Aerandir Calmcacil
The Jedi Order
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Post by Aerandir Calmcacil on Oct 8, 2016 17:41:46 GMT -8
Harrowed Homecoming- Principal Author: Aerandir Calmcacil
- I want to receive critical responses: Yes
- I will be using standard Universe rules here (e.g., canon-only, fleet limits, etc.): Yes
Location: Deralia, occupied by the First Order. Timeframe: During the Third Galactic Civil War, shortly after Aerandir's journey to and enlightenment on Ilum. *Home. Or what was once home. Aerandir hadn't set foot on this planet in several years. In some ways, that might have been a mistake, considering the world's current fate. Nothing he could do about it now, of course, but there was something he could do: Find out why.
Oh, he knew why Jacob—or "Soku Ren"—had done it, thanks to their standoff at Dantooine. There was someone else, however, that he had some important questions for.
As on Ilum, Aerandir flew using an unmarked shuttle. Fortunately, it seemed, traffic in Deralia space was not being heavily monitored by the First Order. It made enough sense: Deralia was a rather unimportant, backwater world in the grand scheme of things. Which only made Jacob's assault on the world seem even more petty, wasting resources on a small world simply to get back at an organization he felt slighted him.
It was also the reason Aerandir was not currently planning a counter-assault to rid the world of what little First Order occupation there was. Joey had wanted to, but Aerandir begrudgingly had to talk him down; much as he hated it, what had been done was done, and routing the invaders would have little impact in the grand scheme of things within the galaxy himself.
But that didn't mean a little reconnaissance wasn't in order. He had many questions, most related to recent events... some that were far past, albeit these he wasn't sure he would find the answers to here. If he was going to be here, though, he might as well research.
Incognito. Plainclothes, though not exactly uncommon for him, and goggles to help conceal his identity; he possessed a new hairstyle than when he last set foot on the world, but he was sure that wasn't enough to draw away attention from people who knew him as one of the world's heroes. The goggles themselves were decently high-tech, sporting a sophisticated HUD that included tracking, a map feature, a ticker scrolling off various news headlines, and even a recording function.
He made sure these were tuned into Deralia's local HoloNet network after the ship had landed in a small clearing, some miles away from the nearby city. A small satchel was slung over his shoulders, containing his lightsaber within, as well as the Dantari crystal, partially charged from his sojourn to Ilum.
Once everything was set, he headed towards the aft hangar, where a speeder bike awaited him. He lowered the ship's ramp and activated the speeder, gently hovering it down the ramp and stopping long enough to seal the ship's ramp. Then he hopped on the speeder bike before it whined off into the forests, making for the distant city.
This was not at all how he envisioned his homecoming.*
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Aerandir Calmcacil
The Jedi Order
Posts: 1,731
Affiliation: The Jedi Order
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Post by Aerandir Calmcacil on Oct 8, 2016 23:47:09 GMT -8
*She was a young girl, perhaps five years, with long and wavy golden hair. She stood in the middle of her front lawn, wearing the prettiest white dress.
And she was in danger.
Three boys, mid-to-late teens, had happened upon her. They had apparently recognized her as "the sheriff's kid" with some animosity. And then they had attacked her, one shoving her to the ground, another pinning her arms, and the third producing a switchblade. There was no telling what the teen had been planning on doing with the weapon.
It would forever remain a mystery, for as soon as the first boy had pushed the girl down, Aerandir had already been on the move. At incredible speeds, he closed the distance, ramming the boy with the knife into the ground with his shoulder. The kinetic energy diverted, he slid to a stop and kicked the boy pinning the girl in the jaw, cleanly separating him from her. The third boy attempted to throw a wide punch at his jaw; Aerandir simply leaned to the left before reaching up with both hands and gripping the boy's wrist tightly before turning and throwing him over his shoulder.*"Bugger off!" *The voice came from the boy with the knife, who'd shook off the shoulder check and pulled himself to his feet. Brandishing his knife in a pitiful attempt to look threatening, he added,* "This has got nothing to do with you!" "That's what you think, scum," *Aerandir retorted, glowering on the boy, eyes intensely focused on the timidity within the teen's. Then he scoffed.* "You act tough when you're attacking a little girl, but you're scared. I see it. You think that knife can protect you. Try it." *The teen's eyes had widened at Aerandir's perception, inducing hesitance. But then he glanced at his two buddies and sneered.* "W-we outnumber you!" *he stammered.* "Strength in numbers!" "Feh. You need strength first for that to be true." *He'd never admit it aloud, but Aerandir enjoyed verbally tearing into slime like this, forcing them to doubt themselves, and provoking them into a foolish attack so he could demonstrate how accurate his statements were.
It worked, for the boy growled as he lunged forward with the knife. Aerandir leapt to the left, turning sideways as his right hand scooped upward, grabbing the wrist and twisting it, forcing him to drop the knife and eliciting a yelp.
Aerandir's senses alerted him to an incoming punch. Hopping backwards, he jerked the boy's wrist forward, throwing his face directly into his comrade's fist. The assailant swore and apologized, but was silenced by Aerandir's elbow to the chin. The third boy, a small trail of blood leaking from his mouth as a result of the kick to his jaw, had wisely decided to stay down.
