As the family departed, Arcann drew Miriah aside. "I'm afraid, if I go to Nathema, that I will slip into my old ways, my old habits," he confesed. "Anger. Hate. Revenge. I know those things, it's love I have to learn. I do not want to go backwards."
Miriah frowned for a moment, but nodded. "I think we can handle it, if you feel you shouldn't be there."
"I'll stay and watch over Mother. If Vaylin does indeed break free of her controls, it might affect her recovery. At any rate, I will fight with you when you confront her, but I do not believe it will be on Nathema." He saw Corso draw close to his wife, his hand brushing her back.
"I understand," Miriah said, and smiled at them both. "We'll keep you informed of what we find. Until then." She watched Arcann walk away, and slipped her hand into Corso's, leaning on his arm.
"We'll be fine," Corso said then, seeing she was getting tired. "Ready to go?" She nodded and they all trooped to the hangar. As they waited for the ramp to descend, she counted heads.
"Where's Mags?" she asked softly, and Aric spoke up.
"Michi's in labor, I don't think she's going to make it this trip," he offered and looked proud and anxious, all at the same time. "Devin said Mia was with him, though, so she's our Jedi healer." Miriah nodded, she would have stayed if she were Mags, too.
"Okay, let's get going." She'd hugged her daughter and mother before leaving the apartment, and now didn't look back when she boarded other than to see where Corso was. When she spotted his caramel hair, she made her way to the bridge, the preflight done and the freighter waiting for her commands. Corso plopped down beside her with a huge grin.
"Let's get up there so you can get some rest in hyperspace," he told her, taking her hand. She smiled back at him and started the main engines, the resulting roar signaling those aboard that take off was imminent. She pulled back on the throttle and felt the ship lift gracefully and shoot up. Once in hyperspace, she looked over at Corso, who was sound asleep. He's more tired than I am, she told herself, and her smile turned wistful. So much has happened, she thought, and he's been so great with it all. She leaned over and kissed his cheek, and was rewarded with his dark eyes slowly opening.
"Come on, sugar. Let's go to our bed," she told him, and he pulled her in for a kiss before stretching and standing. They were making their way down the short hallway when they heard Devin's voice, and he sounded angry. They looked at each other, puzzled, but forged ahead to where their son was standing. When they could see him, they knew immediately why he was shouting. In front of him, Calypso had the grace to look ashamed.
"I always get stuck at home. I want to free the galaxy from Vaylin's rule, just like you all do," she pouted. "I didn't ask because I already knew the answer." Her guilty eyes bounced from her mother and father to her brother, who now stood with his arms crossed over his chest.
"Caly, no! Why did you do this?" Miriah asked, at once concerned and upset. "We have no idea what we're going into here. And what about Nana? Where does she think you are?"
Calypso looked at her feet. "At the apartment. She's with Aunt Mags and Michi."
"When we drop out of hyperspace, you will call her," Corso said, his voice firm. "I can't believe you would act so irresponsibly, put yourself in danger needlessly like this," he told her.
"You guys do it all the time, and I worry. How can I just sit at home while you all are putting yourselves in danger?" Miriah recognized herself in her daughter at that moment, and almost understood why she'd sneaked aboard. Corso paced for a moment before responding.
"Because you are not quite thirteen years old, that's why!" Corso was frustrated now, seeing that Caly was going to be argumentative. Instead of continuing, he pulled Miriah to the hallway. "Should we take her back?" he asked.
Miriah thought for a moment. "We could, but that would cause hours of delay. If she stays here on the ship with Mia, she should be safe." She could see the worry in Corso's eyes and rubbed her hands on his arms. "She'll be okay, sugar." When she returned to where her daughter stood, she had hardened her face and her voice. "Calypso, you made a very poor choice today." Caly dropped her head and sighed, and Miriah felt her heart soften, but didn't let up. "We need to be able to trust that you will follow our wishes, and you broke that trust today. We have no choice but to continue, but you are confined to your quarters except for meals. Understood?" Miriah heard her daughter sniff back tears, but stood silent, waiting for her to answer. She nodded her head, unable to bring her eyes up to her mother's, not wanting to see the disappointment there, and instead turned to go to her room. As she left the hallway, Miriah heard Corso sigh.
"She's missing us," he said softly. "I guess she figured if she were aboard, we'd be able to spend time with her."
"I get it," Miriah answered, "but this was a bad idea. Mom will be upset, and we'll all be worried that something will go wrong on this mission. You think I was too hard on her?"
"No, I agree with you," he said. "Maybe we alter the punishment for the return trip?" Miriah nodded and grinned at him, and he felt the band of tension around his chest relax.
Over the course of the next two days, Caly redeemed herself somewhat by working in the galley and keeping quiet, and her parents noticed. As they neared Nathema, Miriah consulted with Devin about the force on that planet. "Dev, will it hurt you? Is it a problem?" she asked him.
"It shouldn't bother me, I might not be able to call it as readily but it's just different force," he explained, watching his sister as she cooked. "Caly and Mia will definitely stay here," he said. "At least she's trying, Mom."
