A New Dawn (Ask to Join)

[Raphael Xandir]

The Rebuilding Moon, Sojourn
In the Dead of Night

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Boots crunched the dew filled grass on the moon of Sojourn. Walking fast, intent on reaching his destination within the minute. A drastic change of lighting as the boots entered into the one of the many resorts here on the moon, no one awake but a few of the janitorial workers. Echoes could be heard all through the hall as they now smacked the cold steel floor. Slowly reaching the destination, the boots turned on their heels now facing a doorway. A black-gloved hand reached up and rabidly knocked on the door… no answer.

Moving to a pocket, the glove now searched around frivolously for something… a card it seemed. The glove moved to find the best way to hold the card as it now extended out towards the wall, on it a datapad that would unlock the door to visitors who had the right access card. The card the glove held smacked the wall as it launched the door open quickly; apparently this card had access to every room on the moon.

In the dead of night, the darkness consumed this resort suite. A dark robed man now stood firmly within the suite’s living room. The hood of the robe probed the suite back and forth looking for something in particular. Each room was closely evaluated before the dark figure decided on one, a bedroom it seemed.

Before long, the figure was standing over the bed looking down on it. The moonlight shun through the curtains, illuminating the outline of the man. The figure crouched down to the level of the bed; a blank stare emerged from the man’s silver eyes. They looked the inhabitant of the bed over, a girl, one he knew all too well.

The gloved hand reached out to her shoulder, shaking it in order to wake the sleeping girl. She didn’t budge much, but with another shake he tried harder to wake the girl now illuminated by the moonlight again.

He stood before her and whispered out, “Wake up little crow…”

[Kressara Thryn]

In the dead of the night a tapping on the door echoed through Kressara’s suite, not that she heard it. That girl slept like the dead and often rose just as discoordinated and dehydrated. She just turned beneath the covers and snuggled into the soft pillows even deeper, slipping in and out of dreams. This time she was driving a boat full of baby animals because Lord Blood asked her to sell them in a weird carnival by a lakeside. Kressara being the happy dreamer that she was agreed and sailed over the pink waters with a hull full of fluffy creatures all pining for attention. One of them started gnawing on her shoulder playfully, causing the girl to giggle.

In the real world however Kressara was curled up in bed while a shadowy figure hovered over her, shaking her by the shoulder as a goofy smile crossed her lips.

“Stop that. You’re not supposed to eat people. No one will want to feed you at the carnival if you bite people…” She mumbled and rolled over to face Raphael, flaxen locks tussled against the side of her face and a grin of pure amusement aimed right at him. Raphael then took it a step further and called on her to wake up, using the pet name people had given her on account of her adoration for birds and crow like mannerisms from time to time. Her grin faded and eyelids fluttered open, struggling to focus on his visage.

“Raphael? What are you doing here? It’s too early for training…” She croaked tiredly and sat up in bed, not even slightly ashamed that she looked like she’d been sleeping for years in her wrinkled tank and twisted up pants, hair plastered to one side of her body in an almost sculpted manner. Of all the things she did well, sleeping was her greatest talent.

“Hang on…” She reached over in the dark and fumbled for a moment, flicking on the lamp beside her bed.

[Raphael Xandir]

Light from the nearby lamp illuminated his face as it caught him off guard. His eyes quickly had to adjust to the change in the room. Sitting before him, the newly found warrior he had helped bring in. Raphael would soon need her natural talents as well as her feminine features. The light illustrated how pale the man was in contrast to her; he looked distracted as well. It seemed as if he had not a care in the world for her worries at the moment, only his needs and what had to be done in the near future.

“Seize the day, and you have the day. But wait for the right day to seize, and you will seize entire lifetimes,” he began whispering out in the room.

Raphael began to pace back and forth around her bed, mumbling things out loud. He had not gone crazy but rather, it was his way of thinking to himself. Although born to be raised by the madman himself, Raphael thought himself to have a very analytical mind; he just had his…different quirks.

