No Place Like Home (Lady Kay)

[WolfMortum]

Through the atmosphere of Commenor, the single manned fighter dove down, breaking through orbit and entering into the vast skies above, darkness soon becoming light and gradually wisps of white and gray passed by the canopy of the X-Wing Veiere sat strapped within, his eyes upon the sensor display logs, skeptical still as to whether he had entered the world undetected despite nothing showing on screen. Life for the former Jedi had taken something of a dramatic shift, his allegiances having changed as too his general alignment and faith within the Force itself for the practices that he had since sought to take upon himself, the pursuit of strength within the Dark Side of the Force...-Yet there was one very important and most especially significant part of his life that had never changed and that was his love for his Family, as difficult as it had been lately to reach them.

His Apprentice, [member="Dacian Jeth"] would not accompany him on this visit. His loyalty and actions instead rewarding him the command and freedom to reside over the Praetor IV free to pursue his own objectives for the time while Veiere sought to spend some time with his Wife, too comforted by the fact that none within his own Order would be able to track such ties that left him so vulnerable to their Estate upon the Capital world of the Systems Alliance.

She would feel his proximity closing in upon their home-world, their Wedding Rings keeping them both ever connected to one another strengthening that bond within the Force that they had come to form over so many years of loyalty and love, fighting criminals, slavers and avoiding assassination attempts all in the pursuit of Commenor's growth. Veiere's loyalty to the world had never changed, in his mind it was never to be questioned and yet he would be a fool to expect this visit with his wife to go smoothly. There were things [member="Lady Kay"] ought to know about him, reasons that she ought to be made aware of.

Sure she may not like hearing them, but what was it they had said?

Till Death Do Them Part...

 

[Kay-Larr]

He was coming. Kay could feel it. An unexpected visit, unplanned and really necessary. There was much for them to talk about, and much for [member="Veiere Arenais"] to explain. He didn't do as he said he would, instead attacking one of the worlds that was under their protection. Or at least hers.

She left the Palace as quickly as she could. More than likely Veiere wouldn't know that she hadn't really lived in the Estate since he had left. With the children gone, including Brad, the Estate was empty. It was far too quiet for her. For a while it was okay, but then it just started to bother her. She needed to feel that she wasn't alone. She needed to be around others.

Her speederbike tore through the path in the forest, heading up the mountain to their home. By the time that she had gotten there, the X-Wing had already landed. Kay parked her bike next to it and removed her helmet. She was in a full gown which was now windswept and dishevelled, not giving herself a chance to change beforehand. It was probably a ridiculous sight, but she didn't care.

Kay took in a deep breath to calm her poubding heart. She didn't want to get angry with him straight away. He was her love, her husband, and she didn't like what had happened lately to keep them apart. After she had collected hersef, she walked up the steps of the porch and opened the door. "Veiere? I'm here..." Kay entered their home, heading into the kitchen. More than likely he was looking for some whiskey or brandy.

 

[WolfMortum]

His wife knew him all too well, coming upon the front of their Estate she would have direct line of sight of the man pouring himself his second glass of Whiskey in their Kitchen; from the bench, his gaze would lift to the sound of her voice and a smile break out upon his face at the sight of her; both pleased and yet wary for how she might be feeling towards his temporary return. "I've put the Kettle on..." He replied lightly, a slight chuckle escaping his breath, the drink having always helped her to remain calm and neutral in most otherwise tense situations, this one it seemed would be little different.

As the water boiled however and his glass found itself back upon the Kitchen counter, Veiere moved to meet her within the center of their open floor, the living area just ahead of the Kitchen, his hands taking to wrap around her shoulders seeking to hold her against him. If she would allow it. "...And I've missed you" he concluded, looking down to meet her gaze with his, genuine, though tired eyes seeking to show her that there was indeed still a great love for her and their family to be found within his gaze upon their lives within a Galaxy of Chaos.

He did not however remain so close for very long as his wife's feelings were immense given their bond and it was impossible for him to ignore how she was feeling, towards their marriage, towards him and the things he had done. Choosing to return to the Kitchen, though too gesturing for her to join him, he retreated back to the far bench to prepare her much needed Tea. "I know you have questions...".

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

He was here. And already putting the kettle on. Good man.

Kay gave him a small smile and just let him envelop her in his arms, her eyes closing briefly as she took it all in, feeling the warmth of his embrace. Now the Estate didn't feel so empty anymore. She looked up at him as he spoke, seeing a hint of the man that she married within his eyes."I've missed you too.."

