Wake Up

[Soliath Devin Talith]

He leaned down and kissed her, even with her mouth full of bacon. He did it out of consolation, out of love, out of telling her that she need not say anymore. He was happy that she could open up to him, but she did not need to explain it now, she did not need to ever. She had already told him so much, and that was enough.

It was enough.

Slowly he pulled back from her, a stern look in his eyes.

Not stern for her, or for the situation, but in remembrance of his sister. It was still a regret that hung in his head, still a shame that he would never quite be able to remove. Briefly he thought of Sven, his brother. Perhaps he would have to visit Byss, speak with his little brother, learn more about him. Silently he pledged to do so, then turned to Kira.

He took her free hand and squeezed it.

“You don't have to tell me anymore, you don't have to remember if you don't want to.” His other hand caressed her cheek, noticeably filled with food which made him grin slightly. “Just enjoy the day. Speak with your friends. When I get back...”

He grinned at her, a grin that was meant to take her away.

 

[Kira Talith]

Her closed mouth smile would brighten, even if her mouth was full of food. She would chew quickly, licking her lips before giving him a small half greasy kiss on his cheek.

A bacon kiss. Oh the love.

“Okay.” she’d tell him after swallowing her food. A drink from her glass came next, the the rising of her brows.

“Where will you be?” came her next question, stuffing her face with yet another forkful of food.

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

“Exocra.” That was where the forge was, where what he needed was. “If you need me, you can call this number on the terminal.”

He handed her a small piece of flimsy, grinning in reminder of a very similar moment.

“I'll be back in time to kiss you goodnight.” He said it with a smirk, standing from the bed and wiping away some of the grease from his cheek. He grinned at her, the stubble on his face feeling rough against his hand. He ran fingers over it, feeling the beginning of a beard. He hadn't shaved in nearly a week, usually he did it every day.

Would he let it grow out this time?

Perhaps he would. Did Kira like beards? It didn't matter he supposed, she would accept him either way. Slowly he moved towards the door, knowing that the sooner he started, the sooner he would be finished. “Anything else my love?”

 

[Kira Talith]

There the short Lorrdian Jedi Master sat on a bed that would dwarf her. Her hair would be a slight mess, with strands of blonde hair sticking out in different places, as if taking the spazzy personality of their owner themselves. Her cheeks would be full of food, a bit of Nuna bacon grease on her lower lip and a hint of blue bantha milk on her upper.

She would have the vibrancy of a young girl, with bright blue eyes a bit too large on her tiny worn body. A bruise here and there, with a tiny cut over her right temple barely hidden by the fringe of too long blonde bangs.

Her head would shake in the negative, but the joy, affection, and the smile that radiated from her would brighter than any other smile lightly beheld before. She didn't have to say it.

Every emotion lay bare upon her face.

No, she would sign. And a hand gesture would tell him the following.

See you later alligator.

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

He smiled at her, one last smile, then headed out the door.

The instant the door closed Soliael began his trek. It would not be a short day, directly the opposite he suspected. It would be a day of toil, work, and misery. He would have to contact his uncle, speak to his grandmother, and then head to the forges in Exocra. Today would be a long day, longer than any had been in some time.

In the end it would be worth it though.

He flipped the object in his palm between his thumb and forefinger.

Absolute cal radiated from the object, the largest of the six Crystals that Kira had harvested from the caves. He grinned slightly watching it shine. Soliael had palmed the Crystal while getting dressed, he had taken it, though would return it later. It was integral to his plans, his little plot to keep Kira safe. Without it the plan would still work, but it would not be as ornate, as powerful. Eying the Crystal one last time Soliael palmed it again.

His steps resonated in the hallway.

He would Forge Kira something that he would summon from the memories of his Father, an item of power, of strength. One that would help her survive and thrive within the galaxy. One that would keep her safe.

One that would keep the woman he loved safe.

Soliael smiled, then disappeared.

 

[Kira Talith]

Kira would watch him leave with a lingering smile, enough to even pause her eating for a few moments. A soft warm flush would draw over her face, undoubtedly giddy with happiness.

Far more so than she had been in a long long time.

