Hello, Mother...

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Graxin raised an eyebrow. He was unsure just how to respond to that. In the short time he had come to know his mother; he concluded that she was honest, and brutally blunt if need be. Anything else was still up in the air.

He nodded at the question and held his cup forward. His smile never faded, and his tone was warm, if not a bit curious as he spoke. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to stay here a few days, would it? I need to work on my healing techniques...and my social skills. It'd be nice to see the city." He paused for a moment, and let the silence sink in. It wasn't awkward, which is what amused him so much.

"And...why did you leave the Order, if you don't mind me asking?"

[member="Feena Mason"]

 

[Feena]

Feena closed her eyes for a long moment as she heard his question. When she finally opened them again, she had the look of a much older woman.

"...I was once a leading member of their Jedi Council, did you know that?"
Of course he wouldn't know that. So she continued.

"In those days, I was one of the only Jedi who took the title of 'peacekeepers' seriously. You will still find very few who do not strike first, ask questions later. So many young ones, so quick to anger. Let me just say it this way... The rest of the Council and I had a slight difference of opinion about what the code truly meant. I did not think Jedi were meant to be soldiers. The majority disagreed with me. So I left."

[member="Graxin Rade"]

 

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Graxin certainly had not expected that. He understood that she might have been a member, once, but not a member of the council. It showed on his face. "Where did you go after that?" He questioned, brow raised in curiosity.

He seemed to fall silent for a moment--then spoke once more out of the blue. "And...I understand what you mean. A lot of the Order is still like that. Little discipline, and a lot of breaking things. Still, I hope that can chance."
[member="Feena Mason"]

 

[Feena]

The Queen laughed a short twinkling laugh, as if what her son said was actually quite funny.
"You think They can change? I couldn't make them change. Vorhi Alestrani couldn't make them change. Not a single competent Jedi in that Order had been able to do it. I wish you the best of luck, and when you finally figure out what I already know, you are welcome to come back here."

She took a sip of her tea, smiling.

"After the Jedi, I was invited into the Confederacy. For a while, the convinced me they were truly a peaceful government. I caught on, but not quickly enough."

[member="Graxin Rade"]

 

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"I'm...still considering things. Finding my place, as it were." Graxin mumbled. He gave his mother a soft smile, and raised an eyebrow when the word Confederacy spilled from her lips. He had worked with them, even considered joining them in the past. The galaxy suddenly seemed much smaller.

"I worked with the Confederacy to recover Zenith Prime. One of their Sith taught me how to channel force lightning in return." He mumbled quietly. The Sith in question was one Feena knew well, though his name would never again be uttered. "They were...disparate, at the very least."

His smile did not fade, though it did slacken marginally. Graxin fell silent, gaze falling to the untouched tea. He stared at its ripples, and exhaled a steady sigh. "It's good to know where I came from. Seems odd knowing the mystery is gone."

[member="Feena Mason"]

 

[Feena]

Feena was suddenly beyond smiling, even at this boy. The confederacy. Hearing this, that her own child was also caught up with their lies, made her feel sick to get stomach.

"They are monsters," she hissed, "they use. They lie. They cheat. They destroy. You've heard what they did to Druckenwell. You must have."

The blood between her fingers felt as warn and fresh as ever. She looked down at her tea, at the rim of the delicate cup held between shaking fingers. Shaking. The planet shook too.

"Who taught you? Im sure he was a monster too," the queen sighed looking entirely defeated, "Just like me."

[member="Graxin Rade"]

 

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Graxin fell silent. Drunkenwell was not something he wanted to remember. He and his friend, @Kelios Shala-da had both felt the events of that day. They had been in exile, hiding from the New Order in a primitive village when the planet fell. Shock waves had been felt in the force all around, the severity of the death had threatened to scar Graxin, and had done so to Kelios.

"I felt it when it happened. I was out hunting near Mytus with a friend. It was..difficult to bear."

Though it did not come natural to him, Graxin held out his hand and slipped it over his mother's. It was something his friends had done to calm him, and he liked to believe that it worked on most humans. "You're no monster. You're a healer, and a leader. Drunkenwell wasn't your mistake, it was theirs...and, Verd taught me. This was before we knew just who he was."

[member="Feena Mason"]

 

[Feena]

"I was on the ship just above the planet. You can not imagine what that felt like. Being so close."

The name Verd brought a nasty feeling to the pit of her stomach. It was bad enough that she had called him a friend, but now her own child had called him Master.

"I am sorry that i asked. Verd was a coward and a true monstrosity. The Galaxy is better without him, And you won't hear me say that often."

[member="Graxin Rade"]

 

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"I've heard about the things he's done. I no longer associate myself with him. The abilities he taught me have been forgotten." He stated honestly. His gentle grip on his mother's hand did not waver, though ti did soften noticeably. His smile was one of open regret. He truly wished he had not apprenticed to the man, short a time as it was.

