Ask When You Wish Upon a Star

[Leon Baudelaire]

Comprehending anything that was happening was starting to make Leon’s head hurt. Mystic riddles, realms shifting before their very eyes like a kaleidoscope, ya know the typical force thing. His cheery disposition evaporated as he spotted the pair of humans standing in front of him.

Baudelaire kissed his teeth, “Man, it’s always my parents…”

As he stepped forward his corporeal form returned. The billowing weather system he was solidified with each step he took. Leon turned to see if the others were stepping forward and they were gone. His brow furrowed, he hoped they couldn’t see this.

The Padawan turned his attention back to his parents. His verdant gaze met his mother’s. He had her eyes. Tears filled the young Jedi’s eyes.

“Momma!” a familiar voice called out behind him. Leon didn’t turn around as the pitter patter of little feet streaked past him. Wild windswept dark blonde hair bounced on top of the passing kid’s head.

“There’s my little Dagger!” said his father. Suddenly, father and son were crossing practice swords. The clack and clatter of wood mixed with the high pitched “Hi-ya!” of the kid brought a smile to Baudelaire’s face. Both wore an identical smirk. The same one Leon still brandished at every chance.

The scene before him shifted again, and he felt his heart drop to his ankles. His breath was suddenly coming in ragged heaves as panic threatened to over take him. Tears freely fell down his cheeks and he pleaded, “No… no… not again… not again, please…”

SNAP HISSS

A feral scream ripped from the Adumairan’s lips as he tried to lunge forward with all of his might. But he couldn’t budge. His arms and legs kicked, but he was locked in place. He looked like a dog on a leash. Nothing but the snarling protestations of his barely decipherable language of terror and fury could be heard. A prisoner to his greatest pain. Forced to return to the night of his deepest regret. Forced to relive the fact that his parents had been mercilessly butchered, and he’d been too weak to do anything.

@Alhon @Sreeya

 

[Dash Pavan]

Dash imagined a thousand things emerging from the maelstrom ahead, but he realised too late he should have known what would emerge.

Pale hands reached out from the swirling mass, long slender arms pulling gently, prizing a long body robed in white into the light. Jadis towered above him, her fierce blue eyes regarding him hungrily, as if she had finally cornered her prey after a long chase.

Dash stood his ground, no longer quite as afraid of the witch as he had once been. His arms instinctively raised into a guard though and he noticed his fiery form had vanished, replaced by his plain old self.

"Dash..." she said, disappointment heavy in her voice. "You waste so much, give so much, for these others...." she looked past him, but try as he might the Rhinnalian could see neither his friends or the guide in any direction. "I offered you the secrets of the mountain and you abandon them, for what?". She gave him a pitiful look.

"Your mountain can wait" Dash said firmly "Ezra was in so much pain, so much danger. I had to find him".

"You know nothing of the danger you speak of" Jadis said, a look of concern flickering across her face. "but without our power how will you protect yourself from it, let alone him". She referred to Ezra with obvious distaste, but Dash ignored her. He did desperately want to be strong enough to protect his boyfriend, and his friends.

"I will be strong enough" Dash said, promising himself as much as anyone.

Jadis smiled as she loomed over him, like she knew something he did not. "Yes" she said softly, reaching down to touch his chest "you cannot help it can you". Dash felt a curious sensation spread through his body, though he was not sure if it was good or bad. This was all like a bad dream.

@Sreeya @Zay

 

[Ezra Thorne]

He wanted to look away. He wanted to go towards Jadis. He wanted to go towards whatever challenge Leon was facing. Anything sounded more tolerable than the two figures that stood before him. One of them had the infamous red visor. He wanted to look away, he wanted to deny it. But there it was in front of him.

“Why do you run from what you are?” The haunting voice whispered to him. It was his Pops’ voice mixed with something otherworldly. Something unnatural and cold.

Ezra glared at the figures, turning to that of his dad’s, “Why did you lie to me? WHY?” He shouted, his voice bellowing across the spirit world. Everything echoed here, everything was felt by everyone.

“Embrace it,” The voice whispered, “You will be stronger. You will be better. You don’t need to be anchored by silly..attachments that only hold you back.”

Ezra remained silent, glaring at the entity.

“You allow these… weaklings to hold you back,” The figure surveyed Dash and Leon, “One that is crippled by his past, and the other that hides so much. That lies. That cheats,” The last word caused Ezra to bristle. There was no context provided. Doubts began to fill his mind. Where had Dash been that entire time they weren’t speaking?

As his thoughts began to poison, the black tar on his chest spreading further. Ezra caught himself, reminding himself of what was real. What was real was the fact that Dash had arrived here. That he and Leon both risked their lives and threw caution to the wind to be here.

“I’m not you,” Ezra said calmly as he looked into the visor.

“I am a part of you. You cannot deny me.”

“Unlike you,” Ezra said, “I have a choice. I’m exercising that choice. I’m choosing to deny it.”

“You will be weaker for it.”

“No matter who or what you are,” Ezra said, “No matter your choices, they are not mine. I make my own. And I own them.”

