“Knock, knock,” he rapped his knuckles on the open door frame as he entered the room. She was laying on the bed, wrapped in blankets and propped up by pillows. Slowly he walked to the bedside, debating about disturbing her. He stopped at the foot of the bed, she hadn’t so much as twitched, the rise and fall of her chest steady and deep. She was soundly asleep.

He paused, hands clasped before him, unsure if he should linger or leave. His Mother had told him about the accident. How horrible it had been, it should have been fatal but she was still alive. Nothing short of a miracle. But Mother did have a knack for over embellishing though. A sharp fang dimpling his lower lip, he frowned, he should go last thing he wanted to do was wake her.

He should go. As he turned to leave he heard a slight rustle, ear twitching he stopped. Slowly he looked to the bed, she had moved head turned towards him. He watched as azure eyes slowly opened, blinking to cast off the remnants of slumber. They settled on him, a few moments later a smile crept along her lips, that blossomed into a huge grin. “Hey Riv.”

“Hi Syarra,” he returned her smile.

She slowly pushed her body upright. He moved to help her, but she waved off his gesture of assistance. “It is okay,” she breathed, “I can do it. The sooner I can move myself around properly the better.”

“At least let me fluff your pillow,” he leaned over her. She kept her body propped up as he reached behind her. Quickly he grabbed the pillow closest to her and smartly pushed the ends inward, before returning it to the bed.

She leaned backwards, wincing as she settled. “Thanks.”

“You are welcome,” he hovered over her, wanting to kiss her but unsure if he should. He watched her azure eyes twinkle as she tilted her head towards him.

“You can,” Syarra winked.

“Oh, how did you...” Riv started, eyes wide.

Syarra canted her head to the side, striped brow quirked as she held back laughter.

“Oh yes, right. You would think I would remember, I occasionally forget. When we were growing up you couldn’t. To be honest I am not completely used to it.”

“It is quite alright Riv, now get over here.” Syarra beckoned him with her fingers.

He quickly closed the distance and gently brushed his lips against hers, tentatively he deepened it as he cupped her cheek in his hand. A heartbeat later he ended it, gently kissing her on the lips before dropping his hand. Her eyes seemed to shine as he looked down at her.

“It is good to see you too Riv, I take it you missed me?” She grinned up at him.

“I did actually.” He smiled back at her, “Mother told me what had happened. I actually had time and I wanted to see you.”

“It is good to see you.” Syarra nodded her head in agreement, “How have you been?”

“Busy, rather stressed, but well. I heard what had happened. I wanted to see how you were doing.” Riv shifted his weight onto his other foot.

“You can sit if you want.” Syarra’s smile widened as she slowly patted the mattress next to her. “It isn’t like there is a chair in here.”

“Alright.” He gathered the front of his robe as he sat on the edge of the bed.

“Are you afraid you are going to wrinkle yourself?” Syarra asked, chuckling as he perched upright.

“I am actually,” Riv carefully adjusted the robe he was wearing, “I have to head to the Senate Tower after this. My fellow colleagues will notice if I am wrinkled.”

“Is it that bad if they do?”

“Usually no, I am just not up to the verbal sparring that will accompany the discovery.” Riv sighed. “I do not get along with everyone.”

“And you would prefer not to deal with those people today?” Syarra asked.

Riv nodded, “Some days I like to just go to work and not have to deal with any nonsense.”

“I completely understand.” Syarra sighed as she sank further into the pillows. “There are people I work with that I’m not always in the mood to deal with.”

“I do suppose that is a perk of being injured on the job, you can avoid dealing with certain colleagues while you recuperate.” Riv smiled at her.

“I would not exactly call it a perk, being injured, but it is nice to have some downtime.” Syarra sighed as she shifted on the bed, wincing. “I just wish I didn’t have to get hurt to get it.”

“So how much downtime are you going to have? Are you going to be planetside for awhile?” Riv’s smile unconsciously grew, “I am going to be here for the next couple weeks. I could sneak you in some food from the vendors outside the Tower if you want.”

Syarra laughed, then clutched her midsection. “Everyone falls victim to those food vendors. That sounds really nice Riv, but I am not going to be staying here much longer. In a day or so I will be headed back to the family Estate.”

“You will not be staying here?” Riv’s smile faltered, as his shoulder sank slightly. “I was under the impression that you were going to be.”

“That was the initial plan, yes. I managed to talk the medic into signing off on letting me spend my recovery on Cathar.”

“That is a pity. You will be here for another day, that is it?”

“Yes, that is it. That doesn’t mean that you can’t visit again later.” Syarra smiled at him, moving her hand off her abdomen and resting it on top of his. “I am fond of those vendors and I have been cleared to eat pretty much anything.”

“Want to have dinner then?” Riv asked, his shoulders straightening, “I can stop by after my meetings this afternoon and pick something up.”

“That sounds really good. Want to call it a date?”

“It is definitely a date. What do you want? I will pick up anything you want.”

“Oh surprise me, can’t handle anything really spicy yet though.”

“Alright I will pick up whatever smells the best.” Riv grinned, “Never know what might be on special.”

“Sounds good, it will give me something to look forward to.” Syarra ran her fingers over his. “If you want you could grab a holovid too. I get a bit bored in here.”

“Are you really stuck in bed the whole day?”

“Not really, but I have to have someone with me.”

“In case you need help?” Riv asked, he canted his head to the side, “I bet you hate asking for help, don’t you? I never remember you being one, to be to thrilled, to have to rely on other people."

“No, I don’t like it, but it is not for to much longer.” Her fingers squeezed his, “If you want you could help me later, we could go and watch the holovid on the big terminal in the main room. The couches there are more comfortable than this bed too.”

“I think we can manage that.” He shifted closer to her, “When you head home to the Estate who are you going back with?”

“Jax is heading back to Cathar,” Syarra smiled, then her voice lowered, to an almost controversial tone, “he is going back to talk to Mom and Dad.”

“Is he? Why? What does he need to talk to them about?” Riv leaned forward curious.

“You have to promise you can not say a word of this to your parents, it will crush my Mother if the surprise is ruined.” Syarra whispered.

“I promise, I will not say anything. So what is going on?” Riv asked.

“Jax is going to be talking to them about a Lifemate ceremony.” Syarra beamed, “I can’t believe he is finally settling down. Mom and Dad are going to be surprised.”

Riv nodded in agreement, “She will be surprised for about two seconds then she is going to start calling everyone she knows.”

“Which is why you can not tell.”

“I promise I won’t.”

“Good,” Syarra smiled.

“Do you know when they are planning on having it? I want to make sure I will be able to attend.”

“I think in a few weeks, part of why he is going back, to work out the details.” Syarra sighed. “Part of me still can’t believe Jax is going to be getting married. I am so happy for him.”

“It is hard to believe,” Riv nodded.

“What is hard to believe?” A voice echoed from the threshold.

“Oh, that Jax is going to be getting married.” Syarra turned to look at the unknown speaker. A rather tall Human, draped in a black robe, was standing in the doorway. He pushed long pale fingers through loose long ginger haired locks.

“Oh yes,” The tall Human nodded, “It is surprising, you do have to admire his determination though, she used to rebuke him constantly.”

Riv watched him walk into the room, swaggering as if he owned the place. The Human stared at him as he sauntered over to Syarra’s bedside, his dark blue eyes slowly looking him over. As he reached Syarra, his tall frame leaned over, long pale fingers brushed against Syarra’s cheek. The Human finally broke eye contact with Riv when he bent his head to kiss Syarra, her surprised gasp turned into a pleasured moan before the Human straightened.

Riv’s eyes widened as he bolted to his feet. “Oh, I… I didn’t...” Why in the hell was he kissing her like that?

“Ka’van...what are you doing here?” Syarra started before she was interrupted by the Human.

“Sorry, what can I say, I missed you. I also come bearing gifts.” He pulled a crinkling paper bag out of an inner pocket of his black robe.

“But you shouldn’t...” Syarra protested.

The sweet scent of warmed cinnamon hit Riv’s nose as the bag was placed on Syarra’s stomach.

“Oh, more of those sticky buns.” Her azure eyes widened, “Thank you. Thank you for bringing me these buns, I love them, but you just can’t barge in here like that.”

“Barge in…” the Human trailed off.

Riv hovered near the side of the bed watching.

Syarra glanced up at him, fang dimpling her bottom lip, her fingers began a silent battle, intertwining over the brown vendor bag. Azure eyes briefly closed, when they blinked open, Syarra looked up at Riv out of the corner of her eye, before her attention returned to the tall Human standing before her.

The Human pushed his fingers through his loose red hair, before taking a deep breath and smoothing his black outer robe. “I thought you would be here alone, and hungry. I wanted to surprise you.”

“Well you did,” Syarra murmured, “surprise me. You definitely surprised me.” Her fingers stopped fighting, momentarily forced apart before she grasped the paper bag on her stomach. “I didn’t even hear you enter, much less smell you or the sticky buns. How did you even do that?”

The Human gave her a half smile, Riv noticed it didn’t even come close to reaching his dark blue eyes.

“Well, that is a secret. But don’t worry I won’t do it again.” He picked at a piece of lint on his black robes. “I do hope that you enjoy the sticky buns.”

“Ka’van, I didn’t mean to, that came out wrong, I just didn’t expect you to just stop by and...” Syarra started.

“You did.” He reached up in a stopping gesture. “It is okay. I shouldn’t have assumed that I was free to stop by unannounced.” Long pale fingers reached to his shoulders, grasping loose material. Slowly his hands rose, pulling up a black cowl. “I just picked them up, they are still warm.”

His hand disappeared into his robe pulling out a Holovid. He handed it to Syarra. “It is Game of Sith, all of this season’s episodes to date.” Silently she took the vid from his fingers. “Do take it easy, since you are headed home to Cathar I will not be able to fix any popped stitches.”

“Thank you Ka’van,” Syarra intently looked at the Holovid, “I promise I will not pop another stitch.”

“You are her medic?” Riv ventured, not entirely sure he wanted to start a conversation with the red haired Human.

“Yes, I am her medic, when she lets me.” he answered.

“Were you there when she was injured?” Riv asked, hand twitching at his side.

“I was yes.” The Human nodded.

“You are the reason she is still alive aren’t you? I was told that she was badly injured, but I wasn’t told any details.”

“The details are not mine to share, can’t really release those details to non family. Even family friends.” The Human stared at him, Riv couldn’t get a good read on him, his face was emotionless. “Just immediate family.” The Human chewed in his bottom lip for a moment before he stiffly extended his arm out to him. “I might be wrong, but you are Riv correct?”

“I am Riv, Riv Krausal.” He extended his clawed hand grasping the Human’s. “And you are Ka’van right?”

“Me?” The Human gave him a sad smile, this one did reach his eyes. “My name is Ka’van, I am not that important though.” Ka’van firmly shook his hand before letting go.

Riv’s brow furrowed, “You are a medic though, that is a very important thing to be.”

“He is more than that,” Syarra spoke from the bed, “He is being modest. He is a Master of the Jedi Order, sits on the Council.”

“You’re a Jedi Master?” Riv’s eyes widened as he stared at the Human.

“He is,” Syarra confirmed, “and a friend.”

“I am, though I will admit I am not a very good Jedi. A pretty bad one actually. Not a very good friend either, barging into other's houses unannounced.” Ka’van sighed, “At least I am a decent medic.” He reached up pulling his cowl lower nearly covering his eyes.

“Do Jedi normally greet each other in such a manner?” Riv asked frowning, “Even the ones who are friends?”

“No not normally, like I said, I am a pretty bad Jedi. And a friend who forgot their place. Tython can be a rather small place, a simple arrangement to scratch the itch. You know the one I am referring to. It has never been more than that. In fact I encouraged her to see you.” Ka’van’s hands lowered, disappearing into his robe’s sleeves when he clasped his hands before him. “If I remember I said the two of you would have cute kids.”

“You know me?” Riv stared at him, trying in vain to place the tall Human. “I do not recall meeting you before.”

“I do, we were never properly introduced. Her parents’ Lifeday ball, at the Roark Estate on Cathar. Like I said, not very important. Just friends with Jax and Syarra.”

He turned slightly towards Syarra, “Enjoy the Holovid. I will forward the rehab course you should follow. Please follow it.”

“You are not going to stay?” Syarra asked from the bed. “I didn’t mean for you to go.”

Ka’van’s head canted to the side. “I have intruded enough. You are in capable hands.”

“I am supposed to be leaving sometime tomorrow.” Syarra slowly set her Holovid on her lap.

“Then I bid you safe travels.” Ka’van bowed, to each of them in turned before he smoothly turned on his soft-soled boot.

“Does that mean you will not be visiting me on Cathar?”

“Only if I am invited.” Ka’van stopped moving to answer, not bothering to look back at either of them.

“Of course you are, knowing you I am going to be cleared for light sparring in two weeks. Can I count on you to be a sparring partner for me?” Syarra cautiously asked.

His black clothed head dipped, “Yes I will be a sparring partner for you. Com me when you are settled and I will make arrangements to come to Cathar.”

“Thanks Ka’van.” Syarra smiled at the back of the Human’s head.

The Human never made a move, he simply nodded again before silently walking out of the room.

The room grew quiet, the sweet smell of the warm sticky buns filling the silence. Riv looked at Syarra, she was watching the empty doorway.

“Is he always like that?” Riv asked.

“He can be moody yes. I think he honestly wanted to spend time hanging out, I actually got in trouble the last time I tried to watch this.” Syarra held up the Holovid. “Popped a stitch while watching the first few minutes of it.”

“Really? Is it that good?”

“Oh yes, it is really good. Have you not had a chance to see it?”

“No, been to busy.”

“Well I suppose we have our Holovid for tonight.” Syarra set it back down on the blankets. “I will wait until you are finished with your meetings.”

“Is he going to be okay?” Riv asked, looking up at the empty doorway, the Human’s sent trail was beginning to fade.

“Yes, he will be fine. Like he said we are just friends.”

“And the comment about the kits?”

“Oh,” her azure eyes rolled, “he said that. He will be fine, we are friends. Trust me by tomorrow he will have forgotten about it.”

Riv continued to look at the empty doorway, “He really said that?”

“He did, I think he was trying to annoy me.”

“Are you sure he has not been talking to my Mother? I am pretty sure she has said the same thing.” Riv shook his head.

“I highly doubt that. Don’t worry about him. It was nice of him to let me have the Holovid. Want to watch it later?”

“Yes, we can watch it when I return tonight.” Riv looked down at Syarra, “I do need to get going though, I have a meeting in the Tower soon.”

“It was nice to see you, I look forward to seeing you tonight Riv.” She tilted her head up towards him, smiling.

Riv bent down, meeting her, brushing his lips against hers. “I will only be a few hours.”

“Okay, see you then,” Her smile grew. “I might be asleep, the painkillers they have me on make me drowsy.”

“I understand, I will see myself out.”

Syarra nodded, she grabbed the holovid and bag and placed them on the table near the bed.

Giving her one last smile Riv moved out of the room and through the quiet flat. He was going to be late if he lingered to much longer.

I borrowed *Game of Sith* from Lesaberisa (Lesabear on Tumblr). A great writer who I have not seen active on the Forums in quite some time. You should go check out her work, she was a frequent contributor to the SFWCthread.

I am really hoping she does not mind my making use of/mentioning it in this chapter.

Violently exhaling he brushed sweat-drenched copper hair off his head, pushing the stray locks behind his ear. Sparring partner he frowned, rubbing the back of his hand against his brow, sparring partner. A karking sparring partner. His frown deepened into a tooth bearing snarl as the training saber crossed in front of his body, the smooth wood, chopping through the empty space before him. He sucked as a sparring partner, everyone knew that. Everyone. People never came to him on Tython to physically spar.

