Mos Espa

Darth Strife:

He tossed and turned restlessly, body feeling like it was on fire and lungs burning with every breath. He wasn't sure where he was, only knew he couldn't wake up and couldn't heal the way he'd meant to.

Crystal:

She bounced the baby in her arms gently to keep him asleep while Adonias used the scanner to examine Strife. When the screen lit up, her eyes widened. "Oh my gosh, are his organs failing? What the heck? Why'd he push himself so hard?!" She anxiously paced back and forth in the confined quarters of the cabin. She knew that he had weakened himself but this; he might die! "Can you use the force to help him heal?" She asked Adonias hopefully. "I am too weak and wasn't ever the best at healing much to his consternation." She smiled weakly at Darth Strife. "But maybe you can figure it out?"

Darth Strife:

With a sigh, he slid peacefully into a healing stasis. His body stable enough to heal himself the rest of the way and restore his youth with Adonias' help. The force visions began as soon as he entered the stasis and he was soon ensconced within visions of the past, losing his children again, and then visions of possible futures. He remained perfectly still despite the visions.

Crystal:

She watched, horrified, as Adonias underwent the sith healing ritual. Master Strife had warned her never to try the spells in the book until she was much stronger in her use of the force. But she didn't stop the boy, nor did she warn him. She wanted to see Strife healed. She didn't know how she felt about him but she knew she didn't want him dead. So she stood, biting her tongue until it was too late and the healing was complete. The first thing she registered was Strife's less labored breathing and the fact that he wasn't tossing or turning anymore. She rushed over to him and felt his forehead. It was cool. "He's healing now! We should leave him alone until he's finished." She looked over at Adonias and gasped. The he'd sounded younger but she had been watching Strife so hadn't noticed how young until now. She sat the baby down on the bed next to Strife and knelt beside Adonias. "Hey, are you okay?" She shook him gently, waiting for a response. How in the world was she going to take care of a baby, a five year old, and a healing sith?

Crystal:

She gaped at the little boy. "No, I'm Crystal. Definitely not an angel..." She rubbed her forehead where a headache was beginning to form and then jumped when a banging sound came from the ship's closed door. Picking the baby up again, she walked out of the cabin with a look at the young Adonias, "Stay here!" She walked through the cargo area and then walked up to the door. She hesitated a minute, leery about opening the door with so many helpless individuals under her care. But then she squared her shoulders. She was a sith apprentice. Sort of. She could handle anything on the other side of that door. She put her hand on the activation sensor and the door slid open.

With the door open, Crystal squinted doubtfully at the guard outside. "Who are you supposed to be?" She bounced the baby instinctively to continue his slumber.

Darth Strife:

Deep within his healing trance, his visions calmed in intensity. Strife found himself in a sunny clearing filled with high meadow grass and bountiful flowers. He recognized the clearing, it was one that had been near the farm he and his family had built. This clearing had been a favorite of the twins. They had spent hours chasing insects and rolling in the grass in this clearing. He smiled, then strolled towards a large boulder in the center of the clearing. He had often sat up there keeping watch on the children and meditating while his wife had gotten some alone time at the farm. Something pulled at him but he ignored it. He never had peaceful visions during his healing trance. He knew that. But he refused to consider that something might be wrong. Nothing could be wrong while visiting this clearing. As he moved closer to the boulder, he saw a sleeping form on it. His eyes widened. Then he broke into a run that carried him to the boulder in moments. He nearly wept as he saw it was his sleeping son on the boulder. He clambered up onto the rock and pulled the sleeping child onto his lap. Then he smiled, feeling more at home than he had in a very long time as he sat in the sun with his sleeping child.

Crystal:

She scowled back at the guard. "How do I know that's who you really are? You could be an assassin or scoundrel." She would have crossed her arms if not for holding the baby. She didn't like men trying to push her around and wasn't about to hand over her friend to this grumpy man without a little proof.

Crystal:

Crystal almost snarled at the guard, "I'm not a kid!" She watched doubtfully as the holodisk played and then sighed half heartedly. "I suppose you might be telling the truth. Maybe." She hesitantly offered the baby in her arms to the guard, wanting to run off with Eimhin even though she knew he should be with his family until they figured out how to fix this while aging thing. "I don't need the money though, he's my friend. You don't accept money for helping friends." She sneered in disgust as she waited for the guard to accept the young child from her. "He's a little younger than you guys might remember. We'll fix it though!"

