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Niango
Oct 26, 2018 17:32:25 GMT -8
Post by Deleted on Oct 26, 2018 17:32:25 GMT -8
This moment, however, like all others, was forced to fade. As Jair called out into the Force, his voice was simply swallowed by its void, and the only answer he would find were his own words echoing back to him in his own mind.
When Jair stated his own ignorance to the phrase, Rayanelle took a few small steps towards her doorway, as if to wish them well on their departure. Mariah seemed all too eager to leave. However, instead, her intention was the exact opposite, her frail body standing as a gateway between their only way from her home. “Mariah, dear… what are mother’s teachings?”
The crimson haired woman didn’t need the question to know exactly what was going to take place. Her intention was something Mariah caught within the reverberation of her first footstep. Her jaw locked as she conjured up the little bit of control she still had over the Force to lift the chest from where it clattered and back into her arms. With a critical gaze, she glanced over towards the Jedi. For the time being, he seemed much calmer than he had been when he approached her in Nar Shaddaa. More passive. Just along for the ride through this rather convoluted side path that was finally taking its last twist. Mariah exhaled as she turned her full attention back to Rayanelle. “You’ve honored the Shadows in what you’ve done for my sister and for myself today, Rayanelle,” Mariah stated, her words handpicked and tone as courteous as she could manage. Naturally, though, it had come and gone too soon, before the shock could truly set it. Her eyes narrowed upon the woman as she continued, “However, if that is something Aria did not impart with you during her life, then neither shall I impart that knowledge during mine. Now,” Mariah inclined her chin as she judged the woman and her reaction to her frigid words, “it is time for us to leave.”
Rayanelle could only lower her gaze to Mariah’s words, and with a final defeated sigh, she stepped away to allow the two passage to leave. Expressing the hurt she felt would do nothing. Yet, she felt as though she was so close cracking the code of these cryptic words and puzzling phrases. If she could only get this woman to stay longer, maybe something more would make sense. Anything more. She knew, though, that the deeper she tried to delve to seek out one answer, many more questions would form in its place. This was a lost battle, a piece of her life, she would simply need to accept. There would be no closure. Before the two left, though, her emerald gaze found Jair, at least expecting some sort of a farewell from the kind Jedi before they departed.
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Jair Crawford
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Niango
Oct 26, 2018 18:49:30 GMT -8
Post by Jair Crawford on Oct 26, 2018 18:49:30 GMT -8
And that is precisely what the Jedi would do. He met her gaze, feeling much more at peace about what was going to transpire than before. There was still a very very faint urgency in his voice, but gone was the obvious panic that was evident when they had first entered. Part of that was due obviously to communicating with Aria. To speak to her again, no matter how short it lasted, gave him such hope. The second was Rayanelles hospitality. He needed her empathetic wisdom.
“Miss Rayanelle, I don’t know how to thank you enough. You’ve helped me more than you know. I know you are doubtful of my mission. Any sane person would be though.”
He chuckled slightly, before his gaze turned serious and sincere once more.
“I firmly believe we will meet again, after I return from my journey. When I do, I will find a proper way to repay you for the kindness you have bestowed on us.”
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Niango
Oct 28, 2018 11:45:17 GMT -8
Post by Deleted on Oct 28, 2018 11:45:17 GMT -8
Rayanelle had watched Jair with a similar worry to watching their child about to wander out into the world for the first time. Something cruel would await him; this she knew by his earlier admissions. She hoped -- prayed, even -- that what he believed would prove to be true, that he would return with good news.
“If you return from your journey, seeing you again, safe, will be repayment enough, Jair.”
The woman managed a smile, suppressing the worry that still no doubt weighed heavily within her emerald gaze. Even her words still carried that doubt. 'If' he would return. She couldn’t wrap her head around nor hope for his return, not when his goal here was to venture into Chaos. She needed to shun the dark thoughts from her mind, though. It wasn’t of any use to her, and it wouldn’t help him, either.
“Mariah,” she murmured, turning to the other woman who stood at the door and waited eerily patiently. Her crimson eyes still burned into the older woman, though, making her a little nervous about the final piece to all of this. “Are you sure you wish to take on the burden your sister left…?”
Mariah could hear the hesitance in the woman’s voice and nearly scoffed at her doubt. “The child is not a burden,” she growled.
