Ask Thyferra Thorne Homecoming

[Jayna Thorne]

It had been weeks since her last visit home to Thyferra. With her classes at Theed University coming into full swing, Jayna had split her time equally between Naboo and Empress Teta - working diligently to build her own reputation amongst Cinnegar’s elite. Her efforts there had already begun to pick up steam, even if the methods she employed weren’t exactly upstanding at all time. Through it all, however, Jayna couldn’t shake the situation that had befallen her family - no matter how much she attempted to compartmentalize and bury it beneath work.

Things had been different since the pulse. Her brother - her twin - had been missing for days, and avoided associating with his family at all once returning. Both of her fathers and Tiamat seemed to avoid the topic entirely, providing little context or hint of what had occurred on that fateful day. For all the ways that Jayna was difficult to rile, she cared deeply for her own family - and the fissures that clearly existed continued to gnaw at her with every day that passed.

It was finally enough to prompt her return home - searching for answers to that very question.

Of course, it had taken her a solid hour to escape from her Papa - jubilantly greeting and capturing her to visit upon arrival. She could already smell some of her favorites cooking nearby - filling the halls of the manor with their aroma. Despite the state kitchens and dozens of staff, Jaikus always insisted upon cooking for his own family for special occasions. Even still, Jayna could sense the wounds that still lingered beneath the surface. The dark circles beneath his eyes, and the pain that seemed to lance across his expression when asking if Jayna had spoken with her twin at all.

Making her way through the manor, Jayna knew exactly where to find Daddy. From the time she was a child, the Heiress had taken a keen interest in the fitness and lifestyle that her father had become famous for - one of the many ways she emulated and tried to follow in his footsteps. Exercise had been their method of bonding for years, and the familiar sound of weights moving in the gym ahead immediately caused her lips to tug upwards ever-so-slightly.

As she rounded the corner, Jayna immediately spotted Emryc behind one of the many punching bags or their private gym - going through his Teras Kasi drills. The facility was as large as any public gym, with state of the art equipment and training droids set up nearby. A few attendant droids moved around to clean and tidy equipment that wasn’t in use, ensuring that things were kept spotless at all times.

“Mind if I work in?” She called out, stepping into the gym and beginning to close the distance between them. The Heiress had already changed into a pair of sweat and sports top, her dark hair pulled into a tight braid that draped to the middle of her back. Slung across her shoulder was a small duffel bag, gloves and handwraps tucked inside.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Jaikus had been a mess since Ezra refused to communicate with his family. In truth, it bothered Emryc far more than he would admit. He threw himself into work and distanced himself from it as he always did with pain. He saw Jayna less these days as well and the manor felt even bigger and emptier. He had always preferred the humble comforts of his ship, but his family certainly had a bigger appetite.

He was punching the customized bags that could withstand even his strength when his daughter arrived. Emryc said nothing at first, walking over to grab a bottle of water. He set it down and walked over to stand across her. He slid a foot back, getting into a fighter’s stance, giving her a nod to start an offense.

“Who is the Jedi boy?” He asked curtly. Emryc didn’t provide further context. He never did.

@Altaris

 

[Jayna Thorne]

Jayna kept her arms folded over her chest casually - watching as Emryc paused his training to acknowledge her. Unlike most people in the Galaxy, the Heiress wasn’t the least bit perturbed by silence and nonverbal communication. It was a trait she’d grown up with her entire life, and inherited in many ways from the man before her.

As such, Jayna continued to walk towards her father - pausing only once they met towards the center of the gym. Her own gym bag was casually tossed to the side, landing near one of the polished benches on the sides of the gym. As soon as Emryc shifted his stance, however, Jayna couldn’t help the smirk that broke through her usual countenance.

