Seeing Through the Dark

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

The nightmare was so vivid. It was like watching a holovid.

She was there, and yet she wasn't; taking everything in with no ability to stop anything. Like some useless hand that couldn't flex a single finger.

Tossing in bed, Teagan s'Ilancy growled in her sleep, watching the sight play out in her mind's eye. She saw everything, and it tore her heart from her chest. It turned her stomach, tying it into knots and flipping her equilibrium about. She could even almost feel the burning pain...

... shoulder thrown back, a blossom of charred flesh and angry sparks... the same to her leg, and then more worryingly to her midsection. It was enough to simply dream it, but there was a realness to it all.

And what made it worse, was that she was watching every moment of stinging, searing injury befall her mother. Like a helpless spectator she could do nothing, only watch. Watch as her own mother took those horrid wounds.

It was enough to make her finally cry out, and Teagan surged upward in her bed. She gasped for breath, eyes open wide as a wave of nausea washed over her. It made her curl into herself, and the young Lupine whimpered. She rolled from what had once been comfort to a floor that offered none. Crouched on the floor, she clenched her eyes shut as her gut turned over and over, sending waves of pain throughout her body. Was she sick?! Had she suddenly contracted some sort of incurable disease?

A deep breath.

She opened her eyes, seeing only darkness. And yet, her body inwardly recoiled at the pain that it thought it felt. It was a real pain, but she was unable to discern what was real to her and what was real to someone else. A sniff, and Teagan slowly rose to stand on unsteady legs. There were phantom burning in her shoulder, leg, and side. It was enough to give her cause to worry. Was she coming down with some sort of Force fever? Some sort of brain rot?

It was enough to make her breath catch in her throat. But, not enough to stop her from scrambling to the dresser and pulling out a shirt and trousers. These she pulled on quickly, giving no care to the state of her hair or even the fact that she hadn't slipped on her shoes.

Instead, the young Lupine padded on bare feet from her room, slipping through the front room - Master Vymes was in his normal chair, sound asleep as usual. His chin was on his chest, eyes closed. He was the picture of serenity that she suspected was most nights after she and Markos had drifted off to sleep. She noted a datapad in his grasp, both hand and 'pad resting on the armrest.

The front-facing glass door was opened gently, and she slipped out into the night air without a sound.





Her stomach still reeled, her leg and shoulder pulsing with wounds that were unseen and simply not there. But, in her mind they were. And that had been enough to bring her here now. She pushed into the medical ward, blinking as her eyes adjusted from darkness to bright light. It was a drastic change that brought her to an abrupt standstill just inside the threshold. One arm was wrapped around her midsection as the other reached up to place her hand on her shoulder. Her leg pulsated with angry waves of pain.

"H... help!!"

[Kaie]

Green eyes took in the pleasant, older human face before her as the crewmember took in his last moments. Holding his hand, Kaie grinned pleasantly, doing her best to keep him from being afraid as he recounted his regrets to her, tears running down his cheeks. "...and never got to say goodbye to them," he choked on the words, emotions raw. "But, never could've been prouder of how my kids turned out."

Nodding, Kaie could understand the sentiment the older man relayed. "You'll see them again, promise."

He smiled, "I know". Breathing labored, his surgery hadn't achieved what the doctors had hoped three hours before and he was too sick to move, his body still healing. He turned his dark eyes toward the ceiling, dimly lit by the biosensor suspended on a stand to his left. "I'm afraid..."

"There's nothing to fear," Kaie rose and sat on the edge of his bed. "Imagine your parents and grandparents, those who've gone on before. They're waiting for you there," she smiled, eyes welling. "Go to them."

His misted eyes relaxed in time with his face, lines of worry lightly fading until that moment when his spirit departed, released into the Force. Taking in a deep breath, she gently closed his lids and set his hand upon his chest. Turning, she took a moment and wiped her cheeks knowing there were things that the Force and her training couldn't achieve, though she still tried. Rising, the Jedi Master turned off the biosensor's alarms that threatened to wake their other patients slumbering nearby. Moving from his bed, Kaie did her best to turn her mind to the other eighteen in the ward that still needed her as two droids approached to take over, preparing to take the body to the morgue.

Heading to the nurse's station, near the medbay's entrance, she sat down and finished the forms to release the mechanic back to the captain of the freighter that he was a part of. Signing it, she closed out the file and sat back, nearly shocked from her seat as the young girl burst into the lobby, shouting for help. Pushing herself up, Kaie rounded the long desk, hands out to catch her. "Hey, what's wrong?"

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

A wave of nausea swept over her as she felt hands steadying her stumbling gate, and Teagan opened her mouth as she doubled over, feeling as her body convulsed in a dry heave. Then a second. The third time yielded actual results as her dinner from a few hours previous ended up on the floor. She felt as though she was on fire, yet any wounds that could cause such feelings were simply not there, and she let out a pitiful groan. Bile coated the inside of her mouth as she fought to bring in a deep breath.

