The twin's design sheet, over many months between commissions. I captioned each picture so I think click on them to see titles? More under the cut since 10 photos limit. OK bye.
See also:
[Aryuni’s Design Sheet]
[Saxan’s Design Sheet]
What the hell is this outfit Sageboi? What were you thinking????
"Always remember that you are not the only person in this galaxy experiencing either a personal or universal injustice. A person may change the fates of many, but will always be just another record in the archives. The Force and time are eternal... trying to master both when you are only a speck of dust is an exercise in futility."
Rian's daily class lecture was about to end. Jaesa felt better after meditation, her steps were lighter as she approached Rionnic's office. But before she opened the door, a conversation coming from inside the room stopped her.
".... I had no idea why he chose me as his Wrath but I think I know now. He was just using me to get to my brother. Or maybe he thought I was him… but that's rather unlikely."
"I'm glad he failed in his intention. Had he succeeded in taking over your brother it would have been… near impossible to deal with. Not because of his power, but of his attachments."
Rionnic paused, walking towards the window overlooking Odessen. "Maybe. I was close to killing him a few times before," as he turned towards Lana, sharing an acknowledging glance. "I have a theory that Arcann's move with freezing him finally succeeded in mellowing his mental defenses enough for Vitiate's entrance. Not to mention that I was far away, looking for my family. Now, I... still feel a lingering presence… as if he still has one last card left to deal."
"I wouldn't discount your hunch, at this point we've dealt with Vitiate too many times already it's no longer surprising. We should discuss this with your brother and Sana-Rae. "
"Agreed…" he nodded, then increased his volume a little. "Don't just stand there, come in."
An audible gasp escaped Jaesa's mouth. She reluctantly opened the door to Lana getting up from her seat, excusing herself. The Sith lightly nodded to her before disappearing from view. Wordlessly, she placed the evening tea and bites on the table. There was a seed of jealousy already planted inside her heart, as ridiculous as it sounded. They both ignored each other; seated but sulky Jaesa with her cheek on her palm looking out the window, while Rionnic resumed his mind-numbing paperwork routine. So much for the tranquility and renewed determination after meditation.
She should be the one he confided in. She used to be.
Thankfully, Rian came to the rescue as always. He was always such a welcome sight with his smile and newfound enthusiasm. "Good evening! Are you two ready for my class lecture today?" said the boy with such a commanding tone, causing the father to smirk.
"Yessir!" Rionnic saluted as he took a seat, his mood becoming better than his wife's.
"So! Miss Nadia told us about selflessness. While we must always take care of ourselves, helping others is also a form of self care. The galaxy may throw so many hurdles that challenge the idea but every little thing we do will make it better... So today, I helped C2 deliver some of his comfort packages!"
"That's wonderful! I'm confident that the base is improved by your help, kind Sir." As the father's eyes sparkled with pride. Jaesa agreed while pouring the tea for her little family. While it was a little too Jedi for him, he was glad to see his son learn and build character properly. So far removed from his dark and brutal childhood.
A thought flashed across his mind.
"Would you like to come with me to Zakuul? I bet you've never been there."
Jaesa was taken aback by Rionnic's proposition. It figuratively unlocked another aspect of him that was always there but was ignored by her misconception. That he was no longer the lone executioner but the leader of more than one planet. Perhaps she was nothing more than a small piece of the past for him.
"Wow, really?! I only saw the holos and heard the stories about it. Are they not… angry at us?"
The question surprised Rionnic. "Well, like how the bald man--I mean Arcann--changed, I'm sure they won't mind a visit from us. I already have a few places I want to show you."
"When will we go? Is Mother coming too?"
"Of course she is. The shuttle will be ready by the next hour."
"In that case, I'll hand over my homework to Miss Nadia real quick! I'll be right back!"
After Rian closed the door, Jaesa was met with Rionnic's disdained scowl. It was getting tiresome, having to deal with his anger. "Did you make him say that?"
"Say what? Ask if I'm coming along?" replied her without looking at him.
"I thought I was already clear about not using-"
"What, you're going to berate me each time he says my name? It never occured to you that my son actually loves and cares for me because you clearly don't!"
After delivering that blow towards her husband, she got up angrily and left him there. It was baseless anyways; none of them predicted that Rionnic was going to ask Rian for a Zakuulan trip, therefore his accusations came out of nowhere. Her mind concluded that he was just using her as an emotional punching bag. At that time, she needed some fresh Odessen air, but the base seemed more crowded than usual. Upon using the elevator, she bumped with her sister-in-law.
"Heyyyy sis. Umm, you look upset. Is there anything wrong?"
She was reluctant to spill her heart to Vyria, but not answering her question might seem rude. "It's nothing important... Oh, by the way, have you received the invitation to-"
"YES!" exclaimed Vyria, pumping her fists up. "It's gonna be so fun I can't wait! I played a lot with Rian, he's such a bubbly kid! We went rock climbing the other day, did some sparring, and some tag! Wait, invitation to what?"
The elevator stopped at Jaesa's destination. She could only chuckle while confirming the invitation details. As they parted ways, her mind was debating whether to ask Vyria for advice regarding her eldest brother since they both seemed to be at odds with each other all the time, but their bond was always strong. The only reason why she didn't go ahead with it was Vyria's blabbermouth.
Not wanting to be overcome with sadness, she spent the hour meditating again on a hill overlooking a waterfall.
Meanwhile, Rionnic kept himself busy with his governing duties, seemingly unaffected by Jaesa's words. But only for the first half of the hour. The instances where his wife shut him up kept repeating as background noise in his head, becoming distracting enough until he made a mistake in counting those logistics. He slammed the datapad on the table, then angrily swiped the rest of the gadgets off the table. His hands grasped his hair, then shifted towards covering his face.
