Fallen Star Fields

[Adder Dawnracer]

Nights on Nadiem were beautiful. Settlements were spread out enough that the artificial light never really blocked out the stars, unlike on some of the larger worlds. He could sit out on the back porch, cane resting beside him and a glass of tea. Regular tea, not the spiked kind. He enjoyed a good drink now and then, but he didn't drink the way he used to. Reza had seen to that. She used to like sitting on the back porch with him, just watching the stars.

Sometimes they did more than watch the stars. That was how they had gotten Ever. It was how they would have had a son, too. But instead of a son, he lost him and his wife. Ever had only been a few years old at the time. She never had the pleasure of knowing her mother. His greatest lament.

"Enjoying your tea?"

He turned his head just enough to see who had spoken, finding Ever standing in the doorway. She wasn't wearing her military gear for once. Ever since the Republic left she'd taken it on herself to take charge of protecting Nadiem, at least on the ground. They had a militia now. That was something. He wished it wasn't necessary for all of their friends to learn to use weapons, but that was life. They were exposed. A loose band of worlds trying to restructure now that their leadership was gone.

"We have to take the time to enjoy the little things, Little Bird," he said, reaching his hand towards her. "Even now."

She reached out and took his hand, letting him pull her close to where she knelt down beside him.

"I do enjoy the little things, Dad," she said, offering him a weak smile. "We're alive, after all. We have friends. We will make it through the Republic's betrayal. I won't leave you."

"I never thought you would."

He reached over to his tea and lifted it to his lips, taking a swig. It was bitter, as all tea's were on Nadiem. Sugar was too valuable to use in drinks. None of it was really kept for themselves, at least in his household. Cold, bitter tea had a good taste to it anyway. He liked it. Most did. Really, it was just his drink ever since he slowed off the alcohol. It reminded him of who he was, and helped him keep a cool head.

"Times will change for the better, Dad. It will get better. I have a good feeling about it."

She wasn't wearing her gaiter. He had noticed that. It meant she had her connection to the Force. When she didn't wear that thing it often gave her insights into the future. She didn't much like it, he knew. That was why he didn't say anything about the nasty thing she wore. He hated the alien technology. It was wrong. But he understood why she wore it, that she wanted some peace and to not have her mind affected by those people who she fought against. He didn't blame her. He remembered how they could be.

"Just wait and see."

He nodded and looked up at the stars. Waiting was something he was good at.

[member="Setzi Lunelle"]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

It had been so long since Setzi knew of an existence without war. Her connection to the Jedi was tenuous at best, but when a conflict beckoned, like special ops, she’d heed the call, drop into the fray and slip away again once the sutures fell out and the blood dried.

Yet after helping to quell a minor altercation on Florn in old Silver Jedi space, one between humans and aggressive lamproids, she didn’t run back to the Pirate’s Foe to circle the galaxy nomadically, picking up relics of a lost age that she barely understood. Her normal go-to soul-searching vacation did not come.

Viado Jaxx, the Mayor of the Human Colony on Florn, who she ended up freeing from a particularly stubborn Lamproid Chief, offered her a job in politics of all things, but she politely declined. With one caveat. “Put in a good word for me with AgriCorps. I need a letter of recommendation in order for them to erase my black sheep status.” It was a long story, and one she would eventually tell an extremely good listener and patient soul, but miraculously it worked.

Setzi was sent to Nadiem with a jarful of seeds, and the desire to try and fix things for once, one small gift at a time.

And this was how she met Adder, riding up to his homestead on a slow and overfed eopi, a few yellow grains in her outstretched hand asking, “Have you ever had any luck growing dust-corn? Do you mind if I use your farm as an experiment to see if it will?”

Despite the beauty and tranquility of Nadiem, this was at the height of a fourteen week drought. Dust-corn was known to grow rapidly in arid environments, not necessarily those like Tatooine, but Nadiem was also no desert.

“The AgriCorps will pay you a small stipend if that helps?”

Setzi had no idea to the man’s illustrious background, only that she did not want to insult him. It seemed that everyone around here could use a handout, but then again, the former Jedi did not want to presume.

