Party in the Taanab! - SJO Dominion of Taanab

[Darth Miseria]

Objective: A little bit of everything! | [member=Jaron Lesan] | [member=Madalena Antares]​

'I never just say anything.' With her step she swung her shoulder lightly against Jarons. A playful gesture that she coupled with a teasing grin. His wink only forced a rose petal blush to her cheeks, which was only doubled when his hand flicked out to slap her.

Life had taken it's tole on the couple, Dia found she hardly had any space to breathe, never mind to spend in Jaron's company. She felt more guilty than she could say for her lack of attention, but everything she did was for him. Just as everything he did was for her. It was nice to see that away from all the pressures they were still the same couple they were back in the Jen'ari Empire, with the same ferocious banter. Dianah could only smirk at her husband, before chasing him the few feet he'd managed to gain on her. She knew their shared bond would give away the force speed she cloaked herself in, but she still managed to catch up and wrap her arms around his neck. After placing a quick kiss on his cheek she shot him a look that said she'd pay him back later.

For now her attention was drawn to a familiar presence, coupled with a familiar voice that Dianah hadn't heard for a long time.

'Maddy!' Dianah cried out as she ran to catch her friend in a tight hug. 'It's so good to see you.' After the brief greeting between the pair was over she craned her neck to take a look at the hyperactive Loth wolf. 'Murugan!' Dianah beamed, finishing the sentence and clicking twice to catch the snow white beasts attention. He bounded toward Madalena and slathered her face in an attack of kisses., to which Dianah could only giggle at 'It's so weird isn't it? It feels like only yesterday we rescued them.'

'Honestly, we thought Tanaab being a big deal to Buir was a good excuse to take a break, get off Krant for a while. Plus, I knew you'd be here! I've been dying to see you for ages.' With the intent to get some food, Dianah tugged on Jaron's arm once again and motioned to Maddy to follow. 'What about you? What have you been up too? I heard you were Knight Commander now! I'm so proud of you!'

 

[Atasihd Zi]

Location: MOAR FOOD; Talk to Master Dragonsflame
Objective: 2 - BBQ
Tags: [member="Josh Dragonsflame"] | [member="Reggie Faayare"]

Much as the Master and his son did, Atasihd showed no reservations about loading up a plate of his own, though with the less well-done fare, entirely in the protein category. Giving his body what it needs for a full recovery. He ambled over to the blonde man, gingerly rolling his shoulders, trying to work out some of the discomfort in his upper body with little success.

"As one wounded to another - what ravaged you, Master Dragonsflame?"

It was more than a mild curiosity. The answer, if not evasive, could give insight into what a Jedi - and thus he, in the future - might encounter in battle. One recurring thought was what his life might have been by now had he pursued the life of a Jedi from the beginning - would it be any different from the man before him? Sid plucked a nuna leg off of his plate and tore a bit off, ruminating on the potential answer to his query.

 

[Kathryn Foster]

Objective: 2 - Have a BBQ time!
Location: At the bar
Wearing: White floral summer dress, lightweight black leather jacket (in hand).
Nearby tags: [member="Atasihd Zi"], [member="Kiff Brayde"], [member="Reggie Faayare"], [member="Cali Ziiva"], [member="Josh Dragonsflame"], [member="Xobos Yakieer"], [member="Adron Malvern"], [member="Hisashi"], [member="Áine"], [member="Faye Irithiel"], [member="Violet Kianar"]

It had been a delightful event, full of happy smiles and tears of joy. The graduation ceremony for the young cadets of the Corellian Defence Force, which Kathryn have had the honor to instruct for a couple of weeks, while being on leave from her own duties in the Confederacy. She had dropped one or two tears herself, genuinely glad for the cadets progress. Even if it was just a matter of weeks, it had built a similar bond instructor to trainee, to that compared to her old trainee to instructor at Carida. She had been in their pilots situation herself, back at Carida, and well remembered the utter joy when the admiral had adorned her dress jacket with a pair of golden wings. Likewise, it had not been a walk on roses neither for these Corellian cadets. But with hard work and great commitment, they had made it there.

Now, coming back from that temporary assignment, it was time to celebrate the late summer under the sun of Tanaab. The planets green luscious habitat type was very appealing for the former explorer. What made things even better was the planets argiculture and locally produced commodities, with a barbeque going on one could only imagine it was going to be a highlight.

The late summer sun still warmed comfortably on her neck, why she did not need the leather jacket draped over the arm for a good few hours. Her hair was sat up in a simple but yet stylish bun, proving a little more work to it than her usual braid or ponytail.

''If you have it, I'll take a glass of your best local wine. Red, thanks.'' she requested in a jovial voice to the bartender, as his gaze signed to her that he was ready for her order. The man nodded and showcased her a bottle, professionally introducing her to the vineyard which created it and told her of the general tastes of it. Of course, she took it and wine and credits exchanged owners. When turning, she took a glance around while raising the glass closer to her nose, letting the scent of red grapes and berries build a soft smile on her lips and introduce her to the party. A little get together between the Silver Jedi's and the Confederates after the invasion of Tanaab, a battle which she had not participated in herself but had heard words about it.

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Objective: 2, BBQ Boogaloo
Allies: [member="Atasihd Zi"] - [member="Reggie Faayare"]

Josh listened with care as he loaded his plate, and instructed Jason on how to properly do so himself as well. The both of them were meat lovers, so meat was definitely a constant on their plates. It seemed that the man liked to keep moving. He supposed he could respect that. Not wanting to be tied down too much, getting antsy if they were in one place too long. The adventurer’s call was a strong, tempting one and Josh heard her song time and time again. He enjoyed his time with his family, but he didn’t know if he would be retiring to be a stay at home dad anytime soon. So he got it, he supposed.