He felt it in himself - the conviction. He believed in himself and the path he picked. The figures began to shift before him. He saw the darkness twist and collapse, extracting away from his Pops. It stood as a separate entity. The visor glared, but ultimately withdrew back. The only ones left behind were his parents. The darkness was faint, but nothing like the monster that detached itself.

Ezra looked down and realized the black tar was beginning to fade. It wasn’t gone entirely, but it was nowhere what it was before.

The red visor withdrew back, the hatred it carried dragging back with it.

Dice; 14/20 to resist

–​

Somewhere far across the galaxy Raze’s eyes opened. He was on the ledge of a spire, his pet climbing up to join him. He heard some apologies and other mumblings, but his thoughts lingered on what he had seen in the plane of the Force. He had been so close. So close to that boy that he could have reached out and devoured him.

@Alhon @Zay

 

[Leon Baudelaire]

Baudelaire strained against the force holding him in place with everything he was. He couldn’t even hear his strained wails as the inquisitors took their position outside his childhood home. There were four of them, two on one side of the door, one on the other, and the leader standing directly in front of the door. Even in the moonlight he could see he shine of their ebony plastoid armor.

“Take a breath, kid.”

Leon froze as a familiar hand landed on his shoulder. He looked at the hand. The skin was mottled like it’d been severely burned. His gaze flicked up and standing behind him was something he’d never expected to see again. He looked into his own face. The Other Leon was older. Probably five or so years, bearded, with a pair of the saddest eyes Baudelaire had ever seen.

“This will never get easier,” said the older Baudelaire, “But we will get stronger.”

Leon felt himself sag, defeated, resigned to his fate, forced to sit and watch the past he’d buried deep in his psyche replay.

“Ya know, the more I’ve thought about this day, the more I’ve realized it was the first time the force stepped in for us.”

Leon didn’t believe that for a minute. His older self chuckled, “You’ll see.”

The Lead Inquisitor blew in the door with a terrifying ease. As soon as the barrier was ripped from it’s hinges the scene elongated like a rubber band being pulled back. The greenery of the outside of his home was replaced by the house's darkened interior. The whole thing reminded him of using street view swoogle maps. The smell of burnt cider in the fireplace nearly sent him over the edge again, but a reassuring hand from his future steadied him.

“Our past is something that will never change. Find comfort in the tragedy. Be thankful for the opportunity to remember this for what it is.”

The crimson sabers bathed the modest kitchen in pale red light. Leon’s breath held in his throat as he hoped against fate that for some reason this would be different. The his father stepped into the light.

“Gentlemen, you could have knocked,” the fury in his eyes struck a stark contrast to the mocking sneer on his lips. Lionheart was in his hand. The hammer on the blastsword was cocked back.

“You will hand over the woman and child. Then you will die.”

Leon’s father scoffed, “Those my options, huh?”

Leon couldn’t believe what he was seeing. His dad was just stretching. Like legit not a care in the world warming up. Leon wanted to scream to tell him to run, to tell him to get the fuck out of there, then he heard the back door slam. The sound was like the starting blasterfire at track meet. Bodies shot forward. The battle was so dark it seemed like only collisions of blade and laser illuminated the space between the combatants.

Baudelaire marveled at his father’s ability. Never in his life had he witnessed bladework like this. Lionheart slipped and struck like a serpent. Only colliding with a blade if absolutely necessary, but even with his father’s expertise the fight was still three on one.

Well, it was until the leader got impatient. Leon’s father was on the defense, he didn’t have a choice with three lightsabers coming at him from every angle.

“All you had to do was bend the knee, Raphael.”

Raphael barked with laughter, “Oh is that all? I could have sworn you were gonna brainwash my kid and enslave my wife.”

He punctuated the question with a pull of Lionheart’s trigger. Plasma burst from it’s tip and blew the arm off one of the three attackers. The screams of one armed attacker filled Leon with a hope he knew he shouldn’t feel. Lionheart slipped around a crimson saber and took the head off of the second attacker.

“Isskai, are you going to make me kill all of your men?”

Leon’s eyes went wide with revelation, “What did he just say?!” he asked his older self, but he just sat there watching.

Isskai didn’t speak. He clasped his hands in front of himself and waited. Raphael shrugged, and cut the other man down with a single well placed strike. Raphael turned his attention to Isskai as the final attacker bled out on the ground.

A woman’s scream changed the scene again. That same hyperspace-esque sensation happened and now both versions of Leon were standing in a field. A crimson blade was held at the ready and aimed at Leon’s mother. His younger self cried and clung to her leg. Then he felt it. The same sanity ripping hurt he’d felt when Ezra had gone MIA. His head whipped back to his house. “Isskai” stood in the doorway, crimson blade humming menacingly, the glint of steel in his other hand. Lionheart. It’s blade was covered in charred gore.

“Valeria!” he screamed. Leon’s mother looked in his direction, her eyes flicked down to Lionheart and again a wave of pain threatened to tear him in half. Isskai’s masks was shattered and his face was exposed. Iris’s the color of molten magma glared out across the field. In the blink of an eye Isskai closed the gap.

