The Show Goes On

[Jamie Pyne]

"And you're the problem child, I suppose. Always getting yourself mixed up with trouble. Aside from me, of course."

That same coy smile appeared once more before the two reached the large doors at the entrance.

"Properly. Right."

Her hand drifted to the right, pressing against the biometric door lock that then released, a click echoing for a brief moment.

That same hand pushed against the door, and with a small sway opened into the familiar foyer inside, brightly lit from all angles, soaked in rays of daylight of the planet. She took a quick look around at everything. It all looked the same, neat as ever. One might struggle to believe that anyone actually lived within, given its' never changing state of cleanliness. That is, until they found their way to the Pyne's daughter's bedroom.

"Hello?" She called out, voice trailing through the many corridors of the estate. "Mother? Father?"

She took another few steps inside, allowing the door to fall closed behind her, locking again with a firm click.

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

Aela stepped inside, and was immediately met with something far...not colder, but different than her own home on Borleias. The estate was clean, well kept, and far less bright than the outside world. It was nice, but a stark contrast to Aela's own family home. The house, or manor, back on Borleias was hugely open, nearly every wall doubled as a window and furniture, statues, and decorations of all sorts were strewn about in an almost random order.

Jamie's home was better kept, clearly designed for a purpose while Aela's was more...well a gathering of different trinkets that her parents had picked up over the decades. "This is nice."

Aela said to her padawan, and meaning it. Though their homes were vastly different the estate was still quite nice, though of course she hadn't even seen the half of it yet. The Young Jedi Master followed after Jamie as they began to search for her parents.

"Maybe they're outside?" She asked. "The patio?"

She just assumed they had one give the rest of the building.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

"Likely."

Jamie beckoned for Aela to follow as she strode through the long hallway, a series of rooms to the left and right as they passed through the main hub of the estate. Whereas the staircase leading to the upper floor depicted generations of her family that Kurt found to be a bit eerie, this particular hallway had mostly photos of Jamie's immediate family in what looked to be chronological order. Several of herself and her parents together at the previous King's coronation when she was scarcely fifteen years old, as well as her various fencing competitions.

Coming to the large sliding door that led to the outer gardens of blossoming vibrant flowers Jamie spotted her mother reading a datapad on a bench as her father tended to the flowers as he always had, ever since she could remember. "There." She said, pointing. "Come on." Pulling on the door it slid open, raising the attention of her parents nearly immediately.

"Jamie Rose!" Her mother shouted as she set the datapad down and began a quick walk towards the two girls. "You are home!"

The girl's face immediately soured hearing her middle name once again in front of guests.

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

Aela snickered. "Rose."

She said quietly, not loud enough for Jamie's mother to hear her but more than loud enough for the padawan herself to hear. It was something of a fact that most people were embarrassed by their middle name, and she suspected that the rule held true for Jamie as well.

Aela of course didn't have to worry about something like that thankfully, mostly because her middle name was actually her 'true' name. It was a cultural practice that had hit her from her grandmothers side of the family, something the Garhan did. They had two names, one for public and one for private use. If Jamie ever asked Aela would have easily divulged that her private name was Esmae, named after her now dead Aunt. Of course, maybe after this Jamie would ask.

For now however the young Jedi Master said nothing, only smirking slightly as Jamie's mother approached.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

A fiery glare shot towards Aela the moment the blonde heard the name repeated quietly from the lips of the woman standing beside her. A quick motion of her leg and she angrily stomped down on top of of the Talith's foot as a be quiet demand. Kurt had teased her about her middle name as well, as did everyone. Her attention shifted back to her approaching mother, arms open and looking for an embrace.

"I am. It is delightful to see you well."

Her arms fell around the older woman, though Jamie shifted her head to eye Aela with an accusing glare. As her father approached the two separated and she then embraced her father as well. "Mother, father, This is Jedi Master Aela Talith." She began, "She is both mentor and friend of mine, as well as the person responsible for rescuing me from the First Order back on Mustafar."

The girl's parents studied Aela for a moment, though perhaps each one for slightly different reasons. Her mother naturally spoke first.

"Thank you dear, for bringing my darling child home. It is my pleasure to welcome you to Naboo on behalf of Torlen and myself. You may call me Melinda."

Torlen offered a warm smile, "Indeed. We are grateful for your looking after our daughter and keeping her safe."

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

She smiled for a moment and took a short bow. She wasn't exactly sure what the protocol here was, but these people were nobility and Aela didn't exactly know how else to greet them. A handshake seemed too informal, and well, maybe it just seemed natural. Her training in Diplomacy had often taught her it was better to be over-formal than not formal enough.

"It's no problem." Aela stated simply. "Jamie has become like a sister to me."

