"A Forked Path, a Forged Past."(Invite/ Ask arm514ve)

[Thecomicbookbroad]

Though her beloved Ryloth never strayed far from the young Twi’lek’s heart, Ashes found Corellia enchanting. Its lush landscape and dreamy skies never ceased to put her at both ease and awe. Though the dusty deathscape of her first home world was far beyond compare to the mostly uncultivated Jewel, It was a place she could see herself- a welcoming warmth like the setting sun washed over her as her navy skin was bathed black by the towering shadows of buildings, Coronet.

Though the great city held many sights for the wayward young optimist, her eyes held but one: herself in uniform.

Corsec academy had contacted her just a day earlier and as quickly as she received word on Coruscant, she was off. It had long been her dream to join the ranks of galactic law enforcement but when her access had been denied at the Coruscant academy she had lost nearly all hope-

This moment was the largest in all of her young life and she met it with polished armor, loaded gun and a chin held high.

Not only was she being summoned to this particular CorSec academy, but its home base! What better offer could be had to a sec hopeful?

As the jet black plates of her armor shifted like form fitting scales upon her thin frame she examined herself in the reflective surface of a near by window.

The cast shadows left her emerald eyes to glow like electric beacons and the soft pout of her lips shone with gloss. Her armor was ebony and richly metallic to a near mirrored shine, her boot heels spiked and her rigged lekku hanging loose and shapely behind her shoulders.

Her pace slowed as a softness was punctured beneath her step- a yowl slowly growing in volume as pressure was applied.

Pulling back the dark rutian gasped at the sight of a small feline road block.

“oh! Hiko!” she exclaimed, squatting beside the mangy black cat who wore the mark of a dusty foot print upon its patchy, pelt.

“Sorry little thing!” she worriedly said in her native tongue and brushed its waiting chin with her shielded fingertips.

Her accent colored her basic as she reiterated her apology:

“Mais yur’ in the road though‘. ”


“Her back legs are bad.” A male voice of deep toned twi’leki said.

Ashes looked up to find a male of her own species peering down at her with his hands in his pockets and his head titled curiously as he stood at her back.

Raising to meet him at his shoulder she brought up the animal in her arms and shyly offered its small meowing body to him.

He was handsome, with his lekku bound in black and headwear that wrapped over his chin and around the roots of his head tails. A powdery yellow with eyes to match and a strong jaw, his face was angular and pleasant, She avoided his gaze with practiced submission.

“Erm….cat.” Ashes said, pushing the pet to his chest gently.

“I love your accent.” Said the male receiving it and smiling lightly.

“you’re from near the dark lands?” he referred to their native world.

Nodding, the mannerly young female, turned away, scratching the back of her head with mock preoccupancy.

“ you‘re from the ligh‘ I never saw much as a little un‘” she replied.

“ Never saw much cats either- “

“I’m Boc‘Dira.” the male introduced himself hurriedly.

“Ashes V.” returned the armored young woman, offering her hand.

The feline quickly snapped at it before she pulled it back.

Boc laughed and took her lekku in his hands, propping them up higher to bare better resemblance as he held up the cat.

“twins.” he said, smiling warmly.

Retrieving her head tails shyly, Ashes felt her heart beat quicken and her face grow hot.

“I guess we do look a little alike.” she admitted taking the feline in her arms and holding her out in front of her chest for examination. Her face was serious and calculating as if the creature held some key clue to a crime. They did share the same eyes….

Soft laughter again and she looked to its owner with apprehension and a nervous smile.

“I had better go.” she quickly mumbled, returning the furry parcel and quickly turning to leave.

“They need me at the Academy” she let the words flow and enjoyed every syllable. “need me” and “academy” fit so well together…

“Will you have dinner with me afterward?” Bac mused as she departed.

She turned to meet him a final time with a questioning gaze.

“Why?” she asked, instantaneously regretting the ludicrous response as his face seeped with disappointment.

She trudged on towards her appointment with her shoulders slouched and her spine tingling with awkwardness.

She had never been good with men, and when she was it was only bad to herself.

 

[Arm514ve]

Life was going great, for Mirta, as for the four C-Section fugitives she had just collected the bounty on the statement would be slightly different. Skipping down the steps of the CorSec main building. Mirta joyfully counted her pay, although modest it would suffice. Pleased by the entire outcome, Mirta reflected on the hunt she had just been on, capturing those buffoons and returning them to their Correlian jail cells had been entirely too easy, but she was happy about the 5,000 credits she had received from each returned inmate.

