Recovery - Part 2

She stepped away and moved toward the exit, Nightbrothers hesitant and suspicious as they parted for her. Savage and Feral, however were only a few steps behind.

"You're leaving already?" Savage whined, his blue-grey eyes glowing in the dark, his frame backlit by the fire. She stood in the doorway with a gentle smile on her lips.

"You know I have to, else the Sisters come looking for me." She smiled, and Savage looked crestfallen. "It's not for long. I am not leaving Dathomir for a while. Not in this state." She gestured to herself. The both of them seemed brighter at that.

"So you'll visit more?" Feral's eyes gleamed in the shadows.

"Of course, and if I have to go, it will not be without telling you." She assured, reaching out to cup his cheek gently.

"So you will have to go again…" His eyes became downcast.

"I do… Your brother is still out there, and I fear a worse fate for him than anything we have suffered if I do not do all in my power to find him."

"It wasn't… your fault…" Savage began, but she shook her head.

"I was foolhardy, and I was caught, I could have done more if I wasn't so brash." She sighed. "I will do all I can to rectify this mistake and make sure I do not cause anymore damage to those I care for…" She looked away. "By rights I should not be here… If the Sisters hurt you-"

"Then it will be like every other time." Feral retorted, this time he was giving her a firm look. "Don't sacrifice this time, a happy moment, because of them… we spent so long without your contact, without your stories, without your songs." He grasped her hand tight. "They have taken everything else from us, don't let them take you as well." Zaiya was left stunned by his sudden assertiveness. It was unusual but then… it had been a long time, and he had changed. Eventually she smiled, once the surprise had worn off.

"Then I won't." His expression lifted slightly. "I will return soon, hopefully tomorrow." They both looked very pleased at the idea. "Your kin is not as… comfortable as you are with me, so perhaps we find a place so as not to disturb them?" She suggested. Savage gave her a funny look, though it was hard to read in the dark.

"A place to… what?" He sounded bewildered.

"To practise of course, you think I would forgo our lessons? I have to train up and who better to help than you two?"

"Are you sure you are a Nightsister?" Feral asked, "You're too kind to us."

"No more than you deserve." She grinned, and stood on her toes to place a gentle kiss on his forehead. Feral made a face and placed a hand to his chest dramatically, a playful side of him she had not seen in so long, a laugh escaped her then, a bubbly musical laugh at the absurdity of the situation. It was such a happy sound, bright and echoing and feminine. Not a sound familiar to this place. She leaned on Savage's shoulder, nearly falling over as she laughed. The two brothers joined in, Savage holding her up as he shook from laughing so hard.

Eventually they calmed down and the boys were more than willing to escort her to her speeder, some snow had fallen while they were inside and she brushed it from the seat of her bike as they drew near it.

"You will come back this time…?" Feral still seemed so hesitant, anxious, despite the fact that he was walking so much taller than a fel moments ago and she could feel his empowered energy through the Force. Zaiya looked up at him and laid both hands on his shoulders, they looked so small in comparison.

"You've both gotten so big… If it weren't bad enough I missed so much… you're both taller than me!" She huffed, making them chuckle. "Of course I am coming back, I didn't want to leave you the first time. You know the only reason I leave is so that when I can bring your brother back, I never have to leave you again." She squeezed his shoulders firmly so he would feel the sincerity through her touch.

"But… what about the others?" He asked, and gestured to the village with a nod of his head. She paused, then frowned. Yes… what about the others? She could not leave Savage and Feral here… but Sunder and Viscus and Brutus and Ravager… did they deserve to be left to the non-existent mercy of the Nightsisters too? Afurisit, she'd been so selfish. She couldn't abandon them either! Her frown deepened. There was only one way she could think of to free the Nightbrothers from the Nightsister's grasp… and it was treasonous.

"I will… find a way." She spoke, an edge to her voice. "I will do what I must." There was a finality to it, and she missed the look the two buttery-skinned brothers shared at her admission. "Don't worry about it for now… I will keep thinking of a way to help you, all of you."

"You would take on the Galaxy by yourself, wouldn't you?" Savage scoffed, but he had a smirk she could see in the moonlight.

