26.9 APC
Paneau: capital city of Dalon
New Dalon Palace

"...and you're sure they're not coming back?"

As King Verojec Banarecc walked his sister Ri towards the main hangar where her transport back to Coruscant awaited her, he hardly took his gaze off her, drinking in every quiet moment with her he could before another lengthy separation befell them. His Guards politely paced themselves a few steps behind them, seemingly escorting a young Togruta teen between them instead. Thanks to the early morning hour, the halls were mostly vacant, allowing Jec to see Ri off without being accosted by officials and assistants the entire time. He tried to make each second count.

"As sure as I can be," Jec answered with a slight shrug. "Lucidia's pirates were hardly more than hired mercenaries; they had no more allegiance to her than they would to their next employer. Now that she's securely in New Republic custody and is no longer able to pay them, they have no reason to return to Paneau, and in fact they haven't been back since she left with Cordira. The goods that they stole in their raids around Paneau and Salastryn weren't unique or even that valuable. They either sold what they could elsewhere to help fund Lucidia's research, or they used it to sustain the captives they had taken for a few months. They'll move on to the next job, if they haven't already done so. I'm not worried."

Appreciative of his confidence, Ri nodded, continuing to other topics with a smile. "I am so glad to hear about Cordira. After all the planets and sectors that we searched, all the days we spent in hyperspace jumping from lab to lab...it warms my heart to see her home again. I regret that I have to leave before I can tell her that myself, but for now, it was enough to simply see her with my own eyes."

"Hopefully you'll have another chance to return soon," Jec returned lightly. "Our duties are keeping us apart for far too long these days."

Ri arched her eyebrows with a wry grin. "You know Dad kept a second residence on Coruscant. You could visit me for once, dear brother."

"Yes, but you are treated as the Royal that you are here. Coruscant doesn't extend that same courtesy to me. My Guard is far less inconspicuous there on that city-planet, and that doesn't allow them to do their jobs as well as they could."

Ri's grin dissipated into grim concern almost instantly, and she seemed hesitant to speak aloud what had suddenly weighed so heavily on her mind. She briefly glanced back at the two Guards following distantly behind them, returning to him with a cautious tone. "Jec...I think you need to be very mindful of your Guard. I know you hold them in such high regard, but...I'm worried."

Unsure where her apprehension was coming from, he slowed to a stop with her in the hall and faced her directly, struggling to formulate a response. "...my Guard is the reason that I am still alive today, Ri. That woman over there, next to your apprentice...her name is Vosir. She was with me that day, she was standing beside me when the pirates ravaged Dalon and bombed the Estate. Her partner Starrk died instantly in the blast, and she...she alone held a collapsing wall aloft with the Force, keeping it from crushing us both. She is the reason that I am standing here right now. Everything that Cordira Natiyr taught them saved the lives of my wife and my children, too."

"I know," Ri countered with sympathy, though her eyes continued to plead for his consideration. "I still think you should be vigilant. If they were to become too powerful...then they would essentially turn into the very monsters that we fought against Lucidia to prevent."

Despite his low volume to keep their discussion private, he maintained the intensity in his tone. "They're not my personal army of Jedi warriors...they are my protectors. That is all."

The earnest care in her eyes was disarming. "But the rest of the galaxy may not see it that way."

Finally understanding the basis for her concern, Jec felt his shoulders sag with a long, tense breath that left him. If his decision to maintain Verojec's Guard was called into question by even his own sister, a Jedi herself who would understand just how vulnerable the Force-trained guards could be to manipulation or coercion...then perhaps there was merit in the argument against their existence. It was a weighty subject he'd have to take time to fully contemplate, but for the moment, he weakly nodded to her, expressing his concession.

"I just want you to be careful," she added tenderly, gripping his hand at his side. "I know your heart's in the right place, but I can't trust that everyone else's is." Though she began to say more, she decided against it and wrapped her arms around him instead in a warm, tight embrace. He returned it just as emphatically, kissing the top of her head as he had done since they were children.