Rolling her shoulders a bit, Jayna drew her foot backwards - turning her body ever-so-slightly to the side. It was the usual opening stance of any Teras Kasi practitioner, and hinted at the training she had been drilled in since the time she could walk. Exhaling a breath through her nostrils, Jayna began their exchange with a quick jab with her left fist - aiming to strike Emryc’s right flank. Her body moved to pivot in the direction of her blow, attempting to put herself onto his side.

The question from Emryc was met with a moment of silence - though it wasn’t due to any surprise on Jayna’s part. She knew her father - and recognized that Leon would be under layers of scrutiny and surveillance the moment he came within her radar - let alone committed to any kind of relationship. Whatever Emryc’s response to her attack, Jayna continued their conversation.

“Leon,” She said after a moment. Of course, Jayna knew that Emryc already had an entire file compiled on the Knight at this point. He didn’t need to know his name, so much as who he was to Jayna in her own words. “He has been close friends with Ezra since he joined the Jedi. We met on Ithor,” She paused for a moment to meet his gaze. “We’ve been seeing each other recently,”

 

[Emryc Thorne]

As Jayna came in with the jab, Emryc swiped his right fist in a clockwise motion to bat it away. However, his foot moved lightning fast in an effort to take her legs out from beneath her. If she fell on her back, he would extended a hand down to hoist her back to her feet in one, fluid motion, his silver gaze icy as it met hers, “He is intellectually inferior to you,” He remarked in his familiar, deadpan tone.

The half Sephi stepped away and began to circle around her, “Perhaps that is a positive thing,” He mused. He would prefer his daughter to be much smarter than anyone she was dating regardless of whether it was serious or not. She would hopefully then have the foresight to throw away any playthings that didn’t pan out.

It was unfortunate that Ezra chose the Jedi, but Emryc felt better knowing the boy was still going to university and starting his own corporation. What was this Leon doing? Just like Ezra’s ‘boyfriend’ the kid was subjecting himself to doing galactic community service and waving a saber around. Both were parasites to the Thorne wealth. But he wouldn’t share these thoughts aloud even if Jaikus heard him ramble about it often. No, his children needed to learn from their own idiocy just like he did.

“Am I going to have to meet him?” Emryc asked, trying to keep a grimace off his face. It was irritating enough when he had to clear his schedule for his other child’s significant other. The entire concept still seemed odd to him.

@Altaris

 

[Jayna Thorne]

For all of her experience and training, Jayna couldn’t help the way that her eyes momentarily widened with surprise - feeling as Emryc swept his own leg beneath her own. An exhale of hair was forced from her lungs as Jayna fell onto her back, though she didn’t allow herself to stay there for more than a second. Accepting the pull back to her feet, she immediately assumed a defensive stance - following Emryc as he began to circle her perimeter. Silver eyes pierced for any gap or opening in his stance, her legs and shins pointed forward in anticipation of any kicks.

“Most people are.” She said curtly and without missing a beat - that smirk just barely lingering against her countenance. Arrogant as it might’ve come across, the quarter-Sephi was perfectly aware that she excelled academically, standing leagues ahead of her peers. Whether or not she considered Leon personally to fall into that camp was a sentiment Jayna kept entirely to herself in that moment.

More than his intelligence, Jayna couldn’t help the way that she lingered on their very different lifestyles. After all, Leon was a Jedi Knight. He was committed to the values and causes of their Order, and the Heiress couldn’t help but wonder when it would be the source of friction. Her recent work with Aska had begun to blur the lines of what was morally upright - and Jayna didn’t care one way or another, so long as her own goals were achieved. So long as it served a greater purpose in the end.

It was the type of ruthless instinct Jayna saw in her own father - and would’ve been celebrated as a Thorne. Such was the legacy of her family.

Whether Leon would see it that way remained to be seen.

“Soon perhaps,” Jayna said, circling her father slowly."Papa wouldn't let either of us get away with anything less." She said, likely not wrong. “But I wouldn’t ask unless it was serious.” She said simply. She couldn’t deny her feelings for Leon - but equally recognized just how recently the two of them had moved past merely stealing glances at one another. Bringing anyone to meet her father was a step she wasn’t quite prepared to take.