Suddenly, the crimson lightsaber held by Isskai’s underling was ripped from his hand. The blade deactivated and shot through the air and into Little Leon’s outstretched hand. His little eyes were red from crying, but they held the same ferocity as Rapheal’s.

Isskai froze.

“He does have it,” he whispered in disbelief. Before he could recover Valeria was moving, she snatched the saber from Leon and ignited the blade clumsily into the underling's center mass as he lunged trying to take back the weapon. The attacker slid to the ground letting go the hilt as he collapsed into a heap on the ground.

Valeria held the weapon out, hands trembling.

“Traitor!” she screamed, “Betrayer!” she spit, “Coward!”

Isskai didn’t move.

Valeria continued, tears flowing from her face as she punctuated each word with a threatening shake of the weapon she held.

“You’re a traitor to your people and your family!” she wailed.

Isskai just shook his head sadly, “Adumar belongs to the Empire. It belongs to the Sith.”

His blade ignited punching through her gut faster than Leon’s eyes could perceive.

“There is no other choice,” he said, as tears rolled down his cheeks.

Leon’s mother collapsed and all three versions of Leon screamed in unison.

The scene before him dissipated like smoke in the wind. Leon looked around and he was back on Mortis. His corporeal form began to evaporate just like the scene before him had as he returned to his storm cloud visage.

He was thankful he didn’t have a face. He wouldn’t have been able to look Dash and Ezra in the eye while his cheeks were stained with tears. For the life of him he couldn’t understand the purpose of his test or vision or torment. Instead he clung to the words of his future self, “This will never get easier, but we will get stronger.”

@Sreeya @Alhon

 

[Dash Pavan]

When Jadis grabbed him, Dash felt her power like never before. Out in the real world, she was a shadow of a person, unable to even touch him until recently. But here, she seemed to be made flesh again, her own Force presence buffeting his own.

Jadis' influence spread through his body, threatening to overwhelm him. Dash could not move and he suddenly felt cold for the first time in an age. Her power made him feel strong, but closed, like an indomitable fortress closing its gates to the world outside. Perhaps she was right. The talent they shared had saved Dash's life so many times and only she truly understood it. He looked up into her eternal gaze. Maybe he was wrong not to trust her completely. Maybe he should never have turned from Kro Var.

But then he remembered feeling Ezra's pain. The Rhinnalian convulsed, the intensity of the memory breaking Jadis' spell. Other memories flashed before his eyes, sailing in the sun, mountain climbing on goatback, dancing intimately on the beach. His love and concern for his boyfriend surged within him, a strength of feeling that brought forth his own power.

Quick as a flash, Dash grabbed her wrist. Jadis's eyes flashed as she realised too late that he was fighting her. That he could fight her.

"You say we're the same" Dash said firmly, prizing her hand off him "and maybe we are". He yanked his pale fingers free. "But not completely. You make me feel strong yeah, but Ezra makes me feel stronger". He wrestled her as much with his mind as with his hand, pushing her away and out of his body. "On my own, I'm just me. With him, I can do anything".

He threw Jadis backwards, shoving her with all his might. She stumbled and fell, her tall slender form falling to the ground. The last thing he saw was a distressed look on her face, a mix of fury and something resembling fear.

The witch's form shattered on hitting the ground, splintering into a thousand shards of ice that skittered in all directions. Dash stood there in the silence for a long moment, wondering what exactly had just happened. Looking down, he saw the flames licking his body again and realised he was back where he started. If it had been a test, it was over.

"Are you guys ok?". He could only hope they had just stood there watching him zone out inside his own head, and not gone through something similar.

@Sreeya @Zay

 

[Ezra Thorne]

The three of them were back together, their individual stories having faded away. Everything Ezra saw was still whirling in his head. He felt pain, but he wasn’t as closed off to things as before. He wanted to confront his parents instead of running away. He needed to know the truth. The whole truth.

Ezra looked around at Dash and Leon, both of them slightly different than when they all entered the plane. They would notice that the black ink on Ezra’s chest was more subtle now. It wasn’t gone, but it wasn’t as pronounced either.

The figure stood before them, regarding them all, “My Son has laid dormant for centuries. Darkness has always existed, but just enough to meet the Light. But a terrible thing has happened,” They paused, “My Son has found a vessel…a means to manifest in the plane of the Living. He seeks to disbalance the order of the Force. He has allowed the creation of a monster. A creature forged to destroy and bring disorder,” He slowly turned to look at Ezra.

The part Sephi felt small under that gaze. He knew Dash and Leon would look at him too. The Father took a step forward.

“Darkness always chooses to divide and conquer,” The Father said, “You are vulnerable alone. But together, you can bring balance back to the Force.”

The Father looked at Leon, “Pain is inevitable,” He said calmly, “But suffering is a choice,” He let the words linger, “Choose to rise or choose to fall.”

He looked at Ezra, “Choose to be imprisoned by shame, or choose to accept and reforge yourself.”

He then looked at Dash, “Choose to embrace your vulnerabilities or choose to deny them and suffer.”

