House Troubles (Ongoing Story)

Once Riftstalker had given Jocelyn a clean bill of health - at least physically - she had him send out messages to both Kaldaras and Ragious to rendezvous with her at the Arren estate.

Ragious to his credit arrived first, seating himself in the parlor. He wasn't even wearing his armor or robes, just the simple black pants and tunic he had become so accustomed to since his time with Aittera began. When his sister arrived he stood and offered her a smile but there was something held back, something beneath the surface. He knew his wife had come here, had done battle on the estate and that his sister had encountered her. He was very much wanting to set right in with his questions but he waited.

Jocelyn was standing near the balcony doors when Ragious walked in, and her expression when she turned to see him arrive was almost immediately conflicted. Nevertheless, she had approached him on steady footsteps and embraced him warmly. "Thank you for coming, M---my...hmm..." she began, finally settling on "Kol. Thank you for coming, Kol."

Kaldaras was late, something he never would have been months before. Where Ragious dressed simply Kal dressed like a Sith, black and silver armor under black robes. It was a true reversal of the brothers demeanor and whether it would last remained to be seen.

Jocelyn smiled affectionately at him and moved to embrace him much more easily than she had with Ragious. "I'm so glad to see you, Kalloo. I missed you."

Whereas when Ragious embraced his sister, he offered her a kiss on the cheek that wasn't at all awkward or conflicted, Kaldaras was rather cold, embracing her quickly and moving to sit. "Yes, I would imagine you did, especially since you made it so that I was returning to a house filled only with servants."

His brother's coldness took even Ragious by surprise, but he did and said nothing preferring to sit back and watch the two of them for now.

Jocelyn looked so stricken at Kal's response, he may as well have struck her outright. "I'm...sure you both have questions," she started unevenly, choosing a place to sit somewhere between the two men that was equally distant - or close, depending on how one looked at it.

"I'd like to start by apologiz---" she seemed to cut herself off with an irritated expression, tilting her head. "-No-," she resumed assertively. "I want to start by telling you both that the danger is not wholly past. The device that was used to begin this was not unique in its origin."

Ragious spoke first, "Would that be the device that I now have locked in a stasis chest and guarded by seven non force sensitive shock troops at all times?"

Kaldaras just continued to sit and fume. He had questions but at the moment he appeared as if he truly did wish to hit his sister.

The reversal of demeanor in each of her brothers was becoming more distracting by the moment. She glanced between them one more time before a guileless smile jumped to her lips with her response to Ragious. "Yes, and that was an excellent idea, Mas---Kol!"

With a little chuckle, Jocelyn reached for the wine that had been poured for her by a servant when she'd arrived. "Hmm...this is trickier than I thought." Once she'd taken a deep drink of the thick ruby liquid, she continued. "-I- think it's important to note first that there is a credit account that you can use to find Dels'taron, Kaldaras. It was set up some time ago separate from House Arren's accounts in case of emergency, and I gave it to her so that when she was no longer in danger, you or I could track her down."

"Do you think I needed a credit account to find my fiance? I have already located her, along with her altered memory and the surprising message that I would no longer be marrying her. A message that by the way sent her on a journey that may have that very effect. Now, of the three of us, which one has the abilities that would implant such a message while leaving her unable to recall clearly who delivered it?" He kept his voice in check but his presence in the force was screaming at her. He wasn't just angry - he felt betrayed by the woman he loved second most in the galaxy.

Ragious, however, noticed his sister's slip when referring to him, filing it away for later. "That artifact nearly cost Qel'rend her life, and for my part it had a strange attractiveness. I am guessing one of the three of you can explain it."

Jocelyn's hand rose as if to halt Kal's accusation or perhaps the fury that all but hurled itself in her direction before a blush highlighted her cheeks as she suppressed an embarrassed smile in Kol's direction. "Why don't I just start at the beginning instead? I think you'll both find enough answers there to...maybe hold off the desire to lynch someone! Sheesh! Force save me from Sith tempers."