But then reality struck. [member="Veiere Arenais"] hadn't been himself. He must've felt the change in her mood, for he broke the embrace and headed back into the kitchen. She stood there for but a moment before following in behind him. Anger, frustration and disbelief at what had happened came back to her. She clenched her jaw. Yelling at him wouldn't do anything. So it was best to try to remain calm. "How could you do it?...You had innocent people killed. This is not like you. Why destroy what we had built?" He had betrayed his friends, and in attacking people under her protection, he had betrayed her too.

"You are not yourself..." Kay knew who he was. Or at least she thought that she did...

 

[WolfMortum]

"What WE built?" Veiere turned momentarily to glance back towards his wife skeptically, "WE...Built the Commenor Systems Alliance" he emphasized his words slowly so that she would understand the differences in what he was comparing and trying to elaborate for her; "I...Built the Jedi Enclave on Deneba and I filled that Enclave with Jedi", there was no anger nor resentment within his words, only firm truth.

Veiere would soon place her fresh cup of Tea upon a small flat dish and moving passed the bench, momentarily stop to refill his glass to the top and after taking a sip so not to spill it, he would move to walk towards [member="Lady Kay"], nodding in suggestive demeanor to the nearby table for which they could seat themselves and have this discussion properly.

Having placed his wife's drink down in-front of her, he soon found his seat not so far away and brought both hands, to cup around his glass sitting atop the table's polished surface as his gaze sought the nearby windows a moment in both consideration for his further response but so too the beauty of the countryside that he so admired about Commenor. "Tell me something Kay, what's the best way to prove to the Galaxy that my actions in no way impact nor relate to the political stance of the Commenor Systems Alliance that WE built...", the question was rhetorical for Veiere would answer his own words for her; "Staging an attack or act of violence within our very own system, one that would have a large enough impact that the rest of the Galaxy would come to hear about".

"And who do you think, might be so widely known to the Galaxy at large, to bring the spotlight down upon while too strengthening support for you, for Commenor and for the Systems Alliance" his head tilted somewhat to the right, curious to see if she understand what it was he was saying. "Yes I had people killed...-I'm not going to deny that...-It was necessary to ensure that masses weren't taken upon with the same violence and warfare that's plaguing the rest of the Galaxy".

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay furrowed her brows as he explained himself sonewhat, trying to seperate the Conclave on Deneba from their Systems Alliance. It was stupid and just an excuse that did little to justify what he had done. A wall had started to build. And whether it was within her or within him, she didn't know. But it certainly was between them.

She just stood there, watching him as he fixed her tea and refilled his own drink. And as he gestured for her to go and sit, she did so. Kay took a hold of her cup and sipped her tea, wondering if it would be the only comfort that she'd have tonight. At least it was there for her.

[member="Veiere Arenais"] soon began giving his point of view. And it was madness. Pure madness. Did she see his point? In some way she did, yet it was still wrong. What he had done was wrong. "Veiere....you had innocent people killed, something that we held as something that the Silvers and Galactic Alliance would do. Not us. This is not our way, this is not your way. Don't you see? Killing them isn't going to make us safer. If anything it puts us more in danger. And how far will it go, Veiere? How many more innocent people are you going to kill? How many of our friends are you going to attack?" He couldn't of been doing this all for her or their people's 'safety'. There had to be more to it than that.

 

[WolfMortum]

She was looking at him as though she thought him crazy. Veiere wasn't crazy, there were reasons to his madness, very specific reasons for why he would go out of his way to make such a spectacle of his cleaning up old mistakes. "The Jedi Order are anything but innocent, dear..." Veiere chuckled dryly under his breath, cocking his head back in response to her claiming that he had only endangered her and their family more so; "You of all people should understand..." He countered her, his eyes locking upon hers and hinting at something she likely thought long since past. Once upon a time Commenor had three residing Elders. The Council for the leadership over the world back when Commenor was led by an elected president, not a Queen. It hadn't been difficult to put two and two together, the day of [member="Lady Kay"]'s return alongside the Sith Lord, Darth Prazutis, these elders just so happen to die of 'natural causes'. There were few choices one could take on in the heads, but Veiere knew that one of them, either his wife or the Sith Lord himself had cut them down to put her upon the Throne.