The Father said no more, slowly fading away and out of sight.

Within moments, they were back in the real world. All three were on the ground with a group of people staring down at them and whispering. They looked like humans and all three boys were basically napping on the ground.

Ezra quickly sat up, looking around. He couldn’t see the man that opened that door anywhere. The people gasped and muttered among themselves. They spoke a language Ezra didn’t understand, but a glance around suggested they were in a town that wasn’t technologically advanced. It felt like a medieval town.

He grabbed both Dash and Leon by the wrists, yanking them away from the crowds. He pulled them into an alley, looking at them, “What the fuck did you put in the granolas, Leon?” Ezra practically hissed.

@Alhon @Zay

 

[Leon Baudelaire]

The Father’s words echoed in Leon’s mind as his consciousness rejoined his body.

“Choose to rise or choose to fall…”

His eyes snapped open and looked directly into the eyes of a stranger.

“AHHHHH!” they screamed at each other.

Ezra grabbed Leon’s wrist, “Oi!” he yelped in surprise as the dude yanked him onto his feet. Then they were running, well, Leon was stumbling, but regardless they were getting the hell out of that situation. Baudelaire’s mind was reeling from the weirdest dream he’d ever had in his whole life when Ezra took a hard turn sending Leon directly into the wall.

Leon bounced off the wall and watched a meteor shower of lights flash past his eyes. Several Ezra's yelled at him for something, “The grandmas?”

Then what Ezra said registered, “I took’em from your drawer,” he hissed back, “So what the hell did YOU put in them.”

He laughed saying, “Dude they sent me to fucking Mortis. Like the Mortis…” he frowned, “Actually… you both were there,” he looked at Dash, “You were on fire,” then to Ezra, “You were made of Ice…” then he crossed his arms over his chest, “I think I was a cloud?”

Fucking of course he was.

Leon shook his head then peeked around the corner, it didn’t seem like the locals gave a shit, but he could feel they were super confused about what had just happened. He breathed a sigh of relief. Unfortunately he didn’t see anything that resembled modern technology. He pulled his personav back out… still no signal. How the fuck were they gonna get out of here?

“Peetwo, your comms can ping all the way to neighboring star systems right?” said Leon over his shoulder. The little droid popped out of his bag and nodded.

“What do you guys think the chances are of finding help?”

@Alhon @Sreeya

 

[Dash Pavan]

Dash spent half the time back in the spiritual waiting room thinking about his confrontation with Jadis. The talk of monsters got his attention though, especially with everything hanging over Ezra. The horrible black goo was even still on his frozen chest, though a lot less than before.

Surely all of this was connected somehow, it was all too much to just be happening at once? Dash did not know what to make of the guide's quip about his vulnerabilities. Was he recommending throwing off Jadis or not? Maybe he would figure it out when his head was not so screwed, but all he could do right now was shut his eyes and strain for some clarity.

When he opened them, he was looking at sky. Sky and people. The Rhinnalian found the crowd even more intrusive than the freaky spirit guide and when someone grabbed his wrist he nearly iced them then and there. But Dash knew his boyfriend's touch and found himself running behind Ezra and Leon into a nearby alley.

An alley? The Rhinnalian looked around wildly, tempted to agree they had been fed some drugs. Not long ago, they had been in an endless meadow, with barely a hut, let alone buildings enough to make an alley.

"Yeah, Mortis, exactly..." Dash breathed, feeling as if the memories were already partly slipping away. "They didn't just send you Leon, I think we were all there". He glanced at the other two, his usual confidence still a little unsettled by having literally been a naked flame. "You both actually looked pretty neat".

Dash pulled his own snack bar out of his pocket, looking past how crumpled it was and shoving it in his mouth. He was absolutely starving. The sugar seemed to bring him around and he walked to the end of the alley to take in their surroundings.

They were definitely in a primitive place. People like those he had seen standing over him busied themselves between makeshift buildings, trading goods and toiling hard at manual crafts. They looked a little like the rural clansmen of his homeworld, but even more left behind, with no sight or sound of technology between then. It was hard to imagine they even knew of a galaxy beyond here.

Then Dash's blue eyes scanned left, between the rickety stalls and stone structures, to something standing totally incongruous in the village square. A large arch, too perfect for a place like this, yet looking like it had been there for an age. Dash had only ever seen one thing remotely similar; the hypergate that had brought them here.

"I don't have much hope of finding help here, unless we actually want to make Rhinnalian wool" Dash said, still munching. "But do you think that might be what I think it is?". He nodded towards the arch, knowing full well it might raise more questions than answers.

@Sreeya @Zay

 

[Ezra Thorne]

Ezra exhaled in relief when Leon said he took the snacks from his drawer. He knew those weren’t drugged, but it didn’t explain why any of this happened. But then he suddenly glared at Leon, “Wait, what do you mean my drawer? Why were you going through my drawer?” Ezra blurted out, “Are you still snooping through my stuff?!” He asked, suddenly forgetting about their dilemma. This was an ongoing battle with Leon and his nosy self.