[member="Adder Dawnracer"]

 

[Adder Dawnracer]

Years Ago

A younger, pre-injury, pre-family Adder was busy working the fields like any dutiful son would. In this particular case, he was busy fixing one of the farms droids that did most of the work. They did not rely upon the backs of others to do the heavy lifting, though they did employ plenty of people to mind the droids and guard against pests. Using droids for the farm work was far more efficient than relying on people to do it. Not to mention that most people on the planet worked for themselves anyway. They didn't have the kind of populace that one would find on a world like Coruscant where thousands of people had no job or worked menial tasks selling junk to off-worlders. Nadiem was just a world for farmers and the few other necessary trades. Bakers, metalworkers, things of that nature.

So he was a bit surprised when a young, attractive woman that he hadn't seen before approached them on the farm. He wiped his greasy hands on the rag that hung from his belt, a necessity when working on droids, and stood up to get a good look at her.

"AgriCorps?" he asked.

That was something he hadn't heard of. Nadiem was a world in Wild Space that most people never heard of or discovered. The few people that did know about it were mostly the people that his family and others sold their surplus crop too. Those people, in turn, would take it and sell it throughout the galaxy, without telling people where it came from because, in the end, no one really cared where it came from as long as it was good. Nadiem had no short supply of good, healthy crops. The world was perfectly suited to be a farmers paradise. It had been for as long as he knew. Well before his parents had started their humble farm, which was now growing ever larger with each passing season thanks to his help.

"I don't personally mind and I doubt my folks would. We've not grown dust-corn before, but I can probably show you a good place to grow it."

He held his hand out to her.

"Adder Dawnracer. This is our farm."

[member="Setzi Lunelle"]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

“Excellent,” said Setzi, climbing off of the eopi and tying him up to a nearby post where the creature began to graze. She noticed how the farmer wiped his hands and behind him the half-repaired droid.

“I can even have provide a couple of Z3 models to help.” She had a few perfectly good workhorse droids back on the Pirate’s Foe in the closest docking bay. Right now they were just gathering dust in the cargo hold. “I mean, not that you need it.” She added this quickly and with a smile so the man did not feel as though she was insulting him.

“My name is Setzi. Setzi Lunelle.” The brunette force user - Knight at the time - didn’t feel the need to go into the details of AgriCorps, if only because it may expose her as a failed Jedi. If Mr. Dawnracer was not aware that the Agricultural Corps was renowned as an organization that catered to initiates who could not pass their trials, it wasn’t as if she wanted to bring this fact to his attention. Especially because Knight Lunelle was not just a failed Jedi but a fallen one.

His hand was warm, the skin rough from toiling the land, and unexpectedly inviting - more than she cared to admit. As a farm girl from Aduba-III, the nostalgia she felt at this moment was so poignant it hit her so square in the stomach, like a punch that makes you lose your balance. She loosened the egg-shell white linen scarf around her neck, letting it fall to either side of her dun-colored Jedi tunic.

“So where is the best place do you think?”

There would be time to examine the soil, to take samples, to test the irrigation system, but all of that would follow Adder’s generosity and just how long he would allow her to linger around his farm.

[member="Adder Dawnracer"]

 

[Adder Dawnracer]

Years Ago

"I wouldn't complain a out some new droids," he said, shaking her hand. "But I don't want to take advantage either."

He, unlike many people, had actually left Nadiem before. He had been to several worlds, met a lot of people, seen a lot of things. However, in that time he had never come across a mention of the AgriCorps. He didn't know it but that was probably because of its connection to the Jedi, which he had no interaction with. The Jedi were barely even considered in their part of space. They never came that far out. The core was more their focus, just like everyone elses. The galactic fringes were everyones afterthought.

He gave the eopi a light pat after she climbed down from it. Setzi. Nice name. He was certain it had a meaning where she was from which made him curious. Almost enough not to have been distracted by the soft, yet strong hands which had clasped his. She knew her away around hard work. Though her clothes would lead him to think otherwise. If she was going to be farming she was going to need a wardrobe change. Some more durable, but breatheable clothing was in order. Hr made a point to remember to direct her to the tailor in town later.

"It's nice to meet you, Setzi. We don't get visitors out here much so you'll probably get some curious stares, just fair warning."

Wiping his brow on his sleeve, he motioned for her to follow him and started walking off towards the nearby fields. There were a lot of them and most were in the middle of growing. They, being located close to the planets equator, had a year round growing season and they made sure to grow as much as they could and rotate fields as appropriate. The droids made it relatively easy, but it was hard to replace parts when droids broke down. Jerry rigging was something of an art for him. He could scavenge from the junk pile to find something to work, it just wasn't always pretty.

