Innocence Lost: A Tale of Redemption

Wheee! My first thread post in the Fan-Fiction Forum! Well, besides the Galahad III, but hey. Anyway, on to the point.

This is a story that myself and Son of Kenobi are writing together. Please note that we have the whole story plotted out. PLEASE DO NOT POST TO THE STORY. You may post comments about the story, though. Feedback good.

Also, please note that, while some plot points may be mentioned (such as Mairoh's newly-regained memories), this story IS NOT related to the Galahad stories.

This story is the first in a trilogy of stories, regarding the characters of: Mairoh, Son of Kenobi, Whitefire, and Kor. The storyline, and all the original characters and their lives, are owned by myself and Son of Kenobi.

Anyway, on to the story! Hope you enjoy!

<Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect.>

Mairoh, the Jedi-Warrior Goddess

 

Deep within a fiery realm-- surrounded by pulsars and quasars, massive, dying stars and young nebulae, twisted and distorted and pulled apart by impossibly huge black holes-- there rested a creature, so terrifying that the stars trembled in Its wake; so massive It encompassed the entirety of the realm in which It lived, yet so small It could fit inside a single cell; so ancient It remembered the first birth of the first universe of the first existence. It was represented in every culture, old and new, in countless different forms. Yet, from existence to existence, universe to universe, planet to planet, It remained the same.

It was Evil Itself.

It stirred beneath Its cloak of stars, woken by smells of anger and hate and bloodlust, of one as ancient as Itself, one unimaginably powerful. It rose, Its many forms flashing more quickly than any mortal eye could see, until It settled into the form of an enormous Wolf, black as blackest night, Its eyes a pulsing blood-red. It howled, and the force of the rumble was so great that the stars themselves trembled.

And then It went on the Hunt.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Mairoh woke slowly, as she always did, and decided against getting up. She would face the day later. For now, she simply lay still in bed, listening to the quiet breathing beside her, and smiled. Gently, careful not to disturb him, she turned to look at Son of Kenobi. He lay on his side, facing her, his long, dark hair strewn every which way. Mairoh smiled again and softly brushed the hair from his face, letting her hand rest just above his face. Then, sighing inwardly, she rose without a sound from the bed. Gathering up her clothes, she headed into the washroom to take a cold shower. One thing I'll never get over, she thought wryly as she quickly washed, is dark green water coming from the shower-head.

Once finished, she dried quickly, and pulled on her leather pants and corset. Looking at herself in the mirror, she shook her head and grinned ruefully. And I still don't look a day over thirty. Literally. She drew out a comb, and ran it through her hair, then gathered up the rest of her clothes and went back into the bedroom.

As she was tying up her black leather boots, Kenobi stirred in the bed, then blinked his eyes open slowly. Seeing her, he rubbed his eyes with his hands, then pushed himself up to a sitting position. "Hey, sweetness," he greeted her sleepily. She grinned at him.

"Good mornin', sleepyhead," she teased him good-naturedly. He frowned and looked over at the window, though the curtains were still drawn.

"What time is it?" he asked, throwing his legs over the side of the bed. Mairoh raised one eyebrow up at him, still grinning, while she tugged her bracers on over her gauntlets and sleeves.

"Just after dawn," she replied. Kenobi groaned, moved to flop back down, then groaned again and pushed himself out of bed. He gathered up his clothes slowly, dressing at the same pace. Suddenly, he seemed to realize something; he looked back at Mairoh and frowned.

"Where are you going?" he asked, running a hand through his hair, and not feeling too happy about the state it was in. Mairoh didn't look up at him as she laced her bracers on.

"Who says I'm going somewhere?" she returned. Kenobi grabbed a brush, sat back down on the edge of the bed, and began attacking his hair.

"Well, you're getting dressed. You usually get dressed when you're going somewhere."

Now she looked up at him, and grinned ferally. "No," she corrected teasingly, "I get dressed when I feel like getting dressed."

He gave her a mock-startled look. "Whyever would you want to do that?" he asked, feigning shock. She cocked an eyebrow at him, and didn't reply. Sighing, he threw back the brush, giving up on his hair, and walked over to her.