“To raise a child, which is not yours, is a responsibility that can become a burden, child,” Rayanelle shot back, finally firm in the way she addressed Mariah. She may have had the power and discipline of her past teachings, but to Rayanelle, she was still that -- a child. Inexperienced. And about to take on something she no doubt knew nothing about. “You will experience troubles beyond your comprehension, especially knowing that this is your sister’s flesh and blood, like a constant reminder of this woman you still so clearly mourn.” Her voice lowered from her firm disciplinary tones to something gentler, despite Mariah’s intense gaze that stared back at her. “Promise me… You will learn to soften yourself enough to be a mother to him…”
“I don’t have to promise anything to you…” Mariah snarled. Rayanelle, however, only hardened her disposition to her harsh tones. She would not waver, as if she had realized the upper hand she had. Even if Mariah was at her fullest strength, she could not strike down this woman. Leverage she now clearly used. “...but in my sister’s absence, I will train the child, and he will know nothing of my mourning of his mother.”
It wasn’t the answer Rayanelle had wanted, but it was enough. She had no other option than to accept it. Mariah couldn’t fully admit to it -- to become a mother in her sister’s absence -- but to train the child, to take care of it, even as an apprentice, and to hide from him whatever lingering murderous impulses she still harnessed deep within -- it had to be enough. With it, Rayanelle sighed and nodded her head in acceptance to Mariah’s answer, and without another word, she departed back into the room from which she had disappeared when gathering the other things.
In the brief silence, Mariah braced herself for the Jedi’s reaction. A child? Mariah had known about the one known as Kalis and Aria’s affairs with him. That was the key to this entire expedition. A child of Light and Shadows. A living artefact with enough natural power to complete this Jedi's mission and send him beyond. Despite any questions that the Jedi had now, Mariah would let them linger in silence for a moment longer, as it was too soon to answer anything by the time Rayanelle returned with a lump of blankets cradled in her arms. Mariah narrowed her eyes at Rayanelle, though. No Force Signature... Her jaw locked as she narrowed her eyes upon the woman.
With Mariah’s arms filled with the chest, Rayanelle had no other option but to approach Jair and offer over the child to him. From the blanket, a crystal dangled from a golden chain, the crystal carrying the final piece to Mariah's puzzling question. It felt like a void, sucking in the energy within its immediate surroundings. The reason she couldn't feel what she had anticipated: a powerful Signature beyond her wildest expectations. “Aria was sure to keep him protected after his birth. Make sure that that her pendant is always on him. She... insisted that he keep it... for his own safety.” Rayanelle seemed to speak from experience in the way she dodged Mariah’s gaze, and even Jair’s now as well. “Take care of him, Mariah…”
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Jair Crawford
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Niango
Oct 29, 2018 14:31:09 GMT -8
Post by Jair Crawford on Oct 29, 2018 14:31:09 GMT -8
Jair simply nodded to Rayanelle with a smile and headed towards the door. He opened his mouth in preparation to tell her “May the Force be With You”, but before he could do so, she had begun to question Mariah. Jair was not prepared for Mariah’s response. What child? What did said child have anything to do with any of this? His mother... surely they didn’t mean...? Jair opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say anything Rayanelle had left and come back, holding... something. It was only as she came closer and handed the bundle to him that it became fully evident that this was the child they had just spoken of. The babes presence in the Force was completely absent.
So many questions filled his head as he held the babe, but these questions blurred together incoherently as he tried to take in what was happening. It was difficult not to get emotional as reality began to hit. Still, he asked. He needed verbal confirmation.
“This is... Aria’s child?”
There was no jealousy in his voice. There was no need for that. After all, Aria had another son that Jair knew. But this was so... unexpected. It happened so fast. The babe had his mother’s features. Yet there was something seemingly beyond human about this child. But he was too overwhelmed with emotion to ponder any more on that. He smiled through tears at the child.
“This is... Arias child...”
This time he stated it, with a bit of an emotional chuckle in his tone, as he had now come to realize that this was the truth. He looked up to Rayanelle and Mariah, just for the moment forgetting the mission and how this child connected to it.
“Does he have a na-“
Jair gasped suddenly, cutting himself off before he could finish the question. His hand had brushed against the pendant the child was wearing and it felt colder than ice. He looked at the two women, shocked. Something was strange about that thing.
“Wha... what is that?”
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Niango
Oct 30, 2018 16:49:10 GMT -8
Post by Deleted on Oct 30, 2018 16:49:10 GMT -8
Mariah could only suck in a deep breath between clenched teeth as she watched Rayanelle hand over the child to the Jedi. Her hands clutched the small chest she still carried. For the time being, though, she had no other choice than to accept it. However, the Jedi's stammered reaction didn't help the calm she tried to keep surfaced. Her crimson eyes burned into him, only shifting away to the pendant momentarily when he asked about it.
A closer look revealed the patterns etched into the gold which cradled the crystal. It matched the symbol Mariah had shown Jair when they sought out Rayanelle's residence, and the markings which marked her door. Six circles, evident only as voids, encompassed a murky white crystal which appeared to glow softly with a cold yet brilliant light. As Jair had felt, to look upon the crystal's frigid light sent a physical shiver; its purpose was to swallow the light it falsely appeared to radiate, its shimmer simply an illusion of the mind.