Jaesa was wrong. The reason why he was still so hurt was because of how deeply he loved her. He never forgot the way she improved his character, how she gave him normalcy in a life so involved with war. Perhaps the lack of space away from her after the heartbreaking reunion and his responsibilities deteriorated his mental health. To combat the heartache, his mind replayed the good moments he shared with Rian. Like a certain proverb--or whether it ran in the family, seconds after being thought of, Rian opened the door to a mess of gadgets on the floor.
"Father?"
Rionnic immediately returned to reality. His son's face said it all; that he wasn't supposed to see him like that. The Sith promptly started cleaning up the mess while apologizing. "Are you alright?"
"Y-yes, I was just trying to clean the table but I got clumsy."
Rian's hands reached out to his face, making the father stop his actions. That little caress and the look on the boy's face, it made him feel both vulnerable and invincible at the same time. Moments like these are the reason why he still kept his sanity. “Are you sure? You look sad…”
“I’m sure, kind Sir. I just want you to know,” as Rionnic’s heart fluttered and his hands grasped Rian’s arms, “That I love you the most. I’m proud and complete with your presence, and I’ll dedicate my life for you, always.”
“Hmmmm… okay. Do you feel that way towards Mother as well?”
He did not see that coming. All the fluttering was instantly replaced with anxiety, not having an answer to that question. Perhaps children can truly see and feel the tension between parents. Especially since Rian might inherit Jaesa's unique power. Rionnic needed to make up his mind in mere seconds.
"Of course I do. I still love her very much. You're proof of that."
The little padawan seemed satisfied with his answer. So did the mother who was eavesdropping. It might seem suspicious to enter the room right after the confession, so she waited for a few more minutes as the father and son continued bonding. Her husband's words looped in her mind, but she was still hurt by the recent fight. She opened the door to both of them having just finished tidying up the table.
"Aha! Mother's here! I want to see you both love each other."
"What? Rian, what are you talking about?" asked Jaesa in pretense of lacking context.
"Father said he loves you so much," as Rionnic's eyes and mouth widened, wanting to crawl to a hole at the very moment. "So I want to see how. I've never seen you two kiss."
"Rian!"
Not wanting to make his son feel rejected, he decided to honor his request.
"Very well, but first, remember… you must always ask for their consent. If they say no, you stop and respect their response," the Sith straightened his pose, then took a few confident steps towards his wife. "May I kiss you?"
Those words felt like the death of her. Chaotic heartbeat and his eyes piercing into her made her knees weak. "Y-you may."
As soon as his lips touched hers, the world seemingly crashed around them. He explored the softness of her lips, and how long he was starved of her, of all the hurt that was still raw. Both of them converted the pain into passion, prolonging the kiss until it made their son blush. His tiny gasp abruptly ended the hungry kiss.
"Uhm… I think I've seen enough."
That statement embarrassed the parents to no end. "S-sorry, Sir. Let's go board the shuttle now. It should be ready."
Rian agreed excitedly. "Yeah! Let's go to Zakuul!"
A flurry of mixed emotions came crashing at him inside the shuttle. However, the fragrance of her perfume lingered, softly sweeping away the traumatic flashback. An emotionally confused Jedi, how scandalous.
But he couldn't afford to be this vulnerable. Nathema is an unforgiving place, and he'd hate to disappoint his twin once again.
"Where have you been?" asked Vyria, welcoming her half brother home.
"Uhm… some errands. I really should retire for today. Talk to you later, Snowy?"
"Fine. You both are too busy lately."
"Ria…" but his sister had already walked away, waving him off. However, he knew her so well that the conversation needed no continuation.
He leaned against a tree near the waterfalls. The wilds provided him with tranquility and quiet to start meditating. His brain chose to betray him instead. Immediately he started pacing around to sweep those inappropriate thoughts away. Holding her branded arms while inhaling that sweet perfume, he wanted it again so bad. The more intense the craving got, the harder he tried to deny it all. Then he thought he heard something.
He was clearly losing it.
"Look at you. All those years of training undone in mere minutes. It's quite amusing to watch."
He gulped down hard upon seeing his twin smirking and mocking him. But then he suddenly felt uncharacteristically vindictive--perhaps it was due to the lack of rest. The Jedi huffed, countering Rionnic's quip with his own. "I cannot wait until my fellow Jedi makes you fall on your knees with a single touch."
At this, the Sith instantly scowled and marched towards his younger twin. "Glad I already experienced that. When will you?" but before Riornivo could respond, he shoved the Jedi into the water with the Force, drenching him. "I hope that's sobering for you."
Indeed, it took his mind off the yearning and lethargy for a moment. While still coughing up, he paid his brother the exact due. Seeing his twin as soaked as he was filled him with a twisted satisfaction. A short glance at the waterfall near them gave him an idea. "Hmm. Hold on."
He inhaled deeply, then extended his arms forward, facing the waterfall. Seconds later, other elements of nature joined the process of energy pooling. Rionnic folded his arms as he watched his twin glow brighter and more relaxed, then held out a hand for him, smiling.
"No."
Riornivo took his brother's hand anyways, disregarding it with a chuckle. Rionnic grimaced upon holding hands with him, but strangely, his twin's hand was pleasantly warm. The Jedi began circulating the flow of energy between them. It took a few minutes, but the process commonly known as Force Revitalization completed, leaving them refreshed and recharged. Rionnic quickly pulled his hand away, face still contorted despite feeling better than he had in weeks. The calm and serene Riornivo was back, expressing his love for his brother with another quip.
"I guess you really bring out the worst in me, dear Brother."
Rionnic left without a word, returning to the base. He soon followed, thanking him internally for sparing some time despite how busy the Sith was, especially after being the new Emperor of Zakuul. There were weird gazes and awkward greetings by the people of the Alliance upon seeing the twins soaked.
The next morning, just before they departed, Riornivo was approached by Arcann. The former Emperor looked around hard at his surroundings, then talked in a hushed tone.
