Ask Ad Astra

[Silvi Velt-Morata]

A little over a year ago, she sought out Ilana's lover. The one man in the galaxy who seemed to hold her truly captivated. The one person who her biological father seemed to settle all his bias against Force Users for, and the one person who, in an odd echo, reminded her of Ezra and Emryc. Perhaps it was the eyes, but it didn't matter anymore. But he didn't seem to have any answers for her then; she had been asking the wrong questions, approaching it all wrong.

She had decided to reach out one last time. To give him something that was never hers in the first place, and to confirm something that she had discovered for herself, with the help of Ezra.

Perhaps Sevrin Valtiere would prove to be the final key to the door that her mother held locked so tightly. Perhaps... it would be him, who would help her understand that her mother died for more than what she did. There was only one way to find out, at least.

She didn't wait for him within the now once more converted private home of Chateau Vidalis, but instead, to the shoreline. There wasn't a point in lingering there; she would wait for him in a place of free air, sky and sea. A place she grew to love, almost as much as the shoreline in Sullust. She could wait for him, at least for now. At least before the wheels would begin to turn.

@Sreeya

 

[Sevrin Valtiere]

Sevrin had been away from the Jedi Order for some time to sort through the conflicts in his mind. A Barash Vow was never taken lightly, but he knew he wasn’t mentally at peace as he reeled from Amariel’s death. His feelings for her had been undeniable, and it was one of the only things that shook him at his foundations. It was one of the only things that made him question everything and almost set him on a path of vicious retribution. But he knew it was not the Jedi way, and he knew ultimately it was not what Amariel would have wanted for him. There were many in the galaxy that would have asked a lover to avenge them, but Amariel was never that.

Their love had been one of a quiet, intellectual understanding and mutual respect. They knew there were lines they couldn’t cross, they knew there were boundaries, and they knew they had to love from afar. It was sacred, deep and beyond the understanding of anyone around them, and it was how they preferred to keep it.

He took his time to center himself in the Force. It took a while, but he was finally able to let go. He could finally gaze back fondly at their time together and reflect on the cherished moments shared. Amariel would not have wanted to manifest within his heart like a cancer, and he finally pulled himself out of his funk.

Silvi reaching out to him took him by surprise, but he answered the call. He also pondered his return to the Jedi Order. At long last, he felt at peace with the Force and no personal desires for vengeance or anger clouded his heart.

The Sephi quietly approached the shoreline, standing tall and stately as always. He was adorned in his preferred style of traditional and formal Thustran attire. His hair was neatly tied back, and his features were as sharp as ever, the silver eyes steely and focused. He found her without trouble, noting the woman that was similar and yet so vastly different from Amariel.

“Miss Velt-Morata,” He said politely with a curt nod of his head. His face was expressionless as usual, and he carried the bearing of quiet and regal dignity.

@Killa Ree

 

[Silvi Velt-Morata]

She had never understood the draw between her mother and Knight Valtiere. Try as she might, especially now, she couldn't understand how two individuals who seemed so cold could seem so in sync, and yet... much like Ilana, perhaps there was more to this Knight than met the eye. Did he know of all of her sins, and if so... did he forgive her of them? Perhaps it was this thought that drove her to think of him in the first place.

But turning to look at him, she was once more struck at how similar he seemed to look compared to Ezra.

Perhaps an older Ezra, if he didn't have so much of his fathers' individualities melded together. If he was more lithe, but it was more than that. Those damned silver eyes.

She might not have ever been a regal personality, but hers was a long standing of etiquette nonetheless. Giving Sevrin a nod of her head, she offered the man a small smile, though he would sense a sort of apprehension behind those eyes. She had only seen him from afar, or during conversations with her mother. The last time they spoke was shortly after Ilana's funeral; after Shane's visit, it seemed fitting.

"Sevrin Valtiere," she replied, turning to face him. Dressed simply in a white blouse, sleeves rolled up casually, and black slacks with simple flats, she knew perhaps she seemed underdressed, but... she knew she didn't have to stand on ceremony here. Stepping towards him quietly, he would note she held a box in her hands, with a very familiar energy. But instead of opening it right away, she'd merely tilt her head, the apprehensive look fading, replaced by a glint of certainty in pale blue eyes.

She had come to an internal decision.

"Walk with me? There's a view of this ocean that's unparalleled by even the best windows of Chateau Vidalis."

@Sreeya

 

[Sevrin Valtiere]

Sevrin didn’t need the Force to sense the apprehension that Silvi felt. He was always a mystery to her and he kept his distance because it was yet another layer of attachment he couldn’t commit to. It was easier to have Silvi despise him than the other way. So he remained a distant stranger and nothing more - no father figure, no uncle, nothing. Just a passing whisper in Silvi’s mother’s life. A part of her likely despised him for not protecting Amariel, but Amariel was always her own woman. She would never have agreed to have him tag along like a glorified bodyguard.

He stared blankly at her, his gaze briefly flicking down towards the box before meeting her gaze again. He didn’t ask about it, nor did his demeanor suggest he was particularly nosy. If she wanted to tell him about it, she would in her own time.