Rayanelle had no real answer for him, but she still tried. "Aria crafted it before he was born. She said something about imbuing it with the Force, to help troubles she knew he'd have in life." With that, she offered Jair an apologetic smile before turning her attention to Mariah. Even with Rayanelle so clearly watching her, Mariah's eyes remained focused and trained upon the Jedi and the child he held.
"More things you couldn't understand," Mariah muttered, her jaw still locked from the burning embers of her fury. She wouldn't go into the lengthy explanations with the Jedi. What was the pendant. What was his name. Those questions would have answers should he ask them at the correct time. Those without, he would learn to accept. "If you two are finished with the farewells..." Her voice trailed off as she pushed her way out the door, paying no mind to final words that Rayanelle tried to reach out to her.
"Mariah, please... take care him."
Rayanelle knew Mariah would have paid just as much mind to the reminder as she did the first one. None. She was gone all too hastily, with those quiet yet determined, steady footsteps. Her eyes glanced to Jair, now glistening with the tears of what felt like a final farewell. The fate of the child was in the elder Shadows now. And the Jedi... His fate was in his own hands. And Aria's. She embraced Jair, and as she released him to let him make his leave, her emerald gaze smiled down on the little one. She prayed it wouldn't be the last time she would see him, either, although just like Jair, her doubts clouded that hope.
"And you... take care of yourself," she whispered, her voice quivering from her sadness in this goodbye. "May the Force be with you... All of you."
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Jair Crawford
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Niango
Oct 30, 2018 17:05:16 GMT -8
Post by Jair Crawford on Oct 30, 2018 17:05:16 GMT -8
Jair nodded to Rayanelle, holding the babe carefully and securely.
“May the Force be with you as well, Miss Rayanelle.”
He followed Mariah out, before turning back one more time.
“Thanks again, for everything.”
He smiled as he turned back around to catch up with Mariah, but not too quickly. He was holding precious cargo now. He still had no idea how this child fit into the big picture at all, and he was still so shocked by this revelation that he had to really work to remind himself of the mission. He caught up with Mariah. There were so many question he wanted to ask, but he has the feeling that the vast majority of them would not be answered right now. So he held his tongue and asked the only one he knew would be answered.
“What is the next move?”
He asked as he cradled the babes head.
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Niango
Nov 1, 2018 17:05:32 GMT -8
Post by Deleted on Nov 1, 2018 17:05:32 GMT -8
It took everything for Rayanelle to keep herself together and composed as Jair said his last goodbye, his final thanks, before leaving her home. The door shut, and the heaviness of her emotions were nothing but a memory now as the Jedi continued his steady march onward.
Mariah was already well down the alleyway that it took some time before Jair would catch up. With the child cradled in his arms, though, she had kept a watchful eye on him from afar. The Force in these matters was a powerful tool. She wanted to waste no time in doubling back to her ship, but the image of Aria’s child in the Jedi's arms sickened her.
When he finally caught up to her, she was nearing the alleyway entrance, where they would need to push past the same crimson foliage that signaled the Jedi down this area. Now, it was more obvious to her. She was seething that she was so blind in her own emotions to have missed it. The path she was treading was becoming more of a slippery slope with every passing circumstance. She was beginning to understand just how easy it was for other wielders of the Dark Side to fall to their emotions and sprout their false, warped teachings throughout the galaxy.
"We get out of the public eye, and then we remove the pendant," she answered simply yet sharply. She could hear the rebuttal now: 'But didn’t Miss Rayanelle say we shouldn't?' While she didn’t know if that was the Jedi's next thought or not, she still answered it to save her the possible headache. "The child serves two roles in your trial, but he can serve neither with my sister's pendant."
Within the soft glow of the twin sisters in the moonlit sky, Mariah guided the two down the streets, now far less busy than when they had arrived. A few stragglers still wandered, some drunkards, others looking to find a drink of their own, lovers and families and friends, all of them seeking an exciting nocturnal adventure on this terrible planet for such. Despite their annoying ramblings, it was at least easier to walk the path back to the hangar bay. Mariah only made note of this, so that she could pause for a brief moment to turn back to the Jedi trailing behind her.
"If you have any lingering questions, Jedi, now would be the time to ask them."
It was a bit too obvious that offering that was difficult for her. However, she couldn't deny one thing: she now had her sister's family artifacts on her person and the child in her possession, and those on this planet knew nothing of her arrival. She was able to keep that promise to Aria with minimal interference, and it was only by his hand that she was able to achieve that. If she was going to plunge him into Chaos, whether or not it was his own desire to do so, something in her soul, by the lingering disciplines of her past, urged her to clear up this single debt first.