Aerandir stepped on the knife, preventing it from being picked up. He pointed down the road, demanding,* "Get the hell out of here!" *The boys didn't need a second warning, quickly scrambling to their feet and darting away from the premises.* "Cowards," *he muttered with contempt, removing his foot from the knife. He extended his hand and the weapon lifted from the ground, blade retracting on its own, and finding its way into his pocket; evidence to deliver later.
He then turned to the girl, who hadn't moved from her spot on the ground. Frozen by fear, no doubt. His face immediately morphed from disgust to pity as he crouched in front of her. She gasped softly and flinched, but otherwise didn't move.* "I'm not going to hurt you," *he assured her, his gentle voice a striking contrast to a moment ago. Smiling, he continued,* "You're safe now. My name's Aerandir, what's yours?" *She sat up a little, looking up at him with wide green eyes.* "Maggy," *she stammered.*"'Maggy'? That's a pretty name." *Daughter of the sheriff, was she? That was John Dawson, so now he knew her full name. Maggy Dawson... ... come to think of it, wasn't "Maggy" a shortening of "Margaret"? That was... maybe a coincidence, but bore investigation regardless. Another time; this girl needed affection, her family needed to be informed of what happened, and the punks needed to be reported.
Standing, he offered her his hand.* "Let's get you inside." *She looked at it hesitantly for a second before she took it and pulled herself to his feet. He made to let go, but she still clung to it tightly. He hesitated before gently squeezing it; she wasn't his kid, but she clearly sought any comfort she could get. He then led her back to her house...*~*~ *That house certainly hadn't changed. Maybe a little more faded after seven years, but Aerandir could still vividly recall that moment he'd first happened upon it.
Unfortunate that, like that first visit, he was here due to mistreatment of Maggy.
But he hadn't approached, not yet; this was essentially a stakeout. He had a feeling approaching via the front door could have ill repercussions if he didn't ensure the premise wasn't being monitored. His datapad was active, scanning, seeking out what shouldn't be there. Aerandir could evade monitoring equipment, but that first required knowing where it was. Fortunately, it seemed the home was using only basic monitoring equipment the homeowners themselves installed; the very same used to identify and incriminate Maggy's attackers. Perhaps the lack of additional monitoring equipment from "third parties" was due to the sheriff's quick allegiance to the First Order...
Deralia had changed, and part of that was owed to John Dawson selling out the Jedi. The crimson emblem of the First Order along with other propaganda dotted the cityscape, and there were many troopers patrolling the streets. It was like a vision of what would have happened had the Jedi of Deralia failed to stop the last Imperial splinter group that had set their sights here. It felt... gross, especially more so because this was a world Aerandir once called home and was indeed still incredibly familiar with.
And Aerandir intended to have words with the sheriff.
Apart from scanning for security devices, Aerandir had spent the time bringing himself up to speed on current events. He'd found several articles related to the original chain of events that had resulted in the change of regime, beginning with the sudden rampage of two Jedi in the middle of the city. Some sources recognized the Twi'lek, but not the other, questioning who the strange figure was. Many, however, didn't know better and assumed they were just two lovers in what appeared to be a spat.*"And they fell for that?" *Aerandir had questioned aloud in disbelief. It was so foolish; the majority of these stories read like parody articles, and yet they were all presented as the truth. This had led to many people speaking out against the Jedi, even claiming they were to blame for the war waged over it in years past. Fearmongering had destroyed Deralia and allowed it to willingly hand itself over to Imperial rule. Rule that, bizarrely, some had accepted. Sure, there were still many that defended the Jedi, but some of those were only to the extent of believing they should have stood trial instead of being murdered.
Apparently, murder of children wasn't deplorable enough to these people.
The rest was just First Order propaganda, embracing the "peace and order" brought to the planet; any unbiased sources must have been shut down. Typical. But he supposed he was educated enough, and perfect timing: It was night. Sheriff Dawson should have been returning home anytime soon.
Sure enough, he did, the police speeder hovering up the road, turning toward the garage connected to the house. The door opened and the speeder pulled inside, the door closing behind it.
That was when Aerandir made his approach, recalling the locations of each security system. All it took was a series of gestures, a touch of the Force, and every single one of them would be temporarily disabled. Finally, he reached the front door and knocked upon it. Only a few moments later and it opened, and, through the goggles, Aerandir looked down into the surprised, cautious, and exhausted eyes of Sheriff John Dawson.*"Can I help you?" *the man asked impatiently.
Aerandir only responded by removing his goggles.
Immediately, the man scowled.* " You!" "Me," *Aerandir confirmed, slipping past him into the house before he had a chance to respond.
