Uncommon Choices

[Kay-Larr]

The twins were asleep. Thankfully at this young age, they liked to sleep a lot, even through most nights. Kay didn't bother to wake them up for feeding and chose to wait until they were awake. Being new to parenting newborns, the two just seemed to use their instincts instead of what was written in holo-books about the subject. So far it was paying off.

At times like these, Veiere and Kay could spend it together, or apart. Right now though, she needed to have a talk with him pertaining to important matters of state.

After tucking the two away in their nursery, Kay headed down the stares to find Veiere already in the living room on the couch. It was their usual thing to do; sit down and relax for a few moments of peace. She gave him a bit of a smile when she joined him, nestling herself in his arms. No doubt he could sense her anxiety and that something was troubling her. As always he was patient and waited for her to speak first.

"Concern is growing for the wars in Galactic Alliance space, Veiere. We haven't been outright asked to head out there to fight, as I believe that most know that our forces wouldn't be able to handle being out there and defending our territory at the same time. Our neutrality has kept us safe, but I wonder if it endangers us too. What do you think will happen if the Galactic Alliance falls? And the Silvers right after that? They've already been decimated. Do you think that we'd be targeted next? Allies or not, for some it wouldn't matter. The First Order doesn't trust us already, otherwise they wouldn't spy on us so much. And the Empire...I owe them a favour for the ship skematics for our fleet." Not to mention the favour she still owes to [member="Darth Abyss"] . It made her wonder if she had made all of the wrong choices, yet they were all still more or less safe. "What do you think we should do?"

 

[WolfMortum]

It had been a long time since they had been involved in conflict of any scale comparable to the turmoil that had been thrown upon the Galactic Alliance and the Silver Jedi Order of today; not since their time in the Galactic Republic had Veiere and his wife had to prepare for such times. Their children were naturally an even greater concern over their own safety, the twins were far too young to understand or prepare themselves for such a threat and with the state of the Systems Alliance as it was, Veiere's thoughts in towards their alignment of politics had tread this very ground many a time. It seemed now was finally the time where they two discuss the reality of their situation, [member="Lady Kay"] bringing it to him with obvious concern over their immediate future.

"I've had several dealings with [member="Samka Derith"] recently, Kay...-And my understanding of the First Order isn't that their mistrust is placed in any way malicious towards us, but rather they know that as we are now, they have nothing to gain through supporting us where our forces would never be committed to their defense or support of their government. We have refused to choose sides for a long time now...-It's kept us secure in the sense that we've given no one the incentive to target us in the sense of major conflict, yet our refusal to join the fight in support of the surrounding nations has also crippled us in what we can expect should we face invasion from another...".

Neutrality had always been their goal and Veiere as a Jedi had always supported the deterrence of war, to avoid conflict and unnecessary loss of life in whatever sense of authority or power he had, yet their avoidance of the inevitable was a double-edged sword and he believed that sooner or later, their inaction would come back to bite them hard.

"Friendships only last so long as both parties are open and willing to support one another. One friend supporting the other and receiving nothing in return only leads to aversion and indifference; I feel that while we've always pursued the best interests of the Commenori People, the fact remains that we simply don't have the means to fight a full-scale war without the support of committed Allies and quite frankly, we've already received a lot of help from the Galactic Empire. You're association with [member="Tanomas Graf"] has assisted us a lot in terms of our military..."

Imperialism, it certainly wasn't what Veiere had thought himself to ever favor over the way of democracy and yet through he and his Wife, Commenor had grown tremendously where as their establishment of a Senate and the corruption that had grown within had almost dismantled the Systems Alliance completely. As it stood, they ran similar to an imperialist nation purely on the will and authority that was theirs by royal decree. It wasn't a far stretch to see their interests aligning with those of the Empire or the First Order, despite their moral compass being quite the opposite to the likes of the Order of Ren or the Sith whom shared such political views.

"I've made friends in many different sectors of the Galaxy, come to know great people in all walks of life and yet when it comes to politics and the event of war knocking on our door, the fact is that I don't trust the Galactic Alliance; not when they're so eager to bully you into the prospect of an alliance. Atrisia continues to haunt me some nights, having been forced to face off against other Jedi of the Galaxy in the defense of innocent lives..." There had been no good deeds that day, all parties had contributed to blind slaughter of a world that hadn't deserved such monstrous decline, yet the fight had been brought to Atrisia when the Alliance had invaded and Veiere had been unable to forget that.