Dash would be left temporarily standing there crunching away while the two roommates bickered. Ezra paused when his boyfriend pointed at something, glancing over to see an arch. He stared at it for a moment, face scrunched up, “That looks inactive,” He declared after he looked at it, “It would have to be activated from the other side.”

Ezra walked towards it, watching as other villagers didn’t even cast a cursory glance at it. Clearly this thing stood here for many years and was treated as some ancient ruin still left over. The part Sephi munched on his own granola bar thoughtfully as he stared at the gate, “I can try engineering it to work but I can’t predict where it’ll take us..”

@Alhon @Zay

 

[Darth Tiamat]

Tiamat gasped as she exited hyperspace, the coordinates she managed to extract from the hypergate on the last jumps that were made brought her beyond the edges of the galaxy. The issue she found were the navigational computers even with the path engine struggled to identify a clear path; this was probably the longest jump she had made using the Force to cut her path through unknown space. She had no idea what to expect, but what she did not appreciate were not only did Ezra jumped to this dead end world (albeit a gorgeous blue and violet gem in the matte of space), but two others had followed by breaking into her lab.

It was hard to fume over it, but now she was here, and not having to pour her concentration into the Force to fly her ship, she quickly remembered how irritated to his and the other's disrespect and irresponsibility this ploy had become.

The woman broke atmosphere, her own senses guiding her as well as her droid using the ship's organic sensors to pick up on any lifeforms. Keeping the ship low, she eventually caught a visual and her droid beeped as lifeforms were present as the ship would be spotted by the three jedi and the villagers as she brought it down in a clearing. She could see Ezra and the others through the cockpit's viewport, her eyes narrowed as she whispered under her breath, "By all the Corellian gods, give me the strength...." she closed her eyes, breathing in and hissed through her teeth.

The ramp of the ship would lower and Tiamat exited, fuming, but alert as she didn't know what to expect here; and knowing Jaikus was right about Raze coming after any of them including the children, she wore her armor and her weapon, not caring too much on the questions that would rise from the Thorne teenager. Ezra and Jayna were too important to her for anything to happen to them.

"Ezra Zain Thorne," she used his full name, "Have you lost your mind? Using the EXPERIMENTAL hypergate without proper protocol?!" she shouted, eyes fixed on him and then to Dash and Leon, "And you two, breaking into my lab and contaminating equipment, do you two know how much that will cost to repair and replace?!"

Angry Auntie Tia had arrived.

@Alhon @Zay @Sreeya

 

[Dash Pavan]

Dash was still munching on his snack bar, thinking about the arch, when a sound in the mid-distance drew his eye.

A ship.

Dash stopped chewing. The people of this world did not have ships, it was obvious. So who was this?

No one had known where Ezra had gone. Not even his own parents, who had the resources of gods. Dash and Leon had tried everything conventional, in the end only finding their way through the Force itself. That, and a hypergate, something Dash had not even known existed or worked until yesterday.

But someone was coming for them. Making a beeline straight for them.

The ship swung low over the village, setting down in a clearing nearby. There was no attempt to hide it from the locals, to soften the impact of bringing a glimpse of the future to these sheltered people. Dash threw his snack wrapper down and bristled. Everything about this was wrong.

There was a lot Dash did not know. But he knew he had risked his life to travel across a galaxy to find Ezra. To protect a boyfriend who now told him he was connected to the very worst of the Sith. Ez had not said who, he had not said how. But Dash was damned if he was letting anything, anyone touch him.

Ezra was already outside, walking towards the ancient arch in the village square. Dash sprinted after him, grabbing his shoulder as the mysterious ship lowered its ramp. "Get back" he warned, more anxious than he had ever been. Whatever this was, he would not let it hurt Ezra one bit.

It was a woman who stepped down the ramp, not that it mattered. She wore unfamiliar armour, a lightsaber hilt glinting at her hip. She had to be a Sith, she just had to be, and Dash was ready for her.

The Rhinnalian pulled on the Force, hard. Once or twice before he had tried to protect others, but never like this. Never for love. A Knight well on his way to new heights, Dash's affinity for the cold had always far outstripped his peers. The air swirled about the village, gathering into a maelstrom in the Rhinnalian's small palm. Dash did not care who she was, he would give her hell.

It was then she started shouting. Ezra Zain Thorne. Then she was moaning about the hypergate and the apparent cost of walking through it. If she was a Sith, she was either incredibly brazen or really quite mad.

"Tell. me. you. know. her?" Dash managed through gritted teeth. The sheer power he had collected in his hands was fighting to be free, taking all of his concentration to hold back. Whoever she was, if he loosed it, it was going to ruin her day.

@Sreeya @Zay

 

[Leon Baudelaire]

”Oh, give me a kriffing break, you were missing, I knew we’d be hungry and they’re your favorite snack!!!”

Leon and Ezra froze mid spat and turned to Dash, who then directed their attention to a strange structure. Baudelaire was distracted by a sound that didn’t belong. Ezra started walking away and Leon looked up to the sky. A ship crossed overhead and Dash stopped Ezra.

