My Little One [Nina Vi'dreya]

[Thurion Heavenshield]

Aboard the Seren Heritage
On Route To Coruscant

Silence roamed the largely empty halls of his ship as Thurion, "Shield of the Heavens" as he used to be called, set course for Coruscant. He had recently picked up a new little friend, someone he would guard with his life if need be. An Umbaran girl by the name of @[member="Nina Vi'dreya"]. Such a delicate little thing, she was. Too young for what she's had to endure... just as he was forced to. But the Force, it seemed, had a way of putting the young man through increasingly difficult trials; it started with the loss of his parents, though in all fairness they both died before he could remember their faces. Then, it was his brother, Thyrian; so strong and brave, he was, for one so young. His death was what shaped Thurion into what he was, the reason he met the next person to impact his life. Asha Seren, his beloved Asha... his mother and master both, who prepared him for the difficulties that lay ahead for him in life and asked for nothing in return. Her death inflicted the deepest wound upon his already broken soul and left the blackest of holes within his heart. She was his guardian and caretaker, much like he would service his newfound little girl currently asleep in his bed; she would never be left alone in this vast galaxy, and never have to fend for herself ever again. This he sliently swore as he had put her to bed, tucked her in and watched over her throughout the entirety of the night, sat at the side of where she slept.

His first thought once aboard the Seren Heritage and off Umbara, was where would they go? He had few places he could truly call 'home', for he was no longer a Jedi and most likely unwelcomed among them. That said, he did not know anywhere safer than Coruscant, the Republic Capital and home to billions of souls. From what he'd been hearing across the holonet, the Sith were being beaten by a combined force consisting of Republicans, Mandalorians and others. Part of him was glad to be rid of such a large shadow upon the galaxy, but the loss of lives sustained from the many battles coupled with the fact that, as far as he knew, Kära was still a Sith and could be in danger did not sit well with him. He could tell she was still alive, though, as her presence could be felt not in the Force, but within his already bruised and weary heart. What kept him going was the knowledge that Kitty was safe on Teth, and that his childhood friend Kära was too alive. He knew not where she was or what she was doing, but just knowing she was still breathing could sustain him for a lifetime. Thoughts like these would swirl through his head all night as he looked upon the sweet face of little Nina and her tiny fingers grasping the sheets covering her gentle shape, nuzzling the soft pillow. Already she had been given more than he had at her age; a warm, soft bed to spend the night in. It reminded him what he was fighting for, and would continue to fight for; the children of this world, and all worlds in all the galaxies.

The last few hours went by, and just as he was about to finally nod off from fatigue, Coruscant appeared before them in all its glory. Settling a gentle hand upon the cheek of the baby girl, he softly spoke to her within her mind. "Wakey-wakey, my little one."

 

[Lief]

[SIZE=10pt]It had taken the little girl quite a long time to adjust to her new life. Gone were the hurtful words and the random acts of violence, the long days in the smoggy swamp-filled lands of Umbara, the nights spent with an aching stomach either in the streets or at the home if she could brave it. Instead she had happened upon a new family, namely in the form of one @[member='Thurion Heavenshield']. He had taken her in and treated her as his own. Nina frequently felt bad, however – he had given up his bed for her, he would not permit her to clean up the ship or to help out with things that were once considered her duties, or chores as others may have named them. Each evening she was placed into a soft bed with a full stomach, neither too hot nor too cold. The temperature of the ship was always perfect, and to Nina that was perhaps the nicest part of it.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]When he awoke her with gentle words the child opened her eyes, rubbed the sleep from them and yawned. Slowly she began to sit upright, her eyes settling upon the man who towered over her. With a tiny smile she reached up her hand and settled her palm upon his cheek. “Good morning, Thurion” she whispered into his mind, before slipping out of the bed. Turning she pulled the covers nearly back into place, before he could tell her not to, and then rubbed at her eyes again. The tired nature she had each morning would pass within a few more minutes, she knew.[/SIZE]

