#narithia

there is blood.

so

very much.

blood.

it drips from the vibroknife clutched in her pale hand. no, no longer pale. stained. tainted. red.

with his blood.

he can almost feel it. feel his blood alive on her skin. and it

hurts.

it’s burning.

his torso is on fire, burning with his blood and she is twisting. twisting the knife. twisting his life between her fingers. as he always knew she would. as she always did.

this is personal.

this is revenge.

and it burns.

he tries to breathe, tries to make sense of his surroundings and her words. her words are cold and calm.

jedi.

he killed her padawan. watched her taken by the empire and tried to twist her. but now she is twisting him from the inside out.

he gasps for breath as he feels the knife slice easily upward through sinew and bone and stealing his breath away.

he knows what he has done.

it cannot be undone.

she escapes into the night, his deshade howling his contempt for all of dromund kaas to hear. yet he feels nothing. he is empty.

he no longer minds.

pieced together like so much broken glass he will never be whole again unless he is reforged by fire.

yavin calls to him now.

is the emperor his fire

Safely atop the speeder, Narithia wound her arms about Nadia's waist. The woman tensed briefly, and then relaxed. The vehicle rumbled, sputtered and roared. Dust had settled onto its workings, but still it responded, still it moved. Great clouds rose up behind them as Nadia drove away from the wreckage. Smooth, open roads lay out before them - fortunate, as she could barely keep her eyes on the road. The sirens of local security forces greeted them. Narithia watched them pass with idle curiosity.

  "Shouldn't we introduce ourselves?"

  Nadia glanced briefly over her shoulder.

  "You advised us not to, Narithia, in case of Imperial sympathisers within their ranks. Doctor Mendriax warned you..." She trailed off, waiting. She wanted Narithia's reaction - she needed to know how much her master could remember.

  "Imperial sympathisers?" Patches of indigo sky hung above, lines of coloured light streaking through. The nouveau-riche, culturally aware warehouses were now inhabited, and the thrum of synthesized music filtered into the street. "Yes, of course, we wouldn't want the Empire to know we were here."

  They drove further, leaving behind the converted industrial sector - a sign of decay or new life, Nadia could not decide which. The buildings steadily reached higher, blotting out the sky. Cars and people packed the streets. The low overhangs of advertising boards prevented higher levels of travel.

  Narithia shifted on her seat, appearing to take in every detail. Multi-coloured lights twinkled and shone, creating a fake star studded sky that nearly touched the ground. It was quite beautiful, though she was somehow sure that even greater sights existed. She squeezed Nadia gently.

  "Yes, Narithia?" Naida halted, made to correct herself, and then thought better of it. She was stil unsure of calling Narithia - Narithia in this state - 'master'. It might confuse them both. "What is it?"

  Her voice was full of wonder when she spoke, but Nadia could sense a slight sadness, almost like regret. "Have you ever seen anything like it?"

  Nadia looked around, unsure of what she was supposed to be 'seeing'. A presence in the Force prodded her toward the lights.

  "Ah," she smiled. Warmth, more than friendship, flowed between them. "It reminds me of Coruscant."

  "Coruscant... of course." Narithia laid her head on Nadia's shoulder.

  "We'll be at the space port soon."

~

The port's security measure barely slowed them, though Nadia did find herself bending the truth somewhat. Regardless of the actualities of being a Jedi, popular opinion was such that even leisure breaks were treated as formal business. The gaggle of excited was, however, a welcome sight. Narithia seemed able to follow her lead, and played the part of serene Jedi perfectly. After some time, in which naïve thanks were given for defeating the galaxy's evils, and one young boy recited the Code (to the admiration of his fellows), Nadia and Narithia entered the hanger.

  "Home away from home," Nadia tried not to let her apprehension show. She had to remain calm and be sure of herself. Narithia still needed her. A reassuring light filled her, not to drown her worries, but to lift her beyond them. She looked to the other woman, who gazed upon the sip with a mixture of reverence and familiarity. Narithia had unconsciously used their link. Nadia smiled. "Shall we go inside?"

  The stout, Defender-class ship filled much of the hanger. The slatted, domed roof above was closed, and the lights that dotted it seemed mere pinpricks. Narithia strode up the ramp with ease. Nadia followed closely behind, watching. Muscle memory led the confused Jedi to the security panel, and she stopped only after the door opened.

  "I did that, but I don't remember the code," She turned to Nadia, grinning. "Not part of the usual security, yeah?"

  Nadia shook her head. The confidence that oozed across their link relaxed her more than the smile. She gestured to the opening, but it was Narithia who ushered her inside. No one ran up to great them. Even the ship's droid seemed busy.

  "Quiet, that's odd," Nadia was about to interject, when Narithia continued. "Of course, because I told them... something important... didn't I, Nadia?"

  She was startled, if only for a moment. It had seemed as if Narithia had been cured, and then it was gone.

  "Yes, Narithia, we all had our own part in this," With a sudden boldness, she took Narithia gentaly by the hand and led her further into the ship. "Perhaps," A lump formed in her throat. "we should meditate on this."

  Nadia hesitated by Narithia's quarters. She wondered if it might not be better to use the cargo hold, instead.

  "Ah." Narithia waved her hand at the door panel, and made the decision for them.

  Inside was how she had left it, just a day ago. The bed - pressed against one wall - straddled the border between unkempt and tidy. The covers were smooth, but at an odd angle. The shelves held numerous reference books and small souvenirs of her adventures. Only the floor before two large statues lay bare. Nadia was no stranger to Narithia's quarters - purely business, of course - and yet she still took her time, regarding the room.

  With an air of confidence that comes from years of practice, Narithia knelt on the mat before the statues. To Nadia it seemed as if everything was suddenly right in the galaxy. She joined her Master. Her knees protested slightly, but the mat was worn and comfortable and she relaxed.

  Relaxed, she opened herself.

  Her own confusion, worry and fear came tumbling out. Nadia gasped. She recited the Code, and found another voice.

  There is no emotion...

Behind the wall of Narithia's confidence, there lurked weeds of uncertainty.

There is peace.

Nadia swept aside her own negativity, and helped remove the blooming doubt.

There is no ignorance...

Light pierced through murky clouds. Memories floated through.

There is knowledge.

Battles won, lives lost.

There is no passion...

The darkness cleared under her watchful gaze.

There is serenity.

And before her skilled hands the path became known.

There is no chaos...

The found each other, on the edge of the mind's twilight.

There is harmony.

Narithia walked back to herself.

There is no death, only the Force.

  Nadia blinked. Slowly, the overpowering hum of the silent ship receded into the background. She could hear Narithia's steady breathing over her own. The other woman turned to her and smiled.

  Nadia offered her hand. Narithia stood slowly on her own, then helped her to her feet.

  "I understand now, Nadia," Narithia rested one hand on her padawan's shoulder, using the other to lightly stroke her cheek. "Our connection, its depth and strength..." She leant forward, breathing softly, trying to control the flutters of nervousness in her chest.