"I just spoke to your brother about Theron. Now I wanted to talk to you about… her."
"Did something happen?"
"She called just then, letting me know that she’s leaving. Wouldn’t tell me where. I’m asking if you know about this? Did you talk to her recently?”
This revelation was news to him. The focus he worked together with his twin to achieve was wavering. Arcann definitely had impeccable timing. "She told me about your Mother. Didn’t she tell you? She almost got detected."
“No… I just didn’t think it would happen this soon…”
“She probably wants to keep a distance from us. She called you so you don’t have to go searching or wonder if anything happened to her. At least, that’s what I think she meant by that.”
“Do you trust her to be alone and…” as Arcann trailed off, not wanting to say what his sister might do without supervision.
“I do. We should trust her.”
Hearing those words from the Outlander alleviated some of his doubt. Perhaps with Vaylin away somewhere, he wouldn’t have to try so hard to keep Senya from finding out about his sister. “Thank you. For everything, Rio.”
He returned Arcann’s gratitude with his infamous smile. “I’ll be seeing you later, then-”
“Before you go. I’m sorry I couldn’t be much help with Nathema. Please, help convince your brother to spare Theron if you meet him.”
The journey to Nathema felt shorter than the previous trip many months ago. Not much was said besides Rionnic noticing his twin spacing out occasionally then telling him to stay focused. Upon landing, the trio immediately noticed the difference in the flow of the Force, besides the change in the planet’s physical appearance. There were greeneries. Rionnic put on his helmet, leading the small party out of the ship cautiously.
“It’s… so different. I can sense life, and those aren’t the Zealots or beasts. Still, we should be careful,” said Riornivo.
Not far from their landing site, beasts quickly swarmed them, and as fast as they moved, Rionnic swiftly delivered them with his Ataru agility. His twin however, winced with every beast he slew. He didn’t like it one bit. Just after he’d caught his breath, a ship containing reinforcement of Zakuulan Knights, Sith and Jedi arrived. They landed a little farther away from them, and were met with rogue Zealots. The twins’ group rushed to meet the reinforcements in the form of an ambush, defeating the camp’s remaining hostile Zealots. Rionnic leered at his twin.
“You’re not pulling your weight.”
“I thought you already knew I didn’t like to fight. Let me tend to the injuries of our people.”
Lana offered to help the Jedi, which he accepted. They proceeded to use the camp as their own, with some forces staying behind to scout and guard the camp. Lana and the twins headed out shortly to the coordinates given. They couldn’t afford to waste more time.
After arriving at the exact point, sure enough, the person mentioned appeared before them. Lana swiftly pointed her lightsaber at him, burning with rage. “Sorry I uh… needed to meet somewhere the Order wouldn’t notice.”
And thus, Theron began explaining what he had been doing, and the Order of Zildrog’s plans. “I distracted them with false data but we don’t have much time. I set up blind spots so we can go undetected.”
But Lana still wasn’t convinced. “We’re supposed to trust you after all you’ve put us through? How do we know you won’t lead us straight to Zildrog?”
“I know you don’t believe him, Lana. But I do. The least you could do is trust my judgement.”
The statement from Rionnic surprised everyone there. Taking advantage of Rionnic’s lack of sight of him, Riornivo smiled a proud and relieved one for not having to convince his brother to spare the former SIS spy. But Theron did not hide his gratitude, mouthing ‘thank you’ to the Sith.
Even bigger beasts ambushed them onwards, but the humongous Voreclaw presented them with the most problems. Smaller minions dug out from the ground, keeping the party busy. Lana saw an opening and promptly electrocuted the transmission tower behind the Voreclaw. It worked to immobilize it, as Rionnic and Lana hammered it down with blow after blow, while Theron took care of the minions.
"Stop. STOP!!" shouted the Jedi.
"No time for your empathy now." Rionnic coldly dismissed.
"I can pacify it."
"Since we're time-sensitive, any fast option would be-" as Theron managed to get a minion off his back, shooting it "-great!"
"Step aside," he commanded. Riornivo held out a hand, trying to pacify the beast with the Force. While reaching inside the beast’s mind, his other hand produced a salve of healing Force energy. He discovered that the beast was under the Zealot’s control, and although well-fed, it was treated quite unfairly. He freed its mind from their control and gently lulled the beast to sleep.
The party then resumed their course towards the so-called machine God Zildrog. Further into their destination, more surprises sprung on them in the form of renegade Knights consisting of multiple divisions. “Ah, let’s welcome our False Emperor!”
“But why?” asked Rionnic exasperatedly.
“We just didn’t believe you to be Valkorion’s equal, and how much your Alliance put Zakuul through. We know your kind, Sith.”
“Fair enough,” before he delivered lightning fast strikes, taking out targets he deemed less mobile and brawny, such as Heralds and Scions. He had always loved such good exercise, and being a leader had him see less of that. The renegades sprung into action as well, some even adopting Rionnic’s strategy of going for the less martially proficient ones--Theron and Riornivo. The Jedi was hesitant and still hoped he could reason with the renegades, but that went out of the window when a strike aimed at him was parried away by Lana.
“Focus!”
He decided to act defensively. Utilizing his mastery of the Force, telekinetically slamming those whom he caught with his reflexes. Parrying blows meant for him. Incapacitating as much as he could. Theron used this opportunity to slip away to a blind spot and threw thermal detonators at the approaching droid patrol. A few carefully laid traps were set off by him, cutting off the enemy reinforcements. Rushing ahead, around the gates of the crypt was a large caged area which spelled out traps and red flags for them. As they reluctantly stepped inside, a holo transmission lit up, and on the other line was Darth Baras, Rionnic’s former master.
“Look at you. Emperor’s Wrath, Commander of the Eternal Alliance, Emperor of Zakuul himself. Is there no end to your thirst for power?”
Rionnic said nothing to that.
“You left me alive. Soon you will realize what a grave error that was. I have craved for your destruction for so many years!”