It was a true statement. Aela would risk her own life for Jamie in a heartbeat, in fact she'd done so several times. The two girls were close, and it was undeniable that they had a strong bond. She smiled at Jamie's parents for a few moments. "Hopefully."

She began with a small smile.

"This will be the last time it happens." The small joke was probably not correctly timed, but from her perspective it was utterly true.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

The elder woman bowed her head in recognition after Aela had.

"Then we are truly fortunate that you are and were there to see to her safety and not that deviant she brought home to us the last time."

Jamie's eyes rolled, her shoulders fell in discontent at the mocking words her mother had chosen to describe Kurt.

Humor was something entirely lost on Melinda, and so the joke that Aela thought she made was taken entirely in its' most literal sense and without a moment of pause between breaths either.

"I too pray to the Goddess Of Safety that this is the last time. I've not slept in days, my dear. This whole ordeal has been terrible, just terrible."

Her attention shifted to her daughter for a moment.

"I've half a mind to order you remain here, where you belong, not off fighting the Alliance's wars."

Torlen remained silent, as he typically did whilst her mother went off on her tirades. Jamie looked to him for support several times, but knew she would find none this time. His weight about the home held little sway in its' present state.

"Mother, please." Order me? Does she not understand I am an adult!? Jamie's face began to redden with both embarrassment and frustration.

"This is your home, Jamie. Let the Alliance be. Aela, darling, would you care for hot tea? You can explain to us what happened and how she got mixed up in this."

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

Aela looked startled for a moment. She had never really thought about how Jamie's parents felt about Kurt, though oddly enough upon reflection it wasn't too surprising that Royalty would look down on a young man from Tatooine. She briefly wondered if Jamie had told her of the...situation that had occurred, though she guessed from both Jamie's posture and expression that she very likely hadn't. With good reason too. The Jedi Master shifted slightly, uncomfortable.

"Uhh." She blinked. "Sure..."

Tea was always good, and maybe it would stop this small tirade from the woman in front of her long enough to actually say something. Though Jamie had told her once before that her mother could be difficult she hadn't quite expected...this. Aela glanced at her Padawan for just a moment, then towards her mother.

"Though I think that's a story best told by Jamie." After all she had only learned what Jamie had been doing on Mustafar just a few days ago, it was better that she herself present the argument and convince her parents.

Though maybe that was impossible.

"She didn't meant to get mixed up though." Aela stated. "The First Order really didn't give her much choice."

She hoped that would satisfy them a bit.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

It was like the words Aela said held no bearing from the moment she agreed to tea. Anything else could have been been carried away by the winds. Without a second of pause the woman nodded and trotted her way off towards what could be surmised was the kitchen to prepare the tea, leaving Aela, Jamie, and Torlen alone in the middle of the gardens.

Jamie's hand covered her face, rubbing her forehead.

"We shouldn't have come here." She said finally to Aela, who was now standing in front of her lone parent.

The man smirked, folding his lower lip inwards to hold back the laugh. If nothing else he understood Jamie, even if there was little he could do to help her given his own fragile situation within the home at present.

"How is Mariya, father?"

The girl wanted to discuss anything but Mustafar, Hoth, or Kurt. None of the subjects right then were ones that her mother would find worthy to praise her for, though for half a second she imagined the excitement she would get from horrifying her mother with the latest news of Kurt.

"She is well, all things considered. Though I suspect the next few years will be trying, as she begins to better understand the reality of this. I suspect Miss Talith knows of your other sister, then?"

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

"I do." Aela answered simply. "Though I'm good at keeping secrets."

She knew that Jamie had been concerned about the scandal of this particular situation. Her padawan had explained to her a long time ago that things on Naboo, especially with Nobility, had to be tightly controlled. Something like an out of wed-lock daughter was quite a big deal. The Jedi Master understood this, though she found it a bit reprehensible.

Perhaps simply because her own family was so close.

True some of them were Sith and others were estranged, but the ones that she had grown up surrounded by had always been honest and truthful with one another, especially regarding things that effected the family itself. Inwardly she shrugged, knowing it wasn't her place to question or ask about certain practices here.

She smiled at the man. "Will she be coming here?"

 

[Jamie Pyne]

"She will not. Melinda is highly sensitive of the subject, and doesn't want the child involved with the affairs of my oldest, nor the dealings with the Alliance or the Jedi. I beg your pardon on her behalf for her forwardness and potentially misconstrued words. My wife can, at times, be a bit headstrong."

Putting it simply, she didn't want Mariya involved with their family's most intimate details, Jamie's dealings with the Jedi and Alliance being at the top of that list.

Melinda also wasn't keen on the girl's overall presence around the house, but tolerated it because there was little alternative.