On the rare occasion a Jedi or Padawan did come to him, it was to ask about some rare healing technique or to attempt to pit their telekinetic ability against his. They never lingered long, giving excuses and polite platitudes to remove themselves from his presence. Most people avoided him, almost as if he was a plague, which suited him just fine. He wasn’t overly fond of most of the Jedi Order.

The ones who didn’t seek him out for his knowledge with the Force, the ones who only wanted him for his carnal knowledge, they disappeared even faster when they got what they wanted. At least they were honest about it though.

They didn’t call it something else, they called it what it was, no strings attached sex. Not a sparring partner.

The sparing saber stopped mid arc, as it crossed his chest. He wasn’t a fracking sparring partner, he was a fracking idiot. He was, the tip of his sword dropped with hollow thud upon the wooden decking as his hand dropped. He was a complete idiot and now he was here, on Cathar. Just showing the universe what a complete idiot he was.

Of course she would ask him to be a sparring partner, it made perfect sense. He was nothing more than her medic, on occasion, and an idiot friend. An idiot friend who left when he wasn’t wanted, he didn’t make a scene, who didn’t embarrass himself or her. Asking him to come here, now, well it was the perfect way to send him packing. No way he would make a scene, he was now in her familial home. He was friends with her littermate, so he wouldn’t do anything to embarrass himself in front of their family. He wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize that relationship.

His head bowed forward, chin touching his chest. He wasn’t sure how much longer that relationship would last after his visit here. Being asked to come here, to help her recovery. It was the perfect window in which to end the arrangement that they had.

He should have seen it coming, he really should have. He was too damn confident in his ability to please her, to assured that their friendship was stronger than durasteel. He knew what he could do to her, oh she loved it, no one had ever educated her in using the Force that way. He was utterly naive to think that would have been enough. It wasn’t and it never was going to be.

There were things his fur-covered rival could do, that he never could. She would never have to be careful with him, his hide would be able to handle those razor sharp claws, unlike his damn delicate skin. His sides would be covered in thin scars if he wasn’t so damn good at healing, and kept ample kolto on his bedside table. No matter how good he was in the sack, she could never really let her guard down, she always had to hold back.

Even if that was enough, even if it was, one day she would wake up and it would no longer be enough. He knew damn well how important family was to her, she had bent the rules to be with her family. He of course had signed off on it. She should have stayed on Coruscant and then went to Tython to finish her recovery, but no he signed off on her returning home.

He should have gone home and stayed there. But like an idiot he agreed to come here, to help her and be her damn sparring partner. He should leave, he really should. Com Kira or even Nadia have one of the girls come and practice with Syarra. But he was here, and he knew he would stay here until he was dismissed. He definitely would not overstay his welcome, or ever assume, that he was important enough to her, to ever drop by unannounced.

He couldn’t, he would be upset and lash out, things would be said that he didn’t want said out loud. No he would keep his mouth shut, help her with what she needed and when she was on the mend, leave.

A deep breath in through his nose, he picked up the end of his training saber, stepping backwards as it rose off the wooden decking. He would leave, staying would only compound the situation. He knew Jax was here to talk to his parents about the marriage plans he had. With his Human partner. Syarra was here, she wanted to be part of the preparation, not that he blamed her. She wanted to help with Jax’s pending nuptials, with a Human. His fingers tightened their grip on the leatheris wrapped pommel, a sharp crack split the air as his hand sang.

Transferring the training weapon to his left hand he brought his right upward, squinting at it through sweat-dripping lashes. A nasty cut ran along his palm from his thumb to his pinky finger. Salty droplets dripped onto the bleeding gash, adding another level to the pain. Closing his eyes, he relished in it. He pulled on the agony as he felt the warmth slide down the exposed skin in his wrist.

It was comforting, absolutely forbidden here but oh so comforting. He felt the sudden surge, the smoky siren call of the Dark Side. It hovered on the edge of his perception; waiting, anticipating. Briefly he reached out, opening himself to its sultry warmth. It burned as it flooded his core. Cracking open his eyes he watched the blood run down his arm, as sweat slowly plopped onto the cut.

Taking a deep breath he relinquished his gasped on the cracked wooden training weapon. It clattered to the boards at his feet. Covering his right with his left hand, he again closed his eyes. A red mist flowed out of and around his splayed fingers. Sucking in a shuddering breath he braced himself for the burning sensation that accompanied Dark Side manipulation.

Dark blue eyes opened to regard the newly healed palm, aside from the blood still running down his arm, there wasn’t even the tiniest indication that there was ever an injury there. Biting his lip he wiped his arm against his sweat soaked shirt.

No, he didn’t want to be here while they discussed the ceremony with Jax and his Human partner. He wanted to be far away from here. With that discussion, he shook his head, it will most likely contain the inevitable dismissal. The confirmation that she no longer needed him. That his task would now be taken on by her fur-covered lover. The lover that had a connection to her family, they actually like her new lover. Her family had been trying for years to join the two families. What a better time to make something like that official?

It would be nearly perfect, Syarra casting off the unimportant dalliance on the side for a more serious, better suited, romantic relationship. One that would make both the families happy, one that would make her happy. She was always happy when the new lover was around. He knew how much Syarra loved her family and as much as it infuriated him, he knew one thing that her damn, fur-covered, new lover could do that he could never do. He would never be able to give her children.

Ever.

Humans were biologically incompatible with Cathar; had to be a baseline Human species like a Zabrak or a Chiss to create offspring. Unless one relied of Sith alchemy, like the outcast Jedi did eons ago with the red-skinned Purebloods, to create their progeny. That wasn’t something that could be brought up, he could only imagine that conversation.

Shaking his head, pale fingers reached out, the cracked weapon returned to his hand. Adjusting his grip on the pommel he stared through the blade, eyes unfocused.

He could never bring that up; he could never properly introduce her to his family. If she ever did meet his Buir, or his stepfather, it would be under a ruse of some sort, like when she met his brother. She hadn’t even know it was his brother. He knew damn well how Jax felt about Imperials, a sentiment shared by others in the Roark household. He didn’t even want to imagine what would happen if they learned what he was.

No, he was an idiot. It was better this way. His Vod was right, he needed to clean up the mess he was in. It appeared the Force was on his Vod’s side, presenting this situation. Everyone would get what they wanted; Syarra would get someone worth being with, his Vod would be satisfied when the hook-ups ended, the mess contained, his Buir would be happy, one less reason for him to loiter in Republic held space. Even Jax would be thrilled, his fear that his littermate was going to have her heart broken by his philandering friend, alleviated.

Apparently the Force could care less about him. The others were more important. It didn’t matter he had saved her from a fatal injury, that he had almost killed himself healing her. Perhaps it was his penance for his duplicitous life within the Republic.

A bitter barked laugh escaped his lips as his eyes finally focused on the ruined blade. The crack ran the entire length. Completely split in half and utterly useless.

Jax had always been so worried about Syarra’s feelings being hurt, no one had ever given a second thought to his.

It was so naive of him to think they ever would. The people who cared about him were on the other side of known space. What was he expecting anyway, when he walked into that room? A proclamation of love? Not that, he was never going to get that. Passionate kisses when no one can witness them, that is what he gets. It was utterly stupid of him to kiss Syarra like that in front of the Cathar, but he knew, he knew based on the reaction where he really stood. She was awkward and nervous like a kid getting caught in the cookie jar, the Cathar was honestly shocked. There was no happy, ear reaching smile, no joyous hello, no stolen second kiss, no excited plans being made to stay in and watch the holovid all night. Like they did when he was confined to bedrest.

He was such an idiot. If he didn’t hate him so much, he would actually feel bad for the Cathar. The shock that rolled off that man; the Cathar had no clue that Syarra had slept with anyone else recently. He was still surprised at his ability to hold it together that day. To explain away his familiarity with Syarra so neatly. There was no need to make a scene, to tell her new fur-covered lover the truth, that he had been sleeping with her for almost a year.

He was so furious with himself for even considering anything else. He was just a friend, so why make things uncomfortable? The deal had always been simple, sex, just sex. It had never altered or changed, and he knew that arrangement would be ending.

There were other arms he could crawl into for comfort. When he was ready to. He sucked in a deep breath, closing his eyes. He knew a pair of azure arms that would welcome him back in a heartbeat, arms he had been avoiding for months now. He had been terrified to even talk to the Twi’lek, after hearing his mumbled confession in his sleep.

Perhaps he was being punished for that as well.

Bringing his left hand up he wiped his face. He would rectify that situation as well, after he left Cathar. He would seek Dekk’lar out on Nar Shaddaa, attempt to make amends. If he could.

He had to get through this situation first. Get her set up with her rehab regimen and once he was certain he was no longer needed, leave. Leave that very same day. His grip tightened on the saber, the split pommel shifting in his hand. He had to avoid intimate contact with her, no kissing, no hugging and he had to tell her no. He would have to find a way to creatively turn her down and not sleep with her, even if she was insistent. He couldn’t. It would make the looming dismissal that much more painful.

If he couldn’t find a way to turn her down, gently, after all the months they had been sleeping together, he knew she would say something to Jax. In turn Jax would get really angry with him, for hurting his favorite sister, Jax’s prophecy fulfilled. If that happened, depending on how angry the stubborn spacer got, he would lose him as a friend as well.

His eyes squeezed tighter, as the Force surged around him. Gritting his teeth, he funneled all of his anger into the broken weapon. Seconds later, the faint crackling of a burgeoning fire filled the silence. Opening his eyes, he watch violet lightning continue to engulf the blade. Smoke drifted upward as he glared at the weapon, lightning gave way to rapidly growing flames. He held onto the weapon, its destruction accelerated. Soon the entire blade was nothing more than a ravenous flame and still he held on, the fire licking between his fingers but not burning.

Moments later he finally opened his hand, nothing but smoke and ashes drifted away. Exhaling a breath he didn’t know he was holding he pivoted on his foot. Now he had to go and find another practice blade, he knew there were more on the Ember Fist.

Feet heavy he walked up the lowered gangplank of his ship. The weapons were on the lower level. He sighed, he would just finish practicing on his ship today. No reason to go back outside. It wasn’t the heat, the jungles on Dromund Kaas were far hotter, he just didn’t feel like being around anyone, not anymore.

Mindlessly he walked through his ship, footfalls nearly quiet. In the back of his mind he could hear Kiernan chastising him for being too loud. He hated the fact his Vod was right, he was to loud, and he was only wearing soft leatheris boots. His Vod was completely silent in heavy beskar’gam.

His defeated sigh echoed loudly through the ship. He just needed to stop thinking of what everyone else could do. He needed to get through the rest of his workout, then go to bed. She would still kick his rear, but he at least wanted to attempt to be a halfway decent sparring partner.

Crossing over the threshold of his workout room, he headed to the paltry selection of training weapons. He really should not have burned the broken one. Eyes closed as he shook his head, that was also stupid to do, Qyzen might have been able to fix it. It would never be very strong, but he could have used it while practicing forms.

Hand raised, he gestured towards the rack, a blue-taped, black, wooden training saber flew to his outstretched fingers. Looking to the nearby crate he found the dormant sphere and it’s remote. Reaching with his left he pulled the remote across the room. It obediently transversed the room to rest in his left palm.

“What are you doing in here?” a quiet feminine voice shattered the quiet.

He nearly jumped out of his skin. He had never heard her approach, he never felt her presence. Kark it all. Making sure he kept his back to her, he swallowed before attempting to answer. “Broke my training saber, needed to get another one.”

“You broke it?”

He felt her step closer.

“How did you manage that? You are not normally very rough on training equipment.” She asked.

“Unlike some people, who cause the poor training droids to run away,” he snorted.

“Hey! I have apologuised for that many times.” She stepped next to him, “So why are you practicing, it isn’t something you normally do, is it?”

“Nayc,” he shook his head, still not turning to look at her, “it is not.” He looked down at the training remote in his hand, thumb depressing the activation switch. The droid began to quietly hum as

it rose into the air.

“You are actually going to practice with that thing?”

“’lek, I am. I need the practice, especially if you really want me to spar with you.” Ka’van shook his head, eyes closing as the droid neared the ceiling. Tucking the remote into the waistband of his leatheris pants, he placed his hand onto the pommel.

“You are going to practice right now?” Her tone disbelieving, “I came here to talk to you.”

“You are supposed to be on bedrest, walking around to find me, that is not resting. You should go back to bed Syarra.”

“No, I do not want to. I have this feeling you have been avoiding me. I can’t figure out why and it…”

“it is infuriating you?” He finished her sentence.

“Yes it is.”

“I am not your brother, you are not going to be able to poke around my head and hear what I am thinking.”

She sighed behind him, “No kidding.”

“Have you been trying?” He frowned momentarily before his arm shot upward, deflecting the green bolt back towards the floating droid.

“Maybe, once,” she sheepishly admitted, “got me nowhere though, it is like trying to look through duracrete. Then I realized how upset you would be if I was successful. So I decided I needed to come find you.”

“Do you need something? I am still trying to figure out why you are out of bed. You do not seem to be in pain. I highly doubt you miss me.”

“I have barely seen you since you landed. Have you been avoiding me?”

“I am letting you rest. You are not quite to the point where you can spar, another day or so and you will be able to. I am rather rusty.”

“Ka’van please look at me, please.”

Grunting, he opened his eyes. Turning his head he looked at her over his shoulder as his hand flew up to deflect the plasma bolt back towards its creator.

“You know using your hand kind of defeats the purpose of that thing.” She looked at him a cautious smile on her lips that quickly faded.

“I realize,” he reached into his waistband pausing the droids program. “Do you realize the last time I have actually had a real sparring partner?”

“No,” She shook her head, “how long?”

“Years,” he frowned, “it has been years. Do you really want me to practice with you? Or did you just say that so things were less awkward?”

“Awkward?” She looked at him, her mouth open slightly before it closed quickly.

“I realize the thing we have, it is mutual and noncommittal. I just thought that if one of us wished to terminate the arrangement we have, we would be honest about it.”

“It is, mutual and non committal. Why are you wanting to break it off?”

“Are you?” he turned away from her.

She stepped closer, stopping right next to him. “I’m not. Why would you think that?”

“Why?” He snorted, “I walked in on you and Riv, I could have done without that.” Ka’van sighed thumb pressing the activation switch, the combat remote sank to his waiting palm. “I know we are not exclusive, but I have never shown you any of my other lovers.”

“I didn’t mean for that to happen. I really didn’t, he knew I was there. Wanted to see how I was feeling. Really.”

Ka’van held his hand up, “I understand why he was there, I could have used a heads up. I wouldn’t put you in that situation. It is awkward and uncomfortable for everyone involved.” He looked away from her, moving across the room back to the crate where he stored the training remote and the black saber. “Then you ask me to be your sparring partner.” Setting the droid on top of the crate he, gently placed it’s remote beside it. “Do you realize that, on Tython,” he looked down at the training saber, “when other Jedi wanted, intimate attention, they sought me out, asking me to be their sparring partner.”

“What?” She whispered as she again followed him across the room. She stopped next to him. “I honestly had no idea.”

He watched her hands fidget with each other as hovered by his side. Turning his head away from her he wiped his brow.

“Stars, no wonder you have been avoiding me. I didn’t, I didn’t mean it like that. I really didn’t. I didn’t expect you to follow me here just to warm my bed.”

“Then I really do need to practice,” Ka’van sighed hand moving towards the black training saber.

“No, no you really don’t. I do want to spar with you, the you that has not been practicing.” She stepped around his side, hand still fidgeting. “I know you are not very good, thought it would be a good gauge for how well I am healing. Kira would kick my *** right now.”

“Really?” he finally turned to look at her, she was standing beside him, wearing loose-fitting sleep pants and baggy top, a white compression bandage still wrapped about her middle. “I am horrible at one-on-one saber duels and you still want to honestly practice with me?”