Finishing up her meal, she made haste. Galactic Standard Time had it at nearly Fifteen hundred Hours at Coruscant, although her last assignment had her at the Ossus Temple. A quick mental calculation would deem it to be about early morning there.

Without further ado, the tray was set to the side. Cleaning her hands, she would eagerly amble her way over to the rather nifty comm station Soliael had shown her.

In her hand she held the sheet of filmsi with his frequency in it. An ironic smile would draw over her face.

Funny... how the will of the Force does things.

With that last lingering thought, the petite Jedi Master would plop herself on the awesomly comfortable chair. She even gave it a full spin.

Flashing a grin, she would halt her twirl with the pad of her foot. Nibbling on her lower lip, she would lean forward. There was an encrypted line to a safehouse that would direct her to the rest of the Jedi Shadows.

Rolling forward, the MIA Jedi Master Kira Liadain made the first call to an Order she had no contact with for the past six months...

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

It was hours later that Soliael returned, when the moon began to rise in the sky and the sun had long since hidden itself behind mountains. There was a small jewelry box in his hand, velvet on the outside and wrapped with tiny string to form a bow, the latch on the front inscribed with a tiny symbol of three horns growing ever outwards.

His own symbol.

The mark of Soliael Devin Shamalaim.

A note rested atop the box behind the bow, though it was impossible to read without moving it. The smile on his face told that he expected good things. A spring in his step, and a slight smugness to his walk saw Soliael turned down the hall towards his own room where he had left Kira. He had already searched both the library and the Training hall, as well as most of the Fortress where food could be found.

Eventually he had decided that she was back in his room, likely in the refreshers taking a bath or back in bed reading something.

He knew she liked to read, knew it from the memories in his head.

As he got closer to his own room he felt something amiss, a prickling sensation, a slight pressure that began to bother him, an itch between the shoulders. He frowned for a second, but shook it off as just nerves. He was seeing the woman he loved, that caused excitement, and nervousness. The very smile on her face had caused his stomach to tighten.

With a grin, he opened the door to the bedroom. “Kira?”

 

[Kira Talith]

He would find her sitting in front of the comm array, the cerulean glow of the various displays washing over her form. One that would appear almost smaller than usual. Her knees were drawn up to her chest within that large chair, arms wrapped round her legs. Her hair was a veil of blue blonde hair, shielding her face like a veil as it lay buried over her knees.

She was so quiet. So eerily quiet. For one who always needed a conduit to move, to gesture her thoughts, feelings, and words, the Lorrdian was still.

Kira's head would slowly lift and turn to him, her face barely shrouded by the darkness. Tears would shimmer from her eyes and he would be able to feel her misery.

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

His eyes bulged open, his steps quickened, and he rushed over to her side as fast as he possibly could. The box was forgotten, thrown onto the bed, the world was gone, everything focused on Kira, only Kira. He rushed towards her, three great leaps of movement that saw him drop down besides her and immediately wrapped his arms around her.

“Kira?” His hand touched her chin, tilting her head upwards.

He saw tears in her eyes, he saw the sadness, the desperation, the sheer and utter depression. Soliael tried to speak, he tried to say something, but he found his own words stuck in his throat. What had happened? Had her friend died? Had the Jedi come to and end? Had the One Sith Won?

What would have brought her to such tears?

The thought that it was him never occurred.

 

[Kira Talith]

Arms would slide from her legs, sliding from the chair to throw herself into his arms. She needed him now. Needed to hold him. To be comforted in turn. Everything changed.

Everything had changed.

Her arms would wrap tightly around him, and she would cry in great shudders. She felt lost. Utterly lost. Confused. Coruscant. Teta. Alderaan. The Order. Those she had considered friends lay dead. Others still missing. The younglings. How many had survived?

Such sorrow lay within Kira's heart. And in it was the knowledge that everything changed. Her entire world had been flipped upside down. That which had been her world, her home, wrecked. And in this came a knowledge. A dreadful realization what this war meant.

She had to go back.

In her heart she knew, knew so well that the only constant thing left now; that which she had discovered so recently, that man that held her now --- was one she would have to let go. She had to. She must.

I have to go back.

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

He didn't understand.