The Sephi began to walk with her, purposely slowing his strides to avoid stepping too far ahead. He towered over her and he moved with almost ethereal grace. His gaze panned over the ocean and crashing waves.

“For all my skills…swimming was never a strong suit,” He remarked quietly as he gazed ahead again. It wasn’t often he broached any type of normal conversation, but he had a feeling this wasn’t exactly a Jedi mission type meeting.

@Killa Ree

 

[Silvi Velt-Morata]

It was unexpectedly nice of him to slow his pace to match hers. She didn't feel the need to fill the silence, but was mildly surprised when he broke it first. Turning to look up at him, she chuckled once, giving a one-shouldered shrug. "That seems a surprise; with your build, I would have thought otherwise." Blue eyes flicked towards his face, her expression softening.

Not too long ago, yet such a long time ago it seemed, she spent Life Day on a rooftop with a silver-eyed boy, dreaming of the future in a pool that was tame and warm in comparison to these waves.

Water. The one connection she had to all of her safe havens in the galaxy. The mysteries of Starfall Caldera's deep lake waters, vegetal and dark, cold and bracing. Sullust's gentle waves, smoothed down by time, and Paqualis III's much younger ocean, charged and hectic as it rumbled towards the shore. It was fitting that she met with Sevrin here, rather than the close space in her Mother's old office.

It seemed more in the theme of Ilana.

"I love to swim. It always felt like home to me."

Her words were quiet, but a slight smile touched her lips. "Mother loved it, too. She used to tell me that all things come from the water; all light and living things. Perhaps she was on to something." Ahead of them loomed a stump of a tree, pulled seemingly from the roots into the sea, only to rest gently on the shore now, fully cleansed and dormant.

That tree stump had been there since she could remember; walking up to it, she turned to face him, staring into his features.

She opened her mouth to speak, then paused, before finding the right words.

"Did you know... that she could use the Force, Sevrin?" her voice was quiet, soft, as she stared at his face, waiting for his reaction. "That her abilities were different than yours?"

@Sreeya

 

[Sevrin Valtiere]

Sevrin wasn’t sure how to react to Silvi commenting on his build, so he stayed silent throughout the observation. When Silvi mentioned Amariel, he briefly recalled their hike and the waterfalls. Those days felt like centuries ago now, even for a long lived race like his. The Sephi’s sharp ears picked up the sounds of the waves and even the calls of whales far in the distance. It was beautiful and haunting at once, yet oddly fitting for this walk.

“I did,” He said honestly as he gazed back at her. His eyes, like those of any other Valtiere or - unbeknownst to him - Thorne, always had an uncanny way of piercing into any that gazed upon them. It would strip her down to her soul and leave her feeling as if she were on stage, “Her abilities were not different from mine. Think of the Force as your inherent emotions that you are born with. You can choose to indulge in the ones that bring you sadness or the ones that bring positivity, but your foundation of emotions are the same,” He paused briefly, collecting his thoughts, “Your mother was led astray by others influencing the wrong side of the Force. She began to recognize the choices she made as wrong - which is when I found her. Together we worked to rid her of the cancerous and toxic taint of the Dark Side that had festered within her.”

Seving paused to look at her intently, “She knew you mattered more than using her abilities for her own gains. She readily cast it all aside. But one never forgets the knowledge they once held...which may have been what Darth Raze was seeking."

He gazed away from her and towards the waves, knowing what kinds of questions she would ask next if she chose to shift from the topic, “I am a particular kind of Jedi where I am often required to be in the presence of the Dark Side of the Force. I am always within reach of some of the worst Dark Siders in the galaxy. Being more present in your mother’s life..in your life… would have put you both at risk.”

@Killa Ree

 

[Silvi Velt-Morata]

She hadn't realized she was holding her breath when he started to speak. That her heart was pounding in her throat, or that she had been staring just as intently at his face. When he affirmed that he knew, for a sickening moment, she felt like her knees would collapse. Swaying slightly, she gave a faint nod, her voice coming out in a quiet rasp as his words filled her mind.

"I see... of course you knew. She..." she gave a slight, bittersweet smile, tilting her chin up, forcing herself to straighten up. "Of course there weren't any secrets... I imagine it must have been very difficult for you both."

When he said she mattered more, her lip trembled slightly. She knew her mother loved her... but going so far as to not use her abilities? To close it off to protect her?

The pit of guilt that quietly whispered in the back of her mind grew. Their last words to each other were of anger, disappointment, and rebellion. Tearing her gaze from his a moment, she leaned against the tree, taking a deep breath. The roar of the ocean was soothing; she closed her eyes a moment, simply listening.

"Is it too late... for me to ask for you to come by more often?" Her voice was quiet, unsure between the two of them. "You say your presence might have put us at risk... but I think my life couldn't be any more at risk than it already is. And you are possibly the only one... who also knew her as well as, if not better, than I."

Glancing back to him again, she held up the box, opening it.