“Well yeah, you are one of my, well not to sound like I’m still in school, but best friends.”

He canted his head to the side, “What does school have to do with that?”

“Right,” her hand moved upwards, clawed fingertips sliding through the end of her thick chestnut braid. “I do occasionally forget that you grew up on Tython. I didn’t, and in school, especially elementary and secondary the term gets tossed around a lot. But,” her claws flipped the end of the thick plait, “I digress, we are friends, good ones. I didn’t realize until just now that I hurt your feelings.” Her hand dropped to her waist, claw playing with the bandage, “It never occurred to me that I should have commed you to let you know I had company. You were right I should have.” Her hand returned to her braid, azure eyes dropping down to inspect it. “I don’t think I would have liked to walk in with you and one of your … bed partners.”

“It is not very enjoyable, trust me.” Ka’van frowned.

“Speaking of bed partners, I am surprised he is not here. Your families are close and he seemed awfully concerned about you.”

“He is, but he has work to do on Cosuscant.” Her hand stopped moving as she brought her gaze up to look at him, “Our families are close, but we are not.”

“Oh? I had thought things were getting serious between the two of you?”

“No not really not yet,” she sighed, “yeah I know I know, you keep telling me the two of us would have cute kits.” She shrugged, “not really wanting to settle down with anyone right now. You know that.”

“You have told me that in the past, yes. I thought things might have changed. Would you tell me? If they did?” Ka’van quietly asked.

She nodded, “I would. I promise. I will also not let that,” she waved her hand, “situation happen again, I promise.” Her brow wrinkled momentarily, “You wouldn’t like something like that happen would you?”

“Nayc,” he shook his head, “I wouldn’t.”

“Good I really don’t think I would like it either.” She stepped closer, her restless hand gently moving a sweat soaked copper lock off his forehead. “I’m sorry. Do you forgive me?”

“’lek,” he nodded, “I do,” gently pulling his head away.

“Where are you going?” Her face bunching up in confusion.

“Well you want me to remain terrible at sparring, so I was going to go shower. I am soaked.” He took a small step backwards trying to subtly create distance between the two of them.

“You are pretty sweaty, and musky,” she growled low in her throat, quickly closing the gap he had created. In a swift motion she rose to her toes and kissed him.

He groaned when her hands ran up his chest. Again he tried to back up, breaking the kiss he gently grabbed her hands. “I am all sweaty and stinky.”

“You ever consider I like the way you stink?” She murmured as she pulled herself closer.

“No actually,” he shook his head as he mumbled against her mouth, “I thought you might dislike it.”

“Quite the opposite actually,” she breathed against his lips before kissing.

Closing his eyes, he bent forward cleaning sweeping her up in his arms.

A surprised laugh escaped her lips, “Where are we going?”

“I am going to take a shower,” he answered as he started walking out of the room.

“Is that all you are going to do?”

“Nayc, I am depositing you in the bed, where you are supposed to be.”

“You are not taking me to the shower with you?” she pouted.

“I am not, you are going to the bed.” he shook his head. His long stride consuming the distance across the ship to his quarters.

“Let me guess I am going to have to go to sleep there.” Syarra grumbled.

“Only if you want to, never said you were going to have to stay there alone.” He adjusted his grip on his large frame, hoisted her up higher in his arms, “I am going to go take a shower. Was debating about joining you there afterwards.”

“Really?” She smiled up at him, stealing a quick kiss.

“Really.” He smiled down at her as crossed the open threshold. “But you really do need to rest, have to keep the activities to a minimum.”

“I can do that,” she smiled.

“Good,” he bent over his bed gently depositing her onto the black blankets. “I won’t take to long.”

He turned walking to his private refresher, as he neared the door she called out behind him. “Not taking a change of clothes.”

He paused, looking over his shoulder. “Are you actually planning on letting me keep them on?”

A large mischievous grin broke out on her face, “I had not planned on it.”

“Then I am not going to bother with them for now.” He smiled at her before looking away. Biting his lip he repressed the urge to sigh. This was the absolute last thing he should be doing right now. The absolute last thing, but, she was not casting him aside. So for now he was not going to do the right thing, he was going to do what made him happy.

Bloody karking hell, how hard was it to find such a freaking tall ginger haired Human? He was on Cathar and there barely any Humans even here. The damn ginger should stick out like a sore thumb. But yet he couldn’t find him. If he wasn’t walking around the Estate, wasn’t in the main house, or even on the extensive balconies, where could he possibly be? As usual he wasn’t answering his com. Jax was starting to wonder why he even bother to carry the damn thing. Growling he raked his clawed fingertips through the back of his black mane. He knew he was here, his parents told him that he had been here the last couple days.

Where could he be? The claws reversed their direction before flying from his head. “Oh karking hell, you have got to be kidding,” he muttered under his breath.

“His damn ship is here, I can’t find him. He is probably there, hopefully alone.” Jax turned, walking towards the furthest landing pad at his parents home, Ka’van always used the one farthest away. Jax swore he did it to annoy him. Nearly jogging he crossed the long walkway; there in the distance was the Ember Fist, parked, powered down and gangplank lowered.

That had to be where he was. Hopefully. If he wasn't there he had no idea where the Human had wandered off too.

Leatheris boots, echoed off the lowered gangplank as he nearly ran up the into the quiet vessel. Where was he in here? His ear flicked, he didn't hear anyone. Frowning his nose scrunched up, that damn ginger had better be alone. He didn't need to see that again. Ever.

Carefully he made his way to the Jedi's sleeping quarters. The door was closed. Inwardly he cringed. Bracing himself he inhaled deeply. His littermate's scent was in the ship, it seemed to be stronger on the other side of the door. Blast it! He didn't want to see that.

Staring at the closed door, he ran his hand through his mane. Nope, he couldn't do it. Not today. Turning on his booted sole he went to leave when the door opened with a quiet hiss.

“Hey,” his ginger haired quarry muttered. “What are you doing here Jax?”

“Looking for you, figures you are here.” Jax frowned.

“Well yeah, it is my ship. Where else would I be?” Ka'van rubbed his eye. “What are you doing here?”

“Looking for you,” the tall Cathar frowned, curious if his littermate was in there but not really wanting to know.

“Well you did find me.” Ka'van yawned, “found us both actually. What do you need my friend?”

“Why did I interrupt something?”

“You did actually.”

Jax's frown deepened. “Are you karking kidding me?”

“What? I was sleeping,” the Human moved his hand touching the loose shirt he was wearing, “I am actually clothed, even wearing my sleep pants.” Ka'van stepped aside, gesturing into the dimly lit room, “She is sleeping. Clothed. I would very much like to go back to sleeping.” Ka'van sighed, pushing loose ginger locks away from his face.

Jax peered into the darkness, there curled up in the dark bedding was his littermate sound asleep. Syarra was nearly cocooned in blankets, mouth slightly open as she softly snored. Beside her he could see blankets pulled back and the indent in the unoccupied pillows, where Ka'van's head had been moments before. Sheepishly he looked at Ka'van, sighing he opened his mouth before closing it a moment later.

“Here,” Ka'van slipped out of his sleeping quarters, past Jax's massive form and into the hall. With a slight motion of his right hand the door slid shut. “Now if we are quiet we should not wake her. What is it that brought you here?”

“Well, I um,” Jax looked back at the closed door then to his tall Human friend. “You know that we are planning our Lifemate ceremony right? Rish and I?”

“I do,” Ka'van nodded, stifling a yawn with his hand.

“Well… um… I was wanting to know, well it would mean a lot to me if you would stand with me during the ceremony?” Jax stumbled over the words.

“Stand with you?” Ka'van looked at him intently, trying in vain to stop another yawn.

“Well, um yes,” Jax ran his claws over the nape of his neck. “Rish is asking her really close girl friends to stand with her and I was wanting you and Dek and Zev to stand with me.”

Ka'van's dark blue eyes widened, “Ohhh. Stand with you, like be part of your wedding ceremony?” A huge grin broke out on Ka'van's tired face, “Yes my friend, I would be honored to stand up with you.”

“Really? Oh great!” Jax sighed, “I really didn't know if you would want to.”

“Nonsense, I am flattered that you want me.” Ka'van's smile faded slightly as another yawn emerged. His pale fingers covered his mouth. “Do you require anything of me right this moment?”

“Well no not really.”

“Oh good, could I possibly go back to bed? Please?” Ka'van yawned again, this time tears formed in the corners of his dark blue eyes.

“Yeah, you can go to bed.” Jax nodded.

“Thanks,” Ka'van took a step closer, wrapping his right around around him and patting him on back with his left hand. “I am very honored that you want me with you Jax. Very honored. But I am very tired. Still on Coruscante time, we will talk more in the morning?”

“Yeah, we will.”

“Have you asked the others yet?” Ka'van yawned as he broke his embrace.

“No not yet.”

“Okay, you go and call them, and I will sleep. Good night Jax.” Ka'van moved his hand, the door slid open. “Night,” he muttered as he walked back into the room.

The tall Human flopped into the bed, barely managing to pull the blanket up over his waist. Beside him his littermate moved, her hand reaching out to wrap around Ka'van's middle. Jax heard her move before soft snores again filled the air; a duo of snores. Ka'van was sound asleep.

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Marksman-H_combat_remote

The Cathar sat back in her chair, eyes closed as she slowly ran her fingers over the fragrant wood of the small box in her lap. She paused, those azure eyes opening up to study the rough spot she felt on the inside of the lid. She grabbed the small piece of sandpaper and began gently smoothing the spot, testing it a moment later. She smiled as her fingers resumed their perusal, the setting sun coming in the window glinting off a sharp fang. After thoroughly checking every surface twice, she was satisfied the box was ready for the next part.

She straightened in her chair, getting her tall frame comfortable as she set the small box on the workbench. She tilted the desk lamp so it shone directly the box, then opened the drawer to her left and took out her carving tools. Leaning forward, she began to work, her long dexterous fingers gripping small knife and scratching into the pale wood with small precise strokes. She smiled as the sweet earthy scent filled her nostrils, the tip of her rough pink tongue sticking out a little as she concentrated on carving the design into the gift she’d made from a huge branch that had fallen off one of the old trees on her family’s estate during the last storm. She glanced up at the sketch she’d taped to the wall in front of her from time to time as she brushed curled shavings away whenever she finished a pictogram.

Each symbol, each simple picture had a meaning. They were of the old written language, used by her ancestors centuries ago, long before Basic was commonly spoken amongst her people. The hieroglyphs were handed down, generation after generation, the clan Elders painstakingly recording and teaching the old tongue to anyone willing to learn. Like her Mother, she enjoyed learning about and keeping the old traditions alive. It was why she entered the Blood Hunt when it was revived on Cather soon after the reconstruction began and her people began settling back on their homeworld. It was also why she clashed with the Order’s views on intimate relations.

For hours she worked, whittling the design, her focus never wavering as muscles stiffened and the yellow fur on her brow was damp. She wanted to have the gift ready before guests started to arrive on the estate, especially the man it was for as she’d be hard pressed to keep her mind shielded from him with all the excitement ahead. She’d had little time over the past few days with the ceremony preparations, but the bulk of it was finished so she managed to sneak away to work on this little project and hoped to finish whittling in the design at least. The carvings would have to be smoothed before she could stain the wood, but that wouldn’t take her long and should have plenty of time to dry before the rush of excitement of her littermate’s nuptials began…..she hoped. Otherwise, she wasn’t certain when she’d have time to finish the gift since she was due to return to Tython the day after the Lifemate Ceremony.

Finally she was finished, pleased at the story each side told and her smile broadened as she studied the top of the lid. Then a small pang of sadness hit her as her thoughts turned towards the box’s intended recipient. She’d come to care deeply for him despite knowing their current arrangement wasn’t permanent….something they’d both agreed upon from the start since neither wanted any sort of commitment. He’d become a good friend though and she wanted something for him to remember her by after the passion cooled between them and they moved on. Are you so sure you can still do that?

That was enough to make her pause her careful perusal. If she were truly being honest with herself, the answer to that question was more uncertain than she’d like and one that had been plaguing her since Ka’van’s visit to Cathar during her recovery. Which was the crux of her troubles, because Syarra was certain her Jedi lover was starting to pull away.

During his visit, he'd seemed detached and there was also his statement about Riv being a good match for her….. the second time he'd hinted at that since her injury. The only reason she could think of for Ka'van to bring Riv up was that he wanted to end their arrangement without causing any drama that might harm his friendship with her littermate. So he deflects her onto Riv, someone she's already been with a couple times and a man her family approves of…..then he is off the hook so to speak. Syarra felt her temper rising a little as she pondered her Jedi lover’s possible motivations, then reminded herself that she didn’t know if that was even the case. Unfortunately she wasn’t about to confront Ka’van at this point since she didn’t want to cause a rift between him and her littermate before Jax’s Lifemate Ceremony, which was only a few days away.

Riv Krasul was on her mind as well and he was a whole other issue that unfortunately tied in with her current Ka’van dilemma. Sure, she found the tall, handsome Cathar very attractive and he was definitely a fantastic lover, as well as a friend, but Syarra wasn't sure if he was the mate for her. Yes his family was close with her and she genuinely liked the Krasuls. Yes, she would be able to have a litter of her own someday with Riv, something that could never be possible with her Human lover. All things considered, Riv was pretty perfect, save for one not so little problem. The proverbial fly in the ointment for Syarra was his career, one that he was quickly rising in. She respected politicians…..well the honest ones at any rate, but Syarra knew the role of politician's wife wasn't for her. Hosting parties she barely tolerated attending, making sure she was free for society functions, forging ties with other political families…..just thinking about it gave her a headache.

No, that life wasn't for her. Syarra was a Jedi Knight, and while she would always be a part of the Order, she knew it wouldn't be the same if they allowed her to take a mate. They would want her to be their voice in the Senate, something that made her fur twitch after what happened to Jax, Zev, and Dek. She would die a little inside if she had to give up her current role in the Jedi Order to become their political liaison.

Syarra sighed, wishing she could easily slip into Ka'van's mind to understand why he was pushing her away. She didn't feel that she'd pressured him in any way or try to take their casual relationship to another level. You have shown some jealousy before though. She ignored the nagging voice in her head as she carefully wiped down her tools before putting them away, then stood and stretched, wincing as her stiff muscles protested. She flexed her cramped fingers and decided to take a warm soothing bath before going to bed.

A rich, smoky aroma filled the study, the light, cool breeze coming through the two open windows ensured the cigarra smoke didn’t grow too thick. It had been a nice evening so far, dinner in the lavish dining room for the immediate family and ceremony participants after the rehearsal was finished.

Once the five course meal was consumed, the gentlemen were all invited to retire to the study while the ladies adjourned to the conservatory overlooking the garden. Jarod Roark pointed out the small bar with a very expensive collection of whiskey, scotch, port, and brandy just waiting to be savored and enjoyed. The tall Cathar clapped his son on the shoulder as they both offered each man a rich cigarra, one that Ka’van hadn’t procured in a long time. All in all, it had been a good evening so far…...except for the fact he hadn’t been able to spend any time alone with the groom’s lovely sister.

He’d arrived with just enough time to be shown to his room in the guest wing, quickly wash up and change before heading out to the perfectly manicured front lawn where the ceremony would be taking place. He did, however, have a few moments to spare for the beautifully wrapped gift box that had been left on the center pillow of the large bed.

A smile he was hard pressed to repress lit up his face as he recalled unwrapping the package to find a lovely wooden box with astonishing artwork painstakingly carved on five of the six outer surfaces. The smile broadened as he remembered the note handwritten on a small piece of flimsiplast he’d found after opening the lid.

Meet me in the gardens at midnight.