Why the tears? Why the sadness? Why the desperation? He frowned slightly, his lips turning. Soliael tried to read her, to understand from her body language what was going on. She shook, her skin sensitive to touch, but not in a bad way. His arms enveloped her, and his glance cast towards the holo-communicator.

Suddenly he understood.

This was Kira. Caring, kind, compassionate Kira.

To her the galaxy was a kind place, a place filled with wonder and hope and joy. A place that wasn't cruel or deceitful, a place where war was an oddity, not a common practice. As Soliael slowly pet Kira's head he understood. They had told her. They had told her everything that had happened while she was gone. The fall of Coruscant and Alderaan. The Deaths of millions. The tide of the war turning against the Republic.

Kira knew it all now, and she would know what she had to do.

Dread filled him.

 

[Kira Talith]

Seconds would tick past. Minutes? It was a blur. A blur of sorrow. Of heartbreak. Of a decision she knew she had to make.

No, of one she already made. No matter how much it hurt. She had to. Her stomach fell to her feet. At her core, she knew it was the right thing. The Jedi Order had been there when she needed them most. Given her a home. Given her and the rest of the kids a place to be. A goal. A purpose. To protect those who could could not defend themselves.

That small bit of sanctuary she had felt here in the Fortress with Sol, that which she had enjoyed thus far with such joy -- she knew now that came to an end. Her stomach heaved and tears kept streaming down her face.

"I have to go back." she would finally say, whispering low against the crook of his neck.

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

One hand stroked her hair, the other the nape of her neck. He tried to be that calming presence, that relaxing figure that she could hold on to, cling to. He tried to focus, he tried to allow those Zeltron pheromones to start.

He wanted her to be okay.

He wanted her to know that it was going to be okay.

His hands ran through her hair, over her skin. His arms squeezed her, and his lips kissed the top of her head. He understood. He knew what Kira was, who she was, why she needed to go back. It was exactly why he wouldn't stop her, why he wouldn't try to keep her here. Soliael knew Kira, and he loved her, he loved her for what he knew her to be.

“I know.” He said finally, his fingers simply stroking her.

 

[Kira Talith]

Between his proximity in the physical sense and his embrace in the emotional sense, it was heartbreaking as much as it was a comfort. Her shudders would quiet down. The tears would eventually subside. Her nose was stuffy, and she couldn't help the sniffles, nor the constant swipe of her hand under her nose.

She felt exhausted again. Wore. More so than after their stint in the underground caves. This was a deep emotional wound. One that half blamed herself for being gone so long, a ridiculous thought for one who had been kidnapped, tortured, and enslaved in the pits of a Geonosian Gladiator area against her will.

Finally, she would give a weary exhale. The cafune of his fingers would soothe her emotions. The strength and warmth of his presence a pillar for her to lean on.

One she knew very well was now on countdown.

Her fingers would tighten round him, every subtle nuance in her body relaying that which she did not say.

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

“It will be alright.” Soliael said.

He had to be the strong one, he had to be the one to see reason and logic. It would be easier for him, simpler. He took in a deep breath, his hands still gently stroking her skin and hair, his arms flexing around her slightly to bring her closer. His chest rising slightly as he took in his breath. He face rubbed against it slightly and he smiled.

“It's not the end.” His voice was strong, a pillar. “I'll bring you back to your Order. We'll go together to Ossus.”

That was a small concession, and a possible one. “From there...”

He trailed off for a moment. What could he do? He couldn't simply walk among the Jedi as he was could he? Soliael had faced Kiskla herself and taunted her, spoken to her. He couldn't go back and walk through their temple unharmed. He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror, the stubble and the hair growing on his head and face, the difference in his eyes. He smiled slightly.

Perhaps he could. He was different now, Kira had seen to that.

“I'll visit you.” He said with some degree of confidence. “Jedi aren't too smart. I don't think they'll catch on.”

He made a joke, try to get that smile, that laugh.

 

[Kira Talith]

That would prompt a half stiffled chuckle from the tiny blonde, and a subsequent punch to his shoulder that had no real omph to it.

"We are smart!" she would say defensively, half cracking a wobbly smile and a few sniffs. Her cheeks and nose were bright pink and her eyes were red rimmed. There was a puffiness to her face due to crying, and she constantly had to wipe her nose. Not the prettiest sight perhaps, but very real.