"What brought you to Nadiem? You get sent here? Most people don't come here unless they're cargo haulers."

It would take a bit to get where they were going so they might as well make small talk while they walked. She could get an eye full of the farm as they did, but there was a pretty dry spot that they didn't farm because they hadn't run the irrigation that far yet. Seemed like a good place to try some dust-corn if ahe wanted to try it.

[member="Setzi Lunelle"]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

Mr. Dawnracer’s gratitude was such a welcome change from many of the farmer’s attitudes she’d often encountered. Sadly a fair multitude, especially in wild space, did not want to embrace even the most archaic technology to help them. And Setzi understood that sentiment as her own father and mother could be stubborn - still were - back on their maze-stalk farm. When the Lunelle homestead switched from organic labor to all droid, her mother obsessively baked pies for a week and her father actually disappeared for a good month before he came back as though nothing happened. You can’t hide that weirdness from an eight-year-old who is used to routine and simplicity.

“Not enough dirt on my face?” she asked with a smile.

As they walked, Setzi’s attention was drawn to the landscape, the sway of the wind against the trees and stalks of unidentifiable plants, an invisible pressure ever-present much like the Force itself.

“You could say that.” Ugh, Setzi why are you so hesitant to talk about AgriCorps like it’s some seedy cult and not an upstanding organization for the galaxy? But her pride would not let her. She would eventually tell the farmer someday when she knew him better, but today she only said, “While the Jedi might preserve the foundation of civil society, someone has to help the planets themselves." A pause. "That patch of barren, water-starved land looks promising.”

Changing the subject was easier when you had secrets to hide.

But everyone had mysteries they’d rather conceal, the rogue Jedi reasoned. Surely even the farmer. What exactly did Adder have to cover up and why did she want to find out so badly?

[member="Adder Dawnracer"]

 

[Adder Dawnracer]

Years Ago

"Every bit of land has to promise if you're willing to work on it," he said as they came to a stop at some hard looking ground. "And yes, some dirt on your face would help. Probably losing the robes too."

A jest, but it probably would help if she ditched the robes and got herself a little dirty. The people of Nadiem had no disdain for Jedi or anything, but they were unusual in the world. If she was going to keep wearing those she was going to draw a lot of attention. She could use with some dirtying up too. Frankly, she was far too pretty. Not that he minded. It made sense for a new arrival to be clean and fresh. Plus she was actually quite attractive and he rather enjoyed her features. That was probably part of why he had instantly agreed to let her farm there. He was a simple man with simple desires when it came down to it. Besides, the farm could use a pretty face.

She mentioned that someone needed to help the planets. That must have been why she came. Perhaps she was a Jedi more focused on helping the people than on dealing with governmental issues or fighting Sith. It was kind of nice to see that at least one Jedi had taken an interest in the people that weren't in the core and weren't directly involved with the major galactic governments. Sometimes it seemed like most of the galaxy didn't care about the people like them.

"Should be as good a spot as any, though. Probably grow like weeds here. Irrigation doesn't reach out here but it should get enough rain for dust-corn."

It would be a long growing season either way. She had droids to help, at least. Probably take a few days to get everything furrowed and sown, and then she'd have to give them a little water to get the seeds to start growing. Then it would mostly be a waiting game and a fight to keep the critters away from the sprouts when they shot up. Not the end of the world by any means. In the meantime, he would make sure she got some more fitting clothes and a good meal in her belly.

"You should have dinner with my folks and I tonight, Setzi. They'll want to meet you anyway."

And so it was that their relationship started. Largely as friends working on the farm together, but they would grow quite close until one day they were forced to part ways as was want to happen. At least they parted on friendly terms. He would go on to marry a local woman named Reza, and the two would have one child before she died. Many years later he would become an instrumental part, thanks to his daughter, in the Republic's return. Strange how things worked that way.

[member="Setzi Lunelle"]

 

[Ever Dawnracer]

Present

Ever had her fathers hand clasped still. The elder Dawnracer was feeling the pressure of having the Republic run off and leave them. He had stepped into a more prominent role, banding together with the worlds left behind. Being the eldest remaining statesman, the only one that hadn't left when the Republic had, he had been pushed into the role of Chairman on the council and the responsibility of so many lives being in his hands was clearly starting to weigh him down. She could see that he needed something and she felt she knew what it was.

