Caoimhin Shan
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Post by Caoimhin Shan on Sept 27, 2016 21:23:08 GMT -8
His return to consciousness was slow, subtle presences gradually taking form on the edges of his senses. The first such presence to take shape was that of his sister..
How fitting.
..but the next one..
"...Mom?"
It seemed impossible, but he could sense her vague presence. Rather quickly, however, it became apparent that it was something else, something inanimate, something.. His eyes narrowed.
Her lightsaber.
Of course. His recovered weapon was nearby, undoubtedly guarded. Oh, well. It didn't really much matter at this point, now, did it?
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Aerandir Calmcacil
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Post by Aerandir Calmcacil on Sept 27, 2016 21:32:52 GMT -8
*He gave her a sad smile and a nod as she recognized their priorities and thanked him. That would have been it, he supposed, and he might have dismissed himself. Perhaps checked on the other Shan. But it was another voice that spoke, distantly. A single word: "Mom?" It was a male voice. Must have been Caoimhin. But...
Aerandir briefly extended his senses to check on his state. Seemingly awake, perhaps just awoken.* "Is he dreaming?" *Aerandir wondered aloud.
At least now he knew he could conduct another interview shortly after this one.*
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Post by Eliana Shan on Sept 27, 2016 21:58:16 GMT -8
Her response was brief.
"No. He isn't."
She slowly shifted so she was completely on the bed, laying back and staring at the ceiling.
"I imagine you'll want to go to him now."
You're in for a loooong stay here...
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Aerandir Calmcacil
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Post by Aerandir Calmcacil on Sept 28, 2016 17:17:27 GMT -8
*Not dreaming. Eliana seemed too knowledgeable about this. She was right, Aerandir did wish to see Caoimhin, and he'd awoken at the ideal opportunity. However, there was something he wished to get to the bottom of first.* "What's he talking about, then?"
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Post by Eliana Shan on Sept 29, 2016 3:32:37 GMT -8
Elly turned her head to look at Aerandir and raised her hand to point at the device he had brought with them.
"That's Mom's 'saber crystal in there. It.. feels like her."
Mommy's little girl, all grown up. What a kriffing shame.
She could hardly even muster a bitter smile.
"If only."
If only, if only.
She moved her head back to its upward-facing position, closing her eyes tightly.. but there was no solace to be found there, either. Her mind had always been her strongest asset, and now it was her enemy..
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Aerandir Calmcacil
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Post by Aerandir Calmcacil on Sept 29, 2016 20:07:14 GMT -8
*The strange device that suppressed her Force use housed a crystal? Curious, but at least that explained Caoimhin's reaction. Presumably he hadn't felt it until now; that, or he'd been delirious enough after awakening to make the mistake again.
Eliana seemed wistful as she closed her eyes, perhaps intending to rest. Aerandir would allow that soon, but first...* "Just one final question I'd like to know." *Even though her eyes were closed, he pointed to the device anyway.* "That thing, the suppressor. Why do you use it? What do you gain from it?"
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Post by Eliana Shan on Sept 29, 2016 22:29:02 GMT -8
"..protection. I can't block out the Force. Cao and I.. we have no filter. He was trained to handle it. I.. was not."
Her eyes opened back up, moving to stare at the Jedi Master.
"This only keeps it toned down. My visor shut it out completely. So did.. my armour."
That did bring her a smile.. She was incredibly proud of her armour design, and despite it representing a different lifetime, she still missed having it.
You can still see it in Leigh. Oh wait.. You can't see her ever again.
And there came the dark thoughts again, once more ruining her momentary happiness..
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Aerandir Calmcacil
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Post by Aerandir Calmcacil on Sept 29, 2016 23:04:38 GMT -8
*Protection. A lack of filter from the Force. Seemed... odd, to say the least. Aerandir wasn't quite sure he understood, but accepted it regardless. Once more she seemed to fall victim to some sort of inner emotional turmoil. Aerandir almost wanted to stay and learn more, try to help, but he wasn't sure what else he could do. Instead, he only nodded.* "Thank you." *He turned to leave.* "I've just got to collect a couple more pieces of the puzzle, and I'll hopefully be able to figure everything out. Enjoy your stay." *He paused in the doorway as he realized what he'd just said. He then shook his head, adding,* "Sorry. I know that sounds hollow," *then exited the cell.
The door shut behind him and the holding shields activated. He gave the other three Jedi a nod before looking to Narvos.* "Lead me to Caoimhin, please."
"Of course, Master," *the Nelvaanian replied, barely hiding what might have been a look of sympathy. Aerandir pondered this briefly as the Brute led the way, stopping before the cell containing the brother, which was only a few cells down and opposite from his sister's.* "Look sharp, prisoner," *Narvos barked, once more rigid,* "the Headmaster himself has come to see you."
