Malachor V
She was back in the Jajak, their home, but she was still weak. She tried to use the force to heal herself but the poison from the claws was very strong. That, coupled with the dark side taint of Malachor, made all light-side powers weak. She found herself draining more energy trying to heal than what it was worth. She needed help.
A small laugh rose up in her throat as she realized that her need, the reason for her need, was due to a beast she had fought many times before without a second thought.
The children were worried, scared. She needed to reassure them. She called them over, "Aaron, Ariana – come here please"
They slowly rose from the makeshift rocks that served as chairs. Edging closer to her, but still very weary.
"You know what you did was very careless, I understand, but you must also understand that a mother never backs down from protecting her own." She whispered feebly.
"We understand Ma'ma" they said in unison.
"I am not angry, but this lesson has not come without cost." She replied.
"You must be brave, as I have taught you, and see to things while I cannot. Do you understand?" she asked.
"Yes ma'ma" they replied.
"Good, you are both very strong and capable. I trust that you remember the emergency plans we have gone over before. I need" she coughed and a bit of blood rose in her throat, "I need you to carry out those plans now. We have talked about them long enough, I think you are both old enough to actually carry them out. It will be a test, a trial – to see if you have learned and remembered it correctly. Do not worry, all is fine – but I must play my part – you are on your own now, and I will pretend that I am not capable of helping you." She coughed again, fighting the urge to just surrender to the poison that seemed to be consuming her. She needed to make sure the children were safe though, she needed to reassure them, to make them think this was just another trial. Another like the ones she had been teaching them since they were born, almost four years ago. If they remembered, if they could… then perhaps there was a chance, but if not… Could she surrender to that vast ocean with the knowledge that she did all she could? Had she made the right choices? Had she forsaken one wave, because it looked like another, only to be fooled in the end? Was it not a wave but a great tsunami that awaited her?
Despite her attempt to console the children she found herself wanting to also make them sure this was not just a trial, "Carry out the plan, make sure you contact her as soon as possible, because without her, we will all drown, on this oceanless planet of Malachor V." with those final words she slumped into oblivion. The only thing she heard was a far off memory, almost too far to even matter, but yet it still did.
"I love you, you know that right? I love you, even now, even after, after, after all you've done, I LOVE YOU, like I haven't loved anyone or anything since my wife died and I didn't EVEN THINK that was possible"
But would you still love me, if you knew now, what else I have done, would you? She tried another attempt at healing herself, but fell back into oblivion, without any result, except more exhaustion. "Carth, I'm so sorry" were the last words, the last memory, she had.