"For you? Yes." It was so blunt and matter-of-fact that Savage seemed stunned, eyes wide and he stuttered something before falling silent. This made sense to her. This was her family. What good was she if she could not protect them? If she could not help them? With one last embrace she had to go, leaving them was difficult. She knew how Feral felt, why he was so hesitant to let her go. What if she didn't come back? They knew now she would now want to stay… but what if the other Nightsisters stopped her? She pursed her lips as she rode, determined to fulfill her promise.


Zaiya was partly right. Feral was afraid the Nightsisters would keep her away. Afraid he would have to see Savage's frantic expression after she had been gone for so long. Almost making them resent her for making them care for her then leaving them again. Leaving to find a brother he could not remember. A brother that took all her devotion and did not seem to realise just how different she was to her sisters. She had told them she had found him. That Maul had power now. Then why did he not return? Why did he steal Zaiya away from them? Train her in those strange powers? How could he have forgotten her?! It was a bitter pill to swallow. To know she chased him across the galaxy when she belonged with them. She had spent more time with them, she was their family. Yet Savage, who could at least remember their eldest sibling a little, was so swept up in his belief of this… fairytale.

She gave them a bitter hope that things could be different, and yet how would she save the entire village? It was impossible. If she wasn't chasing their sibling, and did manage to bring Maul back… then what? He didn't dare think about it. She would fight for them. He knew this. She would fight and die and Feral would be left aching and lost in a darkness deeper than he had known for the absence of the Light she had brought them.

He shouldn't be so happy to see her, he should hold her at arm's length. Yet the moment he saw her, all the memories came back, of her smiling face, of her always making sure he was never left behind. Her silly stories in the hologram messages. Her songs. He realised he had missed it so much more than he had let himself feel now she had returned.

"I am… worried, brother." Savage spoke up, interrupting Feral's rather depressing train of thought.

"As am I."

"She was… so different."

"She did seem quieter, yes."

"Not just that but she was so thin! I thought she was going to break apart! And… and her eye!" Emotion strained his deep voice.

"Yes…" Feral looked down to the dirt. It seemed that the Galaxy beyond Dathomir was not as bright and free as they had once dreamed of as children.


The next morning, Savage awoke early. He couldn't remember feeling so excited in… in years! He'd asked Feral several times that morning already whether he had dreamt the previous night, but no, it was all real. Zaiya had returned to them!

The past few years had been anxiety-riddled for the yellow Zabrak. At first he had waited eagerly for another message or holo-call. For her to finally contact them, to be able to finally see their big brother. But the message never came. The last contact, they had been going to fight rathtars again. He had been alright at first. Then one month became two… became four… and he became terrified. He had paced back and forth, checked the communicator hourly. Then daily. Then weekly. His panic had become a residual dread in the pit of his stomach. A black tar-like feeling that had made it harder to get up every morning. What if she had lost her communicator? What if she was hurt? What if she was… dead?

That became the main thought in his mind. Somehow she had been killed, and his brother was either dead or gone forever. That he would never know how or why. That he would never get to see them again. That he couldn't see her again. Or hug her, or hear her tell her stories, or tell of his own.

Then, like the Winged Goddess, the sisters worshipped, heard his prayers… yesterday Zaiya just… walked back into his life. Seeing her there in the square he had nearly collapsed. The breath was taken right out of his body. Then she turned and he realised… she had not been dead, but something worse had befallen her. She had been so big to him once, so tall and strong. Now she was suddenly so small. So frail-looking. How had that happened? The Galaxy had taken so much from her. Yet the determination she had shown last night to keep going was utterly inspiring.

She had brushed over many of the details of her capture, but the subtle looks told him it had been a complete nightmare. He never realised how dangerous it was for her out there. She had always seemed infallible. Untouchable. So strong and so… perfect. Now his eyes had been opened. The galaxy was dangerous. She was in danger. And she would eventually have to return to that dangerous place. For them. For their family. No Nightsister was like her. He had known that talking about her was a bad idea, but he couldn't help it. His brothers needed to know how special she was.

Indeed, after returning to the fire after she had gone, there were many questions. Was that really her? Was she really not going to harm them? How did she learn to sing like that? Would they get in trouble for her staying with them for so long? Was she coming back? Many of them, while they agreed she acted differently, were not convinced she was anything more than just another witch. Some took her song as proof.