"I... I don't feel good... "

An understatement really, and frozen, she stared down at the pile of sick that she'd so unceremoniously thrown up.

But, something was wrong. Something was very very wrong. The unrelenting knowledge that she couldn't explain warred with the rest of her, and confusion had created a terrible effect.

"It's not right," she finally whispered breathlessly as her hands moved to grip the woman's arms, clutching tightly.

"It's just... not right... "

[Kaie]

Catching the girl, left arm under her chest while the right stroked her back, Kaie looked away at the mess now on the floor, it's scent rising and now assaulting Kaie's throat in a threat to have her join in. As Teagan spoke, she helped her up, "Come on," the Master bid, leading the girl to the refresher just in case that wasn't the only embarrassing moment. Listening to the words now coming from her new patient, the white witch took it in and knew there was more to this whole story as a duo of cleaning droids took care of the accident near the nurse's station.

Inside the refresher, Kaie helped her toward the toilet and eased her to the floor. "Just relax for me," she bid and moved to the sink. "What's not right?" Wetting a towel, Kaie turned off the faucet and then knelt before the girl, wiping her face and neck as she listened. Opening herself to the Force, green eyes focused on the bluest of eyes and now that the energies of the land and air filled her, Kaie also began assessing the girl's aura for clues as to what was going on. Injuries, pregnancy, or something mental, she quickly began checking things off the list as the healer lay the cool towel around Teagan's neck and shoulders, then gently wiped the girl's hair back and away from her face, like her own mother used to do for she and her sisters.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

She felt drained, as though every muscle in her body was pushing past the the point of pure exhaustion to continue on. It was maddening, and another tremor shook her body as it dealt with the unwanted intrusion of sensation and stimuli.

"Nothing is right," she finally managed, "nothing."

Her eyes clenched shut, in an effort to regain control.

"I was asleep... "

The scene played out so vividly in her mind's eye in that moment.

"I was in a dark place."

She felt herself reeling from the impressions and memories.

"I don't know where, just that it was dark. And then... and then I was hurting."

Slim fingers held tight to the rim of the toilet, and Teagan pulled in a shaky breath as one hand lifted to her shoulder.

"Here," it moved to her side, "... here," and finally to her leg, "... and here."

She hesitated then, as another wave of burning swept over her, and she doubled over. Her voice cracked in the midst of a pained moan.

"Burning. It stings," her eyes finally lifted them, to meet Master Kaie's with a look of pleading. The unspoken words of 'make it stop' needn't be said.

[Kaie]

Musing on the words being stated, Kaie then focused on the areas being pointed to and confusedly noticed that she hadn't been wounded in those areas at all. This was something else. Blue eyes then focused on her green and Kaie grinned pleasantly. "It's going to be okay," she stressed. "What's your name?" Knowing that patients sometimes forgot the pain for a moment when their thoughts were shifted away, Kaie employed everything she could to find out the mystery of this moment.

"I'm Kaie," she grinned again. "Close your eyes for me and concentrate on those moments that you saw and felt." Her own lids now closed, Kaie drifted into the Force and then gained it's help in searching out the cause of the pain. It didn't take long to realize that it wasn't Teagan at all, but her mother instead. The frantic flight from capture, going from a dark room to hallways, to a hangar and then into a shuttle. Flashes of moments, carrying the white witch into another world, seeing this older woman trying her best to get away from danger and possibly certain death.

Taking in a deep breath, Kaie sighed and then focused the very energies flowing through her body and spirit toward Teagan, easing her troubled mind and offering a refuge from what she was feeling, both mentally and physically. "Follow my voice," she bid, the master's voice seeming as a quiet forest, near a drifting stream with the sun's rays warming her skin. This moment more mental, Kaie then put all her energies into who this woman was and hopefully where to find her. Having never met Teagan's mother, she used her daughter instead as a conduit through the pains that had been transferred and used that as a guide to then figure out where she was.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

She felt Master Kaie's presence like a warm blanket, as it settled over her. It soothed and eased the sharpest of pains she now felt, and the young Lupine felt her breath steady a small bit. Inhale, then exhale. The inhale, and exhale again as her own eyes closed halfway. She leaned back against a partition, but it wasn't long before the sweeping unease clouded her thoughts once more, and Teagan surged forward to upend more of her dinner into the toilet. The back of her hand came up, wiping at the remnants clinging to the edges of her mouth.

Her mind held as steadily as possible in the aftermath, as she did her best to focus on the words that seemed to be felt more than actually hear. It was a strange sensation.

Finally, she gave a cough, hoping that her gut had finished its' ugly purge.

"Teagan," she managed weakly, tone wavering as her voice was but a whisper. She'd been asked her name, and only just now - after her stomach had had its' rebellious way, did she feel confident enough to answer.

"Teagan s'Ilancy."

Even as she spoke her own name, her awareness seemed to hold the previous mental assault at bay as she grasped desperately to the lingering soft notes of Master Kaie's voice.

