Corso sat across from Mags, his hands folded in his lap. Mags had been instructing him in meditation, and he felt relaxed. "You have to do this, Corso. You have to find a way to release stress." He thought about how he usually relieved stress, and felt a grin sneak across his face. Mags whacked his arm, making his eyes fly open. "That's just a physical form, Cor. You need to have a way to calm your thoughts and blood pressure." He almost laughed, but the look on her face sobered him.
"I'm trying, Mags, but when I want to feel peaceful, I find Miriah," he told her, his boyish grin making it hard for Magdalane to keep her face straight. "She's my center, my sun. The sex is amazing, true, but just being near her calms me."
"After all these years, I still see her eyes light up when she sees you and vice versa, so I believe you two are definitely still connected, but Corso, you have to figure out a way not to let the stress of her job get to you."
"You said I was good to go, that I could do anything I wanted except fly," he replied. "What has changed?"
"You can do anything you want, but I know this is just a lull. There will be more conflict, more opportunities for both of you to be in the middle of the crap." Mags turned away from him, but not before he saw the frown.
"What have you seen, Mags?" he asked, his voice soft. "Tell me, so that when it happens I'm prepared."
"You know the force only shows possibilities," she said. "All I can really tell is that there will be something soon that Mir will have to attend to, something that will force her to draw a line between allies." She turned to look at Corso. "And by then, I want you to be strong, physically and mentally. Remember, I warned you that depression is a real threat after a heart event, and I believe the mediation will help prevent that." Corso sighed, but assumed his closed eyes, arms relaxed position.
"Teach me," he said, and Mags smiled.
Miriah blinked in the Zakuulan sunlight, having slept most of the journey. The days of running between the medcenter and the office had depleted her energy and she needed the rest more than anything else. Calypso stepped off the ramp behind her, looking around in wonder. "Wow," was all she could say. Aric was unloading Senya's trunks onto a sled and together, they walked to what was left of the palace. Aric had spent the flight getting Caly up to speed on the planet and how it was positioned with Vaylin in charge, leaving out the final battle with Valkorion, so it was through newly opened eyes that she saw the destruction and the evidence of rebuilding. She walked beside her mother, who was chatting with Senya, and heard the approach of armored troops. They stood at attention, waiting for permission to speak. Caly watched her mother nod sharply, and then one of the troopers took a step forward.
"Commander, we have cleared the main paths, and the residence has been completely emptied of any personal items," he said, his voice sounding odd inside the helmet.
"Thank you," Miriah said, and turned to Senya. "Go, get settled and meet us in the throne room in an hour." Senya nodded and followed the troopers, the sled hovering behind them. Aric and Maura moved into position, their weapons humming. It was then that Caly realized Miriah's blaster was humming as well, and it made her wonder what the danger might be. They continued into the palace, stopping now and then to look at the stability of the damaged structure. When they faced the long, narrow walkway to the throne, they all stopped.
"Never will look at this place the same way again," Miriah said, then she hesitantly stepped onto the polished floor. Aric and Maura turned to watch the doorway while she made her way up the walkway, Caly following, unsure of what was going on. Miriah turned to see her daughter about halfway between her aunt and uncle and herself. "Caly, honey, they're just being cautious. I don't think there's any danger at all here." Caly nodded and joined her mother, and after a few more seconds, Aric and Maura joined them.
"Seems odd to be here," Aric said checking out the ceilings and the rubble. Maura nodded in agreement, holstering her sidearm.
"The eerie quiet is..." Maura stopped when she heard footsteps, and immediately they stood in a triangle, Caly in the middle, weapons drawn.
"Mom..." She could see why people were afraid of Miriah, she looked very scary with one foot forward, the huge blaster glowing, pointing in the direction of the sounds.
"Shh, Caly, everything will be fine," her mother whispered, and turned back to see the far door flung open and several men run in. When the group saw who they were approaching, they fell on their knees.
"Empress!" Indo Zal lifted his head, his wide smile fixed.
"Don't call me that," Miriah growled, and motioned for them to rise.
"We didn't know you were coming here, I'd have organized a warm welcome," Indo said.
"I came to announce a leader here, and here she is," Miriah responded, seeing Senya hurrying in their direction. "I expect you to be of great value to her."
"I will, indeed," Indo replied, greeting Senya with a hug. "I can't believe you've lived through all of this."
"Sometimes, I can't believe it either," Senya replied. They chatted, and Miriah realized that they had worked together in the past, and knew she'd made the right decision. She was still thinking about this when Senya caught her attention. "What's the first thing you'd like done, Commander?"
Miriah looked around her. "I'd like this throne removed and destroyed." The others nodded in agreement, it had been the focal point of a lot of hate and fear.