Despite this final rather amused gentle exclamation, another look of irritation crossed her face, and she fell silent for several moments as she stared hard down at the glass of wine clasped in her lap. Both brothers were aware of the unique circumstances that had led to their sister being used as a vessel for an ancient Sith spirit. In claiming Kalista's body for her own, Mistanis had used Ragious's apprentice, Temivi, in the process, but in the end, she had been unable to wholly expunge either of the other two presences completely. The result had been Jocelyn Arren, and Kol and Kaldaras had come to accept her in the new persona.

Kal sat back in his chair folding his arms, but he continued to stare daggers at his sister. Kol was the opposite moving just ever so much closer and leaning forward to listen. "Please, continue Kalista."

When Kol spoke, she lifted her eyes to gaze at him with a note of surprise and suspicion. "Alright. Kiabe came to the house. She had contacted me a few weeks before that day concerning you and Khor, and it seemed like this was to be some kind of follow up - to see if I was going to help her in whatever she'd decided to do. I know you two liked your games, but I honestly never cared for them. Still, she has a lot of influence with Khor, so I always tried to at least make her feel like I was willing to help her.

“We met in the arboretum, and I could tell that she was up to something, but I let her play out the conversation in her own way. She broke the glass of wine that she was holding, and before I had a chance to react, she reached across the table and grabbed my hand to cut it. That's how she activated the device."

"So it did want blood. Qel thought the same but I wasn't going to feed it." Kol had listened intently to what she was saying. "I honestly never thought she would come after you. I am guessing that the reason she was set on her rampage and eventually went to attempt to murder Aittera was the effect of the artifact? I saw what it did to Qel, and I didn't put them together til just now."

Jocelyn nodded, her hand moving a few inches along her lap in his direction seemingly of its own accord. "It wanted blood. I don't know how she came by the device, but I think she believed it to be what it was disguised as - a holocron. Knowing your wife, she probably hoped that it would contain something powerful enough to use to influence you somehow. If she had trusted me enough to show it to me beforehand..."

She drew herself up to sit straighter and continued a little more stiffly. "We fought until I realized what she'd pressed my palm to. Unfortunately, by the time I recognized it, I was already being affected by it as well. I knew I had little time, so I did everything I could to minimize the potential damage. I---"

She seemingly cut herself off again, but this time, the shift between personalities was much more obvious. She leaned forward and snatched Kol's hand wrapping her own around it. "I hate that phrase - 'minimize potential damage'. Mistanis told you both that she had achieved 'cohesion' between the different essences distilled into this vessel, but it's crap, Master Ragious! She would have you all believe that hers is the only true spirit left, but what she did tore Kalista's spirit - it didn't leave her body willingly, so expelling it was violent. And when she left my---Temivi's body, she took part of her spirit with her! She didn't achieve 'cohesion'! She took control!"

"I know." It was Ragious that spoke first, Kaldaras regarding him with his usual suspicion. "I've long suspected it at least, and I have had the scholars and scientists loyal to me researching what could possibly be done to fix it, including separating the additional essences, meaning Temivi, and if she behaves herself Mistanis, into separate cloned bodies. Temivi's would be far easier though, as I remained in control of DNA samples she...no you, I know that's you I'm speaking to, provided when she first became my apprentice."

"No." It was Kaldaras who spoke this time. "You're not going to perform some weird experiment that could endanger Kalista all over again just because you're sad that your apprentice, that you abandoned, was killed and you want her back. Boo hoo Kol, grow up and be Sith. You used to be so good at it, and now all you do is mope. Waah, my wife is dead, waah my mistress ran off, waah I want Temivi back."

Ragious stared at Kal, and it was obvious that if he hadn't been holding Jocelyn's hand, his own would likely have gone to his lightsaber, "It's not weird, and it isn't just Temivi. I want my sister back."

Jocelyn leveled her gaze on Kaldaras next, but there was no malice or ill will in it as she squeezed Ragious's hand and spoke sternly, but somehow kindly. "We could say the same about you, you know! Dels'taron is alive because of us! If I hadn't seen her on the surveillance displays when I did, she would have walked right into the slaughter that was going on here. Kiabe wasn't killing randomly, you know. She wasn't just going after the aliens! We could feel it. Anyone either of you even so much as looked at longingly was being targeted too!

