There aren't many left of the old crew who were there and remember what happened on this day 20 years ago. Those who remember still mourn.
Shara pulled back on the dalgos's reigns and then slid to the ground. It was hard to believe that this was the place where they had all gathered to celebrate Melaana's 18th life day so many years ago. She began to tether Star so she could go and show her respect at the charred shell that was all that remained of the Kira estate, when her comm chimed.
She smiled and said, "Hello, Love," into the audio only connection.
"I'm sorry I can't see your beautiful face." Her husband crooned. "We're already on the sea and it's messing with the holo projection."
"You're not headed into a storm, are you?" Shara worried.
"Our young Beast Master assures me that the Brylks are promising clear skies and smooth sailing ahead."
"How's Cade handling the position?"
"He's doing alright. Misses the other half of double trouble. You sure that I couldn't have brought Emoth along on the voyage. He's shaping up to be a marvelous comm officer. He might have been able to figure out how to get the holo projector to work."
"Jamos, we talked about this." Shara sighed. As much as she loved her children, and appreciated that she had an attentive husband to share the responsibility, parenting them was hard work. "You would have never been able to keep him on task with his studies, especially not with his cousin on board."
"Of course you're right, Dear." She could hear the smile in his voice and she would love to kiss that smile right off his handsome face.
"How are my other progeny? Kason stepping up to the helm? My baby girl as sweet as ever? Ark and Corns fitting in alright?" There was worry coloring the words when he mentioned the final name.
Shara was happy to inform him, "Cornel has really taken to Geb's carpentry workshop! I'm not sure how he learned it but he's been using the tools to build little boats. I guess he must have been paying attention to the ships in the harbor at the Hold because he's really trying to recreate actual designs."
"We have a shipwright in the family!" He cried full of emotion. "I'll talk to House Harkon they have an accomplished builder he could apprentice with…"
"Jamos, he's only ten. And I'm not quite ready to send him away…" she was happy that they had found something that their middle son excelled at, a way for him to express himself and perhaps support himself one day, but that was way off in the future.
"I know," Captain Blackwell sighed. "I'm just… relieved."
"So am I. You should see him. Kase got a holo of him working and showing off one of his projects. I'll send it to you when you're able to receive it."
"Tell my boy I'm proud of him. Or can I tell him myself? Is he close enough for you to hand him the comm?"
"I'll tell him when I get back into the city. Kason is watching the rest of them for me so I could ride out to see the old Kira place. Today is…" she faltered.
"Oh Shar, I'm sorry. I forgot."
"Twenty years since Melaana flew off…" The memory still felt so fresh and raw. Maybe it was just being in this place, so changed yet so familiar. It hurt but at the same time if they hadn't lost her, how long would it have taken for Shara to realize that she couldn't stay with Sanjay. Would she ever have gone North and met Jamos? She wouldn't trade her life now with her husband and children for anything.
"Sweetheart, I wish I could be there with you." Her husband said softly.
Salt gods, she loved him! "I know. I miss you."
"Hey Shar," his voice brightened the way it always did when he tried to get her to smile. "We'll see each other soon, as soon as we can get this catch in. Take care of my babies and Saw and Bremon and all the refugees I'm sure you've adopted."
She laughed through her tears. "I don't have you or your brother or my niece and nephews or my Brylks here to care for so I had to find someone to add to our own five children."
"I love you, Shara."
"I love you." And then she added the traditional send off that Northern wives had been telling their husbands for centuries. "Sail in the light of the salt gods and may they guide you safely home."
The comm ended and Shara tucked the device back into the pocket of her skirt. It amused her how very northern she had become in the last twenty years. The people of Onderon's Northern Sea region had to be tough to endure the cold winters and the storms. And yet for Shara it had been a sanctuary and the place where her dreams of love and family had come true. It seemed as if the salt gods who had led the ancient mariners to the islands where they had settled and to the massive sea beasts, the Brylks, whom they worked with much as the beast riders of the south had partnered with their fambass and dalgos and rupings, had also led her home.
The dalgos were the one thing she had really missed when she escaped from Iziz and the House of Rash. She patted Star affectionately. This particular mare, she had been pleased to discover, was a descendant of her own beloved Sophia. Yet another incidence that would have never been possible without Melaana's interference. It was Mel who spoke up for Shara to be allowed to make sure that Sophia made it to her first stud when she came in season. Shara remembered how worried she'd been that her pet, no her non-sentient best friend, would never know the joys of motherhood.
