The Stars Shine For You

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Few knew of Cyril's only living child.

[member="Talaya Rade"] had grown up in the relative safety of the Mason family estate on Naboo. She had been loved and cared for by Cyril and the various nurses serving the family; her father would never have allowed her to experience the trials he had gone through in his youth. when she came of age to travel, he had promised to take her with him wherever he went.

Grayson had not lied.

He sat cross-legged in one of the many training room within the enclave on Yutan. His armor was foregone in favor of simple crimson robes with an ebony trim. His lightsaber sat comfortably in the center of his lap.

Even in his deepest meditations, he was aware of what went on around him. The sun had long since fallen below the horizon and the beasts of night were on the prowl. He reached out to them, watching as they stalked their prey and moved in for the kill with practiced ease. It served to sharpen his senses as he awaited Talaya.

He had called her here once the conclave came to an end. Vorian's outburst had left him with a worried heart, and he'd found himself aching for his only child's company. Such were the woes of a parent.

 

[Talaya Rade]

A young Talaya Rade peered outside the transport ship's windows, eyeing the galaxy in all it's glory. Basking in what it allowed her to see, whilst wondering what oddities it never would let her see. Her few trips into space felt cereal, at best. However, the teen had grown more accust-..*Drip* .. The teen had grown more accustomed to- *Drip* -- *Drip*. Talaya's grin steadily faded, her eyes sloowly turning to see a hulking creature smooshed against her in lack of space while secreting a mucus-like substance from one of its many mouths. "....N-..Nooo. Hell no, man. I just bought this jacket!" She'd say, aiming to squeeze out the narrow space and walk toward the door's entrance as a beeping noise began, followed by an announcement of "We have arrived on Yutan."

She'd shiver feverishly at ..that...it..whatever you'd call it. "The poodoo I do for you, Dad." She'd say under her breath, collecting what remained of her grin as she made way to the enclave on Yutan she was summoned to. Despite tone, she was ecstatic to join [member="Cyril Grayson"] again. With time, the young Talaya reached her destination, accepting various directions until she found a certain individual cladded in reddened robes with the predicted flare of ebony trimming. She'd approach, slowly at that, initially questioning whether it was him or not. "..Couldn't miss 'em if I wanted to," She'd think, hinting at her father's presence which almost demanded attention. "Ayye, Pops!" She'd greet aloud, flashing a bright smile while whisking her arms up in the air. "Miss me?" She'd jest, her own hair tied back and her clothes favoring a youthful tone: A leather jacket with a white blouse underneath, and form fitting jeans to match.

 

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For all his melancholy, Cyril could not hide his joy at seeing his child. Talaya always brought out the positivity in him. It came from her mother, he knew. She'd always been the brightest star in a sky full of darkness. Rising from his feet, Cyril felt himself cracking a wry little grin. He stepped forward with arms outstretched.

"Perhaps a little," he laughed, his arms snaking about the teenager and drawing her close. He squeezed her ever so tightly and shook his head, "The realm of politics is a dreary place. There isn't much room for fun. Job's been dull and far too serious." He drew back to look her in the eyes --a broody blue, just like her mother's -- and clamped either of his hands on her shoulders.

"How was your trip? Did you make any friends?" He lofted a brow, "Run into anything exciting along the way?"

[member="Talaya Rade"]

 

[Talaya Rade]

Talaya felt momentarily buried in his embrace, encased in his affection by which she held no objections. It was the soft hugs that edged her to near insanity. They felt half-cocked with much left to be desired. Luckily this never occurred with [member="Cyril Grayson"]. She looked up at her father with deepened blue eyes and her usual bright grin. "Politics, eh? Expected." She'd say after a playful roll of the eyes.

"Good thing I didn't come 'till now."

She'd manage a chuckle, turning and walking around while eyeing the place with over-dramatic extends up her legs uup and down while she walked. "Ahh. You mean apart from the drooling extraterrestrial trying ta' ruin my new leather jacket? Swell. It's a whole 'lot of weird out in space, Pops." She'd turn to him, "As if I needed to tell you, right?" -- "But nah. Nobody worth mentioning. Been trying to stay in shape. Who knew there would be soooo many sweets in space? -- "Crazy" She'd emphasize with her hands.

 

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"Wait until you try Ujj Cake. Say what you will about the Mandalorians and their warmongering, but they make lovely pastries." He folded his arms over his chest and turned to watch her as she took the place in. The enclave was nothing fancy -- a few murals here, a bust there, but otherwise it was spartan. Perhaps that was because these were the chambers Cyril had taken to spending time in? He put the thought from his mind and shook his head.