"I'm not so sure there's such a thing as a righteous cause in this Galaxy anymore, if I'm to be completely honest, my love" Veiere exhaled heavily, speaking his thoughts freely within the privacy of their own home. "Even I've been forced to do things that have conflicted with my upbringing in order to protect the ones I love. We can't afford to consider what's right or wrong based upon the expectations of peoples outside of the Systems Alliance anymore. We can only look to try to empower our own and better enable our military to withstand the possible attacks of others....".

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay nodded a little while he spoke of the First Order. At least [member="Veiere Arenais"] was on top of that. They had a trade agreement together with secure access to the trade routes, so it was good to know that their spying and mistrust wasn't malicious. Still, she didn't feel as though the First Order was acting in good will towards them. But that could be because she felt slightly intimidated by them.

Veiere's comments on [member="Tanomas Graf"] and the Empire gave her pause. Did he have faith in them to help them if needed? Such a thing might put them more in the Empire's debt that a simple trade agreement would be enough to suffice. They would want more. And that could result in them having to choose a side other than their own.

Kay's brows furrowed as he mentioned the Galactic Alliance bullying her. No. General [member="Aryn Teth"] wasn't like that. If anything she felt more bullied by the Silvers with their 'our way or the highway' attitude in trade negotiations. Aryn seemed to be a new chapter in the inner workings of the Galactic Alliance. But then again, she hadn't had any dealings with them. All that she knew was from what both Veiere and [member="Mythos"] have told her on the attack on Atrisia, a world that she had visited quite a few times.

Her eyes weren't focused on anything in particular while she listened to him speak, feeling his voice amplify through his body as she curled up into him. As always she felt safe in his embrace, able to be herself in his company instead of playing a role.

"So you're suggesting that we stay the course and continue as we are? Our fleets are growing, perhaps in such a way to not cause any alarms. I wonder though, of what could happen if people use our territory as a place to hide in. And not refugees, mind you, but war criminals for either side. I suppose that it's something that we'll deal with when the time comes, and on a case by case basis. Yet I still worry. Maybe even moreso since we have Caedyn and Loreena."

She chewed the inside of her cheek a little, switching the topic ever so slightly. "And you know how you've been wanting me to embrace my abilities more? Well, I've sort of taken on a student of my own; Ghorua's adopted daughter Minna. She's got an amazing gift of communicating with nature." Moreso with creatures than plants. [member="Ghorua the Shark"] wasn't Force Sensitive, so he had asked her for help. It was a request that she couldn't refuse.

 

[WolfMortum]

"Sitting here and doing nothing isn't what I'm suggesting no, though there's a good chance that what I feel we need to do is only going to endanger us further one way or another. I'm worried about those we call our friends out there in the Galaxy, we're giving no support to any of our neighboring nations outside of trade business and humanitarian aid....-When it comes time for us to need to stand our ground and fight for our people, I feel as though we will be standing alone because of our want to keep ourselves out of the line of fire".

His right arm lifted to take to the back of [member="Lady Kay"]'s shoulders, pulling his wife into himself as they shared the comfort of the couch and the view of the beautiful outside world from the privacy of their home within the mountains overlooking the capital city. It was a place of peace and security, very much resembling the hope that they'd built for Commenor and her surrounding worlds. Tensions were however high, war was seeing to the shift in power and dominion across the navigational map, governments being toppled, removed from entire sectors and the people living on those worlds abandoned only after surviving the chaos that was their invasion or defense of a home-world that was their right to cling to in whatever hope they could grasp.

"The Jedi Order is not what it used to be...-I thought that I could contribute to it's rejuvenation, I believed that was my path to take yet I was serving the Force and the good of the people long before I called together those few people on Yutan. That conclave and the struggle to establish ourselves upon Deneba...-So much time lost while we could have been preparing. The Jedi don't have the strength enough for us to justify looking their way in any sense of reliance; those across the Galaxy are too marred by indifference, their ideals and what the Order should be; unity under one banner will never come without first dismantling the present course they've taken...".

He had come to terms with it; his retirement had been decided upon for his families sake and he had left the Order complacent in the direction they were heading yet there were multiple groups that considered themselves Jedi and at the end of the day it wasn't the Jedi Order that held the key to the safety of worlds anymore, it was the will and virtue of Governments, of political powers and entire fleets, thousands of lives willing to give themselves up that others might prevail, survive and live on in the absence of an oppressive future. The Force was so much larger than the Jedi, than the Sith. It encompassed everything and everyone and no longer could his vision be so narrow sighted that he focus on one group alone. It had taken him a great deal of time to overcome his resentments, his beliefs so stuck in a past life that no longer resembled the adherence and morale code that was needed today.