"I know, she's doing all she can to be useful," she responded. "I'm more worried than angry with her, this can't be a normal thing. She needs to be in school, not in uncharted space chasing a dictator."
Miriah made her way to the bridge, where Lana and Theron were. Lana appeared to be holding her head in her hands, uneasy. "Scans detect only one structure emitting signs of life," Theron told them, his worried eyes on Lana.
"This world is unnatural," Lana said, "like the force is...hollow."
"I felt it, too," Theron said, and Miriah nodded. She'd felt the strange flow since they'd gotten close.
"The Emperor corrupted the force on Ziost and drove everyone mad with bloodlust. But here I barely sense the force at all."
Lana nodded. "The effects will be stronger on the surface. The absence of the force could drive us mad." She turned to Miriah. "Maybe Devin shouldn't go down..."
"I'm going," Devin said, coming in behind his mother. "I can feel that it's different, but it is causing no problems for me, yet, anyway." Miriah felt things slow around her, and heard Valkorion's voice.
"My power is limited here, but I will do what I can to shield you and your companions from the worst effects of the void."
"Shuttle is ready," Corso told them, and they moved to the bay, each contemplating the planet below them. As they waited for the air lock, Calypso approached her parents.
"Mom, Dad, I'm sorry for what I did. Please, be careful, okay?" Her worried eyes fell on her mother, and they hugged.
"We'll be back soon. Keep things going here, eh?" Miriah saw her daughter's small smile and nod before she walked into the shuttle. Once they were in place, Theron took the shuttle out of the bay and they shot toward the surface. Once they landed, everyone but Theron stood looking at the bleak landscape, the desolation and the evidence of ships crashing, leaving metal chunks and engine parts scattered everywhere.
"I'll look after the shuttle. Let me know where and when to pick you up," Theron said and they watched him lift the small craft off the surface. They started toward the building they'd scanned and had been walking for several minutes when Lana spoke.
"It's worse here. The void...it's hunger. It wants to devour me, mind and spirit. Annihilate every trace of my existance." Her voice sounded defeated, and Miriah turned to her.
"We need to move quickly," she said and put her hand on Lana's arm, trying to reassure her. She felt the air around them change, and heard Valkorion again.
"The void's draw is powerful, but it will also hide us from Vaylin's awareness." Miriah remained silent, but knew his statement was true. They approached a door, and saw Aric stride forward.
"Let's see if we can get this open," he stated, and pulled a computer spike from his pack. Only a few seconds were needed, and the group advanced into an empty room, going slowly, looking all around them. Miriah looked at her group. Corso, at her side. Maura and Aric bringing up the rear, their cannons ready. Devin and Lana fighting the pull of this strange force. As they neared the center of the room, Miriah saw a datapad on a table, and reached to push the blinking button. A strange being appeared and told a story of a young man who'd been slain by the beasts outside, in front of Vaylin, and she made no move to help. The being stated that she was "coming along", and Miriah turned a frown to Lana.
"This must be a journal of her initial conditioning," she said, and saw both Devin and Lana nod. She handed the datapad to Aric, who put it in his pack. They continued through the building, eventually walking through a room with many stasis tanks, most occupied by humanoids.
"Sith. Jedi. I can still feel the suffering of their final moments," Lana said. Devin agreed. They were processing that moment when the building shifted, and they all felt a force wave wash over them, making them stumble and grab each other to stay upright.
"It's Vaylin! We have to stop her!" Miriah cried, and they moved forward, cautiously. They were entering another area when they saw the humanoid from the hologram running towards them. Before anyone could react, Devin had force pushed the being to the ground, where he lay with his hands raised in front of him.
"Wait! I am not your enemy," he said, his eyes wide with fear.
"I recognize you from the holos. You're the one in charge of this place," Lana said, approaching him menacingly.
"I am Jarak, a humble servant of the Eternal Throne, who merely does what he is told," he said, shaking his head.
"What's going on? Where were you going?" Corso asked, putting himself between Miriah and Jarak.
"Vaylin… something went wrong. Her power is racing out of control. When it erupts, the entire asylum will be destroyed." The building had continued to shake periodically, and now rubble dropped from the ceiling. "We can survive this cataclysm, but we need to work together."
"We could just leave, call Theron to pick us up," Maura offered, and Miriah turned to her.
"You'll never get out in time! I know a place where we'll be safe, but I can't get there alone," Jarak said. "I need someone to protect me along the way. Vaylin's power has driven the keepers and beasts mad." They all looked around and then back at Miriah, who sighed and nodded at Jarak. "Stay close, it isn't far."
Devin felt the force fluctuations and had managed to push them away from him, but Lana did not have the same resources. He could see she was struggling and tried to help her with his own force command. She glanced at him as he put a shield around her, and her grateful smile made him feel better. He looked at his mother then, and saw her determination. They moved forward, hoping to stay ahead of Vaylin's rage.