There was a long pause, but Jayna kept her eyes locked on Emryc regardless. Though her expression didn’t shift or betray the emotions that swirled underneath, the half-Sephi would undoubtedly be able to decipher the cogs that were turning behind her eyes. Pondering the question she was about to ask, and already playing out the multitude of different scenarios that might play out as a result.

“What happened after the Pulse?”

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc stared blankly at her as she abruptly changed the topic. She knew loopholes to use around him. She knew well enough that Emryc, unlike Jaikus, was entirely too aloof to press on a prior topic when a new one was abruptly introduced. The half Sephi quietly considered the question, initially responding by starting another Teras Kasi routine.

“The pulse was the return of the Sith known as Darth Raze,” He stated flatly as he swept her leg again to knock her flat, “He poses a threat to our family. Dad called Ezra to the house and Ezra was Ezra,” He said simply, shrugging vaguely. Emryc would never know how often Ezra’s boyfriend and friends used the phrase ‘Ezra was Ezra’ as a descriptor.

The half Sephi launched another hit at her, expecting her to bat it away and come back with her own counter, “You will need to be more vigilant than ever,” He reminded her as they sparred, “I trust this boy hasn’t distracted you away from your political aspirations?”

@Altaris

 

[Jayna Thorne]

Internally, Jayna was pleased that her diversion tactic proved effective against her father - momentarily diverting Emryc’s attention away from Leon. She already knew that the Knight would be under extreme scrutiny at this point, and that the SpyNet already had agents documenting everything about him. It came with the territory of dating or being close to their close-knit family, and was.. Probably something Jayna should have a conversation with him about. At some point.

The Heiress quickly shifted back into fighting stance - her chest rising and falling with quickened breaths. There was a clarity of mind that came whenever Jayna fell back into her Teras Kasi training, going through the routine and motions like a form of meditation. More than anywhere else, it was during that training that Jayna could think clearly and analyze things within her own mind.

Her expression didn’t change when Emryc elaborated about the Pulse - but the half-Sephi would know without a doubt, his daughter was listening intently. Darth Raze? She heard stories about the man, but he’d been gone for decades. Now he was back. Now Ithor was destroyed, and the Sith Lord supposedly was a threat to their family most of all. Jayna didn’t bother to ask Emryc any follow-up question about ‘how much danger they were in’ or whether she ‘needed to be concerned’. The simple fact that Emryc had stated Raze to be such was enough for Jayna.

Of course, Jayna allowed his words to replay within her mind - particularly those parts concerning her twin. She remembered briefly seeing him on Naboo, and he’d done his best to avoid her since that day. Jayna could practically feel the tension in the air, and one look on Jaikus whenever Ezra’s name was mentioned? Jayna knew there was something deeper to the entire situation.

Jayna turned her shin in the direction of Emryc’s incoming leg, one leg sliding backwards to square her stance - holding firm against the attempted knockdown.

“He is more hurt than I’ve ever seen him.” Jayna said in response to ‘Ezra being Ezra’. She had her own method for dealing with problems that rarely manifested on the surface, but Jayna had seen emotions from her brother enough to recognize this was something different entirely. It was a not-so-subtle reminder to Emryc that his daughter was paying attention, and knew there were details being withheld.

Surprisingly, Jayna didn’t press the issue unless Emryc himself opted to reveal more information. It wasn’t within her nature to press things when her parents weren’t being forthcoming. Instead, Jayna tilted her head forward and focused onto the sparring match.

“I will be, daddy.” She said flatly, nodding ever so slightly when Emryc warned her to be vigilant. As the punch came in, Jayna batted the President’s fist away with a counter-clockwise motion, stepping forward and into his guard. Jayna brought her leg forward in a rather predictable replication of the move that Emryc had pulled against her only a few moments ago.