“20,000 credits should be enough to get me those new pistols I wanted!” Mirta excitedly exclaimed. This drew several looks from the surrounding crowd; most people didn’t associate such a squeaky, bubbly, voice with a human of Mirta’s stature. Giggling at the attention, Mirta continued to muse more quietly to herself, “And, I will even have enough to keep the house stocked for a while.”

Thinking of this made her smile; her brother had always been the concerned one, the ideal older sibling. Continuing to walk down the now darkened streets of Corellia, Mirta sighed, letting her feelings take a momentary hold, she wished he was here now; she needed him more than ever. She sat down on a bench, mulling over her feelings.

“If he was here today he would be so mad with me,” Mirta giggled in spite of her own feelings, she tried to overcome sadness with joy any time she could. She persisted now wearing a slight frown on her face, “He would definitely tell me that I am putting myself in far too much danger, and could relapse, if I wasn’t carful.” Suddenly thinking of how silly she must look talking to herself on a bench she began laughing again, her tears being a sweet mixture of grief and joy.

 

[Thecomicbookbroad]

Ashes approached Corsec, her breath quickening and her gait steadily doing the same.


"Here it is...Its time." She thought.

She could feel the smile on her lips and her dreams came undone before her, leaving a path of their makings for the twi'lek to follow to its end- to reality.


She stopped.


frozen, As if her body had acted on its own.


A familiar face- a pair of mismatched eyes was directly before her - one she hadn't seen since childhood- one she had been told she would never see again.


Mirta Mac'neal.

her mouth moved wordlessly as she struggled to comprehend what was about to unfold- the thoughts of corsec fell away and all there was- all that could be was a dead little girl grown into a woman.

"Mirta?" she softly mused, her eyes growing moist.

 

[Arm514ve]

Mirta looked up at the call of her name wiping away her tears and putting on her usual cheerful face, turning her head to the Twi’lek that said her name.

"Yes that’s my name do I know you?"

She said curiously at this stranger she never meet before or thought she never met before though she didn't recognize her from anyone her brother knew or introduced her to, she was good with names and faces but she didn't recognize the Twi’lek before her.

 

[Thecomicbookbroad]

“It’s me…” Ashes said, she hadn’t expected such a cold reaction and her feelings were hurt by the recognition she had been denied. Gesturing at her chest she spoke again with an alarmed tremor.

“Ashes, Ashes V- Stasha and Ares’ daughter!” she said, coming closer.

“Don’t you know me? We grew up together- “ She said.


"I thought...you were...dead."

 

[Arm514ve]

"Dead!!" Mirta said surprised and humored, looking around and then pinching herself to see if she was solid. "I assure you I'm vary much alive.” She said getting up off the bench.

Mirta looked puzzled by the names the Twi’lek mentioned. “I hate to break this to you but I don't know anyone by the name Ashes I think I would remember a Twi’lek with such an unusual name.” she took a step back “I think you have the wrong girl since I also don’t know anyone by the name Ares or Stasha."

 

[Thecomicbookbroad]

Ashes was at a loss- she was certain- positive Mirta was the girl she thought she was.

Childhood memories began to resurface - pulled from the depths with new buoyancy.

She stepped forward- searching the human’s eyes for any trace of recollection. She ventured to touch her hand.

“what happened to you?” she asked, narrowing her eyes as if something would suddenly be made visible to her.

If only she could return -with Mirta t her side- to the bounty hunter’s guild on Coruscant, so many empty spaces would be filled- an age old question’s answer corrected.

 

[Arm514ve]

Mirta pulled her hand away and took a step back at the Twi’lek constant advance.

“Nothings happened to me. I think you have me confused with someone else. though I maybe able to help you find who you'r looking for I am a good investigater, if not then If you would be so kind as to excuse me my brother is expecting me home soon.” Mirta felt bad about lying about her brother since he is dead but it was the only way out she felt that wouldn’t hurt the Twi’lek feelings, and hopefully discourage the Twi’lek from thinking she is who she isn’t.

((may do some editing to fix confusions the post doesn't feel right to me but you can post if you like.))

 

[Thecomicbookbroad]

Ashes placed herself firmly before the much taller human. She was intimidated but more then that- she was determined. The mention of a brother did briefly make her beliefs falter but she assured herself there was a logical explanation- one she intended to uncover. Mirta had been missing for several years- her condition could have been delicate- the means of her loss…traumatic, Ashes resolved to thread lightly when it came ot the surface of the girl’s origins.

“Mirta, you’ve been missing for two years…” She said softly.