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Jair Crawford
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Niango
Nov 1, 2018 17:55:56 GMT -8
Post by Jair Crawford on Nov 1, 2018 17:55:56 GMT -8
Jair had numerous questions. So many that he knew he could not ask them all right here and now. Time was of the essence, and if he did so, they would be lingering far longer on these streets than they needed to. So as he caught up to her finally, with babe carefully in tow, he asked the questions that stood out to him the most, and that seemed the most important.
“The child... he... I feel like I should address him by name. I don’t know why... I guess... I don’t want to just see him as a means to an end. In a way he is Aria’s legacy...”
Jair looked down at the precious babe he was tasked with holding. Once again his mother’s features were evident. But there was something about him. Something... other.
“He seems... more than human. That is, more than any mere sentient...”
As Jair spoke his thoughts and questions, he began to put two and two together. This pendant was almost certainly concealing the babes signature in the Force. He wondered, even, if the pendant was also cutting the child off from the Force.
“He’s ... extremely strong in the Force, isn’t he? I mean, to a magnitude far beyond the norm...”
And this led him to the most important question of all.
“Can we keep him safe, if we remove the pendant? I don’t want him to be put at risk.”
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Niango
Nov 3, 2018 17:39:36 GMT -8
Post by Deleted on Nov 3, 2018 17:39:36 GMT -8
Mariah only inhaled a deep breath as Jair asked his first question. The name of the child. She had figured he would have such a question for her, but this was one of the questions he had that had no true answer yet. How to explain this to him with minimal words was the next issue. She would grant him the answer, as best as she could, but just as cryptic as Rayanelle had described Aria, so was Mariah with any other outsider, no matter how helpful, no matter what her debt.
"In a matter of years, he will carry his true title, legacy, and name... but for now, call him what you wish."
Mariah shifted her jaw her crimson gaze shifted over towards two denizens who ventured a bit too close for comfort. The way they eyed her and the Jedi, she thought they would stop to ask a question or two. Her eyes narrowed upon them, though, shunning them to continue on their wanderings and bother someone else. With the matter dealt with, she looked back towards Jair to continue her explanation.
"This is simply the ways of our people, which I will continue to raise him in, as Aria would have wanted."
Next was the heavier question. Was the Jedi really so ignorant that he didn’t know about Aria’s affair? This one seemed attached to her sister. Surely, he would have known about both of her lovers. It was a conversation she didn’t want to have with him, though, so she only stuck to the question at hand. The child that was both her legacy and the reason she was no longer here -- a fact she would leave out.
"His connection to the Force is more than either you and I could ever hope to understand. That is the legacy he will leave, thanks to his father."
And the last question. Would he be safe? To be completely honest, Mariah didn’t know the true answer to that question, either, but she would leave that ignorance unspoken.
"If you wish to see my sister again, you have no other choice, Jedi."
The way she eyed him, it was like a challenge. What was more important to him? To keep the child completely safe from harm, at least for now. Or to find her sister? Either way, nothing could be promised the moment they parted ways; it shouldn’t be a concern to him now. Mariah knew about some of these Jedi and their oh so noble sense in trying to protect the precious life forms that walked about in abundance. In a way, they kept their own eyes blind to the Force and Its ways in their constant seeking to keep life safe. As with all things, Mariah was taught, there is a balance. Life with death. Light with darkness. Peace with chaos. None of these things could exist without the other. As such, there couldn't be reward without some risk.
"Does it really matter?"
Her question cut like a knife, and she paused for just a moment longer, to hear out his answer, before she would continue onward.
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Jair Crawford
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Niango
Nov 3, 2018 20:12:08 GMT -8
Post by Jair Crawford on Nov 3, 2018 20:12:08 GMT -8
Jair simply nodded in response to her answers to his first two questions, although he had a feeling she was intentionally leaving details out regarding the child’s uniqueness. But now was not the time to ask who the father was. That would wait until a more appropriate time, should one arise. He focused the most on her last response. He tensed up slightly at her harsh retort. A wave of guilt and bewilderment swept over him that he wasn’t expecting. He looked Mariah in the eye, having a hard time hiding the fact that he was judging her for her words and attitude here. This child was her flesh and blood! He blinked several times and shook his head slightly, calming himself down with a sigh.
“Yes. It does.” He stated simply.
“Even if we were to just, disregard the basic ethics of endangering a child’s life...” The exacerbation at even having to say that was ever so slightly evident in his voice; “... It still matters. How could I even approach Aria if something happened to her son? What hope do I have of getting her to hear a word I would have to say? This could be detrimental to the mission.”
Jair looked down at the precious bundle he was holding once more before looking back up at Mariah, speaking very firmly.