"Managed to deck you good, didn't I?" she'd say, rubbing her cheek against the rough feel of his shirt. Had her nose not been stuffed by her tears, she would have smelled the scent of the forges still lingering about him. In the back of her mind, she knew what he was trying to do. It is what she would do. Distract the mind with laughter, replace the tears with joy.

Her heart reached out for his at his concession to visit her, and she felt the threads of connection between them -- fragile moments strung on filament thread, so easily snapped. It was like they were curving to fit inside the other, and this melting and reshaping could be deeper, more resilient.

Her fingers would curl tightly along the fabric of his cloak, and Kira would bury her nose against his chest, breathing as deeply as she could in the wake of her tears.

What is love but sacrifice for another in the end?

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

“I said they weren't smart.” He grinned. “Not that they couldn't tackle properly.”

He looked down at her, and softly his hands would fall from her head and neck. They would slide down her body and gently grasp her. His hands would tug tightly at her clothes, and his muscles would flex as he gripped her. Slowly he lifted himself and Kira up from the ground, taking her in his arms like a small child.

With no care from any protest from her, Soliael wandered over to the bed.

He put her down in the soft comforters, next to the box that he had earlier thrown there, though he didn't even see it. All he held in his gaze was her. All he cared about was hers.

“I'll grow a beard. Take on a false name. It'll be fun. You can show me your temples, and I can make fun of other Jedi.” He grinned at her, that boyish grin.

 

[Kira Talith]

The bed would dip under the weight of their bodies, a sea of blankets to find recluse in for the now. His face was scruffy, unshaved, and several places on her body boasted the slightly chafed evidence of it. A faint smile tinged in melancholy would shine up at him, her palm coming to rest against the shadow of his cheek. There her thumb would scrape against the thickening growth at the mention of his beard. Her eyes would draw up over the crown of his brush like hair, where inky black already had begun to grow.

Kira knew why he meant a false name. She understood it. Here on Moross he was Neth the Keeper. Although she didn't understand the specifics, as the once Master of Shadows, she could understand the need for aliases. He had responsibilities as much as her.

The corner of her mouth would give a tentative mischievous crack, "And call yourself what? He-who-scowls-so?" she'd joke, the strands of her blonde bangs tickling the length of her lashes. The crack at making fun of the other Jedi had perked her up a bit, for she had done that much herself. Ever the prankster, she had treated even the Masters with --

Her face would somber.

Were they still alive? How many were left? Thoughts would plague her, and the knot in her belly grew.

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

Soliael slipped into the bed beside her, kicking the small box down to the foot of the bed for the time being, it wasn't important, not now.

“I'll think of something.” He said with a smile, though it was with only half a heart as he saw the depression form in her, the wondering, the fear. He eyed her for a moment more, his arm slipping around her while his off hand took Kira's own. He smiled, and squeezed the palm on her cheek before dropping his hand to her chin.

Soliael tilted her head upward towards his own, and kissed her gently.

“You will go back, Kira Liadain.” He said to her encouragingly. “You will help your Order, and you will make the galaxy a better place again.”

There was no way for him to know what gnawed at her current mind, but he could offer words that he thought would help. Tell her that he didn't mind her leaving, that he understood why she had to do it, that he wanted her to do it. Else she would not be the woman he loved.

 

[Kira Talith]

It was in his expression. In that look he gave her, that made her fall in love with him all over again. Their lips would barely brush, but it was in the gentleness, the security, the reassurance that it relayed that would tug at Kira's heartstrings.

Her face would soften, her hands gently caressing his jaw, sweeping over his shorn hair, down to the nape of his neck. A need would fill her. Not one of desire. Not one of lust. But one of this dire need to connect with him in every possible level she could. Physically, emotionally... and what lay beyond in the will of the Force.

So down her hands went, to the latches of his cloak. There she quietly unbuckled them, until the thick animal fur would slide from his shoulders. Thereafter, her fingers would drift down over his shirt, following an orbit over the center of his chest, the hard muscle beneath it flexing to her touch. Pressing her hand to his chest, she absorbed the measured thump-thump of his heart.

Fingers would curl to draw him closer.

"Soliael..." she whispered, plea in her eyes. She needed him. She needed him now.