"Just be strong, Dad. You're doing great," she said, standing and releasing his hand. "Don't stay out here too late. I'm going to go take care of a few more things before I turn in."

"Good night, dear," Adder said, looking up at her briefly. "Your mother would be very proud of who you are."

Her mother. She knew what Reza looked like thanks to photos, and as she slipped back into the house she made a point of stopping to look at the ones on the wall. Her mother had been a beautiful woman, but she had never known her. All she had were her fathers stories and even those were sometimes muddled through mentions of another woman. She knew her father loved her mother, but there had been another that he'd been smitten with before her. Someone who had to part ways with him for reasons only she could explain but Adder had always seemed sure were valid reasons.

She slipped into her fathers study and pulled open the top right drawer. Inside were several old sheets of flimsi that she rifled through. Eventually she found what she was looking for. It was just a name, one that she had no personal attachment to, but it made sense. If Setzi Lunelle was still alive, it seemed to her that she should come back if she could. For all Ever knew, the woman could be married with several children. But if not, well, she hated seeing her father so alone. Her father trusted this woman, so at the very least she didn't feel worried. It was for this that she set out to contact the woman and invite her back to Nadiem. Ever wouldn't play matchmaker, but at least she could invite his old friend back.

When she was done she returned the piece of flimsi to the drawer and headed for her room. She'd done enough for the day, and she could see if her efforts were fruitful in the morning. She did stay by the window in her room, though, arms crossed loosely over her chest as she stared down at where her father was. She wouldn't sleep until he did. She couldn't. Until he got up and came inside she would stand watch over him.

[member="Setzi Lunelle"]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

The connection that she and Adder had made back on sleepy Nadiem? She thought about it often after she had to leave the planet. Later being rescued out of stasis from a random-pirate imprisonment, her first real image that of Connor Harrison beckoning her to the darkside, Setzi wondered about the handsome farmer as she lay in the cold tent on Deneba, pondering whether to try and save her old friend and Master or to flee.

She ran back to the welcoming fold of the Silver Jedi. But everything they taught her just did not take hold. And again the lost force user would often ruminate on Adder’s tanned, weathered face, the salt and pepper hair which grazed his collar, and most importantly the kindness he’d showed her on his homeplanet. He was much older than she. Much, much older. But did that really matter if they had enjoyed each other’s company so?

Somewhat miraculously the Jedi remained true to the light through the many temptations offered and finally the urge to rekindle with her old friend, despite the years that had passed. Statis had been kind to Setzi as thirty years had passed but she remained as youthful as the day he’d met her save for a deeper laugh line and tiny traces of crows-feet at the corner of her eyes.

She arrived in the morning at the behest of his daughter Ever. The Jedi Master knocked upon the front door of the settlement, marveling how it looked almost exactly the same as she remembered it, but when no one answered, she crept around the back porch.

Noting the empty tea glass from the night before, she idly traced the rim with her fingers, her heart nearly beating out of her chest with the anticipation of seeing her old friend.

Her children were now lost to her, but would this be her new family? She was about to find out.

“Adder?” she said softly, now rapping at the backdoor, hoping he was even home at this point and not out in the field or in town picking up supplies.

[member="Adder Dawnracer"]

 

[Ever Dawnracer]

"He's in a meeting," Ever said as she walked back from the barn.

Unlike when Setzi met her father, Ever was not covered in grease. She was immaculately dressed aside from having her gun on her hip and her shield within reach. No stave at the point. She did have a basket in one hand full of beebleberries, however. Clearly, she had been out picking them, though their purpose would remain a mystery. She approached the door and stopped to look at the woman. Definitely an outsider, and as Ever wasn't wearing her gaiter she could tell the woman reeked of the Force. But this woman was far too young to be Setzi. Wasn't she?

No ill intent seemed present, and the woman had spoken her father's name in a way that signified acquaintance at the least. Ever pushed the door open and walked into the kitchen, leaving the door open behind her for Setzi to follow. She carried the berries to the sink and started washing them down as one would do with any sort of fruit or berry before eating it. Had to get rid of any bugs and unwanted dust and dirt. She liked the berries by themselves, but her father liked them mixed with his tea. Fortunately, there was plenty to go around.

"I'm Ever, Adder's daughter. Who are you?"