Baudelaire stepped in front of Ezra. Which was silly. Not only was Ezra stronger than him he was also like a foot taller. Leon standing in front was like Ezra hiding behind a tall chair. It was the thought that counts. The ship landed and out strode an armor clad woman. Dash reached into the force and Leon followed suit.

The Rhinnalian and Adumarian had been aligned in this mission from the beginning, their connection to the force driven by more than faith. It was empowered by purpose, by love. Electricity crackled and popped around his body, the air shimmering as the tendrils danced. He was done being— Zain? Did… did she just say Ezra’s whole name? He lost his focus and the shimmering electricity winked out as he looked back at Erza.

Dash asked the million credit question, but Leon’s ADD took him back to the armored lady yelling. His brows reached for the sky as she turned her ire in HIS direction. Under his breath he asked, “How much do you guys think a security panel is?”

Confusion stood prominent on Leon’s expression, but he felt more worry than anger emanating from the intimidating figure. She sounded like a parent busting her kids smoking spice or something. One day he'd learn to just accept the unexpected and his life would be so much easier, for now, he edged behind Ezra to hide from the scary lady.

@Alhon @GABA @Sreeya

 

[Ezra Thorne]

With his sensitive ears, Ezra quickly whipped his head to look. A ship? A sense of dread came over him and he stopped even before Dash called out for him. He tensed up, observing the ship descend. He could hear the terrified screams of the villagers that were alarmed by the sudden arrival of this thing. It would only be a matter of moments before people came out with their crude weapons. Even after they left here, legends would pass down of the day these people saw a giant, metal beast descend from the heavens.

As soon as the ramp lowered, Ezra wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or terrified. He had to be hallucinating. He saw the familiar hair and the pissed off expression. She looked insanely familiar.

And then he heard his full name.

Ezra’s eyes widened as he realized it was his Auntie Tia. What surprised him more was how his friends reacted. Dash stepped out in front of him and so did Leon, though the latter slinked back when it became clear this was someone that knew Ezra.

His boyfriend could always be volatile and Ezra feared the ice blast taking out his Aunt. Speaking of which, why was Auntie Tia dressed in armor? Why did she have a saber on her? WAS SHE A SITH TOO? Ezra’s eyes widened. There was a look of betrayal on his face. Nothing she said mattered. Just that she presented herself as a combatant that carried a saber.

His immediate thought was to withdraw. However, he remembered the Father’s words. He saw Dash ready to fight to the death for him. He saw Leon standing his ground. He couldn’t be the one to just bail like he always did. Ezra exhaled slowly, reaching a hand over to place on Dash’s shoulder, “I know her, baby,” He said calmly.

Ezra looked at Tiamat, glaring, “Are you one of them too?” His gaze flicked to her weapon and then back to her face, “Are you a Sith?” He asked bluntly. His hand hovered over his own saber.

Unbeknownst to them all, the village chief was rallying up all the men. They grabbed bows, arrows, clubs, swords and other weapons to charge at the intruders.

@Alhon @GABA @Zay

 

[Darth Tiamat]

There was a flicker of annoyance as she watched the teens jump to the defense, something that just drove her nuts about some of the Jedi she had met. She met Ezra's glare as he glanced to her weapon, asking if she were one of them, she opened her mouth to speak, pausing and keeping herself from smarting back with a clever snap. The woman breathed in, eyes moving from each of the teens before returning to Ezra. The way he had left, she knew he was hurting still, being out here probably brought minimal resolution to his questions and confusion. Her eyes soften as she kept her gaze with his own, still seeing the same kid who rushed to beat his sister to hug her first every time she visited.

"Was," she spoke, but her tone was more gentle as she returned to a familiar maternal love that seemed invincible to any anger she felt, "Ezzie, I was, but no longer." Tia said, glancing at Dash and then Leon.

Her lips pursed in thought, but then an arching structure caught her eye, brow narrowing as her thoughts seemed to go on a tangent stream of what ifs. She looked from the arch to the village, to the arch, and back to the village again. Though there was this unsettling feeling that remaining where they were was not advisable, her head turned slightly as though she were listening to someone speak, but couldn't pinpoint what it was.

"As much as I would like to stay and find out how that," she pointed to the archway and then to the village, "Lead to the arrive of them," the woman grimaced, there was so much for her to learn about their origins and the gate's origins, "Its time for all you to come back, your Order needs you. I can tell you more on the way, and try to answer any other questions you have, Ezzie."

@Sreeya @Zay @Alhon

 

[Dash Pavan]

It was good that Ezra at least knew who the woman was, but Dash's heart was still racing even if it was no longer jumping out of his chest. It slowly dawned on him what Leon meant and that she was something to do with the lab back on Thyferra.

But her outfit, the saber, all of it looked Sith to him. Ezra seemed to agree, challenging her across the open ground. Was she one of them too? Dash guessed that meant she was not the person his boyfriend was already running from. By the Force, did that mean there were two of them now?

She actually admitted it, though she claimed it was in the past and that the only reason she had come was to take them home. She certainly spoke to Ezra like she had known him all her life, but Dash still did not trust her. She looked far too much like an enemy and had followed them when no one else could.

