The promise

[Padmé]

OOC: Blame Finn for the short ugly post>.<


Clothes changed and Nova now wide awake, Jeyne watched as the girl foolishly arose. What was more was the talk of payment that proceeded. It pleased the Surgeon to not only watch and hear reprimand the girl about payment, but Finn to deffer to Jeyne's judgement.

"Nova,"
Finally breaking her silence the woman approached Nova. Given Jeyne's lack of experience with teenagers, she had no prior experience to fall upon. However, the doctor knew a thing or two about snipping rebellion right in the bud- as her buir used to say.

"The only thing you're going to do is hold on to those pants of yours and march into the ship behind the building, or I'll make you."
Her words were firm, but gentle. Without even waiting for Nova to respond, Dr. Merrik quickly gathered her hand bag, work bag and walked out of the executive suite. She expected the girl, and Finn to follow suit.

No mention of payment was ever brought up again. Jeyne wouldn't have it. That and her falling right asleep the second she sat down in the ship. Moments later, Merrik led the duo to her flat on the opposite side of the city- merely half an hour away from the MED facility.

The flat was perfect for three, anymore and things would feel crowded. Jeyne offered the main chamber to Nova, and the second guest chamber to Finn. The Doctor quickly reclined to the smaller guest chamber and feel asleep. It was after all 0300 hours. Not to mention full day ahead at the MED laboratory.

 

[Nova Elgrin]

Novas expression quickly lost all friendliness. First listening to Tyûk and then the doctor, premonition claimed her mind. When the doctor threatened her, she couldn't quite believe what she heard! And how did the doctor want to make her, when leaving straight after her threat? Did she really believe she would stop Nova from leaving? Well if she did, she was mistaken.
A quick half spin turned her towards Tyûk. Her eyes were ignited with a rebellious glimmer.

"I'm not staying here!" she announced.


Finn wasn’t quite sure what to make of Novas rebellious streak. Personally he could never have talked to his mother like this and he did not like to have her talk to him in this manner. Even less he appreciated that Nova responded to Jeyne’s help in such a rude way. “You will do as the doctor tells you!” He pressed forth and it sounded like faraway thunder, announcing an oncoming storm. Had Finn just grown a few centimeters? Why were the lights flickering just now?
Finn remained as calm as possible, but his newfound protective instincts had him on edge. If she wasn’t capable of seeing the error of her decision he would not let her have a say in the matter. He would not let her head out by herself and certainly not in her weakened state.


Her stubbornness prevented her from crouching before him, even though she felt even tinier in front of him when his voice gained a dark timbre. How could they know?! She was a tiny bit weak on her feet, so what? She would have time to further recover when she was on the way to her destination.
"You can't make me!" she didn't quite yell, but her voice surely rose.
"I don't need your permission to go!" she said, and all of the affection she had felt for him paled in comparison to the urge of her mission. She made an attempt of just passing him by, her steps directed to the door that lead into the opposite direction of the one the doctor had chosen. She would ask one of the security man to help her get back to her ship, and maybe to have a look on the shell of the Aurora.


Finn wondered if his mother had felt the same when dealing with him. Of course he had never been unruly or petulant. But Nova was giving him quite the test already. How did you handle something like this? Personally he only knew the firm hand approach his mother had used. He felt terrible just thinking about hitting his little sister though. Something that caused him little concern when done to a stranger had him feel awkwardly uncomfortable when it came to Nova. He did not want to hurt her and he had to struggle with himself for a moment before he found words that weren’t angry or hurtful. Thankfully inspiration granted him something acceptable. “No, but you need my ship to get back to yours.” Finn told Nova and it was clear she was subject to his mercy at this point. If she wanted to get back to her ship she would have to be nice and behave. He couldn’t help but feel very pleased and look somewhat smug.


Did he really think he could trick her that easily? She granted him a angry glare over her shoulder
"No thank you Tyûk. Or Finn. Or whatever other names you call yourself. I just ask one of the security guards to get me there" She had reached the door and her finger touched the control panel. It activated, but the door hadn't slit open yet when she told him
"I am on a very important mission! A rescue mission if you need to know" she wondered if he remembered her telling about how she got separated from her father and fi he could.
"I don't have time to lie around while he is in danger!" her voice lowered and the anger turned into sadness.


Finn wanted to lash back, fire the same angry words at her that she had used. But then again he understood loss. He knew the feeling of loosing someone dear. But Nova was being unreasonable, childish even. So he could not let her go anywhere before she was not at least properly recovered from the ordeal. “A mission to do what? Get yourself killed?” He said and his voice still sounded sharp but also compassionate. “You won’t be any help to your father if you are dead.” He said and stepped closer to her.


When stepped closer Nova turned around to face him. The door in her back slit open, remained so, and closed a few seconds later, without the blonde stepping through She met Tyûks gaze. He really meant well didn't he? Also her toes started tinling again, before burning and finally the numb feeling returned. He was right. She knew he was right and she hated it. Her chin sunk and with it her gaze. She felt so...so powerless! Tears were welling up beneath her wreath of lashes. Her eyes burnt like acid had been dropped into them.
"He's..he's out there...somewhere..maybe...dying! And I can't do anything about it..." It was a horrible, stomach-turning feeling.