The sheriff stammered, affronted by the gesture, then declared,* "You can't just barge into my house!" "And why not?" *Aerandir replied sternly, whirring on him.* "You let an Imperial regime march into my house and kill everyone within!" *John scowled once more, shaking his head before pointing at Aerandir.* "Don't spin this on me! Your people ravaged the city! Were the cause of so much prior devastation to this world!" "Don't! Even try! To justify the murder of children!" *Aerandir's raised voice was accompanied by a glower, one that erased the scowl on John's face and replaced it with a look of terror. Aerandir gazed upon him intensely for a few moments before glancing at the open door, then closed it with a nod. Looking at John again, he gave a light shrug.* "... it's rude to leave the door open." "John, what's going on?" *The voice belonged to his wife, Rachel Dawson, who shuffled into the room. She was a tall woman, her hair as golden as her daughters. Seeing Aerandir, she froze in place, then she too scowled and pointed.* "You!" *she screeched. Her finger then indicated the door.* "Get out of our house, now!" "I'm not going anywhere without some answers," *Aerandir replied levelly, unmoved by her hysterics.* "Starting with why you," *he turned his head to look upon the sheriff again,* "sold out the Jedi to fascists." *John scoffed.* "That's rich coming from you, Jedi, who—" "Did nothing but oversee the planet?" *Aerandir interrupted.* "Watch and respond? Develop working relationships with the world's community, not interfering in its government or rule?" *He shook his head.* "No, Mr. Dawson, this was borne out of some petty vendetta of yours against the Jedi that you've always had, that I can't even fathom, being the son of the Jedi who inspired our teachings." *The mere mention of his mother's name made John visibly shake. His fists clenched and he took a sharp breath through his nostrils, exhaling it.* "Do not. Bring. My mother into this," *he hissed.*"Leave..." *Rachel repeated, this time seeming more concerned than seething.
This alone was incredibly telling, but it wasn't the full picture. Once more, Aerandir shook his head.* "Margaret Dawson has everything to do with this, as far as I'm concerned." "Being a Jedi killed her and Dad!" *John roared, his anger filling the room.* "I saw the Inquisitor who killed her simply because she was a Jedi! It only caused hell for me and my sister! I wanted no part in that life, and you can imagine how I felt about the presence of Jedi on this planet! The day some random Jedi thinks he can take my Maggy away just because he saved her from some thug teens!" "Then why did you let me, huh?" *Aerandir demanded, folding his arms across his chest. He was deeply intrigued by the revelation of a sister, but he stored that question away for later.* "You hate the Jedi lifestyle so much, why did you allow her to train in their arts?" *John didn't respond, instead taking gasping breaths. He seemed red in the face; clearly this got to him deeply. Finally, when he seemed to have regained some control over himself, he grit his teeth, then shut his eyes and looked away.* "... because I was stupid. I thought, perhaps we could control it, let her learn some things that would benefit her but not let her truly become 'Jedi.' And... she seemed happy." *It was that moment that Aerandir pinpointed the very core of this man: He truly did care for his loved ones, and he wanted to protect them but also cared for their happiness. It was that moment Aerandir felt himself able to connect with the man on a personal level, as a fellow father, and when he replied, his voice and expression were much more gentle.* "You'd do anything to protect her. I understand very much. But you let your fear control you, instead of facing it head-on. Your mother—" *The mention of her made John's brow twitch, but as he did not interrupt, Aerandir continued.* "—taught us that fear is the basis of our survival instinct. We must learn from it, but not live by it." "What my mother taught got her killed..." *John muttered, still looking away.*"I dunno." *Aerandir shrugged his arms and let them limply fall back against his sides.* "Many of us lived by it and we're turning out fine." *John scoffed, looking back up at Aerandir once more.* "And look at what happened to the rest of you." *Aerandir's brows knit.* "You helped with that." *The sheriff seemed prepared to retort, but Aerandir wouldn't let him.* "And you destroyed the only part of Maggy's life where she felt truly happy." *The words seemed as though they actually wounded the sheriff, taking a step back as though he'd suffered a blow. Rachel seemed to experience a similar reaction, though did not step back.
John then quickly glared.* "How dare—" "How dare you!" *Aerandir retorted.* "She told me all about how you never really supported her, and how you..." *He pointed at the gold-haired woman.* "... would refuse to even talk about. Only we seemed to support her, and her best friend who was almost one of the many casualties because, of, you." *His finger found the sheriff again.* "You destroyed her life. She chose to run away from you, and she made it safely away with the only surviving Master of the Temple." *Silence fell for a moment. The first to break it was Rachel.* "You poisoned her mind... You've turned her against us!" *But Aerandir only rolled his eyes.* "Oh yeah? And who did she first run to when the Temple was under attack? Who did she seek help and shelter from? You, right?" *Rachel glared and shook her head.* "Don't you play that—" "Don't you play that! You know I'm right, so stop making excuses." *Aerandir then scoffed, smirking in disbelief as he recounted,* "Ya know, the first time I came to this house, it was to reprimand some goons who tried to ruin her life. It's too bad I was too slow to stop it from happening again." "OUT! OF MY! HOUSE!" *Rachel screeched again, face red with anger, finger stiffly indicating the door. It was honestly kind of laughable how ridiculous she looked.
So he did laugh, before completely ignoring her and turning towards John.* "Heed my words, Dawson. You signed the deaths of a hundred people, many of them children, same age as your daughter or younger. Their blood is on your hands." " OUT!" *Rachel repeated.*"You ostracized your own daughter." "I SAID—" *The sentence never completed, as the woman suddenly found herself too dizzy and nauseous to focus or even properly stand. She stumbled, gripping onto a chair and clumsily collapsing into it.
