As the golden light of the Tython morning filtered softly through the grand arching windows, painting the stone chamber in shades of amber and warmth.
Yet beneath that gentle warmth, my body still carried the lingering tremor of the void.
Every time I closed my eyes, the vision from the World Between Worlds surged back with terrifying clarity.
I saw him, my older self, weathered and broken, standing amidst the burning ruins of everything we had struggled to build. I saw the slow, agonizing erosion of our hopes, one tragedy at a time, until nothing remained but ash. And worst of all was 'her'.
Abeloth.
She had worn Seris's lifeless shell like a mockery of everything pure, stepping out from the dark. Her voice still echoed in the back of my mind, dripping with playful cruelty as she explained how many times she had dragged us through this cycle, how intimately she knew every strike I would ever throw, and how utterly futile my attempts to escape her grasp had been.
And when she grew bored, she would simply reset the board and begin the slaughter anew. And then she had killed my future self with effortless glee, whispering that she would see me soon.
Decades from now, if the timeline held. Or much sooner, if she decided she was bored.
A knot of cold dread tightened in my gut. I raised a trembling hand, running my fingertips over the scar across my left eye, grounding myself in the physical ache of the present.
Then, a soft, warm presence shifted beside me.
I turned my head. Sleeping peacefully against the silk sheets was Seris. The morning light caught the delicate edges of her features, turning her fine, platinum-blonde hair into spun silver across the pillow. Her pale skin drank in the Tython sun, she looked flawless and serene, while the slight, elegant tips of her pointed ears peeked through her loose tresses.
Every time I looked at her like this, she took my breath away. She looked like an elven princess out of some forgotten high-fantasy myth of my past life. Beautiful, ethereal, but impossibly real.
A sudden wave of heat rushed up my neck and into my cheeks as the memories of the previous night washed over me.
After the terror of that vision had shattered my composure, I hadn't been able to bear the solitude. In a state of raw emotional exhaustion, I had come to Seris's quarters. I hadn't held anything back. For the second time in my life, I stripped away every layer of deception and laid my soul completely bare to her.
I told her everything. That I was a transmigrator, a soul from another universe reborn into this galaxy. I told her why I possessed such unnatural foresight, why I had pushed so aggressively to establish our independent Force order, and why I had eventually walked away from Coruscant, just as I had once confided in Master Plo Koon and Master Fay.
I had been terrified that she would look at me with disgust or horror, that she would reject me as a liar who had manipulated her from childhood. But instead, she had listened in silence, pulled me into her arms, and held me through the shaking. She had accepted all of it. And in the quiet aftermath of that confession, the invisible barriers between us had dissolved, drawing us together into a tender, unspoken intimacy that changed everything between us, as we made love.
My face burned brighter just thinking about it.
Biologically, I'm a teenager. Mentally and spiritually, my soul is far older than she is... The social implications alone are enough to give any philosopher a migraine. Even if this universe is large and, social laws on dating are different then mine past life's.
Before I could spiral further into my own overthinking, a slender, warm hand slid up my chest, her fingertips tracing the curve of my collarbone.
"You're awake, Cain."
Her voice was soft, husky with sleep. Seris's eyelids fluttered open, revealing those striking silver-gray irises that seemed to capture the morning light. In the tranquil afterglow of the morning, she looked utterly radiant.
"How do you feel?" she asked gently.
I let out a slow breath, leaning into her touch. "Calmer than I did last night. Much calmer, thank you."
A faint twitch stirred the tip of her pointed ear, and a sudden, rosy blush bloomed across her pale cheeks as the reality of last night caught up with her.
"Well... yes. I suppose that's to be expected," she murmured, her analytical tone momentarily faltering. "Jase.....I mean, Cain. I mean... what should I even call you now?"
I raised an eyebrow, a fond smirk tugging at the corner of my lips. Shifting slightly closer, I cupped her cheek and leaned in, pressing my lips gently against hers. She melted into the kiss immediately, her lips soft and yielding against mine, before we parted with a quiet breath.
"Cain is fine, Seris," I whispered. "I've answered to it since I was four years old. No reason to change it now."
