Let's Go

[ToKola Bakari]

It was finally time.

It had been a few days since Cardinal had been released from his duties as Dominus Prime. The days following were...difficult. He had to come to terms with all the duties that had been lost to him, but also he was granted some closure. The final thing Cardinal had done before being relieved of his post, was still to go into effect. He glanced over the paper before him with a slight smile. The document read as such,

For outstanding service to the Confederacy of Independent systems the office of the Vicelord has seen fit to impart the following individual(s) with special permissions and privileges so they may continue to faithfully serve their nation until such a time their service is no longer required.

The following individual(s) are hereby granted the rank of Knight-Commander, granting them authority over all soldiers within the Knight's-Obsidian. Under this order, said individuals are tasked with serving directly under the Chief Commandant of the Knight's-Obsidian, the Dominus Prime to ensure the Knight's-Obsidian maintain a standard befitting of their duties.

The promotees are as follows:

Antares, Madalena to Knight-Commander

Signed, Cardinal Vi'Dreya
Dominus Prime of the Knight's Obsidian

Cardinal gazed at the document for a few moments before taking hold of a metallic seal he had used as the Dominus Prime of the order. This was the final document to receive his seal before it would be turned in to the Office of the Vicelord. The large man exhaled, before pressing the seal into the piece of parchment. A soft mechanical sound could be heard coming from the seal. When Cardinal pulled it from the paper, there was a dark crimson emblem with a golden bird in the center of it. Cardinal let out a dry chuckle before tossing the seal back onto his desk. It was a chapter closed. He glanced up at a picture of Madalena that sat on his desk and he allowed himself a small smile. A new chapter was opening, a better one.

He turned from his desk and made his way out of his home office. There were a few bags stacked in the corner of his apartment, he quickly took them into his arms and made his way out the door.

The walk to Madalena's ship was usually pretty quick. This time it was doubly so. Cardinal was practically in a jog as he ran up the ramp to the woman's ship. Making his way inside, the man smiled as he searched the ship for Madalena. When finally he found her, his hands went to draw her in to his chest. Feeling her warmth against him was something that he valued and was damn near addicted to. He pressed his lips to hers, hungrily as he realized it had been too long since he'd had his hands along her. They roamed her back and down her thighs until finally he pulled from her and offered her a warm smile. “Let's go.” It was all he could say, all he wished to say.

[member="Madalena Antares"]

 

[Madalena Antares]

It was a few days after the charity ball for the Restoration of Kuat. Initially, Madalena had thought that she and Cardinal would leave the following morning, but there had been other matters that had to be attended to and addressed before. The curvaceous woman was furious with how the events in the Vicelord's office had turned out, and she was even more furious with her sister for going there despite both Madalena and Cardinal telling her it was a bad idea.

Certainly, Cardinal, the wonderful man that he was, knew how to turn a bad situation into potential gold, and the event did align greatly with his desired vacation so that the two of them could go visit the Sandali homeworld, but it should not have happened that way at all. If Cardinal had wanted to leave the position of Dominus Prime, he should have done so when the timing was of his choice, when the deed was his to put into motion. Not like that. Never like that.

And still she could not deny that some good had come of it as well. Madalena was a real person now a far as the database was concerned; she had her own file, with her own version of a history written therein. She had her ID number, her own bank account, and everything else she needed now in order to function as an individual who was part of the Confederacy.

But now they would finally be leaving. In truth, Madalena was slightly nervous about it. The trip could take weeks, maybe even months, and she and Cardinal had never actually spent so much time together. Not only that, but it would also mean being away for that amount of time from her sister, something she had not done since being placed in her body.

So she did what she did best when she got nervous. She focused on packing. What did you even take to a world you knew so little about? Her little trolley quickly filled with clothes for various weathers, a few pairs of shoes and… Weapons. She didn't have any of those to add in, not beyond what she received from the Knights Obsidian when she officialized her being part of them, this time opting for the Archivists rather than the Pathfinders. Madalena had… She'd tried all of the weapons she'd used when she was in Scherezade's body, as well as a few that she had not. None of them quite felt like her anymore. It was another reminder that despite all she had gained, there were losses in there that she wasn't entirely void of hurting over.

It was between her packing that she realized little [member="Duckie deWinter"] had waddled into the trolley. Smiling, she picked him up, placing a kiss on his head, and set him gently down on the ground. Baal would later that day take them both to Scherezade's ship.

She was nearly done when Cardinal arrived, a smile spreading over her lips as he hugged her from behind. Turning around in his embrace, his kiss was met with equal hunger, and hands began to wander to places that it would probably be smarter not to considering they were about to leave and didn't have much time for that other stuff.

But then Cardinal ended it.

Madalena pouted, out of breath. "Tease," she laughed, flinging a sock at him before turning around to close her little trolley and get it off her bed.

She was ready now.

"We can go now," she nodded. Her hand making its way into Cardinal's, the two departed her ship. They would be taking his to the Sandali home world, as there was no point in taking two ships there. Along the way they passed murals that Madalena had painted, but a few now were covered in large pieces of fabric to keep viewers from looking beneath them. Madalena had been working on changing some of them… And she was still not ready to reveal any.

"How long of a trip is it?" she asked, her voice light as she squeezed Cardinal's hand, "will I be meeting some of your Sandali friends there?"

[member="Cardinal Vi'dreya"]

 

[ToKola Bakari]

When Madalena called him a tease, Cardinal merely smirked at her with a very sultry expression before shrugging his shoulders. “A bit.” He laughed at the sock she tossed at him, slapping it out of his way before taking her hand into his own.