Aerandir ceased the subtle gesturing of his hand, continuing as if nothing had happened.* "And you've let loose fascists in the streets. The same kind of fascists I and the Jedi had been fighting to keep off this planet. We were even successful! And you undid all of that in an instant. If you don't lose sleep over this, then your soul is lost." *The anger slowly boiled again within John.* "Get out of my house," *he growled.
Aerandir again rolled his eyes.* "Is there an echo in here? Fine. But you have officially lost all respect I ever had for you. You're a disgrace to your mother's name." *John's anger finally reached boiling point, causing him to draw back a fist and throw a punch to the man who stood before him. Aerandir caught it effortlessly in his palm, holding it steady as though he were a wall of duracrete.* "... I rest my case," *he quipped, before throwing the hand towards John's side and heading for the door, gesturing it back open with a nod. Stopping in the doorway, he glanced over his shoulder and asked,* "By the way, who was your sister?" *John let out a mirthless chuckle.* "You should know about Kate Ritter! Died because of you Jedi as well!" *In that moment, Aerandir forgot everything else. The tension, the righteous anger, all of it vanished. He turned at the waist, in complete surprise at hearing the name.* "Kate Ritter was your sister?" " Was. No thanks to you." *That was... unbelievable. Aerandir suddenly had so many more questions, but then he recalled the hatred and the line drawn between Calmcacil and Dawson; asking anything else would be useless. Unless...* "... so that makes you Morgan's uncle." *John suddenly frowned in confusion.* "Who?" *Oh? Confusion? That was another tell. Aerandir smirked as he slowly turned again, answering,* "Kate's kid. We thought there were no next-of-kin based on the records. Turns out, there was. So where were you when a very small child needed a new home." *The information sank into John, and he slowly gained a look of shock and even terror.* "I... No— She didn't— We hadn't talked since— Gods, is the kid okay?!" "Morgan Calmcacil is safe and living a wonderful life," *Aerandir stated factually. This tidbit seemed to instill many emotions in John's expression: Shock, relief, anger, and emptiness. Aerandir continued,* "Doesn't feel good, knowing you almost killed your own niece without realizing it. Not to mention all the other families now down a small loved one. Good evening. You won't be seeing me again for a while." *Aerandir left without another word, stopping only to once more disable the monitoring equipment and investigate the source of the thumping noise he'd heard: John had slumped to his knees, emptiness now the only emotion that occupied his being.
Good. Let the man wallow in his implications of his actions for a while. Maybe there was hope for John Dawson yet, but Aerandir's mind was now set on other things. He'd come to this house seeking information and received more than he could have ever hoped for. Morgan... was a Dawson. Therefore Jake as well. That meant Maggy was their cousin. That... was wonderful news! For all three of them, but more so for Maggy, who would once more have family with her.
But now it was only the beginning, and indeed, Morgan's history was something else he had come here to investigate, hoping for some answers about her family and especially about Jake's separation. Certainly John wouldn't be any use; he hadn't even known about Morgan, after all.
Despite the severity of this mission, despite the heated confrontation, he couldn't help but allow himself a smile of paternal joy at the information he would get to pass on.*
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Aerandir Calmcacil
The Jedi Order
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Affiliation: The Jedi Order
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Post by Aerandir Calmcacil on Dec 1, 2016 23:08:09 GMT -8
*It was a quaint little household, one situated in the middle of the woods, far from any neighbors while still within easy reach of civilization. A lot like the Temple. Honestly, if Aerandir's life was not that of the Jedi, he might have found this an ideal place to live. It was quiet, undisturbed by noisy neighbors or the sounds of speeders and bustling crowds. And the woods were their backyard? What a great place to raise a child! It was ripe for adventure, so long as the parents and child both practiced proper caution so as not to allow the child to get lost.
He sighed; alas, it seemed no such adventures would be had for the child of this particular home. Morgan Ritter, child of Dom and Kate, both of whom were military officers, working tirelessly in the effort to prevent the Imperial menace from overtaking the world of Deralia. Were. They'd given everything, including their lives, in service to the free peoples of Deralia. Left behind was a young child they had barely gotten to know, her care instead entrusted to the service of a live-in nanny, a female Wookiee named Kalaar.
No use in admiring the house any longer. He took a deep breath and sighed, striding forward until he was at the doorstep. There was a buzzer, so he pressed it and waited patiently until the door slid open a few seconds later, revealing the Wookiee in question. He mustered a smile in greeting, nodding to her.* "You're Kalaar, yes? I'm Aerandir Calmcacil, here to see Morgan." *Kalaar's fur was black, kept surprisingly neat compared to what Aerandir was used to. She was tall, as Wookiees were, and wore only a device around her neck which he assumed was a vocoder. She nodded as she grumbled a greeting.* "Welcome, please come on in," *came the sound of a soothing woman's voice. It originated from the device, confirming it as a vocoder.