~S

Ka’van knew it would be cutting it close since the after dinner festivities would no doubt be going on for at least another couple hours, but no way was he going to miss a moonlight rendezvous with Syarra. If things were still hopping a quarter hour before the appointed time, he’d make his excuses…..completely plausible as he’d been travelling for the past nineteen hours. Once he’d found a secluded hallway, he’d cloak his presence and sneak out to the gardens.

Teasing guffaws broke into his reverie and for a brief moment, he wondered if it was directed at him for woolgathering during a party. Then he heard a deep voice growl, “bite me, sir,” and turned in time to see the tawny Cathar give the tan skinned Zabrak the middle finger salute with one hand while the other was dashing the smudge of berry lip gloss off his furred cheek. The movement drew attention to his face and Ka’van could easily see the tension there.

“Relax Aric,” Zev grinned at his XO, having noticed the same as Ka’van, “Elara gave her a check up earlier and said everything’s fine…...she’s just going to be tired easier now that her time’s so close.”

“And she made me promise you’d enjoy yourself this evening,” Jax added. “So don’t make me go back on my word to my cousin…..you know she tends not to forget that stuff easily.”

“I hate to break it to you son,” Jarrod chuckled from across the room, having easily heard the exchange with his sharp hearing, “But that’s a woman thing…..so you’d better get used to it real fast.”

“You got that right,” Zorin Krasul and Raul echoed, each raising their rocks glass in salute.

The motion caught Ka’van’s eye and an unexpected flare of jealousy shot through him when he noticed the Senator was accompanied by his son. Troubled by the unexpected emotion, Ka’van made his way over to the bar, grabbed a rocks glass, and poured himself two fingers of the first bottle within reach. No strings attached, he reminded himself for what seemed like the millionth time since he first found out Syarra had been intimate with Riv Krasul, she’s free to sleep with anyone she chooses…….as am I. Refusing to give in to the petty emotion, he tossed back the liquor in one swallow and proceeded to pour another, this time mulling over his choices as the man of the hour put in his two cents.

“Yeah, but Rish isn’t in the SIS,” Jax countered, “I’d hate to see what a riled up, hormone driven Natasha could do to me.”

“Good point,” Zev agreed, “Let’s not forget Dek’s bachelor party…...either of them.”

“Exactly,” Jax grinned, tossing a cigarra over the still anxious Cathar, “So light this, grab a drink, and loosen up Aric!”

Feeling mellow from the alcohol now softly warming his belly, Ka’van reached for another rocks glass and filled it with a rich brandy before topping his own off, then handed it to the now sheepish Aric, “Here…..this goes really well with those cigarras.” Then he turned to his friend and a sly grin crossed his features, “And you shouldn’t be afraid of your cousin after all you’ve been through…...wrestling whampas, stealing from a Sith Lord, going down with a burning sky barge as it plummeted into a canyon….hell, we first met because of those damned rakghouls on Taris!”

“Don’t forget the rakghouls tunnels on Tatooine,” Corso reminded him, a small shudder coming over him at the unpleasant memory.

Feminine laughter rang out as the statuesque Cathar turned to open one of the many floor length windows in the lush conservatory. A gentle breeze brought the sweet scent of the many fragrant blooms from the gardens into the room. Satisfied, she turned to her cousin and gestured for the other woman to sit next to her.

“This should cool you off a little,” Syarra grinned at the very pregnant Cathar, “Not that I can blame you, that was one hell of a kiss Aric planted on you.”

“More like she planted on him,” Sienna teased.

“I believe it was mutual,” Mako piped in.

“Definitely a steamy kiss no matter who instigated it,” Syarra conceded.

“Now now,” Sharon sighed, taking pity on the flustered young woman, “Natasha can’t help that her hormones are out of control…...not an easy thing to handle, especially with such a handsome Mate. When I was pregnant with you girls and Jax, there were times that Jarrod just had to look at me the right way…...”

“MOM!” Sienna and Syarra croaked.

“Oh please,” Sharon rolled her yellow eyes skyward before giving her Mated daughter a pointed look, “I know full well that you kept Raul busy in the bedroom when you were pregnant with the boys…...sounds travel when you forget to make sure the door is shut completely.”

“Thanks a lot Mom,” a mortified Sienna muttered, the hint of a blush becoming visible under her cream colored fur as she poured herself a larger glass of wine.

“Nothing to be embarrassed about,” Sharon reassured her, “Every woman gets that way, no matter what species. Ours just has a harder time resisting it.”

“Tell me about it,” Ondia Krasul agreed, smiling into her drink, “Pregnancy hormones and attractive Mates are always an interesting mix.”

“Well I can attest to the fact that Aric definitely fits the ‘attractive Mate’ bill,” Syarra smirked, her lips curving in a knowing grin, “I’ve seen that bod without a stitch on so I know exactly what he’s packing…...and I’m not talking about his assault cannon either.”

“Ah, the towel incident,” Elara nodded, her pale cheeks coloring a little, “Did you know he was so embarrassed that he couldn’t look at me directly for weeks afterward!”

“WHAT?!” Natasha choked on her drink, eyes widening as she regarded the two women.

“Oh this I gotta hear,” Risha grinned, “So spill!”

“You heard the Mate to be,” Sienna nodded, having come to know her cousin’s husband quite well and was curious as to how her littermate had seen the rather private man naked.

“It was the day I joined Havoc,” Elara began, “Zevryn had agreed to assist me with my belongings and told Aric to go ahead and start getting the ship ready for travel. Apparently he decided to grab a quick shower before returning to the base and was in such a hurry that he forgot to grab a towel before he got in.”

“I can’t blame him for that,” Syarra admitted, “I think I showered at least three times before that stench was out of my fur.”

“It must’ve been awful,” Elara conceded, “The smell of Taris was bad enough for me and I don’t have your keen senses. Anyways, I guess Aric went to grab a towel after his shower only to realize there weren’t any in the cabinet.”

“Oh geeze,” Natasha snorted, “I can just hear him growling now….”

“He was,” Syarra laughed, “Kira and I were on planet and I’d spotted Zev coming out of the base. I ran over to say hello and saw Jax coming out of the building with Corso. They were both carrying a trunk and after finding out they were all helping Elara move her things to Zev’s ship, I offered to help as well. Kira and I had grabbed the last of the stuff, which was a couple lighter boxes, and we hurried ahead so we could open doors for the rest. I opened the door to Zev’s ship and went up the steps just in time to hear a completely naked Aric shouting for the protocol droid.”

“He wasn’t completely naked,” Elara countered.

“He was when I saw him,” Syarra grinned, “He was wiping his face with that little hand towel…...he didn’t move it until I spoke up.”

As soon as she stepped into the garden, Syarra slipped her strappy sandals back on. She hadn’t wanted anyone to hear her leaving the mansion so she opted to go barefoot after she left Natasha and Aric’s room, knowing the heels would make too much noise. An hour of girl time had worn her pregnant cousin out and Syarra volunteered walk her up the stairs. Her brow furrowed a little as she worried about how much she’d had to use the Force to give the other Cathar an energy boost and wondered if those kits would be making an entrance in the very near future. She paused, contemplating if she should go back in and tell Aric, but then decided against it. She’d hate to make a fuss and have it be nothing but typical pregnancy stuff…..and Natasha had insisted she felt fine other than being tired. Trusting the other woman to know her own body, Syarra continued on, figuring she would at least mention it to her Mother in the morning.

“Force knows I’m no help in the pregnancy department,” Syarra sighed. Maybe it was Natasha about to give birth, maybe it was all the talk earlier about pregnancy, maybe it was her littermate’s impending nuptials, but Syarra found herself having thoughts of what a life without kits would be like. She knew the only way that’d be possible in her current situation was with Riv, who would certainly be a good mate, but Syarra also knew she wasn't suited to be a politician's wife. A bit of wistful thinking made her wonder what it would be like if Ka’van was a Cathar, but then she reminded herself that their agreement wasn't of a permanent nature. Not wanting to dwell on things that could never be, she continued on further into the garden.

A half an hour later had Ka’van making his way along the stone path, figuring that two hours was enough of an appearance with the guys. Half of them probably didn’t even notice anyone left, he mused, having noticed several of the liquor bottles sitting on the bar were empty when he walked past it on his way out the door. He looked around as he continued on, appreciating the beauty all around him. The last time he’d sought her there was during the Lifeday ball the Roarks had held, but that was during the winter season and the garden was vastly different in warmer seasons. He passed the occasional lamp post, but unlike that last time, they were dormant this evening and his only light came from the moon and stars shining down from a clear sky. The path veered a couple of times, once to a beautiful fountain, the other to a small pond. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, reaching out with the Force to seek her familiar signature. His lips curved upwards as he continued along the main path towards it. At the end, it curved to the left and there he Syarra waiting for him in the small gazebo in the far corner of the lavish garden. His smile broadened when he realized it was surrounded by lush trees and flowering bushes in full bloom, making it completely unseen from the mansion.

“You look deep in thought,” he called out softly as he entered the wooden structure.

“Not really,” she shrugged, “just enjoying the peace. I always love coming here and I can’t wait for you to see it tomorrow when we have the lights on.

“The box is beautiful, I will treasure it always,” Ka’van told her as he sat, “Did you do all the carvings yourself?”

“I did,” Syarra beamed, “I made the entire thing out of a branch that had fallen from one of the oldest trees on the estate.”

“It’s truly a work of art but I had no idea you had such a talent for carving and woodworking.”

“Well, it’s not something I’ve been able to do much of lately,” Syarra admitted, proud that she hadn’t lost the skills over the years. “Woodworking was part of my arts rotation in my first year of secondary school and I loved it so much that I continued it until I graduated. That bowl on my dresser at Jax’s place…..the one I keep my sachets in…”

“Right next to the basket where I put my stuff when I sleep there,” Ka’van nodded. “That is one of yours?”

“It is, one of my first projects in school actually.”

“A natural talent then if that was your first,” he smiled, remembering the intricate floral design on the small wooden bowl.

“Thanks,” her smile broadened, “It's been a long time since I've made a piece and I worried that I'd be too out of practice." She elaborated when she saw that ginger brow raise in question, "Unfortunately, it takes a long time to finish a piece and it’s hard to stop once you start….”

“Time that was probably hard to come by during while at the Military Academy,” Ka’van guessed.

"And on Tython," she nodded.

"Really? I had a fair amount of downtime during my studies."

"I started a bit later than you though and had to use my downtime catching up to my peers," she reminded him. "I've actually been thinking about setting up a work bench for myself on the ship. Kira can fly just as well as I can and Rusk took turns in the cockpit after he joined us so I have more time to myself in flight. Making that gift for you made me realize how much I missed woodworking."

"You should," Ka'van agreed, "The pieces I've seen are beautiful and I am honored you gifted me with one."

"You've done so much for me and I love my new saber crystal….. not to mention you repaired my hilt, which couldn't have been easy given the damage and it's age," she replied, her features sobering a little as she continued, "We haven't had many Force sensitives in my family and I'm the only the fourth to be trained. My great-great-great grandfather was the first and the clan Elder made that hilt for him. He passed it down to his son to keep safe shortly before he became one with the Force. His son gave it to his grandson a few years later and like his predecessor, passed it on before becoming one with the Force. My great aunt became the next recipient and the family had thought it lost forever during the Sacking of Coruscant but it was found in the ruins of the Temple by a Jedi who recognized it. He returned it to my family and when I finally agreed to go to Tython, my father gave it to me."

"I always sensed it was important to you," Ka'van admitted, "and when I saw it lying broken on the ground, I couldn't just leave it there. So I secured it in the inner pocket of my robe before I started healing you."

Fear spiked through him as memories surfaced, the image of her sinking to the ground with a vibro sword still running through her body would haunt him for the rest of his days. Swallowing hard as he pushed down the multitude of emotions that always accompanied that particular memory, Ka’van continued, “I had no idea if the shuttle would make it in time…...no idea if we’d even survive….”

“But we did,” Syarra interrupted thickly, still shocked that she was still amongst the living. “And the only reason I did was because of you.”

Not wanting to think about it anymore and needing the physical connection, Ka’van pulled her closer, bringing his mouth down to hers for a kiss they’d both been waiting all evening for. Few words are spoken after that, the couple focused on each other, fully taking advantage of the privacy their location provided.

For anyone curious about the towel incident and/or the rakghoul tunnel story, those were both stories I posted in the SFC thread so feel free to click on the links to read them. Ka’van and Jax's first meeting can be found in the guys’ saga, Deception in the Ranks. The link to that story thread is in my signature.

Syarra sat on her bed, brushing her long mane, only half paying attention to the other two women in the room as she gently coaxed the tangles out. She grabbed the headband off her nightstand and secured the thick chestnut waves away from her away from her yellow furred face. She stood, setting her brush on the nightstand before walking over to the full length antique dressing mirror in the corner of the bedroom. She smiled at her reflection, admiring the golden headband with its pink jewels that matched the fabric of her gown.

She closed her eyes, daydreaming of what would come later that night. She was excited about her brother having his Lifemate Ceremony with Risha, but her thoughts were of someone else and she couldn’t wait to feel his strong arms around her again. Couldn’t wait for those ocean blue eyes to gaze down at her hotly before his mouth met hers. Gods, she loved when he kissed her…..whether gentle or demanding, either from him was enough to weaken her knees. They had a fair share of those kisses, and so much more last night when they snuck off to the gardens for a midnight rendezvous and she couldn’t help but smile at the recollection of being with her lover in the pale moonlight.

The Order stressed celibacy, saying intimate attachments could lead to the dark side, but she failed to see how making love could ever be wrong between two consenting individuals. Procreation was part of life, of survival, and when two beings had a spiritual connection, passion became a part of it. It was part of nature itself, not of the Darkness. Her people held deep attachments and once a mate was chosen, it was for life. The Lifemate Ceremony was a celebration of the love between Lifemates, much like a wedding. Unlike marriage however, it transcended any legal document. There was a bond created between Lifemates, a linking of two souls to one another until they both became one with the Force and Syarra failed to see anything Dark about that. It was the people that allowed love, passion, intimacy, and attachments to take a Dark turn, neither the emotions nor acts themselves. The Order was so very mistaken in their abstinence policy because the joy she felt whenever she was with him, it was so radiant…..so full of Light.

“Oh, I know that look,” Risha’s snarky voice broke into her musings, “You’ve got it bad.”

“Huh?” Syarra eyed her brother’s intended, blinking as she came back to the present. She’d been so deep in thought she’d forgotten the other two women in the room. Embarrassed at being caught woolgathering, she grabbed her lip gloss and went back over to the dressing mirror as she felt her face heat up.

“You were a million miles away,” Risha quietly pointed out as she turned back towards the mirror to finish putting on her makeup, “and judging from the look on your face, you were reliving something really good. My money’s on a certain tall, ginger haired Jedi……”

“You could be onto something,” Mako nodded, studying the Cathar closer and noting the rosy flush barely visible under those yellow furred cheeks, "someone's blushing and it's not the bride."

“Shhhh,” Syarra hissed as she looked around, thankful her littermate wasn’t back from tending to her brood yet.

“I’ll take that as confirmation,” Risha grinned.

“Of what?”

“Of the fact that you’re gaga for Ka’van,” Mako giggled.

“I am not…..we’re just friends, that’s all,” Syarra insisted.

“Right,” Risha rolled her eyes, “Because I always have that dreamy look on my face whenever I think about a friend.”

“She’s got a point,” Mako smiled, “You may be friends, but that look on your face a minute ago was of a woman in love.”

“But…..I can’t be,” Syarra protested weakly, closing her eyes as she sank into the chair. A familiar laugh came in through the open window and her heart gave a flutter as she instantly recognized its owner, his image entering her mind as his earlier words echoed in her ears.

“It’s going to be difficult dancing with you this evening without wanting to do so much more. Perhaps I should whisk you off when no one’s paying attention and make you mine all over again.”