“I think I can sympathize on being cooped up too long in the hospital” Josh remarked toward them with a sad smile. “Quite literally. Down to the going stir crazy.”

The togruta asked what had wounded him, and he stopped a moment to face him.

"The battle on Azure" He remarked. "UCM's Sith allies used a dark sided ritual to create a storm that threatened to engulf the planet, one that killed hundreds. I created a shield around the area of the battle using Force Light, and held it through the storm while they evacuated civilians and soldiers. The strain on my body was immense, and to be quite honest with you, I really shouldn't be alive right now."

 

[Reggie Faayare]

Objective 2
Tags: [member="Josh Dragonsflame"] [member="Atasihd Zi"]

Reggie still listened to the conversation while gathering his food. The question that had been asked by Atasihd Zi was one that the Padawan knew the answer to, but listened attentively nonetheless. Master Dragonsflame's response made it clear that the Jedi Master did everything he could to protect those who were in danger.

The fact that anyone would use such a ritual to hurt others made Reggie's stomach turn. Josh and the other Jedi were there to protect the people from such danger, something a Jedi should do. The Padawan couldn't help but feel proud for how far his Master went to protect others, but was also deeply saddened by how close they were to drawing their final breath, which followed with disappointment in himself.

Reggie only listened to the conversation, not saying anything for this particular subject. He started to think of how he failed his duties as a Jedi, but quickly pushed those thoughts away. Continously thinking about it was going to get him nowhere. Now was the time to take steps to make sure he didn't fail again, which put Reggie in deep thought for awhile. In times like these, it was only a matter of time before his resolve would grow stronger than before.

 

[Atasihd Zi]

Location: EAT MOAR FOOD; Talk to Master Dragonsflame
Objective: 2 - BBQ
Tags: [member="Josh Dragonsflame"] | [member="Reggie Faayare"]

The will to sacrifice one's self, if need be, for the good of the many, was one concept he gathered from the master's explanation. It painted a picture of the realities that the Jedi faced. That the darkness was far greater, more pervasive, than any of their singular challenges, and it would take many more Dragonsflames to beat it back. He swallowed, and made a definite pause in his noshing, putting the half-eaten nuna leg to rest on his plate.

"That makes two of us," he admitted, "I am told terentatek maulings have statistically low survival rates."

Perhaps the Force meant for them both to do more in this life.

"We owe it to..." how did he relate that concept? "...we are still here. There is more meant for us."

 

[Gianna Aegis]

Location: Pandath City - Old Apothecary [Near City Center]​

Tag: [member="John Locke"]​

Objective: Hard to say. BYOO - A little of each?​

Status: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” ​

________________________​

The exhausted young woman couldn’t have woken when a hand touched her shoulder if she’d wanted to. At least, not yet. He would find that lifting her from the desk was as easy, or difficult, as lifting a doll. She was breathing. The Admiral would see that as evidenced by the steady rise and fall of her chest. Gianna would never respond to his words. Not because she didn’t want to, or, because she was choosing not to see his pain…

She just couldn’t hear him.

Instead of looking for a verbal response, it would be easier, to look for physical cues. He would feel her curl against the wall of his chest where it was warm. Safe. He would see her nestle her cheek against him. The Jedi Knight didn’t know that he wept for her. She didn’t know anything, not a thing, but the silence of a dreamless sleep. The loss of Orn Pharr and so many others had crushed her. It wasn’t only her body that had taken a toll, but, her spirit. Having John, someone she knew and cared for, helped a great deal. The purity of it provided a tether.

It was an anchor—where all others had left her adrift.

His compassion, his relief, soothed her battered soul and the slumbering Jedi would remain consoled as long as he chose to keep her nearby. It made motions against that which she believed, laying the groundwork for conflict later on, however, that was the price of war. No matter the victor, something, would change. Something would suffer. Things would never be the same again.

Gia stirred slowly. Evening had crept in without her notice and when she realized the lateness of the hour, she felt startled. It took her eyes a moment to adjust, but more than that, she could feel someone with her. A long moment passed while she breathed carefully. The Knight tried to make sense of the day, but fell short, and could only really remember saying goodbye to Orn Pharr for a second time. She should have felt panic at waking up in the arms of a stranger. Most would, right?

Only…She knew the aura of the man that wrapped around her. She knew how he smelled, the metal of his arms, hidden, beneath one of his long coats. John. How she’d gotten into this position was a mystery in and of itself. It didn’t matter though. For a long moment she just remained still. Quiet. Listening to the steady thud of his heart, among the distant sounds of people, and the chattering of small, singing insects. “You’re here…”, she breathed, careful, not to make any sudden movements.

Gianna had been without proper communications for quite some time. Instead, she’d thrown herself into her work. Every second that passed was a small bubble in time where everything outside the tent ceased to exist. It wasn’t true. But, for a few moments, she could believe it. The young woman moved to sit up slowly. She was, for all intents and purposes, sitting in her friend’s lap. It didn’t bother her. Not as much as it should have. Instead, she shifted most of her weight to the cot, though, she kept contact.

Something about the way he held her told he that he needed it.

“What happened to you? I could feel…”, she trailed off, eyes flickering in the dark, while she tested the wording on the top of her tongue. “I could feel something. You…Something upset you. Are you all right?”