The leg sweep, however, proved only to be a feint. At the same time, Jayna jabbed forward with her left fist - aiming towards the President’s ribs. Regardless of effect, she continued.

“Leon has been helpful in that regard. As was a previous associate of yours,” Aska had interestingly let slip that she’d worked with Emryc before, and it was a piece of information she filed away within the corners of her mind.

“The Mining Guild on Teta will be a problem.”

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Jayna’s sentiment gave Emryc a slight pause. It would have been easy to miss, but they were in the middle of a spar. As a result, he fell for the feint, her fist connecting against his ribs. He simply exhaled a sharp breath of air, shifting to the side as he tanked the hit. It would remind her that her father was built like a tank. Nonetheless, he retaliated by grasping the fist that connected and bodily throwing her a few feet away. A humbling reminder that even landing a hit didn’t mean you stopped to celebrate victories.

“Ezra lost countless friends and his new home because of Darth Raze,” Emryc reminded her, “He lives a dangerous life beyond anything you or I can imagine,” He had no qualms with reminding his daughter that she still lived the sheltered life of a pampered princess. His son, on the other hand, was in the frontlines of war, “He will be tested many times from the path he has chosen. It will either make him or destroy him.”

Emryc didn’t help her up this time, getting into stance once more to gesture for her to launch an attack. He didn’t react externally to the reference to Aska. It wasn’t the first time Aska or Covax ended up near his kids. Nothing happened by accident, so he wonder what plays were being made by those two.

“Politics is almost always self indulgent, Jayna,” Emryc said calmly. If that fact was a surprise to her, she would be a fool, “Do not involve a Jedi into it. They will only hinder you,” He warned her sternly, genuinely displeased by her methods. In many ways, he did believe in his own policies regarding Force users. Their own doctrines and principles stopped progress and they were not flexible enough to succeed in the Senate.

“What do you intend to do about the Guild?”

@Altaris

 

[Jayna Thorne]

Jayna knew better than to celebrate her own victories during a fight. Teras Kasi had been a passion for the quarter-Sephi for as long as the girl would remember, and prioritized the training over few things else in her life. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t distracted more than she shouldn’t been. Her fist immediately began to snap backwards and return to defensive guard - and she simply wasn’t quick enough to avoid the grab by her father.

She couldn’t help the small gasp as she was thrown several feet away - hitting the ground and losing her footing at once. She rolled once or twice before coming to a hand, her chest rising and falling with heavy breaths. Jayna didn’t stay there for long, though, Just as quickly as she’d been planted on her ass, Jayna sprang back to her feet - pointedly ignoring the soreness and minor pains.

Jayna immediately resumed her fighting stance, rolling her shoulders ever-so-slightly as she began to slowly approach him. Even as she did so, Emryc would see her listening carefully to everything that he had to say - picking apart and analyzing his words. In any other circumstance, Jayna would have merely brushed it off. But the Heiress was well-acquainted with the episode of her brother’s disappearance, even if she had none of the context. Her and Ezra had been moved into high security by Jaikus at the same time, and her twin’s disappearance had been days prior to the televised attack on Ithor.

She stared back at Emryc with a completely vacant expression, silver eyes seeming to pierce through the half-Sephi instead of meeting his gaze. She didn’t offer a single word of response to Emryc’s comments about her twin, largely because she didn’t have anything that warranted vocalizing. Her father either didn’t know why Ezra was avoiding the family.. Or Emryc simply had no intentions of delving into that information. And Jayna knew just how unlikely the former-most scenario was.

She took in a breath, and promptly decided to move on from the subject entirely. There had been an opportunity to discuss the elephant in the room, but it wasn’t in Jayna’s nature to press on the issue obsessively. A conversation with Ezra, however, suddenly began to climb in the list of Jayna’s priorities. For his own part, Emryc would almost certainly be able to tell that Jayna was picking apart the statement.