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

Thurion watched the little girl slip out of bed and make the bed behind her, just before her recently awakened state made her rub her eyes. Before she was able to do anything else, the man leaned down to pick her up in his arms, lifting her into his embrace. He turned from the bed and walked out of the room towards the bridge, carrying her along with him. Her weight seemed non-existant, due to her tiny size coupled with his great strength. Her soft cheek brushed against his bearded with every step he'd take, and it did not take much for him to think of Kitty. Of course, they were of the same age, more or less, and thus he's never really been able to carry her like this small child, but the gentle touch was the same. He strode towards the bridge, and once there he raised the girl above his head to settle her upon his shoulders. Standing next to his Captain's chair, he pointed towards the planet before them and stated aloud "Coruscant". Whether she would understand his intention of naming the planet for her or not, he then rested his hands around her ankles, gently rubbing his thumb against them. "This world was like a home to me back when I was young, not much older than you. Few would seek us harm here, and we'd be free to do as we please. I wonder if everything's still the same, after all this time..."

They remained stood like that for a bit, both gazing out at the vast planet before their eyes. Eventually he would turn to the chair at his side and settle her down into it, watching as she almost drowned in the cream-coloured, stuffed leather seat. It made him chuckle as she struggled to fit into it, before lifting her up once more so that he could take her place in it, setting her back down into his lap. Before her a control panel stretched out, with too many buttons to imagine for one so young. Thurion then proceeded to guide the ship down manually through the atmophere, until blue skies surrounded them and a vast, neverending city-like landscape covered the surface of the planet. So very different it was to come back here, after having left with Asha and the others almost ten years ago. He doubted anyone would remember him nowadays, though should any of the Jedi he met in his youth still reside within the Jedi Temple, they might be able to pick up his signature in the Force. It's not that he was worried, but word was they had branded the Silent Conclave as traitors for deserting the Order - whether this was true or not, he could not say. "Welcome to Coruscant, my dear", he said as they descended into the city, heading towards Coruscant Space Port.

@[member="Nina Vi'dreya"]

 

[Lief]

Nina was about to get ready so she could begin tidying up – before Thurion could stop her – yet she didn’t even get to take one step before he scooped her up into his arms. A tiny noise of protest left her before she realised it was just Thurion, and instead she turned into his chest with a tender little sigh. In his arms she felt stronger, she felt safe. Her face buried into his shoulder as they entered the bridge, until he lifted her up onto his shoulders. Her stomach dropped and a surprised gasp left her. Leaning down her face buried into his hair, hands settled softly upon his cheeks. In her mind she heard the words he spoke but for the moment she herself was oddly silent and thoughtful. Her hand caressed his cheek in a sleepy manner, gaze set out upon the busy city-planet below. Coruscant.

When he settled her into the chair she began to curl up, that is until Thurion lifted her sunken body up and settled her into his lap. Her eyes were wide as she saw all the shiny buttons, and part of her wanted to press them. But she didn’t, she knew better than to mess with that which was not her own. When she realised that they were going to the planet she panicked a little – she wasn’t even dressed, let alone presentable! She couldn’t embarrass him, he had saved her. Squirming in his grasp she settled a hand to his cheek. I need to dress she said into his mind, biting her lower lip, before trying to slip down from his lap. She would not and could not show him up on a planet he deemed his home.

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

Thurion watched as she squirmed in his grasp, like a kitten aching to be put back down onto the ground, and so he lifted the girl up from his lap and put her down. "Dressed...? Well, I-uh... I don't have much that would fit one so small, but you're free to take a look." He managed to tell her before she disappeard from the bridge quite hastily, as if she was in a hurry. Poor girl did not realise they would not leave the ship until they both looked presentable; the Knight were still wearing the same dusty and ragged outfit he'd worn on Umbara the day before. On Coruscant none would have to hide behind such facades since Jedi and the likes were a quite common sight, being the Republic and Jedi capital alike. They arrived at the Space Port, and once the ship touched ground, he'd make sure to turn off all and any systems before leaving the bridge and heading to the bedroom. Of course, that's where little Nina was busy finding something for her to wear, and so before entering he knocked a few times to make sure she was not too unpresentable. "Nina?" he said aloud, believing she would at least know her own name in the basic tongue.