Turning around with haste he looked Kressara over as she expected this to be about training. “There is no time for training Crow. The Force shall free me,” he stated with a blank expression.

Boots turned on their heels again to meet the window that covered the entirety of the wall. He flung open the curtains and glass pane, allowing the breeze from the outside to flow into the room before moving back to the entrance.

Facing the living room he shouted out to the girl, “Get dressed. We must prepare.”

He was not even slightly worried about modesty. Raphael would wait in the doorway patiently, but wouldn’t dare to look.

[Kressara Thryn]

Kressara blinked the grogginess away as she watched him pace about her room. Raphael began a small dialogue about his ideals and...something. The sleepy eyed woman wasn’t too sure what he was on about, but it sure as hell wasn’t the time of day to engage her in meaningful conversation.

“Raphael, what are you talking about? It’s...I was supposed to be up three hours from now. Why are we-“

Her questions were cut off when she realized he intended to just stand there as she got dressed. With an aggravated sigh she slung her legs off the edge of the bed and yawned shortly after.

“Really?” Kressara mocked him with a deadpan expression.

“What, do the sith not believe in privacy?” Not that she really cared. Kressara believed Raphael was probably the most unromantic person she’d ever known. Most little girls dream of meeting a prince to sweep them off to a new life, but she seriously doubted any of them thought of Raphael when they had that dream in mind. He was something else, that much was for sure, and he probably didn’t see Kressara in any kind of sensual light. For that reason alone she didn’t peg him in the back of the head with a lamp when he expected her to get dressed right behind him when he could easily close the door and wait in the living room.

“You’re a real piece of work, you know that prince?” She mused out loud as she slipped out of her night clothes and searched her closet for something to wear. The girl settled on her a pair of black pants, a fitted undershirt, her favorite leather vest, and the black hooded coat she usually wore. After dressing herself she brushed through her hair and slipped on her boots, stopping to gear up with her vibroblade as she assumed any outing with Raphael would require a weapon.

“Naked girl, coming through...heh, bet I scared you.” She stated and easily slid past him through the doorway with her smaller frame, fully clothed. Kressara marched into the kitchen and browsed her options. She wasn’t in any hurry this early in the morning and prodding her would likely result in sass unrelenting.

“Would you like something to eat? Cause I’m eating…”

[Raphael Xandir]

Eyes rolled as the girl continued to utter nonsense and complain about his personality. He grew weary of her talk back and sass but he would need the girl for the time being. It was imperative that she came along; hopefully soon she would understand the mission comes with an intense amount of haste.

The Acolyte’s heart jumped a bit when she slid past him, barely decent. His eyes averted towards the door, he would give her some sense of modesty if at all. But out of the corner of his eyes he could notice that she was clearly ready to go. Yet, it angered him at the lack of motivation from the girl. She seemed to be wandering around at a much slower pace than he was used to from her.

Raphael turned to grab her, hesitant to not upset the Crow. “Time is of the essence Crow. We must leave now or our window of opportunity will be gone forever,” he stated.

Turning on his heels again, he meandered on over to the door of the suite. Turning back he issued a statement, “I will be leaving shortly from the landing pad. If you wish to truly be free, a good start would be to meet me there.”

Raphael walked out of the room storming towards the landing pad. He had hoped that her curiosity was at least a bit peaked, enough for her to swiftly join him aboard the shuttle off of the moon.

The night was dark and full of all kinds of terrors as Raphael found himself the only one awake around the landing pad. He tapped away at controls and signaled droids to load the transport with his things. They would leave the moon for some time now; they needed to be prepared for everything.

Once completed, Raphael would then sit patiently for a while. Waiting in the cockpit for his companion to ultimately join him.