"Deneba was my only target...A mistake of the past that needed correcting..." Veiere leaned back into his chair, drumming his fingers against the surface of the table, eyes glancing back out through the far window as he thought for a moment in silence to himself. The Jedi had done worse. Everyone that they knew had at one stage of their lives committed some act of violence that went against their moral code, he did not feel guilty for what he had done in the slightest. "In doing so, I made the Systems Alliance look like a victim...-One petty attack in a galaxy full of widespread violence".

"You're in no further Danger than you were before. Honestly, you do a better job of endangering yourself than I do...-How many times have you been kidnapped over this last year..." Veiere laughed with no hint of skepticism under his breath as he turned back to glance to his wife, "Not to mention throwing the Sith at Yutan to fight against a Senator who was pushing you out of leadership. The things that I ignored before all of this, and you are accusing me of guilt without trying to see things from my perspective...".

 

[Kay-Larr]

"The Jedi Order as a whole may not be innocent. But individually, some of those that you cut down were..." Betrayal was probably the worst part for them. And having to choose between joining him or dying wasn't the type of thing that her husband was known for.

Then his eyes locked on hers, and she suddenly thought about the Elders. Was [member="Veiere Arenais"] digging for the truth? She clenched her jaw. Surely he remembered what she was like back then; not entirely herself as most of her memories were stolen, leaving her with nothing but pain, fear and hate. It was a completely different scenario. Veiere hadn't gone through what she had. His memories were intact.

Kay sipped her tea as he refered to Deneba as a mistake, breaking his gaze from her. A mistake? "You provided a home and place for people to study. Just because it isn't what you believe anymore, it doesn't mean that you should destroy it..." Already she had teams out there to survey the damage, clean it all up and rebuild. She couldn't leave it in such a way.

Her jaw dropped slightly as he dug at her, insinuating that she was always hunted. Was he really doing this? Was he really trying to hurt her? When she spoke it was quiet as she sat there in disbelief. "That's hitting below the belt, Veiere. I haven't been hunted since I was pregnant with the twins and that wasn't my fault. It was an old bounty put in place by someone that I never knew or did anything to." Someone with an old grudge agains the Republic was all that she could surmise.

Trouble had always found a way to her, going to her as though she was a magnet or a beacon of light in the dark. Looking upon her husband now, she had wondered if he could now be included in that. Did she have the wool pulled over her eyes all this time? Or was this all just something new brought on by his isolation?

Kay looked down to her cup of tea as Veiere brought up Yutan. Of course he brought up that situation. She still wasn't completely herself, and yes, she was desperate and acted solely due to that. "Nobody died then, Veiere..." It was a scare tactic that had worked. The Senator that pushed her didn't like her one bit and she knew that if he had discovered her Force Sensitivity, it would be all over. Fortunately he seemed to have left their sector and politics altogether.

She sipped her tea, letting it's taste and heat sooth her and bring her comfort. Veiere wasn't himself and she was trying to sort out different ways to bring him back. Maybe his holocron would have something there.

"What is it that you plan to do now? Are there any other mistakes that you need to eliminate?" She made no attempt to hide that she was fishing for information.

 

[WolfMortum]

"From memory you were not on Yutan when your friend Krest attacked..." Veiere pointed out, a hand raised finger pointing up as if to emphasize his point; "I was. His people landed upon the world before I reached his ship and was willing to stand against him and his people not knowing any the wiser that he was there on your word. I love you Kay but if you want to play this game of guilt's and blame then I've got a few more stories to bring up...", they had been together for a great many years now, almost into a decade themselves in their marriage, Veiere knew her all too well and [member="Lady Kay"] knew him just the same. Shaking his head slowly to himself, he exhaled a heated breath between pursed lips, a sign of his frustration.

"I don't want to argue with you, Kay..." he spoke again after a moment of brief silence between the pair; "I have my reasons for Deneba. They may be wrong in your eyes but in mine they were justified, just as you've done things in the past that I too have disagreed with. This doesn't make either of us 'evil' nor does it mean that I've changed, nor my love for you or for this world. The politics among Force Users has never been your endeavor, you chose to keep yourself detached and hide your ability, your force sensitivity. Let me worry about the Jedi and the Sith...".