She stepped out of the way, gesturing for him to come inside. He nodded and thanked her as he did so, stepping into the entryway which opened into the living area. It was a fairly basic room, with some typical furniture, a small table in front of the couch, and even a bin of child's toys. Judging by the small scattered items nearby, it had been recently used. What was missing was Morgan herself.
He turned to face Kalaar again, only to see the Wookiee examining him intently, perhaps worriedly. There was indeed an air of concern about her as well as hesitance. He fought a frown; she was her nanny, after all. For how long, he didn't know, but she had taken care of Morgan for quite some time, been a part of the family. Not only were the parents now dead, but some stranger was here to take the child away as well. He was certain the Wookiee would have kept Morgan herself if she was able, but she wasn't; this had been her job after all, and she very well couldn't support Morgan on her own.
Aerandir forced a smile once more, politely asking,* "Where's Morgan?" "This way." *The Wookiee led him into the adjacent kitchen, a spacious room that also contained a dining table with four chairs around it. One of those chairs held a purple booster seat. Aerandir looked around at the white cabinets, spotting the occasional sticker or pinned drawing. These he briefly studied, as though they were clues to what kind of girl Morgan was like. The subject matter seemed to mostly be of nature, full of trees and grass and flowers and water, crudely-drawn by easily identifiable. Sometimes they included people, but if they did, they seemed to only be of the girl herself or with Kalaar.*"She's in the tree," *Kalaar announced, pointing out the window above the kitchen sink that looked out into the backyard.
Aerandir's eyebrows raised.* "You let her climb trees by herself at three?" *he joked as he peered outside.
Kalaar allowed herself a chuckle before explaining,* "No, it's a play area her father built within one." *He spotted it quickly and was amazed by the tree itself, its structure bizarre yet awe-inspiring. It sat beside a small stream, four different trunks rose up seemingly from the same set of roots, with an open space between each trunk. Built within was a pair of raised platforms, bordered with a picket-style barrier, no doubt to keep the child from falling. A short series of steps led up from the ground to the first platform, with another series leading up to the second. It was on the second platform where he saw the child, with dark hair and playing with a pink bucket.*"Well, that looks fun," *Aerandir commented. He almost hated the fact that she had to be taken away from this place. He sighed to himself, then looked at Kalaar.* "Is it alright if I speak to her alone, first?" *The Wookiee looked surprise and asked,* "Why?" *An understandable reaction, but Aerandir chuckled and explained,* "I've heard of her shyness. I want to see if I can get her to talk to me. I've raised my sisters since they were two, so I might have an idea." *Kalaar considered his words a moment before agreeing to the condition. Aerandir thanked her before he opened the door beside the sink that led into the yard.
This was it, then. He had to somehow both explain to this small child she could no longer live here and convince her to willingly come away with him to the Jedi Temple. Normally, such a task didn't have this much weight, because there were usually parents or guardians involved and the child was still able to keep in contact with them, or even live at home while learning at the Temple. Otherwise, children discovered in orphanages were often eager to make the switch, knowing they had the promise of a much better life ahead of them.
But this? This was essentially forced relocation, and Aerandir wasn't happy it had to be done, but if she wasn't brought to the Temple, then where would she go? An orphanage?
Yet he was driven on, because despite his apprehension, there was some sort of underlying good feeling about this. He could only hope something good came of this, as he approached the young girl. She had noticed him as well, freezing in the middle of whatever she was playing with as her eyes locked upon him. Well, here it began, he supposed. And yet strangely, after a moment, she continued with whatever she was doing, looking down at her work and occasionally glancing up in his direction. Aerandir was mildly surprised but only continuing his approach, seeing that she was actually collecting rocks and putting them in her bucket.
He glanced down at his path, which included the stream that separated him from the tree. Fortunately, there was a small wooden bridge built across it. He smiled and crossed over the bridge, then at last approached the girl, still smiling at her.* "Hello, there." "Hi." *She seemed as surprised as he was that she had so easily spoken to him. She recovered slowly, scooping up another rock and putting it into her bucket. She was... quite an adorable little girl, with a round face and emerald green eyes. She picked up her bucket and then tilted it upward, causing all the little rocks inside to pour out onto her chest and tumble down into her lap or around her. Not only did this Aerandir find curious, but also the fact she had apparently opted to remove her dress as well, which he now noticed lying on the first platform.
Ignoring this, he gave a silly grin and asked,* "What kind of a game is that?" *She smiled back at him.* "I'm playin' with rocks!" *He laughed and nodded.* "I can see that. Doesn't it hurt?" *She shook her head.* "Is fun!" *It suddenly set in that she had replied to him three times already. Aerandir was honestly amazed and suddenly wondering if the reports of her shyness were exaggerated. He decided to capitalize and indulge her as he admitted,* "That's okay, when I was your age, I used to jump off the couch and pretend I was flying." *The admission caused her eyes to light up and she grinned.* "Me too!" "Really?" *His eyebrows raised.* "Looks like we have a lot in common. My name's Aerandir, what's yours?" *Instead of reply, she instead seemed baffled by the name given. She mumbled it a few times, mispronouncing it differently each time. It was honestly amusing, and a little adorable.