[Kaie]

Soon noticing Teagan's peace, Kaie narrowed down the scenery around her mother. A cockpit. Frantically trying to repair the destroyed panels needed to get her away, helping an older man. The concentration carried the Jedi Master through the Force, spiritually, to the one that her daughter worried for, yet didn't even realize it. A strong bond indeed, she mused.

Pulling herself back to the refresher, her lids rose again revealing her green eyes, regaining the present scene where the white witch's body resided. Taking in a deep breath, Kaie relaxed as well. "You're going to be fine," she tried to reassure. "There are amazing things in the Force that few can understand, but some have gained a bond through the Force with family or dear friends. Yours is particularly strong." She grinned, tossing between telling Teagan about whose pain she was feeling and allowing her peace from those feelings. In the end of her mental argument, she knew knowing the truth would allow Teagan to be strong for her mother, maybe even help her push on to that freedom she sought.

Taking the girl's hand, not much younger than the Jedi herself, Kaie leaned in. "Your mother is trying now to get to you. She's been hurt, but I'm going to find her and help her get back to you. I promise."

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Teagan gave a spit to try and rid her mouth of the horrid taste of what had once been in her stomach. Her throat felt raw, but she croaked out words anyway.

"A bond?"

It was a strange thing to even consider; stranger still was that it was coming from her mother. There had been plenty of other times that she knew her mother had been hurt, but she herself had felt nothing. Even that disastrous time years ago, when they had been living with Sanis aboard Layla, and Zem had brought her mother back from a fight that'd left the older Lupine an unresponsive wreck. When that'd happened, Teagan had been frantic, but she hadn't been in any pain. Not like now.

"I don't understand," she let out a cough, then spit up another pebble-sized remnant of half-digested food into the toilet.

To her, it was a concept that seemed impossible. She looked to Kaie, hoping for some sort of help in grasping this knew knowledge. She winced then, as a tendril of stinging, sharp pain wound past her defenses to lance through her middle. One hand held tightly to the older woman's as her off-arm went to cradle her stomach.

"This... nothing like this has happened before."

[Kaie]

With her free hand, she filled a glass with water and handed it to Teagan and then tried to explain how this worked, knowing how intriguing such a thing was to Kaie and her sisters when she first learned of it. "People build bonds with familly or those they're closest to. Wives to husbands, mothers to children, brothers and sisters to one another. It's a spiritual thing through the Force, allowing us to know when they're in trouble, or heightened moments of stress. Her thoughts of you as she's trying to make her way here could be what gave you these dreams." Green eyes motioned to her hypothetical wounds, "Feeling her pain. Force users, being more in tune with the universe and others, have a more heightened touch to those we care for."

Letting Teagan think on that for a moment and wash out the taste in her mouth, Kaie knew she had to know a bit more. "I take it your mother is a Force user also?"

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Taking a tentative sip from the glass that'd been handed to her, Teagan let the water sit it her mouth for a few moments before spitting it back out. A large portion of the bile went with it. Her silence now though, it could've been as deafening as if she was yelling. The thoughts tumbling around in her head had become suddenly chaotic. They zipped every which way, unwilling to be connected together. Chest rising and falling, the girl bit her lip as she eventually let out three hushed words.

"My Dad, too."

Invoking her father in such a way... even without saying his name... she felt sudden shame. As though invisible eyes had suddenly been turned her way and now shot accusing glares at her. She felt small, as small as she had when Draiya bit out those horrible words. (https://theholo.net/forum/showthread.php?55627-First-Steps-down-the-Long-Road&p=1029863&viewfull=1#post1029863) Words about both of her parents. Teagan s'Ilancy was no fool, but she also was more than aware of the frictions her parentage caused.

Her head bowed then, eyes closing as her shoulders slumped.

"But he's dead now," as if the words could erase the Sith her father was.

[Kaie]

Nodding, that made sense as Kaie watched and then could feel Teagan's emotions with the revelation. "I'm sorry to hear that," the white witch relayed, leaning in with genuine sympathy as a slender, tanned finger moved an errant strand of hair away from Teagan's face. "But, being one with the Force is nothing to be afraid of. It's just another journey in the life that we lead." Recalling the words she had relayed to the crewman not twenty minutes ago now, she tried her best to keep it together and be positive for her new patient who needed to be assured that everything would be okay.

"Do you have any idea where your mother was, or where she might go? I have to find her and help heal her and I need your help." Kaie had already mentally gone through the list of things she was going to need, beyond a well stocked medkit. Especially if what she noticed through Teagan's memory was an accurate guide.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

She licked her lips, unsure if she wanted to go back exploring into the nightmare that had brought her here. It had been so vivid and shocking, and the young Lupine hesitated at the thought. But, a deep breath, and she finally gave a barely perceptible nod. If Master Kaie was speaking of venturing off of Ossus to find her mother, then the act of peering back into her dark dream was a necessity.

