Private Closure (Kay Arenais)

[NPC Treasury]

Kay let go of Caedyn Arenais as he didn't return the hug. She didn't take offence to it however. He was a grown man, a Jedi at that, and her affections could just be seen as her smothering him.

She sat back a little, giving him some space as he called the holocron to him. "I wasn't quite sure of what to expect. Yet at least I know for certain that his spirit is safe and he is happy. I don't have to guess or wish. It's actually true." And what a relief that brought her. It wasafar better circumstance than when she had become a widow the first time.

"Now what's this I hear about you going on a dangerous path? You're not seriously thinking of going after Praz, are you? Look at what he's done to our family already. I can't lose you to him as well." Even if she had to ground him or use her teas to influence him onto some other direction; there was no way that she'd willingly allow for such an encounter to happen. "Just move on, Caedyn. Move on as I have to."

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

"Don't worry about it, Mom" Caedyn replied, glancing back momentarily to meet her gaze and soon looking back to focus on the Holocron as a means of keeping his focus elsewhere; "There are certain responsibilities that I'm undertaking for the sake of the Order of the Silver Jedi, as a Jedi Knight. The majority of our tasks outside of the Silver Rest are dangerous, unfortunately" he explained, and while this wasn't untrue it also neglected to mention anything in connection with what his Father had warned him against. His Mom didn't know that however...

"You know there are going to be things that I'm having to do out there that you won't be comfortable with, just the same as how you would worry when Dad went off to distant worlds in order to protect them from the Sith Empire..." Caedyn turned to look back, meeting and holding eye contact now. He remembered those times well, as he and his Sister would quietly worry about their parents when Kay believed them to be sleeping soundly in their beds.

"This is just one of those things...".

NPC Treasury

(I Completely failed to read the hug >.<)

 

[NPC Treasury]

Kay folded her arms across her chest as she listened to Caedyn Arenais give off blanket statements about what he was up to. She knew that he was hiding the true facts. She could feel it. Her motherly instincts told her as much as well. This was a tactic that Lori had often tried to pull when they were younglings.

"Your Dad didn't go out of his way to use his work as an excuse to go after Praz, even though he wanted him to pay for what he had done. You heard his warning as much as I did. Don't patronize me about the dangers of being a Jedi. I know full well of what it entails."

Of course Kay wanted to protect both of her children. Did she think that they'd listen to her? Probably not. But at least she'd try to get through to them. "Listen to your Dad...He wouldn't of said anything unless it was dire." Which was the truth of it as far as she could tell. In death Veiere had probably glimpsed at their futures as he watched over them. "Don't make me ground you..." She smirked a little, yet she was serious too.

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

"Grife Mom, I think that threat lost it's effectiveness back when I hit around eighteen, don't you?" Caedyn laughed in response to NPC Treasury 's threatening to ground him. While it was an amusing thought, it did give him something of a pleasant reminder or perhaps nostalgic feeling reflecting back on the past and his younger days; "Don't worry though, I'm hearing you" he sought to reassure her, his hands lifting in a sort of 'I surrender' way of resignation.

"What about yourself though, Mom?" He soon asked, changing the subject and bringing the focus back on her for good reason; "Do I still need to be worried about you? Not going to have to keep tracking you down at dodgy bars, am I?" he smirked at her in jest as he asked the question with an edge of sarcasm, yet also laced in honest concern.

"Do you think you'll stick around on Commenor?".

 

[NPC Treasury]

Hearing her and listening to her were different stories. And then came the point of how long Caedyn Arenais would listen to his parents. She shouldn't have to outlive her children. They were her legacy.

His questions to her caused her to drop her arms, choosing now to scratch an itch on the back of her neck. "No, no bars. Your Dad has put me at ease and lifted a lot of burdens. I suppose that I could stay here for a while. Though what I'd do, I'm not so sure. I have my tea company to deal with as well, whether that includes moving it or selling it or disbanning it, I'm not sure...."

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

"You could always take it inter-galactic, use the holonet to sell your products online and that way it wouldn't matter so much where you were based out of" Caedyn suggested, rather liking the idea of his Mom staying on Commenor nearby where he can watch over her. While NPC Treasury was his Mother, he had reached the age, maturity and independence where he was fully capable and even ready to be looking out for her. Those roles seemingly reversed in some ways.