Jamie's expression notably fell hearing his words, that meant any hope of skirting the details of the events was all but impossible. There was no getting off the hook easily this time around.

"It's good to see you safe though, the both of you."

A moment later and Melinda appeared through the sliding door with a tray and four teacups surrounding a still steaming pot at the center.

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

Aela nodded shortly.

She didn't want to get too involved in Jamie's family business, so she wouldn't offer her opinion. In truth Aela felt that Mariya had every right to know what had been happening to her older sister, but...well she wasn't about to poke her head in and tell everyone what to do. She was here as Jamie's friend, not some sort of diplomat.

"Thank you." Aela said as Jamie's mother placed down the tray and handed her a cup filled with tea.

The Jedi Master smiled, then looked around.

She wasn't exactly sure what to do next, what to expect, or really anything at all. She was here as sort of a side theater to Jamie's problems, though she supposed that when things became a bit too...heated she would have to step in. From what she observed her mother wasn't too keen on either the Alliance or the Jedi, but...well that's where Aela herself came from. The implication there troubled her a little bit, but again she didn't feel it was her place to say anything.

At least not yet.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

"Yes now where were we? Ah!" Melinda snapped her fingers, settling down onto one of the benches with tea in hand. She quickly sipped before setting the cup down in her palm, returning her attention to Jamie and Aela respectively. "You were going to explain just how this all happened."

Notably Jamie did not pick up a cup herself. Her stomach was already unsettled well enough, the idea of ingesting anything would only see its way back up.

"I traveled to Mustafar with an expeditionary research group. We were taking data samples and architectural information from an ancient place nestled deep near the planet's core. There was no expectation of war, of conflict. At least not when we had set out. It was just a standard four day journey that was funded by the Alliance."

If that had changed over the course of their expedition it would have been difficult to receive word, given the remoteness of their location and the equipment they had brought along.

"When the First Order arrived it was already too late. I was separated from those I was with, I assume they were killed. I never saw them again."

Her mother was surprisingly quiet throughout her monologue.

"I wasn't prepared for any kind of fight. I tried to talk him down, but he wouldn't have it. Went on and on that the First Order would reclaim ever Alliance aligned world, including Naboo. I had little choice but to do what I could. In the end, he had come better prepared and I was taken to Hoth, to the leader of the First Order, but for what exact purpose I still don't really know. I escaped during the Alliance's attack on the world, and Aela found me from there."

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

"During the Alliance assault on Hoth and Bespin." She continued to explain for Jamie, taking a sip of her tea.

It was important to make that note, mostly because she didn't want to see as though she had recklessly driven to finding Jamie without giving no indication for her safety or anyone else's. Perhaps her parents would appreciate that or perhaps they would be even more angry.

"I had assistance from the Alliance." She explained. "They gave me a ship and an assault squad."

Though as it turned out the latter hadn't really been necessary. "We used the invasion as a cover to get Jamie out safely, making sure the First Order couldn't pursue."

These details weren't really classified, mostly because the invasions of Bespin, Hoth, and Anoat were now public knowledge, though the exact result still wasn't exactly black and white. The Alliance and the First Order were still battling, and it was impossible to tell just who had actually won, so far anyway.

She paused for a moment. "No one could have predicted the First Order's attack."

Not on Mustafar anyway, the planet was practically useless.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Melinda sat quietly listening to the two explain what had happened in relative brevity.

"Throughout the past twenty seven years of my life, serving the crown and court of Naboo across the galaxy on both hostile and friendly worlds not once did your father and I ever find ourselves in the midst of torturous capture by an enemy."

The woman set the cup down and sat more upright.

"Why is that? Because we were simply lucky? Certainly not. It was because we are cognizant of where we should and should not be. Even planets ravaged by war, you do not incite additional violence while there, Jamie. This is precisely why we did not take you to those places. You do not belong traveling about the galaxy for no reason other than simple curiosity. Your place, as I have thoroughly explained to you, is here. I would not have my only child killed because she wanted to take a picture of some desolate ruin for a government that involves itself in galactic war on the regular."

Jamie's eyes looked elsewhere, anywhere that was not her mother's. Despite how much she disagreed, part of what she said was entirely true. Castor had given her the option to run, to flee. She didn't take it. She chose to stand against him, and the First Order. She chose to fight him, perhaps not intentionally, but by her choices, had indirectly walked down that path.

"i'm sorry. It was not my intention." What else was there to say? It felt far more like a lecture than a welcoming home.

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

Aela looked around awkwardly, eventually settling her gaze on Jamie.

Unlike her padawan, Aela disagreed entirely. The whole thought process of someone being where they were supposed to be was rather insulting to her. Aela had long since believed that people should be able to make their own choices, that everyone had a right to do as they pleased as long as it did not hurt others.