"Now really," he said to her, taking hold of her arms gently, "where are you going?"

Mairoh sighed, looking off to the side of the room. "I'm going on a trip," she said finally, then glanced up at him. "A long trip," she finished wryly. Kenobi looked into her eyes, puzzled.

"W

 

<We're baaaack! >

Son of Kenobi sat on the bed, thinking. He stared at the door, recently exited by his beloved until a red-orange aura surrounded it. He turned away, the afterimage of the door flashing wherever he blinked, like a stark reminder.

It was not unusual for Mairoh to go off on a trip by herself. For the several years they?d been together, she had taken many solo trips. None had bothered him before.

But he was bothered now.

A tendril of worry fluttered through his gut. It wasn?t anxiety, but a slight feeling of worry in the pit of his stomach. He had learned long ago to heed that feeling. It ran into conflict with her wish for him to not get involved. And then of course, there was that. She had specifically asked for him not to come. It added to his feeling that something wasn?t right about this.

He took a deep breath, to calm himself.

Surely she wouldn?t really mind if I followed her?

He thought it over in his mind for a second or two. Curiosity got the better of him.

Well, regardless, I?m going to find out what?s going on. If I?ve over-stepped, I?ll bow out again, cool my heels on Narissa, send her some rare flowers and a cask of Black Jack?s finest Verinian whiskey.

He smiled. It seemed reasonable enough to him.

He got up from the bed decisively, tied his unruly long hair in to a ponytail, and threw on his cloak. His silver-black lightsaber felt reassuring next to his thigh.

The Usitrisian air was sweet and light, the sunlight warming his skin and hair, but not
overly so.

He eschewed his usual vessel, The Quest as Mairoh would recognize its energy signature (not to mention the distinctive fumes from its Dirathium crystal matrix), and leased a small transport.

He learned Mairoh?s ship designation from the crew chief, and with some subtle Jedi persuasion, learned her destination, as well.

Entering his transport, he sealed the hatch, and powered the engines. At lightspeed, he would just barely catch up with her. He latched the safety belts across his chest, sat back, and jetted the craft out of the hanger.

He prayed he wouldn?t be too late.

<Great start, sweetness! I'll be using this name until my SoK profile is restored, *grumble* >

 

Hello. Am I the only one reading this? I think it's good! Mairoh, Son of Kenobi, are you planning to add more?

 

<Well, Mara, your wish is granted. >

Space. An endless velvet field, dotted with small, brightly-glowing jewels. For many, their first view of this black sea was far more than breathtaking. For spacers, who spent most of their lives traveling among the stars, it was a familiar view, sometimes welcome, sometimes not.

For Kor, who was older than the stars themselves, it was a decidedly welcome sight indeed. Not that he felt anything towards it. Because he didn't, really. Just as he didn't feel anything towards the woman standing hesitantly outside the door to the Dome, pausing before she came to talk to him. He supposed he should feel something towards her; she was, after all, one of his creations. Some might say one of his best creations. Yet he felt nothing for her.

Nothing.

Kor stood still, waiting for her to enter, his jet-black hair-- hanging nearly to the middle of his back-- plaited into many small braids. He stared out one side of the clear dome, black eyes registering the view beyond, but seeing nothing. After a long moment, he sighed to himself, then raised his voice to be heard clearly outside of the room. "Are you ever going to come in?" he called to the Warrior waiting outside.

A brief pause, then the door slid open silently, and he heard quiet footsteps coming his way. He didn't bother to turn around, instead keeping his gaze steadily forward. Mairoh reached him quickly, stopping beside him; she stared out the dome a moment, then turned her penetrating gaze on him.

"You know, it's annoying when you do that," she commented dryly. He turned to look at her, flashing her a quick grin.

"Do what?" he asked innocently. She growled a little, glared at him, and shook her head, her blue-black hair rustling with the movement.

"Forget it," she muttered. Kor shrugged.

"Forgotten," he said. Her black eyes narrowed at him.

"You're annoying," she clarified belatedly, pointing a pale-skinned finger at him. He raised his eyebrows at her and said nothing; after a moment, she shook her head again and turned away from him towards the stars.