Her hand reached for his jaw, carefully, turning his face toward her. She needed to see his eyes to be able to tell what he was really thinking. She would never invade his mind. Even the empathy she held was an invasion of privacy that she was deeply sorry for. For him to come so far, presumably, to find her felt as if there was something larger at play she didn’t understand. The flame-haired woman didn’t know that the Admiral had thought her dead. She didn’t know that he’d spent all this time mourning her loss. She knew that he had lost men. Friends. But she didn’t know everything. “Please…Talk to me…”

Gia kept close and tried her best to soothe him. There was something wrong, deep inside, and her gifts began to move of their own free will. Her touch would bring endless comfort. Her words—Peace. She would give him her faith, her hope, without ever meaning to do it. It was simply who she was. What, she was. Light. “I’m here, John. I’m not going anywhere.”

“I promise.”

 

[John Locke]

Location: Taanab
BYOO: Dreams once lost remembered
Tagging: [member="Gianna Aegis"]

John knew he should have put her down on the cot, should have let Gianna get the sleep she so obviously needed. The healer had fallen asleep at her desk, something he was all too familiar with, too lost in her work to realise how tired she was until exhaustion finally caught up with her. He couldn’t remember the number of nights he’d spent in exactly the same position. The number of times EX had dragged him up to bed for a much-needed rest, exactly what he should be doing to Gianna right now.

It was just…that cot didn’t look very comfortable and…and. The truth was nothing to do with the cot at all and everything to do with him. John needed this, it was selfish, he knew it was but he just wanted to hold her, to feel the warmth of her body.

Instead he turned, slowly lowering himself down onto the cot, scooting carefully backwards so as not to disturb her. The cyborg rested his back against the side of the tent, letting the sleeping woman relax against his chest as he took what seemed to be the first happy breath he’d taken since he arrived on the planet. Just her presence, the quiet sound of her breathing seemed to shatter the weight he’d been dragging with him ever since that awful moment on the bridge of the Mace Windu. The icy claw that had closed around his heart…John wanted to say it had thawed in Gianna’s presence, but that wasn’t true. He could still feel it, the terror, the cold horror that had washed over his being. It was still here, still waiting for him, one more nightmare to join the others that tormented him whenever he closed his eyes. He knew it was waiting for him but…but it didn’t matter, not right now.

John could feel the woman shift in his arms, his heart almost stopping in panic. She’d wake up eventually, he knew it but if it was his fault, his movements that had disturbed…a small sigh of relief slipped from his lips as Gianna didn’t wake but rolled slightly, settling herself more comfortably against his chest. The sigh turned into something else, a sob that shook his body, head bowed as the man’s shoulders shook, more tears running down his cheeks. He’d seen a future without light, without hope there in space. Between the turbolasers and ion-cannons he’d seen the death of dreams he didn’t even realise existed. John had been ready to die there, he’d wanted to, rather that than face a life without any light, one where the darkness of hate was all he had left. He’d seen a world without her.

The darkness had retreated, the warmth of the woman in his arms driving it back, not gone, he could still feel the pull. The hate and anger that had been his constant companions the last few days were still there, their sibilant whispers soft for now but not gone, never gone. John had learned how to hate, had come face to face with the darkness that dwelt in his soul. It wasn’t a meeting you could ever walk away from unscarred, John had always been a builder at heart, a droid mechanic, he’d always wanted to help people, that had been the reason he’d created Locke and Key Mechanics in the first place. It’s where his mind always went first…where it had. Dark eyes settled on the woman slumbering in his arms as he reached up to brush away an errant strand of her hair from her eyes. Nothing was the same as before now, it couldn’t be.

He didn’t know when morning turned into evening, nothing outside of the tent was really important. He must have dozed off at some point, his slumber broken by a soft voice, his head coming up, eyes focusing on Gianna’s face as she came awake in front of him, shifting over to his side as she stared at him, through him, her hand resting on his as she began speaking, her hand coming up to gently cup his face, to bring his dark eyed gaze in line with her green one.

“I’m here, John. I’m not going anywhere.”

“I promise.”

It was too much, he apparently still had tears to cry, blurring his vision as his hand turned, grasping for hers
.
“You did.”

Two small words, an accusation spoken in a broken whisper, spoken so quietly as if to speak them louder would break this dream, would bring him back to a cruel reality that he couldn’t face. Not again.

“I saw the explosion; the frigates go up. I saw the Mandalorians destroy them…I thought they.” There were no filters, not shields for the rawness of emotion in his eyes, the pain was still to fresh the wound not yet fully healed. A hoarse whisper finished the thought as he turned away, bowing his head to stare at the cot.

“I thought they’d killed you.”

Silence. John watched damp spots appearing on the couch before him before he spoke again.

“I tried everything, everything to reach you but you were gone and they’d done it. We almost died up there, I think that maybe I wanted to.” He glanced down at his free hand, the metal catching the light, as he stared at it. Looked at anything other than the woman holding his hand, but it was inexorable, inevitable, storm filled eyes climbing up to stare at her face. “I couldn’t face it, I couldn’t face that dark and that cold. Things got bad, we were meant to be the reserve, the rear line when the Mandalorians brought their fleet in behind us. Behind me. I told them that there were people on the planet depending on us, that we needed to buy them time but…the truth was I just gave up. They’d taken you away from me, so I wanted to hurt them.” A wry laugh slipped from his lips, “I couldn’t even do that…it’s not what I wanted the last memory of you to be, thousands sacrificed in your name for my anger…for my guilt. I let them get away.” His voice trailed away into a whisper.

“I thought you were dead Gia.”