"It was dark," her eyes opened, as she vacantly stared at a spot on the far wall. Not really focused, the girl took another sip of her water.

"Like, everywhere. Not just inside, but outside also."

A thought then, as she tried to make sense of what she was seeing.

"Master Vymes- " she stopped just short of calling him 'Dad'. It would be far too much to have to explain everything to Master Kaie in this moment, that her birth father had been killed, after which the older Jedi Master had adopted her and her brother. "... He might know more. He talks to her the most."

[Kaie]

Prepared to be a shield for Teagan as she returned into the nightmare, the memory still raw in the girl's mind, Kaie then welcomed the change in plan and nodded. "You live with him then?" Letting her finish the water, Kaie pushed herself up, keeping ahold of Teagan's hand, then helped her up. Once she was ready, the white witch opened the door to the refresher once more and led her back toward the nurse's station, the tile already cleaned and scented.

Green eyes glanced to the medical droid still on duty with her, "I'm going to need to leave for a bit. If you would, wake Anaya to take my place and let her know I may be leaving for a few days."

"Of course, madam," the droid replied and then moved to the comm suite and made the call.

Kaie hated to have someone else step in before they were due to come on duty in the medbay, but this was more important. Moving through the shallow lobby, Kaie opened the door for Teagan and then followed her out into the early morning, a cool breeze wafting through and no doubt comforting Teagan even more. "I've heard of Master Vymes, but haven't had the chance to meet him yet. Has he been with you since your father passed," she inquired as they walked.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Venturing out into the night air, Teagan felt the ground beneath her bare feet. It was comforting in a way, solidifying her sense of 'this is real' and providing her with something tangible to feel underfoot. Each pebble and imperfection she could feel brought her back just a little bit from the brink of despair that whatever bond between herself and her mother had brought her to. It was still a strange thing to wrap her mind around. That two people could be so attuned that they felt what the other was going through? It seemed like some sort of sorcery. Old Bloodline sorcery, at that. She knew plenty of stories from the old days back on Schwartzweld; back before the Houses had begun to crumble. They held close to the sacred powers of the Gift, and adhered to its' powers when it suited them. Of course, they abused it at times as well, but wasn't that how everything happened? Of course years ago she had made the connection that when the old books spoke of the Gift, they were referencing the Force, but it was still enough to give her pause even now, and she tried to remember reading any sort of mention of sense bonding. Was it something to do with blood? Seemed everything in her and her mother's old books had something related to blood, or the Bloodline. It was a thing to hold dear, but even she knew that it wasn't the end-all-be-all.

Distantly, she was aware that a question had been asked, and biting her lip, the young Lupine cast her eyes to the side as both walked.

"It's.. a long story."

Not exactly the best way to answer she knew, and Teagan tried to find the words to best describe the strange relationship between herself, Markos, her mother, and Master Vymes.

"He and my mom... they survived the old Purge together."

[Kaie]

Sensing the turmoil rolling through the newest patient of hers, Kaie understood what was possibly going through her mind as Kaie had been there herself, not that long ago. Nodding, she left it alone and understood that answers would have to develop from trust. She hadn't yet earned that privilege and the white witch also understood that quite well.

"It's okay," she replied, the call of distant avians echoing through the river valley, mountains shrouded in shadow in the moonless night. "It took a while for me to tell my master that I had once been part of a roving band of witches. I grew up on Hapes, but once a year we had a gathering where the elders would talk about our origins, our mothers would trade some new ingredient or potion they had discovered and the younger of us would compete to achieve the rank of Witch." She knew trust went both ways and glanced to Teagan, judging her reaction to the news. "My mother was the coven's healer and trained my sisters and I to perfect that talent rather than hurting people. Though I did have to learn how to make poisons and such, I never made one since. In fact, the thought of it makes me sick."

Gravel and dirt crunched beneath their feet as they headed to the home of the master. "This link that I mentioned is one that I know firsthand. I felt it with my mom when our coven was ambushed on Baralou by a group of Jedi. I felt her get hurt when I was flying away with a few others and thought I had lost her forever, but was relieved to find out later that she had returned to Hapes which was where my master and I found her several years ago."

Nearing Master Vymes' home, she slowed her pace. "I never wanted anything more than to learn how to heal using the Force, even beyond what I had been taught as a girl. The Jedi have shown me that way and since then, I've used my gift to take care of everyone that's come my way. I've seen how evil some with the Force can be and I'll do everything I can to keep the innocent safe."

She smiled, realizing too late that sounded like a poor sales pitch, chuckling. "Sorry, hard to hold back what we're passionate about, isn't it?"

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Teagan listened intently as they walked, focusing on the words spoken in an effort to shut out the still lingering discomfort and pain that seemed unwilling to pass away. But, the more that she listened, the more she felt drawn into what Master Kaie was saying. In a strange way it reminded her of some of the stories Kazahan would tell her, and of the rituals and gathering that he used to be a part of, but there was something distinctly different about what was being told to her now.