She was tempted to mention Setzi by name, but if this person was really an assassin sent to kill her father then giving the name might entice her to use it solely as a means to get past her and to him. No, she wasn't stupid. Yes, she had invited her in by leaving the door open, but that was a calculated measure of moving to a confined space. Besides, the woman wasn't giving off heavy darksided vibes like she had felt back on Dagobah when fighting against the Ren and their First Order brethren. She wasn't completely at ease, but she was more relaxed than she could have been.

[member="Setzi Lunelle"]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

Despite the invitation from Adder’s daughter, Setzi did not expect her to be the first Dawnracer she saw today. In fact, her old friend had no children at the time they knew each other so to think of him as a father was… well, it wasn’t unwelcome, just different.

Then again he knew that she was a mother too, estranged from her daughters.

As she followed the woman, wordlessly at first, once she spoke, Setzi said: “I guessed that." Motioning to the basket of berries, she asked, “Are they edible?” Obviously they were if she were washing them, but then again, perhaps they would be used for a medicinal purpose.

Emboldened by the familiar fragrance of Adder’s house, a wave of nostalgia hit her.

“This house smells exactly the same as before. Oh gosh, sorry to be so weird. I’m Setzi Lunelle. I thought I would… I mean, I’m very grateful you invited me back to Nadiem.”

The force user had almost directly come from Jaminere to asset the Rebel Alliance in trying to evacuate as many citizens as they could from the looming Sith occupation. While she was dressed in civilian clothing, her hair was unwashed, and by the core, it almost smelled like the black smoke that had lingered for days upon the cityscape.

She was more nervous in front of Adder’s daughter than she thought she would be, and the temptation to use the Force to calm herself was strong. But using her talents in a social situation always struck Setzi as cheap and too easy.

“Is your father out?”

[member="Ever Dawnracer"]

 

[Ever Dawnracer]

"They are," she said, once the woman introduced herself.

Ever motioned towards the berries, indicating that Setzi could help herself to some of them if she wished. There were plenty of them and there was still a ton of them out there to be harvested. It was early in the season for them and she'd just managed to grab some of the early crops. They wouldn't be harvested until later in the growing season. Living as they did, anyway, they had to be self-sufficient most of the time. If Setzi explored she'd find that they had started farming nerf and fish as well. It was a necessity when you were supplying a large portion of a major governments food supply. That had been the case until the Republic moved on. Nadiem would no longer directly sell to them as a result.

Some of the berries she deposited in a device that began to whir away, making a puree from the fruit. She intended to make her father his favorite beverage for after his meeting, but perhaps it would be best if Setzi took it to him. After all, the two were old friends. She didn't know what it would be like having a mother, but that was why she'd sent the message to Setzi. She'd hoped the woman would come because her father needed someone. Not just for himself, but to help him in ways that Ever could not. Being a soldier didn't lend itself well to trying to keep a good public appearance.

"Nice to meet you, Setzi," she said as she collected the puree. "And no, he isn't out. He's in his study on a holo-conference with some people from the planet Enloc. It's just outside FRS space, so he's trying to negotiate a deal with them for troops and ships to protect us since the Republic took everything with them."

From the fridge she grabbed a container of tea, they grew the leaves as well and poured a glass. Into the glass, she added some of the puree before using a stirrer to mix the two together. The puree had no added sugar but was sweet from the sugar of the berries. As a result, it made a sweetened fruit tea that was healthy. She looked out for her father when she could. This just happened to be one of the days she had off. There weren't many of those anymore so she tried to enjoy them when she could. Usually it just meant working around the farm or helping her father out. He wasn't an invalid by any means, but he could use the help from time to time. Plus he was her father and she cared about him.

She set the glass on the counter and slid it gently over towards Setzi.

"I can make you one if you want, but you should take that to him when he's off his call. He should be done shortly."

She didn't say why she'd invited the woman back. Likely she didn't need to. It was plain to see that the woman had feelings for her father still. Even though she had questions on her age, she figured those could wait.

"I'm sure you know where his study is. It was his father's last time you were here."

[member="Setzi Lunelle"]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

At the offer, Setzi reached out her hand and gently plucked a handful of berries to sample. As she watched Ever, relaxing more now in the presence of Adder’s daughter, so much that she leaned her hip against the counter, she ate the small globes of fruit, which were enticingly sweet.

As the Jedi listened, she realized somewhat regretfully that she had not been following galaxy politics at all.

“The Republic. Now that’s a name I haven’t heard in awhile. Why did they leave?”

