Aiscal

Quinn had always cherished silence, it was easier to work, easier to think and easier to focus. But since the disastrous defeat in the Wild Space… since the Wrath and Vette had disappeared silence had become distracting. In vain he tried to read the report on the imperial war effort, and after staring at the same line for several minutes he finally activated the holodisplay in the cockpit of the Fury.

Quinn watched once again the last transmission from Darth Marr's flagship before it blew up. Darth Sibock's figured appeared, he was holding his right side – was his thoracic skeleton broken? Thought Quinn for the fourth time.

"Quinn, if you read this – this is my final order! Take the Fury and get back to Aiscal! Do you hear me? You have to take care of her!"

Vette appeared on the holo, she was grabbing Sibock's arm. "What are you doing? You can't trust Ai to him! He hates aliens!"

Sibock shook his head, but before he could reply the transmission was cut off.

Quinn leaned back in the captain's chair and put his fingertips together. He computed the likelihood of Sibock and Vette being dead to be almost 98%. Yet… they had survived almost impossible odds and his calculations had been off more than once. Luckily. Most prominently on the Transponder Station where… Quinn blinked … where Sibock had forgiven him.

He got up and straightened his grey uniform jacket. He felt uneasy. Quinn knew what he had to do, even if they were dead: He had to take care of his lord's daughter. It was clear what Sibock had asked of him; the usual course of action was to place orphans in imperial orphanages where the children would be raised properly as imperial citizens. Like Quinn himself.

But Aiscal was half twi'lek and half human; there was no telling what would happen to her in an imperial orphanage. Quinn's mouth twitched a little when he thought about it. Why a powerful Sith like Sibock had chosen someone as Vette as his spouse had always been beyond him. He was a powerful Sith who could've married an equally powerful Sith – but Sibock defied all expectations and had married a lowly twi'lek. Quinn had been present when Sibock's parents had called and demanded, no ordered him to reconsider. They threatened to cut all ties to him, but Sibock had only laughed and had ended the holocall. He had never spoken to them again.

Vette had of course been aware of Quinn's resentment towards her: She didn't let him near her when she got pregnant. Instead she consulted a physician in Kaas City. Quinn hadn't objected, he was a combat medic after all and not a gynaecologist. And yet it bugged him that she refused to let him perform the simplest tests during the pregnancy.

After the birth she eyed him with suspicion. Again she made sure that he was kept at distance. Vette had also been wary of Broonmark, but never as much as with him. Pierce had made snide remarks that at least Broonmark hadn't tried to kill Sibock, even though he was a psychotic and bloodthirsty talz.

There was only one occurrence when Quinn was allowed to even touch the child: Aiscal had contracted a high fever when she was two month old; Sibock had barged into his room in the middle of the night and asked him to come quickly. It was the only time Quinn had ever seen Sibock scared. Although he hadn't been allowed until then to treat Aiscal, Quinn had read up on children physiology – both human and twi'lek–, he considered it part of his job. While he had been treating the child he had been keenly aware that Vette had been watching his every move as if he would actually hurt the child.

Quinn checked once last time the navicomputer – they would arrive in 15 hours and 38 minutes on Dromund Kaas – before he turned the lights off and left the cockpit. As he strode briskly to the med bay he heard Pierce snoring in the crew quarters. Jaesa was probably meditating. Once arrived he downloaded three publications on child care and fourteen on paediatrics. He would care for the child, and he would be thorough as always.

ooOOoo

The rain was battering against the glass of the lift as they silently drove up to Sibock's penthouse in Kaas City. Pierce, Broonmark and Jaesa had been very quiet all the time from the spaceport to their common apartment. It seemed that they were all deep in thought. Quinn's thoughts on the other hand raced from one subject to another and he had to force himself to focus on the task at hand: he had to fill out all the necessary paperwork and secure Lord Sibock's assets as quickly as possible. As soon as a Sith was presumed dead it was usually only a question of time before another Sith took their place and everything they had owned.

As soon as they reached the top, Jaesa quietly said with a throaty voice: "I will check on Ai."

Quinn checked his chronometer. "She is asleep." Or at least she should be, he thought as he checked his notes.

Broonmark buzzed in agreement.

"I know," replied Jaesa and disappeared in the corridor which lead to Ai's room.

"I'll hit the next cantina," mumbled Pierce and let his duffle bag fall on the floor. "I need something to drink after this shitty week." He stepped back in the lift and pushed impatiently the down button until the doors slid shut.

Broonmark quietly vanished in the training room downstairs and now Quinn was standing alone in the entrance hall. 2V-R8 finally arrived to greet him.

"Captain Quinn! Why didn't you announce your return? Miss Aiscal will be thrilled if she hears that her parents…"

"They won't come back," Quinn harshly interjected. Then he pinched the back of his nose before continuing. He felt nauseous. "At least not now. Don't tell her anything."

"Oh my… yes, sir," the droid replied.

Quinn left the droid without further explanations and hurried in his quarters in the upper level. He quickly let the door slide shut and locked it; then he leaned against the wall and had to control his breathing. The only man he truly trusted and admired… gone. And Sibock had asked him to take care of his child… he couldn't do it. Burying what was left of his military career for good and become Aiscal's warden, care for her. He slowly slid down the wall until he sat on the floor and considered his choices again.

After a few minutes he had calmed down. Quinn got back up again and stepped into the bathroom. He washed his face and straightened his jacket. He went back to his bag and pulled his data pad from it. His moment of doubt was over: He had to stick to his own timetable and do his duty.

ooOOoo

In the morning Quinn got up at six o'clock and did some light reading while drinking his tea in the kitchen. Half an hour later Jaesa appeared, she was wearing black crinkled robes. She looked tired, her eyes were puffy.