She gave a small, thoughtful nod, her gaze steadying as her trademark pragmatic focus reasserted itself. "Then regarding last night... I don't want to make assumptions anymore. I want you to tell me everything from now on, Cain. No more half-truths. Whatever challenges come with what you know, I will help you navigate them."
"Of course," I said without thinking, smiling warmly. "You're my woman now, and I'm your man. I don't have any secrets left to hide from you."
Seris froze. Her silver eyes widened slightly. "What...?"
A cold shock of panic instantly spiked through my chest.
Oh Force. Did I assume too quickly? Just because we sleep together last night, did I jump straight to declaring us official without asking? Oh no. And I still have to meet her parents on Corellia...
Before I could stammer out an apology, Seris shifted and climbed up and straddled my hips, her slender frame pressing down against mine. Her face was bright crimson, but her hands rested firmly against my chest, pinning me in place as she stared down into my eye.
"Cain," she demanded, her voice hovering between stern interrogation and sheer fluster. "What did you just say? And what, precisely, did you mean by it?"
Through our Force bond, the resonance between us was vibrant and humming. I could feel the sheer joy and excitement fluttering in her chest, practically singing through the light.
But her brilliant, relentlessly logical mind refused to accept mere implications. She needed absolute clarity.
I swallowed hard, reaching up to rest my hands gently against her waist.
"Seris Velor, I love you. And I would be deeply honored to be your partner. Will you allow me to be yours, and only yours... and will you be only mine?"
Seris sat atop me in silence for several long heartbeats. Her stern expression softened, the tension melting from her shoulders until a breathtaking, radiant smile touched her lips.
She leaned down and kissed me, it was deep and lingering.
"I would be honored," she whispered against my lips. "Cain Vizsla."
I smiled, though I gave a small, self-deprecating chuckle. "Technically, I haven't fully claimed the Vizsla name publicly yet. There's a reason I've kept my Mandalorian lineage close to the chest."
Seris rested her forearms on my chest, looking down at me with keen intellect. "Of course. A Jedi-trained Mandalorian belonging to House Vizsla would draw every eye in the Republic and Mandalore directly to you. It would make operating under your Noctis persona nearly impossible."
"Exactly," I nodded. "Which is why Threepio is going to serve as my physical stand-in for Noctis in public diplomacy, except when we take the field of battle."
Seris raised an elegant eyebrow. "You plan on fighting on the front lines as Noctis? Are you going to reveal that he's a Force-user?"
I shook my head firmly. "No. That has to remain an absolute secret. When the time comes, I plan on revealing the structure of our faction through distinct public pillars. This new order and government will operate with four public faces."
"Four?" she asked, intrigued. "Who are they?"
"Noctis will be the sovereign face of the government," I explained. "The masked statesman, the visionary reformer of the mid and outer Rim operating in the political sphere alongside his second-in-command."
"And who is that?"
I grinned. "Anakin's alter ego. In armor, his public title will be Vader."
Seris's brow furrowed in mild amusement. "Why does Anakin need a masked persona like you?"
"Because he is going to be the frontline hero, the poster boy for our crusade against the Zygerrian slave trade, Hutts, and Outer Rim cartels," I replied. "Think about it. A former slave from the deserts of Tatooine, rising up to lead an armada that shatters chains across the galaxy. The propaganda value will be immense. I'm going to build him up just like the protagonist in my Red Rising manuscript."
Seris gave a light huff. "I still haven't read that, you know. You wrote that exclusively to inspire Anakin. But that only accounts for two faces. Who are the other two?"
"The third will be our public Jedi and Force-user leadership, guided openly by masters like Plo and our order's council," I said, before meeting her eyes with a confident smirk. "And the fourth face is me. Cain. I will be the face of our military forces, leading Mandalorians not as brutal conquerors, but as honor-bound protectors who fight to defend the innocent. But before I can unite them, I have to deal with Pre."
Seris's gaze sharpened with genuine concern. "Do you truly believe you can defeat Pre Vizsla and that Death Watch will simply follow you afterward?"