“There was an accident-” she said, lowering her voice to a hum - her voice broke from severing forces of emotion and she held her jaw momentarily.

“We looked for you….”


It was surreal. Like explaining death to the ghost to whom it belonged.

 

[Arm514ve]

"An accident what kind of accident?”.....Mirta trailed off in thought ‘she possibly knows something of my past, no it’s just a coincidence there’s no possible way, she kept thinking trying to remember if she knew this Ashes.’

“I’m sorry you have the wrong girl, unless her name was Mirta Ozuma.” Mirta said annoyed as a migraine started to pound in her head, she started to feel dizzy, I really should be get home, she said rubbing her temples in pain, and stumbling as she started to walk away the pain of her head ache growing exponentially, as she tried to remember something, anything of her past before wakeing up at her brothers.

 

[Thecomicbookbroad]

Ashes watched a Mirta became troubled-as if burdened by a pain in her skull.

Walking by her side, as if steering the human in the opposite direction- away from her beloved Corsec- she continued.

“I can explain it all…” The twi’lek would not be swayed- insisting on her discovery.

“If you come with me back to Coruscant I can help you…” she said.

 

[Arm514ve]

Mirta was stumbling as the Twi’lek was following her and her head was starting to hurt and Mirtas vision started to glass over. As her mind strained to keep the painful memories locked away, in the deepest part of her subconscious, and at the mention of Coruscant Mirta snapped as a flash of memory what almost happened to her, while injured and being carried by the thugs, this caused even more pain in her head and Mirta cringed at the sudden increase in the pain. She drew one of her pistols and aimed it with a shaky hand at the Twi’lek.

“There is no way in hell that I am going back to that cesspool of a planet.” Mirta said leaning on a poll lowering the gun a tad since it felt like it was over a hundred pounds in her current state.

There was a loud booming noise that could be heard over head. As a aerial speeder collided with another speeder, and both came crashing to the ground into a small café that was a few yards away, and the occupants came running out fearing for there lives and several others came running out on fire, including a gungan, that was saying intangible words in panic from being on fire.

Mirta watched the horror of the crash unfold and in her already confused and mentally unstable state caused a heavy flash of memories to hit her at ounce. Mirta let out a blood curdling scream as if in pain, and fainted on the spot.

 

[Thecomicbookbroad]

Ashes eyes widened as gun metal loomed between her temples. As surprised as the Twi’lek was by Mirta’s actions- more then that she was surprised at her self for not seeing it coming. It all became clear. for a split second she had thought everything had a chance of returning to normalcy, but as Mirta stood in her own crumbling sanity the past lay in ruin.

As the tall human’s hand quivered, Ashes spoke, soft and reassuring.

“Ok…” she said, lifting her hands and keeping eye contact.

“Ok” She repeated, the plates of armor along her shoulders shifted with small clanks.

“I’m sorry, We don’t have to go anywhere….Just let me-”

As a burst of destruction fell from the sky she spun around- her attention stolen by a café in flames and its occupants in peril.

There had been an accident in the sky- panic filled the streets.

When she turned, back summoned by a chilling scream, Mirta had sunk to the ground.

“Mirta!” cried Ashes , going to her unconscious side.

 

[Arm514ve]

In Mirta’s head the events of the past replayed itself though these memories would be forgotten when she woke up it was herself trying to reinforce why she locked them into her subconscious.

She dreamt of that fateful night in the speeder with her mother after her acceptance into the Coruscant Police Academy.

“Thanks for the ride mom.” Mirta said happily to her mother sitting in the driver’s seat of the speeder. “I was going to go see your father anyways since he’s been stuck helping get the Jericho space worthy again, and I am more than happy to give you a ride there for my future officer, I think you’ll be the only officer I will respect on the force.” Mira Mac’ Neal Mirtas mother sad teasingly. “Well dads knowledge of the workings of the Police force helped a lot to get me ready for the exams, though I think Ashes is going to flip when she learns I past on my first try and she has already tried several times.” Mirta said then there was a strange bounce and the speeder started to move away from where they wanted to go and speed up “Mom what’s going on?” Mirta said worried “I don’t know I’ve lost control and were accelerating….Oh no.” “What what’s uh oh you know how dad and I hate uh oh’s” Mirta said with urgency. “The nav computer indicates were on a collision course with that building ahead.” The speeder descended to hit the building head on and was close to the ground, and in the few seconds before impact “I’m sorry Mirta” and with that Mirta was pushed out of the speeders door by her mother. The events after words happened in what seemed like slow motion to Mirta as she hit the ground in a role and came to a stop just in time to see the speeder collide with a restraint and erupt into a giant fire ball before darkness overcame her.