Surprisingly it had been Sunder that had lingered longer than many of the others. Asking about her and some of the things she had told them. Apparently he had liked the songs, and like many of the brothers, had stared in both confusion, fear and wonder as she rocked young Ravager to sleep. Feral had said little, and Savage had to assure him that it was going to be alright now. That she was back. Some of the older and warier brothers were very skeptical, no matter what Savage told them, they seemed to think he was falling for some trick. She had divided many of them, and while he wanted to prove to them all that she was different, he knew that if she were to return that it would cause tension. Her suggestion to spend time together while away from the eyes of others might be a good idea after all. Savage could barely sit still for the thought of her returning, and he had not felt like this since he was a child!

"You'll wear a hole in the floor at this rate." Brutus snidely commented, he was not shy of his mistrust of the sister. "How do you know she's not just pretending?"

"For our entire lives?" Savage snapped back defensively. "Our brother was taken, and she has spent her entire life trying to find him!"

"To bring back Talzin's pet-" but he was cut off by a vicious growl emanating from Savage. He rarely got this angry at his brothers. "Fine." Brutus huffed, "I won't talk about it, but I'm not the only one thinking it!" He retorted. The group of them were gathered near the entrance, sharpening and preparing weapons for the next hunt. It wasn't for a while with the amount they'd brought back the day before, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Feral was sparring with another brother, named Riot, he was of a similar colouring and markings to Feral, though his horns all faced outward. He laughed as Feral swung and missed his punch, knocking the younger Zabrak down.

"You'll have to be quicker than that!" He grinned, but then stooped over to help the other man up.

"Do you think she will come today, brother?" Savage asked, unable to help himself.

"I hope so…" Feral replied. Brutus scoffed and Savage shot him a glare.

"I thought you had gone a little Mist-Mad…" Sunder confessed, swiping the whetstone along the length of the blade he held. Mist Madness… something that was a worry if one was out in the red mist of Dathomir too long. Apparently it caused hallucinations and paranoia. If left too long in the 'forests', one could easily lose their minds completely.

"You wish…!" Savage snapped, but this was less harsh, a smirk on his lips.

"I am telling you, no Nightsister would sacrifice an eye for a Nightbrother." He puffed out his chest and folded his arms proudly. It was his sister that had done that! Though… Sister wasn't the right term. She was family yes, and he had always thought of her as like a brother. He knew that brothers and sisters were siblings elsewhere in the galaxy, but those terms meant different things here. Zaiya was like a girl-brother. Because admitting she was a sister to him was just uncomfortable. Though even then… she wasn't… quite like a brother. He couldn't put his finger on it.

"I thought she said that she got it from the Dark Master?" Feral questioned.

"Yes! Facing that powerful Lord in defense of our brother!" Savage nodded, though he noticed Feral had that faraway look in his eyes again.

"Is he… really our brother anymore?" He muttered quietly. Savage's eyes widened.

"How can you say that?"

"Zaiya… she said he became a Sith, right? That his mind was changed? He didn't even remember her!" Savage looked at Feral then. Really looked at him. When had his little brother grown up so much? He had pretended he was alright without their Zaiya. He had been even younger than Savage and she was the only kind presence they ever had other than the rest of their brothers.

"He did remember, she helped him do it. He was manipulated by the Dark Master, he would never have forgotten us of his own choice." Savage spoke quietly but firmly, grasping Feral's shoulders. It eased the younger brother slightly but he still seemed worried. There was a question in his eyes. One that Savage had felt at the edge of his mind when she had first told them that their brother had been changed. One that tormented him in the absence of her.

What if their brother took her away?

Savage squeezed Feral's shoulders, trying to ease the worry. "It will be alright Feral." The other three, Sunder, Brutus and Riot all looked between themselves. Savage sighed, they would not have seen the two Opress brothers this anxious in years.

"She's really got you two in a rancor-level mess, hasn't she?" Riot laughed, though it was more of an awkward chuckle. Savage frowned but Feral laughed a little.

"I suppose she has."