Finn sighed. He relaxed his face and posture and reached out for the young girl in front of him. He grabbed her by the shoulders. “It’s alright.” He assured her and pulled her closer.


Nova took a deep breath and exhaled with a quite sob. “It doesn’t feel alright though…” she whispered. Still, as much as she wanted to deny or twist it, the fact that she wasn’t able to do much in her weakened condition was an incontestable one. She was aware that the young man in front of her wouldn’t let her leave, neither would the doctor. And she saw her chances of fooling or escaping them as good as non existent. So she had to deal with her lot, if she liked it or not.
“There is something else..” she began, yet suddenly hestitated. She wanted to tell him of the last words of the other Sith, but in the end, she just couldn’t bring herself to it. Her eyes found his before she continued
“my dog is still in my ship, as is my droid. I’m not too worried about MU2, but Luna might get stressed all alone. Maybe, I mean if you don’t mind, could you...get her?” MU2 would for sure make sure the heating would still be running, yet Nova didn’t want to leave her poor friend behind
“She’s a good girl. She’s really, really big, but she won’t bite you I promise.” She cocked her head and looked at him, forming her gaze to a question. Nova hoped he wasn’t afraid of dogs…


He wanted to sigh again. This was more tiring than he had realized. Children were quite the burden. E wondered how his mother had been able to bear with him for 27 years. But odly enough he did not sigh. He looked at Nova with a slightly quizzical look and confirmed the Dogs name. “Luna, hm?” He said and went ahead to pick the girl up of the floor in one smooth motion. She wasn’t wearing Shoes so he found it irresponsible to let her walk through the snow. “Next time, when you go on another suicide mission, you should find a safe place for her to stay.” He reprimanded Nova and carried her outside. When he stepped into the cold of the Fest landscape a protection bubble appeared and held of the wind and snow. He carried her to Jeynes flat and only let her down next to the bed she would be occupying. “I will see what I can do about ‘Luna’ … and the droid.” He promised and left the room. Jeyne would be resting and sho should Nova. He on the other hand would go and do some work.


In their dreamland she had thought he surely cheated about his height to appear more dominant. She had heard some young women talking about how obsessed men were with something about size. She didn't listen too carefully though. He stepped closer and a moment later she felt his arms around her shoulders and knee pits. He picked her up as if she was as light as a feather. She leaned her temple to the plate that covered his chest.

"I wanted to...but she doesn't stay with anyone else" Nova muttered. No harsh winds were dragging on them as Tyûk protected them with a force shield. When he dropped her next to the bed she would spend the night on, Nova remained staying for a moment more. When he truned to leave her hand reached for his ankle and stopped him
"Please take care" she managed to gift him with a smile. He promised to be so, and left.

Nova lay down in the bed. The mattress was so comfortable and the blanket so warm and soft, it didn't take her long to fall asleep when deep tiredness took over her.​

 

[Padmé]

The morning after was one of calmness. The female Mandalorian appreciated the few moments of nothingness, and silence. Knowing how far she's fallen behind her work at the research MED facility, Merrik wasted not a moment shortly after waking up. It felt strange to sleep in the guest chamber in her own flat, but given the cause, she really didn't mind.

"Nova, before you wonder yes, Finn will return for you."
A much needed assurance- given Nova's attachment and high regard for Simmons.

"Good morning child..."
The note meant for the young teen continued. It took everything in Jeyne for her to avoid reprimanding Nova for her hot air, empty, borderline disrespectful words toward Finn the night before. Given the fact that Nova is in the dark concerning her blood relation to Simmmons, she held her tongue. Where I hail from such action would result in punishment from mum, and a very well timed tongue lash from Buir. Jeyne nearly included in the note.

"You will find to the left of you your cleaned, pressed clothes. Breakfast is in the kitchen. You only need to send for my protocol droid to serve you. While it is under unfavorable the circumstance that surrounded our meeting, I hope your time here would be a catalyst to the restoration of your health."

Concluding the note, Jeyne added:
"Work calls, but you're welcome to stay as long as you wish."
She placed the note right by the night stand facing Nova. Without lingering, Jeyne quietly exited her chamber with the intent of leaving for work.

Scrubs on and lab coat over the scrubs, Dr. Merrik made her way out of her flat. Surprisingly, as soon as she opened the main entry door, Finn Simmmons was standing in front of the door. Gently sliding aside, as not to do the inevitable of bumping into the man, Jeyne's entire facial demeanor changed. A short stare was soon followed with a short exchange of pleasantries.

"Nova is still sleeping, but work calls."
Eyes fixed on her gold chrono, Jeyne explained without a hint to the nature of her work at the MED facility.

"Food is in the kitchen, help yourself."
The female Mandalorian added.