“Get to the point, old fart. I’m in a hurry.”
“I have a surprise for my favorite apprentice.” The gates opened and out from it came yet another large beast, in the form of an ancient mechanism. Rionnic sighed heavily, tired of fighting beast after beast in this once barren planet.
The party had a hard time evading the ancient droid’s moves. Theron stepped back, taking just a few seconds figuring out the purpose of the smaller hunter droids. He fired a precise series of shots at them, resulting in the droids rolling into repair mode. Lana hurled large chunks of debris towards the mechanism with Rionnic distracting it. A stronger Force Turbulence finally caused enough damage to the ancient droid, a move reluctantly performed by Riornivo. The droid stepped back into the centre of the arena and began spewing gatling shots spanning in all directions. The party narrowly missed it when Theron pulled Lana and Riornivo with a lasso behind the smaller hunter droids which had formed a shield around them. Rionnic’s armor was damaged by a few shots before he managed to shield himself.
“Red! You’ve been hit!” shouted his twin brother, unable to reach the Sith on the other end of the arena.
“Thanks for pointing out the obvious.”
The gatling shots went on for quite some time, giving the group time to catch their breath. Their eardrums weren’t so lucky. Riornivo shook his head, accepting the fact that this had to end since time was running out. With determination and focus, he aimed for the droid’s core, and single-handedly crushed it with such Force that the ancient machine skidded out of the arena, defeated. Then he quickly met his twin to patch up his wounds. “That… wasn’t soon enough.”
A sorrowful look washed over the Jedi’s face, apologetic to his twin and remorseful to the ancient droid. He stepped towards the broken machine. “What, you’re feeling sorry for machines now, too?” scorned Rionnic. Riornivo only glowered at him.
“We can repair it. Could be an asset to our Alliance.” said Theron, beckoning the group to push on. After navigating through narrow passageways and fighting off more renegades inside the crypt, they finally reached their objective. GEMINI-16 and Vinn Atrius were already waiting for them.
“You!” Atrius shouted as he charged at Theron. The spy’s reflexes were faster, landing a shot on the former Horizon Guard, debilitating him. Zildrog turned out to be a machine with strange pods connecting to it, multiple projections of heads acting as its vocal module, and the platform they were standing on itself was a conduit. GEMINI quickly set up a shield to trap the Alliance group, then proudly displayed how Zildrog worked, wasting no time in activating it to free her sisters.
“The time has finally come. Zildrog awakens. Execute formation 2995.”
The formation activated the Gravestone stationed at Odessen. Koth’s crew inside the ship panicked as the ship moved on its own, orbiting Odessen then facing towards the Eternal Fleet. Hylo commed them to use the escape pods, in which they promptly did. “Commander! Things aren’t looking good here.” The Gravestone charged at full power, firing its beam effortlessly multiple times.
The Eternal Fleet, gone within seconds.
“All this time, Zildrog was--how is this possible?!” exclaimed Lana.
“Hylo, launch as many shuttles out of Odessen as you can. Get everyone out of there!” commanded Rionnic, fearing the worst: that the Gravestone was about to fire on Odessen. Luckily, GEMINI’s plan was not realized because Zildrog used up its fuel--needing to be recharged and dispersing the shield trapping the group.
“Destroy the power source! Don’t let Zildrog recharge!”
The party began a fierce battle against the GEMINI droid. Riornivo did most of the defense against the disintegration beams by forming a shield with the Force, as well as utilizing his expertise in Tutaminis. Once the two Sith saw an opening, they leapt from behind the Jedi and destroyed the pods containing the “fuel” in succession. GEMINI responded by creating duplicates of herself, and each of them directing their beam at the entire party. The two Sith tried to parry the beam with their sabers, but it was stronger than their might. Theron took this opportunity by grappling himself on one of Zildrog’s pillars, directing a duplicate GEMINI’s beam towards Zildrog’s controls. It caught the droid off-guard, and this split second momentum was seized by the team, defeating the duplicates.
Meanwhile, Riornivo eventually overpowered the original GEMINI. Perhaps creating the duplicates had cost her significant resources. When he got close enough, he asked, “Do you want to be free?”
“Yes.”
“As you wish.” The Jedi’s lightsaber delivered a killing blow to the droid with his other hand. Theron immediately attempted to shut the power off. He was unfortunately taken by surprise when Atrius regained consciousness and stabbed him from the back. “Theron!”
Atrius waved them off with the Force, then stood on the pedestal, offering himself as fuel for Zildrog. In return, Zildrog bestowed upon him tremendous power. “I’ve sacrificed too much for you to ruin this...”
"You'll pay for what you've done to Theron!" threatened Rionnic. His twin rushed to help the spy with his injuries, but one so severe would require time to heal. He glanced at his twin already clashing blades with Atrius. He covered Theron with his robe. "Lana. Look after Theron."
Riornivo snuck around, then proceeded to slash his lightsaber to destroy Zildrog’s power console. Atrius found out a little too late, as he was preoccupied with the wrathful Sith mauling strong Juyo strikes at him.
Unfortunately, this resulted in Zildrog taking the Gravestone with it. Being instantly stripped of that power, Atrius’ guard slipped and he received a mighty punch in the face from Rionnic. He was disarmed of his Saberpike, then made to kneel by Rionnic’s unarmed blows.
“Red! Enough--it’s over. Stop!”
Riornivo had to stop his raging twin with the Force, gently immobilizing him, then moving his body away from the beaten Atrius. Between coughs, Atrius laughed at his failure. “Couldn’t even do that right. Guess you won again, Emperor… What are you waiting for?”
“Fitting that you kneeled. You hate to admit that I’m your Emperor now.”
“Red… don’t.”
Rionnic paused. “You’re a prisoner of the Alliance. Come see what you’ve tried to destroy,” as he slapped handcuffs on him.