Those last words kept repeating over and over in her mind as she recalled the joy……and love she’d felt for him…..with him last night.

“Oh no,” Syarra gasped, her eyes popping open, “No, no, no, no……what am I going to do?! We agreed this would be no strings attached!”

“Apparently your heart changed its mind,” Mako patted her shoulder, “Happens to the best of us.”

“Well, it better change its mind back!” Syarra panicked, “You know Ka’van, Risha…..he’s not exactly the settle down type and for Cathar, once the bond is formed…..that’s it!”

“I’m afraid it doesn’t work that way,” Risha sighed, “And it’s not just that way for Cathar. Humans might not have the bond you do, but love is love. I tried my damnedest to ignore my feelings for Jax. I had plans, a future that’d been set in motion the day I was born, and none of it involved getting married to my spacer partner…….and yet here I am, getting ready to tie the knot with a man I can’t possibly live without.”

“Same here,” Mako nodded, a dreamy smile of her own lighting up her pixie face as she thought of her husband, “First time I had to tend to one of Dekkyn’s injuries that required him to be shirtless, I had a hard time taking my eyes off that bod and my heart was thumping like crazy. Scared me because I thought mixing business and personal life was a huge mistake. Physical attraction wasn’t a big deal for me to put aside, but after working with him, I realized what a good man that quiet Zabrak is. I mean, come on…..he took Gault on despite the fact he was supposed to be our target! Nope, beneath all that heavy muscle is one giant teddy bear and I was hooked fast.”

“I’m glad you ended up with Dek,” Syarra smiled at Mako, “He always was a shy guy……and I’m thrilled Jax finally found his Lifemate in you, Risha.” The statuesque Cathar sighed sadly, adjusting the halter strap of the backless pink satin gown as she stood, “But there’s a huge difference……Ka’van’s not in love with me.”

“I’m sorry,” Mako hugged the distraught woman, “I wish I knew what to tell you, but I don’t know Ka’van all that well.”

“He’s not an easy one to read,” Risha sighed, shaking her head, “I think the only one who’d have any wisdom for you on that front would be Jax.”

“Jax can’t find out,” Syarra insisted, “Swear you won’t tell him…..both of you!”

“I’m not going to say anything,” Mako assured her.

“It’s not my place to tell him, Syarra,” Risha replied, “but you really should sit down and talk to your brother about this.”

“You were there when Jax walked in on me that first time Ka’van and I….uh…got together,” Syarra protested, “and he's been grumbling about it ever since. How do you think he’s gonna take this?!”

“Oh, I remember that night alright,” Risha snorted, “Instead of a much needed, very long bubble bath, I ended up dealing with your freaked out brother. It took me a good hour to calm him down.”

“It’s because he’s an overprotective idiot!” Syarra growled, pacing in her agitation, “Who can’t seem to get it through his head that I’m a grown woman who can screw whoever the hell she wants…..even if they happen to have the dubious honor of being one of his friends! It was the same thing when Zev and I hooked up while we were in the Military Academy, as soon as Jax found out, he was a complete turd about it!"

“It’s not necessarily that,” Risha disagreed, suppressing her snicker at some of the times the siblings have blown up at each other, “It’s more like Jax not wanting to lose a friend if things go badly. He loves Zev and Ka’van like brothers, but you’re his blood and when you hurt, he hurts.”

Syarra sighed, her anger deflating, “We’ve always been so close. Don’t get me wrong, I love Sienna, but Jax is more than my littermate, he’s my best friend too.”

“You two were always inseparable,” a gentle voice came from the doorway and Syarra turned to see her mother smiling as she entered the room with her sister, “From the time the two of you kits were able to walk, wherever one went, the other was right behind. Sienna was always quieter, preferring to watch rather than participate.”

“That’s because I always knew they were going to wind up getting into trouble,” the petite cream colored Cathar rolled her eyes, eyes the same sunshine yellow as their mother, “I was playing it smart.”

“More like you were waiting for the perfect time to tattle on us,” Syarra snorted.

“That too,” Sienna grinned, stepping aside so Akaavi could enter the room, “and speaking of the perfect time, everything’s ready.”

“Corso, Guss, and Bowdaar are waiting outside,” Akaavi nodded, “I will wait here with you until it’s time to walk you down.”

Mako hugged Risha, then headed out to find her husband before the ceremony started. Sienna followed her, wanting to make sure her kits hadn’t tried to sneak into the kitchen again. A surge of emotion hit Syarra suddenly and she had to blink back tears as she gave Risha a quick hug before leaving. Sharyn kissed her son’s Lifemate on the cheek, giving her shoulder a squeeze before following her daughter out of the room.

As soon as they were in the hallway, Sharyn turned to her daughter, not missing the dampness on Syarra's cheeks and having a very good idea what was behind the sadness in those azure eyes. Sharyn reached out, cupping the face that bore the same markings as her two littermates, markings inherited from her own bloodline, gently wiping a tear as it fell, “I’m your mother, Syarra, and that will never change no matter how old you get. You’ve always been my brave girl, but falling in love can be so much scarier than any enemy. Have the faith and courage to trust in your heart as well as the willingness to trust in what is meant to be.”

Part 3: Right before ceremony. Runs almost concurrently with segment above.

Smiling he glided through the loosely packed room, quietly weaving between the awaiting sentient bodies, all sharply dressed in assorted finery; the constant murmuring of their quiet conversation a dull background drone. Before him he spotted Akaavi. Quickening his step he moved toward her. She cleaned up well; he really liked the black pantsuit, he wondered who had convinced her to wear it. His smile grew as he advanced, unconsciously patting the decorative belt on his waist.

He slipped next to her, grinning as he set his hand on her shoulder. Beneath his fingertips the red skin flinched as she jumped. She turned, lips parted to yell when she realized who was standing beside her. Her horned head shook as she sighed. “Like a small child.”

His swallowed a small chuckle, causing her brow to bunch in consternation.

“Gar vurel slanar drashaar laam?” Akaavi frowned.

Ka’van shook his head, winking at her. “Tion’jor ni vurel narir ibac?”

Akaavi’s frown faltered, giving him a small rarely seen smile. Green eyes looking him over, she gave him an approving look. “Looking good today.”

“Vo’re,” his white teeth flashed as he smiled, “You clean up well too.”

“Vo’re,” red skinned hands patted her midsection. “I feel rather ...”

“Vulnerable?” Ka’van laughed, “Can’t wear your beskar’gam all the time.” He patted her on the shoulder, “Not appropriate here. You do look good though.”

Green eyes regarded him with uncertainty.

“I am completely serious. You look good Akaavi.”

Her horned head dipped, “Thank you. Though I am looking forward to tonight.”

“Why? So you can put your beskar back on?”

“Elek.” she muttered.

Ka’van laughed, loudly. Shaking his head he patted her again before withdrawing his hand. “I will be getting a holo of it before the evening is over. Something tells me I am not going to be seeing it again.”

“Seeing what?” A younger voice inquired.

Ka’van looked to the voice, seeing the young blond haired Human who had taken up with Dekken’s crew. Ka’van nodded a greeting before answering. “Seeing Akaavi in such lovely attire.” He turned to better look at Torian, “I have to say I have never seen so many Mandalorians out of their beskar’gam. You both clean up well.”

“Ahh thanks,” Torian looked down at his clothes, awkwardly adjusting his shirt. “As soon as we are done though I am changing.”

“Gar bal Ni binta…” Akaavi muttered.

“Gar cuyir morutar,” Ka’van grinned at Torian and then looked at Akaavi, “Not until I get a holo!” he elbowed Akaavi. His lips parted to tease her further when he felt a familiar presence. Turning he saw Syarra finally emerge from the room all the women had been sequestered in. His grin grew as he looked at her walking through the room, speaking with her mother.

Storm blue eyes gave her a long appreciative once over before he returned his attention to Akaavi. Long fingers deftly dipped into his belt, retrieving a small grey box. He held it out to her, holding back a grin.

She looked at him puzzled, her tattooed brow creasing.

“It will not bite. It is for you. I know it will not bite.” Ka’van waited for her to take it out of his outstretched fingers.

“Unlike its owner,” she muttered under her breath, nearly unheard.

Ka’van winked at her, “You know you liked it, pretty sure you will like this too.”

He watched out of the corner of his eye as Torian’s blue eyes widened, staring at the two of them, confused. He ignored the shorter Human, patiently waiting. He didn’t wait long, Akaavi’s red hand reached out accepting the offered box. Her green eyes intently scanned his face, Ka’van stood there statue still.

He could no longer refrain and the smile cracked through when Akaavi gasped after opening the box.

“A...” She stared at the box.

“I had a feeling my dear.” He leaned in closer. “I do think your employer is only planning on doing this once, thought you might like it.”

“Do you like it?”

She nodded, “Ni…”

“Gar liser,” he leaned over kissing her on the cheek, he whispered in her ear, “It will complete your look, my dear.” He leaned in ever closer, “Vurel ne’waadas ni, ra aliit, mhi gaa’tayl.”

“Vo’re,” she whispered, “Vo’re,” she managed louder the second time. She pulled her emerald eyes away from the box.

“Gar cuyir morutar,” Ka’van grinned, “Enjoy my dear.” He pulled looked away from her across the room. “I must excuse myself.”

Akaavi nodded, not even looking up at him. Ka’van’s grin grew he couldn’t hide it; her surprise at the gift within the grey little box leaving her speechless. He knew it would, it had been a difficult hunt, the beast had not gone down easy. Though, if it had, where would the challenge be? The great beast’s head was currently located at the clan’s camp on Duxn. It had been easy enough to claim a small fang for his own. Small was an understatement, it was the size of his pinky finger. He had cleaned it up; the ivory of the tooth shining, set within was a nearly blood red Mustafar Ruby.

Maybe one of these days he would tell her the story, she would enjoy it. Would probably find it interesting, considering how rare it was to find a kryat out in the dunes. Especially one with such fascinating stomach contents, not only did they find assorted, undigested animal bones, the random bits and pieces of sand people, but jewels, aurodium and a rather ancient set of baskar’gam. There was a story there.

His attention returned to her, she gasped again as she pulled the inlaid tooth free. Ka’van canted his head to the side as he watched her. She held the tooth up by its black chain, emerald eyes wide. “Beskar?” she questioned.

“’lek, it is, thought it suited you better than any gold.”

“Ni...”

Gently he took the thin chain from her fingers. Stepping around her tall frame he gently slipped the small rings over her bare cranial horns one by one, before placing the tooth on her tattooed brow. “It looks great.”

“Is that a kryat tooth?” Torian asked.

“’lek,” Ka’van nodded, not even bothering to turn to look at the smaller Human. “It is.” With a final flashing smile to Akaavi he turned and walked away from the duo.

“Where did he get the tooth?” Torian asked, fingers hovering at his side, resisting the urge to reach out and touch it.

“Knowing him, he killed it.” Akaavi murmured, her hand gently adjusting the newly acquired ornament.

“Killed it?” Torian snorted. “Him?”

“Elek.” Akaavi shook her head at the shorter blond. Her emerald eyes left and drifted to where Ka’van now stood standing beside Syarra. “Him. You know how many Mandalorians are out of their beskar’gam tonight?”

“I do.” Torian frowned, “Why?” his gaze followed Akaavi’s, when they landed on Ka’van and Syarra he cursed under his breath, shaking his head.

“Are you sure?” Akaavi wistfully sighed. It had been a good thing, would have been a good match. She understood though. “Why are you angry?”

“Was going to go over, talk to her. Never get the chance to. He is always there.”

Akaavi barked a brisk laugh, “If you can not see it, no wonder why you do not know how many Mandalorians are here to celebrate.”

“What do you mean?”

She shook her head, “Does not matter.” She turned away from Ka’van and Syarra leaning in close and whispering, “They are both in ceremony, leave them be. Come, need to find our positions, things will be starting soon.”

Now it has been nearly a year since I have looked at and read Mando'a I use Karen's. My notes are still in the translation too.

Gar vurel slanar drashaar laam? - You ever going to grow up?

Tion’jor ni vurel narir ibac - Why I ever do that?

thanks karen uses Vor’e

gar cuyir morutar «you are welcome»

gar bal Ni binta – you and I both

a – but

ni liser va – I can not---- does not work does not check throuh Karen’s spread sheet.

Gar liser – you can. Does work

Vurel ne’waadas ni, ra aiit, mhi gaa’tayl. - ever need me, or clan, we help.

“I have something for you,” he whispered into her ear.

“Do you?” Azure eyes looked at him, an expression haunted them that he could not quite place.

His brow furrowed, “Is something the matter? You don’t seem like yourself.”

“I am fine.” She smiled at him, the expression faded, replaced by a happy twinkle in her eye. “Just excited for my brother.”

“So far things look lovely. Have not seen either of them at all today.”

“Jax will be with the boys in his room. You should really be there too.”

“Probably. I have never been really good at doing what I should.” he grinned at her, white teeth flashing. “This is for you.” He reached into his belt retrieving the second box.

“Ohh, really? I love things in little boxes.” Syarra smiled, nearly ear to ear, as she reached out grasping the offered box. Clawed fingertips brushing along the blue velvet.

“I was counting on that.”

“What is it?”

“I’m not going to tell, if you want to know you will have to open it.”

With a whispering creak the box opened, followed by a sharp intake of air. “Oh wow.”

“Do you like it?”

“Are you kidding I love it.” She looked up over the edge of the box, smiling. For a moment the smile faltered before returning. Clawed fingertips liberated the chain from the box, holding it up to better inspect it. Pink stones sparkled in the light.

Ka’van grinned as he watched the faceted gems sway, a dainty flower chain that would never fade. “Knowing your penchant for pink, I took a guess you would be wearing it for the ceremony.”

“And if I wasn’t?” Syarra…

“I was optimistic you would like it anyway.”

“Well, I do like it.”

“Good.” Ka’van reached out, gesturing towards the hanging chain. “I wanted to give it to you last night, but.. somebody… distracted me.”

“I didn’t hear you complaining,” Syarra chided him, turning her back towards the taller Human.

“I never complain when a beautiful woman decides to have her way with me.” Ka’van placed the necklace around her neck. The delicate chain seemed to disappear into the fur, leaving the sparkling stone flowers glittering along her collarbone.

“How does it look?” She turned, facing him, clawed fingertips gently touching the stones.

“Beautiful,” Ka’van smiled bending forward to kiss those painted lips. She tilted her head back slightly, “Don’t worry I will not smudge your makeup, I know better.” Her grin widened before he closed his eyes, gently pressing his lips against hers. He fought the urge to deepen it, instead he softly peppered her lower lip with soft kisses.

“Thank you,” she murmured against his mouth. Her hands slipped around his waist.

“You are welcome,” he whispered. “But you will wrinkle me.”

She gasped pulling backward, a chastising argument on her lips. His grin grew. “You can wrinkle me all you want after, don’t want anyone unsatisfied with my appearance.”

“You are right. Later,” she smiled. “You should probably go and find my Brother.”

“It is a date.” Ka’van winked, giving her one last peck on the cheek before he turned to find Jax and the rest of the men in the wedding party.

“This ceremony is a celebration of two individuals’ love for one another. It’s not only the physical act of taking one’s mate for a lifetime, but a spiritual meshing of two souls. A blending of two beings into one in a bond that will transcend death itself. The couple before me wishes to declare their undying love for one another, but first we celebrate those mates who have come before them and declared their love.”