"There will be times where I'm off-world of course, but you know the Estate's always open to you. If you'd be open to the idea, I'd quite happily have you live there with me. It'd be much easier to make sure you don't go getting caught up in any more trouble" he chuckled softly, giving his Mom a teasing smirk; She'd never live that blackmail incident down. Although it remained private between them both of course.

 

[NPC Treasury]

"Putting it up on the holonet is an idea. However all of my products and supplies are on Altiria. I handled the baking and creating of what I sell. Some items are infused with the Force. I can't just leave that to anybody." Moving everything from Altiria to Commenor wouldn't be easy with public transport. She didn't have anything here to work with.

Kay smirked a little as Caedyn Arenais offered to have her live with him, even if it was to help keep her out of trouble. More often than not, trouble tended to find her. And usually that was in the form of some Sith Lord or cold politician looking to make a name for themselves. "Caedyn you're a grown man. Are you sure that you want to be living with your Mom? Just think of what your friends could say...." She imagined him being made fun of. Not to mention it could hinder him from relationships himself. She didn't need to stop him from having a family of his own. She just needed to hinder him from a path of avenging his Dad's death.

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

Caedyn chuckled softly shaking his head at the notion of his 'friends' having something to say about his Mom living under his roof. "This is a Family Estate, it belongs to all of us. Besides, I don't have what you'd exactly call friends, Jedi life doesn't exactly account for a great amount of social gatherings or peer to peer bonding outside of the structured hierarchy itself" Caedyn gave a shrug, ignoring and pretending it wasn't actually something that had been on his mind of late.

"I have my Padawan Learner, Kyra Perl and I have Asaraa Vaashe " Caedyn elaborated, glancing back to NPC Treasury with a peculiar little smile, the want to mask the truth of his feelings behind the words; "Trust me, I don't think either of them would be all that much surprised. Our family's much smaller than it used to be, people like Darlyn and Jairdain just aren't around much anymore. I think it'd be good if those of us who are still around stay closer together..".

Although he couldn't much see Loreena Arenais-Valhoun giving up her fight against the Eternal Empire. From what he had heard over the years, she was pretty invested and quickly becoming a significant pain in the neck for the Empire in the western regions of the Galaxy.

 

[NPC Treasury]

"I suppose that it doesn't. But your Dad dill well enough for it and you share a lot of his qualities. These are just...different times." She was going to say that they were darker times, yet it wasn't. She was there for the time when the One Sith ruled over most of the Galaxy, and when plagues ran amok on the populations. These times were indeed different. But a lot of it was the same too.

Caedyn Arenais certainly pleaded more of his case. Kay settled back a bit and almost resigned with a sigh as she gave into him. "Alright, I'll stay. Just don't...go announcing it to everyone just yet. It's going to take a while for me to get comfortable with going out in the open. Among strangers it's okay as I'd probably only see them once or twice in my lifetime. But with people we know....there's a lot of judgement on me there. I carry enough burdens on me as it is. Though thankfully your Dad helped take away some of them." And he made her feel all the better for it. One last gift from him to the both of them.

If only Lori could have seen it...

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

"I don't think our family name carries as much negative weight as you might be thinking..." he informed NPC Treasury , Caedyn truly believing that between he and his Sister as well as Kay's own efforts in keeping quiet for some time now, that the Galaxy had moved on to worrying about bigger and greater threats and concerns than what they once were.

"Sure some people may remember our history, remember what's happened with Commenor in the past but that was a long time ago now and there are far greater monsters out there than us, believe me" Caedyn said with added enthusiasm, for he had seen some of the worst the Galaxy had to offer today.

"One of the greater problems being the Bryn'adul that are wiping out entire planetary nations for their own gains. We recently fought off an invasion of them on Yurb...-They're a menace to everyone". Yurb had been a blood bath, and the Bryn'adul Horde were monstrous in every sense of the term. Great beasts, some of which rode atop even greater beasts into war. Bred soldiers for no other purpose than to fight and to kill without mercy.

"I have full faith in that through our Name and yes, even our lessons learned from our history, we can help do some good in this Galaxy still. Yourself included when you decide that you're ready".