She yawned. "I watched Ai sleep yesterday… she looked so small." She pulled a cup of tea from the replimat. "At one point we have to tell her."

"We don't know for certain what has happened," Quinn said softly. "Remember Quesh? They came back…"

"But we have to tell her something."

"We tell her the truth – her parents are on a mission."

Jaesa frowned. "And for how long?"

Quinn stared at her. "Until they come back."

She put a spoonful of honey in her tea and stirred it. "We have to stick together – now more than ever. We have to take care of Ai."

Quinn stared at her disbelievingly. Did she actually believe that? Finally he said: "We will split up eventually."

She stopped stirring. "What?"

"Look at us… you are more Jedi than Sith – even I can see that. Pierce is a soldier who will eventually be assigned elsewhere and Broonmark, well, is Broonmark."

Jaesa slammed her cup on the counter. "Bullshit! We will look after Ai! All of us!"

"You heard Lord Sibock's message, Lord Willsaam, he ordered me to take care of his daughter and I…"

"You mean his and Vette's daughter," interrupted Jaesa hotly.

"… and I am honour bound to obey that order. I've already undertaken the necessary steps to ensure that I will be in the position to do that."

"What are you talking about?"

Quinn ran a hand through his hair. "They're rebuilding Imperial Intelligence – I requested a transfer to Imperial Intelligence headquarters in the citadel here in Kaas City as analyst. If I'm accepted I won't be reassigned anymore and thus providing Aiscal with a stable environment. Studies suggest that a stable environment is beneficial to the cognitive development of a child."

"… you have already thought this through?" asked Jaesa while picking up her cup again and taking a sip.

"Of course, unlike Lieutenant Pierce who is wasting his time and his money in a cantina I actually did my duty," Quinn arrogantly replied.

"Everybody reacts differently to loss, Quinn. I meditated – would you say that's a waste of time too?"

Quinn hesitated. "No… my lord, of course not. As a force-user it's of course your prerogative…"

"I already told you more than once to call me Jaesa. And my way of coping with what happened is in no way superior than getting drunk in a sleazy cantina."

Quinn wasn't sure how to answer and remained silent. He took a sip of tea and waited for her to continue.

Jaesa smiled sadly. "I know that it's going to be hard, but we still can try to stick together… as long as possible."

Quinn didn't contradict her.

ooOOoo

Just as Quinn finished reprogramming the replimat with new meals whose nutritional value were appropriate for a three-year old he heard small and fast footsteps approaching. He closed the interface and turned around.

A light blue skinned girl stepped into the kitchen. Her lekkus reached down to her shoulders and were covered in dark blue markings. Aiscal was rubbing sleepily at her eyes. She still wore her pyjamas, it had unrealistic drawn, minimised nexu cubs printed on it, Quinn registered. He also saw that she wasn't wearing socks on her tiny feet. She had dark brown eyes, probably from her father since Vette had purple eyes – but Quinn couldn't be sure, Sibock had, like all dark side force-users, bright orange eyes. She stared at Quinn as if she didn't remember who he was.

He clasped his hands behind his back. "Aiscal put on socks – you will catch a cold," said Quinn in a stern voice.

"Malavai, you're back!" She looked around, getting visibly excited. "Where are mummy and daddy?"

Quinn cleared his throat, relieved that she did remember him. "Your father and your mother are on a mission."

Aiscal seemed disappointed. "When will they come home?"

"After the mission is finished."

"Okay," she said slowly and began to pull at her pyjama until it was stretched thin.

"Go get some socks, child. The floor is cold," Quinn repeated.

"Okay." Aiscal let go of her pyjama and ran back into her room. Seconds later he appeared again, still bare-footed but with a pair of purple socks in her hand. Proudly she showed them to Quinn.

"Yes, very nice – now put them on," Quinn said disinterestedly while turning to the replimat to get the child's breakfast.

He heard how she sat on the floor and how fabric rustled. Quinn pulled porridge from the replimat, added some fresh berries from the refrigerator and put it on the table. "Eat your breakfast."

Aiscal rushed to the table in the middle of the kitchen and climbed on one of the chairs. Surprised she stared at the porridge.

"Where is my breakfast?"

Quinn crossed his arms. "It's right in front of you." His glance fell on her feet: the socks were only halfway pulled on the feet. He decided to ignore it.

"But I always eat red flakes for breakfast," she looked disappointed.

"Porridge is healthier, your cereal contained too much sugar," Quinn replied.

She pouted. "I don't like it, I want red flakes."

"You haven't even tasted it," Quinn said impatiently. It seemed that the child was as stubborn as her mother.

In this moment Jaesa stepped again into the kitchen. She let her gaze wander from Quinn to Aiscal and exclaimed: "Oh, is that porridge? Can I have a bite, Ai?"

Aiscal was taken aback, she thought for a moment before answering. "Yes."

Jaesa sat down next to her and put a spoonful of porridge in her mouth. "Mmmm, that's really good."

Aiscal looked sceptical, but when Jaesa was about to shove another spoonful in her mouth, she quickly grabbed the bowl with porridge. "That's mine!"

Jaesa handed her the spoon and Aiscal began to eat. At first she chewed slowly and had a contemplative expression on her face, but then she began to eat in a quicker pace.

Jaesa leaned back in her chair and gave Quinn a triumphant smile. He made a mental note that reverse psychology was apparently indeed working on children.