They made their way out of the ship and almost Immediately Madalena asked how long the trip would take. Cardinal bit his bottom lip as he considered his answer. “Maybe...four days?” He said, scratching the back of his head. Slinging his bags over his shoulder, he looked to Madalena with a calming expression. “Thank you for coming with me Madalena. I really didn't want to go without you. My sorceress.” Cardinal had considered Madalena's words carefully when she first explained how relationships worked on Endelaan. One warrior and one sorcerer. They fit the description to the letter and as such, Cardinal found some warmth in that. When she spoke of the other Sandali, Cardinal kind of wondered the answer himself. “I think Uthixo is on the planet, but he's traveling the barrens. He's searching for one of the lost tribes, a group of outcasts. I don't know how or when he'll get back.”

“Anansi isn't on planet right now, but he may be in a few weeks.” Cardinal led Madalena to his starship. It was a smaller ship than Madalena's. A simple light freighter that he used when traveling from one planet to another. Cardinal climbed the ramp to his ship, leading Madalena into it while he held a content grin. After setting their bags down, Cardinal led them to the cockpit, starting the ship's functions and quickly enabling the autopilot so he could focus on Madalena.

“Madalena, sit with me.” He gestured to the seat across from him while pulling a small letter from his jacket pocket. “This is the last thing I get to do as the Dominus Prime and I am very excited for that.” He was. It meant a lot to him that Cardinal was able to bestow this honor upon Madalena himself. Though there would be a formal ceremony, this was the true moment of revelation. Clearing his throat, Cardinal opened the letter but kept it in his hands. “You served well in the Knight's Obsidian. You never wavered, you led from the front, and you showed that you are ready for the next step. As the Dominus Prime of the Knight's Obsidian, it is my honor to promote you to the rank of Knight-Commander. Now you shall serve as the right hand of the Dominus Prime, and lead the Knight's Obsidian beside him.”

Cardinal held the piece of paper out to the woman with a smile. There was some sadness there, a sadness that he would not get to see her first days of command, but he would always be there for her and even now he was ecstatic for her. “There are some technicalities to be worked out when we return, but I wanted to tell you now, before anyone else.” Before the next Dominus Prime. “The Knight's Obsidian are vital to The Confederacy's survival, and now I put them in your hands. Congratulations Madalena."

[member="Madalena Antares"]

 

[Duckie Talon]

Big, there was a mountain in his way, larger than the peaks his ancestor's had to climb to find the promised land...he didn't actually know his ancestors but it was so shiny and smooth and he wanted to see what the world was like from the top of the peak. It was a hard climb, he'd thrown himself at the task only to slide off once before, now twice, tiny claws on his feet scrambling for purchase, wings flapping uselessly as he stretched his head out, leaning forward into the smooth curve of the peaty as a sibilant breath blew through the intrepid explorer's bill. A desperate scrabble of feet and a flap of the wings brought his entire body up as Duckie shook preening his feathers proudly as he gazed up from Cardinal's boot and sucked in a deep breath.

Quack

[member="Cardinal Vi'dreya"] | [member="Madalena Antares"]​

 

[Madalena Antares]

The warmth that spread through her as Cardinal held her hand gave her cause for fuzzy feelings, and Madalena smiled, pausing only a moment when he mentioned it would be four days in every direction. It was slightly more than she had anticipated, yet with him as her partner, both in life and on the trip, she could never say it would be too long. The smile upon her face revealed all her emotions towards him as he thanked her for coming with him – It did not matter that with how things had turned out, he was the only mans he had true memories of having, of being with, of loving. It was as real as the very air she breathed.

Entering his ship, Madalena's glowing eyes took the sights in, her mind already taking notes of things she wanted to do to it. The Sorceress chuckled, and shook her head at herself. Too soon. And certainly not without letting him know first. But… If he would be interested, there were a few things in her bags that she could make use of later, when they would be making their way back. Assuming everything went well.

Taking her seat in the cockpit, she blinked with curiosity as he asked her to sit, said something about… last thing as Dominus Prime? Everything inside of her wanted to blurt out a long speech about what had gone down with the whole thing was wrong, but she bit her lower lip instead, keeping silent. Whatever it was that Cardinal had to say, he seemed to be excited about it. That, at least, meant she'd give him the place to let his own words out. And then…

"Knight Commander?" she asked, the words seeming almost detached. Being with Cardinal always felt hyper-real to the woman, but now that he said those words, explained why they were being said, Madalena felt as though she was in a dream. She could not deny that she desired after such a role – but she had been certain it was at least a few more years away, at least.

Her hands did not shake as she thought they would when she carefully took the piece of paper from him, her eyes instead going to his face, to that face that she wanted to see during as many possible mornings first thing when she woke up and during as many possible nights before she went to sleep. The face that was now sad. He was allowing himself to show it.

Rising from her seat, Madalena silently sat herself on Cardinal's lap, her arms wrapping around him, the piece of paper still unread by her. "This is such sweet bitter joy," she said at least, resting her head against his shoulder, "when I dared dreamed of this, before I was in this body, you were always part of that dream. With me. Together."

Her free hand came to rest against his chest, drawing lazy circles over it, and she sighed. "Thank you," she said after another pause, bringing her head up to kiss his cheek, "and don't take this the wrong way, but the Confederacy can screw itself. I want to make you proud right now. So I will accept this and be the best damned Knight Commander the Knights Obsidian have ever seen. And you will be my driving force."

Knight Commander Madalena Antares. No longer a Pathfinder in a body that was not hers, or an Archivist cooped up in a dusty library. It was a mouthful of the good kind. Yes. This was, despite the circumstances, a good thing.

"I love you," she breathed into him and smiled, before her lips found his. "Tell them I want a big office. And I want it full of plants you'll bring me there."

