Keeping it in the Family

[Caelia Lamora]

[member=Lancem Cuiléin] | [member=Nakia Bors-Cuiléin] | [member=Morgana Cuiléin] | [member=Lanval Bors-Cuiléin]

The Horizon-class star yacht, the Errant Sojourn, was drifting through space. Similarly, the ship's owner had been drifting, aimlessly, for a long time. Six years. It had been six years since the Netherworld event had claimed his parents, six years since he had parted ways with his siblings and dear cousins. For more than three hundred years, they had travelled together. Despite the individualistic nature of the Anzati, the Cuiléin clan had once been as one. It was high time they became that again. Not only that, but he had found a way for them to become even stronger than they had ever been before. A new path would be set in front of them, and he had no doubts that it would pay off. Of course, they would have to agree to this themselves, but he had a feeling they would be as tempted by this opportunity as he was.

The fairly sizeable ship, one which he viewed as property of the Cuiléin clan on a whole, officially listed Tristan as its owner. He was the oldest living Cuiléin, after all. It was a fine thing, not equipped for combat, but able to support each member of the family with sizeable, comfortable lodgings. The Anzat stepped onto the holo-image projector. The image that would later appear in front of [member=Nakia Bors-Cuiléin] would undoubtedly be a familiar one. Six years were nothing by Anzati standards, and the large figure of Tristan Cuiléin was hard to forget. He was big, standing a little more than two meters tall, with a powerful and muscular frame. On average, Anzati were naturally stronger than humans. How Tristan's physical strength compared to that of the average human was a scary thought... For humans. Yet despite having what most would characterize as an intimidating appearance, Tristan's entire body language was friendly and welcoming, like that of the loving patriarch.

The recording started. "Hello Nakia. It has been too long, dear cousin." his powerful voice seemed to reflect his figure well. "Too long has our family been separated through our self-imposed exile. That is about to end. I seek to bring us all together again, to reunite the Family, as it should be. I will call upon the others and have them meet me at a secret location. I am sending this message to you first, because after we meet up, I wish to take the rest of our Family to our final destination: Coruscant." the image paused for effect. This was not a summoning for her to come meet him, that would be sent to the others shortly after. He had something else in mind for her. "I hear you have taken up residence on Coruscant. I want you to prepare for our arrival. We will need a base of operation. I assume you will need time to prepare." He wasn't really concerned with what she came up with. He trusted and loved Nakia, as he did any other member of their family. What she deemed good enough for them, he would as well. While Tristan tended to take a liking to the extravagant and expensive, simply a safe and secure location would do. If everything went according to plan, there was a chance he and others would be given separate lodgings, but both in good times and bad, it was always useful to have a safehouse.

"It will take time before the others receive my message, and meet me at the assigned coordinates. I trust it will be enough. But know, dear cousin, that soon we shall all be together again. These are exciting times. I will tell you more about what I have in mind when we meet. Until then, be safe." The last bit was more of a general way of saying good bye. He had no doubt that Nakia was managing, as she always had. The holo-transmission was cut, and Tristan smiled. He hadn't seen his cousin, as it was a one-way recording that was transmitted to her now. But just addressing her brought a familiar feeling to his mind. He couldn't wait to see them all together again. Tristan wasn't done yet, for he had one more message to record. This one would go out to his other siblings, and remaining cousin. Theirs would be identical, however. Like the message sent to Nakia, this would be a one-way transmission. Everyone in the Family had a commlink with a number of preset frequencies corresponding with those used by the rest of the Family.

"Hello, dear Family; brother, sister, cousin. This message will be sent to you all. With this message I'm sending you coordinates to my location. I want you to come meet me. Too long has our family been separated through our self-imposed exile. I wish for this to end, for us to act and behave as a Family once more." he would be quick to reveal his intention, lest they view the first few lines of his message to be a distress signal. This was anything but. "The time is right for us to unite again. But things will not be as they were before..." he had to work hard to contain the emotions flowing up within him. He wanted nothing more than to reveal everything to them right then and there, but he knew he couldn't. This information would best be passed in person. Safe to say, he was very excited about this new plan. "They will be better. We will be better. We deserve better. Our great family will no longer scrape for leftovers, and settle for mediocrity and mere survival. I see another future for us. One in which we will have abundance. We will have power. But most importantly, we will have each other." as cliché as his last words were, they were true. Above all, Tristan valued the Family. The past six years notwithstanding, everything he did, he did for the Family. And Tristan was about to do great things for the Family. "We shall be together again, my dear siblings. Soon. I look forward to seeing you all." the transmission ended. The pieces had been set in motion. Now came the wait. Tristan plotted in a new course for the Errant Sojourn, and the ship shortly after made the jump to hyperspace.