 

[NPC Treasury]

Their family name might not carry negative weight. But she was quite certain that hers did. Unlike Veiere and Caedyn Arenais , she had caused a lot of damage with her choices. Among family it didn't matter. But among others?...It mattered a lot.

"The who?" Kay had no idea who the Bryn'adul were. Or even what they were. "Is that some other Sith Empire?" Her isolation had really kept her as oblivious to the Galaxy as those in the Galaxy were oblivious to her. Sometimes that was a blessing.

"I don't have the means to help anyone, Caedyn. Outside of making tea. I'm not a soldier or politician or leader of any kind." Veiere's words of her not wasting the time that she had repeated in her mind. But really, she couldn't follow what her late husband and children had done or were doing. That was their paths. Her own didn't really lead to anywhere.

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

"Unfortunately not, The Bryn'adul are something new to the Galaxy" Caedyn replied with a sigh escaping him; "I'm honestly quite surprised you haven't caught them on the Holonet or the News. They're a genocidal force sweeping the eastern regions of the map at the moment. The Galactic Alliance and the Silver Jedi have both fought against them in a number of serious battles now..." Battles that Caedyn himself had taken part in. The Bryn'adul were monsters, not just by the term but literal beasts who towered over the typical man, brutes with great strength and a ferocious temper...

"You used to be..." Caedyn pointed out, on the subject of NPC Treasury no longer feeling as though she had anything to offer the Galaxy anymore. "You had it in you at one stage. It's called Integrity and Heart" he forced a small smile, truthfully speaking yet knowing how few others seemed to hold to their morals the likes of what House Arenais stood for today.

"The Galaxy doesn't need any more Soldiers...-There's enough violence out there already. What it needs is good people like yourself, compassionate and understanding people. Our Galaxy needs to be shown that fighting isn't the answer to our differences, empathy, tolerance and understanding is what will lead us forward".

 

[NPC Treasury]

"Backwater planet, remember? Way out there where no one bothers it. I haven't looked at the Holonet or News in some time. I haven't needed to. It wasn't exactly vital to selling tea." She chose to be out of the way of everyone for a reason. To keep herself out of trouble. Of course if those monsters showed up on Altiria/Anarris at all she'd probably be dead.

"I had a lot of things back then, but it's all..." Kay snapped her fingers to emphasize her point, "...gone." She shrugged her shoulders a little as she got to her feet. Unlike Caedyn Arenais , she couldn't sit on the floor for hours on end. She was too old for that. Kay stretched out her back, pressing her hands firmly onto her lower back muscles. "I didn't exactly turn people away from my shppe, even if they couldn't pay. Plus I had a couple of rooms for people to stay in if they needed to. I haven't gotten anymore influence than that, I'm afraid. It's up to your leaders and any other good governments out there to lead the way. That's what they are there for. And they must be doing something right if they have a lot of people flying their banners, so to speak. Surely they have chosen the right path forward."

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

Caedyn nodded in agreement regarding the current democratic governments such as the Silver Jedi Concord, they had been doing well yet they could only cover so much territory and the Galaxy was a big place. Commenor may not ever be a world run by an Arenais again, but that didn't necessarily mean there wasn't potential still out there for the future.

"So you're done being a politician then?" He asked curiously, studying his Mom and wondering why she hadn't considered backing the others already in play considering she'd just told him that she could see they were obviously doing well. Her lack of faith in herself was obvious, and too often she'd mention it in order to justify her lack of actions.

NPC Treasury 's Problem was, she was the only one who saw so little in herself, she just didn't realize that these thoughts were all from her own insecurities and based upon the past that no one in the galaxy cared to remember beyond their family anymore.

"There's plenty of people out there that could use someone with a heart as good and just as yours. Especially now with the Outer Planets Alliance having gone under. The Outer Rim was a wild region of the Galaxy, even under their domain, let alone now with no one trying to retain some semblance of law and order".

 

[NPC Treasury]

Kay laughed a little in spite of herself as Caedyn Arenais asked about her role as a politician. "I'm not exactly fit for running in any elections, now am I? I don't think so. I hold no influence anymore. I came to realize that after my escape from execution. Everyone had moved on as though I had already died." Again she shrugged her shoulders a little. "I've done the best that I could, without even trying to beg fir a fraction of what belongs to you and your sister." She was too proud to ask for credits, or to ask anything of her childen, really. That just wasn't something that she should do. Mothers give, they don't take.