"What is it that you plan to do now? ​

Are there any other mistakes that you need to eliminate?"​

​

"I've created a safe haven for rogue Jedi having turned away from the Order on the World of Rannon, south of the Empire's border" he swirled his glass of whiskey around slowly before taking a sip from the glass and setting it back down upon the table, eyes landing once more upon his Wife; "We're slowly consolidating our force's, building a small fleet to protect ourselves. I've reached out to the Galactic Empire and the First Order, specifically [member="Samka Derith"] in case you're curious...-They're being hit hard on all fronts and I've given them my support. Imperial or not, their people need protecting also...". Veiere didn't necessarily figure that telling his wife the truth was in any way unwise, she was his partner in life despite her lack of understanding this new change to his path. He hoped that over time she might come around, given the amount of Sith and general Dark Side Practitioners that she associated with, why she would ostracize her husband of all people...

"No one else will die involuntarily, Kay...-But as I have done so in the past, I will continue to fight in the defense of peoples undeserving of War".

 

[Kay-Larr]

There were reasins that she wssn't on Yutan, one of them being that she wasn't allowed. No one from the Systems Alliance was supposed to be. Yet [member="Veiere Arenais"] and the Jedi were. She clenched her jaw, her brows furrowed as her loving husband seemed poised to cut her even more. What other stories did he have to tell? What else did he have on her that he would now choose to wound her with?

She waited for it, all the while wondering how this came to be. They were so close to eachother and always supportive. Yet here they were, sitting down at the table at odds with eachother. That wasn't the way that it was supposed to be.

She held her breath for a momentand let it out slowly. No, she didn't agree with his actions on Deneba. Nor did she agree with his statement that he hadn't changed. He had. The Veiere that she knew wouldn't of done that.

Her eyes drew up to his as he mentioned her hiding her Force ability. Politics among Force users indeed. It was because of politics that she hid. "I was arrested by the Jedi and nearly executed because my secret was revealed to them and certain authorities in the Galactic Republic. There are people out there in government that have no trust in Force Users in power. I can't have that happen again..." She knew that there were people on both sides that would pull their support for the CSA if they found out. Her own father [member="Tobias Larr"] wanted nothing to do with her just because of her Force Sensitivity. When people found out about it, they mostly got angry. Angry at her.

Kay sipped her tea, listening as Veiere let her know what he was doing. She wasn't quite sure how to react. She was feeling defensive, yet didn't want to push him away. Finally she just gave him a little nod. "Alright Veiere... Alright. I will trust...trust that your heart is in the right place." Her hand reached out to take his. "I just worry about you, and I miss you...This house is so empty without you all here. It's too quiet." And she felt quite alone. Even trapped at times. But she couldn't leave their people like Veiere could. War could come to them if she did.

 

[WolfMortum]

Veiere cut loose something between a groan and a growl under his breath at the prospect of [member="Lady Kay"] almost being 'Executed' for her force sensitivity. When it came to Politics, they were too largely different people, they always had been. Veiere was proud of his force sensitivity and used it to do all that he could for those around him, no matter his resolve and his reasons where as his Wife hid hers from the Galaxy fearing the judgments of peoples around her. He had always understood and respected her wish to keep it a secret yet he couldn't help not liking the fact that she had to pretend to be someone else in order to what she felt she was best at in life. The Force was a part of her, it was the very essence of life and despite societies perceptions of Light and Dark, the one whole force had contributed massively to her very place and path in life.

"A Republic that executes people...." He shook his head slowly once again though this time he had seemed to have relaxed slightly as his wife had seemingly resigned their argument and differences for the time being; "Leaving Alzoc Three in your company was the best thing that came to me in life. Had you been executed for simply being what the Force and Life made you..." He bobbed his head to the left, suggesting the rest was better left unsaid though commented in something of a different direction, focusing once more on the Republic itself; "Such are the twisted politics of the Galaxy today...".

"Speaking of which, there've been rumors the Mandalorian Empire has fallen into itself for the time being...-Our former concerns regarding their crusades reaching the Systems Alliance seems a worry of the past" He offered a slim smile, thankful for that at least; "The Silver Jedi seem to have closed in on our territories however...-How're your relations with them these days?".

 

[Kay-Larr]

The Republic was gone, and that was probably a good thing. Kay didn't want to repeat their mistakes. So she put people in power in her government regardless of if they were Force Users or not. In some ways she did it so that others could warm up to the idea. Not all Force Users in power would become like Palpatine. But even then, with how much she has gained since her abduction by Praz, was she really that much different? Sometimes she was teased and called an Empress, and that their government was more like an Empire than anything else. But she didn't want that stigma. She didn't want their people to be abandoned because she dared to be bold. [member="Veiere Arenais"] partly understood it, but she knew that he didn't really like it. They had spoken about it before. And with revealing such a secret to the Galaxy, if she had decided to do so, she had no way of knowing how to go about it. Was there a Force Users Anonymous group? Was she to make some sort of public statement? All of that was just so silly. And dangerous.