"If they truly follow the ancient Way of Mandalore," I said quietly, "then by right of combat, I will be the new leader of House Vizsla and the rightful wielder of the Darksaber. Strength and creed are the only language Pre's loyalists respect."
I reached up, gently brushing a strand of silver hair behind her ear. "But that's for later. First, we need to get out of bed and prepare. We have a ship to board, and I need to brief Anakin and the others."
Seris tilted her head, a playful glint entering her silver eyes. "And where exactly are we heading first, Cain?"
"Corellia," I answered. "It's time I meet your family. We need House Velor's political weight and industrial backing if our movement is going to take root in Corellia. Plus... I need to make a proper, formal introduction to your parents. Any advance warnings about them would be greatly appreciated."
Seris let out a soft laugh, but instead of getting up, she leaned down, pressing her chest against mine and resting her chin over my heart.
"I will brief you on the ship," she whispered, her lips brushing against my jawline. "For now... the galaxy can wait another half hour."
I smiled, wrapping my arms securely around her waist and pulling her tight against me.
"As you command, my love."
A few hours later, the steady, rhythmic hum of sublight engines filled the cockpit of our starship as we charted our final approach vector through the Corellian sector.
I sat in the pilot's chair, monitoring the navigational displays alongside Anakin, who was reclining in the co-pilot's seat. Behind us, in the ship's spacious central lounge, our traveling party had settled into their own routines.
On the open floor, Master Fay and Sheera were suspended in midair, their legs crossed in deep, silent Force meditation. Fay was taking Sheera as her official Padawan, which I knew was going to be a challenge.
Her radiating a calm, boundless serenity, while Sheera's powerful empathic abilities mixed with her openly sensual personality will be hard to deal with.
Nearby at the holochess table, Derren sat slumped over a spread of strategic Sabacc cards, his face contorted in sheer exasperation. Sitting across from him, Seris calmly collected another neat stack of betting markers.
"I swear by the Force, you are cheating, Ice Princess," Derren groaned, burying his face in his hands. "Ten games. Ten! That doesnt make sense, and Im sure your defying the laws of probability!"
Seris offered him a cool, devastatingly polite smile as she shuffled the deck like a pro. "You wish I were cheating, Derren. It would certainly make your consecutive losses easier to stomach. But no, I simply possess a functioning grasp of advanced statistical variance and card counting."
Derren threw his hands in the air and twisted around in his seat toward the cockpit. "Anakin, get over here and help me! She's destroying me! If we were playing for real credits, I would have lost the robes off my back three rounds ago!"
Anakin didn't even open his eyes. He remained seated with his arms crossed, while in the empty air above his lap, the intricate, disassembled components of his lightsaber hovered in a delicate, rotating ring. With tiny nudges of telekinesis, he was fine-tuning the internal focusing emitter without laying a finger on it.
"Not a chance," Anakin said with a grin. "Cain specifically warned me never to play sabacc against Seris unless I had a death wish. But tell you what, put some real credits on the table, or offer up that custom vibrodagger you bought on Nar Shaddaa, and maybe I'll consider it."
"Traitors, the whole lot of you," Derren muttered, slumping back against the seat.
I chuckled from the helm, adjusting the thruster output. "Save your credits, Derren. We're dropping out of hyperspace in about ten minutes. Get ready."
Right on cue, Sheera smoothly lowered herself from her levitating meditative trance, landing lightly on the floorboards. Her long, white hair cascaded over her shoulders, and a brilliant, knowing smile spread across her vibrant Zeltron features.
She turned directly toward Seris.
"Oh, Seris..." Sheera purred, tucking a loose lock of hair behind her ear. "Your so beautifullike always,but today you beeming. That afterglow is radiating through the entire ship! I am so, so happy that you and Cain finally took the next step. Even he feels so much more at peace now."
Sheera stepped closer, winking playfully. "Please, let me know whenever you're ready to open the circle. I would love nothing more than to add my love to your union!"
The entire cabin went dead silent.
Seris's eyes widened to the size of saucers. Her pale skin instantly flushed a deep, incandescent crimson that traveled all the way to the tips of her pointed ears.