Passing by the quiet front facade of the dormitories, the young Lupine turned her eyes up to look at Master Kaie.

"I've heard of witches on Dathomir, but I didn't know they were on Hapes, too."

[Kaie]

Nodding, Kaie had heard of many different covens of various types of Force users outside the norm, or largest two factions. "It was just my mother and us that lived on Hapes, the coven was spread across the galaxy. That was how we were able to keep our anonymity. The annual gatherings were all on a different world each time, that way those that wanted to know what our elders kept were much harder to find." But, that was a long time ago, she mused as they approached the dorms.

"We were told the tome that our Elder Witch kept was actually a copy from one that studied with the Sorcerors of Tund." Green eyes turned away from Teagan as they walked. "Not sure if that's true or not, but they did have command of several elements, so not surprised." She also didn't know if the elders had survived the ambush either.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

The dormitories were passed by, and Teagan found herself mulling over the words that Master Kaie spoke. 'Coven' was a word she'd never heard before, but she was not too entirely perplexed; there were often words she was still learning. It wasn't too difficult to understand the basic meaning of it though, as the young Lupine guessed - from how it'd been used - it had the same meaning as a group. Only, she suspected that there were more sacred connotations.

Bare feet padding along the hard-packed road, she bit her lip as the two continued to pass by work huts and shuttered shop fronts. Sanctuary had grown from its' first humble beginnings to something resembling an outpost, but there were still plenty of rough edges to smooth over. Teagan often enjoyed watching new construction spring up, but her free time had become limited as most hours she spent studying. The times that she had to herself were often spent out in the woods, running with Major Verratoa.

"My mom has a bunch of old books that are special to her," well, the books were special to the both of them, but her mother had more of a connection to them than she herself did.

"I mean, they're old, and talk about our family. There's even one she keeps that has rituals and chants in it. She never let me look in that one though."

[Kaie]

Nodding as they walked, Kaie knew Teagan had already drunk some water and though it was late, she hoped that was enough as the healer then glanced down to see the girl's bare feet. She didn't seem to be harmed by the terrain and no doubt used to being without footwear. Something Kaie and her sisters did on Hapes, though the thick grass was more welcoming than this hard earth and gravel. Turning her attention back to the road, the moonlight vainly masked by drifting clouds high above. "Hoping the Force can lead me to her soon, though she seems to be rather strong willed from what you've told me."

She glanced to Teagan again, "This man that she's with. Any idea who that is?"

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Her gaze went to the ground then, and Teagan frowned as she tried to relive the dream. The things she'd seen were flitting away, despite the pain still lingering. She reached up to rub her shoulder, still feeling the stinging, burning sensation as it throbbed its' way through muscle and tissue.

"I don't know who he is," came the final admission.

"I've never seen him before."

The frown deepened as she tried to scour her memories, but nothing seemed to come together and she eventually gave a shake of her head.

"I just know that wherever she is, it's dark. But... but things were glowing there."

Stepping past the last vestige of 'civilization', Teagan gestured to a small turn that branched off from the main road out of town. It was a narrow path that had the beginning stages of more-than-normal foot traffic, and the young Lupine led Master Kaie down what had begun to be a normal, familiar walk. Of course, she usually made the trek from home to her classes in the daylight.

"You talked about a bond... how long does something like that last for?"

There was no mistaking the pain she was still feeling, though it had thankfully become muted. She was still hurting, but nothing so sharp as it had been when she'd first woken.

[Kaie]

"The bond lasts as long as you do," she admitted. "I've felt things with my mother and sisters through the years that were only as intense as their emotional reply to it. Most of the time it's just a touch to something dramatic in their lives that reaches out like this." Though she also realized that her touch to the Force was a strong one, but even before being trained she had felt moments when her sisters had been in trouble or hurt.

Green eyes glanced to the younger girl, "The Force definitely works in strange and wonderful ways."

Knowing they were nearing Teagan's home, Kaie took in the surrounding, quiet early morning hours as distant calls from avians echoed through the river valley and she recalled the first time she had seen this place. It's history a very long and vibrant one, Ossus would now become the home to a whole new order of Jedi.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

For a moment she let her pace slow, uncertain of how she felt over the matter of such a bond lasting for the rest of her life. It was something so new to her, and while life had been full of strange and new things for a fair bit of time now, there was still no denying the quiet, thoughtful moments that she mulled over what Master Kaie's words meant. What they really meant. And a part of her was scared about it. To be so connected... to feel so much of what another person felt. It was a tether between mother and daughter that - honestly - generated apprehension.

Even if the pain she'd woken up with was subsiding, there was still concern over the next time something like this would happen.

From the darkness ahead, nestled into a small hollow surrounded by saplings and other natural flora, a house appeared. It was a simple structure, with shallow steps leading up to a small front deck and the front door. A light could be seen on through one of the windows, but it was low, as if only on for ambiance. It was obvious that Master Vymes was still in his chair, and still very much asleep.