Dash took a deep breath, steadying the forces still swirling in his palm. "Nice to meet you too" he said sarcastically. The woman had not even bothered to explain who she was and seemed to think Ezra was the only person she had to persuade. "If it really was your lab, then I'm sorry I broke your door panel. But I'm not getting in your ship no questions asked".

He turned towards Ezra but kept his defiant gaze on the newcomer. "Who is she Ez? Give me one reason why we should trust her".

In the distance, there was a clash of metal and a low chanting began to carry on the wind. Something told Dash they did not want to be around when the villagers re-emerged, but he would take them over a smiling Sith any day of the week.

@Zay @Sreeya @GABA

 

[Ezra Thorne]

Ezzie.

The word sounded like poison coming from her. Everything shattered around him all over again. He had trusted her his whole life, he had more in common with Tia than he did with his parents. He remembered all those times he got in trouble for tinkering in her lab till she eventually gave up and gave him little droids to work on. Over time, it cultivated his love for engineering and set the path for his true passion. It had all been because of her. And she, like his parents, lied to him his entire life.

He should have been emotional. He should have been shattered and devastated. Instead he was numb. He was withdrawn. It was his defense mechanism, one Dash would immediately recognize. It was exactly what caused him to fade for the past few weeks while the two didn’t speak. Every word said to him sounded like distant, incoherent mumbling. He could hear the voice of the Father.

Pain is inevitable. Suffering is a choice.

Ezra felt weak where he stood, looking over at Dash when he spoke. Those sapphire eyes always found a way to anchor him. He was floating away and the Rhinnalian grabbed onto the thread before it could completely slip away. Ezra felt himself tugged back. He was falling apart on the inside and his eyes betrayed that even if the emotions didn’t surface. Anyone else would have collapsed and cried, but he stood like a statue.

“That’s…my Auntie Tia…or who I thought she was,” Ezra said after a moment, his voice hoarse, “My parents were Sith..” He whispered to his boyfriend, finally revealing the horrible secret he had been carrying with him, what led him to run away in the first place, “There’s no one I can trust..” He said. He was frozen where he stood. Dash would leave him for this, he just knew it. Leon would fear him. He couldn’t help but remember the red visor, the yellow eyes and when Dash appeared terrified when he gazed at Ezra. Sith were forever laced with Ezra and he couldn’t escape it. He would bring nothing but doom and destruction to those he cared about.

@Alhon @Zay @GABA

 

[Leon Baudelaire]

Peetwo extricated itself from Leon’s bag and perched on his shoulder as the drama unfolded. Baudelaire was glad his attempt at ninja vanishing was working, didn’t hurt he was half a foot shorter than Ezra. He yawned feeling like this was wrapped up. What was there to question? They needed a way off this backwater planet, this mad lady obviously wanted them to leave, besides there was three of them, and Dash and Ezra were strong as fuck. What were the chances this woman could survive a three-way?

For the billionth time on this little adventure Leon felt like he was hearing things he wasn’t supposed to. Peetwo looked up at him cocking it’s little head in question and Baudelaire quickly filled him in. The BD unit shuddered with excitement turning it’s attention back to the drama unfolding.

Dash, the smart one, wasn’t ready to just accept the lady, which Leon realized was how he should probably feel, but he just couldn’t bring himself to it. Maybe it was the harsh tragedy he’d just lived through, maybe it was his faith in the force, or maybe it was the fact she wasn’t the only danger they faced.

The Villagers had formed a mob. Like a legit one. Pitchforks and torches abounded across the group as they marched from the other side of town. Baudelaire, looked from the angry masses to their little group.

Ezra dropped a bomb, both his parents were Sith, holy shit. Okay, that’s a lot. He was trying to be sensitive to the situation, but also the poor villagers were closing in.

Peetwo hopped from Leon’s shoulder to Ezra’s. The little droid nuzzled into Ez’s neck. He cleared his throat, “Uh, sorry, I’m really not trying to ruin the moment, but we should go,” he looked back to the mob, his eyes widening as their chief called for them to halt. Then Ezra said, “There’s no one I can trust…”

Leon’s head whipped around, “Excuse me?!” his hand came up accusing finger in Ezra’s face, “I didn’t cross the galaxy, jump through an EXPERIMENTAL hypershit, only to get stranded on a medieval planet, with your favorite energy bars might I add, for you to not trust me!”

Leon was hot, “I don’t care who she is,” he waved Tia off, normally not something he’d be stupid enough to do, but today had been a lot and he was tired of playing nice, “I don’t care who you parents are. I love you. YOU!” he jabbed the other guys chest, “They might be your blood but we’re connected by the force,” he shook his head a little in disbelief, “Fucks sake, you’re the only family I have,” he felt tears sting his eyes as the realization hit him.

He cleared his throat whipping the tears from his eyes as a horn warned of incoming danger, Leon looked back to the mob nd sighed, “Now, can we please get the hell out of here before the newest iteration of the Shamalamadingdongs kill us!?”