Anakin's concentration snapped instantly. The levitating pieces of his lightsaber tumbled out of the air, clattering violently across his lap as he lunged forward to catch the power cell. He stared back at me with wide, disbelieving eyes.
I clamped a hand over my eyepatch, feeling a profound, soul-deep desire for the floor to swallow me whole. Damn empathic Zeltrons...
"I, I have no idea what you are talking about, Sheera!" Seris stammered, her voice pitching up half an octave as she desperately tried to maintain her aristocratic dignity.
Sheera simply giggled, waving a dismissive hand. "Oh, there's no need to be embarrassed, darling! I completely understand if it takes some time to get used to his size and stamina, but if you'd like, I know dozens of traditional Zeltron stretching techniques and sensory exercises to really spice things up...."
"Sheera!" Seris practically squeaked, looking frantically toward Master Fay for salvation.
Fay remained suspended a few inches off the floor, her eyes still serenely closed. Without breaking her meditative stance, the ancient master spoke in a calm, melodic tone. "Do not fret, Seris. You and your mother may have a proper discussion regarding such matters once we arrive. We shall have a conversation of our own as well. And as for you, Sheera... please refrain from broadcasting the private intimacies of others across the deck."
"Understood, Master Fay," Sheera chirped cheerfully, totally unbothered.
I cleared my throat loudly, desperate to change the subject before I spontaneously combusted. " We are exiting hyperspace in five... four... three..."
The blue tunnel of hyperspace collapsed into brilliant starlines, resolving into the vibrant, emerald-and-blue orb of Corellia ahead.
Anakin leaned over, elbowing me in the ribs with an infuriating smirk. "So... care to tell me how that date on Alderaan really went, brother?"
I shot him a dry glare. "Let's talk over a drink later, Anakin. Right after you tell me every single detail about your date with Padmé."
Anakin's smirk vanished instantly, replaced by a defensive cough. "Fair enough."
Behind us, Derren was still blinking in utter confusion, looking back and forth between Seris and Sheera. "Wait... what did she mean by 'union'? What is actually going on here?"
Standing in the corner of the cabin, Threepio in his Noctis outfit head tilted. "I believe Lady Sheera was stating that Master Cain and Lady Seris have formally entered into a mating bond, and that Lady Sheera wished to offer her participation...."
"Threepio!" Seris screamed.
"Oh! My deepest apologies, Lady Seris!"
Derren's jaw dropped. His face went bright red as he stared at Seris, who looked ready to incinerate the entire starship with her mind. "Wait... Ice Princess... you're... you two...?"
Derren blinked, his brain completely short-circuiting. "Wait, you're actually a woman?"
Anakin and I both bit our lips, nearly choking on our laughter.
Seris's expression instantly dropped into absolute zero. In a flash of terrifying speed, she lunged across the game table. Before Derren could even flinch, she had slipped behind him, locking her slender arms around his neck in a textbook, air-tight rear-naked chokehold.
"Say another word, Derren," Seris hissed into his ear with icy sweetness, "and I will test whether your brain can go without oxygen."
Derren frantically tapped the table, his face turning purple.
Before the chaos could escalate any further, the cockpit console chimed with an incoming transmission ping. I quickly keyed the comm system, routing the hail through the main speakers.
"Attention unidentified vessel, this is Corellian Security air control," a crisp, authoritative female voice echoed over the channel.
"You are entering sovereign Corellian airspace. State your registry, origin, and purpose."
I pressed the transmit button, keeping my voice perfectly steady. "C-Sec control, this is Cain piloting diplomatic transport Dawnfire. I have Noctis and Lady Seris Velor aboard. I believe our diplomatic clearance was pre-filed with House Velor."
There was a momentary pause on the other end, followed by the faint click of a data terminal.
"Clearance confirmed, Vanguard. Welcome to Corellia. Two planetary defense interceptors are moving into formation to escort you to Designated Platform Seven at the Velor ancestral estate. Maintain current vector and follow their lead."
"Understood, C-Sec. Dawnfire out."