The ship dropped out of hyperspace, having finally reached its destination. Beneath it lay Dagobah. It was an isolated world, unsettled and devoid of intelligent life. The swamp world served their purpose well. Here Tristan would host the Reunion uninterrupted. Of course, he didn't arrive here on a whim. Everything had been carefully planned, and as such, the coordinates he set the ship down to would match those he sent to the rest of the family exactly. The Errant Sojourn set down in a small clearing, amidst the swamps and otherwise thick forests. While the planet didn't have any intelligent life, that didn't mean the planet didn't have any life at all. There were many life forms, hostile and not. As such, the entrance to the ship would be closed, but of course be opened for each individual of the Cuiléin as they arrived, one by one. Inside the ship, Tristan awaited their arrival. He was dressed nicely for the occasion, in lavish clothes fit a nobleman, fitting his massive form perfectly, looking fashionable in black and purple. All that remained for him to do now was to wait. He had waited for six years. A little more did him no harm.

 

[Lancem Cuiléin]

Six years.
Six years he had held onto the tiny communication device, keeping it in his pocket just in case there was ever a time when the exiles of the Family decided to rejoin one another. Just in case that in his time away from him, he could finally find some sort of redemption or manage to bring back their parents through self-sacrifice. Just in case had finally been useful, they had finally been called back. An elaborate message and yet a vague one, promising power and sustenance to the Family. All of it spoken in the voice of the eldest of the Family, Tristan. "So you admit that they are dead, that they are gone?" He spoke to himself. For Tristan to be the eldest of the Family meant that his parents were never again going to return, something that he was still just starting to accept. "Enough useless dribbling, the time for self-pity and depression is gone." He spoke once more.

Flying through the stars wasn't terribly difficult, he simply had hired a shuttle pilot to drop him off near the coordinates that his brother had sent to them. He tipped the shuttle pilot nicely and set out through the swamp which drenched his senses in the feeling of wilderness and musk. Something small scurried around in the water to his right as he passed, up ahead he could make note of the Errant Sojourn. It was a ship that held many memories, both good and bad. He hated the ship for a few moments, and then realized that there was nothing to be angry about, he was being ridiculous as he had been when he'd first left the others. When they had all first left each other.

A quiet knock at the door announced his presence to the residents inside of the ship. He wasn't sure who else had gotten here, all he knew was that Tristan was inside. He didn't even know how to respond to Tristan, he was the eldest now. He was a good brother, certainly, but that didn't change any of what Lancem's subconscious spewed. He was an usurper, an unintentional usurper of the title of Patriarch. Title held before by their father, one that he needed to take if anything could ever again be accomplished with the Family, and one that Lancem personally wished could be left to rot away in whichever dark and fiery hole their parents were taken to. "Hello brother, i'm home."
[member="Tristan Cuiléin"] | [member="Nakia Bors-Cuiléin"] | [member="Morgana Cuiléin"] | [member="Lanval Bors-Cuiléin"]

 

[Nakia Bors-Cuiléin]

[member=Tristan Cuiléin] | [member=Lancem cuiléin] | [member=Morgana Cuiléin] | [member=Lanval Bors-cuiléin]

It had been several days since Nakia had first gotten the message of her older cousin. As she had then, she sat staring at the holo-image of Tristan. It was the closest she'd come to seeing family in six years. He sat in an old, wooden chair, her elbows leaning on her knees, her hands supporting her chin. It was odd, she thought, how flustered with fondness she was at a simple holo image, but she'd rewatched the same message several times these past few days.