It was why she had begun her fight against the Sith at such a young age, it was why she had founded the Covenant, why she had joined the New Jedi Order, and why she had no retired. Everything she had never done was her choice. She took the responsibility, and she took the fault for anything that went wrong. Apparently for Jamie's mother it wasn't the same. The Consequences of Her padawans actions weighed in on her parents, though Aela didn't think it should have.

She frowned for a moment. "I don't think it's entirely fair to blame Jamie."

Aela should have kept quiet, but Jamie was her padawan, and she couldn't just sit there quietly.

"The Alliance has a strong...purpose." They had been founded to take one the One Sith after all. "But it's not like they expected War on Mustafar. They have several research and survey organizations, some have made great strides on everything from new Construction Materials to rediscovering ancient Hyperlanes that were lost."

She glanced around. "A great many discoveries have been made because of research teams like the ones Jamie accompanied."

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Melinda's eyes raised, having not expected Aela to respond in the way she had to her. Torlen had remained quiet as was typical throughout the discussion. He was never one for open conflict and argument. He tended to observe, and to voice his opinions at the end, when he had them to share. Jamie's own temperament lay somewhere between the two extremes. He could see the struggle in his daughter's eyes, yet was rather helpless to lend her any kind of words. Jamie could hardly fault him for it, but she needed to divert the attention away from Aela's remarks before things took a worse turn.

"No. She's right. If I hadn't left, this wouldn't have happened to begin with."

Jamie knew her mother well enough by this point in her life that appeasing the woman was simply easier than arguing with her.

"I am pleased to be home and I thank you for your concern, as well as Aela's rescue."

A defeated smile shone on her face as she stood to leave. "Now if you would please excuse me."

The blonde turned to return inside, her destination being the one place she felt any measure of comfort: her own room.

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

She frowned for a moment, glancing at Jamie's parents before standing up. She placed her cup of tea on the table.

Aela had never meant to cause any trouble of course, she was here to help her padawan and then take her to some place that she could actually relaxed, yet it seemed that would be somewhat off in the distance. She wondered briefly how she would have reacted if her parents had tried forcing her to stay home. Eventually she settled on the fact that she likely would have disobeyed and contacted her aunt, or her grandmother. Her lips thinned and then she shrugged internally.

"Excuse me." She said as she turned and began to follow after Jamie.

Aela didn't really want to end up sitting there with her Padawans parents.

Things had already turned somewhat awkward and being there while both Jamie's mother and father tried to figure out what to do next seemed like a rather unpleasant prospect.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Her room looked as she had left it. Half a dozen clothes scattered about the rooms, some still attached to their hangars, others strewn about haphazardly. Her personal affects were arranged in what looked like an organized mess. That was just how she had always been. It was her organization. Jamie sat at the edge of the bed, staring at herself in the mirror quietly. While on the outside she seemed rather stoic and melancholy, on the inside a terrible internal storm was beginning to stir.

Am I to stay here?

On one hand she cherished her home, Naboo, and everything about it. She had never found a more beautiful place in all her travels. She became a Jedi to protect the very place. Everything she loved, save for Aela and Kurt, were on Naboo. Her mother was rarely wrong in her assertions, and it was hard for Jamie to believe that she was wrong now. She was competent in the courts, understood law and ethics, held compassion and morals to high degree. She was needed here.

But the galaxy is so much more than just Naboo.

Everything she had done had been for the greater good of the galaxy as a whole. The Alliance, the Jedi, everything seemed to be based on the prosperity of the galaxy as a whole, a wider, over arching idea of what Naboo already was. She enjoyed traveling and seeing new places, meeting new people, helping others.

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

Aela stepped into the room after Jamie, having followed behind her padawan quietly, only stopping to stare at some of the creepy paintings that hung in the hallway.

The Estate was much the same size as her home on Borleias, and she managed to catch up with Jamie in short order, finding the young woman hiding within her bedroom and apparently contemplating exactly what she should do with her life.

The Jedi Master slowly closed the door behind her, flashing Jamie a small smile. "Hey."

She wasn't really sure how to approach this, mostly because she'd had her own crisis of faith just a few months ago. It had been a difficult decision to make, though as her time on Wroosti had extended she had eventually decided it had been the right one to make. She frowned slightly and wandered over to Jamie, sitting down on the bed and glancing at the mirror ahead of them. Her gaze wandered around the room for just a moment.

"Kind of messy." She commented quietly, nudging Jamie's shoulder with her own.

Aela didn't want to begin talking about anything until Jamie herself was ready, though of course she could sense the turmoil brewing within her padawans stomach.