“If there is anything you know for a fact could go wrong and harm him, I need to know.”
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Niango
Nov 6, 2018 12:50:50 GMT -8
Post by Deleted on Nov 6, 2018 12:50:50 GMT -8
It was all too clear that Mariah had struck a nerve with her apathetic nature towards the mission and what was required for it. While her expression didn't shift or twitch to reveal any sort of reaction, the slightest cock of her head at least showed she was hearing to what he had to say. When Jair finished protesting, she turned to face him fully, her crimson eyes locking with his with that same sharpness as her earlier tones. She may have heard him, but it was clear that she didn't care to listen to what he had to say.
"You do not deserve to see my sister if you are not willing to risk whatever is necessary to do so."
She let her harsh words ring in the air for a moment longer, until silence settled between the two of them, before she continued.
"I cannot promise anything regarding the child, nor what might happen when we remove the pendant. All I know are the prophecies spoken over my sister, the visions of his coming and the power which they spoke over him..."
Aria's prophecy; it was the whole damned reason she continued to pursue that one and bear his child, even at the cost of her own life. But there was a part of this that Jair wouldn't know, nor would Mariah allow him to know it. Her own prophecy, which slowly melded together more and more as time progressed forward. However, to ease the Jedi's nerves, there was a part of it that she would need to impart to him, and with that thought, Mariah's crimson stare narrowed upon him.
"He will live."
That was the final bit of knowledge she would reveal to him, the extent of what she could promise regarding the child and this mission. She couldn't promise the whole safety of the child. She couldn't promise he would come out unscathed. She couldn't promise anything more than his life, which -- whether the Jedi pieced it together or not -- was a promise built off of spoken future that had not yet to come. Now, the decision was left for the Jedi to make. He would need to make it quickly, since with all of his questions now answered, Mariah turned and continued her way onward towards the hangars.
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Jair Crawford
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Niango
Nov 8, 2018 18:56:12 GMT -8
Post by Jair Crawford on Nov 8, 2018 18:56:12 GMT -8
Jair followed quickly after her. To say he didn’t understand her harshness towards her own flesh and blood was an understatement. But she did say that she knew the child would live. That did indeed ease his nerves some, but he made it clear that he was still unnerved. He called out to her from behind as he followed her.
“We continue the mission then. But I do want to meditate on this once we reach hyperspace.”
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Niango
Nov 12, 2018 15:34:02 GMT -8
Post by Deleted on Nov 12, 2018 15:34:02 GMT -8
The sound of his footsteps reverberated within the air behind her, the Force amplifying the sounds as Mariah covertly paid attention to the Jedi's movements. He held her sister's son, after all, and she needed to be sure that her words were enough to convince him to continue on the path ahead -- or at least bring the child with him and not attempt some other insane display of risking his life, such as attempting to run off with him. When she was sure that the Jedi's footsteps followed hers, her pace quickened all the way until they reached her ship within the hangar bay.
"You can do whatever you want once we reach hyperspace," she called back over her shoulder as she sent the commands to lower the ramp.
Hyperspace wasn't the plan, which is what made the Jedi's request all that much easier to accommodate. She wouldn't be the one to tell him that, though, and simply allowed his original request to run its course to completion. With the ramp lowered, she jerked her chin to signal his ascent into the ship first.
"Head to one of spare rooms with the child," she commanded sharply. "Hang a left once you're in the main corridor and it'll be the first door to your right."
She had plans to stop at her chambers first, to quickly sift through the chest's items, before she'd meet him there. It was better this way. The idea of inviting the Jedi into her personal chambers caused Mariah to visibly grimace in disgust. Hopefully the Jedi already made his way up the ramp as commanded, so there wouldn't be anymore attempts at questions today.
'Soon enough...' she thought to herself. 'Soon enough.'
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Jair Crawford
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Niango
Nov 21, 2018 20:03:53 GMT -8
Post by Jair Crawford on Nov 21, 2018 20:03:53 GMT -8
Jair did exactly as she instructed. He too wanted to get the child situated, and safe. He set the babe down gently in the designated resting area, and sat down next to him, the Jedi himself resting a bit. The babe stirred slightly, but did not fuss. He opened his eyes. The resemblance was striking. Jair smiled softly as the babe yawned and stretched. Woe betide them if anything happened to him. Yet now he only wanted to find Aria even more, for this child’s sake. All he could do now was wait for Mariah to meet with him. She was taking some time doing whatever it was she was doing, so he began to meditate on what they were all about to undertake as well as the even deeper depths he himself was ultimately headed.