The old Cathar paused as couples began to stand, his robe swaying a little in the gentle late afternoon breeze. Risha and Jax, hands still joined, looked out into the crowd. In the front row, Sharon and Jarrod Roark stood, hand in hand as they gazed lovingly into each other’s eyes, their passion never dulling over the years. Right behind them, Sienna was standing with her mate, Raul, who bent down to kiss her as he was still unable to help the temptation. A couple more rows back, Aric was helping his mate to her feet, his arms wrapped lovingly around her as she stood with her back to him. Their hands were joined over her distended belly. The two Zabraks standing with him stepped down to join their wives, Dekkyn surprising them both when the shy giant kissed the dark haired Human. His cousin doing the same with his blonde medic a moment later. More couples joined them, including the Krasuls, the Senator’s face revealing that he was still very much smitten with his mate.

Next to her littermate, Syarra’s heart was bursting with all the love she could feel radiating from the crowd and she couldn’t help but look over at the tall ginger haired Jedi her own heart was choosing. Then she spotted the Krasuls and felt a pang of regret when her gaze fell upon Riv. For a moment she wondered what would’ve been if she’d let her heart open up to him after the night of passion they shared. Riv Krasul was a good man and they could’ve had a solid future, but Syarra’s wayward heart had already chosen. She smiled when her very pregnant cousin caught her gaze, but then she looked at the joined hands covering that large belly and it died on her lips. I will never have that with Ka’van, she thought wistfully, but then shook it off. Today was only for joy, regrets could wait.

“Next, we have the rings, a beautiful token given to each mate by the other. A circle that is never ending as is the bond between Lifemates,” the Elder continued, giving a nod at the couple to step forward. He held out his hand, two rings glistening in his brown furred palm. The bands were identical save for the size, a simple ring made of silver, gold, and bronze braided together.

Jax and Risha each took a ring, each placing it on the left ring finger of the other simultaneously as they both spoke the ceremonial words, “Like this ring, our love and our bond will never end.”

With that, all of the bonded couples raised their left hands and repeated the words and the Elder smiled at all the love surrounding the new Lifemates, “The Ivy Wreath is the final step, where family and friends join with the couple to weave the branches together just as they will help them on their journey through their life together.”

Several people came forward, forming two distinct lines on either side of the couple as the Elder gathered the three ivy branches that had been sitting on a small table. He held up one that had yellow flowers, “Yellow to symbolize family, like the sun which helps life begin and grow…...who will start the family branch?”

“I will,” Sharon Roark volunteered, the willowy Cathar stepped forward, took the branch from the Elder and placed it on the hook.

With a smile, the Elder held up the branch that grew orange flowers, “Orange is for the warmth of friendship, nurturing like fire. Who will start the friend branch?”

“I will,” Dekkyn spoke up softly, the shy Zabrak stepped forward, taking the branch and securing it on the hook with the other.

“The third branch is for the Lifemates, white for the simple purity of their love for one another,” the Elder continued as he handed over the white flowered branch to the couple. Jax fastened it to the hook with the other two and the Elder continued, “Family, friends, and love, intertwine to become a never ending circle.”

Sharon, Dek, and Jax each braided once, then Sharon handed her branch to her mate who’d stepped up to take her place. She hugged her son and his new mate before going back to her seat. Dek handed his branch to his cousin Zev then shook Jax’s hand and hugged Risha before taking his seat. Jax had Risha take their branch and they wove the braid again. After Jarrod came Syarra, then Sienna, her mate Raul, Natasha, Aric, and three of Jax’s grandparents to represent family. Zev was followed by Ka’van, Corso, Bowdaar, Mako, Sumalee, Shariss, Elara, and Akaavi to represent friends. Jax and Risha alternated with each braid and when it was finished, the Elder bent the braided branch to form a wreath, his deft fingers tying it together with little trouble having presided over many Lifemate ceremonies throughout the years.

“Let us all celebrate the new Lifemates, Jaxzin and Risha!” the Elder announced as he handed the wreath to the couple, “May they have a long and happy life!”

Cheers rang out for Jax and Risha as the couple made their way down the aisle hand in hand to lead the party to the reception in the gardens.

A couple hours later saw the reception in full swing, most of the guests having finished the dinner course and several couples were dancing as the orchestra played. One of the couples was moving a little slower than the rest but the happiness on their furred faces was the same. Once the song ended, they decided to take a break and the tawny Cathar helped his very pregnant mate to her seat before going to get her a cool drink.

“I don’t think you have much longer, Nat,” Sienna told her cousin as she sat down a moment later.

“After today, they can make their arrival anytime,” Natasha sighed, shifting in her seat to try and get comfortable with little success.

Sienna’s brow furrowed when she noticed that brown fur puffing out a little, a clear indicator that the other woman was agitated, “I’m not sure you’re going to make it that long…...you feeling alright?”

“I think so…..kinda feel a little restless today,” Natasha admitted, “Probably just all the excitement.”

Sienna wasn’t sure she believed that and was about to speak up when she felt strong arms reaching around her, the black fur on his hands a stark contrast to her own cream coloring as he ran them down her bare arms. The concern in those yellow eyes changing to love as she looked up into her mate’s orange ones, “I was wondering where you went after we left the dance floor.”

“I figured I’d get my gorgeous mate a drink,” Raul grinned, setting a stemmed glass on the table as he sat next to her. “I think your Dad is breaking out the cigarras so I might go join for a little bit…...if you don’t mind.”

“Not at all,” Sienna assured him, “I’m probably going to head in shortly to see how Kestra is faring with the boys.”

“Maybe I should’ve gotten you something stronger,” Raul chuckled at his mate’s expression. “Just remind them that they already lost video game privileges for a day for that stunt they pulled earlier.”

“Oh, I intend to,” Sienna muttered, still embarrassed that the Elder busted her kits trying to hula hoop with the Lifemate wreath from the ceremony earlier. “I swear, I somehow gave birth to three clones of my littermates!”

“I heard that!” Syarra called out as she approached with Aric right behind her, the latter handing a glass to his mate. “And only two are like me and Jax…...Micah is a little tattletale just like you!”

Sienna rolled her eyes at the yellow furred amazon that sat across from her then turned to Raul, “I think that means Syarra won’t mind taking care of the boys next month so we can spend our Anniversary weekend in peace.”

“Sure, why not,” Syarra shrugged, a wicked gleam in those azure eyes, “I’m sure I can teach them all sorts of fun stuff!”

“Gods help us all,” Sienna snorted when the rest laughed.

“Aric, you going to join us for cigarras?” Raul asked as he stood, having seen his father in law waving him over.

“Go ahead,” Natasha urged, seeing that her mate was going to decline. “I think I’ll go inside for a bit…..maybe enjoy some quiet time in the conservatory.”

“You sure?” Aric frowned, not wanting to leave her for long when she seemed a bit off.

“Positive,” Natasha insisted, easing her overburdened frame off of the chair.

“I’ll go with her,” Syarra volunteered, also sensing Aric’s reluctance, “Ka’van’s been gone a while so I’d better go in anyways and make sure he didn’t get lost on the way to the ‘fresher.”

A few minutes later, the three women were slowly strolling along the path towards the house, enjoying the beauty of the garden and the fresh air that was starting to cool now that the sun was setting.

“Good luck,” Syarra teased as her littermate turned down the path that led to the main entryway, “and don’t be too tough on them!”

“I think she just flipped you off!” Natasha laughed despite the growing discomfort that had settled into her back.

“Probably,” Syarra grinned as they continued on towards the entrance to the side entrance that would lead to the conservatory, “Sienna may be a diplomat but she does show off her temper once in a while.”

“Can’t blame her,” Natasha sighed as she rubbed her belly, “Those boys are definitely a handful! Gods help me and Aric if these two are even half that boisterous!”

“Eh, I wouldn’t worry about it much,” Syarra replied, “After all, Aric is used to keeping Tanno Vik in line.”

“I swear that’s a full time job in itself,” Natasha giggled, azure eyes twinkling as she recalled the Weequay’s reaction to the tattoo he’d been the unwilling recipient of a few months ago, “Although he has been a bit more in line after Dek’s real bachelor party.”

“I’ll bet,” Syarra laughed, picking that image out of the other woman’s thoughts as they reached the end of the path. Then she sensed Natasha’s discomfort through the Force, “You okay?”

“Yeah, why?”

“You seem off,” Syarra replied as she opened the door.

“I was wondering if you’d sense that,” Natasha admitted as she entered the house, “I’m just ready to have these kits and feel more like myself instead of a clumsy bantha.”

“You were off last night as well,” Syarra frowned, “Should I go get Mom?”

“No,” Natasha shook her head, frowning as the ache in her back started to spread. “Back’s just bothering me a little more than usual today. I think the kits are shifting and Sienna’s probably right in that they’re going to arrive pretty soon but-”

“That’s more than a backache!” Syarra blanched when Natasha’s words were cut off with a growl. “I’m going to find Mom and Elara!”

“Wait…..don’t leave!” Natasha hissed, hunching over as she suddenly felt an intense cramp in her back that wrapped all the way around to her lower abdomen.

“Oh damn,” Syarra cursed, frantically looking around for someone to help.

“Oh no, no, no, no, no….” Natasha gasped, “Not today…..this is Jax and Risha’s day!”

“I think your kits have other plans,” Syarra informed her, pointing at the puddle that just started to form at her cousin’s feet.

“Oh kark me,” Natasha growled, grabbing her abdomen as pain shot through it.

“Ka’van!” Syarra cried out in relief when she spotted the ginger haired Jedi coming out of the kitchen.

“I swear it wasn’t me,” Ka’van insisted, holding up his hands in surrender as he approached, “I was merely trying to cover up what your nephews did to the cake when your sister came in!”

“What?!” Syarra raised a brow, forgetting about Nat until the other woman squeezed her hand, “Nevermind…..we’ve got a problem here!”

“What’s going on?” he asked, all traces of amusement gone from his tone. Then he got a good look at the brown furred Cathar Syarra was supporting, “Uh oh…...is she……”

“I think so,” Syarra nodded as Natasha groaned again.

“Let me help get you comfortable enough so we can get you to your room,” Ka’van assured the now teary eyed Natasha, “Then Syarra can go find your husband and hopefully a medic.”

“Elara,” Natasha murmured, “and thank you!”

“That’s right, she’s a medic,” Ka’van recalled, then bowed his head, reaching out with the Force to connect with Syarra’s cousin. Connecting with her after a brief moment, he began to dull her pain and check her reproductive system to make sure all was well before they attempted to move her too much. *****les of awareness ran down his neck as he began to realize that she had her own Force signature, a weak one that wouldn’t warrant training but one that he was very familiar with.

“Oh damn,” she cursed softly when Ka’van’s eyes popped open to meet hers, knowing exactly what he’d just discovered.

“Natalia?!”

“Don’t say that name!” Natasha hissed.

“Oh frak!” Syarra swore, forgetting that Ka’van had known Natasha in her old life.

“I take it you know the real her then?!” Ka’van accused, “Why in the bloody hell wouldn’t you tell me something like this? Why wouldn’t Jax?!”

“Because we couldn’t!” Syarra defended herself.

“Why the hell not?” Ka’van shot back, hurt that they didn’t trust him with their secret.

“Lower your voice!” Syarra growled, “The last thing we need is for the entire karking planet to hear this!”

“I don’t give a damn….”

“Obviously,” Syarra shouted, her own anger rising rapidly, “There’s a reason she did it, idiot…...people wanted her dead!”

“Idiot?! Well that’s karking fantastic,” Ka’van spat, “Hiding things from me and now adding insult to injury…”

“Indoor voices for kark sake,” Natasha grunted, clutching her abdomen as her pain intensified once again. “I’d really hate to have to go through the process of dying again!”

“Gods be damned, Ka’van,” Syarra hissed, “Do you really need to know about everything going on in the entire galaxy?! Jax and I didn’t tell you because number one, very few people were allowed to know and number two, it wasn’t our secret to tell…...it was Nat’s!”

“Hello, about to give birth here,” Natasha growled as the contraction passed, “Could the two of you stop arguing long enough to help me get to my room?!”

“Fine,” Ka’van relented as he scooped up the expecting mother, his tone leaving no question he wasn’t going to simply move on. He turned towards the staircase, looking over his shoulder at Syarra who was about to follow, “I’ve got her, just go find Aric and Elara.”

Nat couldn’t help but notice the hurt written all over Syarra’s face before she turned around and headed for the gardens. Feeling guilty she was the reason for their lover’s quarrel and knowing how conflicted Syarra was about her feelings for the man now carrying her upstairs, Nat knew she had to say something.

“At the risk of having you drop me on my *** and leave me to fend for myself, what Syarra said was true…...this was my secret to tell, not hers,” she began, pausing as another contraction hit and noting he’d stiffened a little, “But before you get your boxers in a twist, very few people know the truth and that’s only because they had to.”

“Like you said, this isn’t the time,” Ka’van reminded her, stopping when he reached the top of the stairs.

“Left to the next staircase that will take you to the family wing….I’m the first room on the right,” Nat answered the unspoken question then continued her explanation, “No, it’s not the time but I don’t want to be the reason you two are fighting. Jax and his immediate family obviously needed to know because I was about to become a part of it and his parents were key. Dek and his crew know because they helped me secure a clone…..suffice to say one of them knows a guy.”

Ka’van’s curiosity got the better of him as he started up the second staircase, “The clone was needed to stage your death…..Axial Park was all a set up.”

Natasha nodded, closing her eyes as another wave hit, “Jax, Risha, Corso, and Bowdaar were in on the staging of my death. The clone was never alive, just a body Gault and Blizz brought to Axial Park under stealth. Jax rigged the explosion in the tunnel while Akaavi, Guss, and Bowdaar kept a perimeter since there was fighting in the area at the time. Guss and Akaavi don’t know because Jax doesn’t completely trust Guss and Akaavi never intended to be a permanent part of his crew. Bowdaar was waiting for the clone and took it to Jax in the tunnel. Gault and Blizz moved to a hidden location in the park to wait for the signal….”

“Gault is the shooter,” Ka’van surmised as they reached her room, shifting her a little so he could open the door, having seen the deveronian’s handiwork on Nar Shaddaa, “I’m a bit surprised Jax was fine with being shot though.”

Despite the pain, Natasha grinned, “He wasn’t supposed to get shot, there was a slight miscommunication.”

“I’ll bet that made him happy,” Ka’van snorted as he gently eased her onto the bed, then his brow furrowed, “I was there later that day, Aric’s grief was so real.”

“Because it was real for him,” Nat sighed, wiping a tear as she nodded at the chair. “Aric, Zev, and Elara found out a few weeks later…..after I’d become a Cathar. Obviously I needed Aric to know, he’s why I chose to become a Cathar. As the squad medic, Elara would be able to mandate that Aric go to counseling, which Sienna’s mate provided, and as the squad leader, Zev would have to sign the order. I hated doing that to Aric and it broke my heart but Natalia Bryce needed to be dead and in order for that to happen….”

“It had to be real for the man who loved her,” Ka’van finished as he sat. Then he closed his eyes as he reached out with the Force to dull her pain.

“And it was,” Aric confirmed as he entered the room. He smiled at his mate as he sat next to her, taking her hand in his, “But it was worth it for you to get your life back.”

“I still wish it hadn’t come to that,” she shook her head, giving his hand a squeeze when another contraction hit her hard but noticed the pain wasn’t as intense and knew she had the Jedi to thank for that so she continued her story, “After the memorial service on Corellia, General Garza and Agent Balker took me back to Coruscant where a small team of doctors and scientists were waiting in a secret lab along with Jax’s parents…..it was their DNA that was used for the change.”

“How is that even possible?” Ka’van’s brow furrowed, having never heard of a procedure that could change a person’s species.

“I’m afraid that’s classified,” Elara answered from the doorway, Zev and Syarra right behind her, “Sorry it took so long but I had to fetch my medic kit.”

“I think you made it just in time,” Nat grunted as she felt a strong urge to push, “Because I don’t think these two are going to wait any longer.”