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Objective: 2, BBQ Boogaloo
Allies: [member="Atasihd Zi"] - [member="Reggie Faayare"]

Josh could tell right away by the look on Reggie's face that he was kicking himself for not being there, and the steely gaze of the Jedi Master fell on him very quickly. "Everything you do is part of the job as a Jedi" Josh spoke toward Reggie. "Everything you do, whether that is to train, be on another mission, or even to rest your body... Will one day save lives. My being there contributed to lives being saved, while I'm sure whatever you were doing at the time will save lives in turn, either now, or later."

The togruta had a point that both of them were still here because there was still more meant for them. "And my mission hasn't ended, the Force has willed it. So I will continue to fight until that mission is over."

 

[Gianna Aegis]

Location: Pandath City - Old Apothecary [Near City Center]​

Tag: [member="John Locke"]​

Objective: Hard to say. BYOO - A little of each?​

Status: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” ​

________________________​

Gianna let her hand press along the side of his face, a careful gesture, while innate empathy told her how very wrong something was. Again, and again, she touched his cheek, as if it would bring his secrets forward. He didn’t need to hide from her. Ever. The flame-haired woman accepted people as they were, not, as she wished they would be. Gia couldn’t find words to describe the intensity of the emotions that ran through him. Their eyes met, earth and sea, and the subtle crash of brilliant color made her breath catch in her chest.

He was so full of fear. It had a crisp, cold feeling, that was tainted with vestiges of anger. Sadness. Loss.

“Oh, John…”, she breathed out slowly, gently, while she registered her surroundings. The young Jedi Knight still hadn’t fully woken. Her cognitive abilities were there, but even still, it took all she had not to let the emotions of the man beside her take control. Compassion was her strength. It was also her weakness. Empathetic abilities were dual-edged swords. He could cut her, deeply, and she would merely be required to stand tall against the gale.

She could feel wetness on her fingers. Just a little. Tears. “It’s all right. I’m here, I promise I’m here.”

Slowly, he began to explain. He painted a picture she had not seen. Primrose lips formed a gentle frown when he claimed that she’d left. As his words came, she filled in the gaps, and slowly managed to piece together where his negative emotions were coming from. It wasn’t as if he didn’t have an excuse to be upset. War was, by nature, brutal and pitiless. This was simply more specific. Bloodshed, fighting, and bitter battles did not leave him this way.

Jade eyes closed when she realized the truth. He’d thought her to be dead. He spoke so softly that she could barely hear him, but, it was enough. Hearing that he’d wanted to die? Just because she was gone?

Her heart broke.

If he listened hard enough, he would hear the shattered pieces fall to the floor. Still, she remained close, while trying to relearn how to breathe. Her focus had to switch. She couldn’t look inward. Yet…She couldn’t help but blame herself. So many responses, reactions, so much sadness, so much fear, all because he’d thought she’d died? He’d given up? His words sent her reeling. Sacrificing thousands?

In her name?!

“I thought you were dead Gia.”

She flinched.

Gianna hadn’t died, but, many people had. How many more would have passed if John had acted on his darker impulses? How many more would she be responsible for? Orn Pharr had chosen to give his life, to trade it, for her own. He saw her wavering. He saw her losing steam, harming herself, for the sake of the Mandalorians in the hospital. He couldn’t stand by. Her stubbornness had pushed his hand. Gianna…Gianna was responsible for that too. “John…”, she whispered, seeming to crash, while reality sunk in. She had played the part of the dutiful healer for so long that adjusting to this, hearing his pain, feeling it, with every fiber of her being—Left her raw.

Her lips pressed together and her eyes squeezed shut. Briefly. She silently mourned the loss of something she perceived to be kind, to be good, and natural. The connection that she held with the Silver Admiral was strong. She’d always believed it to be positive. Now? She wasn’t sure.

If it caused him this much pain…

If it drew him to darkness, left him cold, and violent…

She exhaled. Instead of dwelling, in that moment, she turned her focus on the one who currently needed her most. Gianna moved and once again drew her friend back to face her. This time, with both hands. “Look at me, John.”

“Look at me.”

The flame-haired woman leaned forward, up on her knees, and placed a kiss to his brow. It was soft. She paused. Her mind was spinning and the familiar scent of his cologne really didn’t help. Uncertain of her words, for once, she pressed her lips against his skin again. Again. He would realize that he wasn’t the only one in tears if he happened to look up, or, if a wayward drop of salted water splashed against his feverish skin. “I am here. Whether I exist in this world, or the next, I will always be with you.”

“Forgive me for scaring you, but, that’s on me. There weren’t any working comms in this sector I could find, mostly, due to some of the EMP weapons that went off. I got so wrapped up in taking care of the survivors that I…I forgot. I can feel you. I can always feel you.”

“…You can’t feel me.”

Her arms wrapped around his neck while she slid down to embrace him as she had many times before. Gianna wanted to chase the darkness from him. She wanted to take the cold, to take his fears, and banish them to the stars. Gianna had been a beacon of hope for the people of Taanab. She gave them everything she had, and then some, because they needed it. They needed her faith. Her positivity. Every bit of sunshine she could bring them.

“I’m not dead. I’m not. I’m alive, here, and with you. Just…Let me in.”, she breathed, speaking mostly, into the styled hair nearest to his ear. The crimson haired woman slowly brought her own emotions under control. Peace. That was what she was known for. Hope, and harmony. Gianna focused on the light that lived within and coaxed it free, tunneling it through pain, his pain, so that she could bring him some modicum of relief. Her skin seemed to glow, faintly, as if the light needed to escape. “Let me take care of you. I couldn’t before… Allow me to do it now.”