Aerandir chuckled and offered,* "Call me 'Michael' instead, if that's easier." "'Michael'?" *It seemed his middle name was far easier to use. Satisfied she had gotten it right, she smiled and answered,* "I Morgan!" "'Morgan,' huh? That's a pretty name." *She beamed at the compliment. Aerandir was honestly enjoying her company; if the opposite was true, then perhaps things would work out well after all. But inevitably the topic would have to shift to relocation... Perhaps he could do so gradually and gently.* "So what do you do around here?" "Umm..." *Apparently such a simple question required some heavy thought from the girl, who nibbled on the tip of her right forefinger as she glanced around the yard and up at the back of the house. Then she spread her arms and grinned, answering,* "Play!" *He laughed.* "What do you play?" "Umm..." *Again she put a finger to her mouth, but it went away much faster this time as she picked up her bucket and showed it to him.* "With my bucket! And rocks!" *She set the bucket down and leaned forward, pointing at the stream behind him.* "And in the water! And with toys!" *She pointed at the house next.
Both of these things Aerandir turned to look at before smiling back at her.* "Sounds like you have a lot to do." *She nodded, but it was his turn to go silent for a moment as he contemplated how to shift into the next subject. Then he came up with a simple enough question:* "Do you know what a Jedi is?" *Her eyes lit up and she nodded.* "Uh-huh!" *She stood up, enthusiastically explaining,* "They gots laser swords like this," *She mimed swinging a lightsaber around with both hands, making inaccurate-but-admirable attempts at reproducing the sound they made with her mouth.* "And they can run really fast and jump!" *She demonstrated both of these thing as well, running in place and jumping up and down twice.
Aerandir chuckled then raised an eyebrow.* "What if I told you I am one?" *Subtly, he'd reached out through the Force for one of the stones, causing it to rise from the wooden surface and into the air. By the time he'd finished speaking, it was levitating by his head.
It was all the proof Morgan had needed, but she only gasped, staring in awe with widened eyes. He had the rock close the small distance between them, hovering in front of her chest. She only gazed upon it a moment before slowly reaching up to take it, hesitating briefly, then gripping it with her fingers. He released his hold, allowing her to lift up and examine the rock.
Chuckling again, he asked,* "Do you want to learn how to do that?" *If her eyes could open any wider, they would have, but she again stared upon him with amazement before grinning and nodding enthusiastically.* "I want! I want!" *He'd gotten her attention now. Perhaps this would ease her into the idea of relocation, though it still didn't make the thought any less bitter.* "The only thing you have to do is come back with me to the Jedi Temple. It's a big house in the middle of the woods, with lots of other Jedi living there. I live there too!" *Her eyes went wide again, as it definitely seemed the offer was intriguing, but then she looked behind him, at the house she had lived in her first three years of life. She then pointed at it and asked,* "I leave here?" *He turned at the waist to look upon the house and sighed through his nostrils. He almost wished he hadn't come, but the Force kept prodding him. He hated that he was the one who would have to take this girl away from her home and her Wookiee friend, but what choice did he have?
He looked upon her again with a sad smile, nodding and responding,* "You will. But there would be lots of other little kids too for you to make friends with. Like my two little sisters, they're close to your age." *This notion seemed to entice her but still she did not answer. She seemed to be chewing on something; after a closer investigation, he noticed a slight depression in her left cheek. Finally, she nodded and smiled.* "Okay, I go with you." *... huh. Well that hadn't been so bad. He smiled back at her nodding, replying,* "Well, that's good to hear! Let's just go inside and get some of your things, and talk to Kalaar a bit too, okay?" "Okay!" *She extended her arms toward him as a silent request for help down.
He reached out for her but then stopped, eyes finding the dress again, which he reached for instead with a chuckle.* "Let's put this back on you first," *he commented, orienting it properly and holding it over her head. She seemed reluctant to comply but did so before Aerandir helped her off the platform. He then took her hand, leading her back to the house...*~*~ *Hard to believe that had been eight years ago. Morgan grew too fast; well, rhetorically speaking. He hadn't realized at the time the Force was guiding him to taking in his future daughter, but he was certainly glad in retrospect he had.
He stood across the street from her old home, hands in his pockets as he simply stared at it, reminiscing and wondering if it would be worth a look around inside. The house had actually become property of the Jedi and the resistance as stated in the Ritters' will, but no one had found any use for it. What would become of it now that the First Order had taken up shop and, effectively, now possessed it? He wondered if it was worth recovering anything he could from within, old toys or memorabilia that once belonged to Morgan, or other tokens that might shed some clues on the parents' lives... After all, not only was there still the mystery of Jake's separation, but now the mystery behind why Mrs. Kate Ritter saw fit to seemingly cut ties with her brother John Dawson.
A speeder made its way up the lonesome road. Acting casual, Aerandir turned and started walking alongside the road, as though he were just passing by; he was grateful he had kept his speeder bike obscured a short distance away in the woods. But the speeder slowed to a stop not far away, engine quieting and a door hissing open. Aerandir glanced over his shoulder but then stopped and turned to fully face the black-furred Wookiee whose eyes were upon him.
She grumbled out a series of words.* "Are you lost?" *The vocoder around her neck translated with a gentle woman's voice.