[member="Cardinal Vi'dreya"]

 

[ToKola Bakari]

It was easy to see when something interested Madalena, when it excited her. There were the small tells that the woman was happy to hear of her promotion. She had deserved it. For months she had acted in a capacity greater than many of her fellow Knights. When it came time for Cardinal to name his Commander, her name was the first to come to mind. Regardless of where his heart was, he remained objective. If people believed he gave her the position because of his personal relationship with her, things could only end badly. So it had been many days of deliberation, scaling her worth against those around her, in the end she had been the one the former Dominus chose.

When she rose from her seat, moving to his own lap, his hands pressed into her waist softly. He could feel her arms wrapped around him and for a brief moment he allowed his eyes to close, leaning into the woman he so cared for. She was warm, comforting, a reminder of the heart that still beat within his own chest. How had he once felt so hollow and now so fulfilled. It was truly an amazing thing, to have her with him. He recovered from her, eyeing her closely as she spoke and her head came to rest over his shoulder.

Her voice was low and beautiful, causing every word to take his full attention. He listened to those words and soon found fault with them. His hand rose, placing itself upon the woman's cheek in a soft caress. "We are always together." He promised her, his sunburnt eyes gazing at her intently. Her thanks was met with a brief, passive nod. She was right, it was a bittersweet feeling.

The pride Cardinal felt as Madalena spoke caused his lips to pull into a happy grin. He looked back to her, still not saying anything but merely appreciating the woman as she was and as she would be. When the words came from Madalena's lips he was eager to meet them into a deep kiss. It was slow and fulfilling, holding everything that Cardinal remembered from the first time they kissed. He pulled back and smiled. "I'll bring you as many as you'd like." He promised her before clapping his hand softly against her thigh. "My Yua..." A hushed whisper, spoken softly as Cardinal placed his lips upon Madalena's cheek.

He allowed the embrace to last a few moments, to the point where he felt as if he could drift into a deep nap even sitting in the pilot's chair. Soon though he tapped Madalena on her thigh, a sign that he was rising. He helped her to her feet while running his hand along her waist. "Now. We have a few days ahead of us and while there are many things I'd like to do to- with- you in that time, I had an idea of what we could do first."

He took Madalena's hand, leading her back into the main hold of the ship, gesturing to the couch with a wry smile. "I want to teach you some Sulu. The language of my people."

[member="Madalena Antares"]

 

[Madalena Antares]

His Yua. No matter how many times those words would leave his mouth, the effect they held over Madalena was as though it was the first. The warmth spread from her ears to her face and then the rest of her face, and she snuggled closely to him. His Yua. Two words. Music, an entire symphony, whenever she heard them.

It was a dangerous thing, the two of them together like that. Madalena and Cardinal could stay frozen in time, their limbs embracing, and not realize how time passed while they were like that. On a chair, in the bed, on a couch, it did not matter. There was a silence that took everything over when they embraced, the silence of complete and utter serenity, nirvana.

And to cease the embrace, even while remaining close, always felt like removing a bandage from an open wound. And yet, it meant that they would soon enough be entwined again. Madalena smiled as the two of them rose. Soon, again.

As Cardinal spoke of things to do during their few days trip, the smile on Madalena's face became a grin. She had more than a few ideas as well, and most of them involved making good use of his bed, and even better use out of it. It seemed however, that Cardinal had a different idea.

She almost pouted. Almost. Thankfully, he continued his words quickly enough, explaining what it was he was thinking of.

Sulu.

For all intents and purposes, Madalena was a polygot; the amount of languages she could speak fluently was varied, thanks to second-hand memory burning. It had begun when her grandmother had infused the knowledge into her sister's mind, and then as Madalena spent time her body, much of that knowledge had become hers as well.

But now…

Now Cardinal offered to add a language. One that Madalena was to truly learn. And it would be one that was his – one she could speak with him, and his people. The hunger for that knowledge was apparent on her face, and she made no attempt to hide it.

"That wry smile of yours gave me cause to think you were going to suggest something entirely different," she smiled back, but then joyfully hopped onto the couch, nodding her head in eagerness. "Teach me, Cardinal. I want to know your language. The language of your people. Are four days enough to learn an entire language? I've never actually had to learn one before, at least as far as memories of here go."

[member="Cardinal Vi'dreya"]

 

[ToKola Bakari]

The large Sandali man was a great many things. He was not overly secretive though his reserved nature often caused others to believe he was. When he took Madalena's hand and sat her down on the couch, he showed that wry smirk once more. Her words caused him to chuckle a bit, those sunburnt eyes falling on her with a certain gleam in them. "After." Was all he said, pressing his lips to the woman's soft cheek, all too briefly. When Madalena showed interest in learning Sulu, Cardinal smiled though there was one slight problem. He actually had no idea how to teach the woman how to learn such a language. It was unlike many others in the galaxy and he was only fluent in it because it was his mother tongue.

"Four days?" He took a moment to consider her question, before finally shaking his head at the thought. "No. It can take months to truly learn a language. Trust me, Galactic basic took me a few years. At least, to speak fluently." He explained.

Cardinal rubbed the back of his neck before taking Madalena's hand and speaking thoughtfully. "Ok, let's start slow. A greeting." Cardinal tapped his chest with two of his knuckles as he spoke out to Madalena. "Jambo." He stressed the ending vowel, making sure to deepen his voice as he did, giving it a unique sound. Cardinal took a moment to spell the word out, as well. "J-A-M-B-O. One of the good things about Sulu is however the word is spelt, is exactly how it sounds. There are no such things as silent letters or replacement sounds in Sulu."

"Another word you can use for a greeting is Hujambo. This means Hello, my friend and it's a term you would use when greeting friends or family, but mostly members of the same tribe. If you see someone who is a stranger or someone who is outside of your tribe you can also say, Samajambo. Which means, hello in a more cautious tone."

"The Sandali are a very physical people. So when you learn the language it is very important you learn the body language as well. You see, some tribes barely speak Sulu outside of their tribe. Instead, they use their body language and gestures to communicate. Here, I'll show you." He ran a finger along Madalena's thigh before standing from the couch, facing her with a bit of a smile.