Carefully Teagan placed a bare foot on the first step. Then the second, the third, and then the upper landing. One hand went out to the railing then, as the other went to her middle and her eyes grew wide.

A wave of sudden nausea washed over her, growing from the pit of her stomach.

"I think," her mouth tasted funny, as the worst of tastes seeped up from her throat to offend the back of her tongue.

"... my stomach hurts."

Gods but she did not want to trow up again. Before, back in the medical ward, was enough. Now? Again?

Clamping her jaw shut, the young Lupine fought the rebellious turns of her gut.

[Kaie]

Walking quietly, Kaie could feel Teagan's mind racing with the revelation that she had just been awakened to and soon green eyes noticed the quiet home they headed toward. It's quaint facade more inviting than she had imagined at first and as the two walked up the stair, Kaie felt the pulse in the Force wash from her patient. Arms out, she caught Teagan and moved in, concernedly. Soaking in the energies flowing through the air and up from the ground around them, the white witch focused it toward Teagan in the hopes of quelling the sickness that came with the touch that was being felt from her mother, now that Kaie could sense that the young girl's body wasn't the source of the pain.

"Go to that place again," her soothing voice reached out to Teagan's troubled mind. "Quiet river, treed valley. Birds. Gurgling of water over rocks."

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Deep breaths, pulling in lungfulls of air in the hopes of steadying her quivering nerves. Each inhale brought a sense of relief and stability helped along by Master Kaie's words. Teagan very nearly sat down on the deck, her legs feeling weak enough to let her simply collapse, but she remained standing as one hand moved to clutch the other woman's in a strong grip. With eyes shut tight, she bared her teeth as she followed the Jedi Healer's coaxing; she imagined the woods, each tree and bush full of vibrant life. The warm sun filtering through branches and leaves.

The sounds of nocturnal life around them helped, and she gave a strained smile as the call of an owl reached her ears.

Another few moments passed, and her breathing settled for the time being. Her shoulders squared a small bit as her body once more calmed by a small fraction. The nausea was still there, but finding peace in the manner that Kaie had instructed had helped.

If this was how her mother felt whenever she had to fly without her medicine... it was horrible.

Finally she gave a nod.

"It's going away a little bit," her voice still held a tremor, though it was easy to hear the control coming back, however slow.

Who knew when it would come back in full force though, and for now the young Lupine knew that it would be best to go inside.

A quick gesture to the door was followed by a half-step back, allowing her room to somewhat lead the way.

"It's unlocked. I... didn't think to lock up when I left."

Was it an apology? Some sort of worry over how she had left? Should she have woken up Zem? Should she have tried to see if he could help? Each worry over what she could've done before seemed to play out in her mind now.

Even as her hand fell on the doorknob, turning it carefully before slowly beginning to push inward, Teagan found a sense of nervousness beginning to mingle in with the swirling nausea still vying for supremacy in her stomach.

[Zem Vymes]

As the door creaked, Master Vymes woke with a start, sitting upright in the chair next to the smoldering fireplace. It didn't look like he'd had a peaceful sleep. His eyes were alert, panning back and forth quickly before settling on the doorway and the return of Teagan and a guest.

"Tak."

He drew in a breath, springing to his feet. The restless dreams that rattled in his head still remained with him to a degree when awake.

[Kaie]

Staying with Teagan as they moved to the door, she could sense the wash of pain ebb slightly. Helping the white witch ease her own concern, Kaie turned to the door and helped her patient open it and glanced inside, noting the dimly lit main room, it's comfortable furniture and knick knacks adorning shelves and tables, then green eyes turned to the older man now rising, surprised at having visitors this early. Helping Teagan inside, she closed the door and turned to their host.

"Sorry to barge in at such an early hour, but she's been feeling something troubling from her mother," the healer explained. "I'm Kaie," she greeted, smiling.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Standing awkwardly, Teagan bit her lip as she looked to a wall, her brow knit as she did her best to push aside the phantom injuries still vying for her attentions. She gave a wince then, as her eyes tracked up to Zem, and the little Lupine found herself at a loss for words. She had left him, still sleeping in his chair - again she wondered if she should have roused him. Worries and doubts swirled through her thoughts in that moment, and when she finally did speak, only a handful of quiet words came out.

"I'm sorry... I just... you were asleep and, well... ""

[Zem Vymes]

"Zem Vymes." The Master offered, almost as an afterthought to Kaie. He appeared distracted; preoccupied. His normally slicked-back hair was a nest of unkempt locks from his restless sleep.

Vymes moved past Kaie and Teagan, opening a cabinet to rifle through the contents. He pulled out a pre-packed bag, then paused - slowly turning back to the youngster.

"Your mother's in danger."

That was it. The common thread. Why he couldn't sleep. Why Teagan had returned at this hour with the master healer.

