The light of the desk lamp illuminated the black blanket in front of Griggs as he took a seat in the cold room of a starship. The time on the clock was three hours after midnight, when most of Veles was fast asleep.
His hands removed the blanket to reveal what was underneath: An beautiful cube with an ornate design, weathered by the passage of time. He stared at the necklace beside it, the crystal within its pendant glowing like a brilliant yellow star. He closed his eyes and eased his breath, using what little he knew about the mysterious Force to extend his connection towards the object.
When it came to understanding the Force, he was no behemoth. He was but an ant, dwarfed by the many people he had come across in his adventures on Viscara.
Jedi and Sith, Light and Dark… each and every one of them were far beyond him. Yet, no matter how much or how little one understands the Force, one can be certain that they can feel it.
The cube resonated with a faint glow, lifting itself into the air alongside the necklace to bask in the light. An old hologram projects itself from the relic, revealing the image of a tired woman in robes with long black hair, staring up at the engineer.
“This is Agent Meshara. I have failed my mission. The temple that I was tasked with conquering proved to be too difficult. I will attempt to escape, but… I do not know of the chances of my survival. If anyone finds this, I want to at least leave some notes and words.”
“The Sith are coming. A dark shadow is emerging from the Outer Rim and I came to the temple they were observing. For whoever finds this, I don’t know if it will be too late. The temple is located on the outskirts near a Hutt Hold being built. Depending on when this message is found, it may already be established.”
“My name is Marcellia. My son, my loving husband… I don’t know what to do. I tried to call them but the walls of this temple were too thick. Hrm… kind of a pain. Marcellia… I haven’t said my own name in twenty years.”
The hologram smiled to herself, looking upwards.
“I’ve given everything to the Force so that we may find peace and honesty in the universe, through my sacrifice. Maybe it’s just wishful thinking for my family to see this… it’s pretty cold in here, you know. I can see my own breath sometimes, yet the temperature is not so cold. Might be the Dark Side finally overwhelming me.”
“My son, he was so bright-eyed… like his father. They were so cute together.”
She sighed, her smile turning bittersweet.
“They are the ones who really brought me warmth in a cold profession. It’s hard, to suddenly realize your mortality. Perhaps the Force will carry my voice to them. To the Jedi, or even my own family.”
She ran a hand over her cloak, wrapping it around her for warmth.
“It’s a cold reminder that the Dark Side can be so… slow to poison someone. To take away and to steal from you. Yet, it was never that which I feared. It was never seeing you again.”
“Can I say that I love you? Just this once.”
“I love you.”
Marcellia breathed towards her hands, staring at the frost that covered them.
"I am at peace, for I know emotion."
"I have power, for I am serene."
"I can embrace mortality, for I know death."
"I am balanced through the Force…"
"I am… Marcellia."
She closed her eyes, resting her head into an eternal sleep.
The hologram finished its recording, causing the cube to go inert once more. Griggs gently wrapped the blanket around it, hugging the object close to his heart. He reaches over towards the lamp, turning it off.
“Sweet dreams, mom.”