*He opened the cell door with one hand, the other gripping the hilt of his lightclub as though expecting resistance. Aerandir noticed this, hoping it would be unnecessary to take action; it would be foolish, considering there were four Jedi present now, but based on Na'an's report...*
"Caoimhin Shan," *Aerandir spoke as he entered the cell, door closing behind him, shielding still active.* "Aerandir Calmcacil." *He allowed himself a quick examination of the young man before him. He was vaguely familiar, perhaps one Aerandir had seen in passing or in the records; he hadn't had much time to get a good look at him in the hangar when he had been brought here. Of note was what seemed to be exposed metal in the knuckles of his left hand...
An image of sparks crossed his mind. Curious... ... and he'd forgotten to pursue those details with Eliana. Wonderful.
His eyes took notice of the cracks in the wall. Well, that would explain the exposed metal, then.* "What'd you do that for?" *Aerandir asked half-jokingly with a lopsided grin. He then folded his hands behind his back, taking on a slightly more composed look.* "Well, anyway, I need to talk to you about Nar Shaddaa, if you don't mind."
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Caoimhin Shan
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Post by Caoimhin Shan on Sept 29, 2016 23:44:41 GMT -8
Cao sat up and got off his bed, smiling at the Jedi walking into his cell. He bowed, then straightened up and looked up at the man who had introduced himself as Aerandir Calmcacil.
"Tioni be'chaaj, my friend, ask away. But please, do call me Cao. It's so much simpler for the both of us."
The smile on his face was genuine. It would be good to be able to have a proper conversation with someone for the first time in a long time..
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Aerandir Calmcacil
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Post by Aerandir Calmcacil on Sept 30, 2016 12:17:57 GMT -8
*The jovial mood exhibited by Caoimhin—or "Cao," as he asked to be called—stood in stark contrast to what Aerandir had expected from a man who'd been forced into holding after committing atrocities on Nar Shaddaa. And seemingly punching the wall so hard it cracked. Aerandir seemed almost intrigued by this; perhaps that crystal of Eliana's had something to do with it? Then again, it didn't exactly seem to help her mood...*
"Yes, well," *he began, again making a quick note of the crack in the wall,* "I need to ask you about what happened on Nar Shaddaa. Your involvement, what led you there, and the aftermath." *So far, Na'an's and Eliana's reports lined up, apart from that particular detail about Adelle. Would Cao give much the same story? Would he know anything about Adelle's involvement? Not that that would stop him from speaking to Adelle regardless...*
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Caoimhin Shan
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Post by Caoimhin Shan on Nov 29, 2016 0:27:14 GMT -8
"Oh, dear. That's a good example of being in the right place at the right time. Or perhaps the opposite. I'm in here, after all.."
He spread his left arm out, a grand gesture to encompass the entirety of the cell.
"..so it can't have been all right. But I did what was necessary to keep her safe. Always have. And.. I guess that meant letting him do what he thought was necessary, too."
The smile on his face dropped to one of regret. He took no joy in what he had done, but.. it had happened.
Shame there's no way to change the past, huh?
But his thoughts were met with nothing but silence.
..oh yeah. Heh.
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Aerandir Calmcacil
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Post by Aerandir Calmcacil on Nov 30, 2016 21:35:42 GMT -8
*Aerandir was having trouble getting an accurate read on him. While he seemed regretful over the events, it seemed as though he stood by them and instead regretted that things "had to be that way," so to speak. Aerandir frowned, debating challenging his thinking, but instead asked,* "Tell me about 'him,' then, because 'he' is certainly a big piece of the puzzle."
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Caoimhin Shan
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Post by Caoimhin Shan on Dec 6, 2016 12:13:58 GMT -8
"Everyone has their bad side. Unfortunately, mine opted to take a more.. literal sense. Vilus is.. everything I was trained to resist. Apparently, he didn't much like that; one thing led to another, and suddenly there were two of me running around. One light, one dark."
His expression was .. wistful? nostalgic? Without any seeming cause, he opted to sit down, crossing his legs and sighing.
"Continuing the trend of one thing leading to another, his spirit ended up residing in my body. I guess I became a sorta two-for-one deal. Good thing we're both single; that coulda been awkward."
Defusing situations through humour had always been one of Cao's many quirks, and it was readily apparent that recent events had not put a dampener on that side of him in the slightest. He enjoyed a brief chuckle at himself before continuing.
"Anyways, he's been there for a while, lurking in the back of my mind. You probably felt him when I got here. Or not. I don't know how I feel to an outside perspective."
He shrugged.
"When Elly went down.. when I knew it was her and she was.. she.."
The sentence trailed off. That moment, the terrible realization, the sudden awakening, was still relatively fresh in his mind. He had had over a week to spend pondering his situation, yet still he let himself focus on certain moments instead of moving forward with his life. Yes, his sister was alive. He should have been focusing on the circumstances they found themselves in now.
Instead, it seemed, he was once again taking a breather to live in the past.