"I have tried to maintain the belief that we might avoid having to choose sides, to favor one people over another and to avoid conflict and deter death as best we are able. But at what cost will our neutrality bring us should they turn our sights against our own and we be left with none but ourselves to blame. Have we been wrong all this time...?".

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay nodded. She figured that they'd have to stand alone, regardless of whether or not they chose to pick a side to support with military aid. Her abduction and months of captivity proved that. Where were they to help? Where were they to aid [member="Veiere Arenais"] in the investigation? It's not as though she was just some small town girl that got lost in the woods. She was a Head of State that had gone missing. Even those other governments that they had contracts with regused to lift a finger to help. So she had no faith in them at all.

None.

She listened more as he continued on about the Jedi and the troubles that the Order faces due to the difference in ideologies that they had. He didn't seem to hear her remarks from earlier, in particular the one about taking up a student of her own. But that was alright. He had a lot on his mind. His sort of retirement to help raise their twins and govern was a much different path that he had wanted. And no matter what he said to the contrary, she'd always feel guilty about taking him from that.

Kay wrapped an arm around his chest as she curled into him more, his arm around her shoulders securing her there. "I hope that we haven't been wrong. If we chose the side of both Imperial governments, we'd be attacked by the Silvers and the Alliance. If we chose the Silvers and the Alliance, we'd be destroyed by the Imperials. One thing that's for certain is that we cannot be confused with people that profit from war. All of our humanitarian efforts are not put at a cost to those governments. Nor do we sell weaponry or ships to the others. We only try to keep our defences up to some level that could make us survive. Commenor has always survived, one way or the other."

A chill wet through her system as she thought about having to be forced to make a choice and take a stand against...well, someone. But who? Who was the right one? Kay just closed her eyes. "I don't want to have to make this decision alone, when the time comes. But I will take the fall for it, if it doesn't work out."

 

[WolfMortum]

"You won't ever have to bare the burden of responsibility alone, Kay".

Veiere turned to glance to his wife with a look that held true. It was arguably the one thing that he was certain of, that beyond all other things his love and commitment to her was absolute. The Galaxy could tear itself apart, the Jedi and Sith could eliminate one another and governments could fall into absolute chaos but so long as she was in his life, Veiere's place was without a doubt in his mind, always by her side. They had their differences, all couples did. His life had been dedicated to the Force in however he had seen fit where as hers was dedicated to politics, the both of them striking out to do best for those around them in the ways they knew how. Forever walking in the same direction searching for the same goal yet taking different paths to get there, they two, never letting their differences come between them, nor their relationship deter from the good of the people.

"Speaking of company, I'm sorry but you mentioned an apprentice?"

He had let his inner conflict get the best of him and had failed to capitalize on the moment to inquire as to this new student of hers, yet the time came around again and asking this time without a moment longer, he was indeed curious about this new undertaking of [member="Lady Kay"]'s. Was she doing this for [member="Ghorua the Shark"], or for the sake of their own children's future training. Both, most likely, he concluded silently as a smile graced his lips and he looked upon her most admirably.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay met his gaze with the same admiration, love and even gratitude. She couldn't imagine what her life would be like without him. Yet she knew that there'd come a time for that. A time that she'd dread the most. Already she knew that she'd be obsessed with his holocron, or in constantly wanting his Force ghost to visit her, to give her advice and encouragement. For now though, she enjoyed his touch and the way that his voice soothed her. Hope was ever present with [member="Veiere Arenais"] , he would always be the Light in the Dark for her.

Now he brought up the subject of her taking on a student of her own. So he was listening. And as she expected, he was rather fond of the idea, instead of telling her that it was a mistake. "Yes, my love. Ghorua's adopted daughter Minna. It's not full time, mind you, as she lives with him still and he's teaching her his own skills. But he's not a Force user, so he's asked for my help. If anything were to happen to him, she'd be under our care anyways, so I thought that it was a good fit. Minna's very eager to learn as much as she can about...well everything." Veiere and Minna hadn't met yet. But she knew that'd change. The girl was very keen on protecting their twins.