“Theron’s alive but barely. We need to return to Odessen now.” said Lana.
“Hold on,” Riornivo applied a salve to close the wound, but it snapped Theron out of unconsciousness, screaming in pain. “Let me carry him. Let’s go.” The group, including Vinn Atrius being ushered by Rionnic walked out of the crypt and were met with the rest of the Alliance forces.
Their objective was completed, but none of them were looking forward to seeing the damage endured by the Alliance back home....
There was an uneasy silence as they returned to Odessen. Everyone's faces were somber except for one Vinn Atrius. The failure in the final step of his plan was made up by seeing the atmosphere of defeat around him. Rionnic noticed his smug expression which irritated him even more.
"Better get used to your sweet new home. Take him away."
Debris of the Eternal Fleet could be seen with the naked eye, a testament to how massive the destruction was. Admiral Aygo had already started counting the losses and the remaining ships not affected by the Gravestone. The numbers were disappointing. Fortunately there were no ground casualties--Odessen remained practically untouched. However, some personnel already off planet by the shuttles took this chance to escape with some of the Alliance assets. Yet another problem to deal with.
Riornivo was determined to help his brother through all of this. Starting with the damage control of finances, administrative work, fixing relations and governing Zakuul. He saw the latter objective as an excuse to visit the planet again; specifically to stop by the penthouse. Both twins took the first shuttle to Zakuul the next day. Long hours of paperwork was draining their spirits and filling them with boredom.
"Red… I’d like to take a breather for an hour or so. You should too.”
“Go on ahead. I have a feeling I know what you're going to do.” quipped Rionnic, without looking at his twin.
"Uhm… I… I changed my mind."
"Just. Go."
The Jedi sheepishly removed himself from the office. Out of the Spire and straight to the secret penthouse. At the front door, he sensed two presences inside. He recognized Arcann's familiar energy, but the other was quite enigmatic. It was neither Senya or Vaylin. He pressed the bell to let them know of his arrival.
"Looking for her, aren't you?" teased Arcann by the door, his face more relaxed and content.
"She's really gone then? I'm just checking..."
"Come in. I need to talk about something."
Arcann instructed him to sit in the living room while he proceeded to input new commands for the butler droid. The other presence revealed herself to be Arcann's partner, Aryuni. Her face lit up when she saw the Outlander, enthusiastically greeting him like a puppy.
"Ary? You're… with child?"
Rio's jaw dropped, eyes widened in disbelief. It has been months since Ary's resignation from the Alliance and now he knew why. The curly-haired woman responded in a whispering yet funny tone; "I know right? Can you believe that guy's gonna be a father soon? To twins, I tell you!"
"Twins? I--congratulations!"
"Aren't twins delightful? I can already picture the shenanigans they'll be up to. By the way, how are you doing?"
Rio detected a hint of sarcasm in her tone, preemptively including himself to the twins equation besides Arcann. "It's mostly work. If you watched the news, we've recently taken a huge hit. Will take some time to recover from that, but I think we'll be fine."
"I know, I saw the news. But what about you? Riornivo the Jedi Master, the… Barse? Barcentaur?"
He chuckled at that, making no attempt in correcting her. "Thank you for asking. I'm… fine. I don't have to be all the time, but I feel fine. I hope your pregnancy is going well for you."
"I hope so, it's still quite young but the father's been hovering over me and the grandma's jolly, so that's nice."
"Come to the Alliance base sometimes. Some of them have been missing your energy."
"Hah, do they offer pregnancy classes now?"
Both of them laughed as Arcann came with some drinks for their esteemed guest. Again, Rio sheepishly thanked the former Emperor for the hospitality, but noticed the change in Aryuni's expression.
"Hey my big guy, could you get me some glowshrooms? I need to make something for the cravings… please?" asked Aryuni with the best puppy eyes to her partner. Arcann obliged her request, excusing himself to fill that role of a devoted future father. Aryuni turned to Rio with a slightly nervous body language, making sure Arcann was already out of the room.
"So… Rio, I wanted to thank you again for keeping that letter from way back. I have the same thing for you now. A holocom smack dab in the center of the bed. Don't freak out--but I doubt you will--but I uh, I watched the message and I'm sorry about that."
"What do you mean?"
"A message for you, from her. Hold on, let me get it."
As soon as Aryuni said “her”, his heart skipped a beat. Her knowledge of Vaylin’s status contributed to his anxiety, and it almost peaked once she placed the holocom on the table. Aryuni quickly picked up on his mood and moved to comfort him. “Hey, hey, it’ll be fine. Here, have some tea--we really don’t have to look at it if-”
“It’s alright, Ary. I have to see it. I’m just a little tense. But I have to ask, does Arcann know that you know?”
“Well, not yet. I get the feeling that it’s hush-shush, so I’m still not sure on what to do with this. But you can trust me to not tell anyone. You have my word.”
The more people who knew, the more problems it could present. But wouldn’t this be the eventual conclusion the longer they’re keeping Vaylin a secret? “I suggest you tell Arcann about it soon. But there's Senya. Please don’t let her know.”
“Got it. I swear this to secrecy. I’ll be upstairs for a bit if you need anything.”
He put the concern over her discovery aside to play the message. Once the holocom lit, Vaylin was displayed still wearing the green dress with the complimenting flower crown; her beauty was preserved in the holo message. She fiddled with a datapad, likely containing the script or perhaps a to-do list. There were a few unintelligible grumbles on her end, but she quickly snapped out of it after realizing she already started recording. “Dammit!”
Her mannerism was all too endearing for him, carving a heartwarming smile.
“Okay, ugh, okay, I… I’m hoping this reaches you, Rio. I’ll keep this short. First I want to thank you for all you’ve done and… endured from me. I’m not leaving forever. You don’t have to worry about me--I won’t do anything stupid, I promise. I… um…”
Vaylin linked her fingers again, the usual gesture of her nervousness. "I'll come back soon. If you'd… wait for me."