 

[Nova Elgrin]

In her dreams Nova found herself surrounded by shadows. Their human-like shapes were made of black fog and smoke, dancing around her, pushing her and pulling her hair and even though she tried to fight them off, still dragging her into a certain direction. Nova's screams didn't carry wide as they were choked by invisble fingers which the young girl could feel around her throat. The creatures turned into black birds, dozens of them with each one armed with sharp beaks. Hundreds of claws grasped for her, tearing the fabric of her clothes, covering the skin beneath with countless scratches, some just superficial, others digging deep into her flesh. Novas hands tried to protect her face while the birds ripped whole streaks off the golden shock of hair. All of the sudden the birds withdrew, all of them at once, almost like in an formation and as if they obeyed the order of some unknown instance. Novas gaze darted upwards. Right before her another shadow was floating, tall and faceless. The darkness that it radiated was so overwhelming, Nova held her breath. The shadow reached out for her. It offered its hand, its inside upturned as in an inviting gesture. The unspoken call was incredibly scary and yet...there was an almost....pleasant warmth as well. When Nova stepped back the shadow shot forth, its hand grabbing Novas arm. Where skin met black smoke sharp pain emerged. It burned, even though it felt so very cold.. Much colder than ice and much colder than the snowy storms on Fest. Nothing burned like the cold, Nova had learned that by now. She screamed and tried to pull her arm back, yet the shadows grip was unyielding as iron and tight as a vise. Before she awoke, the last thing she became aware of was a chuckle, quite and accompanied by the hint of amusement.

Nova woke with a start. Her forehead was dusted with fine pearls of sweat. Heavy breathing let her chest rise and sink in a hurried way. Her arm burned. The blonde got up and looked at her right forearm. It was just a dream. Just a dream. Just a dream!
And yet it burned like...
Carefully she pulled the grey fabric upwards and got frightenend half to death when she discovered the print of a hand on her skin. Long, slender fingers must had caused this..After a few moments in which her heart threatend to break its bone cage because its heavy beat, Nova cautiously touched the burn. The injured parts of her skin were defined by red and fine wrinkles. All sorts of thoughts shot through her head, yet in the end she just pulled the sleeve back over the mark. She slung her arms around her legs and rested her forehead on her knees, swung forth and back a few times while repeating "just a dream..." over and over till she could believe herself. She was a good liar after all, hm?

When she got up she instantly knew her body still wasn't back to its full potential and efficiency, but at least she didn't feel that shivery anymore. She left the room the Lady doctor had provided her with. She seemed to be a generous person, as it appeared the room Nova had rested in was the biggest one in the flat, at least judging from the layout she could oversee now. Nova thought it was a nice gesture and a wave of symphaty for the doctor warmed her young heart. It made her feel a bit guilty though, as she would have been perfectly happy with the smallest room, after all she was the little one of the group. Not too little though of course! But Tyûk was simply a giant and the Lady was, well not just Lady doctor but also a Lady giant.
The sympathy for her host however quickly cooled down when she found the note regarding her.
Child....
Doctors were strange, were they not? Dr. Merrik surely possesed an impressive amount of knowledge of the human anatomy and biology, yet she still called Nova (who was clearly not a child anymore!) a child. Maybe this was the reason so many girls her age wore rather revealing clothes when given the opportunity. To show their body was not the one of a child anymore? Maybe Nova should do so as well, at least for once? But in the end, she didn't like that kind of clothes and after all, her father would have not approved at all. The mentioned droid now accompanied Nova and beeped a very enthusiastic good morning. The young Elgrin smiled, however it didn't quite reach her eyes. The droid brought her clothes and Nova was more than happy to finally get rid of this way too big trousers she was wearing. Feeling a bit more like her old self and not just a shadow of it, she went to the large window in front of her. Southside. Gentle pink and blueish clouds were to see. It had been a whole day now.... her fingers glid over the fabric of her shirt. It still burned....
How long would she be a prisoner of this bar-free prison...?

 

[FinnSimmons]

Finn returned to Nova's ship and started the work on the outside first. It was a quick fix, repairing the damaged part took the longest. One of the fuel lines had been nicked and it had to be fixed. Finn simply replaced a part of the piping with a replacement part. After finishing that all he had to do was fix up the of the hull. Once that was done the ship was airtight again and fully space worthy. He wouldn't mind the ship going through a full inspection at a properly equipped spaceport, but it would hold for now.

After having taken care of her ship he remembered her request to check in on her dog. And had there been something about a droid? He went to the entry hatch of Nova's ship and entered the Airlock. Once inside he took of his helmet and his gloves. It was still warm in the ship and life support was obviously working. When the door slid open he could hear barking, so obviously the dog was still alive and well. Before the door had opened completely a big furry something came bolting through the door and jumped in front of Finn. The dog didn't look like it was going to attack him, but clearly it was protective of its territory. So Finn raised his hand and extended it towards the dog. The barking died down slowly over a couple of moments and the dog finally sniffed his hand. After sniffing a while the dog started licking his hand and let out a desperate whine. Finn had the sense to reach out in the force and touch the dogs mind. It was clearly scared and hungry but also glad that someone had come. Finn decided that he had to take care of the dogs hunger first and got it to follow him. Reluctantly the dog obeyed and followed him in some distance. He looked around the ship a bit and managed to find the pantry. After rummaging through the cabinets he found some dog food and poured something into a bowl. A second bowl that he found he filled with water and placed it next to the other one. The dog started wolfing down the food and finished the bowl in no time. After drinking some water the dog looked at Finn pleadingly and yowled. Clearly it wanted more food. Yet Finn didn't want the dog to over-eat and throw up so he patted it on the head and told him as much. “How about you get some more when you are with your owner. Nova is all worried about you.” At that the dog barked with excitement, turned a few cycles and howled. Clearly It was looking forward to being reunited with his mistress. So Finn made sure to take the two bowls with him and pack some of the dog food too. “Alright, come on. You don't mind the cold, do you?” Finn said and the dog barked. Somehow it sounded as if the dog tried to tell him that it didn't mind the cold. “Your name is Luna right?” Finn added and again the dog woofed at the question. This time it sounded somewhat proud. Finn smiled. He liked this animal.