Outside the cockpit canopy, two sleek Corellian gunships dropped out of the upper cloud layer, gracefully banking into position on our port and starboard flanks.
I exhaled a long breath, leaning back against the pilot's seat.
Anakin gave a low whistle, looking at the tactical display. "Well... time to meet the political heavyweights of the Corellian system."
"Yeah," I muttered, rubbing the back of my neck. "The politicians I can handle. It's Seris's family that has me sweating."
Anakin chuckled, clapping a hand on my shoulder. "You'll do great, Cain. Just remember your manners, stand up straight, and don't disrespect her father. With Master Fay walking at your side, you've got the ultimate seal of approval."
Seris finally released Derren, who slumped onto the card table, gasping desperately for air, and walked up to the cockpit, smoothing down the front of her elegant gray tunic.
"You should be prepared, Cain," Seris said, her tone turning serious. "My grandmother, Seronea Velor, will likely have many questions for you. She is the Matriarch of House Velor and holds ultimate authority over our lineage. My mother, Sonya, manages our off-world diplomatic treaties and political alliances."
"And your father?" I asked.
A rare, fond warmth softened her features. "My father is the Chief Lightsaber Instructor for the Corellian Jedi Order."
I raised both eyebrows. "Well... that certainly explains where you got your combat instincts."
Seris shook her head gently. "To be honest, it has been years since I last saw them in person. They had sent holovids, training manuscripts, and letters to the Jedi Temple to encourage my studies, but in many ways, they still feel like distant figures to me. But... from what I remember of my childhood, I was always quite fond of my father."
So she's a daddy's girl, I grinned.Good to know.
The ship pierced the lower cloud ceiling, and the breathtaking majesty of Corellia unfolded beneath us.
It was a world of striking, harmonious contrasts, a prosperous, heavily industrialized core world where soaring towers of gleaming white permacrete and polished transparisteel rose seamlessly alongside vast, primeval green forests and rolling emerald hills. In the upper atmosphere, massive orbital shipyards hung like iron crowns, while dense rivers of civilian speeders flowed through designated sky-lanes with immaculate precision.
Our escort led us toward a sprawling estate nestled atop a high, forested plateau overlooking the capital valley. In the center of the estate sat a magnificent architectural complex of sweeping ivory stone, surrounded by private landing pads.
As our landing gear locked into place on Platform Seven, I stood up and turned to Threepio.
"Threepio," I commanded quietly. "Activate Noctis protocols. Record all visual and audio feeds from this point forward."
The golden droid straightened his posture. Putting on the Revan imitation black helmet. Subtle mechanical hum resonated from his chest chassis as his internal processors shifted modes. When he spoke, his usual nervous, high-pitched cadence was replaced by a deep, modulated, and commanding vocal frequency.
"Protocols engaged, Master Cain. Audio and visual telemetry are actively recording."
To the outside world, this was Noctis, the mysterious leader of our movement wearing a imation, black and gold lined Revan outfit, mainly to the history buffs.
Anakin and I had poured a bear million credits and countless hours into heavily modifying this chassis. Beneath the armor robes sat a state-of-the-art synthetic frame equipped with internal pneumatic dampeners to mimic natural organic movement, a micro-fluid pump that simulated the distinct rhythm of a biological heartbeat to fool high-frequency auditory senses, and an advanced chemical dispersion cartridge that emitted a subtle, organic heat-and-scent profile.
To the naked eye or a scanner, he was a living dignitary in ceremonial armor. But against a true Master of the Force, an artificial shell could never possess a living aura.
"Alright," I said, checking my lightsaber at my hip and my hair. "Let's go meet House Velor."
Master Fay stepped forward, her serene presence acting as our vanguard. "Allow me to lead."
The boarding ramp lowered with a hiss of pressurized steam.
As we walked down the ramp into the crisp, cool Corellian air, an official welcoming delegation was already waiting at the edge of the landing pad. They were dressed in impeccably tailored, flowing tunics featuring intricate patterns of forest green and slate gray.
Reaching out through the Force, I immediately sensed varying degrees of power among the retinue. But two figures standing at the front commanded absolute attention.