The safehouse she had provided for herself was old, rundown, and in the lower scummy levels. But that had made it easier for her to run her own little protection racket of some of the surrounding smalltime businesses from here. It wasn't much, there was hardly any furnishing aside from the holo-image-projected she'd intended to use to keep in touch with her family, but there was a sturdy lock on the door and there were walls and a roof. Nothing at all for Tristan, she knew, which made her grin. There was a single mattress, which she would share with Morgana. The rest of the family could sleep on the floor if they needed a place to stay. It would be far too delightful not to see Tristan complain about the conditions. Almost as delightful as seeing them all again. They were coming here, Tristan had said. After they had their meeting.

Come to think of it, it was almost time. Nakia would join in through the holo-image caster. With a content sigh, she stood herself up and stepped into the holo-projector's imput field. She tapped a few keys, and her image would pop up on the Errant Sojourn. In return, she received a miniature holo-image of the meeting room, with Tristan waiting there. She held her silence for now, waiting either to be noticed or until the best timing to make one of her signature remarks to make her presence known.

 

[Nan'eth'illa]

When he received the holo-transmission, Lanval was conflicted. On one hand, he had a pretty sweet deal flying a good craft for a capable band of mercenaries who offered him a little extra on the side for his contribution on the battlefield. On the other hand, this was his family, and Tristran spoke words that struck home to him. A better life, a life they deserved. Perhaps the Family could pull it off? That steep climb back to power from the abyss in which they now resided, separated in obscurity. Yes, they could do it. They could make the climb.

At the meeting, Lanval was one of the last to meet. At least he met in person, unlike his twin-sister Nakia who was only there in a Holo-feed. Then again, she had her business on Coruscant to tend to. Lanval had seen his share of boggy, useless planets, but this one was a level of its' own, especially as he was bringing lunch. On a leash behind him, he had two slaves he had picked up on his way through Hutt space and stowed away on his Clawcraft, Blitzen. Well, the family may argue that it belonged to all of them, but Lanval saw it as his, and his own.

While he was just a little shorter than the eldest cousin Tristran, Lanval had as much muscle condensed into his form and a far larger personality, with a bombastic voice to fit his appearance and then some. He practically blew the doors wide open and with a roaring laugh and arms extended called to his cousins.

"Tristran! Lancem! Nakia! It's been a good while long since I saw you jolly buggers! Where's that little baby-rascal Morgana? Oh, I brought some company, hope you don't mind!"

Lanval gave a mighty tug on his leash, pulling the two slaves tumbling into the middle of the room and forcing them into a sitting position. The pair consisted of two females, a Nautolan and a Zabrak, both shackled and scared-looking. They were obviously not high-grade slaves, but they would do for some soup.

[member="Nakia Bors-Cuiléin"] | [member="Tristan Cuiléin"] | [member="Morgana Cuiléin"] | [member="Lancem Cuiléin"]

 

[Morgana Cuiléin]

Morgana had been been extremely excited when she received the holo-transmission, glad to see her older brother again. Not only was he alive and well, he looked more powerful and radiant than ever! That was her big brother!
Consequently, she'd had a change of priorities, and dropped everything else she'd been doing at the moment. Not only would she see her big brother again, but the rest of the family as well!

Morgana had been stuck in a sort of haze on Coruscant for a long while now. About six years, she would imagine. Living from day to day without any excitement in her life. This was, then, a sort of miracle that had dropped into her lap. She wasn't about to let it slip, and had managed to hitch a ride with a 'transport' ship, acting as both company and protection for the lonely captain and his crew of droids, being set down on to the lifeless, boggy planet with a slightly incredulous stare, and a request she call sometime. She considered it.

But for now, she looked towards the family ship's coordinates, and did indeed find it. She saw Lanval making his way inside, with the slaves, though she was far enough away to be outside audible range. Lanval was just the kind of guy it was hard not to recognize. And just seeing him made her heart leap in her chest! She kept her cool and walked to the ship in a calm manner, keeping a lid on her excitement.

In contrast to Lanval, Morgana slid in the doors, moving smoothly, with the light step of a makashi practicioner.
"Hello, everybody. It has been a while, hasn't it?" Her mouth quirked into a wry smile.
She surveyed the room, spotting everyone, even Nakia, if only in holo-form.
"Seems we're all here. Wonderful!"