"The Outer Rim has collapsed, has it? I can't say that I'm surprised. I had tried working dealsand agreements with them before, but they were quite unorthadox. They liked to keep within themselves." All of her dealings with ORC were strange ones and very short. It was as though they had wanted the agreement just on paper and nothing more; if only to have said that they had done it. "I am sure that they have some within their borders that would try to pick up the mantle, as they should." That was the way that things always worked, anyways. And it wasn't as though she was unique in the Galaxy. There were other people like her and ones with far better chances of success in what they do. "You can't really expect that I could just waltz in anywhere and have people allow me to tell them what to do and and try to fix their planet? I'd be laughed out of whatever room I walked into for that kind of tale." And she would too. Kay was sure of it.

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

"I'm not suggesting you try to lead anything" Caedyn pointed out to NPC Treasury , looking to his Mom with a somewhat disappointed air about him and the way he responded. She had been well and truly defeated by the Sith, perhaps not beaten down on day one but they had killed her confidence and her faith in herself, her resignation had done the rest.

"All I'm saying is that there's plenty of opportunities out there for you to work alongside others, to help the Galaxy wherever possible. It doesn't matter who's in charge, what matters is that we're putting our time to the best use we can by thinking about something more than our own means" he argued the point, although all sense of fight and confidence had disappeared from his tone of voice and instead it probably sounded more akin to pleading. Sometimes her negativity really got to him, not because he didn't see things like she did, but because all it accomplished was holding her back from what could otherwise be a productive and moral life.

"I know you're no Jedi, and you never will be" He pointed out, "I'd never ask that of you like Dad did...-But he wanted you to live a life where you could be proud of yourself and feel fulfilled by the goals and accomplishments you worked for" he concluded, speaking softly now in his own sense of defeat, ready to let the conversation go but having one last point to make; "I just want you to be happy and while others may think this is what you want for yourself, I know you could be so much more".

 

[NPC Treasury]

"My own means? Honestly Caedyn, do you really think that I'm trying to strike it rich or something with my tea shoppe?! I can't even afford my own house or even a ship or pilot. The profit margin is slim because I don't want to put people out of pocket. I'm an ear for them if they need someone to talk to. My teas and baked goods help them feel better. Sure it's not defeating armies or rescuing millions of people, but some people don't need help in that kind of scale."

Kay furrowed her brows as she rubbed her temples. She was just a disappointment to Veiere and to Caedyn Arenais . And all because she wasn't a part of the bigger picture anymore. But what was she to do? Press people's uniforms? Work in a ship factory attaching hull plates to the frames of ships? Hijack a pilot and transport and force them into flying into a battle zone and forcing them to get people out of there? Hardly.

She sighed as she thought back on recent times when a couple of people had come to try to solicit her away from her shoppe. And neither would be to her son's liking.

Kay dropped her hands from her face, letting them fall to her sides. "Do you know who have come to try to get my help? One was a Sith lady, part of some Triumvite Council or whatever it was. She wanted me to go away with her to get back into the big picture. I declined her offer. And then I had another that once worked for us wanting me to be a military advisor for her in the government that she now served. But I had to decline. I don't like that government any more than I like the Sith. And I'm far from qualified to advise anything in regards to the military. That was Veiere's strongsuit, not mine." Kay sighed. "So you see, Caedyn, the only ones that have need of wanting to use me are those that are a danger to others. They were tests no doubt, tests to see if I would become a puppet once again. But I said no this time. I said no..."

When she was younger she might of said yes in order to try to influence things the right way from the inside. But not now. Back then she had leverage to work with. Now she had nothing.

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

"That's not what I meant" Caedyn shook his head quickly, hands raising as if to stop her mid-conversation; "I mean in the sense of doing things that have a bigger impact, helping others on a larger scale..." He reiterated, trying to clarify for his Mother so she wouldn't continue to get the wrong impression.

"Of course I know you're not out for yourself, for something like credits or that sort of thing" he said with a slight laugh, shaking his head slowly now and this time with a sense of light amusement for the notion that he might ever accuse her of such a thing.