Aerandir could hardly believe this was a coincidence. He was still disguised, but he debated breaking that disguise with her for a moment. Instead, he simply shrugged his still-pocketed hands and shook his head.* "Just passing through." *It was technically accurate. He nodded to the house and explained,* "It's a nice-looking house; I didn't realize anyone lived out here." "They don't." *Kalaar strode towards him, looking incredibly suspicious of him.
Aerandir removed his hands from his pockets and raised them defensively.* "I'm sorry, I meant no harm, I'll be on my way." "I know your voice." *Aerandir froze in place. No use playing dumb anymore, then, though he had to admit he was surprised she would say that, considering they had only met once. Unless she was confusing him for someone else... ?
She finally stopped in front of him, looking upon him a moment, before she let out a whine.* "Is Morgan safe?" *The look of concern upon her expression... She was no enemy. Aerandir sighed and lowered his hands before nodding.* "She's just fine. She wasn't here during the massacre." *The Wookiee looked immensely relieved as she lowered her head and nodded, then looked up again.* "You're not safe here." "I know I'm not, but I came to get some answers. I was going to investigate the house actually. What brings you here?" "I take this road often," *she explained.* "I work for a new family now. Two little Squib boys. Boisterous rapscallions, but I can put them in their place quite easily." *She chuckled, then glanced at the house.* "But I can't help a little nostalgia, I admit." "Maybe you can help me, then." *He nodded at the house again.* "I'm going in either way. Care to join me?" *He glanced at the speeder, then added,* "I'd temporarily ditch the speeder somewhere else though." *Kalaar hesitated, looking between the house and Aerandir a few times, then at last nodded.* "I would love to. I'll meet you inside." *Aerandir nodded to her and offered a reassuring smile before heading towards the front door. The Wookiee returned to her speeder and drove off as he reached the building, giving a quick gesture of his fingers; the door opened for him. He then stepped inside and looked around, amazed at the near-pristine condition of the place. Sure, there might have been an extra cobweb or too, and some bugs, but they weren't much bother. Not that anyone had ever had use for the place, so why exactly send someone to dust if they weren't going to use it?
He looked into the kitchen, surprised to see that many of Morgan's stickers and drawings remained attached to the cabinets. He stepped inside, examining them once more, the scenes of nature and rarely much else. He smiled to himself; her love of nature certainly hadn't changed. He reached out as though to take his daughter's drawing down, but his hand paused; a part of him didn't want to tarnish this scene.
He turned when he heard the footsteps behind him and the sliding of the front door as Kalaar entered. She stood in the doorway a moment, looking around the house wistfully. Aerandir understood how she felt. Looking towards the table, he gestured toward it, sweeping the dust off of it and containing it in a bubble, preventing a cloud. He gently deposited it upon the ground in the corner before pulling out two chairs and doing the same. He took a seat as Kalaar took the seat across from his.*"Let's just start with Deralia itself," *Aerandir began, folding his arms on the table.* "How have things been since I left? Up until recently, obviously." *The Wookiee nodded.* "Much better than they had been, especially after the news the Imperials had been defeated. Things were quiet, we truly had peace, other than typical civil squabbles. I don't know what changed that the First Order would just be allowed to step right in and overthrow the Jedi. I've seen the stories about the two supposed Jedi ravaging the city but I just don't believe it." *Aerandir scoffed and looked away.* "I'm glad someone does." "How could I? You freed my homeworld from the Sith. For that alone I'm indebted to you." *The Kashyyyk Liberation... That happened just before the fall of the Republic and the appearance of "Soku Ren." Idly, Aerandir wondered if she would have even been able to receive that news had it happened after the First Order's occupation of Deralia. He looked back at her with a small smile and replied,* "You owe me nothing. We're the ones that owed you that freedom." *She returned the smile, then asked,* "Does anyone else know you're on the planet?" *Aerandir let out a dry laugh and looked at the opposite wall this time.* "Just the sheriff and his wife." "Then you're in great danger! The First Order may be looking for you as we speak!" *Aerandir shook his head, eyes focused on the back window before he looked upon the Wookiee again.* "Doubtful. I left him with some food for thought he may still be digesting. At least, I hope he is, if he has any semblance of humanity left in him." *He gave a joyless smirk as he revealed,* "You know what else? I just found this out tonight, but apparently he's Morgan's uncle, and he didn't even know she existed." *Kalaar seemed genuinely stunned by this news but calmly asked,* "Who was his sibling?" "Kate." "Strange that they lived in the same area but didn't even keep in touch..." "John holds a lot of animosity towards the Jedi lifestyle and blames it for the death of his mother," *Aerandir explained.* "Unfortunately, I have no idea how his sister felt. I don't suppose you have any idea... ?" *The Wookiee pursed her lips a moment, then answered,* "I never detected any animosity. After all, they willingly served alongside the Jedi. I know they never sent Morgan to be trained as a Jedi because they were concerned about her safety." *Aerandir frowned, leaning back and putting his chin in his hand.* "That doesn't make any sense at all." "I agree! She would have been very well-protected there, as well as capable of defending herself through training." *He shook his head, looking up.* "No, well yes, but..." *Was it time to focus on this particular mystery? He supposed so.