"Some species just can't help it. Elongated jaws and such," he laughed, though there was a hint of worry to it. There were things they needed to discuss, but he wasn't too keen on ruining the moment. At the very least, she wasn't talking about any young men in particular. He had, admittedly, worried over the possibility during her transit. She was her mother's daughter, and that was enough to make the elder Grayson worry tremendously.

"The war is taxing," he sighed, "I've been fighting it my entire adult life, you know? We pulled out all the stops to kill their Dark Lord and they still manage to keep on causing trouble." It almost seemed like the conflict was endless. Surely there was a finality to these waning days?

"Now I'm spending most of my days training padawans to be warriors," he laughed, but it was a bitter thing, "In hindsight, I'm glad I never let the order take you. Too dangerous, and my life would be terribly boring without you to worry about, Tally."

[member="Talaya Rade"]

 

[Talaya Rade]

Talaya suppressed the mouth-watering sensation brought from the mentioning of Cake. "Ujj..?" She briefly thought. The young woman finished basking in her surroundings, turning to her father and approaching him as she spoke. "Yeah. Well. If I lose another outfit to an elongated jaw, somebody is going to catch an elongated queen slap." She'd muse, partially, while standing before him. "Aye Pops. I read something." She looked side to side, attempting to jog her memory which proved to be a waning task itself over the years. "It said something like 'trouble needs no cause, or banner to flag. Stomp the queen, or king, and the underlings scatter only to reassemble again'." She'd look up at him, sporting an uncomfortable look mixed with a grin from speaking in the text's altered form of dialect. "Think that's true?" In reality, Talaya knew little of the intricacies of either sith or jedi orders.

However, her childhood taught her many a things pertaining to political matters, and the essentials to understanding the current condition the galaxy remained in due to the opposing factions scattered across the many worlds. As for the force, it remained something she never thought about. Something that existed, in theory to her, but never given much care. "Hah! Come on, Pops. You've gotta admit I'd be kickass though. You're sayin' you don't regret not having a daughter that can sling around a lightsaber and say the special words of "I am not the one you are looking for" After waving my hand past someone's face?" She couldn't help but laugh aloud, the many stories heard over the year serving as her primary understanding of the force and anything related. However, she'd lean in close, as if to whisper.

"Well I'm glad you didn't either, Pops. Not sure it's the life for me, ya'know?"

[member="Cyril Grayson"]

 

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"Something like that," Cyril grumbled. The reality of it was that Talaya was quite right. No matter what they did or who they ended up putting down, the Sith would always crop back up. They were like cockroaches -- the only way to truly wipe out one of their populations was to starve them of what they craved. What was it the Sith used for sustenance? The Force? People? There were a thousand answers to a relatively simple question. The Jedi Master groaned.

"Oh, I'm sure you'd be very impressive." He agreed, his arms folding over his chest as his gaze settled upon one of the murals along the wall. It was an older piece depicting a battle between a Jedi Knight and a Mandalorian warrior. A rather odd work of art for a place of peace, but then remembering history in all its forms was as much a requirement as a desire.

"I admit, I've wondered as to how things would have been had you walked the path," he replied whistfully, "You don't feel I've denied you something by not training you, have you?" He asked suddenly, distress flitting across his features. "That I've cheated you in some way?"

His arms dropped down to his sides and he stepped toward his daughter. "You...wouldn't want to learn, would you?"

The innate desire to deny her any possibility of the sort was heavy in his heart. Talaya was his little girl, his light in the galactic void. The possibility that she might ever see the dangers he had gnawed at him. Yet he still had to ask, for what kind of father would he be if he didn't let his child make her own choices?

[member="Talaya Rade"]

 

[Talaya Rade]

Talaya looked around, uncomfortable with looking at [member="Cyril Grayson"] after his questioning. Reason being, she had pondered the matter many times before. "Uhm..." She began, an awkward laugh following before her hands tied together and she looked back toward her father. "I uh..I dunno, Dad. I used to think maybe it'd be cool to try..but.." She looked down abit, "Then I saw what kinda life having all that power gave you. The long trips for work, the battles, the loss. It's like I said: Not for me." She ended with a brief chuckle. "Look at me. I'm smiling right? You've given me everything I've could've asked for. Now, more than ever. Relax, Pops."

"You had your reasons, I'm sure. So don't sweat it. Okay?"