A/N: Hi guys! So sorry for the long wait, I've been picking this up and putting it down over and over. I knew what needed to happen in the chapter, but the muse was very stubborn and it was hard to pound out the in between details to fill out the chapter. I also didn't mean to bounce around so much, but it felt necessary.

Why does tragedy exist?

Because you are full of rage.

Why are you full of rage?

Because you are full of grief.

Kieran's POV

Kessel

After arriving on Star Home, Allana's lead guard informed me she was not on board. I was infuriated by such, and demanded her location and reason for being absent. She knew damn well we were supposed to engage the Huttese in a surprise bombardment, and her absence threatened to completely ruin our strategic advantage. Jet informed me she had left nearly a day ago and not returned, but had been instructed not to go after her and had not been told where she was intending to go, only that she would return that night. Which obviously she had not.

I called Caedus, who also seemed annoyed, but casually mentioned wanting her to fetch something on Kessel that was important. How irritating these two were. Trivial bullshit. Now I'd have to go to Kessel and rescue her from whatever nonsense she'd gotten wrapped up in, and hustle back here before the Huttese noticed something was amiss. I immediately set out with the fastest starfighter they had and arrived on Kessel promptly.

A brief scan of the outlying areas on Kessel revealed her craft, unoccupied. She'd be somewhere in the vicinity, I could feel her Force signature. At least she hadn't died, that would've been even more irritating, but honestly less troublesome. I didn't know what the hell she had thought coming here alone, the dark side was powerful here, there was no telling what kind of arcane magic was lingering. This was not a naturally occurring nexus or convergence, the dark energy here was so potent from so many imbued objects.

I secured a mask to my face for oxygen and approached her craft. Because this area was so infrequently disturbed, I was lucky to find a clear set of tracks. She might not be so hard to find after all. It was deathly quiet, not a creature in sight or any indication of one. I followed her tracks to a mausoleum of some kind, oddly it appeared to be sealed. It didn't take much effort to open it with the Force, though.

Once the stone door was moved away, the antechamber was revealed. Empty hollows lined the walls, bones littered the floor, and a staircase that went below. Her footprints in the dust on the floor continued down, so I followed. The room was pitch black, I activated my saber to see. It was a stark room, not much to see. Ahead was a coffin with fallen candelabras on the floor near it. I could make out some kind of figure atop the lid.

As I drew closer, I realized it was Allana that laid neatly atop it, hands folded over her torso as though she were dead. The energy of the room was very strange, she had definitely stumbled into something. I shook her and called her name, no response. She was pale and breathing shallow. Maybe she unwittingly became the victim of an old spell to ward off intruders. I sighed, annoyed. I would have to carry her out.

I gently lifted her head with one arm under her neck and swooped the other under her knees. It wasn't enjoyable, but she wasn't absurdly heavy either. I begrudgingly carried the twit back to her own vessel, as it was larger to accommodate her unconscious body as I would have to pilot us back. Once back aboard the Star Home, Jet had her discreetly moved to the royal quarters and had med droids assess her. Jet asked for details, but I told her the truth of it, I had no idea what had happened to her before I found her.

Aida's POV

Lothal

We found a series of small speeder bikes in the absence of the airspeeder we'd come in. Callan quietly dreaded the indication that someone had gone into the temple after us. But, I reminded him the unattended bikes meant they must've been swallowed up inside when the temple collapsed, and the lack of airspeeder suggests that someone, probably Islene, escaped. His demeanor was still very fretful, he was exceedingly concerned for Islene's wellbeing. Cearu seemed puzzled by this, but didn't remark on it.

We took off back to the outpost, the most logical place Islene would've went, because it was the only place she knew here. Callan wanted to stop before we reached line of sight to evaluate if there was a threat at the outpost. We stopped a way out and utilized some electrobinoculars we found in the sack on the speeder bike. "Aren't those Hutt cartel soldiers?" Callan offered them to Cearu, who'd traveled much more extensively than us. "Yes, they are. I don't know why they're here though." She seemed puzzled, handing it to me.

There were 4 of them milling around Jho's. That didn't bode well. What would the Hutt want with Islene? "We need to get closer and figure out what's going on. I bet we can trick one of those guards, they seem like easy targets." I suggested. Callan slinked toward cover on the edge of town, Cearu and Johun followed without question. I trailed behind them, I had a bad feeling about this and I tried to shake it. As we closed in, a small repair droid, likely from Jho's shop, appeared from the shadows. It spoke urgently to Cearu, then sped off back toward the shop. Cearu gestured to follow.

The droid showed us a way to sneak past the guards, and led us into a prepped ship. Callan went back for a guard and mind tricked him into going with us. Once the hatch was closed and Cearu in the pilot's seat, she revealed the droid knew. "It says that Jho was killed in an altercation trying to conceal the girl and was ordered to help her escape. It didn't know there were also mercenaries here looking for her, and one was in the garage when it led her in. The man knocked her out and took her. Since it's last command was to save the girl, it was wandering looking and waiting for you two to come back for her, and send you after her."