Both were Sephi women of astonishing beauty, possessing the characteristic long, elegant pointed ears of their species.
The woman on the right was tall, standing easily six feet in height. She had fair skin, flowing golden-blonde hair, striking gray eyes and a regal, commanding posture that bore a striking resemblance to Master Fay.
Standing beside her was a woman who stood roughly five feet, five inches tall. She had vibrant, silver-blonde hair, piercing sapphire-blue eyes, and delicate, youthful features that were the spitting image of Seris.
Master Fay stepped off the ramp, inclining her head in a graceful, ancient bow.
"I greet thee, Matriarch of House Velor," Fay said, addressing the smaller, youthful-looking woman.
I blinked, momentarily thrown.
Seris leaned close to my ear, her voice barely a whisper. "The younger-looking woman is my grandmother, Seronea Velor. The taller woman is my mother, Sonya."
I had to suppress a double-take. Her grandmother looks like she could be Seris's sister, and her mother looks like Fay's cousin... Sephi longevity is truly insane.
"Master Fay," Seronea spoke, her voice carrying a rich, melodic resonance that commanded immediate respect. "It has been far too long since your light graced the halls of Corellia. House Velor welcomes you, as we welcome the esteemed Lord Noctis."
Seronea and Sonya bowed respectfully toward Fay, and then toward the disguised Threepio.
As they exchanged formal diplomatic pleasantries, I noticed Seronea's sapphire eyes lingering on Noctis just a fraction of a second too long. Her gaze was sharp, analytical, and mildly curious. Despite all our advanced engineering, the fake heartbeat, the synthetic scent, the modulated voice, a Force-user of her caliber could clearly sense that the presence before her lacked the vibrant current of a living soul.
But with consummate aristocratic grace, she gave no outward sign of suspicion.
Seronea's gaze then drifted across our group, sweeping past Anakin and Derren, before landing squarely upon Seris. A warm, genuinely tender smile touched the Matriarch's lips.
"Come, my family," Seronea said softly. "Let us return to the ancestral home. I wish to show Seris the halls she has been away from for far too long."
The retinue began to turn, but Seronea took a deliberate step toward me.
I immediately straightened and gave my warmest smile. "Lady Velor. It is an honor. My name is Cain. "
Seronea studied me for a brief moment, her bright blue eyes shimmering with an unreadable light.
"Walk with me, young Jedi or whatever you new order call yourselves these days," she said smoothly, extending a slender arm. "Let the others converse ahead. Walk with me, arm in arm."
I glanced toward Seris. She gave me a subtle, encouraging nod.
Swallowing my nerves, I stepped forward and offered my arm. Seronea took it, her touch light yet surprisingly firm, and together we fell into step behind Master Fay, Sonya, and the rest of our party as they made their way toward the grand palace entrance.
For a few moments, we walked in silence along the polished stone pathway, flanked by towering Corellian pines.
"Tell me about my granddaughter, Cain," Seronea said quietly, her voice pitched so only the two of us could hear. "I wish to know how you see her."
I tilted my head slightly, choosing my words with care. "If I may ask, Lady Velor... why not ask Seris directly? She has grown into a remarkable woman, far beyond what reports can convey."
Seronea stopped walking.
She turned toward me, a knowing, enigmatic smile playing upon her youthful lips. She raised a delicate hand, gesturing for me to incline my head.
Curious and tense, I leaned down, bringing my ear closer to her.
"Because, Cain," Seronea whispered, her words soft as a breeze yet hitting with the force of a thunderbolt, "you are the one I saw in the Force all those years ago. The one Seris was destined to stand beside... and the one I saw her loving."
My breath caught in my throat. My good eye widened in sheer, unadulterated shock.
Seronea stepped back, her sapphire eyes gleaming with ancient wisdom as she looked up at my stunned expression.
"Now, please," she said with a gentle, polite smile. "Tell me about my granddaughter."
My mind completely locked up.
She saw me? Years ago? A Force vision foretelling my arrival and our relationship before Seris and I had ever even met?!*
My heart hammered against my ribs, my thoughts spinning into complete disarray.
What the hell is going on here?