"What brings you here?" Kor asked her casually, studying her as she stood beside him. She took a moment to reply, refusing to meet his gaze. Crossing her arms over her chest, she resolutely studied the view outside, no expression on her face. Kor continued to look at her, taking in what she was wearing; the usual, he noted-- black, knee-high leather boots with semi-tight black leather pants tucked into them; a tight, black leather long-sleeve corset that laced in the back; black leather gauntlets with retractable/extendable knuckle-daggers attached to them; and a black leather weapons belt around her waist, from which her double-bladed lightsaber hung on the left. She wears no armor, he thought to himself. Interesting.

She spoke then, finally, her voice soft; yet still she did not look at him. "I came to?talk to you," she said slowly. She stopped there, and said nothing more. Kor sighed to himself and shifted his weight just slightly towards her.

"Care to elaborate?" he asked of her, raising one eyebrow. She raised her eyes to the ceiling and kept them there a moment; finally, she turned her gaze on him, studying him frankly. Ah yes, Kor said silently, here it comes.

"About you, really," she told him. He gave her a blank look and said nothing. She sighed and turned her body to face him. "About what you are," she explained. Still Kor remained silent, still his face showed no expression. He stood casually, facing her, his arms hanging loosely at his sides. She returned his gaze stoically, unconsciously mimicking his stance; finally though, she gave a frustrated sigh and glanced briefly at the stars before opening her mouth to speak again.

"Why are you so adamant about this?" Kor asked calmly, interrupting her before she had the chance to say a word. She glared at him a moment, then pursed her lips.

"Honestly?" she began. "I don't know. I...feel that this is right." She paused, then added dryly, "I'm trusting my instincts."

Kor nodded slowly to himself. "Your instincts

 

testing.....

 

At first, Son of Kenobi thought of making a subtle exit. His rented craft was just outside, he could get to it ... oh, who was he kidding. If she wanted to, she could intercept him the second he turned to pivot.

The phial of ordered whisky was forgotten as Kenobi turned to look at the love of his life ... who was staring straight at him. She did not look happy.

Now that you know what you know,
I bet you wish you?d let it go
You'll never come sucking your thumb
Better off dumb

The lyrics seemed somehow appropriate.

"What are you doing here, Kenobi," she said quietly. Through the Force, he could hear her above the thrashing-loud music and obnoxious drunks. It blocked out the white noise, and bolstered their respective auditory nerves.

A guilty/boyish grin spread across his face, and by the answering withering stare she gave him, he could tell it was not going to work.

I'm feeling small
Climbing the walls
I don't let it show

"I wanted to surprise you?" he said tentatively, and cringed at the almost glib tone of voice.

"You succeeded in that," she said mirthlessly, turning back to the bar."I told you not to follow me."

The playfulness seeped out of him. "I had a bad feeling, Mairoh. "I couldn?t ignore it. So I followed you." He said it simply. Stubbornly.

Her eyes were still straight ahead; he could only see her profile. "Not good enough."

You still don't know what you think of me
You still don't know what you mean to me
You still don't know what to think of me
You still don't know what you think of me

Anger warmed at the edges of his mind, and he quelled it. They had rarely argued in the ten-odd years they?d been together. Their respective personalities were compatible, and they rarely had conflicts, which was good, because neither of them was particularly good at interpersonal confrontations, as was evident at the moment. The more he pushed for a resolution, the more she resisted, digging in her heels. She was the immovable object, but if he gave in to anger, it would only make her shut down even more. He took a deep breath. "Come on, Mairoh," he said gently, "you know me. I wouldn?t have come if I didn?t feel it was necessary. I?ve always respected your boundaries."

She turned to face him again, an ironic look on her face. "If you were interested in ?respecting my boundaries? you wouldn?t have come here, Kenobi."

His heart lurched at the words. She wasn?t done yet. "If there was any way that you could help me, I wouldn?t have asked you to stay behind." She looked away, then sighed, and closed her eyes.

Kenobi waited.

"I came to see Kor."

The words hit him like a sledgehammer.

Better off dumb

"Kor," he repeated numbly.

She turned and looked at him evenly, gray wisps of smoke curling around her black eyes, but she said nothing.