[Kaie]

Nodding, Kaie grinned. "Pleasure to meet you." Having only heard the master's name, she hadn't had the chance to actually sit and confer with him on any of the nuances of the Force or his views on the galaxy, but now they had a more pressing issue to deal with. Zem's observations only verified what Kaie had noticed through the Force and now that they were all on the same page, another issue arose.

"We need to find out where she is and I can go help her." Kaie's offer wasn't presumptuous, but from one that only sought the wellbeing of those in trouble. Teagan had come to her with this and Kaie couldn't ignore it. "Did you get any insights when you had your vision?"

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Hearing Zem say it was like the most horrible confirmation. Normally she had never really given much thought about what it was her mother actually did when she was gone; where she went was also one of those notions that had never struck her. But now? Now she was still feeling queasy, her shoulder hurt, her side hurt, and her leg hurt. There was no real ignoring things now. Maybe in the back of her mind she hoped that this was all some elaborate lead-in to a surprise? Her mother had not been allowed back on Ossus for a very long time, and it was getting to the point that Teagan wondered if it would ever change.

Having the inner fears confirmed in such a way was like another blow, and the young Lupine felt her features fall in anguish.

So it was all true...

Not that she didn't believe Master Kaie, it was just... she just hoped that it was some sort of big mistake. Surely there had been a misunderstanding along the way?

Except no, there had been none of that. Everything had been true and verified, and Teagan felt herself deflate.

She turned her eyes up to Master Kaie, questioning, worried, and disquieted. The sting from before began to grow once more, and she bit her lip.

"But - "

All of this was confusing and happening at once and her thoughts were unable to fully process what was happening with any sort of quickness. It was frustrating and annoying and it made her both mad and scared.

Her gaze pulled away from the healer and went to Zem.

Her features twisted into helplessness as a fresh wave of nausea made her clutch her stomach. The stinging flared in intensity as she felt her body shift backwards, her back coming into contact with the wall behind.

"Just make it all stop," came the whimpered plea.

[Zem Vymes]

"Easy..."

Zem approached the youngster with care. He placed both hands on her shoulders, stooping somewhat to eye level.

"Easy Tak. What you're feeling, it's an expression of the Force. It manifests itself through strong bonds and associations. I feel it too. Emotions. Circumstances. Pain."

Vymes grasp at her shoulders was warm to the touch, and he gently squeezed her shoulders. A wellspring of calm and openness emanated from within.

"We've known each other for a long time, you and I. Look at me. Feel."

The old man's baritone voice spoke in even tones, like his breath was carried in a woodwind note. He needed Teagan to find clarity in serenity. It would help to make sense of what she may have glimpsed.

Vymes glanced back to Kaie, his eyes unfocusing slightly as he tried to recollect his own visions.

"Fear and darkness. Not just an emotional darkness. In the literal sense. A shroud of the senses. A feeling that I've seen this before."

Zem pressed his tongue between parched lips.

"Before the fall. During the war."

[Kaie]

Noticing Teagan's relapse, Kaie's left hand rested on her patient's back and she immediately began soaking in the Force, then transferring as much as she could to create a sense of calm to help. Though the core work would have to be done by the younger girl, at least this would help. Green eyes then moved to the older master and she listened to his insights. Cryptic, she mused. Though the Force rarely gave specific visions if the practitioner wasn't being specific.

Nodding quietly, she returned her attention to their focus and hoped that Teagan was going to be able to push through all this. The only other option that the healer could think of was medication which she didn't have with her at the moment.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Her features screwed into a look of determination as the young Lupine pushed past the phantom pains. There were calming eddies coming from both Master Kaie and Zem, and Teagan clawed past the discomfort to steady herself, letting out a long breath. She ground her teeth together then, determined to carry on.

Zem's confirmation of what she'd seen in her own dreams was heartening in a worrying way, and she furrowed her brow as she remembered the dark, gloomy landscape. The scattered, looming shapes of what she'd guessed were trees sprang to mind, as well as the soft glow of... something. Or rather, a lot of somethings.

"There are things that glow there, though. It's not all completely dark," she got out. Each word seemed to push back the invisible wounds, and she pressed on, emboldened as her voice became more sure.

"And I saw a flying animal that glowed, too. It was big."

[Zem Vymes]

"A world of shadow." Zem confirmed, somewhat distant in his tone. He glanced from Teagan to Kaie.

"A place called Umbara."

The Jedi Master touched his chin in thought. He glanced to the door before returning his attention to his guests.

"You should both come with me."

[Kaie]

Trying to imagine the flying creature that Teagan mentioned, Kaie then turned her attention back to Zem as he mentioned the world's name which would help immensely. At least now she had a target as their host then invited them to follow. Kaie continued helping her patient as they moved, wondering if the resident master was going to shed some more light on this mystery as Umbara was a large world just like every other. It would be like finding a needle in a haystack as she had never met Teagan's mother before.