 

[Caelia Lamora]

His brother Lancem was the first to arrive. Tristan could've left him waiting, or remotely opened the door from deep within the ship, and let him find the way in himself. But this wasn't some honorary guest he sought to impress, this wasn't a fly caught in the spider's web. This was his brother. Almost as if he'd been waiting by the door, it opened mere moments after Lancem had knocked and announced his arrival. What met him was not the stoic Patriarch, demanding the respect and loyalty of his junior family members, but a loving brother who had missed him dearly. Before words were exchanged, the giant embraced him with the big logs he called arms. It lasted longer than your average, polite hug. When he finally pulled away, his face was lit up with joy. "Lancem! Brother. I am glad you came"

He had anticipated that they'd all come. He had definitely hoped it would be so, but he couldn't be sure. More than hoping, Tristan needed them to show up. When you were so dependent on a certain thing happening, doubt easily planted her seeds. "Come, come. We have much to talk about" provided Lancem would permit it, Tristan would guide his brother into the ship, an arm around his shoulder. He was led to the large conference room, which had been refashioned temporarily. It had been prepared to host a dinner party, the first of its kind in many years. "So, brother. How are you doing? No new family members to speak of, I trust?" Tristan joked with the thought of Lancem having left behind a trail of bastards in his wake. He imagined they'd have quite some time to talk. What were the odds that everyone would show up at the same time?

After they had had time to exchange some words, perhaps regale a story or two, the image of Nakia showed up. "Cousin!" Tristan would burst out in his booming voice, immediately acknowledging her presence. When it came to family, he wasn't good at keeping up with formalities. After six years, he could barely contain his excitement at seeing them again. It got amplified by each appearance. As if on cue, moments after Nakia's holo-arrival, he saw the merry shape of Lanval. Now all of the Bors-Cuiléin were well represented! Tristan joined in Lanval's laugh, and rose from his seat at the long table. His laugh intensified as he saw he brought lunch. "I should've suspected you'd bring your own food! Do you not trust me to cater to your needs?" he joked, laughing again. Lanval's merry attitude was contagious, and today, Tristan was particularly susceptible to it. He left the table to embrace Lanval in a hug, similar to the one he'd given Lancem earlier. "Cousin!" he said as the large men embraced, clasping his back fondly. He completely ignored the slaves. They were beneath his notice. They were less than people, they were but letters on a menu.

Shortly after, Morgana snuck in. Tristan didn't notice her until she spoke. "Morgana! Sister!" he said, breaking out into another laugh. At last, the Family was together again. He was not about to let them out of his sight. With long, quick steps, he had suddenly covered the distance from Lanval to Morgana at a surprising pace for a man his side. Moments later, she was lifted off the ground in a very tight hug. "Sister" he repeated, though softly this time. Though he loved everyone in the Family dearly and equally, there was a special bond between an eldest and youngest sibling, he felt. Though each and every one of them were fully capable to take care of themselves, all of them having far outlived any Human, he still felt obliged to protect her. She was, and would always be his baby sister. "You're right, Morgana. We're all here. At last" I'm not gonna cry, I'm not gonna cry, I'm not gonna cry

 

[Nan'eth'illa]

The slaves were used to being ignored, though they looked extremely terrified at the prospect of being food. Lanval paid their terror no heed, but embraced his enormous brother and clapped his back with his own ham-hands. "You would cater to my needs Cousin, but not my appetites. So I brought appetizers! The Zabrak has a temper on her so I got her cheap. The Nautolan is a doctor. The slavers didn't know, but... " He tapped the side of his head, he had been probing their minds and found some interesting details from their lives.

Morgana's first sight would be interesting: Two of the biggest members of her family standing right in the door, towering over her. Perhaps it was not as scary to her as it would be to others. Lanval would embrace her, but Tristran was faster and he settled with a pat on her back. A human might feel winded by the blow, but Lanval knew that even their little baby cousin Morgana was tougher than so. He moved into the room. First he nodded a greeting to his sister Nakia, who he had seen not so long ago, and it was hard exchanging extended greetings with a hologram. Next he opened his arms for Lancem "Come here Cousin Lancem. I haven't forgotten you! You haven't made any little additions to our family yet, have you? Would be like you" He barked a laugh.