"Now, let's say I'm meeting you for the first time and I'm wary of you or think you could be an enemy. I'd do this."

Cardinal widened his legs a bit, and then he slammed a single foot into the ground while tightening his shoulders, being sure to keep his arms out at his side. "Samajambo." It was true that Cardinal's body seemed to tell more than his words ever could, his demanor showed he was wary, but it also showed he was prepared for battle. When he finally relaxed, he arched a brow at Madalena, still showing an amused grin. "Am I making sense at all?"

[member="Madalena Antares"]

 

[Madalena Antares]

Madalena gave Cardinal a small pout as he said that four days would not be enough, her mind already reeling on trying to find ways to make it take less than a few years. Much less. Still, she focused on the matter at hand; wishing would not get her to know it better, to understand it better. There was only one thing that would help, and that was to actually learn the language.

She squeezed the hand in hers, and then they started. The beginning would be simple – a greeting. Or perhaps, not that simple, since there were three different versions of it. "Jambo," she repeated Cardinal's pronunciation. Such a simple word; yet the importance he used to emphasize that last part of it made her doubt her own pronunciation and she tried again. "Jambo." The second time sounded right to her ear, identical to Cardinal's pronunciation of it. Perhaps, Madalena thought, if she could nail down the unique aspects of the speaking of it, small nuances that the language had, it would flow over better with the tribes once they were there, even if her mastery of the language would not be reached yet.

Two more versions of that greeting; Hujambo, and Samajambo. The first brought a smile to her lips. "Hujambo, Cardinal," she chuckled. The other one though…

Sandali was not a language that was only spoken in words. The body and its movement were apparently important as well. A shiver ran down Madalena's spine as Cardinal touched her thigh and she was just about to ask if that was part of the language, before he got off from the couch, and she followed.

Legs widened, foot slammed. A moment later she did the shoulder thing. "Samajambo," she repeated, though at this point it was evident that she was not as certain of herself a she had been moments ago.

"Sense will be needed when we get to the grammar of the language," Madalena said with a smile as she relaxed as well, standing normally now, "right now we're just at the memorizing stage. I suppose though that it does make sense; three different greetings. Neutral, friendly, and prepared for anything. But what if the stranger doesn't show potential at a fight? Would you use that samajambo foot stomp on a child that comes your way?"

[member="Cardinal Vi'dreya"]

 

[ToKola Bakari]

Teaching Madalena of Sulu reminded the man of when he had first selected her to accompany him in the Knight's Obsidian. She had a different body then and there relationship was very different, but still it was rather nostalgic. He listened to her pronunciation of the greeting and found she was understanding the rather finnicky means of pronunciation well. "Very good." Not all worlds in Sulu had multiple ways of conveying them and there were even some words that simply did not exist in the language.

Next, Madalena rose to imitate what Cardinal had done. Cardinal smiled softly but shook his head at the woman. "Confidence, my love. You must be confident and powerful or the warriors will not respect you. Then they will try to fight you." Not an ultimately bad way to go about things, however Cardinal was more interested in having Madalena accepted by the Jiwe tribe, rather than being challenged by it. Again Cardinal widened his stance, slamming his feet into the ground with an intent expression. A bit more powerful, a bit more energetic, but it still held the same meaning behind it. "Samajambo!" He listened to Madalena's question and puased for a second to consider. "That's a good question. Honestly unless you know someone or at least know they are in the tribe, then you'd be expecting a fight. Even the children are warriors Madalena. If they believe they can kill you and bring themselves honor with the gods, then they will try."

"Now, we've shown you a greeting, let's tell you how to say goodbye. The best word for goodbye would be Kwa Heri. Essentially it means goodbye, but a more direct translation would mean see you later."

"There isn't much of a gesture with that, outside of a wave. Although the Jiwe do this often." Cardinal walked over to Madalena and softly took hold of the back of her neck, He leaned forward, pressing his brow to hers softly, before whispering. "Kwa Heri, Yua." He smiled before pulling back from her. "It's kind of an endearing thing that family and friends do."

"Then there is yes, which is Ndiyo." Cardinal was sure to stress the N at the beginning of the word, before smiling at Madalena warmly.

"And then we have no, Hapana," He also cut his arm through the air in a slow fashion. "This motion can change. If you're mad or insulted, it should be fasst and sharp, if you are just declining then it should be slower and paced."

[member="Madalena Antares"]

 

[Madalena Antares]

Confidence. Right. The meaning to do the Samajambo greeting without the required confidence that had to come along with it meant that they would try to fight her. Madalena smiled. For a moment, she regretted that her sister was not there; that woman wouldn't gotten it wrong on purpose just to pick fights with strangers. But she was not here, and Madalena was glad of it. Of all the things the two sisters were sharing, Cardinal and anything to do with the Sandali was not part of it. He was hers, and hers alone.

Re-newing her stance, she tried again, this time remembering to tighten her shoulders as well. "Samajambo!" she half screamed before bursting into a chuckle. New customs and traditions – it took time to get used to them. She had little doubt that she would have the full hang of the Samajambo by the time their fight ended, but there was nothing to keep her from laughing around a little bit. From having fun with the man she loved – the two of them had worked so hard to get to this point, to where not everything had to be completely and utterly serious because there was no fear that they would be separated; not by work, not by powers that be, not by anything. They had time to relax together.

Kwa Heri. She mouthed those words, and then stopped in place as Cardinal stepped forward, pressing his brow against hers. Madalena gulped, the heat of him being so close to her now… Her lips sought his before he pulled away, but she had waited a breath too much. When he stepped back, all she could do was give a heavy sigh. "I don't understand how this can be done with…" she searched for the word, "non-intimate partners," Madalena said at last. Maybe in some very specific situations, she supposed, she could see herself doing it like that with her sister, or perhaps with Daisy, but certainly not with others. There was too much closeness in it.