"I love you, Jec," she whispered, deep emotion causing her voice to falter. "You're all the family I have left."

"Come on, now," he soothed lightheartedly, "you know that's not true. You have a niece and nephew who are going to miss you terribly. You have a former Master and all her friends who would do anything for you. And now you have an apprentice who is going to fight beside you day after day, who couldn't have been assigned to a more generous, more skilled, or more intelligent Master in the galaxy. Some of them may not be blood related, Ri, but they're all here for you just the same."

Stepping back from his embrace, she smiled warmly and vainly brushed away a stray tear as she nodded. As much as he didn't want her to leave, either, he knew her duties to the Jedi Order were far more important.

Jec smiled, too. "Your mom would've been so proud of you."

"Just as Dad would've been proud of you."

Approaching them from the other end of the hall, Commander Saross Wip stepped up to them with two Edgepoint pilots just a stride behind him, all deeply bowing to the two Banareccs in the most respectful manner.

"Your Highness," the commander addressed Jec briefly before turning to Ri. "Princess, your transport is prepped and ready for your return to Coruscant."

"Thank you, Commander."

The three pilots withdrew a short distance to allow the two their final goodbyes, the portion of Ri's short visit that Jec had been dreading the most. She held his gaze a long, quiet moment before she let go of a shaky breath, seeming almost afraid to speak.

"Take care of yourself, Jec."

He grinned to disguise tears that had begun forming in his eyes. "May the Force be with you, Ri."

The exchange elicited a light laugh from her as she shook her head, looking to the silent Togruta teen who had been patiently awaiting his master's call. "Let's go, T'iilo. Our next mission awaits us."

With a similarly respectful bow to Jec, T'iilo quickly joined Ri as she followed the pilots toward the hangar. Jec only watched them a moment before he spoke up, halting them all.

"Commander Wip...a word, please."

Ri was quick to diffuse their concern, though, smiling at the Edgepoint Leader to send him back to Jec without worry. "It's okay, Swip. I know they'll take good care of us."

Looking to his pilots to confirm their orders, Wip bowed to her again as they continued on, and he silently returned to his king's side, his posture formal and rigid. It was such a foreign response from someone Jec knew so well, leading him to believe the commander was suffering undue stress. Jec studied Wip's expression a moment before he spoke, hoping he could help him somehow.

"Walk with me, Commander."

Wip wordlessly obliged, mirroring Jec's pace and stride as they returned to the Palace's main floor, but he kept his hands clasped behind his back and his gaze on the hall ahead of him, forcing Jec to nearly pry it out of him.

"Have you found a replacement for Derek Rys'tihn's spot in your squadron?"

Wip's jaw tensed briefly. "No one could ever really replace Derek, Sire," he returned slowly, determinedly maintaining a calm tone, "...not even me. But, yes...I have selected another pilot to fill the open position. She begins training flights with us next week."

"I'm pleased to hear it."

Jec could appreciate the profound loss Wip had suffered with Derek's death. The career Edgepoint had essentially become an unofficial bodyguard for the Rys'tihns when the children had been quite young, looking after them in their parents' absence. He wasn't replacing just any pilot in his squadron, but a longtime friend he had once sworn an oath to protect. Jec didn't envy the boots this new pilot had to fill.

But something else was still ailing the commander, leaving Jec to wonder...

"...and what about your wife? How is she doing?"

Suddenly outwardly nervous, Wip took in a sharp breath as anxiety commandeered his expression and a tremor shook his voice. "She's, ah...well, she's due any day now, Sire. Sooner, hopefully, rather than later. She's so tired, all the time, and I just...I just worry..."

Jec again slowed his companion to a halt in the hall, surprised by the commander's flurry of words. "Breathe, Saross..."