“My methods and goals won’t change for anyone, Jedi least of all,” She said flatly in response to the warning. There were things that she would do that wouldn’t align with Jedi views, and she already knew it had the potential to cause conflict. The Heiress didn’t miss the genuine displeasure in her fathers voice, and it caused her lips to tug ever-so-slightly downward without any control over the expression. She stood just a little bit straighter, exhaling through her nostrils before moving in for the attack.

“The Guild is second only to the Imperial family in control over Teta - and the reality is that they eclipse even them.” She said simply. “They will not tolerate any challenge to that status.” It was the obvious state of affairs on Teta. Facts they both already knew, and Jayna had begun to work out how to rectify. “They will only hinder my career on Teta and need to be removed.”

“Guild control over the Carbonite has completely removed the local Tetans from managing the industry. They have no voice in how it is sold, and the Emperor has little power to stifle what they are doing. Coupled with atrocious conditions for miners on the Seven Colonies, the opposition has already begun to breed dissent amongst the populace.”

“I will vocalize my support for the miners and decry the conditions on Atale,” She began with the moon of Teta, and one of the primary production sites of Andris Spice. “It will do little in effect but it will draw attention to the crisis, and will endear myself to the millions who buck against Guild control.” Even as she circled her father, Jayna had no qualms with explaining her plan for the planet.

“An alternative mining corporation will be established on Teta, with a local member of the nobility - someone I can trust and will select for the role - to be its figurehead chairman.” She paused briefly. “It will be necessary to hire individuals capable of sabotaging Guild operations. Disrupt their orders and fulfillment, and destroy the confidence they command within the system.” Jayna kept her gaze on Emryc the entire time. “And I will use my own platform to advocate for additional Tetan control over the resources.”

“Stock prices will plummet. The nobility will scramble to invest in alternatives to free themselves from any association with crisis, and further jump at the opportunity to remove foreign control over their own resources.” Jayna tilted her head a bit. “And I trust they will be grateful to the woman who ultimately made it possible.”

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc listened to her approach, calmly hearing her out. As her attack lashed out, the half Sephi evaded it with surprisingly quick reflexes. She would have known her fathers - both of them - to have unnaturally high reaction times to things. Curiously, even her brother displayed this trait. It was never a topic brought up in conversation, however.

As usual, it was difficult to tell whether Emryc approved of the plan or not, his face its usual stoic. In the end, he paused in their spar, walking over to grab another drink of water, “I’m the Mining Guild,” He began, “You have just vocally undercut me and removed the foothold I had on one of my most strategic systems. I know you are the daughter of the ISC President. I have a monopoly on many mineral and resource planets - especially when it comes to coaxium and other critical resources,” He outlined calmly, “I then move to levy taxes across all of these assets trading out to ISC systems to offset the economical hemorrhaging you have caused me through the loss of Empress Teta. I go to Holonet and paint your ascension as a corporate coup solely to benefit you and upend the years of stability my presence has brought to Empress Teta. The one paying the biggest price is the ISC President,” He looked at her, “Me.”

The half Sephi set the water down, “The Mining Guild, the Banking Clans, these entities have massive reach, influence and presence across the galaxy. If you have tunnel vision and only consider your own aspirations and not the wider network of political capital and power of influence, you will only hamstring yourself and leave yourself without any allies.”

He didn’t get where he was without making decisions he found less than pleasing. He could recall when he agreed to Sith sanctions when he vehemently disagreed with the notion. However, politics was a game where you had to play the long con. A few unsavory moves today could pay out hugely later. Allies and a network composed of powerful figures was crucial for any rising politician. Jayna would have to learn that the hard way just as he did.

@Altaris

 

[Jayna Thorne]

As expected, Jayna wasn’t able to decipher anything of what Emryc thought. While she - perhaps more than any of his children - inherited his mannerisms, they didn’t come with a method of reading her fathers thoughts or impassive expressions. It wasn’t until Emryc broke the silence - walking her through the potential fallout with the Guild - that Jayna began to understand.