Her touch would inspire him. Her words would lend faith. Conviction. A feeling of warmth and care that could not be anything but the truth. She would never try to change his emotions, nor, would she attempt to affect his mind—But she would provide a haven. His every fear, within her, was safe.

It wouldn’t be enough.

Still, Gianna would try. For him...She would try. No matter the personal cost, she would do anything, to take these shadows from him.

 

[Atasihd Zi]

Location: BBQ
Objective: 2 - BBQ
Tags: [member="Josh Dragonsflame"] | [member="Reggie Faayare"]

As Josh spoke to his padawan, Sid consumed the remainder of the nuna leg, and thought on what was being said. He stood to learn just as much, being only that neophyte level himself, when it came to the Force and the life of a Jedi. Still, there was much he had learned from his own life, in his formative years, and years as a hunter. Everything had an untold, eventual effect. The Force connected everyone, everything, and bound it together - so he had heard, in his short time at the Silver Rest.

"I... feel my path lies in the same direction," he said with far less hesitance than he had when starting this journey, talking to a Jedi who was a small bird. If even someone so diminutive and comparatively delicate could make this journey - despite his wondering how, if ever, Mariel would use a lightsaber... but not all Jedi used or even carried one, as he had learned some two days prior. Not all who walked this path took the mantle of warrior, but that had been where he was always headed. Only the nature and subject of the hunt had changed.

It was strange, paying more attention to what he felt beyond the connection shared with the world around him via the bare soles of his feet, and what he felt... he was certain he was being urged in some direction from the crystal shard pendant hanging beneath his shirt. Ancestral guidance wasn't too far out of a concept, all things considered. Perhaps it was appropriate to add the crystal to his akul-tooth necklace, now. Both the pendant and the necklace were tied to his identity, and both had precious meaning.

"But I have no knowing of how it begins..." that didn't come out right, "...I do not know where the trailhead is."

 

[John Locke]

Location: Taanab
BYOO: Dreams once lost live once more
Tagging: [member="Gianna Aegis"]

John felt the soft touch of liquid on his forehead, Gianna’s tears like the gentlest touch of rain as they ran in soft tracks, mixing with his own tears as they decorated his face. He didn’t want him like that, to see the anguish writ over his features as the pain of the week seemed to come crashing down on him all at once. Relief warred with fear, a battle that raged across the man’s soul, across his face. His joy at finding Gianna alive matched only by his horror at what he’d almost done, what he’d discovered he was capable of.

All his adult life had been about his business, about developing the company, about making a mark on the stars. When he was a child John used to sneak out of his bedroom and climb onto the roof of the housing complex to lie watching the stars, imagining all the worlds out there.

As a child, as a young man he’d wanted to reach out and touch them, to build the droids that would help the people out there, people he’d never met, people he might never meet. The droids and electronics that would make their lives just a little bit easier that would make the galaxy a little bit better. It had been the dream of a child, the kind of daydream that he’d forgotten about. He’d reached out and touched the galaxy, and found they didn’t want droids, they didn’t want the little things that made people’s lives better.

The galaxy wanted weapons, it wanted the means to kill one another, and to do it better than the other guy. He’d had employees to feed, shareholders to answer to…and he was good at it. Somewhere along the line he’d reasoned it away, had given up that childhood dream, sworn on the dirty tenement roof under the constant pressure of reality. He’d forgotten about it, had become so wrapped up in what he was doing that he’d forgotten why he’d even started this in the first place, somewhere along the line he’d lost his way.

Then she’d come into his life, someone who hadn’t let the universe chip away at them, redirect them. Gianna had known who she wanted to be, who she was. She’d given him hope, just by being herself. He’d hoped that it was something that he could live upto, the promise that she held, the light that she embodied without seeming to thing about it. But when he’d looked into himself, really looked then he’d found that little boy again the light, his hope…and a monster. Darkness, anger and hate that reached out, threatened to devour everything before him, and for a moment he’d let it loose.

The pain of loosing Gianna had just been too great, the loss too cutting, he’d wanted something to protect him while his world fell to pieces around him. John hadn’t even realised how important the red-haired Jedi had become to him…no that wasn’t quite right, some part of him had realised. Everyone who met the woman was drawn to her, there was a goodness about the woman, and John was no exception to that rule. Somewhere along the way he’d fallen in love with his friend, the classic tale of beauty and the beast…but it was a hope he didn’t realise that he’d come to lean on until it was gone.

It was the pain of that loss that still haunted him, that realization born on the wings of tragedy that had left his emotions so raw, the wound so potent. It was that pain that he didn’t want to show the Gianna, but as she placed her hands on either side of his face he found he didn’t have the strength to deny her as Gianna pulled his head around to stare at her. The words spilled out of his mouth, the explanation, and he could see the pain on her face, the pain he was causing her.

The woman’s survival was a miracle, he hadn’t wanted it to go like this. He’d wanted to make a joke when she woke up, to fall back into the familiar pattern. He hadn’t wanted to watch his words flay at her, see the hurt he’d caused writ on her features. It was one more mark on his ledger, perhaps the darkest, he’d just found her again an this was the first thing he did.

Self-recrimination piled onto the mix of emotions that had consumed the cyborg, a negative spiral that drew on itself, dragging him deeper into a mire, into that abyss of despair. Then soft lips touched his forehead, John’s dark eyes flicked up to stare at Gianna in surprise as she leaned in to kiss him again.