Crystal:

Shouting after the guard Crystal said, "You aren't my friend, idiot!". She huffed and almost left the coins on the ground but at the last second, scooped them up before going back in the ship. Closing the door behind herself, she walked back to the cabin. She probably shouldn't have given the guard a hard time but he rubbed her the wrong way and she didn't like it when people tried to boss her around and throw money at her. But she supposed the money was technically Adonias' anyways so she'd better hold onto it for him. Now what to do with a five year old and her old master? She sighed tiredly. She just wanted to go back to hunting down the people who slaughtered down her family. This was way too exhausting. As she entered the cabin, she smiled slightly. Strife and Adonias were both fast asleep on the bed and seemed peaceful. She yawned. She faintly remembered her master mentioning another cabin on the ship built for her and she needed some sleep. Walking out, she realized there was a second cabin built almost right next to Strife's though smaller than his. She entered, laid down on the bed and immediately fell asleep.

Darth Strife:

Strife smiled down at Adonias. "Son. How did you find me?" He could sense Adonias dream walking with him, this was the boy's subconscious seeking him out and he was surprised that the boy had broken through his nightmares. And Strife was a little puzzled as to why he was so little.

Darth Strife:

He listened, still confused by what Adonias was trying to explain to him. Healed him? What did the boy mean? He was fine, safe in his healing dreams. He had entered this one after... His forehead wrinkled as he tried to remember. After what? He couldn't recall for a moment but then the memories returned. The relic! The ritual! He snarled as Adonias fainted. It had been for nothing, he had failed. And he hadn't just failed two apprentices, he had failed his son! His mind raced as he realized that that if the ritual to fix the children's ages had failed, he would have been left severely injured. He wouldn't have even had the strength left to enter his healing trance. He stared for a moment longer at his son's motionless form. Is that how Adonias had become so young? Had Adonias lost half his age healing him enough so that Strife could slip into a healing trance? Strife let out a deep breath he hadn't realized he was holding until now. His chest felt like it was being squeezed by a vice. His son had given up a lot for him. There was no guarantee that his age could be fixed at this point. With a cry of rage, Strife stood with Adonias still in his arms. Concentrating, the meadow and flowers around him faded and he opened his eyes, awake. It was near midnight and the room was pitch black, but Strife could sense his son nearby. He sat up and scooped the child into his arms. "Adonias! wake up!" He peered in concern at the dim form in his arms that he sense rather than saw.

Darth Strife:

He felt relief curl through him. "Nevermind, go back to bed." For one moment, he had believed that his son was hurt or injured because he had passed out in the dream. Now he realized that his son had simply exhausted himself. Adonias really did just need sleep. "I've got you." He laid his head down and slept as well, a real rest with no dreams.

Crystal:

Slowly her senses came back to her. She was groggy at first, unsure of where she was as she felt the unfamiliar bed beneath her. Then everything rushed back to her and she sighed. Yesterday, or at least she assumed it was yesterday by how rested she felt, had been overwhelming in how much had happened. She was unsure of the future now and a little afraid of her position as well. She thought for a moment about slipping out of the ship and leaving without a word to the two other occupants of the ship but a sliver of loyalty still had a hold over her and she couldn't make herself do the obviously smart thing. Slowly she sat up and stretched. She knew it was morning but most likely early morning. The hunch was confirmed when she checked the chronometer on the small dresser next to the bed. It was barely four in the morning. She sighed again, she'd always struggled with sleep but it had been a blessing growing up on a farm and then with her master. She might as well make the next few hours useful before someone else woke up. So she got up and slipped to her small built in closet. She was smaller now, too small to fit any of the clothes in the closet. She hadn't bloomed by 15, not quite yet and hadn't had near as much muscle. Crystal grabbed the sewing kit she'd always ensured her master kept her stocked with, knowing it would be in a small compartment at the top of the closet along with a few other useful pieces of equipment. For the next few hours, she updated her wardrobe to fit her younger self. When she finally finished the last stitch, she breathed out a sigh of relief. She'd never forget the skills she learned first as a young girl and later honed as a sith apprentice and the life took a toll on her clothing. But her hands were cramped and tight as it had been a long time since she'd used the skill.

Crystal wondered again where she had been for the last three or four years. Trying again to recall something, anything, she came up blank again. It was as though someone had wiped her memory clean. She frowned. Who would do such a thing. And why? She shook her head, angry at the helpless feeling that swept over her. She hopped up off the bed, still shaking her hands out and after putting the sewing kit back she left her cabin. She quietly made her way to the breakfast nook in the cargo area and set about fixing more blue milk pancakes and caf. She'd let the smell wake up anyone who was ready since it was almost eight in the morning now.