The Heiress lowered her guard as their fight came to a pause, taking the opportunity to keenly listen to everything the President had to say. He was perhaps the best example of building a political base from nothing, and challenging the preexisting powers that exerted influence over those planets. Their very home and capital of Thyferra was the best example of that to be seen across the Galaxy.

Her brows furrowed a bit, nodding as Emryc outlined the fallout that would come back to harm her family. Perhaps she could successfully uproot the Guild from Teta. But it would leave her isolated within the Deep Core and without allies, and had the potential to harm both herself and her family long-term. Could she reliably gather allies and nearby systems after that kind of publicity? How else would the Guild retaliate? Her thoughts briefly traveled back to the historical example of Naboo and the Trade Federation, and just how precarious it could be to challenge such a power.

Jayna slowly walked a few steps from the sparring mat, arms crossing over her chest as she thought. She grabbed a bottle of water for herself, taking a drink before finally returning her gaze to Emryc.

“What would you suggest that I do instead?” Her father was perhaps the only person that Jayna would willingly ask advice and guidance from.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc stared at his daughter as she asked her question. She knew it was always 50/50 whether the half Sephi entertained a question at all.

“You will do exactly what you proposed,” He said calmly, “But quietly,” As a politician, she would need to learn how to discreetly work things in her favor. She could sabotage the guild without loudly announcing her connection to it or making some theatrical show of standing up against the Guild. In fact, she could even begin by working with the Guild and then position herself to be the Empress Teta liaison on the Guild's behalf. After that, she could relay to the Guild that their presence was hurting public morale and to suggest some ‘distance’, all the while positioning herself as a natural shoe-in leader. The Guild would have the illusion of power and step back, and Jayna would stand to gain everything.

Emryc paused before he asked a question, one he hadn’t asked in the entire time she had been alive, “Have you ever thought yourself to be Force sensitive?” He asked calmly, his steely gaze fixing on hers, “When the boy experienced his…mishaps.. Did you ever experience the same?” The serious way he asked the question strongly implied this was important to him and that it was in her best interest to answer honestly.

@Altaris

 

[Jayna Thorne]

Internally, Jayna knew there was a chance that Emryc wasn’t going to dignify the question with a response. Developing her own political instincts and successful career would require answering some dilemmas for herself, and making her own mistakes in the process. Ezra would experience it along his path in life, and so would she.

Jayna took a small sip from her bottle before placing it back onto the bench, fixing her attention back onto Emryc. His advice wasn’t complicated or long winded, but it was a course correction of what the Heiress had already proposed. She could tilt things into her favor and supplant Guild influence in place of her own, without painting a target onto anything associated with their family name. It was cautious and calculated. Exactly as her father would have acted - and would bring her to better results at the end.

Taking in a breath, Jayna offered a small nod in response. “I will,” She said simply. There was no follow up question or hypotheticals. The remaining details and intricacies would be hers to decipher. “Thank you.”

Of course, there was nothing that could have prepared Jayna for the question that Emryc levied next. At once, there was a rare look of surprise that flashed across the Heiress’ expression in that moment, her icy eyes going wide. Not once - not even after Ezra’s own abilities had been revealed - had Emryc or Jaikus asked, and there was a part of Jayna that couldn’t help but wonder why her father chose that moment. Perhaps more importantly, she didn’t miss the serious inflection to his voice, and knew better than to be anything but honest.

“No,” She said after a momentary pause, offering Emryc a small shrug of her shoulders. “I used to wonder as a girl, but I never experienced what Ezra described to me. Being able to move and feel things without physically touching them. The instincts he had while podracing.” She shook her head.

“I believe my brother is a first in that regard, as far as Thorne’s go.”

 

[Emryc Thorne]

He knew the answer, of course, but he had to ask nonetheless. It wasn’t abnormal for some to have the ability but to lose it over time. There was a silent reflection on how things may have been different if he and Jaikus trained their own children. Arla had grown vastly in her strength, and Ezra still trailed behind. Could he have unlocked all his potential if his fathers had taught him?