For a moment there was nothing else in the world but the woman leaning over him, he could feel the touch of her hair falling on his skin, the smell of her. She leaned in again and the world outside the tent seemed to fade away. All he could feel, all he wanted to was the woman as she wrapped him in an embrace, the familiar feeling of the moment she’d done so many times before. Slowly the man’d arms came up, wrapping around Gianna, just holding her close to him as John lowered his head, burying his face in her hair.

There was something about her presence that seemed to banish the darkness, the sadness, something about her that made it easier for John to breathe without the weight that he’d been carrying around crushing him. Not gone but not so pressing.

A metal hand reached up, moving back Gianna’s hair, fingers inadvertently brushing across her skin. “You are…it’s not a dream. I thought, when I first saw you...” John’s voice was still soft, cracked and broken as he seemed to collapse into her embrace. It wasn’t any one thing, the man’s shoulder’s slumped a little, his arms held her just that little bit tighter. “I was so scared,” Scared that he’d lost her, scared of what he’s seen in himself, what he’d almost done.”

“I…I couldn’t do it, I wanted so badly to do something, to make someone pay for taking you away but I couldn’t…not in the end. It’s not who you are, not who I wanted to be.” Gianna, her presence, her aura had soothed away the anger, for now at least, but beneath it, buried under the protection of that darkness, there was guilt.

“I’m sorry, I should have done something different, been closer to the planet, known they’d do that.” It was ridiculous, he knew it, Gianna was a Jedi, she was more than capable of defending herself, protecting herself but…but he’d felt so helpless. “I didn’t know what to do, I just kept seeing it again and again, the same explosion. I should have trusted, I should have….something but…” There was no mask, no focus to his emotions, the light could cut through the dark, exposing what existed to the woman. And for once, John didn’t care.

“You’re alive, you’re ok.” It was like a mantra, a rock he could hold onto, against the pain against the world that had tried to knock him down in a way he had never expected. He’d begged the universe to keep her alive, begged anyone listening, maybe it was the force that had heard him, had protected her. A ragged laugh slipped from his lips, tired and drained, “I felt you, up there but I thought…you hear about people reaching out from the force. I thought…you stopped me, protected me from myself.” It made no sense, but it was true none the less, he’d remembered, as if she were there standing next to him. “Thank you.” For being alive, for protecting him…for just being, making his universe lighter, happier.

John let his head fall to rest on the woman’s shoulder as he took a breath, and then another, unburdened, Gianna had done that, she’d given him back hope. The anger, the guilt, it was all still there, a storm waiting, but now he stood at the eye, he had a chance to collect himself.

She was alive…light hadn’t died from the universe, dreams that danced could still dance, a future he’d thought lost stretched out before him. There was still Hope, and for now that was enough.

 

[Reggie Faayare]

Objective 2
Tags: [member="Josh Dragonsflame"]. [member="Atasihd Zi"]

Reggie immediately noticed when Master Dragonsflame spoke to him personally, the Padawan being easily read. He realized that he was being a bit selfish letting his emotions get the better of him. Everyone was trying to enjoy themselves after all. His Master's words spoke true as well. Reggie was training to help save lives more effectively, and there was no way he'd let it all go to waste.

"I'll make sure to remember that. No more letting regret get the better of me."

Reggie said this with a genuine smile, pushing his negative feelings away. As Master Dragonsflame continued speaking, Atasihd Zi responded in a way that made it clear that he could use assistance on his own path. If it wasn't for the fact that Reggie was still a Padawan, he would of offered the Torguta. Teaching is something Reggie looked forward to whenever he rises to become a knight. For the time being however, he didn't say anything. He was sure that Master Dragonsflame, someone better qualified, could help with their new friends journey.

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Objective: 2, BBQ Boogaloo
Allies: [member="Atasihd Zi"] - [member="Reggie Faayare"]

With Reggie in a better place, it was time to take care of what Atasihd was saying. Josh listened carefully, pondering what had been said a moment, before seeming to come to the same decision that Reggie had been thinking of.

"Perhaps your path may start alongside mine" He offered then, with a gentle smile. "I consistently take students, and I think young Reggie here can attest to my effectiveness. If learning how to channel your abilities in a way that will allow you to better help people, is your goal... Then I may be able to teach you how to make that happen. The path to being a Jedi is not an easy one, but with a good teacher... Well, it at least gives you a platform to start on."

With that, he returned to his food, kneeling down to get Jason to try something new as he gave the Togruta time to think about his offer.

 

[Gianna Aegis]

Location: Pandath City - Old Apothecary [Near City Center]​

Tag: [member="John Locke"]​

Objective: Hard to say. BYOO - A little of each?​

Status: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” ​

________________________​

When his emotions continued to spiral—She felt it. All of it. He wept. She wept. Her heart was her greatest strength and her greatest weakness. Her Masters had always counseled her carefully so that she wouldn’t get swept away in negativity, but here, on Taanab, Gianna felt as if she were holding back an ocean. It was impossible. The red-haired Knight saw with his eyes. Listened with ears. Felt with his heart. She might as well have decided to climb in his skin and walk around in it.

The translation was not exact. She could never know the thoughts that were attached to these things unless she breached the sanctity of his mind. No matter what. No matter the storm that rolled out of him, never, would she invade his privacy in that fashion. Instead—She could only comfort him. Gianna could weather the hurricane of horror, fear, and pain if she kept his best interests in mind.

The Jedi cleared her mind. Emptied it. There, in the nothing, she found clarity. Peace. She inhaled slowly and ignored when her breath hitched, caught, by the rolling emotion that felt like it might break her chest. Gia did everything she could to stymie the hot tears that escaped.