Kay gave him a small smile as he recalled their first meeting. "I won't ever regret that day, nor any day after that that had brought us closer together." Did she always love him? Perhaps. Ever since he had first saved her life during a campaign event, she knew that she wanted him with her, knowing that with the dangers that life threw her way, he would be there to protect her.

And then a change in topic. She let go of her hand as she sipped her tea. Word had gotten to him fast in regards to the Mandalorians. "Ra is dead. I don't know how or why, but he's gone. [member="Gray Raxis"] has adopted a young lady that is set to be the new leader. So...I guess you can say that we're in good relations with them. We're giving them aid to rebuild and setting up trade deals and contracts. And as for the Silvers...our relations are the same as always. There's a bit of tension there...I don't think that they like us not backing down to their bullying tactics. I don't expect that they'd attack us however. But I've got some of our fleet patrolling the area just in case."

 

[WolfMortum]

Veiere nodded slowly, understanding and recalling their last discussion where the Silver Jedi Order were concerned; strangely enough it was more focused upon financial status and currency exchange as well as several desired agreements proposed by the Silvers to he and Kay over the Commenor Systems Alliance supposed backing of the deal. In the end it had proven to be less than beneficial and they had withdrawn their hand from the exchange. Relations with the Silvers had been rather poorly ever since though Veiere himself also had his other experiences with them where the Jedi Order had been concerned, trying to found the Enclave of Deneba and encourage a bit more tradition and integrity in the old ways. They alike the Galactic Alliance had been reluctant to commit and though Veiere received support from some, in the end it wasn't enough to unite them all. To his mind they were all too focused on trying to "Kill" the Dark-side of the Force where the light had required reconciliation more than anything...-All in the past now of course.

"The Silver Jedi Order shouldn't see reason to bother the Systems Alliance" Veiere commented there first, "Not when your ideals are so equal to their own, pursuing peace and high standard living for your people"; it was somewhat unusual to be calling them her people as opposed to both of theirs. Commenor remained and always would be his one true Home though with his having resigned from politics, the spotlight was best kept upon his wife. "I must admit, I'm a little uneasy about their having closed in on our territories but that could be the bias in me speaking...", it was honestly difficult to know where he stood personally with the Silver Order anymore. He'd once been a rather forward speaker against the Jedi ruling over hundreds of worlds, millions of peoples and controlling power like their size-able fleets and armies; yet nowadays Veiere himself had crossed the line entirely and the Dark Jedi were in the process of forming their own naval presence in the Galaxy; "They mean well. Seek to live for the protection of others, or so they claim. It's been some time since I last had any interaction with them of any kind though...-There could be worse neighbors to have, Kay..." he offered her a wary smile and a slight shrug of indifference trying to look on the positive side of things.

"As for Ra Vizsla, I had no idea..." He was genuinely surprised by the man's death, though fighting was their nature and death a natural result of which, yet Ra had been the face of the Mandalorian Empire for some time now and his was one of aggression and intimidating presence across the galaxies political scene mostly because he was anything but political; "If you're not already doing so, you should strengthen ties with the Mandalorian's as best you can. They're strong and fierce warriors. Friends within their Empire would serve the Systems Alliance well should you ever have need of them...".

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Her ideals. Her people. [member="Veiere Arenais"] really was seperating himself from what they built together. The reality of it hit her now, giving her a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

She turned her focus to what he knew of the Silver Jedi. They were aggresive in their pursuits of peace, perhaps drawn by the number of times that they had been under attack. Yet just like the Republic, they had made mistakes, attacked worlds that they shouldn't have, all in the notion of them being perceived as threats. Kay's stressful interactions with one of their padawans did little to bring the two governments together.

The Silvers had tried to paint her as evil, given who some of her allies were, and given the fact that she didn't choose to fight their wars. Why fight in a cause that she didn't believe in? It was an endless cycle of violence and death. At least here there was sanctuary.