Wip ran a hand through his blond hair, embarrassed at his uncharacteristic outburst. "I'm sorry, Sire... It's just... Pregnancy at her age is a lot more difficult on everyone involved, occasionally even dangerous. I was worried before, but now that her brother isn't able to assist with the delivery anymore, I don't think I could be more nervous."

"Saross, relax... She's made it this far just fine, right? Both your wife and your daughter will be in good hands at any of the medical centers here in the city when the time comes." Eventually getting a nod of understanding from the commander, Jec smiled, looking beyond the pilot at a woman who was approaching them in the hall. Her long hair was almost platinum, and even without the large, round stomach to give her away, Jec had already recognized her from a distance. "And speaking of your wife," Jec grinned, returning to Wip, "it looks like she's come to visit you."

Wip whirled around instantly, color draining from his face as he saw her, too. He hesitated only a brief moment before he took the last few steps to meet her, gripping her at her shoulders to support her as if he were afraid she would collapse from fatigue at any second.

"Yhren," he breathed, "what are you doing here? You should be resting!"

But she only beamed up at him with a genuine smile. "Mand just contacted me. Saross...she's awake!"

Jec knew well the expression on the commander's face: a deep, unyielding love for the woman who stood before him, but struggling to focus on the topic at hand instead of on her. She was clearly everything to him, despite their past difficulties. They had married more than ten years prior, but because of disagreements over their career paths and how many children they wanted to have, they had spent the majority of their time separated. Yhren had returned to Coruscant for her position with a New Republic law firm, and Wip had been promoted to Edgepoint Leader, leaving either with little time to reconcile. They had reunited, though, at Derek Rys'tihn's funeral on Paneau, and they had been inseparable since. The intense longing in their eyes as they gazed at each other in the Palace hall was nothing short of breathtaking, and Jec could hardly bring himself to interrupt it.

"That's wonderful news, Yhren."

Beaming with excitement, she nodded to Jec. "Isn't it?" She returned to her husband, placing her hands on his chest. "My parents will be here in a few hours. I can't wait to tell them! We should meet them at the Retreat."

But the Commander only remained concerned with her. "Yhren, I don't think it's a good idea for you to leave the city right now, not when you're so close..."

"Rech will be there, Saross," she soothed, undaunted. "He doesn't have to be able to see to help me, if I even need it. It'll be fine."

He seemed swayed by her plea, but still, he couldn't completely give in. "My Edgepoints are expecting a new assignment from me, I need to - "

"I'll inform High Commander Jax myself," Jec interrupted, offering a solution. "He can brief your squadron just as easily. Go on, Commander. You should be with your family."

Though Wip remained mildly reluctant, he smiled genuinely after a few moments, nodding and bowing his thanks to his king. He turned and left with his wife, wrapping an arm around her shoulders to gently support her as they walked. A peaceful calm settled only briefly in the hall as Jec watched them disappear into the Palace hangar, for a handful of Paneau officials had been waiting patiently in the wings and approached the monarch to begin their daily morning reports. It was business as usual for him; he'd have to wait to visit Cordira at a later time.

Rounding the corner into Cordira's room, Ethan took slow steps to allow his eyes time to adjust to the dim light inside. A softly beeping monitor kept track of Cordira's heartbeat, and despite its lengthy pace, the medics didn't seem to be concerned about her. She appeared to be sleeping as he looked on her serene features, but the closer he got to her bedside, the more alert she became, as if roused simply by his presence. The instant their gazes met, the first time he'd looked into the luminous glow of her slate gray eyes in more than a year, he locked his knees for fear of them giving out from under him. He was mesmerized, reveling in memories of the precious nights they'd spent together, the deep, intimate discussions they'd shared, the strong connection they'd forged...

The longer he studied her expression, though, he began to realize that in return she was only showing him regret, fear, anxiety...

"...you look so surprised to see me."

Her breath trembled as it left her, but she didn't look away from him, even as she struggled to respond. Tears were forming in her eyes as she whispered her words. "After everything I did to you... I hurt you..."