Mel understood. She'd only just discovered that she was expecting herself at the time. She'd been so excited to have Bremon Kira's child even though there had always been the prophecy hanging over Bremon's head, the prophecy that he would be the father of a child who possessed some sort of power.
It was that prophecy that had made Bremon's Uncle Nadd mad with the desire to use the child for whatever sorcery they never discovered. Melaana had escaped Uncle Nadd only to die in an horrific crash far away in Mandalore space.
Shara had long held the morbid curiosity, wondering whether the baby came first or the crash. Did she get to hold her child? Was it a girl like she'd always suspected, hoped for. Shara supposed it didn't really matter now, twenty years after the fact. It wasn't like knowing could bring either of them back.
She picked through the area that had once been Lady Kira's garden. Shara and Melaana had sat right here and planned out what they would plant and how they would arrange it all to bring it back to its former glory. Even now after lying untended for so long and after the fires that had destroyed the house and the jungle all around, she could see where early spring salad greens and legumes were beginning to push through the soil.
And over there a rose! Marvelous plants. They could be cut down to the ground and come back even fuller and stronger and more beautiful than before. That was the reason House Bonteri had chosen the rose as the sigil for their banner. A lavender field with a silver rose, Dane and Mina had flown it with pride. And their little Lux had surely come back here and shown this thorns during the rebellion.
Little Lux, she smiled. It was hard for her to think of Mina's baby as a grown man now, the same age as Melaana's baby would have been, the same age as her niece Dalla, and all of them just a little younger than Steela who was also taken away much too soon.
There was a movement in the undergrowth and Shara jumped back from where she had been crouched down studying the rose. A black garden snake slithered out to find a sunny spot warm itself. They weren't strictly dangerous to humanoids but if they were protecting their territory their bite could leave a nasty mark. Still the sight of the thing made Shara shudder.
A black serpent just like that was the sigil of House Rash's banner. She hadn't been fond of the red and black flag even for the year that it was the symbol of her own house and then they were everywhere when Sanjay took the throne as the puppet of the separatists. She hadn't been in Iziz to see it for herself but her son Kason had been here, and her niece and nephew… Shara had come south later after Dooku had ordered the assassination of his puppet, after the Rash banners had been torn down and the overenthusiastic rebels had looted and burned the Rash estate.
As much as she missed Melaana, as much as she mourned Bremon's loss, Shara could never quite bring herself to be sorry that the House of Rash had been denied their last chance at having an heir. That line was dead and gone! The red banner with the black serpent would never symbolize their tyranny again.
Shara walked to where she could see the river. Then she closed her eyes and imagined it was the sea. She imagined the light blue banner with the black ship sigil, the symbol of House Blackwell. It was the banner her husband was sailing under right now and it brought her comfort.
With eyes still closed she heard a sound that first made her smile and then she remembered why she was here and why a ruping would also be flying to this out of the way location. Shara looked up and saw poor old, half blind, Frayl circling above her. He looked like the Kira banner come to life, the bronze beast on the deep blue field of the sky.
Bremon skillfully brought the creature to a landing and spared her a glance before he dismounted and focusing his attention on the ruping. "Might have guessed I'd find you here too," he mumbled.
Shara walked towards him. "She was my friend as well."
He nodded.
"Not many of us left who remember."
"Saw came by this morning." He told her. "I don't think the date even crossed his mind."
Shara went to Frayl and held out her hand to let him take her scent. "Saw was just a child when it happened."
"He mentioned her though." Bremon gritted his teeth, walked towards the remains of his former home and sank down to his knees. "He remembered she was special."
"Who could forget Melaana?" Shara nuzzled against the ruping, careful to let Bremon have his space for his own remembrance. She heard him sob when she said the name.
"He's been messing around in those tunnels. He's found the doorway."
She went to him, dropped down to beside him, and wrapped her arms around him. "But there's no way he can get inside. Your uncle Naidon is long gone. He can't hurt anyone else."
With one arm he hugged her back. "Saw knows it's a… Force thing. He asked if Mel had the Force. He wants a Jedi to help him with his lunatic crusade."
"Brem," she tried to get him to see reason. "What are the odds of him finding one? The Empire has destroyed the whole order."
"I - I don't know." He wiped tears from his eyes with his sleeve. "I just don't want anyone else hurt by that old sorcery if I can help it. I tried to save her and…" He still blamed himself after all this time.
"You did what you thought was best and what happened after that was not your fault."
"I know." He said hollowly, as if he didn't really believe it.
"And if you had it to do all over again?" She asked gently.
"I would have gone with her."