* "... did you know that Morgan had a twin brother?" *Again, Kalaar seemed shocked by this information and she shook her head.* "I would have never thought! Where was he?" "Of all places, Yavin. Rest assured, we identified and recovered him before the Mandalorian assault; like his sister, he is safe." *She seemed relieved to hear this.* "What's his name?" "Jake. Whether his parents named him that is... undetermined. And possibly to remain that way," *he muttered.* "The only lead I have at this point is the hospital she was born at, according to her birth certificate. Getting to the birth records might be a bit... tricky, under the current climate." *Kalaar nodded, looking down at the table and seeming to think through some ideas herself. At length, she shook her head.* "The only way I could think of is to prove you were their legal guardian, which—" "Isn't exactly advisable, I know. I'd have to hack my way in. I'll think of something, I'm sure." *She looked directly into Aerandir's eyes.* "Why would they separate their twin children, allowing one to be raised by the Jedi but not the other?" *Aerandir shook his head slowly.* "I really wish I knew. It doesn't add up and no hypothesis I came up with makes much sense. At least they're back together again. He's a really sweet kid too, very kind and courteous. Stumbles over his words a lot, but never steps out of line. Truly loves his sister, and the rest of his family." *The Wookiee gave a sad smile, then asked,* "And Morgan?" *Aerandir grinned.* "Energetic. The complete opposite of shy, now. She's very outgoing and makes new friends easily. Still loves nature. I'll admit, she does have a bit of a rebellious streak." *Kalaar seemed pleased to hear this, as well as wistful. She didn't respond, looking down at the smoothed tabletop.
This prompted Aerandir to pull out his datapad and scroll through it, locating an image of the twins: Jake in his standard youngling robes, Morgan in her primitive garb crafted by the Felucians. Both had a lightsaber at their hips; Morgan's bow, whip, and quiver were also slung around her shoulders. The twins had an arm around each other and were smiling, the jungle of Felucia behind them. Aerandir set the datapad upon the table and pressed a button that displayed the image in hologram form, allowing Kalaar to see the image in full detail.
She looked upon it in awe, eyes studying both of the children.* "Morgan's becoming so beautiful. And Jake is a handsome lad." "That they are." *She studied it for a moment longer before reaching for the datapad and gently pushing it towards him. He took the hint and switched off the hologram as she blinked rapidly.
So, this was what he had caused eight years ago. Kalaar had truly loved Morgan, but she had to move on when the parents had been murdered. She made a living as a live-in nanny, and there had been no need for her at the Temple; the Wookiee herself had even declined an invitation to come there. She could have been allowed to witness Morgan's childhood years, but instead they had passed by without her.
Considering the horror that had befallen the girl at the claws of Psallo, perhaps that might have been for the better.*"I'm sorry," *he said at length.*"For what?" *The vocoder spoke clearly, but the growls had been choked.*"For taking her away from you." *She shook her had and waved it off.* "It was your duty, and it seems she's living a wonderful life. She may have never met her brother again had she remained here, anyway." "I wish I could have brought her. I'd at least willingly bring you away from here to see her, but—" "I have a new family to look after." *He nodded.* "Yeah." *She smiled again.* "I can at least thank you for giving her a good life. And for freeing my people." *She paused a moment, as though hesitant, then asked,* "Have you come to free Deralia?" *He grimaced and slowly shook his head.* "No. At least, not yet. I don't know what they've told the population about the war, but we've gathered a coalition to oppose the First Order in the rest of the galaxy. Met them head-on at Dantooine, have had run-ins with them in smaller scale engagements, and right now we're using all we can to keep a united front. We don't have many resources to spare at the moment, or I would gladly cleanse Deralia; it used to be my life's mission to protect this place, after all. It's my home!" *Kalaar nodded, seeming somewhat disappointed by but accepting of this response.* "I understand. I wouldn't ask you to endanger your cause for our sake; after all, their reoccupation would just be inevitable." *Aerandir nodded.* "Exactly." *He stood up, turning and striding towards the back window above the sink. He gestured the blinds open and peered out into a very familiar and nostalgic scene: The backyard, bordered by woods, a small stream flowing through it, and a bizarre four-trunk tree with a double-platformed play area built into it. Only this time it was empty. He sighed.* "Nothing feels right anymore. I plan to make it right." *He clutched his jacket over his left breast, where the Dantari crystal was kept in an inside pocket.* "But I have a lot to do first." *Releasing his jacket, he turned to Kalaar and asked,* "Remind me which room belonged to the parents? I want to do a thorough search. After that, if you need to, return to your family; I don't want to hold you up too much longer." *She nodded and also stood from her chair, gesturing for him to follow her. He did so as she led him to the room where Kate and Dom Ritter once slept. As Aerandir had received the necessary documents from when he had taken Morgan in, he had never explored the room for any other information he might need, but perhaps there was a clue locked away in here somewhere. He thanked Kalaar, who informed him that she should indeed be on her way and thanked him again for the information. He offered her a hug, which she accepted, proving that Wookiees had quite a tight embrace indeed. She then parted ways, and Aerandir began his search...*
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