Wake Up

[Soliath Devin Talith]

Soliael only smiled at his son.

His eyes wandered away from him and towards the image of his mother that flickered in the background of the holo-screen. He grinned at her, noting as she waved and stood behind Micah, quietly observing and watching what it was he was doing.

For a brief moment he wondered how Kira had been teaching him this.

Had she at all?

He knew that Micah was prideful, perhaps he had not accepted any assistance from his mother at all. Such a thing was likely, though he doubted that Kira would pry and press any unless she knew it was for the better. She after all wanted all of the children to learn at their own pace, even if that meant Aela who seemed to be going a mile a minute.

Though that had changed during their trip obviously.

 

[Kira Talith]

Kira and Sol had their own approaches at teaching their children; however, Micah was a bit of a struggle as he seemed to be going a mile a minute and just didn't seem as if he could stay still. Where some skills would come more naturally to his sisters, he felt a bit of a struggle with others.

Perhaps it was because his father was away that he was more apt to listen this time around; to take the lesson from his father a bit more easily. Whatever the reason, Kira was happy to see that her son was calming himself down. She could read it through the relaxation of his body, taking in the cues and clues from his body language.

She would lean against the threshold, crossing her arms across her chest. With the Theran Force Listening, Kira was able to hear Maleah's muted giggles along with Tuffless, hearing her at the distance of the jungle that surrounded their home, along with the pitter patter of Kaili's feet as she would run to hide.

To his parents growing admiration, Micah would continue on with his focus, face scrunched up. In his mind he saw that pond, and he was trying to picture it like his father had instructed. Maybe like a polished mirror?

That made it easier. He would imagine the surface just like so.

In his mind, his head would pop over that pond, seeing his reflection looking back at him. All the children had a pretty high active imagination, so picturing himself looking down wasn't too much to do.

Ripples... he was looking for ripples.

All the Talith children will have a connection to the other, Maleah and Micah more than most, what with being twins and all. It was this connection that would flare up as a tiny ripple as his father had said.

It was like a tiny undercurrent; energy that would thrum across it. Like the wake of a small koi fish swimming under it. Surprise suddenly went basking his expression, but this was immediately followed through by determined curiousity.

Just how far could he go?

The next few minutes would see the Talith male child explore the reaches and pick up what the dam of that instruction had unleashed. There was an excitement in his features, one that he would immediately express as his eyes would snap wide open.

Twin suns of bright orange would shine with the excitement of a child having discovered something new.

"I can feel them!" he'd say excitedly; and he could, much like the threads of a web, he could feel the vibrations his siblings were creating. His head would swivel towards the right, his head perking up.

"BE RIGHT BACK!" he'd say, already scrambling to his feet to go hunt for his sisters. He was a force of energy and natural speed, flying past his mother. Kira could only give a light laugh, shaking her head as she would push herself from the threshold to make her way over to the holoarray.

"Will wonders ever cease? You managed to get him to stay still enough to relax to do it."

She would sink onto the floor in a sitting position, grabbing a small pillow to hold on her lap.

"Hey there, handsome. How are the Gungans treating you?" she'd ask, smiling warmly at her beloved.

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

“Well.” Soliael said with a smile, leaning back and grinning.

Micah had achieved his first splash in the pond to so speak. He had apparently found his sisters and was now tracking them down. He wondered if the girls would get jealous of this newfound ability of it they already had it figured out on their own.

Either way it didn't matter.

He knew that Micah would develop his own abilities, just as Aela had developed her own. They would all be different in the end, all have something special about them. Briefly he wondered what that would turn out to be for his youngest. Kaili would take some time to manifest the force perfectly. Shrugging inwardly Soliael turned his attentions to his wife.

“The core is still the core. The Gungan Cities are still underwater, and Theed is still stuffy.” He had never been a fan of Theed, too much make-up.

 

[Kira Talith]

"You sound so thrilled," Kira would quip with mild amusement, settling herself in for a small conversation with her husband. It was good to see him with a bit more pip to his step so to speak.

"As you can tell, things are starting to pick up around here," she'd gesture around her with a half chuckle, her free hand coming up to run through her hair, pushing the wayward locks of blonde away from her face.

"I figured I'd start on what we discussed about, and I know Micah was feeling a bit under the weather." she would admit, explaining about the current situation.

"He's a bit prideful and stubborn; but he's determined. Just has to go at his own pace." she said, giving a small exhale with a warm smile. "Maleah decided to stick her head into Tuufless's mouth today -- that.. was an interesting sight to walk into." That was putting it lightly!