Within, nestled in dark fabric, rested a lightsaber hilt. Pure white, with a grip of silver and black alloy; the crystal within would hum palpably with him in the Force. Light seemed to hum with the chaotic, diffused power of the Darkness; like its' previous master, it was a chaotic duality once, now strong in the Light. It was like Amariel in all the best and worst... almost like it had been waiting.

"She would want you to have this," she spoke up quietly. "You say she didn't use the Force as a tool when she could have... you were right. She left this in her ship. And..." blue eyes blazed as she met his gaze again. No longer would those silver eyes remind her of Ezra. Though they looked very similar... they were different.

"That being... he was seeking someone with silver eyes. I only know of two with such a trait. Please..." she held up the box closer to him, "use it, for I can't, not in the way she might have. Take it, and..."

She paused, taking in a deep breath. "Help me heal the galaxy."

@Sreeya

 

[Sevrin Valtiere]

Sevrin was surprised she requested his presence more often, though it didn’t manifest on his features. However, the slight twitch of his ears was unmistakable. He gazed at Silvi for a moment before giving a curt nod, “Never too late.”

What she presented next caused his jaw to tighten, but he kept himself in check. He was committed to being a Jedi and so he had spent his time mourning Amariel. However, seeing something like this threatened to unleash it all over again. He gingerly accepted the saber, his graceful fingers wrapping around the hilt. It hummed with energy, neither Light nor Dark. But it manifested nonetheless. He did not feel Amariel in it, but in the end he preferred that. It meant she was truly liberated and one with the Force.

Silvi’s words about Raze gave him pause and he looked at her, brows furrowing, “Silver eyes? Like mine?” He queried. While silver eyes were common, even he knew the Valtiere line had unique eyes. Who else did Silvi know that possessed them? More importantly, why was Raze asking about him? If he devoured her mind, he would have uncovered a lot about Sevrin by now, which was a distressing reality.

The Sephi kept calm for now, looking at Silvi, “The galaxy is in dire need of healing. I will be with you whenever I can.”

@Killa Ree

 

[Silvi Velt-Morata]

Relief showed in her eyes when he agreed to come by more often; though before, it would have been difficult to look at the man, and judge by his chosen path... she could understand more now, without her biological father's bias. Though perhaps at one time, she had thought the galaxy was better without Force Users, now...

She saw his hesitation. She knew that feeling all too well; though she wasn't sure how deep or strong their bond was, she was beginning to pick up on his microexpressions, the small and minute ways he expressed his emotions, perhaps without him realizing it. Still, when he asked about the eyes, she nodded once.

"Yes... You, and another Jedi. Knight Thorne. I was surprised Mother never mentioned it before."

She wouldn't mention how her mother, one drunken night, confessed she wished her daughter had silver eyes instead of blue. But now, seeing it... for a moment, she was grateful.

Still, at his acceptance, she nodded, firming her shoulders.

"I want to work with the Jedi, first. The refugee problem of the Core..." she hesitated, brows drawing together in sorrow. Her old home, her old friends, all of them trapped in the horrors of that place, or lost, uncertain how to escape. "I might have a solution. But I need helping hands to prepare a place for them to go, and... perhaps make it a planetary haven, if all goes according to plan."

@Sreeya

 

[Sevrin Valtiere]

“Thorne..” Sevrin muttered, staring off for a moment. It wasn’t the first time someone mentioned his eyes in relation to a Thorne. But it was always a comparison to the President. Knight Thorne. Of course, he heard the commotion around this Ezra Thorne becoming a Jedi. Sevrin always remained behind enemy lines and never met the boy. For how much he heard about the similarities, he was privately glad Amariel never brought it up considering how well she knew the ISC President.

Her idea drew out a visible look of surprise in his graceful features, “You have a place in mind? Will it need diplomatic sway to convince the inhabitants?” What kind of Jedi help did she envision? It sounded like a better solution than simply barging in to fight the monsters, even though he would have suggested just that. The Jedi Council was shaky and the Grandmaster was missing, so Sevrin had to make executive decisions that he normally avoided.

“I will join you,” He said, “And I can bring cohorts of padawans to assist.”

@Killa Ree

 

[Silvi Velt-Morata]

Though a smile touched on her lips, it wasn't a particularly happy one. Rather, a look of sadness seemed to touch upon her features, as she took in a slow breath.

"I'm not sure if you've ever been taken there... but the planet is unoccupied. However, Mother came upon it by chance, and..." she gave a slight shrug, "I need to use it to aid others, shouldn't I? And what better way to become a leader than to help others?" She nodded at his words, relief touching her features.

"I appreciate this," she answered quietly. "I know much of the sentiment of the galaxy is against you. I want to do something to help... and if it's this small something, it might be the step we both need to quietly change the galaxy. I can't sit idly by and let my people suffer... and that includes those in your Order."

She hoped, maybe, that Ezra would understand her motives. A small, selfish part of it wanted it to be for him to see what she would do for the things he cared about... but the vast majority of it stood true with her word. She wanted to make it a haven for those that suffered at the price of her mother's secrets.

And perhaps... this would be the first right, silent step. One foot in front of the other.

She held out her hand to him, the small, sad smile there. "I look forward to working with you, Master Valtiere. No... Sevrin."

@Sreeya