Finn put on his gloves and his helmet again and took the dog back to his ship. Luna shook herself a couple of times after they had entered the small interior of his scout ship and he led her into the second cot to lay down. She was kind enough to not give him too much trouble and actually stayed there. Laying down she looked somewhat sad and he figured that once she was reunited with Nova she would be doing fine again.

The way back was short and Luna was up and out of the cot right after they had set down. Fin had not even managed to shut down the ships systems when the dog was already jumping about in excitement. Finn smiled to himself and led the dog outside. The way to Jeyne's flat was short still all the way there the dog jumped in circles around Finn. When they got to the door the dog started whimpering and scratching as if any further second away from Nova was painful. Again, the door was hardly open far enough for the dog to fit through when Luna rushed inside. Finn waited for the door to open up fully before he followed. Luna shot past Jeyne and into the flat, where she looked around. The dog could obviously smell her mistress, but since she wasn't anywhere around a shy woof was all that she brought forth. She turned back towards Finn looked at him full of expectation. Finn himself took the opportunity to talk to Jeyne. “I got Novas ship all patched up and brought her dog with me. Didn't feel right to leave the poor creature there all by herself. I hope you don't mind.” He explained. The offer of food he could - of course - not reject and nodded thankfully. “Thanks!” Finn said and somehow it sounded as if he was not just saying that regarding the offered breakfast. He graced his friend with a rare smile and stepped into the flat. He walked into the kitchen and put his helmet onto the counter. His gloves followed shortly thereafter.
He sat down and waited for Nova to wake up. Luna had the grace to lay down next to him on the floor. There she patiently and mostly quietly suffered through the absence of her young mistress.

 

[Nova Elgrin]

Nova was still starring outside the window, half unbelieving, half unwilling to believe. All of what had happend was just so surreal. After a few more moments her gaze lowered and she closed her eyes. Her lips formed a silent prayer to the ghost in the force, asking for strength to carry this burden and pleading for the salvation of master Glorras eternal soul. Yet she got distracted when two familiar presences neared. Nova turned around swiftly, and quickly overcame the distance to the door. She pressed the control pad and could hardly wait till the thing openend! When she entered the living room her beloved pet already shot towards her. Nova spread her arms before kneeling and wrapping Luna into a tight embrace. The good girl was very excited to see her and Novas fingers digged into the soft, silky fur of her companion. "That's my girl, aw have you been lonely? Aww don't worry I won't leave you alone again" her voice automatically went into a higher pitch when talking to Luna, a manner many people shared when speaking to their pets. After several kisses of Luna and lots of patting of Nova, the girl stood up again. She was happy to see Luna, but that there had been no sign of MU2 was concerning. Where could the droid be?
Nova regarded Tyûk with a diffident look. A sweet but kind of shyish smile appeared on her lips. It was so contrary to the quite wild temper she had shown the day before. "Thank you Tyûk...or ahm....Finn?" This hadn't been settled yet. She wondered why he went by more than one name? She was not completely unfamiliar with the method, her father had used it more than once, but her tall friend could for sure trust her, and he seemed to know the doctor quite well too?

 

[FinnSimmons]

Luna getting up and bolting away from the counter was the first thing that got Finn's attention. He had not noticed that Nova was awake before that. Now that she had stepped out of her quarters, Finn got up and made a few steps into the direction of his young sibling and her dog. He watched them greet each other with overflowing feelings of joy and he himself could not prevent his heart from filling with some of it. He was elated that he had brought Nova such happiness. He could not remember having felt anything quite like it in, well forever. Surely he had never managed to make his mother feel anything close to what Nova was feeling right now. Such heartfelt and genuine gratefulness about being reunited with a loved one. He wondered if he had ever really felt anything that compared to this. He had to admit to himself that he could not even remember if the love he had felt for his mother had been as strong as Novas love for her dog. Sure, he had loved his mother, any child would, but this fiercely? Nova positively radiated those positive emotions like a beacon. He felt just a tiny little bit jealous.

When Nova addressed him with two of his names he looked at her with a serious face. He felt she deserved an explanation. Still he felt as if he could not divulge too much without endangering the secret he was now protecting her from. “You can always call me 'Finn' but Tyûk is just for us.” He said and stepped a bit closer. “It's a name someone very dear gave me once and I wouldn't tell that to just anyone. In fact I would appreciate it if you kept it between us.” He said and tried to make her understand what the name meant to him. When the whole emotional stuff became a bit too embarrassing for him he quickly changed the topic to something more innocuous.