Two more words came. Yes and no.

"Hapana," she said, aiming for somewhere between fast and slow. "Teach me how to say I love you. Teach me how to say I love him. And then let's go to your room and make me scream Ndiyo over and over again." She grinned, her eyes almost starry with the thought of it. "For a short time, anyway," she raised her eyebrows with another sly grin, "then we can go back to learning."

[member="Cardinal Vi'dreya"]

 

[ToKola Bakari]

When Madalena did the action again, Cardinal clapped his hands together, showing a wide smile of approval. She was showing an enthusiasm in learning the ways of Cardinal's people and that more than anything was something for him to be proud of. He clapped his hands on his shoulders, showing his approval even more.

When she spoke about the intimacy of the farewell, Cardinal rubbed his chin a bit before shrugging. "Honestly, the tribes are close. That action is about the same as a warm hug. You'll see it done a lot just before hunting parties and war bands." He said, tucking his hands into his pockets. When Madalena approached him with her request, he had held the words close in his mind. "Nakupenda." The word flowed like the wind. As he spoke it, his hand wrapped around her waist and soon he was cupping her backside in a firm grip. "I love you." He repeated in Galactic Basic, then again he would say another word. "Nampenda." Which meant simply, "I love him."

When Madalena's tone turned, so did Cardinal's and he leaned down to press his lips to the bottom of the woman's bare neck. "There is an action with these words as well, that I can show you now." He bent down to wrap his arms around Madalena, lifting her from the surface below. He carried her away from the main hold, back to the only room that was on the ship. The inside of the room was plain, a reflection of the lack of use it tended to have. In fact all it had within it was a single bed and a small dresser on the side. Cardinal hated flying, so it was no wonder he spent little time in his own ship. He sat Madalena down on the bed below, his hand brushing against her cheek just before he laid her back. He gave her a wanting gaze just before crawling onto the bed over her, "Now...the word was Nakupenda...Here is the action behind it."

​

Some time later​

​

Night and day were abstract in the depths of space. So much so it was easy to get lost in time and love. When Cardinal finally stood up, his muscles were twitching as they calmed from the evening's excitement. A thin bead of sweat pooled at his brow but he was quick to wipe it away with the shirt he had discarded earlier. The man wrapped his arms along the back of his shoulders, drawing himself into a deep stretch. The sound that he made was akin to a growl, and it was just as carnal. Satisfied he looked to Madalena with a playful expression. His hand would swat her backside just before he leaned down to allow his lips to meet hers.

"I didn't think teaching Sulu would be this fun." Cardinal wore nothing more than a pair of black shorts. Even though it was cold in the depths of space he found that he was quite warm. Slinging his shirt over his shoulder, he gestured for Madalena to join him outside of the room. "Let's get a snack. Then we can do a bit more." He paused at the doorway before leaning his head back in at Madalena. "More Sulu....and then more time here."

[member="Madalena Antares"]

 

[Madalena Antares]

His approval almost made her glow in the very literal sense. It was a small thing shared by many of her blood line; an aesthetic that appeared sometimes when they were near ecstatic. She had glown in bed after her and Cardinal's first time together, and she had glown after he had saved her sister when she nearly died for bringing her back. And she was almost glowing for Cardinal now.

"Nakupenda,"she breathed into him, her long legs wrapping around his middle, her mouth finding his lips, his cheek, his neck. Her mouth continued to find various spots upon the skip of his upper body as he carried her, and she did not even see what was or wasn't on the walls of his bedroom, as every time that her eyes opened, they were on him and him alone. "Nakupenda," she murmured as he showed her the action that came with it.

Out of breath, her eyes followed his every move as Card made out of the bed and wiped the sweat away. Madalena lay on her stomach, laughing as his hand touched her, flipping around trying to pull him back to her for a quick kiss before he got dressed, an action that pulled a small mope from her before she rose from the bed, looking over the discarded clothes.

Nah, she decided, and followed him to the kitchen area while still wearing nothing but her birthday suit, arms stretching above her head as she smiled in satisfaction. Not a hint of shame or embarrassment could be detected on her as she walked like that through the ship. The current body was different than the previous; bigger, for one. But she didn't mind. It had taken her less than a day to love every inch of it, and now that she was free of the bracers on her legs, she worked hard almost every day to keep its current size while increasing its strength.

"When we get to more complicated stuff you can reward me for words pronounced correctly and sentences constructed right," she teased as she opened the fridge, pulling out various things for the both of them. Cold cuts, breads, eggs, and some sweets for herself. Foods that she had missed on in the previous body.

Hopping on Cardinal's lap after he sat down, Madalena grinned and kissed his cheek again before hopping off. Neither of them would eat properly unless she did that.

Within moments, she'd put together two sandwiches, one of him and one for her, each loaded with each other's favorites, and she handed Cardinal his. "Is there a Sulu word for dig in or bonapetite?" she asked just before taking her first bite, "maybe something like eat up," she murmured, "or Madalena makes the best food. That could work too."

 

[ToKola Bakari]

When Madalena walked in behind Cardinal he took a few moments to simply gaze at her. There was something to be said about the woman you lvoed walking about your ship with no clothes on. There were a great many things to be said. As she strode past him, his eyes remained fashioned on her for some time. He chuckled at the woman, running a hand across his beard as she spoke about a reward. "I can think of a few things..." When she pulled some food from the fridge Cardinal sat down, trying to think of what he could teach her next. Still, Madalena hopped onto his lap, causing him to chuckle while she placed a warm kiss on his cheek. "Keep it up and we'll spend the entire trip in my bedroom....or not....the counter is sturdy." He promised, offering a bit of a wink as she sat down beside him.