"Umbara," Kaie said in thought. "Never heard of it before. Any idea what she may have been doing there," she inquired as they headed to the door.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Helped along by Master Kaie, Teagan felt taken up in the moment, doing her best to tamp down the uncomfortable feelings roiling about in her gut as well as the more acute phantom pains. But she listened; she didn't want to miss anything. There were plenty of times when the Masters spoke that she felt lost and uninvolved, but this was different, and it was so very close. She stayed close to Kaie, not exactly certain how to react to Zem and his determination. It was heartening, but at the same time she had never seen him in such a state.

Oh, she'd seen his hair mussed up and his face pulled into pained expressions, but this was different. His features reflected a level of worry over something - someone - so directly connected to her...

... it was hopeful and scary all at once.

[Zem Vymes]

Zem simply shook his head in reply to Kaie's question. He shouldered his robes, drawing the humble brown garment over his tunic.

"Loklorien s'Ilancy is, among other things, a Captain of the Alliance Navy. I imagine she was at Umbara in that capacity."

What that meant, he couldn't say. Umbara hadn't warmed to either side particularly well after the treaty. They had many reasons to distrust both sides.

The Jedi Master opened the front door, following the two women out as he closed the cottage up behind them.

"We need a ship. Something fast, but with a hold."

[Kaie]

Knowing now a bit more about Teagan's mother would help her when they met, but there was still much to learn. As they headed outside, the white witch then realized that Zem was suggesting that they all go, which was even better in her mind. Moving from the modest home, she walked toward the landing field with them, keeping Teagan steady as they walked.

"Typically I would just hire one or offer my services as a healer to the crew for a ride," she mentioned. "There are at least two here now that I've seen. One delivered medical supplies yesterday in fact. We might be able to talk to him if you wanted." Though as she thought about it, they would have to wake up the crew to do so.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

The air was crisp, and helped to clear her thoughts as she continued on. Large lungfuls brought in seemed to help her stomach as well, and she swallowed, licking dry lips. A pair of Moonsong Whisperbirds sounded from somewhere up above, their haunting trills filling the air all around to accompany the steady rhythm of feet falling upon the ground in steady paces.

Blinking furiously, Teagan felt her grip on Master Kaie's hand tighten. That Zem was wanting them all to go... it was a strange feeling, but for so long she had insisted that she was no longer that small girl from before. Now he was making good on her claims. And then suddenly, her thoughts recoiled in remembrance. Memories from the terrible results of her mother's search for an Urn. Of Zem grim-faced as he held a broken body. And in that moment the young Lupine found herself unsure.

Another deep breath, and she pursed her lips in determination as she stayed in-step with Kaie.

"How long will it take to get to... Umbara?"

[Zem Vymes]

"Done." Zem agreed instantly with Kaie's suggestion, and was on a beeline route for the tarmac. The crew would see their point of view, one way or another.

Along the way, Teagan asked him a question, but it felt more like passing the dead air and avoiding her own hesitant thoughts. He could feel the uncertainty with her, and it ran deep.

"Umbara isn't far. It's technically within Alliance space, though they never recognized the treaty or the Imperial claim. They're an autonomous world."

Minutes later, they'd arrived to the sight of a conspicuous vertically-oriented ship, tethered in place by a magnetic clamp and sporting an array of hefty engines. It spoke to the duality preferred by many "freelance pilots", speed with a wink and a nod to the knowledge that it could just as easily transport something illicit as something on the up and up.

Zem stepped up to the gangplank, and for lack of a better option, knocked on the door. A minute later, a groggy-sounding voice chirped on the comm.

"Yeah?"

"This is Master Zem Vymes of the Jedi Order. I want to speak to the captain."

"You're talking to him."

"We have an urgent mission on Umbara. I need transport there immediately."

"Ugh...do you know what time it is?" A sound of rustling could be heard. "Fine, two thousand credits for priority round trip. All up front."

Money that Zem and Teagan did not have, and he suspected that Kaie did not as well.

"We can pay you six thousand when you return us to Ossus."

A muffled sound, probably a curse, could be heard in the background.

"Look, this isn't exactly a get rich scheme we've got working for you Jedi. We can't risk getting stiffed or getting worse, because I'm assuming this whole urgent business thing you've got is the deadly kind of urgent."

[Kaie]

Moving to the ship behind Zem and alongside Teagan, Kaie knew these guys weren't going to be totally excited about this news, though they were desperate. She grinned as the captain greeted Zem with a less than enthusiastic reply.

"Corbin," she interjected. "This is Master Kaie and you have my word that we'll see that you're compensated for your help. If anything from this trip does come up, you'll have two Jedi Masters to help."

A long silence preceded a sigh. "Okay. I'll wake everyone and we'll get this show on the road." Another pause and the outgassing from the upper door announced their invitation to climb up and into the ship. "Make yourself at home in the galley and we'll be on our way here shortly," his voice continued from the inner speaker as they began their ascent.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Continued here... (https://sw-fans.net/forum/showthread.php?56702-What-s-Seen-in-the-Dark&p=1058211&viewfull=1#post1058211)