“Come on, have some breakfast. You have to be hungry after what you have been through.” He said and while he clearly sounded like he cared for her well being the undertone that it carried was that of an order. 'Eat!' his mother would have said. Or rather snapped at him angrily. This was his revised version for Nova, who had clearly not grown up in the same environment he had. She needed somewhat softer gloves than he was used to. But somehow this came a lot easier than he had thought it would. At least for now.

He returned to the counter and grabbed the bowls he had brought over from Novas ship. Luna was clearly interested in those and quickly made her way over to him. He filled one of them with water and the other with a small amount of dog food. “Here you go Luna! Now don't just go wolfing that down like you did earlier.” He teased the dog and somehow Luna understood, taking her time with the food.

 

[Nova Elgrin]

When he explained the inconsistency regarding his name, Nova listend carefully. At first her expression was a mixture of curiosity and wariness, yet when he was done, she confirmed with a nod and smile and simply said "Alright" She hoped however he didn't mind she already called him Tyûk in front of the Lady doctor. But as he didn't scolde her for that, it seemed to be alright. When he told her to have some breakfast, her first reflex was to decline, but when she was just about to let the 'no' flee her lips, she met his eyes. Was his brow twitching? Did he already know what she was about to say? She shut her mouth and swallowed all protest. She really didn't feel hungry. In fact her stomach felt like it was filled with stones. But she had a feeling he would not show any mercy an this matter. So she got herself some bantha milk, filling it into both a bowl and a glass. The serving droide helped her to find some cereals. They even had star loopy woopies! They were Novas favourite, sweet little stars that tasted like cinnamon and honey. Not that she got the chance to eat them very often. Her father had always had an inclination for healthy diet, so there was no space in the Aurora for sweets like this (her father might have called it 'poison' jokingly). They had their breakfast without having a conversation. Nova however hated silence and soon asked the droid to play some music.
Even though she hadn't expected it, she really finished the whole bowl. Maybe she really had been hungry after all? She still sat down when the serving mech was already taking care of the dishes. A couple of heart beats passed by in silence, before Nova regarded him. She had finally made up her mind about sharing her secrets with him. "Tyûk?" she started off. It sounded concerned, almost hestitating "So...you do remember our last dream, don't you? When you left...there was somebody else and..." she didn't quite know how do continue "and I think it was someone....dangerous." she couldn't find the right words somehow "and I met this being again in another dream last night...." finally she pulled up her sleeve, revealing the handprint on her skin. Nova looked down, and up again to meet his blue eyes. "Do you...know who this is?" The hand that had caused this burn must have been big. Almost as big as Tyûks...

 

[FinnSimmons]

“Somebody else?” he echoed while Nova spoke. “Dangerous?” She had him worried now. But when she pulled up her sleeve he was terrified. And there was truly little that frightened him. But this sight had shivers run down his spine. He didn’t really need to think much about it. There was only one being that could have an interest in Nova and be powerful to do something like this. That was the one thing he knew about his father. He was terribly strong in the dark side. Harming her from afar was something only he would be capable of.

Finn reached for Novas arm and pulled her closer, without much care. If he was hurting her then that was unfortunate. Right now there were more important things on his mind. Like how to protect her from his father’s spying eyes. His mother had kept both their auras subdued to hide them from Arebos. Finn was certain he could do something similar for Nova but he didn't know if he could do that if she was out of earshot. So instantly he decided to keep her within arm’s reach for the foreseeable future. At least until he found a more permanent way of shielding her from the danger she was in.

He kept looking at the burn mark on her skin and instinctively raised his own defenses. Like a thick blanket they enveloped his aura and hid it from Nova. “Shield yourself.” He ordered her harshly and sounded irritated. Why did he even have to tell her that? Right, she had not grown up like he had. Her instincts weren't as pronounced as his. When her reaction was to slow for his liking he felt he had to do the heavy lifting. “Blasted ... ” Finn cursed and bit his tongue halfway through. He forced his own defenses to extend and enveloped Nova in them in doing so for the first time he consciously noticed the connection they shared. It made it very easy to extend his own mental shield to her. Still it cost him more energy than he thought it would. This was clearly not the way his mother had protected him from the grasps of his father. He would have to find out how exactly she had managed. From what he knew it was most likely some meditation. Lasting effects could be achieved by meditation. Sam had always meditated a lot and made time for it even under the most dangerous of circumstances. Surely he could replicate whatever she had done. For now he waited for Nova to raise her own barriers so that they could substitute for his. “What are you waiting for!?” He yelled, his voice strained and agitated.