 

[WolfMortum]

Outside of his immediate circle of affiliations, something that today seemed to be growing ever smaller, [member="Ghorua the Shark"] was among those most trusted and always considered to be reliable above those of others. His skill and influence across mercenary dealings and the bounty hunting culture within the open and vast Galaxy had managed to pull his wife from a number of particularly volatile situations for which Veiere could never hope to repay the big fish for; not with the credit he was certainly due.

"Minna, huh?" It was the first time he was hearing of Ghorua's daughter, picturing a smaller herglic alike the male himself; "I've never had the pleasure of calling Ghorua friend, we've never found ourselves on similar ground outside of our love for you my dear...-But if there was anything that might come close to the acts he has taken in the pursuit of your safety, raising his daughter in the ways of the Force and the ability to adequately protect herself sounds as though it might come close...", he too couldn't help liking the idea of his wife stepping out a little to further explore her own ability and life within the flow of the Force, something she had always feared would come back to haunt her ever since Mantic Dorn had forced her retirement from politics within the Galactic Republic before their meeting.

"Is this by chance something you are expecting me to take part in...?" He asked, sudden apprehension displayed through his tone of voice and the raise of an eyebrow glancing sideways to his beloved [member="Lady Kay"], uncertain whether he held the confidence in his own ability these days to still be a positive influence upon a student within the Force, those so fragile to the lure of the dark-side of the Force and so ignorant of the light in their inexperience.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay smiled a little. She wasn't sure of how often [member="Ghorua the Shark"] and [member="Veiere Arenais"] had been around eachother outside of saving her skin. There was probably not very much of it. She wondered if Veiere was aware of the Shark's eating habits, a vegetarian to the core, quite unlike what one would expect from someone his size and with those rows of sharp teeth. "He's like...well, like a big brother to me. One of these days you two should get together for a drink." Casual time. That was what they needed. They all did. Free from worry and free from stress. Although with twins, that wasn't quite to be expected.

She raised a brow as Veiere asked about expecting him to take part. The words that he used, the way in which he said it gave her reasons to grow a bit concerned. What was going on with him lately? Was it all too much for him? Kay had taken up most of the responsibility of looking after their people herself, all the while trying to be there for him and the twins as much as she could, leaving him some time to do whatever he wished. Something in Veiere had changed. At other times when he had seemed a bit lost, he had always found a way to get back on his feet. But now....now was different. It was as though he didn't care.

"No, my dear. I don't expect you to get involved. It's my responsibility. I just...just wanted you to know. That's all." Kay remained still as she lay in his arms; thinking, re-thinking and overthinking things. Solutions will arise at some point. She had to be confident in that.

 

[WolfMortum]

"I do owe him that much, at the very least..."

Veiere responded on the subject of Ghorua The Shark, her suggestion that he was a brother to her and that they should get together for a drink at some point. It wasn't a bad one in the slightest and he had to admit that his interactions with the Herglic seemed preposterously one sided when it came to requesting his assistance with Kay and her pursuers, those whom so often found a way to get to her when out of his sight.

"Don't get me wrong either, love...-I don't at all mind helping you should you want the little one to hear a different perspective on the force and the learnings that can come from it" he added, turning to look and catch her gaze that she understood he was speaking sincerely on the matter.

"A Friend and Family member of yours, someone as important as he is will forever have a place of importance in my life too. I am sorry that I've neglected such things, for all that the Jedi Order has taken from me in time, nowadays I suppose I have nothing but time to make amends for these things...-Minna, I'm certain will gain much from learning from you, Kay. You'll be a wonderful teacher and I've always been wanting you to further explore that part of your life where you feel comfortable...".

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay looked up at [member="Veiere Arenais"] and gave him a small smile. So she was reading him wrong. He wasn't being indifferent. "Your perspective is valuable. It's been such a long time since I've taught anyone. Just as you've been preoccupied with things, so have I. It bothers me sometimes that I can't just....let go of everything and hide out. I haven't found a suitable replacement yet. Brad's nowhere near ready. He'd turn all the worlds into Zeltros and just make it all some big party center. The economy would tank rather quickly."

She rested her head against him as he spoke of his own distractions, being the Jedi Order. It didn't bother her too much. They were both busy people. The mere notion of standing still, having no jobs, no civilizations under their care, it was hard to imagine it, even though they've both had it at some point in their lives.