@[member="Nina Vi'dreya"]

 

[Lief]

She hurried out before he said anything more and shot into the bedroom. Therein she glanced around for something presentable to wear, but all she could find were her ruined clothes, those she had worn for goodness knew how long. Dropping to her knees, somewhat distraught, she held the clothes within her hands, as if staring at them would make them sparkling clean again. What would she do? She could not go out into Coruscant dressed like this! When she heard a knock she whimpered slightly, feeling embarrassed to be in such a state. Turning her head toward the door she stared across at Thurion, the rags still clenched within her grasp. Her head bowed, gaze away from him, as a soft sigh escaped her lips. She wanted to apologise, but did not know how to - he had done so much for her, and could give him nothing in return - she couldn't even look presentable for him.

@[member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

She looked so ashamed and disappointed in herself - it made Thurion sad to witness such emotions from one so young. Children should be children, not restricting themselves and their behaviour brought on by bad parenting or political circumstances. As Nina sat on the floor, Thurion stepped towards her in a hurried pace. He knelt down before her and scooped the little girl up in his arms, cradling her tiny shape to the sound of his humming. It was one of the tunes Asha would often sing for him, and one he always found soothing. He stood up, carrying her over to the bed and sat down on it. He kept cradling her while humming, planting a delicate kiss on her forehead. "It's alright, my little one. You can borrow some of my old clothes." Putting the girl down onto the sheets, he walked over to his dresser and pulled out the lowest drawer. Within it lay his very first padawan attire, given to him at the age of eight. It was worn, yes, but still functional and without holes. The fabrics still felt very familiar to him upon running his fingers across their surface, and the scents of Asha, Kitty, Kära, Tython and all those other places he'd visited lingered within.

Pulling them out, he turned around and showed the set of padawan clothes to Nina. "I know, they're probably still too big for you, but we could cut the length down, at least. I wasn't a very tall child to begin with, so..." Looking at him now, it seemed impossible he'd ever been that tiny in life. He could hardly believe it himself. "Here..." he said as he let the girl touch the fabrics. He watched her for any kind of expression, positive or negative. "What do you think?"

@[member="Nina Vi'dreya"]

 

[Lief]

Nina backed away when he advanced, momentarily spooked by the pace at which he moved. Her eyes were wide as he scooped her up and held her close, and Nina could not help but curl up there, finding herself relaxing. That in itself was odd, how swiftly it was that she could find peace again despite her fears. Her hand rose to settle upon his cheek, transferring a small Thank you into his mind. When she was lowered onto the bed she found herself curling up, murmuring to herself. It was just noises, sleepy ones at that, but at least she was making some sort of noise for once.

When he turned to face her she lifted her head and stared at the robes. Then she slipped down from the bed, after uncurling and stretching like a kitty, and pattered across his room toward him. Settling down at his feet she leant her head against his leg, reaching up to touch his hand. Are you sure..? She asked - she didn't want to simply assume she could take that which was not her own.

@[member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

He knelt down to her level, gently taking her hand in his. "Of course, baby girl. What is mine is yours", he spoke into her mind. He sat down onto the floor, picking her up in the process and placing her in his lap as he crossed his legs. "You know, this is the very same outfit I wore when I first arrived on Coruscant, many years ago. Master Asha, she..." He paused, as memories came flooding into his head upon mentioning her name. "...she used to fuss over how I looked in it, always brushing away the dust and dirt I'd always manage to get on it." His eyes stared into nothing as he spoke, and his voice started to tremble as he continued. "She'd take me to the gardens, to train and to have fun together. Whenever I felt sad she'd hum for me, sing songs from her homeplanet to soothe me, and wherever we walked, she'd let me hold her hand as I walked beside her..." Tears began to take shape in the corners of his eyes, and he grew silent. He leant in to kiss the back of Nina's head, while at the same time attempting to bury his face in her white hair. Closing his eyes, he inhaled her sweet scent, and instantly it triggered memories of Kära. "Snowflake..." he whispered softly, followed by him picking Nina up and turning her around to face him, her feet standing atop his crossed legs. "I love you so very much, Nina. I want you to know that. I'll never let anything bad happen to you." Their foreheads touched, and Thurion rubbed his nose against hers. "You're my little one", he said, smiling.

@[member="Nina Vi'dreya"]