Nova hesitatingly confirmed by a nod when the question "Dangerous?" left his lips. When he reached for her and pulled her closer without as much as the hint of a try to make this process a painless one, she breathed in sharply. The air causing a barely noticeable hiss when passing her pair of lips and streaming in her chest. One would be surprised to learn Nova could actually handle pain rather well and had an at least somewhat impressive threshold for it, that many wouldn't trust on the young girl. But the print really, really burned! Strangely the burn didn't even stayed on her arm. It almost felt like the hand was reaching for the essence of her very being.
When the young man demanded her to shield herself, she only blinked in confusion. It was true, her father had reproved her many times for her loud head, but under his protecting hand she had never felt truly threatened. She had practised it. But meditation and the subtle ways of the force were not as exciting as the training with the saber, and so Nova had always given up way too easily. Or maybe...maybe she had liked the feeling of being protected by her father and to a certain amount even liked the feeling of being dependent of him? Because he would never, ever leave her as long as she needed him, right?
She tried to obey Tyûk's order, even though the harshness in his voice and his curse gave her quite the hard time in collecting herself. When she finally managed to take the mental load off him, the shield gained rifts as fine as hair. It was not because Nova was weak though. It was because his ever so easily swifting behaviour towards her. And as he held her arm in a grip of steel and didn't seem to bother himself with the sting he caused, her distrust soft-footed returned. Her eyes narrowed when her gaze challenged him. Luna got up and neared slowly, announcing a deep growl from the middle of her chest. "You’re hurting me..." she whispered. She was trying to pull back, not in a sudden manner, but slowly putting more and more strength and effort into the task. Of course this battle was a pointless, almost ridiculous one. She couldn't find a way to force his arm away, not even with all of her strength.. But it wasn't the burn that troubled her. It was his roughness...

Finn of course didn’t release her arm. He slowly retracted his barriers from Nova, letting her own defences take over. He was a bit disappointed by the fragility of the barrier she had erected. It would have to do for now. But if she didn’t improve on her skill in shielding her presence in the force she would be in constant danger. It had to become second nature to her to have her defences up. Constantly. He cursed whoever had raised her in this way, so protected, so free of worry. She was not prepared for this. Not in the slightest. “Has your master not told you to be on your guard at all times?” He asked and eased up on her forearm a bit. He didn’t want to hurt her more than was necessary. But a bit of pain would probably help his message get across and if some pain and a hurt feeling now could protect her later then he was all too happy to bear her anger. She would have to learn quickly and grow up fast. What was ahead of her would surely not leave much of the child that Nova still was. He had only ever heard of his father and knew that there was nobody he had to fear more than Arebos. Nova would learn soon that the fears she had had before this day would pale in comparison to what she was facing now.

"He has..." Nova murmured, her eyes still dark and pointy splinters of sapphire directed towards him. Luna drew nearer with that threatening growl, still demanding him to gain some distance to her mistress and so Nova's counterpart finally let up on her. She wanted to defend her father as she didn't like the intention of his words: criticism. It wasn't her father to criticise! He had been a dedicated master, but she couldn't possibly shine in every subject, could she? The young blonde didn't say another word about the matter. Yet she made sure he would feel what was going on in her heart and mind.
She was astoundingly quick and agile and a skillful sword fighter, but her emotions were taking over her so easily it had always ever been difficult to hide it. How could one keep control of joy and anger, when they were so overwhelming? When they made one shiver and cry, both emotions with the same amount of power to them? She just wanted back to him. Her father's way of wrapping her into his protecting aura had always felt like a tight embrace, without him even touching her. She missed it. She missed him. It had felt warm. Nova remembered that she had in one of hers and Tyûks shared dreams thought about if that was, what babies felt like in the wombs of their mothers? She wondered now again. When Luna laid her big, triangularly shaped head into Nova's lap, her deft hand found the spot her companion loved being crawled at so much.
Were there suddenly less rifts threatening the stability of Nova's barrier? She regarded Tyûk and finally leaned forward. "Who is he?" she asked quietly, as if she had to make sure her words were for him and him only, and wouldn't get caught by seemingly invisible ears. She just had a feeling of the shadow of her dream to be male. The dominance in his aura and this incredibly long, slender fingers she could see as red print on her skin...

When her mental barriers slowly strengthened he was somewhat relieved. She was at least not completely helpless on her own. Not that that had seemingly made a difference. He was still wondering what had exactly happened before he had found her lying in the snow. How had the dead Jedi and Nova ended up in this situation? Where did the dead Sith girl fit into the whole story? There were more questions and unknowns still and before she had not told him everything he could not tell how big the danger she was in - right at this moment - truly was. His father's looming presence was a threat all by itself but it was far of, and did not seem immediate to Finn. But then again he didn't really know his father. This might all be a clever ruse. To what end? Finn didn't know. That indeed was the scariest part. Not knowing what danger they were really in or how immediate the threat was. So for now Nova would have to be watched at all times and guarded closely. She was in danger and didn't even know it. How much should he tell her? How much could he tell her? He didn't know too much about his own father to start with. He would have to make it up as they went along. “Whoever you fought out in the snow and whoever sent that Sith girl your way, the presence you felt, that was her … 'Master' I guess you would call him. He is the one pulling the strings. Whatever spiked his interest in you, you have to be very careful from now on. He is a dangerous man and people way more powerful than both you or I fear him for a good reason.” He explained to the best of his abilities. Also he tried to stay sufficiently vague. If her imagination started running wild she would hopefully be more afraid. That would only help to keep her safe. “You need to get back together with your master. He will be able to protect you.” He said and thought 'hopefully'. There was no telling if her master was strong enough to protect her from his father. From his cronies maybe. From Arebos himself? Unlikely. So for now she would need someone else to look after her. Since her now dead Jedi companion had already failed her task Nova would need someone else to look after her. Since she was his sister he was the obvious choice. Family responsibilities and all.