"See, this is weird! It's not natural for Sisters to be this… familiar…" Brutus screwed up his nose, there was a look across his face that Savage had seen only once or twice, usually around Feral. He looked… pained. Savage knew that Brutus and Feral were good friends. Very good friends. So much so that- oh. Oh. Savage blinked a moment of realisation coming upon him. Was he imagining it? He must be mistaken, right? Well if he had seen what he thought he had… no wonder he didn't like Zaiya. He opened his mouth to respond when he heard the sound of an engine and his head whipped around so fast he nearly clipped Feral with his horns.

For a moment he thought he imagined it, but sure enough there was a speeder coming up the mountain path towards them. The rider wasn't wearing red, it looked to be the same billowing dark cloak from yesterday, the same white hair. She looked… better with it hanging loose, he thought. Suddenly his anxieties vanished. She was home.

The others it seemed did not share his sentiments, the tension rising behind him. Savage found himself walking forward, his feet moving on their own as they led him to where she stopped her bike, just outside of the village. She didn't ride into the square like the other sisters. Some of his friends had followed and stood a few feet behind him, just watching. She flashed him a smile as she swung a too-thin leg over the seat to stand up.

"Why do you park it out here?" He found himself asking, as the white haired woman moved to the offside compartment.

"Hm?" She looked up with slight confusion. "Oh, well, that's your space. I am not just going to barge into your area uninvited." She said it so matter of factly. Savage was sure his hearts were going to give out. This. This was why she was different. He glanced back at his friends and all but Feral looked utterly dumbfounded.

"What have you got?" The younger Opress asked, stepping forward. This time Savage didn't miss the little outstretched hand from Brutus to try and stop him, but Feral was too quick. Savage looked to Zaiya again and found her trying to lift a crate from the passenger seat.

"Well…" She began, and the flush that took her face from white to a very light pinkish tone made his hearts skip a beat. Was this normal? "I thought that since you were all so kind to offer me a meal last night… that I would bring you something…" The more she spoke the more she blushed. She seemed to spot Riot and realised she had not met him properly before. Savage noticed her gaze flick over him and she smiled warmly.

"I don't think we've been introduced, my name is Zaiya." She offered, tapping a crooked finger to her forehead, then lip in a greeting gesture.

"Oh yes I have heard a lot about you." Riot joked with a laugh. "I'm Riot." He was always laughing, always smiling. She held his gaze for a moment longer then smiled a little wider.

"Pleasure to meet you, Riot." The white-haired woman held up a hand, palm out, placatingly. "No need to be so tense, I am not here to cause you any harm." A look crossed Riot's face and his eyes widened slightly, Savage wasn't quite sure what to make of it. He knew Riot was tense, but only because he knew what the Brother was like otherwise… had she been able to tell? Eventually Savage decided to help her with the crate, having snapped out of his little daze.

"You brought us… gifts?" He asked with a stunned look. She glanced at him then away, seemingly embarrassed. He hadn't seen this look on her face before, let alone a Sister. He didn't know what to make of it, nor why he liked it so much.

"It's just something small. It's one of the things I learned to do…ah, recently. So I thought that it might make a decent 'thank you'." She shrugged and moved to take the crate from him, but he insisted he could carry it. He could not recall seeing her so reserved before. Her hands clasped together as she followed him back into the village area where The five of them had been working, and Savage put the crate down on the table beside the weapons.

"Wow… you boys have been working hard…" Zaiya muttered, looking at the blades. Absentmindedly she picked one up and the brothers tensed. But all she did was admire its shape and edge. "Who sharpened this one? It has a perfect edge…!" She admired.

"That was Sunder, he's a bit pedantic." Feral grinned and Sunder's face flushed deeply.

"This is really good work, I might have to get you to teach me-oh!" She'd begun to laugh, but pulled her hand back suddenly. A second later blood pooled in a thin cut on her thumb. She turned the blade over before gently putting it down again. Sunder's teeth and knuckles were clenched and his head down. He was expecting to be punished. "Oh… I didn't get any blood on it, don't worry!" Sunder's eyes opened, he looked confused.

"You got hurt…?" He asked, uncertain.