"I will have it dismantled by nightfall," Indo promised, and he and his group went to find others.
Corso watched the holo of Miriah announcing to the galaxy that Senya Tirall would be her representative on Zakuul, and the quickly gathered crowd cheered. See, he told himself, she's just fine. Caly looks great, and Aric looks relaxed, so they're safe. He crossed to the kitchen, where Devin and Mia worked on dinner.
"They should be heading home soon," Devin said, and Corso nodded. "How are you doing, Dad?"
"I'm just fine," he said. "I rested this afternoon and I've been taking things easy." He sat at the small table. "I always feel better when your mom is home, but she'll be here before morning." They ate and talked, and when they left, Corso went to the sofa and turned the holo on, clicking past feeds and finding nothing interesting, then turned it off. He sighed, and closed his eyes, wishing time would pass faster.
Miriah turned to Senya for a last hug. "Let Lana know any supply issues, and me know if you need anything."
"I still have some friends around, I'll be fine. Thank you, again, for this." Senya waved them off, and Miriah took the yolk, nosing the freighter up and out of Zakuul's atmosphere. Aric took over once they were on the way to the hyperlane, and Miriah went to her quarters, pulling out her holo and hitting the first saved frequency.
Corso heard the chiming but was a little disoriented when he sat up, finally reaching to the holo to receive the call. "Hey, sugar," Miriah said, and he felt the warmth of seeing her wash over him.
"Hey darlin', you looked great on the holo," he told her. "Are you on the way back?"
"We are, about to enter the lane so I wanted to call," she replied. "Are you feeling okay? Did you eat? See Mags earlier?"
"I did, all those things, and I feel better today than yesterday," he told her, and saw her relax. "Did you get some rest on the flight?" They talked about their day, and when she signed off, he went to change into sleep clothes and go to bed, his thoughts never far from her, until he slept again.
Caly was asleep when Miriah came back into the lounge, where Aric and Maura sat with drinks and snacks. They offered both to her, and she took the wine and sat across from them. "Corso looks good today," she said.
"I'm so glad he's feeling better," Aric said. "I don't mind medcenters, but I know he was tired of the hard bed and the food, and generally everything about it."
"Have you and Caly talked about Torian?" Maura asked, pushing food toward her sister.
"We have, but I have to say there's a very strong connection between them. If there's anything I know, it's that connections are rare. I know it might sound crazy, but I'm actually rooting for them, provided they wait several more years."
"Torian is a good kid, and with his background, I know he'll honor and respect her," Aric said. "I remember when you first brought her into the Oricon camp, dehydrated and dirty. She wasn't born by you and Corso, but she has the best qualities of you both. She'll be fine." Aric had always been fond of his niece, and had enjoyed her as a toddler, following him around the office.
"Mom is worried about it," Maura said. "She doesn't want anything to happen on her watch."
Miriah sighed. "I'll talk to her when we get back," she said.
They landed very early morning, and after shutting the ship down and silently making their way through the hangar, Miriah hugged them and set off for the apartment. She tried to be as quiet as possible, wanting to let Corso rest. She changed her clothes in the refresher and slipped under the covers. Corso rolled to face her, gathering her in his arms. "So glad you're home," he whispered, his fingers in her hair pulling her to him for a kiss. Miriah felt the familiar tug of passion, but didn't want to rush his recovery, and after the long, soul deep kiss, she pulled her face away.
"Go back to sleep, sugar," she murmured, but he pulled her close again.
"I've just spent what feels like a lifetime without you in my arms," he told her. "I need you, darlin', so much." He bent to nuzzle her neck, and she felt her resolve weakening. "We'll go slow, and if I feel anything not normal, I promise to stop and let you know." She nodded, and he quickly disposed of clothing, both his and hers. They took their time, and when they finally slept, Corso knew he was back. He held her, she held him, and they both rested.
Caly had walked across the courtyard with Aric and Maura, but they left her at the entrance to the apartment building. She hesitated, and instead of going inside, she waited until they disappeared to go back into the outdoor area outside the mess hall. The sky was already becoming lighter, and she knew it wasn't long before dawn. She begged a cup of caffa from the early workers and settled on the bench, not tired since she'd slept so much on the flight home. It was interesting, she had to admit, to have seen Zakuul. It was even more interesting to see how much respect everyone had for her mom. She was thinking about how much Miriah had done and still had to do when she realized there was a company doing early morning exercise down the way. She absently watched them, sipping the hot caffa, when one of them stripped off his shirt to do push ups. She strained her eyes to see, and when she recognized Torain, she took a large sip and burned her tongue. Damn, she thought, but she never averted her eyes. Maybe I should be up this early from now on. She watched until they moved down the valley, her body feeling things she'd never felt before and her heart full.