She abruptly ended the recording. He wished it was longer, and he could sense that she had more to say but couldn't. He replayed the recording, finding comfort from Vaylin's awkwardness. The front door opened just after he'd finished watching, revealing Arcann with a bag of glowshrooms. After he delivered the ingredient to his partner, she promptly got to cooking.
"Here, we'll talk outside," beckoned Arcann to Riornivo.
"Yes, before you ask: When I found her on Corellia, I brought her here but only temporarily. Some of my other penthouses were destroyed months ago. There's one left and the droids have just finished cleaning it. We should be moving next week."
"... Just how many penthouses do you own?"
A smirk formed on Arcann's scarred face. "The only relevant intel is that they are all secret. But I digress. I wanted to talk about Mother. She told me about that incident. Said that the energy felt like Vaylin. Obviously I deflected, but now she's curious…"
Both men sighed. "It's good timing that she left now. Gives me time to think up something to solve that. I do have one alleged solution but she won't like it," as Rio leaned on the railing. “Unless you can convince Senya, but it’s quite likely she’ll find out after that incident.”
“What exactly does that entail?”
“It’s not going to completely sever their bond… but… ah, I probably shouldn’t!”
The Jedi was starting to regret his decision. Arcann raised his eyebrow, motioning him to continue regardless. “I can… sever the Force out of either Senya or Vaylin. It comes with great consequences, and I doubt either of them would agree to this. But it would stop the whole sensing through the Force.” explained the Jedi.
“This is all contingent on revealing the truth to Mother… and Izax forbid, Vaylin.”
And that conversation was a few days ago. Both Arcann and Riornivo were kept busy with Alliance work. The last paperwork Rio signed was Koth’s unpaid leave; he was still distraught over the destruction of the Gravestone, but lately he had been quite receptive to Rio's and his crew's therapy.
Every chance he got, Riornivo would find a secluded place to play Vaylin's message for comfort. He was yearning like a fool; Rionnic would occasionally give him the side-eye. Eventually days turn to weeks and then months.
The Outlander's heart couldn't take it anymore.
Meanwhile for Vaylin, she never stayed on one planet for too long, and tried her best to avoid suspicion or identification. As the months passed, she visited and enjoyed planets such as the farmlands of Dantooine, the resort vistas of Makeb, the lights of Nar Shaddaa, and the waterfalls of Tython. The next destination was the planet framed in the picture on her table at the sanitarium: Alderaan. She made up a line of disguises, and chose the fifth one.
Upon exiting the spaceport, the chilly, petrichor infused air of Alderaan swept her skin gently. The planet was just as beautiful as the picture from her horrid childhood. Her steps were vivacious as she sought out her objective being there: riding a thranta. A thought flashed through her mind--that it was so much better to bask in the sceneries of each planet rather than bombarding them. It made her stop and hang her head low.
She then shook her head and resumed her course, cautiously this time.
When the droid asked about her destination, she couldn't answer due to the lack of knowledge. In a shaky tone, she said; "The longest ride, anywhere!"
It was an acceptable answer, and after paying the fare, off she went for a thranta ride over the lower skies of Alderaan. Her face was the happiest in a long time. When the thranta flew higher, she removed the hat and glasses concealing her face, then untied her hair to let it loose. The air felt amazing, seeping into her pores and blessing her with such peace.
Perhaps a life of travelling could be in her foreseeable future, seeing how many benefits she received and how happy it made her. To have that second chance at life and finally be free...
There’s a LOT of releases this year but this is all I’ve listened to so far? Post is long as always.
PS: LOL I struggled to find suitable songs for some OCs that 2020 ended ahhaha I’m slow as always-
Aryuni
Rina Sawayama - Comme Des Garçons (Like the Boys)
Yeah, oh, girl, it's okay
You should never be ashamed to have it all
Yeah, yeah it's gonna be okay
Yeah, you've come a long way
Don’t fuck with me hoe
Take you down like Judo
Elevate your vision when you put me on the cover
Hot like a fever
Make you a believer
Write my name up in the sky
From Paris to Shibuya
Lady Gaga - 911
Holding on so tight to this status
It's not real but I'll try to grab it
Keep myself in beautiful places
Paradise is in my hands
My biggest enemy is me
Pop a 911
Taylor Swift - mad woman
What did you think I'd say to that?
Does a scorpion sting when fighting back?
They strike to kill and you know I will
You know I will
Every time you call me crazy
I get more crazy
What about that?
And when you say I seem angry,
I get more angry
And there's nothing like a mad woman
What a shame she went mad
No one likes a mad woman
You made her like that
Ariana Grande - shut up
My presence sweet and my aura bright
Diamonds good for my appetite
Guess it fuckin' just clicked one night
All them demons helped me see shit differently
So don't be sad for me
I vibrate high and my circle lit
We ain't really with drugs and shit
Love the game so I never miss
Keep opinions muted for the hell of it
'Cause I like my shit
Harry Styles - Adore You
(From Arcann)
Your wonder under summer skies
Brown skin and lemon over ice
Would you believe it?
You don't have to say you love me
You don't have to say nothing
You don't have to say you're mine
Oh, honey
I'd walk through fire for you
Just let me adore you
Taylor Swift - mirrorball
(To Avery, Avelyn, Saxan)
I want you to know
I'm a mirrorball
I'll show you every version of yourself tonight
I'll get you out on the floor
Shimmering beautiful
And when I break it's in a million pieces
Hush
When no one is around, my dear
You'll find me on my tallest tiptoes
Spinning in my highest heels, love
Shining just for you
Chloe x Halle - Tipsy
(To Arcann)
I've been crucified, darling
Ghost haunt me like New Orleans
I've been charged with murder
'Cause some wanna push me further
I'll hit you where it hurts, yeah
If you don't put me first, yeah
And I don't give no apologies
If you lose a life that's not on me, yeah
I might be a little tipsy on your love
Makes me a little crazy but so what
You're strumming on my heart strings, don't be dumb
If you love your little life then don't fuck up
Avery
Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia
I know you're dying trying to figure me out
My name's on the tip of your tongue, keep running your mouth
You want the recipe but can’t handle my sound
No matter what you do, I'm gonna get it without ya
I know you ain't used to a female alpha
Katy Perry - What Makes A Woman
Is it the way I talk sweet?