Kay nodded towards his thoughts on the Mandalorians. She was already following his advice in regards to them. "Gray has already reached out to us. He wants to hold a charity date auction with the proceeds going to help the children and rebuild their world. So that will be underway soon at their Embassy. If Gray has some authority within their government, then we shouldn't have to worry about them at all."

She sipped her tea and then got up from the table, moving around so that she stood behind her husband. She settled her hands on his shoulders and began to massage the tension in his muscles. "We have the Galactic Empire to the immediate south, the Galactic Alliance to the immediate west, the Silvers and Free Worlds to our immediate north. The Metal Lords have disappeared, so we're reclaiming our old territory that we had given them. If we go further from there, then we'll cut them off from spreading southwards." Her fingers gently pursued the muscles in his neck at the base of his skull. "The Silvers are moving south, bringing them closer to their enemies. If we spread our influence beneath them, then there is a chance that we could keep the two super powers from colliding near our borders." There were so many different scenarios that could play out. "I know that you are...trying to distance yourself from us, but if we were attacked, would you help us?" At the very least she had hoped that he could thwart the efforts of his allies. But as far as she could tell, they were more than likely to be attacked by the 'good guys' than the Imperials. But that could just be naive thinking.

 

[WolfMortum]

"It always surprises me hearing about things like Charity Auctions coming from Mandalorian's...-Their culture's all about strength, honor and loyalty but to think that they might seek to do some voluntary work for the 'community' makes me laugh" Veiere chuckled quietly under his breath, giving a weak shake of his head in emphasis of his confusion over it all.

[member="Lady Kay"]'s mention of the Empire and the Silver Jedi Order however quickly replaced that hint of a smile with an expression somewhat more serious; "I wouldn't advise coming between those two...They have long standing history that won't be brought to a close by the intervention of the Systems Alliance and I fear you'd only further be encouraged to take sides rather than standing between them as a neutral party...".

As for Veiere's loyalties to the Systems Alliance were concerned, his brows flattened upon hearing his wive's uncertainty over whether or not he would come to their defense. Did she think that little of him now? It had been the two of them before any of her government or friends in the Systems Alliance had been there. The Commenor Systems Alliance had been founded by a former senator and a former Jedi turned bodyguard and her primary advisor. All of what had come to be of Commenor under his wife's leadership could be attributed to their first days; they two had made the Systems Alliance what it is today...

"With everything that we've been through together, everything that we've fought to build; do you really not know the answer to that?".

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay couldn't see the look on her husband's face, but she could guess at it by the small movements that he made and the tone in his voice. [member="Veiere Arenais"] had no confidence in the Mandalorians, that much was certain. Yet he had still felt compelled to get her to ally with them. Was it all because she was an adopted member of one of their Clans? Who knows? But she didn't think of herself as being anymore Mandalorian than a blade of grass was.

She moved her fingers to Veiere's temples, massaging the area carefully, knowing full well that too much pressure would cause more harm than good. "The Silvers moved their capital closer to us. It makes me wonder if they did it for their own safety. Once again they had tried to commit us to help them in their wars, but I put my foot down once again. None of the Empire's agents have come to visit as of late, so there's no sign that they are worried about us taking any side."

And then he answered her last question. Kay dropped her hands to rest on his shoulders, thinking not so much on the distant past as she was the most recent. "I'd like to think that I know, but I'm not sure that I could trust myself to be right. Ever since you left and attacked Deneba, I have felt stuck as though I was in a bad dream. There are some that want you arrested and put on trial, Veiere, many of them feeling betrayed by the one that they trusted and looked up to." Despite his reasonings to justify his actions, she had also felt a bit betrayed. But to isolate Veiere or to push him away wasn't going to help her to save him. She walked around him so that she was facing him again, never letting her touch leave him as she traced her hand along his jawline and underneath his chin, drawing his eyes up to meet with hers. "The only thing that I am certain of is that I still love you and I don't want to see you hurt." Who'd of thought that she'd have to thwart her own people to stop them from getting their revenge on him.

The righteous path was not an easy one.

 

[WolfMortum]

Deneba was a piece of business concerning practitioners of the Force, it had not been a sign of Veiere's disfavor with the Commenor Systems Alliance and although [member="Lady Kay"] failed to recognize this, he simply nodded in reluctant understanding. Frankly, he didn't care about the others, if they wished to take his head they could come and try; yet when it came to his family, restraint was the obvious path to play for their sake alone. Did he regret his actions...-Honestly no he didn't. Something that spoke immensely for his change in sentimentality over the passing weeks, perhaps even months that had seen to his descent into depression and the wealth of emotional turmoil that had slowly taken a hold of him inside; yet while he didn't find himself with much of a care for the fallen, his children, their home and the general populace of Commenor was a different story.