Slowly—She won the silent war. She could breathe. She could hold back the tide.

It wasn’t perfect but it would be enough. At least, that was the white lie Gianna told herself.

While she had managed to separate herself from the present, John, had not. She could feel the darkness swirling in him, pulling him down, while he took on guilt that he need not take. Self-loathing had dug its hungry claws in so quickly, so deeply, that she was surprised. “That’s enough John…”, Gianna murmured between peppering the gentlest of kisses to his forehead. It was careful. Loving. The way a mother tested a youngling to see if they had a fever in the middle of the night. “…There is no fear here. No doubt. No pain…”

Gianna could feel his arms wrap around her. They were made of metal but the held her all the same. Carefully, but, tightly. As if he was suddenly afraid, she might disappear. She could feel his fears when she sank down and she wished, mightily, that she could simply make them vanish. John had been through a trauma of a different kind. One that left doubts. Holes in the heart, guilt, that were not easily assuaged. Careful hands rubbed his back to try and bring him back down to basics. “You didn’t do it. Everyone has dark thoughts, dark whispers, that they occasionally need to fight. You won that battle. That’s what matters.”

Her head shook when he spoke of wishing to do something differently. He couldn’t have stopped what happened to some of the medical frigates. No more than she could have stopped the Confederacy from going to war at all. It felt like half the galaxy felt like they had a reason to be here. A reason to fight. Gianna had never seen the Silver Jedi rise up in her time with them, not like this, not ever.

“It wouldn’t have mattered if my frigate had gone down. I believe that you would have made the right choice. With or without me…You’re a good man.”

John thanked her and she could feel his head rest against her shoulder. Quietly, she rocked him. What more could she do? Her presence was light. Goodness. She left him with every piece of hope and faith that she had while keeping very little for herself. “You don’t need to thank me. You stopped you.”, Gianna reiterated, careful, not to let go yet. He was in pieces. The weight of his weapons had finally come down, while the consequences of war, were staring him in the face. It was different when people weren’t players on a chess board, so very, very far away. “You are good. You know what is right.”

“You know what is wrong. I’m still here, I’ll always be here, in some form or another…But bloodshed like this, violence, has a price. If you’re going to create the potential for it…You have to be aware what it might destroy.”

It was the reason Gianna occasionally forced him to bury certain plans once he explained it to her. His mind led him to bring technology into the galaxy, simply because he could, not because he really understood the fall out. The Jedi Knight saw all sides of the coin. In this…She could only be glad that better angels had stilled him. He had felt her, in some way, so perhaps that had stayed his hand.

That realization left her with an unanswered question. What if she had died? What would have held him back then?

Quietly, she shushed the Admiral. No more. Not today. Tiredly, she kept close, and simply rocked him until his tears dried. Until his heart felt a little less shattered. Until the shadow were banished. Her light rolled through the tent in such a way that through direct exposure he would find himself hard pressed to give in to sorrow. Regret, would be far, far from his mind. Her voice filtered through the air in soft words while she told him nonsensical stories to distract his mind. “My friend, you see, fell into the mud while trying to catch one of the creatures from the little lakes of Naboo…His mother was so angry.”

“White clothes, so dirty, that they took three days to come clean. But we did it.”

Her childhood was so far away. But, at the moment? It was innocent enough to keep the dark at bay.

 

[John Locke]

Location: Taanab
BYOO: Dream a little dream
Tagging: GIanna Aegis

[SIZE=10.5pt]It seemed like an eternity spent in that embrace as time, as the world outside faded away into the background. Like the sound of the sea through a shell, it was still there, still circling at a distance, but it didn’t matter, not right now. All that mattered was Gianna, the soft warmth of her body, the touch of her hair brushing across his face. All those little things he’d thought he’d never feel again, the things he didn’t realise how much he’d miss. The man’s dark eyes flicked to the side, as if drinking her in, the sight and presence of the Jedi a salve for his tortured soul. [/SIZE]



[SIZE=10.5pt]He could actually see her glowing, the faintest illumination of gold surrounding her, an aura of goodness, the force. If it had been anyone else, anyone else in the entire galaxy John might have railed against it, against the effect he knew surrounded her, but not now, not today. It was part of who she was, as much as her red hair or that soft smile he loved to see play around her lips when she saw something that delighted her. Gianna was light, happiness and the force all rolled into one package. Into a whole that he didn’t want to let go. John knew he would have to, that he couldn’t hold her forever…but surely the universe could wait just a few minutes more, a few hours, a few years. Time, the future none of it mattered, just this heartbeat, and then the next. The space between heartbeats was all he cared about, the slow denial of the fear and despair that had been his constant companions since he’d arrived on the planet. [/SIZE]



[SIZE=10.5pt]It was gradual, so gradual that he might have missed it, but there was something about the woman that changed even as she rested there in his arms. She seemed…calmer, the tears that had fallen from her eyes no longer fell. But the compassion, the empathy that was her signature, that was still there, shining from her eyes. The softness of Gianna’s gaze was only matched by the softness of her lips as they pressed against his forehead, the softness of the murmur of her voice as she comforted him. And it worked. It shouldn’t have, the cold and darkness that had wound themselves around him like chains had been unshakeable, unbreakable. Nothing he’d done, nothing he’d tried had come close to moving them, shaking them. Yet the touch of Gianna’s lips shattered the chains like they were made of glass. He could breathe, he could think again. [/SIZE]