@Alhon @GABA @Sreeya

 

[Darth Tiamat]

The blonde was skeptical, refusing to get on the ship without getting more answers, though she didn't mind his reasoning, it would be nice if questions were being asked. However, Ezra spoke, identifying her for his friends.

"I am still your Auntie Tia." she reassured knowing it probably wouldn't change too much on how he felt right now. The redheaded woman pinched the bridge of her nose, shutting her eyes tightly, trying to avoid thinking of the what ifs and the three of them decided to stay put. Certainly recruiting Alex to come with her may have more clout if she showed up with the Grandmaster, though sitting in hyperspace with her sounded like the longest migraine she could ever have.

Before she could get another word in, the dark-haired teen spoke now, seemingly insulted by Ezra's ultimatum on who he was able to trust. Her own gaze turned to the mob that had collected and the woman frowned, she didn't say anything else as she left the decision to the scrub squad to decide what they would do. They could board her ship and she can get them back to the rest of the galaxy or stay put and deal with their new neighbors. Tia turned on her heel and returned to her ship, directing her droid to prepare for take off.

She sat in the cockpit, watching them quietly, listening to the hum of the engines, the ramp remained lowered until they made their choice.

@Sreeya @Alhon @Zay

 

[Dash Pavan]

Dash tried to keep his eyes on the woman - Auntie Tia apparently - but he only had to glance at his boyfriend once to be totally pulled away. Ezra was hurting again, bad.

"My parents were Sith". The words hit Dash like a hammer blow. Emryc and Jaikus? He could not imagine it. Neither of them seemed anything like the Sith he had seen, or those he had been taught to fear. How could they have been, and how could they have kept such a thing from their own son? Dash was in shock, until he realised Ez had to be feeling what he was feeling but multiplied by a thousand.

"There's no one I can trust". That one was definitely too much, for all of them. Leon was on it in a second, rising up out of himself to take Ezra to task. Dash could only look on, proud of the Adumari and feeling buttressed by them being on the same team. They had Ezra, always.

Dash could not think about everything and hang on to the Force anymore. He loosed the power he had gathered in the direction of the approaching villagers, manifesting in a huge wall of ice that sprang from the ground to completely block their approach. The Rhinnalian bent over for a moment, hands on his knees as he breathed easy, finally free of the tension. If the locals were determined to burn them at the stake, they would have to find a way around.

The Rhinnalian turned to his boyfriend, hoping that Leon had softened the ground. "Baby, I can hear you going, feel you going" he put his hands on Ezra's perfect cheeks, no longer worried about anything else in the world. "But Leon is right. We fucking love you, yeah?". In his own way, Leon loved this idiot just as much as Dash.

"It all sounds a bit mad, yes, but fine. We'll face it together. You're crazy aunt too if she's involved. I'm sorry to break it to you, but we're literally going nowhere". He looked straight into those all too familiar silver eyes. "and you can always trust me baby. I love you". He planted a kiss on Ezra's lips, wanting to try anything to reach him, but also just, well, wanting to.

Leon was right though. They really were running out of time and there were no ideal options. Dash would have to swallow his misgivings. "What'd you say we get on your aunt's ship and take our chances? If she gives us any trouble, she's getting iced". If she'd been a Sith, she might not be easy to take down, but Dash would have a good go. He could certainly cause plenty of trouble on a starship if it came to it.

"You're stuck with both of us either way" Dash said cheekily "so we take our chances with the villagers or your aunt. Your call".

@Sreeya @Zay @GABA

 

[Ezra Thorne]

Ezra was frozen in place, expecting withdrawal and disgust from the other two. Instead, they both fell in closer than ever. He stared almost vacantly at Leon giving his emotional outburst. He next looked to Dash, who only reaffirmed what Leon said. Ezra was barely processing any of this until he felt Dash’s lips press against his own. He hadn’t felt that in several weeks now. Suddenly, he remembered everything that mattered in the end. And it was all standing in front of him. He barely registered that the Salamimimi were chasing them or that Dash had expertly put up a wall - another thing these poor villagers would speak about for generations. They were so puzzled by the display that some dropped to their knees, believing Dash to be a God.

He snapped out of it at last, nodding his head, “Let’s go,” He said as he broke into a run, nudging the others along. His long legs took him to the ramp quickly, and he leapt on it and turned to hoist both Dash and Leon into the ship.

His head still swimming and his heart thundering against his chest, Ezra forced himself to focus on the present. He darted right past the boys and into the cockpit, plopping down into the seat next to Tia. It would have been a pain in the ass for her to navigate here on her own, and he was the best co-pilot she ever had over the years. They would be back in no time.

Ezra had a lot to ask of Tia. She said he could, and he needed to hear it now. His hands moved expertly from muscle memory, easily pulling levers, clicking into the terminal and setting jump coordinates, “Is my father Darth Raze?” He asked bluntly. He knew the answer was yes, but it didn’t explain why in the plane of the Force he saw the black entity split from his father’s presence. None of this made sense. Was he adopted?

@GABA @Alhon @Zay