She didn’t know the intricacies, but added, “Maybe I should ask him when I see him? Maybe it will help to vent to an old familiar face the way we used to complain about the Nadiem weather.”

Setzi took the glass and nodded. Her heart was pounding, and why shouldn’t it be? The brunette spacer had always wanted a little bit more from Adder, but the time was not right for either of them. “So nice to finally meet you,” she finished as she walked towards the study and like a map she’d carefully studied in the past, her boot clad feet took her mindlessly to one of the rooms in the house where she’d been before, where warm conversation was liberally shared.

[member="Adder Dawnracer"]

 

[Adder Dawnracer]

Ever just shrugged at the question about the Republic leaving, and nodded her head at the comment about it being nice to meet. Conversation was no longer necessary. Besides, she needed to go find a way to relax for a bit. All of the long days of work were enough to wear anyone down, and now that there was Setzi in place to deal with Adder, she felt that it was possible to relax for once. At the very least she could find out how things were going with the training of the militia.

Adder, meanwhile, had just finished a conference with some leaders from Enloc about obtaining military forces. The conversation had been a difficult one. History on the world was proving a deterrent to getting what was being asked for. More than likely he was going to have to take a trip to the world in order to speak with those in charge. Not a desirable outcome considering how vulnerable the FRS was at the moment. Leaving, even for a short time, would take some defensive forces away and open them up to attack from the Hutts or others. A difficult situation to say the least.

A moment or two after the conference ended there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," he said without looking up.

When Setzi entered she would find Adder sitting at the desk, one hand rubbing away at temples that were pounding and eyes that were closed as a result. Only after the door closed once more did he look up and find his eyes falling on the lovely form of a woman he once cared a great deal about. Mouth fell open and closed as air was sucked in liberally. With only a moment of though, he rose, taking his cane and walked around the desk to where his old friend was standing. The tea aside, a hug was given all the same. Mostly to prove that she was actually there and not a random trick of sleep deprivation.

"Setzi- How? Why? What brought you back? And why do you still seem so young?"

[member="Setzi Lunelle"]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

As she caught a glimpse of Adder before he turned around and noticed she was there, Setzi realized just how much he’d aged. But he’d aged well, and it stirred her soul as she felt her own mind had ripened, much like a couple of the musty berries atop of Ever’s pile, but just not her living form.

If there was one thing the former Jedi was good at, it was embracing change.

Her green eyes fell upon his cane, and again her heart and belly squeezed with emotions, so much that she lay a smooth hand upon her stomach.

She hugged him back so hard, much harder than she’d intended to.

“I don’t know how much of a secret it is or if I’m meant to keep it. How I came back, of course.” Her head turned towards the kitchen where Ever may still have been.

“But my youth is a byproduct of stasis. I was captured and kept alive for years, not growing or advancing, only to be freed a few months ago.”

This was said in an incredibly mundane way as though it happened to ordinary folk all the time - captured, frozen, released - as simple as a semester of college.

“You look so well. I have missed you very much.”

[member="Adder Dawnracer"]

 

[Adder Dawnracer]

Between the glance towards the kitchen and the smell of the tea, it was obvious who was responsible for this meeting. Ever seemed to have been a busy girl after leaving him the other night. The desk had been disturbed, but given the propensity of the cleaning droids to get their feelers in every nook and cranny, it hadn't come as much of a surprise. A little organizing never did anyone a bit of harm, anyway. Now that the desk was less a mess it did feel more like a prim and proper workstation than a place for strewn bits of flimsi and old books. There were still a lot of books lying about, though. There always was. Even before it had been his study the room had been quite the menagerie of books and paper.

"Stasis has kept you youthful while I have aged tremendously," he said, a note of sadness in his voice.

Truly it would have been a blessing if he were as young looking as she. Ever so beautiful with her glowing eyes, and slightly curled hair. A waterfall of cascading locks. But the masterpiece was the subtle smile that seemed to always be there, ever adorned in that red lipstick of familiarity. There was no mistaking that this was indeed Setzi and not a clone or someone in disguise. Nobody was good enough to perfectly imitate her. Not even a changeling would be able to pull off such a feat.