His mind spun into chaos as he stared at her impassive alabaster beauty. Kor. He had encountered every imaginable evil in the universe, battled forces darker than the deepest nebula core: Sith. Leviathans. Dark Gods. Butchers of billions. None held a candle to Kor?s level of evil. When they had last seen him, Kenobi and Mairoh had barely escaped with their lives, probably because the galactic psycho had been feeling charitable. And now she had come to see him? Kenobi?s brows furrowed, and he managed to get out, "Why?" He searched his love?s face, for some clue, some revealing emotion.

For a moment, the Warrior Goddess considered his question. "A feeling," she said finally, drawing out the word. "I can?t really explain it, Kenobi, I don't have a logical reason." Here, she paused, expecting a sarcastic comment from the Jedi. None came. Sighing, she continued. "He can not live as he is living now. Feeling nothing, caring about nothing. I can?t let him live like this any longer."

Kenobi?s brows knit, his mind roiling chaotically. "This is Kor we?re talking about here, for God sakes. Kor who is responsible for countless people dying--"

"I know what he?s capable of," Mairoh growled.

"Then why is it your problem?" He was still in co

 

I think I'll allow myself an Anakin moment:
YIPEE!

This is so good. I can't be the only person that thinks so. There must be others out there somewhere- why don't you show yourselves, maybe come up with a positive comment for our great authors here?

BTW, I liked the Garbage songs in the club. Nice touch, and very appropriate selection.

Honestly, this is so good that my only suggestion is to add more, and soon. Great job!

May the Force be with you,
Mara

 

Wow! This is really moving, guys! Kenobi, that last part with the rose had me in tears!
You guys write so well together!

 

I loved your detail in the beginning-so very vivid and alive yet at the same time it's describing the oncoming presence of evil. very cool.

 

Ah, so I'm NOT the only one...

 

Hi all, I just wanted to let you know that Mairoh is working on the next post in the story and to say thank you for your kind praise! We hope you enjoy the rest of this tale as much as we're enjoying writing it!

 

I'm sure we will! This is so great... Mairoh, Son of Kenobi, you are such great writers! The mood and atmosphere of this story is just incredible... the characters are worth caring about. I just can't wait to read more of this wonderful work.

Salutes, and may the Force be with you.
--Mara

 

Ahem!? Just what was this wonderful work of fan-fiction doing on page THREE?!?

<Sighs, shakes head.>

Honestly, sometimes I just don't know what this world is coming to...

--Mara

 

THIS WAS ON PAGE THREE... AGAIN!!!

Now it's not. At least for now, anyway.

Hopefully one of our authors will be able to post sometime in the near future. I am trying really hard to be patient, but it's not succeeding.

Help me, Mairoh and Son of Kenobi... you're my only hope.

--Mara

 

Now you know what I feel like on the Galahad III

 

This had dropped quite a ways, so I'm just bringin' it back on up. Hope that sometime soon I see more to the story.

--Mara Jade, diehard fan

 

Well, it's been awhile... I guess I'll just bring this back up to the top.

Mairoh, Son of Kenobi: if you're reading this, I just wanted to say that this is a great story, and I'll be waiting for more. If it sinks too low, I will bring it back up. I hope you plan to add more soon, though.

You're doing a great job. I'll be watching this thread...

--Mara Jade

 

Well, it's been a while, hasn't it? Ah, I apologize...got school and stuff. Grr.

Wow, many thanks to all our fans out there! Especially Mara Jade! *bows deeply* Thanks so much for all your kind comments, and for coming back and back. Oh, and hi Elisia! *waves!

And no, I wouldn't dare to show my face here without posting more to the story.

<The War Force consists only of the toughest, most resilient Warriors....Those who don't pass training, die.>

Mairoh, the Jedi-Warrior Goddess

[This message has been edited by MairohTheWarriorGoddess (edited 11-23-1999).]

 

The instant he saw the expression on Mairoh's face, Whitefire knew that things had gone a whole lot better than expected. Standing casually, ears cocked sideways at different angles, the 18-hand warhorse watched his partner stride his way, her movements indicating to him that she was in a rather bad mood.