Needlesstosay, Maleah was showing off and having fun. But that didn't quite stop the fleeting sense of shock and surprise at walking in on that.

"How is Aela doing? Anything new?"

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

He let out a small smile.

“She's getting stronger.” A scary thought, but it was true. “I don't know if she'll be stronger than me, but she's certainly looking like it.”

They both knew what that meant, and they both knew what it would mean for the other children. If Aela was getting stronger, and looking like she was getting stronger than him it meant the other kids likely had that same potential. “She's more like you though. Lithe. Graceful. Fast.”

The Last part wasn't so much Kira, though his wife did have a propensity for going off the rails at time. Yet the former two were exactly like Kira, her Lorrdian roots making her quite the smooth little chipmunk when it came to both combat and daily motion.

Aela was following those steps quickly.

 

[Kira Talith]

[member="Soliael Devin Talith"]

A laugh came at that.

"Oh? Is she now?" Kira would ask, a bit amused at that. Granted, Aela certainly did take after her mother in looks save the eyes. "She's more like you in personality, though." In terms of the more studious forms of learning.

Which was find and dandy-- however, her daughters tendency to isolate herself worried her.

"How is she doing with socializing?" The other three kids were far more easily enthused for meeting new people and going out and about enjoying themselves-- if a bit too lively, but they were kids.

Aela on the other hand has always been a serious child. She'd often wondered if maybe they had done something to encourage that?

It was troubling.

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

For a moment he pondered.

“Well enough.” He told her. “She's not much better then when she's with both of us, but when we get to subjects that interest her...well she can get excited.”

Soliael had first noticed that in the Gungan cities. “She got excited for the trip to Naboo's core. The submarines and the creatures we saw. She asked more questions than she does of my mother when we visit her. It was odd, but good.”

Their daughter was coming out of her space, if only slightly. It was a good thing to see and an even better thing to keep happening. He only hoped that when they returned back to Borleias the trend would continue.

“So...” He trailed off to think for a moment. “What do you think about a winter home?”

 

[Kira Talith]

[member="Soliael Devin Talith"]

Kira's eyes would widen in slight curiousity. "A winter home?" Her first thought went to the only other place she'd shared a lengthy amount of time during the winter with Sol

"Exocron?" She would ask. The fortress was still there; nestled among the highest peaks of the mountain range. She would draw closer, curious at what he had in mind.

Out in the distance she heard the triumph cry of Micah and then the high pitched giggle squeal of Kaili. Kira wouldn't hurl but give a slight laugh at that.

"I guess that lesson worked " she'd add, returning her attention to Sol so he would elaborate on the winter home.

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

He shook his head. “Not Exocron.”

That was simply out of the question. It was far away true, and removed from anyone who would ever hurt them, but it also brought back memories.

“Too much to explain to the kids, too much that could go wrong or awkward.” His head shook again. “Better leave that well alone. The people are happy, showing up there again...well it could get awkward.”

He wasn't about to disturb the fragile ecosystem that had been created since the absence of the gods. Too many servants, priests, and people knew his face on that world for rumor not to spread. Plus having more children with bright orange eyes running around Exocron might end up being a bad idea in the long run.

“I was thinking somewhere removed, somewhere hidden...Atoa maybe.” Soliael offered, Atoa was not a well known system, hidden within the Ghost Nebula near Umbara.

 

[Kira Talith]

"Atoa?" her eyes would perk. She'd never heard of the planet, so she was curious why he had so decided on that one. She would lean closer, inquisitive.

"Why Atoa?" she'd ask. Off in the distance, Kai's laughter would get louder, and the pitter pat of feet would follow suit. Before they knew it, her tiny body came rushing in. That's when she flopped right in front of Kira, a bundle of tiny arms and legs and laughter.

Kira would give a slight chuckle, drawing her youngest daughter up against her. A kiss would brush her temple, her blonde hair fuzzy and flushed cheeks.

A cheeky grin came from the little girl, bright orange eyes glancing up with impish light.

"Hi daddy."

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

“Hi Nohei.” Soliael said, blowing his daughter a kiss.

He smiled at her, then looked up at his wife.

“Atoa, is a little ice world in the Ghost Nebula.” The former Sith Lord went on, making odd faces at his daughter as he went on to explain to his wife why Atoa was perfect. “It's secluded, holds no natural resources, and it's people are kind...despite having no hearts. It's a planet that no one really cares. Most star maps leave it out just because Umbara is in the same sector.”