[SIZE=10.5pt]The soft words that fell from her lips were calm and welcome and he drank them in, drank in the sentiment behind them. The assurance that it was ok, that the negative feelings that had been so much his companions these last few days had no hold, not purchase on him anymore. And it worked. [/SIZE]




[SIZE=9pt]“You didn’t do it. Everyone has dark thoughts, dark whispers, that they occasionally need to fight. You won that battle. That’s what matters.”[/SIZE]



[SIZE=10.5pt]There was something there that John hadn't experienced, hadn't even thought about for years, decades. Faith. Not in science, or electronics, the material, the products that he made, John had seen that before in spades. This was something different. This was faith in someone else, in the goodness of their being, their ability to make the right choices and do the right thing. It wasn't a sensation he was used to, that he had ever thought he'd find in someone else, not directed at him. [/SIZE]



[SIZE=10.5pt]The truth was, the world of politics, of business was cold, distant, everyone was out for themselves, was out to gain the best advantage they could in every situation. This was the world John inhabited, the colleagues and compatriots who he mixed with. Trust, trust was like a unicorn, you heard about it but you never really saw it. At least it had been. There hadn't been anyone John had wanted to reach out to, to open up to, not until now. Now though, the woman clasped in his arms, she didn't hold anything back, she trusted him but...no that wasn't it. The truth of the matter was the other way around. He trusted her. [/SIZE]



[SIZE=10.5pt]It wasn't anyone one thing, any one act that had inspired him, had built that trust it was everything, it was who she was all the time. The little moments where she’d listen to him, giving him her fullest attention. It was watching her with other people, how she made everyone’s lives better, how she felt for everyone made him want to reach out to people again. It who she was in every part of her being. She was light. The light that filled his soul and lifted him just by being in her presence. [/SIZE]



[SIZE=10.5pt]It was perhaps that trust, that absolute trust that made the next words such a shock to him, the truth laid bare. If he was going to make weapons then they were going to kill, he’d been lucky, Gianna was alright, she’d survived but so many others hadn’t, so many others had lost their lights, those close to them. He’d been aware of that before, aware that people died in war, but it had always been an awareness born from a distance, strictly academic. He’d never had to come face to face with that fear, the result of what he’d done, what had been wrought by his command. By his creations. [/SIZE]



[SIZE=10.5pt]John was proud of what he’d made, he’d established a name for himself, had eked out a place in the small world of galactic inventors. And defending his friends and his family wasn’t wrong but…”I…I never considered that. The cost of it, of any of this.” It had all been a game, like chess, like Dejarik, a stretch of his mind to see how he could beat his opponent. It had only become real when he’d been forced to admit he had no moves left but to stand there taking a beating that it became real. It was only when he thought he’d lost everything that he understood the cost of war. [/SIZE]



[SIZE=10.5pt]It was a realisation he’d never expected, never thought to have to face, the reality of the galaxy they lived in. It wasn’t a shock, like the loss of Gianna had been, more a realisation, a slow dawning that the world wasn’t as academic as he’d expected previously. It was a seed planted, the thought he never thought he’d have to deal with. It wasn’t the panic, the icy cold claws that had penetrated his soul, this was something different. There was no panic, no feeling of the world falling away behind him, a feeling he was far too familiar with. Just a dawning that he’d been too cavalier, hadn’t given his actions the weight that they deserved. It wasn’t terror, it was shame, not despair but guilt. [/SIZE]



[SIZE=10.5pt]What he’d almost done, the cost he’d almost imposed on the galaxy, he hadn’t really thought about it, just reacted. Lashing out in anger and hatred, in that he was no better than those who he had set himself against. “I should have. Thought about it, realised what I was doing.” He couldn’t not act if needed, but maybe, maybe it was about the intent, about why you were doing it. Maybe, instead of acting in anger in the spur of the moment acting to protect, to defend. To be the line, the shield that protected his friends and family, the innocents of the galaxy. War was a horror, the cost was always too high, but if he could stop someone else feeling the way he had, maybe that would be enough. [/SIZE]



[SIZE=10.5pt]He felt…calmer, more stable as Gianna embraced him, just held the man sharing in his grief, allowing him to exhaust the emotions that had been building up for so long, the torrent unleashed slowly fading to a trickle, to a stop in her presence. The world, the horrors outside banished from his mind leaving onto the feeling of her body pressed against his, her soft voice just talking, telling him stories of her past. [/SIZE]



[SIZE=10.5pt]Slowly, ever so slowly, the man straightened, shifting just enough on the bed so he could watch her face, the expressions dancing across her face as she told him about her childhood, about the innocence from the past brought back to life for a shared moment in the tent. For that moment, trapped outside time itself they weren’t on Taanab, but on Naboo as he watched a young redhead and her friends chasing animals through the lakes of Naboo, shrieking in laughter and delight. [/SIZE]



[SIZE=10.5pt]Slowly he started to speak, sharing his own stories, tales of Corellia, of running through the crowded streets, chasing cats and playing pranks on the merchants and shopkeepers of the community. Of decrepit buildings that became castles and palaces, senate halls and homes. Stories long forgotten brought back to life in the space between one heartbeat and the next, all the time ath really mattered. Yet through it all, John couldn’t bring himself to pull away entirely, one hand just resting against Gianna, a part of him unwilling to let go for feat that she’d vanish like a dream. Till slowly that hand came up, waving in the air as he gestured, constructing pictures and shapes with his words, sharing the innocence of the past that he hadn’t talked about with anyone else spilling from his lips, a shared reiving of those moments, those memories.[/SIZE]