[Kressara Thryn]

Rattling a half empty box of some dried fruit and crispy pastry bits Kressara let loose a rather lionly yawn. She was about to go on a search for something to drink when Raphael’s hand literally snagged her attention. He seemed so sincere about this urgency to leave, even going so far as to be respectful to her despite her carefree attitude. It woke her up a good bit and with a sigh she watched the man stroll out of her suite towards the landing pad like all the world depending on his punctuality. Still, somehow he managed to make the crow smile. That boy was going to run himself into the ground if someone didn’t take care of him, silly prince. Looks like she’d be the one to take up that job for the time being. Before she left Kressara opened up a refrigerated cabinet and plucked out two bottles of something green followed by a container of sliced root vegetables that she cooked for herself the night before. There’d be enough for the both of them once they settled into the ship going to...wherever it was they were heading.

Once she slipped them into a black bag along with her all important hair brush, Kressara left the apartment with a swiftness which didn’t typically match her morning routine. Raphael might be packing up his things onto the ship while she made her way to the dock, but Kressara in truth did not require much to travel. Whether they left for a day or a year she’d be just fine with the things she had on her, able to improvise the rest along the way. Her feet carried her with long strides to the landing pad and aboard the vessel where she came to stand beside Raphael’s seated form something akin to a guard by their king’s side.

“It’s a bit chilly tonight.” Kressara remarked, once again showing no sense of concern as she flipped her hood up over her ashen locks.

But she was concerned, just in her own way. Kressara knew that so long as she followed Raphael he’d probably be okay. She wouldn’t let anything too bad happen to him so long as she could help it. He seemed to get carried away with himself when he wanted something badly enough and in that ambition he might just forget to watch his own back. The fact that Kressara stood with him now was a testament to her dedication to defend her brothers and sisters of the sith, a loyalty that far outweighed what many people considered to be the most important emotion. Whether Kressara loved her brethren or not, she would safeguard them in even the darkest of nights or the brightest of days. This was her own vow that she spoke nightly to the stars through her meditation under their distant and cold light.

With a half smile she side eyed Raphael and decided to make sure he knew she was there knowingly, that she wasn’t just bumbling after him without awareness of the importance he pleaded she understood. “Why do I get the idea that your father would not approve of any of this?” She spoke calmly, as if to say that his approval wouldn’t matter to her and she would still follow after Raphael if only to keep him out of trouble.

“It doesn’t matter I suppose. I trust you’ll fill me in along the way.”

And there it was. Kressara’s way of saying she was with him in this even when blinded to the extent of all he needed. She’d stand ready to aid him in whatever weighed so heavily against his heart like a true retainer.

[Raphael Xandir]

Unknowingly, the girl had followed behind him at a quicker pace. She had found her way towards him faster than he anticipated as she spoke up right behind him. The girl was cold under the darkness of this crisp night. The young Sith stood to face her as he noted that she was outfitted for the journey. Reaching down, he grabbed what seemed to be a blanket, but then moved past her quickly.

Raphael moved to the back of the transport, carrying with him a tarp large enough to cover a few men. In his attempts to hide his cargo, she might see something she wasn’t supposed to. In the corner of the ship, sat an incubator, with a rather large egg tucked away inside. This egg was very extravagant and seemed to be one of much value as the young Acolyte was covering the whole thing with the tarp.

Moving up to the front of the transport he mashed a button on the right door initiating it to close. He then shifted to the other side to do the same before stopping rather abruptly.

His eyes caught the floor as he uttered out a few sentences, “My father would not approve of this… He will know nothing of this anytime soon… We will take this to our graves if we have to...”

Stepping out onto the moon yet again, he motioned to the resorts. He was giving her a last chance to back out of what they were about to do. “You may not want to follow me now, but I believe in your potential,” his voice carrying through the night.

“I am of sound mind, unlike that of my father. I may think aloud, but I am not a raving madman like him,” his voice growing louder and louder.

His posture fell, as he grew tired of being on this moon. “I wish to be free… But there are pieces that have to be put into place to truly seize that freedom,” he stepped inside the transport yet again.

Sliver eyes met those of hers; “We will return periodically and follow his rule for now… But if you wish to follow me, your loyalty to my father will be bent my dear crow…”

Raphael then moved to the cockpit of the transport, strapping himself in to the seat as he started up the loud starship. The door still stood open, “The choice is still yours, but there is no turning back after this point.”