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Niango
Nov 23, 2018 19:05:39 GMT -8
Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2018 19:05:39 GMT -8
Even as the Jedi departed the way she instructed, Mariah still kept an eye out on him within the Force. In all actuality, this was the first and perhaps only time anyone else would see the insides of not only her ship, but her home. Sometime difficult to register with how barren it was. Only a few necessities spread throughout. Even the spare room which Jair had entered wasn’t set up as a proper sleeping chambers. At least there was a makeshift cot among the storage boxes containing an array of different items, no doubt trinkets she had picked up throughout her smuggling days.
While Jair took that left, Mariah took a right, heading towards the bow. Passing the bridge, Mariah entered a room just past it. As empty as the rest of the ship, her chambers felt empty, cold. The furniture sparse, devoid of any sort of decoration to at least make it feel like a home. Mariah, however, had paid it no mind, up until this point. She had all she needed to survive, and that was all that mattered until now. The thoughts of a child here, remaining here, resonated a disgusted growl from within her throat. For but a flicker of a moment, she envisioned throwing the chest across the room. It was a very viable option. Even in these circumstances, though, she kept herself stitched together, even if her emotions were bursting at the seams with this entire quest. Her fury would later be unraveled on the Jedi, which was the only thing keeping her outward appearance otherwise completely and eerily calm.
Setting the chest at the edge of her bed, Mariah used the pendant she knew to be the key. Aria’s pendant. Mariah snapped it in place, forcing the chest to clatter as the lock broke open. Within, Mariah found the six pieces she would need for this Jedi’s deathwish. Taking each dagger in hand, Mariah carefully looked each one over, before finding a way of affixing them to her belt. They were Aria's primary weapons in her final days, her father's before her, and her grandmother's before her. Weapons Mariah shouldn't have needed to wield.
By now, she could sense that the Jedi’s aura had reached a level of calm. He was too eager to seek out answers that would never come. With a scoff, Mariah departed from her chambers and marched down the corridor. With each step, Mariah readied herself for the coming ritual. When she arrived at the spare room, she said nothing. However, she still snapped him out of his meditations with a sharp ping within his mind, sending a shock through his neural systems. She waited for some sense of protest to her more violent way of pulling him from his meditations, but either way, she paid no mind to how he reacted. Only that he pull himself out of it.
With her arms now free, she picked up the child, sitting herself down in the cot. She expected him to fuss, yet that never came. Instead, he stretched, reaching his small hands towards her and wrapping them in the vibrant strands of her crimson hair. Perhaps a heart-melting sight to someone like the Jedi, but Mariah found herself only staring emotionlessly at the child. Handling the fact that this was her sister’s child would be a matter for another day. Her focus steadied on the use of the child in the Jedi's journey and shifted to the pendant which dangled in the swaddling around his feet.
"When you’re ready, Jedi..." she murmured, her eyes only glancing up to meet his with a narrowed intensity.
Of course she would make him do it, to face his earlier fears. The child’s possible safety, wrapped up in this pendant, and she would make him remove it. A test in some ways. A trial to sate her curiosity in others. However, she meant what she snapped at him earlier: ‘You do not deserve to see my sister if you are not willing to risk whatever is necessary to do so’. She wanted to see if her words pushed him in any way at all to do just that.
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Jair Crawford
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Niango
Dec 4, 2018 21:08:01 GMT -8
Post by Jair Crawford on Dec 4, 2018 21:08:01 GMT -8
Jair met her intense gaze, knowing she was studying him, but his eyes assured that he refused to fall to any callousness on the matter. He would not objectify Arias child, and it was out of urgency and reluctance that he would attempt anything. He took ahold of the pendant. He visibly tensed up. It was ice cold and chilled him to the bone, feeling almost empty and exposed while touching it... almost as if it was sucking away his ability to use the Force. Grimacing awkwardly, he slowly and carefully lifted the pendant off of the child and placed it ontop of a child proofed plasteel supply container. As soon as he let go of it, he felt warmth and his Force senses coming back to him. He immediately surveyed the child, hoping, and praying that this deed caused no harm to him.
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Niango
Dec 17, 2018 17:58:27 GMT -8
Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2018 17:58:27 GMT -8
Mariah had expected some sense of push back from the Jedi, more arguments or something of that nature, so when he, albeit hesitantly, started to act as instructed, the woman hummed thoughtfully, despite that critical gaze that locked upon him. Perhaps her words finally started to sink in, and he was ready to fulfill this self-appointed mission of his. Either way, she could physically see the way he reacted to her sister's magics imbued into that pendant and the draining, frigid effects. No doubt, if this child harnessed the power she believed he did, the power of that spell wasn't something to mock or ridicule. Mariah's eyes shifted away from the Jedi and to the pendant, and she waited...