“Khor's half-sister? The one whose identity you kept hidden? I found her first, pulled her into a hiding place. And the redhead girl from the kitchen staff that made your favorite soup? Mistanis grabbed her and locked her in the walk-in cooler just one minute before Kiabe reached the kitchens.

“I don't know which one of us told Dels'taron to leave, but the entire goal of it was to keep her as far away from Kiabe's reach as possible before that device's effects could overwhelm us. So, yeah, maybe we did things a little dirty and a bit disorganized with three spirits fighting for control, but Mistanis's son did horrific things before he finally died, and we -had- to get away from everything you and I held dear. "

"Khor's half sister?" It was Ragious who was speaking, his gaze leveling at Kal, "You kept one of -my- children as a servant?" His voice took on a dangerous edge. "She is to be released to House Eirndeth at once, and when this threat to our family has passed, brother mine, we are going to discuss what you are going to do to apologize."

Kal scoffed, but his attention was on his sister, some of the hurt washing away, but not all. He was obviously still upset due to the circumstances of not being able to marry Dels'taron when he returned as he had desired. When Ragious pounded his free hand on the table to draw Kal's attention back, he only turned his head and stared at Ragious with a look of steel, nodding slowly.

Ragious still wouldn't release the hand he held. It was like he was using it to keep himself centered, to keep him from losing control of his anger. When he was a child, his sister never would have had that kind of calming effect, but this was a new Kol Arren and Darth Ragious - his experiences of the past month since his return bringing the man he wanted to be with Aittera and the Sith he was more into balance.

"If I've come to understand Kaldaras half as well as I think I have, he thought he was protecting her, and he had good reasons for doing so. Don't forget that what brought us all together is still here, Mast---KOL." She passed a sheepish look up at him - something that looked very strange on the usually composed Jocelyn's face. "I'm not used to being the one that speaks. We only agreed this morning on how to address you both and how to refer to our--myself...to avoid sounding crazy."

"And how would you prefer to be addressed?" Kol looked over at her, apologetic for dragging the conversation off the topic she had asked them to gather to speak about.

"Jocelyn. General consensus says Jocelyn is still correct. None of our spirits are whole anymore, and while your idea is a thoughtful one, I'm afraid what you'd create would be three incomplete people. I think it's best we remain as we are now that we know Mistanis survived."

"So what happened after Kiabe's assault here? I know she went to Nar Shaddaa. I also know that something has happened with my powers, where before I could feel the link between Aittera and myself so fully, I can't even find her now. I never thought that would be possible?" While Kol spoke, Kaldaras remained silent. He had the details he needed. At this point, it was yet another set of artifacts to be recovered, something he did very well.

If seeing the sheepish look on her face a few minutes before had been uncharacteristic, the confusion and guilt that now painted itself there was downright disturbing. "I think I did that too," she admitted apologetically in a softer tone. "Everything after leaving here is...disjointed....but I remember Aittera. There was some argument about whether or not we should protect her and the Jedi. Things are harder to keep track of. I don't even remember how I ended up where my agent finally found me."

"Did what exactly? You are a powerful Sith, but I don't think you could diminish my powers without being in the same room."

She frowned as she tried to sort through her memories (as well as consult those of the other two spirits), shaking her head. "Mistanis didn't want to waste time...Kalista and I were fighting to get to Nar Shaddaa, but...I think we were also fighting about what to do once we got to her. I remember being in a room...on a freighter...and Aittera was tied to a chair....and...."

Jocelyn squeezed her eyes shut, trying to will the memory forward, then shook her head. "We were all losing time by then, and we were getting sicker faster like a snowball rolling downhill?"

Kol nodded at her, and at this point even Kaldaras seemed to be listening as he interjected, "You cut her off from him, in some way. You didn't do anything to his ability to use the force, you did something to her ability to be affected by it. It's why he can't find her now. Can you find her, Jocelyn?"

She looked to Kaldaras, nodding slowly. "That makes sense. One of Kalista's ideas was to prompt her into hiding somehow, and Mistanis's counter was that all Kiabe would have to do would be to follow Kol."

