Post by Whill Shaman Nyx on Apr 9, 2013 17:26:27 GMT -8
"Akaan. Akaan ven'draar am..." - Reyn Skirata
Date Started: November 24, 2008
Date of Character's Death: April 19, 2011
Reyn Skirata was arguably one of the greatest of all the Mandalorians to ever live. Although he achieved the rank of Mandalore later in life and did not rule for a long period of time, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest to ever sit at the helm of the Mandalorian Empire. A man of many skills and noteworthy talents, Reyn Skirata was one of the few Mandalorians who was known to smith his own armour; an art that is very rare within the universe.
Reyn lay in a deep sleep after the passion of their lovemaking. His arms were wrapped around Parja. His love, his life. His dreams were as clear as wakeful memories. His life played before his eyes, moments in excruciating, exquisite detail...
His first coupling with Karta, flush with the innocence and desire of youth, their wedding, the birth of his first son.
The Basilisk Crusade, his near death so young at the claws of an elder dragon.
The defeat of Te Kandosii by Qel-droma on the Plains of Harkul, how it led to his people's defeat in what the galaxy knows as the Old Sith Wars. His sister's death on coruscant at the hands of a jedi
The period between the large wars. Karta's death, his secret marriage to Sarissa, how he left her to heed the call of Te Ani'la. How they were reunited as she lay broken on the battlefield, her desperate journey to tell him of their children ending in her death. How he was ashamed of his people's actions during the Mandalorian wars, but did not heed his conscience and fought on. He remembered the crashing of his war droid and awaking in a galaxy grown foreign to him. He remembered his time as dar'manda, his soul deep in the grip of drink and sex.
He remembered meeting Ailyn, and the pain of seeing two of his children stillborn, the joy in the third and smallest surviving, Cuyan. He remembered the birth of Brynden not long from there, and then the birth of Athyna.
He remembered how his heart was broken when Ailyn took the small girl and fled, leaving him to raise Cuyan and Brynden alone. He remembered attempting love again, and Cyria fleeing from him, pregnant with their child, Akemi.
His mind traveled also to the many fights with his Cuy, and how he had been torn in two once more when his son had renounced him.
He smiled in his sleep as he recalled being reunited with Athyna, Akemi, and discovering Kaiden and Jaiihiro.
He also remembered when he first met Parja at the home of her chieftain mother in Kadshukla, the secret affection he bore her even then, not making it known as she had been wed to another.
Then there was Lacy, and all the pain caused by the circumstances of her death, and the loss of his Akemi, and how he had gone into exile after the sordid business, though he did recall fondly the sight of her with his baby Kiera in her arms after she had vanished so.
He remembered his pride at receiving the helm, and the weight of it upon his shoulders growing too large for him to bear.
He remembered meeting Parja again in Keldabe, years older but yet as beautiful as he remembered. He remembered when they had made love the first time, and how it felt more right then any before.
Their wedding came to him then, as he lay on a hospital bed after a heart attack brought by the shock of his Akemi back from the dead.
He remembered the smell and feel of his Parja beside him every night, the peace it brought him.
Reyn remembered these things and countless others. Wars, loves, losses. Every enemy he had slain, every friend he had seen die. Every time a blade or bolt bit his flesh. He remembered things and places he had seen that few others could have claimed to hear of, let alone see for themselves.
His breathing slowed and a cold began to creep into his body, yet he dreamed on. He heard the song of manda welling up within him.
He knew as he dreamed these things, he had been blessed as few others in the galaxy could claim. Yes, he had lost much, but he had known much as well. He had known the love of bright youth, and the love of the seasoned elder. He had worn the helm of Mandalore, he had won glory and honor many times over.
His breathing stopped and he felt himself pulled away toward the fields of Manda, he looked down to his wife's sleeping form and pressed one last ethereal kiss to her lips.
"I will love you forever ner kartaylii...."
The last bits of life left his body. Reyn Skirata, The Dragon of the North, The Scourge of Kad, Mandalore the Smith, had gone to Manda.
He held his true love, and he was smiling....
His first coupling with Karta, flush with the innocence and desire of youth, their wedding, the birth of his first son.
The Basilisk Crusade, his near death so young at the claws of an elder dragon.
The defeat of Te Kandosii by Qel-droma on the Plains of Harkul, how it led to his people's defeat in what the galaxy knows as the Old Sith Wars. His sister's death on coruscant at the hands of a jedi
The period between the large wars. Karta's death, his secret marriage to Sarissa, how he left her to heed the call of Te Ani'la. How they were reunited as she lay broken on the battlefield, her desperate journey to tell him of their children ending in her death. How he was ashamed of his people's actions during the Mandalorian wars, but did not heed his conscience and fought on. He remembered the crashing of his war droid and awaking in a galaxy grown foreign to him. He remembered his time as dar'manda, his soul deep in the grip of drink and sex.
He remembered meeting Ailyn, and the pain of seeing two of his children stillborn, the joy in the third and smallest surviving, Cuyan. He remembered the birth of Brynden not long from there, and then the birth of Athyna.
He remembered how his heart was broken when Ailyn took the small girl and fled, leaving him to raise Cuyan and Brynden alone. He remembered attempting love again, and Cyria fleeing from him, pregnant with their child, Akemi.
His mind traveled also to the many fights with his Cuy, and how he had been torn in two once more when his son had renounced him.
He smiled in his sleep as he recalled being reunited with Athyna, Akemi, and discovering Kaiden and Jaiihiro.
He also remembered when he first met Parja at the home of her chieftain mother in Kadshukla, the secret affection he bore her even then, not making it known as she had been wed to another.
Then there was Lacy, and all the pain caused by the circumstances of her death, and the loss of his Akemi, and how he had gone into exile after the sordid business, though he did recall fondly the sight of her with his baby Kiera in her arms after she had vanished so.
He remembered his pride at receiving the helm, and the weight of it upon his shoulders growing too large for him to bear.
He remembered meeting Parja again in Keldabe, years older but yet as beautiful as he remembered. He remembered when they had made love the first time, and how it felt more right then any before.
Their wedding came to him then, as he lay on a hospital bed after a heart attack brought by the shock of his Akemi back from the dead.
He remembered the smell and feel of his Parja beside him every night, the peace it brought him.
Reyn remembered these things and countless others. Wars, loves, losses. Every enemy he had slain, every friend he had seen die. Every time a blade or bolt bit his flesh. He remembered things and places he had seen that few others could have claimed to hear of, let alone see for themselves.
His breathing slowed and a cold began to creep into his body, yet he dreamed on. He heard the song of manda welling up within him.
He knew as he dreamed these things, he had been blessed as few others in the galaxy could claim. Yes, he had lost much, but he had known much as well. He had known the love of bright youth, and the love of the seasoned elder. He had worn the helm of Mandalore, he had won glory and honor many times over.
His breathing stopped and he felt himself pulled away toward the fields of Manda, he looked down to his wife's sleeping form and pressed one last ethereal kiss to her lips.
"I will love you forever ner kartaylii...."
The last bits of life left his body. Reyn Skirata, The Dragon of the North, The Scourge of Kad, Mandalore the Smith, had gone to Manda.
He held his true love, and he was smiling....