The way my skin is soft?
Or how I can be a bitch?
Make you keep your fingers crossed?
Is it the way I cut my hair
And put no makeup on?
I feel most beautiful
Doing what the fuck I want
Rina Sawayama - Dynasty
I'm a dynasty
The pain in my vein is hereditary
Dynasty
Running in my bloodstream, my bloodstream
Dynasty
And if that's all that I'm gonna be
Won't you break the chain with me
I'm gonna take the throne this time
All the words all mine, all mine
It's been way too long, too far
Too gone, to carry on
You can't hide it in the walls
Sweep it under marble floors
It's been living in our lives
Best told damn family lie
Chloe x Halle - Overwhelmed
Holding my breath till my face turns blue
Head underwater
Breathe deeply they said
I need a weekend again
Looking for bright sides
Low on the high types
Running so fast, I done worn my shoes
Head on the pavement
I'm just trying to win
Pushed in the river, I swim
Nothing can blind side
Me like the high tide
I don't do well under pressure
I don't know at all
I wish I had all the answers
Fix it all myself (Oh)
I feel overwhelmed
Avelyn
Selena Gomez - Dance Again
Happiness
Ain't something you sit back and you wait for
Vulnerable
Ain't easy, believe me, but I do it
Feels so, feels so, feels so good to dance again
With my emotions, I just start going in
With everything
To dance again
Katy Perry - Resilient
'Cause I am resilient
A full flower moment
Won't let the concrete hold me back
Oh no
I am resilient
Born to be brilliant
You'll see me grow right through the cracks
Yeah, 'cause you're gonna watch this flower grow right through the cracks
Childish Gambino - 19.10
I remember back when I was six years old
Daddy said "the world's so cold"
"There is something that you should know",
"You're so gorgeous", (thank you daddy)
"Nothing's really worth your time"
"But someday soon you just might find"
"The truth about the world's design", oh
“To be beautiful is to be hunted
I can't change the truth, I can't get you used to this”
Ariana Grande - my hair
(To Ezekiel)
It’s got body and it’s smooth to touch
The same way as my skin
Don’t you be scared
To run your hands through my hair
Baby, ‘cause that’s why it’s there
Come run your hands through my hair
Ooh baby, so don’t you be scared
So come run your hands through my hair
It’s been way long overdue
Just like these inches down my back
Usually don’t let people touch it
But tonight you get a pass
Enzaran
Miley Cyrus - Midnight Sky
I was born to run, I don't belong to anyone, oh no
I don't need to be loved by you
See my lips on her mouth, everybody's talking now, baby
Ooh, you know it's true
See his hands 'round my waist, thought you'd never be replaced, baby
Ooh, you know it's true, yeah
You should know right now that I never stay put in one place
Forever and ever, no more
Dorian Electra - Gentleman
I'm a gentleman
Take my gentle hand
Off to a gentle land
I'm a gentleman
I pick you up
I put you down
I say the perfect thing then I make you spin around
Yeah I'm lighting you up
Throw you around
This is a conquest a war is going down
Thundercat - King of The Hill
A king in his castle
A king of the hill
Wasting his time
Chasing cheap thrills
He knows it's gonna cost him
God knows how much
Jurbiend
Billie Eilish - Therefore I Am
Stop, what the hell are you talking about? Ha
Get my pretty name outta your mouth
We are not the same with or without
Don't talk 'bout me like how you might know how I feel
Top of the world, but your world isn't real
Your world's an ideal
I don't want press to put your name next to mine
We're on different lines, so I
Wanna be nice enough, they don't call my bluff
'Cause I hate to find
Articles, articles, articles
Childish Gambino - 32.22
I'm a funky motherfucker, man
Don't fucking call me
I been the man, don't fire me
Things ain't all bad
We are the, we are the warlords
We are, are you ready?
Firelight, got it, warlords
Pick it up, no, pick it up
Firelight gonna clean it up
Firelight's goin' way up
Red light's on fire
Riornivo
Harry Styles - Treat People With Kindness
Maybe we can find a place to feel good
And we can treat people with kindness
Find a place to feel good
Givin' second chances
I don't need all the answers
Feelin' good in my skin
I just keep on dancin'
Childish Gambino - Time (ft. Ariana Grande)
Seven billion people
Tryna free themselves
Said a billion prayers
Tryna save myself
I can see it coming
But it's moving fast
Maybe all the stars in the night are really dreams
Maybe this whole world ain't exactly what it seems
Maybe the sky will fall down on tomorrow
But one thing's for certain, baby
We're running out of time
Running after something
But I don't know what
Am I running to?
Too afraid to stop
Hundred miles an hour
With no seatbelt on
Time is everlasting
I can't wait that long
Selena Gomez - Let Me Get Me
Like a prayer surrounding us, moving effortlessly
Every word is relief
No self-sabotage, no letting my thoughts run
Me and this spiral are done
Burn this camouflage I’ve been wearing for months
Tryna let a little happy in for once
Don’t get me down, I won’t let me get me
I’m good right now, I won’t let me get me
Take that tired heart and go and turn it inside (out)
Diving in ferociously, dancing intimately
I’m so connected to me
In the dark I’m letting go, so anonymously
I guess this is what it feels like to be free
Troye Sivan - Take Yourself Home
(To Rionnic)
Talk to me
There's nothing that can't be fixed with some honesty
And how it got this dark is just beyond to me
If anyone can hear me switch the lights
Who you really tryna be when they see your face?