"Let's go on to nicer things though, alright?" He chuckled. "As your son...is there anything I need to do? Political appearances and such? I don't mind, if it helps."

[member="Feena Mason"]

 

[Feena]

Feena stared at the hand so comfortably resting over hers. Hours ago, she wouldn't have believed she would see him again. Now they were talking about the future as mother and son.

"I am sure there will be," she answered, "I will have to find a proper way to introduce you to Naboo Society. The last thing I want to do is lie about your birth and your life. But I know my poor publicist would have a heart attack if I told him I was going to be honest. We shall have to find a way to make it sound more innocent somehow..."

That was going to be a challenge and a half.

[member="Graxin Rade"]

 

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Publicist. Graxi nhad no idea what that was. At all. It showed on his face too. He just continued that gentle smile, and slowly drifted his hand away from hers.

"The Graug told me they hunted you down. Just tell them you had to escape. It's what I've believed since I was a child, anyway." He stated plain and simple, as if it were any mundane topic. His shoulders lifted up in a slight shrug, and his tone softened partway. "I'm not gong to be an issue for your career, am I?"

He slipped his arms over his chest, and raised an eyebrow. "I don't need to be public, if it does, mother."

[member="Feena Mason"]

 

[Feena]

"You might be," Feena admitted with a sigh, "But covering you up would be an even bigger lie. I am not willing to be anything but truthful to my people. It's what they deserve."

She sighed, shaking her head.

"To be honest, I'm more worried about my husband and daughters reaction. A leader is expected to have a past. I can find a way to work my 'mistakes' into a political movement. If I do this right, it will hardly effect my approval ratings.
Keter might be a little less... understanding."

[member="Graxin Rade"]

 

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Graxin gave his mother an odd look. Regrettably, he did not understand the finer points of socialization. He had worked it out in his mind that the children would enjoy having a brother--he had always yearned for his siblings attention when he was little. The father though, Keter was it, he had no way of knowing.

"I will be civil." He replied. The concept of the issue was just out of Graxin's grasp. "Though, if you don't think it'll help having him meet me, then he doesn't need to. I can come and go."

His voice was calm, but internally, he panicked. A sense of family was something he had, even as a Jedi, always wanted. He would bite the bullet if it was needed. That was his lot in life, it seemed, and he wasn't one to complain.

[member="Feena Mason"]

 

[Feena]

"No."
She answered quicky, shaking her head.

"I am honest with my husband. This is something he should have known about years ago. Now that you are here, I owe him the truth. I wouldn't worry. I will speak to him first. I am sure once he gets over the shock, he will like you well enough. He's a very kind man, even if he won't admit it."

She smiled at this. Keter was always like that. Always insisting that he was a villain. He could never fool her. He would fight her, but always hold back. He captured her, but never hurt her. He threatened her, but refused to carry it out.
And she always knew why, even if he didn't.

The new Queen poured another cup for herself, and absent mindedly filled her sons cup as well.

[member="Graxin Rade"]

 

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More and more, Graxin was beginning to not want to leave. Naboo was welcoming, and his mother, while absent for the majority of his life, was nice enough. Though it was weak, he felt some sort of a connection. Perhaps it was the force; perhaps it was how much the woman looked like him. Perhaps it was the--yes, he thought it was unconditional love she gave. He knew no better.

"Then I look forward to meeting him." He assured. His gaze drifted up toward the ceiling for a moment. The words that came to him were not what he expected, but he made no attempt to hold them back. "I always wanted a mother."

He fell silent for a long moment. Slowly, he turned to look back at her. "It's....nice."

[member="Feena Mason"]

 

[Feena]

She felt guilty. Her poor boy, her son. He was so lonely. It was clear as day, if he thought he could trust her after what she'd done to him.

"Oh."
She took a sip of her tea, her body language almost immediately changing from warm and inviting, to cool and guarded.

"I can't possibly imagine why. After what I did? How are you able to move on so easily?"

[member="Graxin Rade"]

 

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Graxin fell silent. It was an odd question, at least to him. His brow knit in thought as he tried to find the right words-- it wasn't exactly easy.

"You were young when you had me. I've made mistakes, and I can't hold something from your youth against you." He explained. His tone was completely sincere, and his smile remained.

"And I...suppose I need some kind of foundation. I don't have anything solid."

[member="Feena Mason"]

 

[Feena]

Feena went silent for a good moment. He almost sounded like he'd forgiven her. Already.
"Well, " she said, reaching to pat his hand, "you have it now. You have family. A home. A future."

She smiled looking out the wide window at Theed string into the distance.

"Stay a few days. A week at least. I have so much to show you. And so much to tell you. "

[member="Graxin Rade"]