"I would stand in defense of the Systems Alliance against any Opposition" He spoke quietly, his eyes falling upon the glass of whiskey down in front of him and for a moment his thoughts moved to how he might prove that. Truth be told, he didn't feel he should have to. He had already fought and bled for the people of Commenor and the worlds around her. He had put aside his following in life choosing to support her nations, worlds all under their protection and for so many years he had put others first...

"These people who want Justice..." He spoke up once more after a moment of silence, taking a brief swig from his glass before turning to look across to his wife whom sat opposite him; "What do you want?".

 

[Kay-Larr]

Sometimes people needed to hear the truth to be able to believe it. [member="Veiere Arenais"] said that he'd stand with their people. It was what she had felt was true, yet to hear it just made it more real than some naive hope of hers.

Yet that invisible wall that was being built between them was relentless. Despite her touch, her massages, none of that was reaching him. He didn't even seem to notice. He was shutting her out, perhaps for her safety, but it was a sensation that she didn't think that she'd ever feel. It was as though her husband was becoming a stranger. And she didn't like that at all.

"I want you..." Kay picked up her cup and walked over to the counter to refill her tea. She needed the comfort from it as she was doing her best to hold her in her tears. Her back was facing him while she crumpled the leaves into the cup and refilled the water. "We're alone here right now in our home and despite my efforts, you're choosing to just...distance yourself from me even further." While she waited for the tea to steep, she just stared out the window. Heavy clouds were drawing near, which she found to be rather fitting. The rain would do well to hide her tears. "What do you want, Veiere?...What do you want from me?"

 

[WolfMortum]

What did he want?

From [member="Lady Kay"]? Nothing. What did he want from the Galaxy?...His expression turned somewhat grim. It was true, he was in another place entirely and although she were standing behind him, he hadn't really given her any true focus until that question had been posed and his eyes had fallen closed to feel her hands against his temples massaging his scalp.

"Peace..." He muttered under his breath, though he were uncertain in what regard he spoke for the moment. War was everywhere and he felt angered for the people who deserved justice, for the people who killed and thrust violence upon the lives of others for their own ambitions; yet at the same time he had not found peace within himself for the longest time either; "For our Children not to grow up in a Galaxy of War, where Society encourages people's of all natures, same or otherwise to hate one another for their differences of beliefs and individuality...", Caedyn had been saved from this in the most part, the Je'daii Veiere knew to be peaceful and taught to embrace study and learning in the Force, not the favoritism of any one side of aspect of it but to respect and honor the Force that is the source of all life; "For them to know that their Mother and Father love them as much as they do one another".

Leaning back against the chair somewhat, he turned his head up to seek to meet his wife's gaze, a moment of vulnerability breaking through in his former facade, a slightly wary smile crossing over him as he looked to Kay. The Systems Alliance was a success and perhaps his only truly positive influence in the Galaxy for the Force he had not served in any true regard, forever burdened by his doubts and broken confidence, his arrogance believing that his ideals were righteous only to realize he had been doing exactly what he had criticized others within the Jedi Order for; and now today, had murdered them for it. Slowly, his gaze fell once more, turning to look over the glass of whiskey that remained and bringing it to his lips, finishing the last of the drop.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay brought the tea back to the table and set the cup down. She listened to her husband describe what he had wanted. His goals were the same as hers, only now [member="Veiere Arenais"] had decided to accomplish it in a different way. A more harsh and violent way. One that was rather Imperial in nature.

She met his gaze, seeing the vulnerability and sense of loss of self in his eyes. There was no judgement in her own, only compassion, love, and a want to understand. "We have all of that here...It's what we have built together. Our peaceful actions have kept us safe and also enabled us to expand that safety further than we have ever dreamed. No one has tried to take advantage of it. No one has punished us for it. Our children are safer because of it. They will flourish because of it." Yet Veiere's actions against them had put all of that in danger. Already she had had other governments with offers to take care of Veiere for her, but she had refused them. She wasn't going to fight a war against her husband.

Kay sat herself down and took another sip of her tea. "I'm sorry if I did anything to cause you to go down this path, if I had worked too hard....This will always be your home. Remember that."