The moment the pendant was removed, a heaviness wash over Mariah with the child at its epicenter. It was as though the wind had been knocked out of her lungs, and the air felt as if it had been turned solid. Her pulse beat loud in her ears, like war drums warning her of an impending battle. She was bathed in what felt on the surface as sheer, unbound and blinding light, but with every one of those beats, there was an underlying malevolence that crept up within, adding a new layer of dissonant havoc on their senses. The child, once soothed and hushed, perhaps felt the most of the effect and released a panicked shriek. With his cries, an earsplitting ringing melded with her heartbeat, now amplified like booming explosion in her chest, wracking and raving her senses until they were all but numb. Amidst the child's anxiety, Mariah growled to herself and doubled over under the stress. It was a beat to connect the feeling, that spell of Aria's, now intensified a thousand fold. In the process, she found herself clinging tightly to the child, but in such a way that she appeared to hold him protectively, comfortingly. She had braced herself for the worst of what she could imagine. While this surpassed even her own mental preparations, Mariah managed to quiet her mind and weather the onslaught. All unbeknownst to the Jedi, although he could have guessed with the sheer amount of power that that radiated from the child's presence with the pendant now removed. Perhaps he could give thanks to his Ashla that he wasn't the one holding the child anymore.
It took a few moments, and those moments felt like hours, but Mariah was able to muffle the high pitched screaming in her ears. Just enough to hear it over the ringing -- a soft, melancholic lullaby, lamenting in her mother's voice. Those tones soon took shape with her sister's voice joining in, almost encouragingly. Perhaps a verbal hallucination in this rush of the Force, but it mattered naught what it was, only that Mariah heed their request. Involuntarily, Mariah followed with a whispered song within her deafening chaos. Her voice wasn't like her sister's, nor her mother's, but it was enough. The words would have no meaning to the Jedi, but whatever it was that she murmured seemed to calm the child down after so long. The nerve-wracking sensations over her being lessened slowly, until the light appeared to take form into a visual hallucination. Mariah tried to make out the energies that flickered around her, her only mortal comprehension that it was the Force beginning to manifest itself physically around her.
"Sit closer, Jedi."
Her whispered command was sharp, only interrupting the song briefly between verses, before her hushed voice continued on with those foreign lyrics. The more she sang her family's lullaby, the more at ease the child grew, despite the pendant no longer offering its comfort. Aria's time was too short for the child to have recognized it as his mother's song; however, there would be something so familiar about it, even to outside ears like Jair's, like a memory of a song once known yet forgotten. The child stifled the remnants of his crying and was lulled away by the song while he clung to the woman who offered its melody. With his ease, the sparks of energies grew more opaque and reached upwards as though there wasn't a ceiling to obstruct it. The boundaries of the physical world seemed to peel away before her once harsh, critical crimson eyes, and should the Jedi move closer as instructed, perhaps he, too, would witness whatever hallucinations were brought on by the child's true presence.
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Jair Crawford
Databank Operations
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Affiliation: Jedi
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Niango
Jan 7, 2019 23:55:51 GMT -8
Post by Jair Crawford on Jan 7, 2019 23:55:51 GMT -8
The Jedi jumped with a start at the baby’s cries. The child’s Force signature hit him like a shockwave simultaneously. Mariah too seemed to react very strongly. In fact he had half a mind to ask her if she was ok, let alone the babe. But before he could say a word, Mariah had taken the child and begun to sing to him as if by instinct. Completely oblivious to the chaos Mariah had experienced internally, Jair gazed at the two of them in amazement at what he was witnessing. He had never seen Mariah do anything like this, nor could he have ever pictured it seriously in his mind. However there was nothing funny about it. In fact it was rather soothing. It was almost as if he could feel Aria singing along some how...
Jair snapped back to focus at Mariah’s command to draw nearer to them. He didn’t question her this time. As he moved in closer, he could feel the child’s signature in the Force almost like a magnet. The melody Mariah sang began to echo in his head, and now, he swore he could actually hear Aria singing along, and before long, he found himself humming along to it. It was so... beautiful... enchanting... What was happening? Was he seeing things now? No... this was no vision... this was far too surreal yet real to be. Suddenly he felt truly weightless, all the while, he kept humming along. He felt a warmth cloak over him, and a bright light began to envelope everything in his field of view, but he was not scared in the least. He kept humming the song like a soul being drawn in by a siren.
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Niango
Jan 12, 2019 10:44:26 GMT -8
Post by Deleted on Jan 12, 2019 10:44:26 GMT -8
It was no surprise that the Jedi would be drawn to the child within these early moments, while the other had to fight against the dissonance within her very being. Whether Jair realized it or not, that was the constant state for this child and the source of his cries and suffering. These two opposite forces, of Light and Shadow, locked in an eternal fight within the same fragile body. However, the more Mariah whispered this song, the stronger it became, as if the melody itself carried the magics of the Force within. Even without the pendant to provide him the peace of these warring opposites, the child had reached a calm state, even yawning as the song continued to lull him closer to sleep's mercy.