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Aerandir Calmcacil
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Post by Aerandir Calmcacil on Dec 6, 2016 18:19:51 GMT -8
*It occurred to Aerandir that, had the story already not been corroborated by both Na'an and Eliana—the former especially—he would have been incredibly skeptical of this story about "Vilus." It was still incredible; when the ship had arrived, he'd been under the impression that the being before him was just a single man whose Sith alias was "Vilus," not a man with a literally-split personality. And yet, here Cao was, very briefly explaining the history of this "Vilus" and how he now resided within Cao's body.
It was a lot to take in, but Aerandir had heard stranger stories.
Though Cao had brought up a good point: Aerandir had indeed felt something unusual about the scene in the hangar, although at the time his mind had been on making sure the man before him complied with being taken into custody, as well as helping Adelle secure Eliana. Only... now it wasn't as unusual. Instead of dwelling on this, he noticed Cao's sudden change of disposition as he trailed off and calmly asked,* "She what?"
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Caoimhin Shan
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Post by Caoimhin Shan on Dec 6, 2016 20:57:44 GMT -8
"She was alive."
Cao looked slightly off to the side, towards Elly's detention cell. He sighed, and a bittersweet smile spread across his face as he stared in her direction, unable to see her properly.
"My little sister is alive."
A few moments later he returned his gaze forward and up to the Jedi Master. There was a new depth to his mismatched eyes and notes of pain and joy and disbelief all wrapped into one in his voice.
"I never thought I'd see her again."
He kept eye contact for two more seconds before lowering his head and focusing on the floor at Aerandir's feet. A sigh once more escaped his lips.
"Yeah, yeah, I know. Typical sob story. Don't worry.. I know how it sounds."
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Aerandir Calmcacil
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Post by Aerandir Calmcacil on Dec 6, 2016 23:00:45 GMT -8
*Ah... Cao's genuine relief at the knowledge of his sister being alive brought Eliana's little tale about how she had supposedly "cheated death" back to Aerandir's mind. That was, assuming it were true, which he still had trouble believing, and a corroboration with Na'an would be necessary when he had the chance.
He allowed himself a small smile as Cao all-but-apologized for his enthusiasm, waving a hand across his chest as he replied,* "I understand. Eliana told me her story, though I'm not sure I believe it." *He recalled Eliana's tale once more, noting that the only names she had mentioned were Na'an's and Leigh's. So, Cao wasn't involved then, or she would have definitely mentioned that. Also, he supposed there was the fact that Cao had not even known she was alive until the Nar Shaddaa incident.* "So, no one told you about the 'time travel,' then?" *he asked, with a slight skeptic air.*
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Caoimhin Shan
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Post by Caoimhin Shan on Jan 19, 2017 22:00:31 GMT -8
He opened his mouth to reply before realizing that he had nothing to say in response to that. Cao sat like that for a few more moments before looking up at Aerandir.
"...The what now?"
Time travel?
"You mean.. flow-walking?"
Surely, that had to be what he meant. But flow-walking was difficult enough as it is, even without changing the history of events. Caoimhin highly doubted that anyone capable of doing so would have pushed themselves to such lengths as to attempt to save a single life.
You would have.
...Who am I even talking to in here?
As was typical in his head recently, there was still no response to be found.
"What does that have to do with this?"
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Aerandir Calmcacil
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Post by Aerandir Calmcacil on Jan 24, 2017 22:34:53 GMT -8
"Nothing," *Aerandir replied with the shake of the head and allowing a slight smirk at the fact that Cao had also though of the same technique. He did go silent for a moment, however, contemplating if it was even worth revealing this bit of information. Considering Cao's apparent dedication to his sister, how would he feel if he'd known the truth?
... it had to come out eventually. Aerandir may as well prepare him for it, and potentially soften the inevitable confrontation over it.* "I have a hard time believing it myself, and I'd have to actually corroborate this story, but... She claims Vidalu Na'an and LE-03—AKA Leigh—managed to return back in time and disturbed the time flow, preventing the actual deaths of Eliana and another. As a result, they faked their deaths and went undercover for several years."
*Aerandir pursed his lips, mulling what he had just said over again.It sure did sound like a strange story. Shrugging his shoulders, he added,* "Clearly the faking death and undercover aspect is accurate. Couldn't say for sure this 'time travel' happened. I have no proof, only your sister's story."
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Caoimhin Shan
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Post by Caoimhin Shan on Jan 26, 2017 23:47:22 GMT -8
"That sounds.. quite fantastical."
So that's what she meant.
He turned his head then, the mismatched irises seeming to stare through the wall at his sister's cell.
...why?
"I'm not sure what to say beyond that."
Woulda been good to know.
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Aerandir Calmcacil
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Post by Aerandir Calmcacil on Jan 26, 2017 23:58:49 GMT -8
"That's basically how I felt." *He spared a slight chuckle but then went silent. Strictly speaking, he had everything he needed to know from the pair of Shans, with some followup questions for Na'an and Adelle next he had the chance. Truth be told, however, he still knew very little about... either of them, though he'd inferred a lot about Eliana both from her conversation and her creations. Cao... Aerandir had nothing on him.*
"Who are you, Caoimhin Shan?" *he asked.* "To be quite honest, I don't know as much about your life as I would like."
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