Ethan swallowed hard, desperate to keep her from pushing him away. Master Natiyr had warned him that Cordira was being hard on herself, so he tried his patented light humor to alleviate her guilt. "Pallas has hit me harder than that," he gave a soft laugh, making light of her Force-fueled attack on him before Lucidia had abducted her. "On numerous occasions. And she enjoyed it."

But Cordira wasn't pacified, her sorrow deepening instead. "I lied to you... I hid everything from you. That I was Striker, that my health was declining..."

Those two issues had indeed hurt him the most; he couldn't tell her they hadn't. Time had softened his heart for it, though, and he couldn't even imagine having been in her place, knowing he had such a limited amount of life left. "I understand now, Cordira," he soothed softly. "I know why you did it. We were so new, just discovering each other... You were trying to protect me. I don't blame you."

Silent tears fell down her cheeks as she shook her head, her voice weakening with her distress. "How could you possibly forgive me?"

"I can," he returned with gentle strength, delicately lifting her hand into his, "...because I already have."

He could hardly hear her words. "Then I don't deserve it."

Tightening his hand around hers, he smiled warmly. "That's not your decision to make."

Overwhelmed, she turned away from him, prompting him to carefully sit beside her on her bed. He still held her hand in both of his, pleading for her attention. "Cordira...you're the most amazing woman I've ever known. You showed me, and the entirety of Paneau, true selflessness, something that cannot be learned, or done insincerely. You gave of yourself when you knew there was almost nothing left to give. Your example made me want to be a better person...for you...because you gave me sight I didn't know I lacked. Sight to see the galaxy through another's eyes, so I wouldn't live only for myself, but for others. You gave me a son, who filled a void I didn't know I had. Whenever I thought to myself that he was going to be the only part of you that I got back, it broke my heart...but his smile would instantly mend it back together.

"I love you, Cordira. You mean more to me than I can tell you, than I could ever hope to express, and I am begging you, please... Let go of your regret, your guilt... You are a hero of Paneau. No one will ever see you as anything else."

Though she still stared at the opposite wall, she at least seemed to have listened to his words. Her hand trembled in his, her fingers curling around his just the slightest bit as the silence stretched on. He worried that he hadn't yet reached her, unsure if he should continue to plead for her self-absolution...

"So how do they see me?"

Reaching up to her face, he brushed a stray strand of her fire-red hair away from her eyes. "Just as I do: as an intelligent, skilled, generous, loving woman who spared her homeworld further destruction by sacrificing herself. She's the most beautiful thing there is, only because she doesn't think she is."

Cordira slowly turned back to face him, intently studying every minute detail of his features for another long moment. Was she trying to read him, trying to decide if she could believe him by what she could sense from him? He had never poured more truth from his soul in his entire life, never felt a more profound desire for anything than what he felt for her in that moment, but he waited, absolutely breathless, for her response, and as still as she remained, he was almost afraid she wouldn't give him one.

"...did that line work...on the other women you've been with?"

Instantly remembering that same question she had posed to him early in their relationship, his breath left him in relieved, elated laughter, overjoyed that she had in turn resorted to their shared dry humor. He could hardly see through tears that had suddenly formed in his eyes, but he brought her hand up to his lips to kiss it softly. A weak smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, and despite how tired she seemed to have become, she had strength enough for one final question.

"Are you still going to marry me?"

He shook his head, unable to stifle a growing grin. "No. This time, you're going to marry me."

Amused and accepting his offer, she squeezed his hand, maintaining a firm hold as if afraid that he would leave her. In that moment, he couldn't imagine anything in the galaxy taking him from her side...except, of course, a small, chubby little boy who had an infectious laugh.

"I can't wait for you to meet Jake," he told her softly, caressing her cheek as she slowly drifted off to the sleep that he knew she so desperately needed.

"...I think you're going to love him as much as I do."