She smirked as he spoke of her exploring another part of her life. He said the same thing when it came to the Mandalorians. It was strange how quickly he grew attached to that, eager to learn about their culture while she was not. Becoming a Clan member was a means to an end, a way of protecting her people from attack. And so far it has worked.

"I guess that we'll just take everything one day at a time."

 

[WolfMortum]

"I do suppose that is all we can hope for..."

He smiled warily, turning to offer his beloved wife a glance that whispered in his skepticism and distrust for the greater galaxy around them. "I don't doubt that the future will not be quite as peaceful as our time spent here residing in the comfort our our eldritch escape..." He elaborated some on what lay beyond that somewhat distant gaze of his; "I'm not sure what the future holds for the Systems Alliance, nor that it might even be the best option for those people under our care compared to what could be, yet forever focusing on what could have been, what alternatives could have come without our efforts as they are, nothing fruitful ever comes of such doubts..." He smiled somewhat, though there was little happiness behind the gesture as opposed to his self reflection and the irony that lay beyond her knowledge. These words could after all be as easily spoken inward of his behaviors of late, his concerns and doubts for the path he had walked for such a lifetime ago that it seemed to represent 'the right thing to do'. Truth be told, 'the right thing' was no longer a familiar concept and his day to day had become a matter of putting one foot in front of the other and hoping that his next step won't see him plummet over the edge of his history catching up to him.

"Some days I wonder if anything we try to do will ever truly make a difference in the Galaxy..." He murmured under his breath though she would hear him as his gaze seemed to linger off towards the nearby window, looking out across the plains of Commenor and yet not really seeing the world as opposed to the inside of his thoughts and that which his mind was allowed to openly traverse in his spoken mind; "The same wars have been fought over for centuries beyond our given names, the same reasons but different faces and different titles of self indulgence and apparent military and political grandeur all leading to the same result. The mindless slaughter of millions of innocent lives all caught up in their miss matched ideologies while the Force continues to encompass us all. No matter how many die, others will live on...-Balance if it were, only to begin anew and continue the endless cycle of death and false hopes...".

Of course, he hadn't intentionally sought to go on in such a depressing way, yet the words came and his heart rang true for the turmoil that was resounding within him. It was difficult to ignore when the history of the Jedi, the Sith and those many governments in between had been fighting the same "good" fight for so long, unable to learn from the past mistakes of their ancestors, forever believing themselves to be justified and superior based upon their newer technological advances and their petty squabbles inciting old flames to burn away at the fringes of the galaxy until like very recently, the greater bodies of politcal intrigue would come to clash and the mass of death and degradation of society would again turn itself on it's head proving that they were no better than those who had first started the civil war between the followers of Bogan and Ashla a millennia ago. It was a lesson he had never forgotten since the run-in with [member="Asha Hex"], and one that spelled the lies of an entire lifetime based upon truths that had been twisted by the first Jedi in order to justify their long war against the Darkside. Like everything else surrounding Societies rise and fall, politics had come in to play and the knife in the back of those that had once been considered dutiful and kind, had been twisted in such a way that every ounce of integrity had been removed leaving only the selfishness of man.

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay shifted a little in his arms, sliding down a little as she curled up so that she could use his chest more like a pillow, while her arm remain wrapped around him in a hug. She listened as [member="Veiere Arenais"] voiced his thoughts, putting to words the very things that she had thought about from time to time.

"History repeats itself, Veiere. I don't know why, but it does. I've had it happen to me and I try to make different choices to change the outcomes. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. It makes it very hard to try to predict the future, but I'm no prophet." Kay paused for a moment, thinking of their own situation among the rest of the Galaxy. Fortunately they weren't on anyone's radar. "We'll be a safe haven for people for as long as we can. We aren't even an afterthought to the superpowers out there. We should take advantage of that. For those that wish to escape the horrors of war, even for a short while, they can have refuge here."

Their military and naval numbers were low. So defending themselves could be tough. Yet she didn't want to issue a draft to increase their size. "I'm thinking of starting up a war games, to get some men and women interested in joining our forces to help defend us. What do you think?"

 

[WolfMortum]

"War games?"

The suggestion pulled his gaze back to that of his wife, brows high in question, his tone gentle and not condescending in the least though his response held an ounce of skepticism over the question of whether or not that was what the Galaxy needed more of at the moment. "You're talking a hospitable event of some kind right? Emphasizing the game itself, rather than the fighting I'm to assume" he chuckled a little awkwardly realizing that of course there was no other likely scenario for what [member="Lady Kay"] would be planning ahead of them.