At the mention of missing him, he took her hand gently and pulled her over towards a faded, nerf-skin couch. On Nadiem they reused everything, and nerf-hide was actually quite soft and supple. The love seat was quite comfortable and supported the body better than most. He sat down, resting his cane against the armrest beside him, and turned towards her. It was a small miracle that had brought them back together. Those many years ago had seemed so long gone that not but a faded memory remained. Times had changed tremendously since they were youths on the farm, working the land together. His hands remained calloused, with a dark tone to them from years of working outside. Her skin seemed, as ever, soft and gentle. Even when she worked hard her hands never seemed to get hardened.

"I have missed you from the moment you left. Truly, I wished you hadn't. Had you stayed I'd have probably asked you marry me. I loved you so."

A smile touched weathered lips, turning up the corners of a salt and pepper mustache.

"But had you stayed I would not have gotten Ever. Plus neither of us was really ready to settle down back then. We would have ended up driving each other crazy with my stagnation and your insatiable curiosity."

[member="Setzi Lunelle"]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

Adder’s enthusiasm upon seeing her put Setzi right at ease. She saw the youthful spark in his eyes, despite the gray in his hair and the wrinkles at the corner of his eyes. None of that mattered to the former Jedi.

He was exactly as she’d remembered.

“Hush,” she consoled. “If you feel like old painting, Adder, please let me be the one to restore you.”

Setzi smiled as he took her hand and led her to the couch, the smell of the berry tea filling the room around them. It was a love seat which meant it was cozy, which did not bother her in the slightest though she looked at the door frame again as though conscious of Ever’s potential disapproval.

"I have missed you from the moment you left. Truly, I wished you hadn't. Had you stayed I'd have probably asked you marry me. I loved you so."

A wasted moment, she thought. What would have happened to them if the proposal came and Setzi had accepted? Would she be any more broken than she already was?

“I’m glad you have Ever,” Setzi said, a genuine sentiment. “Though I’m not sure she likes me as much as you do.” Her smile would hopefully assure him that she did arrive to throw any kind of wrench in the mechanics of their relationship too.

If I could be with my children, I would too, she thought.

“It sounds like you haven’t been stagnant at all. So catch me up on what’s been going on?”

Again, it was as if they’d never parted, like they were back on the farm, dirt on their faces, laughing at inside jokes and dreaming about the future.

[member="Adder Dawnracer"]

 

[Adder Dawnracer]

The consoling was well placed and a smile was offered as payment. The couch was comfortable, all the more so with her on it. Years had passed for them, but the feelings of wanting remained the same. Arguably they were enhanced by the tremendous loss all those years before, and the anguish of living alone. Sure there was Ever to take care of and the company of neighboring farmers, but nothing could compare to the warm embrace of a beautiful woman. Least of all one that he loved. Things would be different still if Raza hadn't died, but she had and there was nothing for him anymore save for caring for the farm, the people, and Ever. At least there wasn't until Setzi came back.

At the mention of Ever not liking her much, a sigh was given. It wasn't abnormal for the FRS General to give people that impression. A product of hope being crushed by greedy people with little care for people other than themselves. It was a hard thing for her to deal with, just as it was all of the others left behind. He couldn't fault her for it, though the desire for her to overcome it was great. Even when asked about what was going on he knew he was going to have to start from the beginning for her to get the whole picture. A lot had happened.

"After you left I met a woman named Raza," he said, reaching out to take hold of her soft, gentle hand. "We wed and Ever was born after. When she was two, Raza died in childbirth, taking our son with her. Ever barely got to know her mother before she was gone, and grew up with just me. While I was busy making the farm more prosperous, she was busy being a rambunctious girl with grand dreams of seeing the Republic flourish once more, as Nadiem had been greatest under its banner. So she made friends from throughout the region, and they formed the Rangers and started hunting for remnants of the Republic. They found them and brought them here, and eventually that Republic settled on Ciomia as its capital, and we supplied them with food.

"I was elected by the people of Nadiem to be their senator. It wasn't exactly perfect and kept me away from the farm, but I couldn't say no to them. Ever, meanwhile, took the Rangers into the Republic's military and was rarely around. It changed her some, being out on her own so often, but it wasn't until what happened recently that she got like this. A few months ago, the Republic leadership voted to have a vote on moving the Republic, and the people willing, to the core. I voted against the measure in the Senate, and again in the public forum. The motion passed, though as we would later find the vote was rife with problems. People voted who weren't citizens and numerous citizens were barred from voting.