An ancient song, lingering in the memories of the Force, continuing by the memories of those now passed. As though those memories were imparted to Jair, he hummed along without a beat of hesitance or pause. As second nature as breathing. Mariah's quiet melody was silenced, although not out of shock, but rather necessity to her next steps within this endeavor. The Jedi, enchanted by the happenings around him, had a mission, one that Mariah had agreed to play a role in. Her wicked part in all of this had not been forgotten nor stripped of what little bitter joy she would find in it.
Mariah carefully dropped the babe back into Jair's arms, leaving him to continue the soothing melody that swept the child off to his dreaming state. With Mariah's hands free, she circled the Jedi within the small space of this spare room. As her feet hit the floor, it was as though she disturbed the energies, wisps of light that moved around her ankles like smoke. Drawing the first blade from its resting place upon her hip, Mariah spoke out over the ancient song, words that sounded so similar in comparison, yet more malicious and menacing than that comforting melody. The incantation, the way that Mariah knew for the Jedi to finally see her sister. When the final syllable struck the air, she pressed the blade against her palm, already wounded from the shattered glass, and drew a steady flow crimson to stain and drip from the sharpened edge. Mariah dropped the knife, not out pain, but seemingly with purpose. The moment the metal clang of the knife to the floor of her ship reverberated, the knife spun like a compass needle, the point seeking the direction of Jair – the child. The white energies which enveloped the room hissed at its presence, and a rune upon the flat of the knife alit with a menacing glow.
Mariah moved onward a few steps away from the first and drew the second athame from its place. As if to do the same as the first, the crimson haired woman kept a steady eye on the Jedi. Watching. Waiting. Yet continuing onward with this strange ritual without pause or hesitation. All the while, the first athame filtered these bright energies and radiated a chilling, wicked aura of the same amplitude and intensity, that suffocating amount of energy Mariah would need to send this Jedi into the Chaos he sought.
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Jair Crawford
Databank Operations
Posts: 359
Affiliation: Jedi
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Niango
Jan 12, 2019 13:36:58 GMT -8
Post by Jair Crawford on Jan 12, 2019 13:36:58 GMT -8
If Jair were aware of what Mariah was doing, he very likely would have panicked at the last minute. But he was completely unaware. The light around him began to peel away his surroundings until he found himself on a strange world alone. Or so he thought. A tall ancient man approached him. In the meantime Jair looked down and noticed the babe was no longer in his arms. It was strange that he noticed such a thing for he was not aware when Mariah placed the babe in his arms just moments before. Regardless, he immediately panicked.
“Where am I? Who are you and where is the child?!” The Jedi demanded loudly. The ancient man held up his hand gently and addressed him.
“Young Jedi, calm yourself. You still have the child aboard the crimson haired one’s ship. You are not yet physically here. Though, I should ask you the same question. Why are you here young Jedi? What are you doing with the crimson haired one? Do you have any idea how dangerous it is that which you are intent to attempt? Are you mad?!” The ancient man’s voice and demeanor started off calm and composed, but then as he began to question Jair in turn, his tone became more intense. He raised an eyebrow questioning the Jedi’s intentions until finally raising his voice slightly at the end.
Jair shook his head in relief. But on the other hand he had little time for this. “Normally I would ask how you know all of this, but I am running short of time. I am on an important mission and I don’t have time for any delays, no matter how... strange.”
The ancient man’s expression now turned to a grieved one. “So you have made your decision Jedi. Very well then.”
A mysterious woman appeared and questioned the man.
“Why do you grieve? Don’t you understand that he does this out of love? It is a pure love, surely you can see that.” The man quickly retorted. “Surely you must know that this is very dangerous, no matter how noble! Are you sure of this, Jedi? Make no mistake, the only reason I give you a choice or any help in the matter is because you have involved one of our own.”
The Jedi eyed him quizzically. “One of your own? I don’t understand, what do you-“
“The child, young Jedi.” The ancient man answered. “You are fortunate that the child did not get harmed in this reckless endeavor, or else this would not have been nearly as pleasant an exchange I assure you. I can tell there is no swaying your mind though. We will bring the crimson haired woman and the child here with you as well, in bodily form, and she may continue her ritual here on our planet, so that we can assess the child in all of this.” With that the ancient man lifted his arms into the air.
As the ancient man did this, Jair immediately felt him come back to himself and he realized that he was back inside the ship, holding the babe once again, and Mariah was still doing her ritual. He was still singing and the air around him still glimmered from the effects of her strange spells. But he looked behind him and sure enough, the ancient man was there, along with the mysterious woman, watching and surveying the whole thing while somehow being totally unaffected.
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