At least she wasn't dead.

Whitefire stood near the small pile Mairoh's armor formed, and watched her out of the side of his eyes as she marched over to it and put it on quickly, her movements a little jerky from anger. When it became clear that the Warrior wasn't going to start a conversation-- which actually was quite normal, but oh well-- Whitefire made a soft noise and ambled over to her.

"How'd it go?" he asked without preamble. Mairoh didn't look up from lacing on her bracers.

"Well enough, considering the circumstances," she told him matter-of-factly.

"Then why are you so mad?" Whitefire pressed. Mairoh raised both eyebrows and looked up at him without lifting her head.

"Why do you think? I just talked to Kor. He's annoying." Her tone, which was far too flippant, made it rather clear to the horse that Mairoh wasn't telling him everything.

"That's not all," he stated out loud. Mairoh simply stared at him coolly, giving no reply. Whitefire sighed inwardly and wished, for the umpteenth time, that the Warrior Goddess wouldn't be so stubborn.

"What's wrong?" he urged her softly. She crossed her arms, looking at the ground, and he nudged her gently with his muzzle. Mairoh sighed softly, but didn't look at him, apparently finding the ground rather fascinating indeed.

"Kenobi followed me," she finally said, her voice barely audible. Whitefire's ears twitched, and he gazed at her sadly.

"You had a fight," he said, a statement more than a question. She nodded slowly. "He means well," Whitefire continued, watching her concernedly.

"I know," said Mairoh, and she gave him a small, quick smile. "Still, I wish..." she trailed off, shaking her head a little.

"You wish what?" Whitefire urged her. She shook her head again, a little more strongly, and sighed.

"I don't know. It's just...I didn't want him to get involved in this. I don't want him to get hurt. But he had to follow me, and now...I can't be sure..." She frowned as she trailed off again, and Whitefire rested his muzzle against her shoulder.

"What are you going to do?" he asked her quietly. He felt her shrug against him.

"I'll probably drop by my place and get some sleep," she told him, and his worry rose just a little as he noted her use of "my" in place of "our"; but he knew that Mairoh wasn't about to let the Jedi go, so he pushed his worries away and nudged her again. She wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her cheek against his face for a moment; finally though, she gave another sigh and pulled back slowly.

"I guess I'll go," she said, and kissed him softly on the muzzle before turning and walking slowly away. Whitefire watched her walk off, and gave a silent prayer that she and Kenobi would be able to resolve their drastically different views on this matter.

And that Kor wouldn't take advantage of their disagreement.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The hut was rather nice, as huts go; built tall and sturdy, rounded on the outside, it was far larger inside than its outward appearance would suggest. It boasted three separate rooms: a living room, a dining room/kitchen, and a large bedroom, as well as having an attached full bathroom. Though the roof was thatched, inside it was a wood-and-stone ceiling done in long, graceful arches 8 feet above the floor. The floor itself was polished hardwood in most places, except in the bedroom, where it was covered in thick, plush carpet. It was, Mairoh thought to herself as she entered the hut, one of the better places she'd stayed in quite a while.

She pushed aside the heavy curtain separator that led to the bedroom--

--and saw Kenobi, sitting on the edge of the large, circular bed, his hands folded in his lap, apparently waiting for her. Mairoh threw up her hands and turned to leave.

 

Thank you, thank you, thank you! Mairoh, you have totally made my day. Maybe now I can even face my archenemy, algebra homework (snarl, growl).

Wonderful work! Keep it up!

--Mara Jade, loyal fanatic

 

I, Mara Jade, Emperor's Hand, hereby bring this thread back to the top... where it belongs!

--Mara Jade

 

Just want y'all to know, I'm still out here, and still cheering you on. Hope to see more of this wonderful story sometime soon, but until then...

BACK TO THE TOP!



May the Force be with you always,
Mara Jade

 

Just doing my semi-daily duty of bringing this wonderful story back to the top!



Lots 'n' lotsa smilies to all!

--Mara Jade

 

Mara Jade, Emperor's Hand I feel it is my duty to ask you...do you have a life? j/k

-Elisia Goddess of the Night