"Oh, no not at all. It serves me right for touching things." She shrugged, and looked down at the drop of blood forming on her blackened tattooed fingertip. She frowned, as though it had no right to be there and promptly stuck her thumb in her mouth. After a second of two, withdrew it and the blood was gone. "See? All better!" She grinned, wiggling her marked fingers. Sunder looked like he might faint if he didn't take a breath. Savage quickly unlatched the crate to divert the attention away. But when he did he was hit with a strange smell. It was… sweet? Not like Zaiya's heady perfume or the fruits they sometimes collected to help tenderise the meat for cooking. This was rich and warm and something different. It smelled really good. He looked into the crate, removing the paper that covered the contents. It was filled with little… objects. Small, pale and shaped like little stars. Unconsciously the others had craned their heads in to see what it was as well, observing the strange items.

"What are they?" Riot spoke first this time, one brow cocked in confusion.

"They're… cookies…" Zaiya spoke hesitantly. "It's food." She clarified it and there was just more tension. They were so tiny! How was this food? It wasn't meat? Sensing the hesitance, she stepped over, Brutus, Riot and Sunder stepping back at once. "It's safe, if we have a little of it." She assured, taking one and holding it up, then rather gracefully brought it to her lips. One bite and it was gone but it didn't have any adverse effect on her. Not that Savage thought it would, he was just confused. He of course was the first one to pick one of the little things up, and popped it in his mouth.

And froze.

His brothers stared as his eyes became wide as saucers and the cookie seemed to melt on his tongue. He'd never had anything like it. It was sweet and warm and buttery and he was astonished such a flavour existed in this galaxy. He chewed, slowly, savouring the too-small morsel. Then his eyes fell on her.

"Where… did you get these?" He asked, astonished.

"Oh… well, I made them."

"You made these?!" He gasped. She could do that? Was this why it was so late in the day? She had been making all of these? For them? His mouth hung open. Feral reached in with a scoff, seemingly thinking his brother was being dramatic again and took one for himself. The moment it touched his tongue he swore.

"What? What's wrong with it?" Brutus asked sharply, touching Feral's shoulder.

"Nothing it's… just try one." Feral grabbed one and nearly shoved it in the grumpy Zabrak's mouth. Brutus tried to protest but settled when he chewed. His frown deepened.

"It's… acceptable." He grunted. Emboldened, Riot took two, handing one to Sunder. Savage was staring at Zaiya, then back at the cookies, then back at Zaiya, then at the others. Were they having the same profound experience he was?! Perhaps not as intensely but even the other two seemed to enjoy the little treats.

"I never want to eat anything else ever again." Savage blurted in a rush, still looking like the Winged Goddess herself had come down and blessed him. Zaiya seemed to release some tension in her shoulders and let out a soft laugh.

"You… like them?" She asked, one hand curled next to her mouth.

"They're amazing." Feral was grinning so wide. Zaiya's own smile grew a little wider too.

"Then you can have as many as you want, they are for you all to share." Her hands clasped behind her back as she watched them, Savage couldn't help himself, he went for another one. It was just as good as the first and he wondered how she had learned to do this. He wasn't a fool. Recently was all she said. And he knew where she had been recently. There was so much he was curious about though. Why did she have to make them before? Who had taught her? Could she make other things? What other skills had she learned in the last few years?

Eventually some of the others from the village were drawn out, and Savage noticed the way Zaiya shrunk herself against a wall in order not to be noticed. She wanted them to enjoy this without worrying about a Sister in their midst. His hearts broke that his brothers did not know her the way he did. Surely they would begin to see? Surely they would begin to understand that she wasn't a Sister. She was a Brother.


Notes:

More Fluff! It's definitely needed after the last few chapters of EVIL! So Zaiya has made some new friends too ! Yaaay! Sunder, Riot and Brutus are the names given to Zabraks that do appear in the show, they aren't my names but I was inspired by a blog that has talked about and characterised them! I got permission to use them in the fic and I look forward to writing them some more! Next week's chapter is titled Clouded! We will see a bit more of the Nightbros, and have a sneak peek on what maul has been up to... Poor thing T^T As always if you can leave a like or comment, I love them and it gives me giddiness to see new notifications! You are all legendary! See you next week!