“Do you think less of Ezra because of what he is?” This was not a normal line of questioning from Emryc. He generally didn’t care what feelings anyone had towards a topic - speculation like that was impractical and too ‘fluffy’. However, considering the platform he had pushed as President, the basis for the foundation of the ISC and now the Force running in their family, he needed to understand where his daughter stood. Arla’s reveal was also significant. How did she feel about Emryc having fathered another child? Their lives were convoluted and messy, and it was the clear opposite of the half Sephi’s normally immaculate and methodical ways of operating.

He wasn’t sure why he was asking these questions - perhaps to lead towards revealing the truth about himself and Jaikus. About Raze. Ezra already knew, so what good did sitting on it do? Raze was not in his head to simply curb the flood of countless outcomes and probabilities as a result of broaching the topic. Emryc’s analytical mind began to rapidly compute all the ways the dialogue could go sour and lead to yet another fissure with his children.

@Altaris

 

[Jayna Thorne]

Jayna couldn’t help the way that her brow arched ever-so-slightly higher than the other - alluding to the surprise elicited by Emryc’s question. For the entirety of her life, the Heiress had never known her father to be concerned with the opinions or personal beliefs of others, and certainly didn’t vocalize such thoughts if they occurred. She immediately began to ponder and pick apart why the half-Sephi was so concerned.

Why was this the line of questioning he chose? What answer was he hoping for, given the views he had espoused for years?

The Heiress was silent for a few moments - idly fixing a few loose strands of hair back into her braid. “No,” She said flatly, silver eyes flicking back to fix onto Emryc. “Of course I don’t.”

“I do not believe the Jedi or any other Force Sect have a role in governing the Galaxy,” She said plainly, her word choice deliberate. It was an important distinction from the anti-Force sentiment that had been bred into many ISC citizens over the years, and ultimately was closer to the original vision that Emryc had preached decades ago.

“Ezra is my brother. He is a Thorne,” Nearly two decades had engrained a sense of loyalty and commitment to her own name. To the legacy that those who bore it were expected to uphold. To defend members of the family above everybody and anything else in the Galaxy.”

“My opinions of both of my siblings are based entirely on who they chose to be through their actions. Not their abilities.” Jayna tapped by nails against the bench, tilting her head towards Ezra. She almost asked the question right back at her father - though a part of the quarter-Sephi already knew the answer.

“Why do you ask?”

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc thought for a long moment, considering how to break the news to her. The half Sephi paced around, running his fingers through his hair. He finally paused, looking at his daughter, “Diathim..” He began, using a term of endearment he applied to her since she first arrived in the galaxy. It had slipped out before he could stop himself as he gazed upon that perfect little bundle. Jaikus did his part by saying nothing about it or embarrassing Emryc, basking in the sight of the normally stoic half Sephi staring in wonder at his two children. Diathim is who Jayna was while Emryc could still protect her with all his might without her ever knowing where his strength came from. Without ever questioning his origin. None of it mattered because Emryc Thorne, with the strength of Raze, was a god among mortals. And he could break the galaxy before anything happened to his children - his diathim. And today the reality hit him that that day was long past. Like a diathim, she was unfurling her wings and going places where he couldn’t follow. The only thing he could control was whether she chose to ever look back.

The half Sephi took a seat on a nearby bench, exhaling softly, “Ezra ran away because he discovered something about me…about your papa and I,” He looked at his daughter. He had fought the entire Sith council, he fought the King of Korriban, he had brought entire planets to heel, he conquered love for the first time, he chained Darth Raze, he sat on top of the galaxy, he won wars, he had trillions singing to his tune, and yet nothing made him as uneasy as the potential of his daughter thinking less of him. It disgusted him in a way - it made him feel weak. It was something Raze would never have allowed, but he was left more human and lesser. He was no longer that invincible god he considered himself. His jaw tightened as he chose his words.