Is it worth it trying to win in a losing game?
Well it's all waiting for you
And, boy, I know you're eager
But it just might destroy you
Destroy you
Arca - Calor
(From Arcann)
Rio, me tienes
Rio, me tienes
Eres el premio que más deseaba
Eres el sueño que no me atrevía a tener
Eres el premio que más deseaba
Eres el dueño de todo mi ser
Lady Gaga - Stupid Love
(From Vaylin)
You're the one that I've been waiting for
Gotta quit this cryin'
Nobody's gonna heal me if I don't open the door
Kinda hard to believe, gotta have faith in me
Now it's time to free me from the chain
I gotta find that peace
Is it too late or could this love protect me from the pain?
I would battle for you, even if I break in two
Look at me now
'Cause all I ever wanted was love
I don’t need a reason
Not sorry I want your stupid love
Taylor Swift - marjorie
(To Vianiel)
“Never be so kind, you forget to be clever”
“Never be so clever, you forget to be kind”
“Never be so polite, you forget your power”
“Never wield such power, you forget to be polite”
And if I didn't know better
I'd think you were talking to me now
If I didn't know better
I'd think you were still around
What died didn't stay dead
You're alive, you're alive in my head
Rionnic
Lady Gaga - Sine from Above (ft. Elton John)
When I was young, I prayed for lightning
My mother said it would come and find me
I found myself without a prayer
I lost my love and no one cared
When I was young, I prayed for lightning
When I was young, I felt immortal
And not a day went by without a struggle
I lived my days just for the nights
I lost myself under the lights
When I was young, I felt immortal
Thundercat - It Is What It Is
When the gold becomes dough
And the magic starts to fade
When it all comes to an end
When there's nothing left to say
It is what it is
I tried to make it work
My best just wasn't enough
It couldn't be helped, the end
The things I would do for you
After all is said and done
And I'm all alone
When I sit back and reflect
From a broken heart
Sometimes there's regret
It is what it is
Taylor Swift - peace
(From Jaesa)
Our coming of age has come and gone
Suddenly this summer it's clear
I never had the courage of my convictions
As long as danger is near
And it's just around the corner, darlin'
'Cause it lives in me
No, I could never give you peace
And you know that I'd
Swing with you for the fences
Sit with you in the trenches
Give you my wild, give you a child
Give you the silence that only comes when two people understand each other
Family that I chose now that I see your brother as my brother
Is it enough?
Rina Sawayama - Chosen Family
(From Vette, Katei)
We don't need to be related to relate
We don't need to share genes or a surname
You are, you are
My chosen, chosen family
So what if we don't look the same?
We been going through the same thing
Yeah, you are, you are
My chosen, chosen family
Saxan
Dorian Electra - Edgelord (ft. Rebecca Black)
We live in a society
That's always lashing out at guys like me
They pushed me to the edge, you see
Never, never, never gonna come down
One question, why so serious?
Did I offend you? I'm so curious
Ha, my identity's mysterious
Never, never, never gonna come down
Taylor Swift - this is me trying
I've been having a hard time adjusting
I had the shiniest wheels, now they're rusting
I didn't know if you'd care if I came back
I have a lot of regrets about that
They told me all of my cages were mental
So I got wasted like all my potential
And my words shoot to kill when I'm mad
I have a lot of regrets about that
The Weeknd - Save Your Tears
(To Linnea)
You could've asked me why I broke your heart
You could've told me that you fell apart
But you walked past me like I wasn't there
And just pretended like you didn't care
I don't know why I run away
I make you cry when I run away
I made you think that I would always stay
I said some things that I should never say
Yeah, I broke your heart like someone did to mine
And now you won't love me for a second time
Taylor Swift - gold rush
(From Linnea)
I don't like a gold rush, gold rush
I don't like anticipating my face in a red flush
I don't like that anyone would die to feel your touch
Everybody wants you
But I don’t like a gold rush
What must it be like
To grow up that beautiful?
With your hair falling into place like dominos
My mind turns your life into folklore
I can't dare to dream about you anymore
At dinner parties
I won't call you out on your contrarian shit
Vianiel
Katy Perry - Daisies
They told me I was out there
Tried to knock me down
Took those sticks and stones
Showed 'em I could build a house
They tell me that I'm crazy
But I'll never let 'em change me
'Til they cover me in daisies
Daisies, daisies
Billie Eilish - everything i wanted
I tried to scream
But my head was underwater
They called me weak
Like I'm not just somebody's daughter
Coulda been a nightmare
But it felt like they were right there
And it feels like yesterday was a year ago
But I don't wanna let anybody know
'Cause everybody wants something from me now
And I don't wanna let 'em down
Selena Gomez - She
'Cause she was a girl with good intentions
Yeah, she made some bad decisions
And she learned a couple lessons
Wish I could tell her
She didn't know all of the hurt she could take
Her world was crumbling and so was her faith
Wish I could talk to her, 'cause what I would say
"Oh baby, you're enough to get you out of this place"
Taylor Swift - tolerate it
(To Jurbiend)
I greet you with a battle hero's welcome
I take your indiscretions all in good fun
I sit and listen, I polish plates until they gleam and glisten
You're so much older and wiser and I
I wait by the door like I'm just a kid
Use my best colors for your portrait
Lay the table with the fancy shit
And watch you tolerate it
If it's all in my head tell me now
Tell me I've got it wrong somehow
I know my love should be celebrated
But you tolerate it
Vyria
Rina Sawayama - Paradisin’
Paradisin'
Living my best life, drivin'
Drivin' you crazy
Paradisin'
Living my best life thrivin'
You say I'm misbehaving
But I'm just a kid, so save it
Let me have an unforgettable time of my life
Lady Gaga - Free Woman
I'm not nothing without a steady hand
I'm not nothing unless I know I can
I'm still something if I don't got a man
I'm a free woman
