C “[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]There was only one C that could be linked to the Sphere of Ancient Knowledge, only one C that would offer such familiarity and only one C that would address a scion of the Kuhn Family with such bluntness.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]She had found Darth Carach, the Voice of the Dark Lord.[/SIZE]

 

[Ellie Mors]

Disappointment had met the sight of an 'empty' letter. Its words were vaguely thoughtful, an afterthought through the middle of a busy day. She had stumbled to her dresser, hands fumbling for the handle on the drawer. It wasn't quite often, anymore, that she went for the pills first thing in the morning, but it was becoming an increasing problem - her anxiety that is. Paranoia gripped her, nausea riddling her sleep, and an unending flow of thoughts, musings on 'what if's' that were never to be. Of course, she knew these were simply symptoms of her slowly needing more and more medication but she told herself it was necessary to continue on this downward spiral. The sound of a rattling bottle could be heard as she fished out an uncounted amount of little white pills, which were hastily thrown into her open mouth. Immediately she recoiled in disgust - the taste was something she never quite grew out of, they always repulsed her. A swallow, a sigh, and she was back to 'normal', if normal even meant anything anymore.

It wasn't until nearly a half hour later that she finally made her way downstairs to find yet another letter addressed to the Kuhn twin. This time, however, the message was short, its contents rather confusing at best - she'd never heard of a "sphere of ancient knowledge", much less been to Prakith - but she would figure out how to make use of it sooner or later. "To Prakith, then.." She mumbled, her speech somewhat slurred, as she held onto the counter for support while she tried to concentrate enough to think of the distance from Teta to Prakith in space. Although her current cognitive ability didn't quite make it that far, she'd eventually learn not to take so many pills and try to function in any significant way later on, Lily made her way to the datapad that she kept sitting on the kitchen dinette. A few haphazard keystrokes and Leena Haven was on the other line. "I need.. a flight to Prakith." Lily informed the secretary, whom promptly made the appropriate calls for one of Koros Spacework's own to bring her to the Sith world.

[member="Darth Carach"]