 

[Nakia Bors-Cuiléin]

Nakia scowled inwardly when Lanval made his appearance and bellowed her name in his usual manner. She should've known her twin would notice her immediately. "Brother. You ruin my surprise for pour Tristan," she said pleasantly, no real insult or reproach meant from her tone of voice. "I'm sure our dear cousin will be right alo- ah, speak of the Devaronian and you see its horns," she said as Morgana made her arrival.

When Tristan complained of Lanval bringing his own food, Nakia sighed dramatically. "Count yourselves fortunate that you have a meal to share." The holo-image reached out a hand in longing. Oh, for but a touch, an embrace, a kiss... Maybe that Nautolan too... "I would so love to be there. I'm sorry I couldn't make it. Pressing business on Coruscant, and it is so hard to find reliable help. I have to ever be the pragmatist, lest my rivals take a cheap shot at my back. You know how it is," she wailed, exaggerating her position dramatically. She hadn't done this sort of thing in ages. It was her family's sympathy she longed for most of all, and she now acted accordingly again, after such a long time.

"Lanval, brother, Tristan just said that earlier. I have been here for much longer already than you think, cousin," she revealed with a sly grin. As always with the Cuiléins, Nakia could not resist the chance at a good snide remark, even if they all knew it was in jest. "A doctor, hmm?" she fixed the Nautolan with a hungry stare. "He can examine me any day."

 

[Lancem Cuiléin]

Lancem grinned as the mood of the room shifted into something just off of euphoria. Such was the happiness of the Family to be reunited that they spent many moments clasping at eachother and granting one another hugs and fair greetings. It was nice to be back with those who loved you and whom you loved in return. Even if some of them weren't really here, they were here in heart and visually at the very least.

"I would very much hope that I haven't left a string of children throughout the galaxy, though I can't say the same for our cousin Nakia. That is her specialty after all." He teased with a smile before backing a bit away from the family so that he could see them all at once. He even took notice of the slaves, though he recognized they were food and that he didn't actually have to greet them. Such would be their fate, dying in a place of euphoria. It most definitely beat being blown apart or hacked to pieces in some far off field for some far off authority.

"It is pleasantly spectacularly wonderful to see all of you once more, it's been too long, I don't want us to ever ever have to leave eachother again, not for such a long period of time. It hurts me...right here." He motioned towards where his heart would be if he shared a human anatomy. "Or somewhere around there anyhows. Tristan, you said you had some ideas or something of the sort didn't you? Perhaps we should discuss them over our meals...especially before Nakia devours them with her eyes." He spoke in his usual rapid and kind way.
[member="Nakia Bors-Cuiléin"] | [member="Lanval Bors-Cuiléin"] | [member="Tristan Cuiléin"] | [member="Morgana Cuiléin"] |

 

[Morgana Cuiléin]

Tristan was quick. Morgana didn't have much time to react before he was upon her, though she liked to think if it was a serious situation, she could've.
For now, though, she was pulled into a tight bear hug by a man resembling, well, just that - a shaved bear. It felt like he was twice her size, and quadruple her strength. Even for an Anzati, he was terrifyingly strong. And this was when he wasn't trying to hurt her.
It was good, though, to be embraced by the family again, both literally and metaphorically.
She threw her arms around his neck and hugged back.

Speaking of Anzati strength, Lanval's pat on the back was enough to knock the air out of her for a moment. That hairy beast was probably the only one of them to rival Tristan in terms of sheer physical prowess.

As Tristan's grip loosened a bit, Morgana took the opportunity to swing her comparatively tiny frame like a pendulum, briefly gathering momentum, before performing an acrobatic maneuver that placed her sitting on Tristan's shoulders, facing in the same direction as him.
She giggled - it was so like the old times, wasn't it.

She looked over to the hologram of her dear cousin.
"Cheer up, cousin dearest, I'm certain you'll be reunited with us as well before too long~"