“Everyone but Aric out,” Elara ordered as she began setting up her supplies on the nightstand.

“I can stay and keep dulling the pain,” Ka’van volunteered as he rose from his seat.

“Thank you,” Nat smiled, “But I’ll be fine…..go enjoy the festivities with my cousin. We are here for a Lifemate Ceremony after all!”

“I’m sure my littermate will be okay with being upstaged for this,” Syarra assured her, the smile not quite reaching those azure eyes, “But I’ll let them all know that you are doing well.”

Easily sensing the hurt and uncertainty Syarra was feeling towards Ka’van, Nat met his eyes and continued through their connection, Please don’t be upset with Syarra…..surely you can understand now why this was kept such a guarded secret. Besides, I’m sure there are things in your life that you haven’t told her.

Knowing she had a very valid point, Ka’van bowed, smiling as he turned towards the other Jedi in the room. Without a word, he took her hand and led her out of the room.

Well not sure if they are spoilers at this point, but references that one guy, that guy who is a key component of the Forged Alliances Expansion, and it involves an NPC from an Imperial Dromund Kaas planetary quest.

Sighing she brushed her bangs off her forehead, briefly rubbing trying to ease the tenseness that was gathering there. The trip home had been quiet and without fanfare. As great of a moral booster as it would have been to triumphantly return with celebration and parades, it would have been foolish and utterly irresponsible.

The resort world had been secured and efforts were underway to resume mining. Minimal casualties occurred, which greatly improved the attitudes of the few remaining citizens. As did the efforts to secure the remaining mesas. Salvage efforts had managed to secure to few containers of the precious isotope, in large unwieldy containers, painfully few of the very desired rods and thankfully due to skilled engineers, the fuel rods and processors from salvageable battle droids.

She should be relaxing and enjoying this down time with her kids. She sighed, dropping her hand, her kids. The twins were overjoyed to see her as always, their training had started under the watchful eye of her Father, but they were not the ones that were worrying her. It was her two oldest. She knew her second son was lying to her and worse causing her firstborn to lie. Her precious firstborn, she sighed. Kiernan never lied to her and yet now he was. Covering up for his adopted brother.

She knew she should have pulled Ka'van out of Republic space years ago, he had always managed to talk her out of it. Each and every time a moment had presented itself where he could have slipped away unnoticed; an easily faked death, his actions going unnoticed, fading into the background, the Jedi and their Council distracted by the events in the Galaxy, he had always found a way to convince her to let him stay.

Her hand returned to her forehead, it was maddening. He had taken full advantage of his time there, her adopted foundling, delving deep into the Jedi's archives, managing to learn much from forgotten Sith teachings. Better yet he had managed to make copies of the sequestered Sith artifacts; rubbings off stone tablets deep in the ruins on Tython, dozens of forgotten texts. Genuine Sith holocons now rested in the family’s archives, expertly crafted forgeries sitting in their place on dusty Jedi shelves.

She knew Ka'van kept things from her, so far it had not negatively impacted the family. But now. Now she had concerns. If Ka'van's relationship with Kiernan had been better she would have honestly worried that her adopted son might cause her firstborn to spend too much time in Republic held space. Their past history though, she did not honestly see that becoming an issue.

What could become an issue though… Ka'van would not return home, she had this gnawing feeling in the back of her mind he might decide to stay there. He would never tell her outright, but his visits had become more and more infrequent. He had promised to correct that, to visit more. She didn't think he would forsake them completely but, she sighed, it could be a possibility.

The time might come where she would have to force the issue, but for now she would refrain. The two were off together, afterward Ka'van was to return to the Estate for another week, maybe two. He had actually been on the grounds for well over half a month before he and his brother decided to leave. The fact he had been free to spend so much time at home was unprecedented. Apparently that circus of a Council had decided that he needed time to rest and recuperate. She sighed, rolling her eyes, inane bunch of witless fools.

Shaking her head she continued along the moss covered paver stones, her armored footfalls nearly silent. Quietly she followed the path along the expansive grounds of the Estate, the ever encroaching foliage had recently been cut and burned. Such a pity she did enjoy helping the landscaping crew maintain the grounds.

A rustle caught her ear, turning her head she sought out the source. Most creatures avoided the estate for a healthy half a month after the landscaping crews came through. She heard it again, emerald eyes scanning the ground she caught sight of a rather mud encrusted mouse droid. Her auburn eyebrow shot upward. What was that droid doing here? They were not well suited to outdoor terrain, even the Estate's grounds. Which led to her next thought, who did that droid belong to?

The droid continued to sit under a low lying branch.

“I see you,” she whispered.

The droid responded with a low whistle. Slowly it crept out from it’s cover. It's wheels spinning from the lack of traction. Finally they caught and it jerked forward.

She stared at the droid waiting.

A cautious warble sounded. She nodded, “I am, why are you here?”

With a pop and a click the top of the droid's chassis slid open. Looking around she knelt, peering inside. Emerald eyes widened as she looked up then over each shoulder. Briefly she closed her eyes, reaching out through the Force. Aside from a slumbering sleen on the edge of the grounds, there were no other beings nearby; just her and the mouse droid.

“What the...” she breathed. Slowly she reached inside pulling out a familiar but forgotten token, a small but detailed metal casting of a mask. It had aged with time, a dark patina covered the surface.

A click reached her ear, reaching out through the Force she stopped the droid as it attempted to roll away from her. “I don't think so,” she murmured. Removing her com she quickly queued up a very familiar frequency.

Seconds later a blued form popped into view. “Yeah? What's up?” she chirped.

“Vette, I need to see an old acquaintance.”

“Oh who is that?”

She held up the metal token, quickly showing it to the Twi'lek before putting it into an interior robe pocket.

“Is that what I think it is?” Vette whispered.

“I think so. I need you to come to the South gate and collect the messenger. Slice into it. Only alert me if there is something out of the ordinary.”

“You mean besides finding that thing?”

“Not found, delivered by a mouse droid.”

“Alright I am on my way. Don't do anything too dangerous, like going to investigate strange summons from unknown droids.”

“Vette,” she sighed, “this can not be ignored, for many reasons.”

Her blued form sighed, head momentarily dropping, “I know, I know, I thought we were done with all of them years ago.”

“Me too Vette, still need to go.”

“Are you going to be waiting for me?” Vette questioned, her voice hopeful.

Kit's brow furrowed as she frowned.

“No? I didn't think so. Going off to do this alone then?”

Kit grimly nodded.

“Alight, South gate,” Vette sighed. “Is it in one piece?”

“Vette, I do not destroy everything.”

“If it is a droid you do. You know I am right.” Vette shot back.

Biting her lip Kit swallowed her retort. Vette was right, droids tended to be dismantled and left for scrap. Bringing the droid closer, she physically grabbed the floating chassis. It warbled a whine in response. Holding it up, she showed the protesting machine to Vette. “This is where it is going to be.” Kit turned and walked to a nearby tree, it's craggy and twisted trunk split a very long time ago from an errant lightning strike. Turning it upside down, she carefully placed the droid into a cracked branch near the trunk, making sure to position it wheel side up.

“Oh I know that tree. Be there in a minute.” Before Kit could answer, the Twi'lek's blued form cut out.

The droid whined as it's wheels furiously rolled, but it didn't even wobble in it's new prison.

“Alright...” Kit turned her back on the droid, returning her holocom to her belt, she quickly double-checked her attire. Black robe, black slacks and shirt; no beskar'gam. Frowning she looked back at the Estate. The time it would take to walk back and put it on… her hand rested on her saber hilt, she would be there in only a few minutes. Even getting entangled with the indigenous wildlife it would not delay her as much as returning to the Estate. Sighing Kit shook her head and started down the path off the Estate's grounds.

Shaking her head she started to run, pulling on the Force willing her legs to move faster. She needed to get there before they even suspected her arrival. To receive word after all this time…

The jungle thickened as she continued running, working her way west by southwest. Keeping her head down she constantly ducked overhead branches and pushed aside thick leaves, while jumping fallen branches and over shallow ravines and creek beds. “I'm getting too old for this,” she muttered under her breath as she jumped over yet another shallow ravine and reached out, both hands reaching for a grip when she landed against a steep rock wall. Fingers slipped before finally gaining purchase, a snarled curse slipped from her lips when she broke a nail. Growling she blew her bangs out of her face and looked up, searching for her next hold. Her eyes locked onto a tentative path, taking a deep breath she proceeded to climb up the nearly sheer rock face.

After what felt like an eternity she reached the top of the wall. She knew it had only taken a handful of minutes but the unknown that awaited her was getting to her. Hauling her body onto the leaf littered rock she arranged her legs under her body, showing up rattled and unnerved would not do. She needed to have her wits around her. Closing her eyes she sank onto her rump, exhaling through pursed lips she let herself sink into the Living Force, letting it caress her, the ever present Darkness comforting.

Opening her eyes, she looked to the South. Once a couple years ago she had gone there, gone there and found nothing. For this to happen now, alarm bells were peeling in the back of her mind. Gracefully standing she brushed the accumulated dirt and crumbling leaves off her clothing. Taking one last bolstering deep breath she continued, unsure what she was going to see.

She crossed the rock plateau, pausing at her point of descent. Reaching out she felt only one other sentient, just one. If there were others, they were hiding themselves well. Biting her lip she shrugged to herself before jumping off the plateau and onto a nearby craggy rock face. Carefully she jumped her way down the cliff face, pausing every other jump to confirm that no other sentients had arrived.

When her boots finally hit the jungle floor she began walking forward on the balls of her feet, silently moving through the overgrown clearing. She made her way past fencing that had already succumbed to the encroaching jungle, she walked through abandoned tents and fire pits in horrible states of disrepair.

She should not have come here, but it was something that she needed to see through.

As she approached a sunken tent, half of it broken and leaning on the ground, it’s fabric roof (look up a sw textile) ripped and lying in tatters, the sentient she felt stepped out. Keeping her face neutral she kept all emotions at bay, completely hidden.

The woman's dark skin was only marred by the dark red markings on her face. Her ebony hair was pulled back off her face, a face that seemed rather happy to see her. Perhaps her apprehension was unfounded and this was going to be a pleasant meeting after all.

Kit's eyes subtly roamed over the smaller woman's body, she was immaculately dressed, nothing ripped or torn. She definitely had not been living in the jungle. Kit assumed a parade rest before her, waiting.

The woman cleared her throat before speaking, “I was not sure if my messenger would reach you.”

“It did,” Kit’ar answered. “It was most unusual to receive word after all this time, Tari. I had thought perhaps you had been discovered. I came a couple years ago and the camp was abandoned.”

“Not abandoned, simply moved to a place more secure.” Tari smiled. “Why were you looking for us?”

“I had a most unsettling encounter. I was simply wishing to make sure you still had a certain artifact in your possession.” Kit’ar answered.

“Nothing to be concerned about,” Tari smiled.

There was something about that smile that set Kit’ar on edge, something didn’t feel right.

“I trust you are still holding our existence a secret?”

“But of course I am, I would not betray the organization’s trust.”

“Good.”

“Do you still believe?”

“I do.”

That smile widened, sending a chill down Kit’s back, something was not quite right. Kit pushed it to the back of her mind, she needed to discover why she had been summoned here. “So why did you send a messenger? What is it that is needed after all of these years?”

Tari’s smile faded as she finally took on a serious air. “I would like to know more about the encounter that unsettled you before we get to the business at hand.”

Kit nodded her head, “Very well, I was tasked with securing a facility built within an asteroid.”

“Were you successful?”

“I was.”

“What was this facility?”

“A massive manufacturing facility, for creating droids.”

“What is so disturbing about that? It sounds like a great asset.”

“Who I encountered there, what I was told, that is what I found to be so disturbing.”

“May I ask what you found?”

Kit took a breath, pausing, she knew who she saw there, and who she had killed there. “I saw one who was claiming to be Him. His message was no longer the same, he was speaking of genocide. When I struck him down, he vanished.”

“Vanished, that is disturbing. So why is it that you were attempting to seek us out?”

“He wore the mask, the very mask I had retrieved from Grathan’s Estate. I wanted to make sure that you still were in possession of it. If you still have it, then surely the one I struck down was a pretender.”

“Oh,” Tari smiled, “I assure you we are still in possession of it. I do not know who you fought but that person was indeed a pretender.”

Kit’ar nodded, the warning that was still ringing in the back of her mind was not calmed. Voice steady she answered, “That is indeed a relief, I do wish I had been able to contact you earlier.”

“We had to relocate for our security, I am sure you understand.”

“Of course I do.”

“So you wanted to know why your presence was requested?”

“It would be nice, yes. It was a rather unique way to get a hold of me. I do have a holocommunicator.”

“I know, but those can be listened in on. I wanted privacy. I wanted to speak with you, on sensitive matters. I have been watching your progress through the years, most impressive. The Emperor’s Wrath.”

Kit’ar stared at the woman before her, she knew Tari wholeheartedly believed that He had managed to kill their Emperor years ago and was secretly running the Empire. Kit knew that was not true. The Emperor was gone, none had heard from him. She could barely feel him, his presence was there but faint, distant, like a sigh on the wind. If she turned her attention towards him she could feel him. Kit knew when he selected another Voice his presence would be much more tangible.

“That honor has been bestowed upon me yes.”

“Yet through it all you have held our confidence and told not another soul about us?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

“Such devotion.” Tari smiled again, this time it actually reached her brown eyes.

Kit continued to watch her, she mirrored Tari’s expression, returning a tooth flashing smile. Kit was not sure if she was commenting on her devotion to the Empire or to the group. Tari did not elaborate.

“You have showed a great ability to maintain secrecy and know the value of returning lost artifacts. I trust in the future you can be counted on to continue to serve?” Tari questioned, her smile vanishing.

“Of course. After all these years there should be no doubt, I have as much to lose as you do if I betray us.”

“Excellent,” Tari’s creepy smile returned, it encompassed her entire face, causing her burgundy face paint to wrinkle. “I have been hearing whispers, that you perhaps can take advantage of. Considering your status within the Empire. Keep your eyes open, on your travels. If you see anything else that is a lost artifact held in undeserving hands make sure you retrieve it.”

“I will. If I do find an artifact?” Kit’ar questioned.

“Come here, light one of the signal fires in the middle of the camp.”

“Of course Master.” Kit bowed her head slightly, keeping her eyes solidly locked onto Tari’s face. The woman seemed to light up and give her the first genuine smile of their encounter. “Is there something I should be keeping an eye out for?”

Tari shook her head, “You will know when you see it.”

“Of course. How can I be of further service?”

“For now, there is nothing else. Simply keep an eye out.”

“As you wish,” Kit’ar bowed her head once more and backed away slowly. When she had taken four backwards steps she pivoted on her foot and started our across the overgrown camp. Without bothering to look backwards she increased her speed, footfalls silent. Taking a deep breath she moved faster, shedding the frustration at having to bow to Tari. Somethings one never forgot, no matter how irritating. At times like this Kit was very thankful for her Father’s insistence she take the diplomatic path, to allow one to believe that they were right and you were willing to help them. Shaking her head she arrived at the base of the towering rock wall. Gracefully jumping she started the tricky assent. She needed to get back to the Estate and discover what Vette had found.

“So nothing out of the ordinary?”

“Nope,” she chirped, “nothing, just a basic mouse droid. It is rather uppity. Can I let the thing go yet?”

“Yes you can have one of the guards walk it to the edge of the Estate and let it go.”

“Sure thing,” Vette sat down next to her on the couch, elbows resting on her knees. “So what happened out there?”

“That abandoned camp we found, still empty but they were not discovered, they relocated.”

“Weird so what did they want?”

“She wanted something.”

“She?” Vette’s azure brow wrinkled, “she, as in the mysterious Master she?”