"I'm glad to hear that your business selling Tea is going so well, I didn't realize it was so beneficial to others..." He informed NPC Treasury , wanting her to see that he did appreciate her and the things she did, despite trying to talk her into other directions or industries of a Galactic nature. If she was happy doing what she was doing then that was all he could hope for, he supposed.

"As for the notion of the Sith or some sort of Imperial group, don't you dare" he flashed her a grin; "I don't want to have to come after you" he teased a little. Although there was some truth to his words as well. That was the last thing he could ever have wished for.

"If you really are happy with where things are at, then I won't push the subject anymore" He assured her, sitting back a little in a more relaxed position while looking to his Mom and gauging her for some form of response that would tell him otherwise; "Just keep in contact this time around, and maybe don't be such a stranger".

 

[NPC Treasury]

"I don't have the capabilities of helping in some larger scale. It's not as though anyone outside of the Sith is looking to hire some former monarch to do....whatever it is they want me to do. The only requests outside of the Sith that I get are what kind of tea or biscuit that they should pick out from the menu. So no, Caedyn, I'm not needed in any other capacity."

Was she happy with the way things had turned out? No. But she can't change them either. If she could then she would ensure that she wasn't alone so that she could never feel this way again. But that just wasn't her fate. It never was. Everytime she had it, the worst would come to pass and she'd be alone one way or another.

But how to explain that to Caedyn Arenais or anyone else that remembered her? They just didn't understand what it was like to be widowed twice in a short lifetime.

"I will try to keep better in touch. But it's not as though you'll be stationary enough in your work to see me more often. I couldn't even ask it of Lori.. So I'll just send holo-messages when I can or if there's any updates from me." Not that she was expecting much. Her updates would only be so much as to complain about some customers or gloat about some new tea.

Kay dusted herself off moreso for a lack if anything else do to. "I should leave you to your work then. Be sure to keep hold of your Dad's holocron. It wouldn't be safe with me. I don't have anywhere secure to keep it." The last thing that they needed was for the holocron to get into the wrong hands. Or outside of the family in general. "I'll go back home after a few days and then after that? I can't predict that far ahead. But I'll let you know once I figure it out." That is if she ever did before death took her too. Padme died from sadness, or so the legend went. Maybe she would too?

She bowed her head a little and then turned to head back to her guest room. She needed some tea, as well as a nap. But that was probably just her age showing.

((Can end it here if you want.))

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

Caedyn listened to his Mom, wanting to understand where she was coming from. It was difficult at times because he felt so confident in her ability and just in general as an individual, yet she came off as though she were complacent to admit defeat and own the negative thinking that would bring anyone down.

Although she did have a point in that being widowed, that truly was a place that Caedyn couldn't comprehend, nor know how that sort of pain could impact one's lifestyle. His Father had been everything to NPC Treasury , even after their marriage had fallen apart. To be honest, Caedyn wasn't even certain why or how Veiere had let that go the way it did, he was convinced that his Father had never stopped loving her.

"Alright Mom, just know that I'm around if you need anything" he replied, giving her a brief smile. Nothing in how their discussion had gone, changed the way he felt about his Mom, or his family as a whole. He still had great pride and love for her, even if at times she didn't seem to have that same love for herself.

"Yeah data-messages work fine, I'll always do my best to get back to you as soon as I can" he spoke up once again on the subject of further contact, "It'd be good to know how you're doing from time to time. We're still a family after all" he offered a warm smile to her, "Goodnight Mom".

When she bid her leave for the remainder of the evening, Caedyn hadn't expected Kay to bow the way she did. He didn't say anything or make any sort of reaction to the formal gesture, though after she'd left the room he soon found himself wondering if he had made her feel pushed away some how. Most times she'd give him a hug, although he too wondered if it was more a state of mind, or mood thing that caused her to do so.

Sitting back in his chair, his gaze wandered the room, silence now surrounding him as his thoughts took him elsewhere. Their family felt somewhat smaller now, though he hoped that he had managed to help his Mom enough to try to lift her spirits and help with her processing and recovering from what they'd all been through. It would be a long time before her grief had passed, but Caedyn would be there all the way for whatever his Mom might need. Whether or not she'd let herself fall back on his help.

~ End ~​