He gave a shrug to that.

The more off the grid their homes were the better. Borleias was painfully close to the One Sith, Atoa was not. Even if it were to be conquered, nobody would care about it enough to actually do anything on the world. It would not only be a winter home, a place to take the children when they got sick of the sun, a place for Maleah to enjoy herself, but also a hide away...just in case.

 

[Kira Talith]

"Despite having no hearts?" now that made Kira a bit confused. There were plenty of planets in the galaxy, and to be frank, Kira didn't know all of them or their local occupants.

"Did they get broken?" came a piping question from Nohei, a tiny hand brushing and patting Kira's cheek as she would curiously ask. Kira would smile at her daughter, cafuneing her hair. A chuckle came to her, at such the innocent question. Another kiss would press against Nohei's temple.

She understood where Sol was going with this. Being so close to One Sith territory was a concern in the back of the mind. While he had taken every precaution to ensure their safety here, one couldn't be too careful. She was glad that he was thinking ahead.

"Did you already stop there with Esmae?"

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

He shook his head.

“No I went there with My Mother...some two hundred years ago.” Truth was he hadn't been to the planet in nearly two centuries, but that hardly mattered. He doubted that Atoa had changed any, if at all over the past few hundred years. There was only one small civilization and the Atoans had always been a friendly enough bunch that he doubted anything major had been developed there.

Looking at his daughter he shook his head.

“No honey, they never had them to begin with.” He smiled. “Their bodies work differently than yours or mine. They don't have hearts, because they don't need them.”

He hadn't been talking figuratively earlier, it had been literal. The lack of a heart was due to their circulatory system, it was uniquely suited to surviving the cold.

 

[Kira Talith]

"But why?" Nohei would ask again. She didn't know how it worked or how that made sense. Her tiny face would scrunch up as if in deep thought. "Will I not have a heart too?"

Kira gave a half chuckle, glancing over the down of her youngest daughter's hair over to Sol. A smirk and a shrug would follow, as if to say, she's only three and a half. Questions upon questions were high on the lists for curious minds.

"Not quite like that sweetie," Kira would murmur against Nohei's ear, following a slight nuzzle against the curve of her neck were she blew a light raspberry across it, prompting a giggle from the little girl.

Blue eyes rose to Solieal,and she would follow with, "Did you want to make it a family trip then? Go back and see how things are and plan for that winter retreat?"

[member="Soliael Devin Talith"]

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

He nodded.

“Sure.” That was as good a plan as any. Atoa was secluded, though it wasn't hidden like Lehon or some other secret world. They could make their way there easily enough.

Plus, it would be good for Maleah. His daughter couldn't venture into the sun, at least not for long, and Atoa would be a place where she could freely roam outside. Of course she would get cold, but a jacket or two would solve that. Atoa's sun was blocked out, mostly, by the Ghost Nebula. Much like Umbara it was shrouded in a veil.

Maleah would be able to run around their winter home freely.

 

[Kira Talith]

"Then we'll plan for it once you get back," she said, leaning back and drawing Nohei closer into her arms. The little girl would cuddle closer, nuzzling her cheek and resting against her mother's chest. Kira would continue to lightly stroke her hair, feeling the tiny body relax.

"Well... maybe after a little break." Kira would add, the underlying meaning suggesting that having a little quiet time between her and her husband would be nice.

"Will Amore come visit soon?"

[member="Soliael Devin Talith"]

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

“I don't know.” He said honestly.

Amorella had a decision to make. Soliael had told her his opinion, had told her what he wanted her to do, but he could not decide for her.

He smiled into the camera, looking about the starship with tired eyes. They would be home soon, and after that they could get themselves a bit of rest. The former Sith Lord smiled, thinking about what it would be like to go back home once again, to be with his wife and his other children.

It would certainly help him get sleep again.

 

[Kira Talith]

[member="Soliael Devin Talith"]

"Either way, I'm sure she'll come around at her own time," Kira said, giving a last stroke through Nohei's hair. She caught the weariness on his expression, felt the warmth of his emotions and longing through the ring. She smiled.

"Go rest, you'll be home soon enough." she told him, flashing him a loving smile.

"Give Esmae my love and be safe." a tiny body was already asleep against her chest, and Kira used what small bit of telekinesis she could manipulate to bring over a blanket from the nearby couch. Laying it around her youngest daughter, she would nod in encouragement for Sol to go to bed.