All that was left to do was tell Nova. She probably wouldn't understand nor like it, but he didn't care. So he explained in the simplest terms he could think of. “Who will pull you out of the next snowdrift you land in? Who will save you the next time you are in trouble?” He asked and shook his head. “I can not let you go alone! I won't allow it!” He told her and it sounded final. All protest would not change his decision. Until he knew she was safe he would not let her go out into the world on her own. It was far tou dangerous for her and until she was reunited with the master she was looking for he would stay close by. Watching, protecting.

“I need to go meditate. Your mental barriers are not going to last forever.” He said and to him the whole topic was over.

She listened carefully and when he finished, her expression gained a subtle softness. There was a lot to think about what he had just stated. Who was this mighty foe? Why was he after her? So many questions. "Listen..." she started, her voice now as tender as if she was speaking to a child. Her gaze lowered itself to Luna "I already lured Master Gloria into my task...and she paid a heavy price for it. . ..I can't just endanger any more lives.." her words were drained with bitterness "We just met in dreams, Tyûk.You..." she met his eyes "you don't owe me anything...." yes she remembered when she had saved him from the black claws, but she saw no reason that a dream should cost him his life.

A disarming glance was her only answer, and at the very end, she didn't dare to rebel again...at least for the now.

 

[Nova Elgrin]

Finn had sent a message to Eamar that he would leave the ship here. That was the one thing he had made sure he would do before he abandoned it here in the icy wastes. He was certain that Eamar would send someone to come get it. So that was one less thing for Finn to worry about.

Since they would take Nova's ship - or was it her master's - he didn't need his. Also his ship was a bit too small to fit Nova Luna and him comfortably. Maybe without the dog it would work, but there would not be any privacy whatsoever. So that had been a quick decision to make. He really could dispense with the awkwardness that would produce.

He had simply gotten all his things out of the ship, which was basically just his backpack and some other essential things, and had brought them over to Nova's ship. Now he was standing inside, just above the ramp. His backpack slung over his shoulder. On his belt was his own lightsaber Nova's, that of the young Sith and that of the dead Jedi woman. He wondered if Nova would notice.


Another long, long day had passed by till the Lady doctor finally allowed Nova to leave Fest. The burn on her arm didn't hurt that badly anymore, however a nasty itch took the place of the pain. Nova had quite a hard time suppressing the urge of relieving herself by constantly scratching the red area.
When she entered the Aurora, it felt like returning home after a eternity spent in the outland. Her fingers found the calming metall and her eyes regarded the lonely cockpit in the front. It felt weird sharing her home with someone else than her father.

When Tyûk also entered her fathers ship, Nova's eyes found him quickly. She had tried to shack him off before, yet it didn't quite seem like he had any plans of leaving her to her task. At least not alone. The young girl was torn between gratefulness and the strange feeling of his presence being inappropriate. She wondered if she should even try argueing the point once more? The result would be the same, in the end. Her gaze however sank and the blue orbs discovered the sabers he carried. She was familiar with each of the hilts, one a loyal companion for years, one for a couple of days and one silent admonition. She approached him, her expression dominated by softness underlined with subtle melancholy "You found them all..." sadness penetrated her voice.


“Wasn't too hard, they still resonate with the presence of their … former … owners.” He explained and looked at the young girl. It was strange to know that she was his sister. Be it half-sister or not, he felt a tremendous responsibility to keep her safe. And to kill whoever had left her to die in the cold.

He reached for her lightsaber, took it of his belt and stepped closer to her. He handed it to her, emitter matrix facing to the side, away from both of them, and his look was quite serious. “This blade is your life, don't lose it again.” He said and there was genuine concern in his voice. She was still a child and not supposed to be exposed to dangers like this. If he could help her, shield her from the danger in some way, he would do so.


When he handed Nova her weapon, she carefully took it and regarded it with the soft expression a mother regarded her infant. The seemingly golden metal shone just as graciously as before the its...initiation. Nothing had changed about the appearance and yet Nova had killed the first time utilizing her saber. She had defended herself using it before of course, and she had injured people, the pirates who wanted to raid them, but as these had attacked from some distance she had given preference to her blaster. She was a surprisingly precise marksman, but a blaster was not a lightsaber. It had nothing personal, and even though in all objectivity one could argue the same about the saber, it still was more like a part of her body, an extention of her arm of some sorts. She thought about the Sith girl. Thought about her soft features, the sinister smile she had granted Nova, and the red hair dancing in the wind. Who knew if the girl had even been a Sith by choice? In the last two days her heart found itself swinging like a pendulum between pride and guilty conscience. She didn't like that one bit. It was her destiny to kill Sith, was it not?! Was it not...?

Nova also thought about poor Master Glorra. She had managed to contact her family and they would come to get her body so she would be burried in dignity. Nova hated that she had to leave her behind in the...dirt? Well, the fine, powdery snow was hardly dirt and it still felt like that was excatley what she was doing.

Finally she met the eyes of her companion "Shouldn't her saber rest beside her..?" it was obvious she was talking about Master Glorras weapon. However the other hilt also earned her cititcal regard. What did he plan to do with the weapon of the redhead?