He took his sandwich with a smile, happy to have something to eat. "Eat up?" He asked, but before he could confirm Madalena's playful nature shined through once again. "Hmm...Madalena's food taste's the best? Or...Madalena tastes the be- either way it's a bit of a long sentence." He chuckled again before scratching his temple a bit.

"Well, we pretty much just say Kula when we are saying to eat or eat up." He made a gesture where he brought two fingers to his lips, tapping them twice. "Kula."

"Now say you like the food, you can say, Chakula. Funny enough, there isn't really a way to say the food is bad. You'd just say bad or no when talking about the food. Most of the time we didn't really comment on the quality of the food. Food is food." Cardinal bit into his sandwich, a small trickle of grease flowing down his cheek as he did. "Now this is Chakula." He said, wiping a bit of the grese from his cheek and then sucking it from his finger.

"Ok, how about this?" He pointed to the cold cut that had slid out of his sandwich. "Meat, meat is Nyama. If you're being specific, like saying it's chicken then you'd say Nyama Kuku. Beef is Nyama Ng'ombe."

[member="Madalena Antares"]

 

[Madalena Antares]

"Lovely as that sounds…" Madalena purred, leaving the sentence hanging. She had no doubt that both she and Cardinal were completely up for doing nothing but the occasional meal outside of the bedroom for the next few days, but they had things to do as well. The language and some of the culture had to be learned, and there would be time needed to be spent not… As physically active as they were during other times. It was a hot and sweet thought to have though. She made a mental note to plan for time exactly for that next time both of them could get away for more than a few hours.

She laughed as he almost finished the what exactly tastes the best remark, and took a huge bite out of her own sandwich, making sure her mouth was too full to reply to that. Once she's swallowed though, she nodded. "Kula!" came the word. An easy one. She was going to have to write it down though; the words were massing up and soon enough she'd need a list she could refer to for the million or so times she was going to go over it in her head. The last thing she wanted to do was cause embarrassment for Cardinal in front of his people because she's gotten a word wrong.

"Chakula for good food," she said, thinking over the other words already used. "So essentially, many words have a certain base to the, and things get added in front or after the base for words that are within the same range of meaning but have their own nuances." Mulling over that, Madalena nodded again, though this time to herself.

"Kuku for chicken?" she asked, grinning, "really?" animals by the sounds they made. It was hilarious. Whatever worries she'd had earlier about needing time to master the vocabulary, it was gone now entirely. Either Sulu was simple, or Cardinal was a great teacher. "Ng'ombe for beef," she repeated. "So basically, we're currently have Chakula Nyama Bantha with spreads and veggies?"

[member="Cardinal Vi'dreya"]

 

[ToKola Bakari]

When Madalena explained Sulu for herself, Cardinal offered a brief wink of approval. "You got it." He said, leaning back in his seat and taking another bite of his meal. "Now, there are a few exceptions but those are mainly with the different clan dialects and no one will pay much attention to a mess up there. Luckily my clan was a direct descendent of the Jiwe Tribe, so the dialect I use is the one you'll need to know the most." He could not lie, there was a part of him that loved teaching Madalena his mother tongue merely to bridge another gap between them. Once she learned to speak Sulu it would merely be another thing that caused his heart to beat for her. He sat for a moment, before his lips widened in a smile. He truly did care for this woman, and all she was. When she grinned over the name of the chicken, he nodded with a knowing expression. He had a feeling she'd get a kick out of that.

Madalena explained the meal and in the next moment Cardinal clapped his hands together. "Well done!"

His finger aimed at the veggies and he muttered another word. "Mboga. Vegetables, Mboga." He said, explaining how to say the words as he spoke them. "And is Na. So it would be Nyama Bantha na Mboga." Once he finished explaining the words he took a moment to down the rest of his sandwich. Grease ran down his chin and he did his best to clean away what he could, yet a few droplits managed to flow into his beard. Wiping the mess away he spoke as he finished the rest of the sandwich. "No word for sandwich....we don't have bread there. At least they don't know how to make it. The Jiwe eat a lot of meat, mainly bird." The mountains were not exactly the best place to grow crops, what places they did have grew things such as carrots and potatoes, while the hunters saw to the rest of the village's needs. "Now. There is something you should be aware of. I'll probably have to fight..." His eyes glanced over Madalena's body for a moment, taking in her form before he muttered, "A lot..."

"In the Sulu language you are my Nusui, or other half. Since we are not married that means any man may take you if he believes he can beat me and he will not dishonor the gods. For you....many will try." Cardinal bit down on the bit of leftover meat on his plate, before licking his lips clear of the meal. "And I will kill them all." He said, simply before looking to Madalena with a teasing expression. "Then we can return to the ship...." He trailed off before chuckling a bit.

"Nusui means....Well..." Cardinal paused. He did not quite know how to explain this without freaking Madalena out. "Uhm...So...By my culture, since we are dating, it is almost like we are engaged. The Sandali do not date without the intent to marry, you see. So by claiming you as my Nusui, it means you agree to be with me and do not fight me for that right. You have submitted to this in the eyes of the gods and honor them without combat. So they will view us as if we are engaged. There is no other type of relationship in the tribe that they will accept so it is just best for us not to conflict it. I don't want to freak you out or anything, I didn't drag you to Sandala to trick you into a marriage or anything, I promise."

[member="Madalena Antares"]

 

[Madalena Antares]

Madalena beamed as Cardinal told her she'd done well. Mboga was for vegetables, Na was for end, and now she had her first entire sentence – "Nyama Bantha na Mboga," she repeated with a proud grin. The language of his people. She could fight, so if she could not connect with them on fights and food, it was going to be doomed anyway. No word for sandwich though, or bread. No bread? Oh dear.