"Sweet dreams." another soft smile. "Love you."

 

[Soliath Devin Talith]

He yawned and then nodded.

“I love you too.” He said the words then blew her a kiss, smirking slightly. Seconds later the communicator was shut off and Soliael walked towards the other bedroom located on the shuttle.

The trip was nearly done with now.

They had another stop to make, visiting more old friends and showing Aela something that was a perfect mixture of nature and industrialization. The Geonosians were an odd people, generally considered to be cruel and mean, but Soliael knew that wasn't the entire truth. Their society was just as evolved as others, if not a bit stagnant.

He smiled, looking forward to his daughters reaction.

 

[Kira Talith]

:: The Colonies
:: Pyria System
:: Boreias
[member="Soliael Devin Talith"]

​

The Talith Home


It was a beautiful summer day.

Maleah and Micah were frolicking with a baby Nexu, their giggles echoing up and down the beach. There was salt in the air, the mist of the sea and the kiss of the afternoon sun.

Her youngest daughter was attempting to catch a small turtle crawling across the wet sand, with Micah giving little grunts behind her to try and help her. They both kept tumbling down onto the ground, the Nexu with them having none of it, blocking their attack. It would paw and walk in a small half circle, bumping them to the floor with a nudge of its large wedge like head.

More giggles would ensue.

It was nearing two weeks since Soliael and Aela left on their mini father daughter bonding adventure. It was a rather nerve wracking first couple of days; mainly because the twins were constantly asking where their father and Aela were at. But Soliael was consistent with holocalling, and the twins would settle down for the night after talking with their father.

As mischievous as they would be, the amount of love and affection they held for him and Aela would be evident with how much they missed them.
Nights would be summed up with interesting and exciting stories, a bit of show and tell. The more Aela and her father would talk about it, the more excited and eager the twins were for an adventure of their own, even asking if they could go once he'd returned. Soliael would tell the twins to take care of their mother; Micah to remember to tuck his chin if he fell, Maleah to remember their deal if she behaved.

Bedtime would approach, and it was only after the twins were tucked into bed that Kira had a few minutes of alone time with her husband. In it she would ask how the meeting with his oma went, how Aela took to her, and to give Amore her love. Soliael in turn will tell his wife... well, it is none of anyones business what he told his wife! That's between him and Kira!

Amusement would light the Lorrdian's expression, a tall glass of lemonade clasped to her hand. Another giggle would come drifting from the beach, Maleah's tiny legs running away from the wave that would seemingly crash to get her.

Just three more days until---

Kira froze.

Worry bled through the lines of her face. It was faint, but she felt a rise of trepidation. A dark forbearing. The tiny hairs at the nape of her neck would start to rise.

Was it the Force? No. It was something else.

Her brow would furrow and then blue eyes would fall to the ring on her finger. It was a puzzle ring, made of six different bands and specifically woven to rest a certain way. Were she ever to take it off, it would fall apart, almost neigh impossible to put back together, unless one knew the trick. Soliael had made it for her.

Soliael.

Kira gave a sudden grimace; wincing as a sharp plummeting sensation would fill her being. Apprehension. Anxiety. Fear.

Sol.

The sound of a glass shattering would fill Kira's world for the next few minutes. It would sear into her mind; that very moment. Blood would drain from her face, blanching in growing panic. A hand would grasp her chest, and she gave a shudder. It was Sol; his emotions tearing through her skin and sinking into her muscles.

Something was wrong. Terribly wrong. She was shaking so badly, her hands were like birds as she tried to steady herself. Two small heads down by the water would come to a pause, curiosity in their orange eyes as a Nexu would go bounding in between them.

Ayril. Where was Ayril.

Glass was everywhere, the scent of lemons rising as nine toes would move around the debris. Trembling fingers reaching to her wrist comm, pressing transmit.

"A-Ayril," her voice broke. It's okay. It's okay. She kept telling herself, even though she could feel the spikes of emotional backlash from her husband.

"Yes, m'lady." came the prompt reply. The Crusaders were always there. Always at the ready. Another wince, then it felt as if her stomach went plummeting to the floor.

"Contact Soliael's shuttle." Her vision would blur as growing worry would twist and claw at her like sharp talons of ice. Breathe. Just breathe. I can still feel him. I can still --

"Mum?" a small faint voice edged with growing reflective anxiety came behind her. Turning around, Kira saw her youngest, Micah, standing holding Maleah's hand.