"I'm curious as to how others will perceive the encouragement of such an event. A Training exercise in itself isn't such a bad thing in the least bit, given the way the galaxy is moving around us. Ensuring our people are prepared is the duty of our government's military echelon and hierarchy but showing some presence and contribution of our own would likely bolster the men and women serving to defend our people..."; Kay had a way with organizing things like this that usually played out in the most positive light, he could trust that it would involve little violence and not endanger their people any further. The financial side of it might be costly and depending on what she required, the military arsenal that would be used for such a thing would be complicated to organize yet if it meant a boost in recruitment and high moral for their soldiers, good hard working men and woman that often sacrificed so much for the Systems Alliance, Veiere could only nod and agree, hoping that it would be as succesful as previous ceremonies his beloved wife had planned in the past.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay knew that the word 'war' would catch his attention. Men were funny that way.

She smirked a little at his words, sensing his thoughts on the suubject. Wars were happening far to the southwest at the moment, which was why she was opting for an area not bordered by any large government but their own. "I know what you're thinking; that it could give us attention by others that could make false assumptions about what is going on. But no. We'll need the practice. And yes, it'll be a game with prizes awarded to the winning teams. Our past events used theatrics and music, showcasing the arts. This one will showcase strategy, teamwork and ingenuity." Kay sat up a little so that she could face her husband better and hold his gaze with a playful smirk. "And not to worry. I won't be taking part. I'll watch from the sidelines." This was more along the lines of Santiago and Anison's expertise than her own. "But that doesn't mean that you couldn't join in."

Kay thought that at times [member="Veiere Arenais"] was here at the Estate for too long. Was he just here to exist? Did he have any purpose at all? She hoped that he would find some kind of direction, or more to do besides tinkering in his shop.

"It could be fun."

 

[WolfMortum]

"It's been a while since I saw some action..."

Veiere admitted, knowing well the great deal of time he'd been spending, unintentionally isolating himself away from even their own people for the want of the quiet of the mountain estate. His leave of the Order, the revelations of the past and his questions of the Force and need to rediscover what all of that meant to him nowadays had shaken him and forced him to recluse. He found himself too easily entering back into the mind of that which he had held upon Alzoc Three, before he had met the young lad [member="Théodred Heavenshield"]. In his former Exile, the lad had been a welcome friend in a life where Veiere had neglected the pull of the Force for the sake of his grief and guilt of past days. Never had he expected to find such loyalty and wisdom in one so young and it had given him faith that perhaps the state of the Order wasn't so questionable.

The Galaxy however lived up to it's chaotic display of fate, the Jedi remained sparce and disorganized while the followers of the Darkside grew in power and authority over the lives of others. Meeting Kay very near on the same day, his path took a turn that would later become the makings of the Systems Alliance they held today. Even still, so few things had truly changed and that leave of common social practices in his life had been lost upon him, not only due to his own failures but the truth of the origins that his last strings of devotion had needed to hear in order to pull him away from the life of the Jedi Order entirely.

"Vikras has been trying to get me back on board the QueensGuard, says it reminds him of our days spent aboard the Chimaera wandering the Galaxy...-I guess it couldn't hurt to try my hand in this game of yours, my love".

It didn't feel much like he had a lot to lose.

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay smiled and slid one of her hands into his, interlocking their fingers. "Wonderful. You've always been a great protector. It's in your nature, it's what makes you a great leader, despite your doubts. Given that this is so far from your daily schedule of tinkering, it'll be fun for you. Refreshing, even. Quite possibly for me too. I'll be watching from the holo cams. Even General Santiago was intrigued by the idea. I thought that I saw a hint of a smile when I asked him about it." Santiago wasn't a man known to smile. He was more known for his silent stares, judging peoples' every move, every word, every breath. That usually made people uncomfortable, especially Kay.

She closed her eyes, content at the moment in her husband's arms. With the twins there was hardly a break in any given day, so she enjoyed this while she could. Having children was a blessing for them and neither would have it differently. And it seemed as though they had done well to avoid them from being targeted. There had been quite a few people that she knew, who's children were often hunted down, kidnapped and some even were killed. But her family was lucky.

For once in her life, everything was running smoothly. Hopefully it'll stay that way for a long time to come.

[member="Veiere Arenais"]