"So basically, your people eat like my sister, and I'm going to be looking for ways to make alternate bread," she laughed. Maybe she could find some plants to grind into something that resembled flour? Much as she loved to eat the stuff, she didn't have any actual hands on baking experience. IT was something she was going to have to rectify in the next few months.

And then came the explanation.

Madalena listened carefully, lofting her brow from time to time. Nusui. The word felt right, even before Cardinal explained what it meant. It was… It was the exact same phrase her parents had used for each other, when they were still teenagers stealing away time to be with one another. With that part, she held no objections.

"Why would they be fighting you?" she found herself asking. "Shouldn't they care about whether or not I might want them? It's not as if I have any qualms about removing some of their body parts and feeding them to goats should the occasion call for it."

The look on her face left no place to question her intents. Like all the women in her line, Madalena was both opinionated and suborn, often beyond belief. The reason she was with Cardinal was for no other reason than that was who she wanted to be with. Not once had he made the attempt for force her into anything. Not with work, not with romance, and not with anything sexual. The Sith Sorceress had the free will to exercise what she deemed right for herself, and her and Cardinal's will to be with each other was mutual down to the smallest atom of it.

So if another one would try to take her by force?

"Even if by any chance one of them beats you," she said, her voice cold but the fire igniting in her eyes, "there will be nothing left of him by the time I'm done. Even I there are no goats on Sandala."

Leaning back in her chair, Madalena now looked at Cardinal, and his now-clean beard, and smiled. "You don't have to explain," she chuckled at his length explanation, "Neither of us know what the future holds. I don't know if I want to get married, or if I want to get married in a near or distant future. I don't know if I want it in a specific way if it does happen. But I know that I love you, and when I think of my future, you are in it. Always. So if that does not make you my Nusui, I don't know what does. You are my Nusui whether we are on Sandala or not."

[member="Cardinal Vi'dreya"]

 

[ToKola Bakari]

When Cardinal explained things to Madalena he chuckled a bit at her response. "It's just how these things work." He shrugged. The man placed a hand over his chin while trying to understand a better way to explain it. "If you were single, then it would be up to you to fight, but since you are not then they'll expect me to fight."

Cardinal could not help but smile at Madalena's words. He did not expect her to sit by idly while someone attempted to take her for their wife. Hell, if anything he would be surprised if she would even let him fight without getting in the way. His eyes gazed out at her for a moment with a warm expression before he finally offered a simple nod. "No one is going to beat me, so it does not matter. Besides there is a chance some of the warriors will not try to fight me. I fought with them in their last battle against the Maji Tribe, so they have seen me fight. The Jiwe are strong, but they are not master's of the Force." When Madalena spoke next, she caused Cardinal's smile to widen. He couldn't help it, she had touched his heart and that was worth so much more than anything else she had done. Cardinal stood from his feet, tapping his fingers on the counter for a moment before leaning over it. His lips would meet Madalena's, his hand brushing against her chin softly for a moment. He continued to kiss her until finally, he pulled back and offered her that same warm smile he always gave her. "My Yua."

Another kiss was pressed on her brow before he turned back to the main hold of the starship. "Come on, there is still a lot more to go over."

​

​

Several days later​

​

Over the next few days Cardinal and Madalena followed a rather simple routine. They would continue their lessons on the Sandali's native tongue, Sulu, and in time they would grow close to Cardinal's home planet. As they grew closer, Cardinal took his place in the cockpit of his starship. He eyed the lush green planet closely as his lips spread to a smile. He was a bit nervous. To bring Madalena here, it was something he had wanted to do ever since he found out about the planets existence. He leaned back into his ship while reactivating the auto-pilot to the ship. Once he set the ship to enter the planet's atmosphere he turned back into the main hold. "Madalena, we're here." He made his way over to a nearby chest, that sat near the loading ramp. It was a chest made of a wooden weave, and was certainly out of place aboard the durasteel starship. Kneeling down in front of the chest, his hand washed over the emblem that had been carved into the finely oiled wood. The symbol of the Jiwe tribe, covering the gift they had given the man when he aided them in defending their border from the Maji.

He opened the woven chest and smiled at what laid withen. The armor that the Jiwe were clad in was hand crafted from some of the strongest trees on Sandala. The wood had been blessed by the Sandali and empowered with the ancient magicks of the Force. Cardinal lowered the armor back into the basket before closing the lid. He would not wear it yet, he would go to the Jiwe as they expected their own. So the man pulled his shirt and pants from his body, leaving himself bare. Drawing his back into a long stretch he appreciated the freedom that was gifted to him, it had been some time. He turned to a similar basket on the other side of the room, searching for his covering that he had worn last time.

[member="Madalena Antares"]

​

 

[Madalena Antares]

If she were single, she'd have to fight for herself. Madalena nodded. Not an entirely misogynic concept then. It still left her with questions though. "What about the women?" she asked, "would they try to fight me if it was you they wanted?" It went without saying that she would dispose of them quite easily if it came to that, knowing Sulu or not. If they were Nusui, they were each other's other halves, which meant that together they were one. Anyone threatening that would die, simple as that.

His Yua. She would never tire of hearing it. But she did get dressed a little before they resumed their lessons. After all, Madalena was not oblivious to the effect of her clothesless body next to him, even if the difference between dressed or naked when they were near each other was not that big.

The next few days were a flurry, and yet some of the most wonderful ones she had to experience since being brought into her own body. In between the learning, the eating, and the love making, every inch of Madalena was filled with joy, tingling down to her very toes. It almost broke her heart to think that this was temporary for now; they would soon arrive, and after a little while on Sandala, they would have to return to Confederate space. Her comfort was in knowing that there would be nothing that could stop the two from doing something like this again in the future.