Mirta regained consciousness slowly looking at Ashes worried face the dream completely forgotten and the memory of that night lost again, deep with in her mind. “What happened where am I?” Mirta said slowly looking around noticing they were away from where they originally were. They were more in a medical tent probably set up after the accident after relief crews showed up.

----------------

One of the relief doctors came up to Ashes would you mind if I have a word with you miss… The doctor looked down at the data pad real quick Miss .V. it’s about your friend.

 

[Thecomicbookbroad]

Ashes eagerly followed after the doctor, her face expectant and troubled.

She was in too deep - any struggle to release herself from the situation would only make her go further down in the depths of Mirta’s troubled mind. The events of the morning could not have been foreseen…the chaos. She wore the soot and smell of corpses upon her skin with out dignity.

Temporarily doubting her abilities to cope with events such as the latter- she held herself and shyly glanced at her converser.


“What’s all o’ it?” she asked.

 

[Arm514ve]

The doctor just faintly smiled at the Twi’lek accent.

"Can I ask where you by any chance asking her things, or saying things that caused her to become aggravated? If so I have to ask you to refrain from trying to do that here, for the fact that I shouldn't tell you, but seeing as it is aperrantly guild business now, in an ongoing criminal investigation, as from a request from a mister Varga to fill you in on the situation with her."

The doctor looked towards the tents entrance expecting to see someone enter but decided it was best to carry on then wait for the person to enter.

"She has been diagnosed with dissociative amnesia. Because of trauma or stress from a specific situation, which was unknown at the time of the diagnosis. The ability to retain memories becomes impossible. However when something causes her to try and recall that experience, it causes a deep discomfort and fear. In short it means she has a problem with her memory, and if anything stirs the repressed memories it causes sever pain, and possible blackouts as you just witnessed."

 

[Thecomicbookbroad]

Ashes' brow wrinkled at the mention of "guild business" she looked about for a familiar face but found none. Was she not alone in her discovery?


Amnesia...It was so...obvious....?

No. Nothing was. It did however explain everything- as if she could not have assumed. bringing her hand to her temple she averted her eyes. She had taken things too fast, filled Mirta with pain and a past she could not recognize.

"Is there any way she can...come back? Remember?"


She kept silent. The Traumatic incident was ....obvious but guild business...not to be spread around.

"What can I do for her?" She asked

 

[T.J]

Corellia. To many it was just another one of the Republic's main planets, but to Ares Varga it was home. It was were his family had resided up to his own birth for generations, where his parents were burried, and where his life began. Unfortunately it held too many bad memories for him to make it his perminant home, the pain was too great for the aging hunter to bare.

That day was a happy day though, a day that almost made Ars forget about all the pain. His daughter, his little girl, was going to be accepted into C-Sec. He himself had made it to be so, without telling Ashes of course. Ares did everything in his power to make things right with her after she was rejected by the Coruscanti police force, it helped to be the co-leader of the Bounty Hunter's Guild.

Of course though his happy day for his daughter was somewhat altered by the sudden discovery of Shawn's missing daughter. He would be sure to inform him of the finding as soon as he got to a comm unit powerful enough to get back to Coruscant. Ares has made sure that Mirta was taken care of, and that her condition was correctly diagnosed. Originally he had wanted to suprise his daughter by randomly showing up in a crowd and congradulating her, but circumstances had changed drastically.

Ares emerged from the tent the doctor had looked to so warily. He walked with a slight limp, being that he had recently been shot through his thigh by a high powered blaster rifle. It was the second time in his lifetime that he had been hit in such a way, making the injury highly annoying.

" Hello Ashes.....I wish our encounter today could have been a little more....joyous. But this is a serious situation, and it needs to be handled very delicately."

 

[Arm514ve]

"Nothing I'm afraide she will eather eventually regain he memories, or she will never regain them. depending on how tramadic the event was."

As Ares entered the tent the doctor saw it her chance to move on to other patients still in need of care.

"mister Varga this is the medical file you asked for. Its a copy but please read it carefully and don't cause any trouble for her. Do tread litely."

The doctor left to allow the two to converse.

 

[Thecomicbookbroad]

"Daddy!" Ashes cried, going to Ares with a wounded expression.

"Its Mirta! I found her she's-" she trailed off, confused by his presence and the doctor's words.

"...Did you know about this?" she asked hollowly.