"The Republic left, though, leaving behind billions of people who did not want to move to a place that was already overcrowded. They settled on Carida, the Republic, for the record. I don't really believe they are the Republic anymore. The corruption present in that vote was enough to dissuade that belief. Those of us that stayed have banded together under a council of remaining, and new, senators, and we call ourselves the Former Republic States. Ever was the highest ranking military person to stay behind so she is now our General, which makes her really busy. The worst of it was the betrayal she felt, though. She spent years trying to find them and settle them here and then they left after using up our resources and didn't even leave us anything with which to defend ourselves.

"So it's not you that bothers her, it's just who she is now. She wouldn't have invited you here if she hated you."

A squeeze of the hand and a brief, hesitant smile. That was a lot to digest, and was really quite the watered down version. So much had happened recently that it was hard to convey in a manner other than writing simply because of the time it would take to convey it all. The FRS was in a very fragile state, and that bred uncertainty and stress. It also created the state of him becoming a workaholic whose only joy in life was the daughter he rarely ever got to see. Though now that Setzi was back, if she was back, maybe that could change?

"Are you going to stay?"

[member="Setzi Lunelle"]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

Setzi listened carefully, lost in Adder’s past. It was much better than reliving her own, but she also did not want to use it as some kind of dissociative technique. Of course the former Jedi could never replace Raza and the tragedy was not hers. Still, she felt so much in common with the loss of life and subsequent sadness that her old friend must have felt. Setzi had lost her own sister Chastity, her twins were somewhere out in the galaxy without their mother, and she’d completely karked up quite a few relationships between then and now.

“Ever reminds me a little of my own sister but much more headstrong. Chastity was… more impressionable.” Patting his hand, she continued, “To reassemble the Republic is no small feat. It was in shambles for so long.”

With her other hand, when she wasn’t sipping the tea, Setzi traced circles into the fabric of the sofa. “That all sounds so typical for politics, the corruption and misguided intentions. They should have listened to you, dear friend.” All of what he described was why the Jedi Consular path had never been for her.

“I would love to stay if you’ll have me.” She squeezed his hand again and while the brunette did not feel it was even her realm of experience anymore, the Jedi instincts kicked in. “What defense does Nadiem have? Do you have reason to believe we’re in danger here?”

[member="Adder Dawnracer"]

 

[Adder Dawnracer]

She was right about it not being a small feat. Perseverance and a lot of manpower went into bringing it back to a state that could truly be called the Republic. It had been a really great achievement before they had gone and left behind the people who had made it so they could come back. Elitism was a rampant thing among the Senate. It didn't seem to matter who they were, or where they came from, but they all seemed focused on money and getting away from Wild Space. Truthfully they were self-centered cowards with no sense of duty and inflated ego's. It was small wonder that they had decided to move back to the core and left a wake of corruption in doing so. Their kind would never be allowed back.

"They were beyond saving, I think," he said, shaking his head. "I probably should have recognized that any remnant of what was would retain the same corruption that caused it to fall apart in the past."

When she said she would love to stay, he smiled and squeezed her hand. Having her around would make everything better. Ever could stop worrying so much, and perhaps he could find a way to relax at times. The dreams would go away and become a reality. There wouldn't be any reason to run from what was any longer. What they had been in the past could come back and could grow into what he had wanted back then. If she would stay then they could have a future despite the fact that he had aged considerably more than she had.

The question about defenses drew a sigh, though.

"There's always the threat of attack in Wild Space. Especially with the Sith going unchecked and the Hutt's not far off. Ylesia and its surrounding systems are the worst off, bordering on Hutt space. They'll want to reclaim it and take back their slaves that we freed. As for what we have for defenses, a handful of leftover E-wings and the militia. That's why I'm going to have to go to Enloc and see if they'll make us a clone army and if we can buy some warships."

There was a clear note of disdain for having to do so. Not at the mention of the world, or at the mention of the clones, but an underlying sense that it felt wrong. Adder did not enjoy the idea of battle. Having someone come to take control of their free worlds was a problem, but if it could be solved through diplomatic means, all the better. The issue was, some people didn't respond to diplomacy and only responded to money. They had money, but it would never be enough. Greed was a wild thing. Hutt's and Sith had it in spades, and giving them a taste would just make the thirst grow, leaving their problem unsolved. He shook his head and reached up to brush some of the hair back from her face.

"I do want you to stay. Forever. I'd have looked for you sooner if I had thought you would come."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NucJk8TxyRg​

[member="Setzi Lunelle"]