Leaning against the wall, she looked at Cardinal as he opened the chest in the cockpit. She had noticed it earlier, but said nothing. The two were one, but each of them had their own personal space, a part that was theirs. There was nothing about the chest that mandated that Cardinal had to reveal its contents before he was ready.

Smiling, she nodded to him. She herself had nothing special or Sandala-relevant. All she had was her regular Strike Armor, and for the weapon she now carried the saber-staff that Josh had made her. Cardinal had not yet seen it, but he would soon. And if any of the locals wanted a fight? He'd get to see it in action. Madalena's body still did not sing when she fought, but she was still good enough to hold her own, and her abilities with Sith Spells were ever expanding. She was, true to her homeplanet, a Sith Sorceress.

"Niko tayari," she said lightly, smiling. Not a perfect Sulu speaker. But she had a firm grasps of the very basics. She wanted to make Cardinal proud.

[member="Cardinal Vi'dreya"]

 

[ToKola Bakari]

Madalena's question was something that caused Cardinal to chuckle a bit before he finally answered. "Of course. The Jiwe respect strength, so most disputes are settle through combat. Where a man wishes to claim a woman or a woman wishes to claim a man, they will enter combat and the victor receives his or her new mate." Cardinal was older than he looked, so much older, yet by the standards of the Jiwe he appeared to be a strong young man. It would be interesting to see if there were any women who would be bold enough to challenge Madalena. She was not of the Jiwe so she would get less respect than a normal warrior, they would challenge her just to test her. It could be an interesting display either way.

He heard the words spoken by Madalena and he smiled back at her, nodding before muttering softly. "Wewe ni, Yua." He returned her confidence before pulling out a pair of shorts. They were made of thick leather and had a kama made from woven grass. The waist was lined with what seemed to be the skin of some sort of reptile, as it was a thick band of leather with shiny azure scales. Once Cardinal pulled the covering on, he turned to Madalena. "We can have them make you something to wear as well. Besides, I like the idea of you wearing the traditional garb of the Jiwe….it's less." He smirked before pressing his lips to hers. His hand would reach up to gingerly grab the back of Madalena's head as he pressed his brow to hers. "Thank you." He whispered, ever so slightly before turning and making his way towards the loading ramp.

Two items were leaning against the wall beside the loading ramp. His war club, which had been won by facing the natives of another world. He took it within his hands, testing it's weight just before resting it against his shoulder. The next weapon was his short spear, which he took into his hands for a brief moment before tucking it into his waist band. "Now, let's go."

The ship had come to land in the thick of the mountains. The moment they stepped out they were met with a cool afternoon breeze that carried with it the scent of the mountains. The smell of rock and grass was welcomed as Cardinal stepped onto the stony surface below. He took a deep inhale, allowing the feeling to caress his spirit, the feeling of truly being home. The land before them was a thing of beauty, a number of mountain ranges all intertwined with each other, seemingly stretching on for miles in every direction. The valleys below held small groves of trees and land where the Jiwe could hunt and harvest, but the mountaintops seemed well inhabited with a number of villages and settlements. The village before them seemed to be a smaller one. It was little more than an assortment of wooden huts covered with the hides of the animals hunted in the mountains.

As it was in the afternoon most of the villagers were busy at work. A number of the Sandali moved about the village, though it seemed a few of them were now moving towards the ship. The men and women who approached were wary, their wooden spears were firmly fastened in their grip, even once they saw Cardinal they were unsure of what was happening.

"To'kola?" One of the men called out, slapping a hand on his thigh in a signal for the group to end their approach. He seemed skeptical, even though Cardinal had explained his starship to the Sandali most did not truly comprehend just what it was. Now, they stood in awe of the metallic creation. "You have re-"

"To'Kola!" A number of voices called out, each one was young and filled with the energy that could not be mistaken for anything but a young child. There were at least five of them and they ran past the Jiwe warriors with the abandon that you could expect of a Sandali child. "Is that the spaceship?!" One of the girls asked, hopping into the man's arms. Cardinal chuckled as he laid down his club to catch the Sandali girl. "Yes, Niri. It is." She looked up at the ship with wide eyes, yet in turn her gaze fell on Madalena. To Niri, who had never even seen a member of another tribe, Madalena was a complete enigma. Her skin was so light and soft and her eyes seemed like pools the young girl could fall into. "Wooooa. What is she?"

Cardinal glanced at Madalena before smiling, patting Niri on the top of her head. "My other half, child." Niri paused before laughing a bit and waving at the woman. "Jambo!" She offered in a perky tone as Cardinal lowered her back to the ground. Niri had not been the only one who was awed by Cardinal's return. As two more of the kids walked over to Madalena offering a similar greeting while the others turned to the man's starship with interest.

The border guard who had approached in the beginning had since lowered their spears, some dispersing back to their patrol while only a few remained to watch the display. Cardinal turned to the man who had first spoken to him, arching a brow at him. "Did I miss the trials?" He asked, his voice holding some weight to it as he asked. The man leaned against his spear before waving his hand at Cardinal's words. "La la, siku nyingine bado." He muttered, tapping his shoulder twice as he spoke. When Cardinal realized they had come at a perfect time he smiled and looked to Madalena, taking her hand in his own.

"Are the elders here?" He asked, before the Sandali man shook his head. "No, they will not return until tomorrow morning, but a hut has been prepared for you and your Nusui and we are having a feast tonight in celebration of the trials. You probably have some time to mount her before the feast." Cardinal could not help but chuckle at the man's words, even though he knew he was serious. "I think I'll show her around a bit, thank you Ndugu." The man nodded before whistling sharply at the children crowding around the ship, calling on their attention. Cardinal turned to Madalena and gestured to the village ahead. "This is where we stayed the last time I was here. It's a small village but it produces some of the strongest warriors in the tribe. And the feasts are amazing. It's probably why the entire village is so busy."