She drew back to sort of sag against the chair she was in with a look of defeat and dropped her free hand over her eyes. "I remember a lot of paranoia while I was on Nar Shaddaa - Mistanis was so terrified...She - I mean -I- knew I was dying."

I'm going to spend the rest of my life trying to make this up to you both. I'm so very sorry."

"No, you're going to spend the rest of your life being our sister, regardless of how many of you are in there." Ragious told her, comforting Jocelyn with another squeeze of her hand in his. "You see, I have few regrets in my life. Temivi knows me in ways few others do, the few regrets I do harbor involve both her and Kalista so tremendously that I could never make up for them."

He paused before continuing, "I won't pretend that I am a better person now, I don't believe I am. But I do know that I am not angry with you for any of this. Kiabe's jealousy drove her to this, I knew it would happen one day, though admittedly, I thought it would be me she attacked directly. I still loved her, even with what I was doing with Aittera, and believe me the temptation to ONLY be with Aittera was strong, but in the end, I was not going to leave my wife. I still need Aittera though, and that's a hard thing for me to admit. It was hard when I told her. So yes, if there is any way for you to find her, please, tell me."

When he squeezed her hand, Jocelyn moved to slide into his lap much like Temivi had often done in the past when she sought to comfort her Master. "I'll try. I think Kaldaras is right. I think whatever I did, shielding her mind from yours was part of it."

It was so natural a thing, his memory of Temivi so clear as he moved an arm around her to hold Jocelyn against him as he had done with Temivi so many times before. That the body was different didn't matter. He didn't even lose a step, the act being so familiar. "If she's shielded from my mind, then it's another mind needed to seek her. I can still feel what it felt like to touch her mind, perhaps that feeling could be used?"

She settled into his lap like a child into a parent's embrace and nodded. "Yes, maybe. But distance might play a role as well. I'll research it."

"Thank you, Jocelyn." It was Kal that had spoken up this time, and he seemed a bit unnerved by his sibling's new found closeness, realizing how much of his brother's former apprentice was bleeding through. "These artifacts. I remember a passing note in the family archives, there was one for Mistanis and each of her children were there not?"

"Yes. Two of her children were meant to be targeted, as well as herself. It's how her son died," she answered with a frown, looking across to Kal. "Her husband knew of her research into immortality, and he was angry that she hadn't planned to use it for him as well. They...didn't get along very well."

"So three total, and we know the location of one. Assuming he doesn't lose it." It was a cheap jab at Ragious, which normally would have provoked a fight.

Kol simply chuckled. "Yes, I'm probably going to leave it in the jungle with so many other of my lost toys. Wait, no, that was you," he continued, giving Jocelyn's hand another gentle squeeze, her presence truly comforting him. "I could send it into a sun. That way it could never be used against us again. Then we can do the same when we find the other two."

"The other one,” she corrected him. “The one that killed her son went dormant once it had infected him. I think the only reason I survived was because Kiabe found the one intended for the daughter, and Rift found me in time to reverse the physical damage that was done."

"So the one remaining is the one that can effect you the most." Kol shifted as he spoke, it was a protective motion. "When it is found we need to destroy it, immediately. Whatever means it takes. It can not come near you."

Jocelyn nodded, looking down at Kol's protective arms around her and then up again with a fleeting expression of...discomfort? "Right. And if the one you took from the arboretum is still active, no Sith should go near it at all. I think it's safe to say that it will continue to lash out until it finds its intended victim."

"He did at least have the sense to lock it in stasis, and have it guarded by non Sith. Does his idea of shooting it into a sun have merit? Holocrons can be fragile, after all." Kaldaras noticed the look, catching on to what was happening, but saying nothing. The personalities had shifted again, and whichever spirit had now asserted control, she was not nearly as comfortable as Temivi had been.

"Well, they aren't true holocrons, but I think it's definitely worth a try. Mistanis admits she hadn't thought of it," she answered, looking across to Kaldaras. "I think we should send a team of non-Sith to do it."

"You're welcome to come up to the Avenger and watch it be done. I can have the shock troopers already guarding it load it onto a shuttle and send it into the sun."

Jocelyn slid from Ragious's lap to get to her feet. "If it's all the same to you, I don't think I ever want to see the damn thing again.”