Finn could see that the saber meant something to Nova. The way she carefully reached out and held it, the way she looked at it afterwards, had him believe she knew of the weapons importance. To one such as Nova and Finn a lightsaber was as much part of them as the force itself.


After a moment's silence Nova spoke about the dead Jedi. She must have meant her, because there was nothing left of the Sith girl. Only ashes being carried away on the wind. But when it came to the Jedi woman Finn wasn't sure they could take her with them right now. And Finn would surely not leave a precious item such as this weapon lying around. The Sith girl's saber was his now. That of the Jedi he would hold on to for safe keeping. “I encased her in ice.” He said as if that would explain everything. They could come back sometime later and pick her up. For that reason he had replaced the emergency beacon with something more permanent. He would be able to find the exact location he had left the body of the Jedi. “We don't have time to take her somewhere. Maybe … someday ...” He said but trailed of. He didn't want to give Nova too much hope or get her stuck on the idea. Better to have her just forget about it. Maybe she would. One could hope after all. Her life, her childhood should not be this violent. It didn't have to be. Yet somehow she had gotten into all of this. He was hellbent on making sure that she got out of it alive and with all limbs attached.

He lifted his hand from his side. He wanted to reach out for her, reassure her that everything would be alright. But he didn't. To her he was a stranger after all. The friendship they had formed in their shared dream-visions seemed so far away. He wanted to embrace his little sister and make sure she felt safe. But he knew it would be awkward and weird. So there was not much he could do to console her. He let his hand down again and focused on the more important things.

“Where were you headed to? Landing here clearly wasn't planned.” He said and wanted to know what their next destination was going to be.


Nova nodded and after another moment of silence she stated "I will deliever the saber to her family when we found my father. I entrust you with its safekeeping for now" she had obvioulsy thought about asking for the saber, as she had shared a connection with its owner, but she decided against it >>he's got more fingers anyway..<< she thought bitterly. He would know how to make use of a second saber, she guessed.
Oh he would love the answer to his question though. Nova already prepared herself for some anger. "Ahm.." she cleared her throat "I don't know where excately we have to go.." and before his expression could even reflect her words she hastingly continued "But don't you worry! I will know soon enough"


He felt a slight amusement when she 'entrusted' him with the safe-keeping of the Jedi's lightsaber. He didn't comment on it and simply let the issue go. There were more important things right now.

Thankfully Nova was smart enough to realize that and while her answer wasn't what he had expected. Still it was a start. She didn't know where she was going. For a moment he wondered if she meant that literally but quickly realized what the statement that followed insinuated. They had followed the force and tried to let it guide them to wherever her father was - Finn twitched nervously when she said the word. He still wasn't completely sure, but there were not to many options for their blood relations. Either Sam had somehow tricked him into not knowing about a second pregnancy or his father had found another woman to carry Nova. He thought that the second version made more sense but it also scared him to think about the consequences. And with the latest development of Nova having been visited in her sleep by some dark presence, that Finn feared had been Arebos, made it almost impossible to deny the direction this seemed to be taking. So most likely they were fraternal half siblings. In any case she was his sister. With what little of his family he had left this was something that came as a very unexpected but pleasant surprise. He had not expected to feel this way. His lifelong experience with his mother had him a firm believer there, but he did. He could feel his heart warming with every passing moment.

“For now let us just get her off the ground. We can find out where we are going once we are in space.” He said and walked past Nova. The cockpit had been somewhere in this direction if he remembered correctly.

A slight wave of his hand had Luna follow him. But not without the loyal animal looking to her young mistress first.


She smiled and nodded once more to confirm his suggestion. She followed him into the cockpit with Luna by her side. She took the pilot seat - one she had been seated in not too many times - yet it didn't take away from her experience when it came to flying a ship. Her somewhat adventorous flying style was the only thing her father had ever critised. And she didn't fly like this all the time after all!

She seat of the Co-pilot was right nex to hear. Nova activated the gears, knowing MU2 would also make sure they wouldn't end up crash landing.

Her gaze met the clear blue of her companion "Ready?" she asked with an almost shyish smile on her lips.


Finn didn't know whether to be slightly nervous about her flying the ship or completely terrified by the prospect of having her ram them into the next rock and blow up the ship. He had to remind himself, that he had flown ships at an age far younger than she was and likely this was not her first time either. So he hoped she would not kill them outright and just to be sure he looked over his shoulder at the astromech droid that was hooked up to the ship’s computer. The droid was likely doing most of the flying anyway and that did calm his nerves somewhat. “If I don't like your flying I will take over the helm.” He said and looked at her with all the strictness of a disapproving older brother. With that he held on to his seat and waited for the ship to take-off. When it did the lift-off was somewhat rough but thankfully, once they were in the air there was not much to collide with and their flight smoothed somewhat. He thanked modern technology for inertia dampeners and artificial gravity. Otherwise he might have needed a paper bag. Take-offs and landings would be done by him in the future. Nova really needed to get some more experience flying in space first. After all there wouldn't always be a Jeyne around to save them. This time they had gotten lucky.

He thought back to a short while ago when he had said his goodbyes to Jeyne. And while his sister took them of the cold ice ball that was Fest, towards whatever unknowns the galaxy held for them, he was grateful to have a friend like Jeyne.