The young man waited for a response as he prepared his preflight checkups.

[Kressara Thryn]

At first Kressara thought Raphael was actually being kind and offering her a blanket, but thankfully she didn’t get her hopes too high when the young man left his seat to cover a rather intriguing object. Her sharp eyes only saw it for a second, but the image froze within her mind like a photograph, allowing her to view it for as long as she liked before discarding the thought with a coy grin. Raphael had no real reason to trust her loyalty, being that sith weren’t so typically known for the unwavering personality Kressara had, so she wouldn’t take offense that Raphael was hiding things from her...even if he failed to actually do so effectively. She would instead cross her arms over her ribs and tilt her head with the slightest hint of a question on her otherwise well covered expression. That hair of hers when covered by the hood made it hard to tell what the girl was thinking most of the time, and the fact that she never let that smile drop from her lips made it impossible to read emotions by watching her mouth unless she was genuinely amused by something or angry enough to scowl.

Speechless by choice she followed the sith back out onto the tarmac and watched in wait as he offered her one last final chance to return to her room. A tempting offer if she were the same girl he met in the prisons. That girl was grown now, her connection to the force all but changing her entirely. It was as if she woke from a life long dream and suddenly became the person her soul had always wanted her to be. That person was not afraid to follow him into the dark.

“Hmph...you talk so often of the difference between yourself and your father, Raphael. I wonder if you’re trying to convince others...or yourself.” Kressara did not answer him right away, only allowing the silence between them to amplify what she had said. He needed to learn a valuable life lesson, and this time she would be the one to teach it to him. Stepping closer until they stood shoulder to shoulder, well, shoulder to arm considering her height, Kressara leaned in and gave him the most solid advice she could.

“You think out loud as if you have to hear confirmation to feel confident in your decisions...you grow angry when someone compares you to your father...you’re afraid, Raphael, of being someone else.”

The girl stepped around him in a similar way that he usually did to her, mimicking him if only to get the point across that he should listen this time, that there was something to learn from this.

“You can conquer the whole galaxy under your own name, but not an inch of it will be yours if you don’t let go your fears of that name meaning nothing...you all speak so confidently about the lies of peace and order that you blind yourselves to the most important truth, a truth that all life young or old is wise enough to know should they only take the time to notice…a name is but a name. You cling so harshly to your beliefs in destiny that you forget how destiny is made...fate is but a dream and we are it’s maker, destined to create it no matter what we do in life whether we struggle for it or never lift a finger to realize our futures.”

She turned again and came to stand before him, front and center, wind blowing the hair from her face and allowing him to see those eyes peering straight through him.

“You’re leaving here for a freedom you already have, to conquer a kingdom that’s already yours...it doesn’t take a voyage...a war...a dragons egg, to earn what you seek most. All it takes is a choice. Choose now to be your own man and to no longer worry about the shadow you were born beneath, and I will follow you until the stars are all dead and my body is but living bone wandering a remnant of the universe you once ruled.”

Kressara was something else in that moment, someone else. She was older than his father yet as young as the morning itself. She spoke as if she’d known him all her life and stood ready to follow him as the knights of old once followed their kings. Night birds were croaking in the trees beyond the landing pad now and the wind had changed, something ceremonious and at one with it all flickering like ritual fire in her eyes.

“Your choice is my choice, prince. In the end I’m merely wandering your path with you for a while. My place isn’t on the ground.” A sly grin tugged the corners of her lips as the woman bowed low, a graceful gesture in which her flaxen tresses grazed the pavement before she rose again the same girl who’d packed him a to-go breakfast, all traces of her otherworldly transformation gone.

“Shall we?”

[Kressara Thryn]

((Oh daggumit! I just re-read and realized you moved into the shuttle again and that “shall we?” Would have been to empty air...never trusting my memory again. Redaction, Kressara spoke on the Tarmac and followed him inside, saying “Shall we?” As she took a seat with him. GAH. Someone shoot me.))