“Yes, Vette, that she.” Kit sighed rubbing her forehead, the tension in her head had exploded into a full fledged headache. “She asked if I had kept the order a secret, if I still believed.”

“Do you? Still believe?”

“In the principle? I do; learning to use both the Light and the Dark, accepting everyone, including aliens. You know I do Vette.” Kit sighed.

“Just making sure.”

Kit leaned back into the couch, hand still rubbing her head. “I can’t shake the feeling something is wrong.”

“Well, aside from making sure you haven’t gone all crazy Sithy, what else did she want?” Vette asked standing up and moving across the room.

“She asked me to keep an eye out for any artifacts that might belong to Him, and to return them to her.”

“Are you going to?” Vette asked from across the room.

“Unless I have a reason not to, yes. I was going to do just that. Maybe the reason why she was being so off was because of my position within the Empire. I considered she might be worried I am going to turn her and the others in.”

“Why would she think that?” Vette started walking back towards the couch. “You had the chance to do that years ago and the thought never crossed your mind to actually expose them.”

“Not sure, maybe she was living out in the jungle for to long.”

Vette stopped in front of Kit, her blue hand reaching out. “Here, take these.”

Kit looked up as Vette opened her hand, laying within were two small pills. “Thanks, she murmured as she accepted them. “It is unnerving.”

“Why is that?” Vette asked sinking into the couch next to her.

“I have been sent another message by droid. I am getting really sick of these damn droids.”

“What did this one want?”

“Apparently I am being summoned… again… What is with these people summoning me? I swear the next one who does it, I will be showing them the business end of my lightsaber.”

“No you won’t.” Vette chided her.

Kit slid her a hard slide glare, emerald eyes narrowing.

“Okay you might, what is the summons?”

“You and I will be heading to the Fleet in roughly two hours. There is someone there who requests my presence and will not disclose details over the holo.”

“Wonderful,” Vette sighed as her lekku twitched. “Every time that happens, I tend to get shot at.”

“I am not looking forward to it either, but duty calls.”

“Yeah but you know for once I want it to call someone else.” Vette sighed.

For the first two flashpoints in Forged Alliances Tython and Korriban...

“So you are absolutely certain that this is where we need to be?” he muttered pushing copper hair out of his face.

“’lek Vod,” Kiernan sighed. “It is.” His horned head shook as he slowly picked his way along.

Craning his neck backwards Ka’van looked up into the dimly lit vaulted interior of the crashed ship, “the Fatality, such a charming name.”

“Never been one for naming ships bright and flowery names, like intimidation factor.” Kiernan snorted.

“I know, I know but still, who would want to work on a vessel with a name like that.”

Kiernan shrugged as he shouldered the well worn strap of his birgaan, “Don’t know. People did though.”

“So where are we going in here?” Ka’van continued to look upward squinting to look at the hanging deactivated chassis of countless droids.

“Not sure, I remember what Buir said. Have to go a bit of a way inside.” Kiernan stepped around a jagged piece of broken decking, “Careful Vod.”

Ka’van nodded pulling his attention off the dangling droids. Blue eyes settled on his brother’s back, “do we have to jump down to any other levels?”

“Nayc,” Kiernan shook his head. “Should all be on this level.” A light blue armored hand moved aside dangling wires, “Remember hearing her talk about this, told Vette about it. Thought I was not listening, was pretending to be cleaning a blaster.”

“Hands were moving but you heard every detail didn’t you?” Ka’van asked pushing loose copper locks behind his ear.

Kiernan laughed long and low, “But of course.” He looked back over his shoulder, his eyes glowing. “Sounded like an interesting undertaking. The Force has smiled on us and we will not have to go all over the known galaxy to collect pieces. Buir is thorough and keeps everything. I got the schematics from the family archive.”

“And a motley collection of parts, for repairs.”

Kiernan’s horned head dipped forward. “Don’t want to have to leave and come back.”

“Don’t blame you.” Ka’van nodded. “So how much further?”

“Say we are here.” Kiernan stops in front of him, head turning back to look at his Vod.

“What is it?” Ka’van stepped alongside his brother. Blue eyes scanned the room there slumped up against the wall are three shrouded forms. Cautiously he stepped around his brother moving across the dusty floor. He moved closer to the bodies, they were nothing more than skeletons wrapped in faded black and red robes. Crouching down Ka’van squinted peering at the durasteel, he could see very very faint drag marks. Whoever had killed the people had taken the time to drag the bodies and put them up against the wall. “Buir did this didn’t she?”

Kiernan moved behind him, quiet footfalls coming to stop beside him. “’lek she did, know she did.”

“’lek, it is how she is.” Ka’van looked up at the standing Zabrak. “We getting close?”

“We are through the door, whole bank of them.”

“Good, lets get in there, this place gives me the creeps.”

Next to him Kiernan chuckled, “Think this is bad, other ship they had to go on, that one, “Kiernan shook his horned head, “That one even gave Pierce a difficult time.”

“Glad we don’t have to go then.”

They moved past the silent sentries, and into the next room. It was deathly still, countless deactivated droids hung on the wall. Ka’van looked from droid to droid, he could have sworn he saw lights in their optical centers.

Next to him his brother chuckled. “Nayc Vod, they are not activated.”

“I know that!” Ka’van groused back.

The chuckle grew into laughter.

“It is not funny,” Ka’van muttered.

The laughter grew rolling off the walls, it caused the skin on Ka’van’s arms to raise, p.ri.c.k.ling. The derelict ship was creepy enough, hearing the laughter echoing through the tomb-like walls was enough to spur him to leave, immediately. Which of course caused his Brother to laugh even harder. “I hate you,” Ka’van grumbled under his breath.

“Nayc you don’t.” Kiernan’s elbow poked him in the side. “Come, climb up find the one you want. Then start slicing into the terminal.”

“I am not climbing up there.” Ka’van shook his head, lifting his hands upward.

Kiernan shook his head, “Lucky they are intact, going to risk it by blindly using the Force. Never been in this ship before, no idea how they are hooked up there. Go ahead, be my guest. Break one.”

Ka’van opened his mouth to argue and promptly shut it. To the damn Void he hated it when his brother was right.

Kiernan chuckled again as he bent over the terminal, removing a durasteel panel. He reached inside carefully moving unseen wires.

Shaking his head he looked at the hanging droids. Setting his black boot upon the terminal he hoisted his body upward, reaching for the first row. Hands running over the closest one he found a massive crack running through the droids chassis. Frowning he moved to the next one. It was missing an arm, it had been sheared clean off. Peering closer into the darkness, Ka’van discovered a piece of metal decking embedded into the wall.

Reaching over his head. Ka’van grabbed onto the next row hauling his body upward. Suddenly the Force around him surged, twisted. He felt pulled in two opposite directions. Gasping he let go, holding his head as his body fell to the ground.

“What is it?” Kiernan bolted to his position, reaching out touching Ka’van on the shoulder before Kiernan also grabbed his horned head curling forward.

Ka’van looked up at his brother, Kiernan’s eyes had lightened to a fire-ringed gold. “It is Buir,” the Zabrak breathed.

“I feel it, there is more.” Ka’van clenched his head tighter. “Oww,” Ka’van clenched his jaw, as he was hit with another wave, it was as if the Force was battling itself. Twisting and turning, like massive tsunamis tearing through the fabric of the Living Force. It was churning, grinding upon itself, Light and Dark clashing, slamming up against him, overwhelming his senses.

“Meg cuyir slanar bat?” Kiernan whispered.

“Don’t know...” Ka’van bit through clenched teeth. “Not good. Not good.”

“Ni aalar...” Kiernan gasped.

“Me too Vod. The Force is fighting against itself.” Ka’van shuddered as his head pounded. “Trying... to... stop...” He reached out into the turbulent flow seeking some calm, a steady place he could pull from. He needed to find some safe place to pull from. Next to him Kiernan whimpered as he bent forward curling towards Ka’van. As his Brother’s horned head settled against his arm Ka’van felt a calm patch, free from the violent eddies and churning undertows that were tearing through them. Pulling from it Ka’van managed to erect a flickering Force shield around them.

Kiernan sighed next to him, slowly moving his head off of Ka’van’s arm. “Vor entye Vod.”

Ka’van disentangled his fingers from his hair, sucking air deep into his lungs, finally able to breathe.

“Meg?” Kiernan whispered his hands up rubbing the base of his ivory horns. Kiernan looked over at Ka’van.

“Don’t know. Are you okay?” Ka’van turned to his brother. Kiernan was kneeling on the floor next to him, head still cradled in his hands.

Kiernan shook his head, “hurts...”

“Is it better?”

“’lek,”

“You felt Buir?”

“Vor,” Kiernan closed his eyes swallowing, after a moment his eyes opened and he looked at Ka’van. “You can’t?”

“To overwhelming to pick out one, it feels like everything is fighting against itself.” Ka’van took in a deep breath, “That should shield us, at least for a little while.” He shifted on the floor, turning to sit on his rump. “Wonder what is going on to cause such a sensation.”

Kiernan shook his head, “Don’t know. Don’t like it.”

“Neither do I, it is disturbing,” Ka’van shifted on the dusty durasteel floor, looking up at the hanging rows of droids. “Going to give it sometime, hopefully it will pass soon. Then we can get back to the business at hand.”

Kiernan nodded, “Sounds good. Want to leave.”

Ka’van offered him a weak smile, “Better than leaving empty handed.”

“Guess so,” Kiernan sighed.

“Know… owwww,” Ka’van grabbed his head again as pain lanced through it. It was followed by another sharp blow to his arm. His hand grabbed his arm, trying to cover a non-existent injury. Blinking he looked to his Brother Kiernan was also holding his arm.

“Buir,” his Brother whispered as his gold eyes widened, “she is hurt.”

“She is fighting someone. I thought she was staying at home. Did she tell you she was going anywhere?” Ka’van asked his brother while rubbing his right arm.

“Nayc, supposed to be on Dromund Kaas.” Kiernan shook his head

Ka’van flinched as a pain lanced through his side. It was quickly followed by a ripple through the Force, the tell tale sign that a Force user had passed. A Force user he knew. “Liam,” he whispered.

“Who?” Kiernan questioned.

“Jedi on Tython, an instructor. He is the one who maintains the combat training droids.” Ka’van shook his head. “He just passed. I don’t understand why, he never leaves the grounds why would he be fighting anyone?”

“I don’t understand. He only maintains the droids,” Ka’van stared into the darkness beyond them.

“Ka’van,” Kiernan whispered, “Have a bad feeling, can you feel where Buir is? Would it be to hard?” He gestured to the bare shimmer of the Force shield.

“I can try.” Ka’van reached out past the protective calm of the shield and sucked in a shuddering breath when the churning, tumultuous flow of the Force slammed into him. Trying to focus on their Buir he searched through the Living Force. A gut-twisting realization dawned on him as he searched, she was not on Dromund Kaas. She was not on Dromund Kaas and the twisted seething maelstrom in the Force seemed to be coming from Korriban. Gritting his teeth, he continued to search, seeking out Tython, the last place he knew Liam to be, where he had seen him a few short weeks ago.

He was assaulted by another turbulent up-heaving in the Force and it was all originating from the Force surrounding Tython. There was another ripple barely noticeable through the constant barrage assaulting him. Another Force user had passed. His eyes closed tighter as he was hit again by the rippling disturbance, it was weaker, the individual was not as strong.

The constant upheaval devastating the flow of the Living Force could only mean one thing, there was a massive battle underway between Force users. Swallowing hard he concentrated, trying to filter out the competing crashing waves searching for their Mother’s signature. He finally found her, confirming his suspicion. She was on Tython, he finally located her as he felt another departing ripple as yet another Force user met their demise.

“Buir is fighting on Tython.” Ka’van whispered.

“What? Why?” Kiernan gasped, “She was supposed to be at the Estate.”

Ka’van shook his head, “I don’t know, I don’t. There is a massive battle underway on Tython though, she is there and Jedi are dying.”

“So?” Kiernan shrugged. “Jetii die, no one in this family, innocent of that.” Kiernan sat upright left hand rubbing his left temple.

“I know that,” Ka’van groused, “I just never thought the Sith would be on Tython.”

“Upset you are not there?”

“Me no, I would not want to be there right now.”

“Would be uncomfortable, ‘lek?”

“That is a massive understatement. No way I would want to be there right now.”

“Don’t know what side you would be on?” Kiernan growled.

“Nayc,” Ka’van punched him in the shoulder. “Not funny.”

“You’re right, it’s not.” Kiernan shook his head. “So Buir is on Tython...” He reached up scratching his head, fingers moving his black braid down his back. “Where is your pet Jetii Cathar?”

Ka’van growled, “She is not my pet.” He glared at Kiernan.

Kiernan stared him down, “Then what is she?”

Ka’van looked away down at his feet, “She is not my pet,” he muttered.

“So your not pet, where is she? She there?”

“Where on Tython?” Ka’van shook his head, “I don’t know. She shouldn’t be, she was recuperating at her parents house, for the next few weeks.”

“How many weeks ago was that?”

Ka’van shrugged, “Roughly four, she was staying at home.”

“She still there? Buir, she was supposed to be home, she is off killing Jetii.”

“Should be, I haven’t heard...” Ka’van sucked in a sharp breath as side of his face exploded in pain. “Karking hell..”

“Not there is she?”

Ka’van rubbed his cheek, “No, no she is not.” Looking up at his brother his brow furrowed, “If she is not at home and I didn’t feel her at Tython, by the Force where is she?”

Kiernan leaned backwards, resting against the still dormant terminal. “You tell me.”

“Do you know where she is?”

“Nayc, no idea.”

Ka’van’s eyes widened, “I felt the same disturbance, it was coming from Korriban.”

“Korriban?”

Ka’van nodded. “Oh no...” he whispered. “Fighting, there is fighting at both places. The disturbance on Tython, I felt it on Korriban.” Closing his eyes he focused on her, the sinking feeling in his stomach growing. Slowly he traced her through known space, their Force bond a steady beacon in the harsh upheaval in the Force. As he followed his stomach twisted, her bright signature was there, she was there on Korriban. If he had investigated the disturbance on the ancient Sith homeworld he would have felt her there.

“She is there.” Kiernan stated.

Ka’van nodded, “Yes she is.”

“Both are where they should not be, at the same time.” Kiernan sighed, “what is going on?”

“I have no idea, I never heard anything about the Republic heading into Sith space. Did you?”

Kiernan snorted, “Nayc, since when do I get involved in politics.” He shifted against the terminal, frowning. “We are across the galaxy. Take days almost a week to get to Dromund Kaas, Coruscant at least four days. Not going to Tython, don’t even think about asking.”

Ka’van’s mouth opened and closed. “I wasn’t going to ask.”

Kiernan’s frown deepened, “’lek you were. Want me to take you. Not going to do that, be shot down.” Kiernan looked up, his head looking behind him. “There will be no com communication in hyperspace. Coms are spotty here. Can’t rely on coms at the base, who do we call? Don’t answer coms while fighting.” He shifted, moving onto his feet. “Need to leave, start trek back. Need to get home. Where is your ship?”

“It is on Coruscant, you know I can’t bring it to Dromund Kaas.”

“Don’t know why you can’t leave it on Nar Shaddaa, easier to get in and out.” Kiernan muttered. “Get up, need to get going.”

“The Force shielding...”

“What, your the big powerful Master. We will walk slow, keep it up.”

“But… I can’t do that.” Ka’van stuttered.

“Can and will, get moving. Have to come back another time.” Kiernan stood shouldering his birgaan. “I will walk slow.”

Mando’a

'lek - yes

vod - brother/sister/sibling

Meg cyyir slanar bat -What be go on

ni aalar- I feel

vid vor entye brother thank you – literally I accept a debt

Meg - what

nayc - no

On another note, I still do not have an HK unit on the pub side.