“We both wield the Force,” He said, “We used to be Sith,” He looked at Jayna, his face impassive, but his eyes betraying hints of emotion, “I once used to be the entity known as Darth Raze,” His jaw tightened, “I wanted you to hear it from me instead of anyone else.”

@Altaris

 

[Jayna Thorne]

Jayna could already tell that something was different. The quarter-Sephi stared back at Emryc with matching eyes of silver - watching her father as he paced and ran fingers through his hair. It was perhaps the first time that the Heiress had ever seen her father visibly nervous about.. Anything. She had always known Emryc to be the strongest amongst their family - the rock that they could lean against, weathering every storm without failure. He was the one who has always protected her from the dangers of the Galaxy, guiding her towards success. The one who made her feel untouchable.

Even if she never knew where that strength came from - she admired and tried to emulate it in every aspect of her life.

It was the term of endearment that caught her off guard - silver eyes going wide as saucers at once. She remained seated in the bench just across from her father, seeming to hang on every word that left his lips. Every twitch of his fluted ears, every bit of emotion that manifested behind his eyes. Her mind raced to piece together their earlier conversation, her analytical mind attempting to arrive at all possible conclusions before Emryc made his reveal. It was clear that Emryc was nervous, and those anxieties inevitably began to creep into his daughter.

But nothing could prepare the Heiress for the words that eventually left her father’s lips.

It took Jayna quite a while to process what Emryc had said - and truthfully wouldn’t for quite a while still. She could only stare back at the man that had raised and guided her, feeling her world and reality suddenly turned upside down. Sith? Raze? Had the news come from anyone but Emryc, Jayna wouldn’t have believed it. Both of her fathers had built their platform upon separation from Force Users. Upon neutrality between both Jedi and Sith, until war finally erupted with the latter. Had it all been a lie? A hypocrisy? The fact that Emryc spoke in the past tense wasn’t missed, either.

Was this who her parents truly were, or the past of what they had been?

How much of Jayna was formed and shaped by Darth Raze? Her ruthless instincts. The drive and ambition for politics and the desire to see herself at the very top of the Galaxy. Was it the guiding words of her father that drove her, or the machinations of a Dark Lord?

Jayna finally swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. “All this time..” She said quietly - the surprise still evident in her voice. Another realization hit her at once. “You kept this from my brother,” She said. It all began to make sense - and Jayna knew that their Force sensitivity would impact him worse than it did her. She knew because she saw just how much her brother languished, thinking himself an outcast.

Fate played its tricks that way - as her twin was anything but. His gifts were a Thorne standard, inherited from both fathers who had raised them. The Heiress was normally confident and self-assured, and yet couldn’t help the whispers of doubt that crept from the depths of her mind. Was she somehow lesser than her siblings, devoid of the Force? Did Emryc think as much?

The silence lingered - and for a while Jayna said nothing at all. The simple reality was that the Heiress didn’t struggle with the same philosophical differences as her brother. She had no Jedi training to reel at the mention of the Sith - she had no connection to the Force to feel the Darkness and the roots it tried to plant in her brother. Even still, the doubts and uncertainties lingered within her.

“Daddy..” She finally said, glancing up to him. The emotion was clear behind her eyes, despite the hardened stare she fixed upon him. “I care about.. I need to know who both of you are now. Who you are to me,” She said plainly. “Not what you were.” It was a question more than a statement - the words hanging in the air with a layer of uncertainty. Was he still Darth Raze? Was he still the monster that had terrorized the Galaxy? Had things changed due to the war with the Sith?

Did she truly know the man who raised her?

“What else don’t I know?” She said quietly. Secrets had clearly been kept - and the air needed to be clear before she could ever find peace with the situation. Even still, there was no emotional outburst - no foul words or eruptions of volatility that both of her siblings were far more prone to. Instead, Jayna sat like a statue - her only movements the way that she wrung her hands together, picking at her nails with an almost nervous tic.