Callan's face flickered with anger, before he hid it again under his neutral mask. "You're feeling helpful. Where is the prisoner they took? Why did they want her?" The guy pleasantly answered, "They took her back to Nal Hutta to give to the Hapian Queen Mother as a gift. Apparently she was a Hapan fugitive, I assume that's why they wanted her." Cearu looked puzzled, she'd missed a lot, but then so had we. Callan and I had a good idea what this was about, but why did the Hutts even know about our altercation outside Jabiim? Why was capturing us important?

I worried over potential interaction with Sofi. Er. Allana. Wasn't Kieran supposed to be with her? Dad mentioned that Cearu had gone off to meet Jaina when Cearu was killed. That's why he left to go search for Jaina himself. There were a lot of gaps in our knowledge, and it felt as though it might be to our peril. There was some commotion as we took off, those Hutt soldiers and several others started firing at us. More mercenaries, I'd bet. Callan stormed off to man the turret, that was probably for the best. I could tell he was upset and frustrated by the situation, and better to let him take that aggression out on those jerks.

"I'm sorry about your friend. I'll help however I can." Johun offered sincerely, placing a hand gently on my shoulder as a gesture of support. "Thank you. I really hope we can get her back. I've got a bad feeling." Cearu spared me a solemn glance, and that didn't improve my confidence. "You know more about what's happened with our family than we do, don't you?" I asked quietly. Her hesitance and unwillingness to meet my eyes confirmed such. "We need to know what we're getting into, now that our paths will seemingly inevitably cross with Allana and Kier." Cearu sighed, still focused on piloting.

"All I know is that Kier got into a huge falling out with Master Rey about Master Ben's past, apparently there are some things they hid from all of us, for good reason. Kier found out from Allana, who found out from some other mysterious third party. He's a Sith, I know that for sure. Allana and Kier have been seduced by this deplorable man, and are now treading a very dark path. Jaina was with them at first, but she defected and asked me to come help her bring Kier home. It didn't go well, obviously. They were much more powerful than we anticipated, and there are more Sith involved. Allana was still in Hapes, she wasn't involved in the battle, but she's aligned with them."

Some things were beginning to make sense, like the formation of the Confederation and why Hapes Consortium was part of it. Had she really turned her back completely on the only family she'd ever known? It was hard to reconcile that. I'd always liked her. But I got the feeling, things were only going to get worse, this was just the beginning of whatever was about to unfold. "The main issue, if Kier is indeed with Allana in Hutt Space and has your friend in possession, is the fact he's willing to kill all of us. He might try to turn you, but don't mistake him, he won't spare you."

It was deeply unsettling to hear that, but there remained the fact there was little I could do about some big issue between Kier and our parents. The smart thing to do here was rescue our friend, and hightail it back to the temple for help. I had questions for Dad myself honestly. I wondered if Kier's defection had to do with what I saw in the World Between Worlds. But if Kier was willing to hurt us, we didn't stand a chance, and I knew that for fact. Callan and I were strong in our own rights, but Kier's skill and training far surpassed our own. I was realizing now why Callan objected and cautioned against this trip, I was foolhardy and overestimated our power.

Now, I could only wonder, were we strong enough to escape this situation and make it home in one piece. Cearu was our trump card though, we couldn't reveal her. "If he is on the ship, you should stay far enough away he doesn't sense you. It's possibly our only advantage that he doesn't know we've brought you back. We should have the soldier send a transmission that he's sending the remaining two prisoners over, they'd be expecting me and Callan. I don't think they have any idea who we actually are or what we're capable of, just that we had escaped from a Hapian engagement and were wanted. We can get to Islene, trick the guards, then escape before anyone realizes. That thing is the size of an entire city, we can cloak our signatures to avoid Allana or Kier's attention. Surely they don't care about petty prisoners."

Cearu seemed very apprehensive about this plan, but acknowledged I was probably right. And there was no way would Callan stay behind anyway, even if he wasn't ready to face it, he was emotionally invested.

Kieran's POV

Star Home

Allana had finally woken, and preparations were nearly complete for the assault. I was anxious to get this over with and not be in her presence any longer than necessary. Jet approached, notifying me that the Hutt soldiers had captured the other two fugitives that were previously mentioned to Allana, and that they were being transferred from a mercenary ship imminently. I couldn't care less, but I was asked to authorize the acceptance of the prisoners until Allana was ready to resume command. Hapian affairs were trivial.

Two hours later, she made her way onto the bridge. Irritating. "The longer we take to engage, we lose our advantage. Let's get this over with." I ground out, itching for the fight. She was in full ceremonial war gear, a harsh yet intricate crown atop her head. Her red hair was braided and wrapped around her like a snake. The metal scaled armor she wore harkened back to her mother's Dathomiri roots. The two rings of the Queen Mother, a huge jet stone embraced in gold, the other an elaborate oval shaped ring of diamonds and gold with a crest in the middle. one on each hand.

Allana glared, but signalled to begin a recorded transmission to the Hutts. "This is Allana Ta'a Chume Djo Solo, Queen Mother of the Hapes Consortium, on behalf of the Confederation. Nothing short of full cooperation will be accepted. You've failed to see the wisdom in joining our ranks, and now you'll suffer the consequences as an example for all to see." The transmission recording ended, and she nodded to send it to them. "Do not await a reply, launch the attack." Her face was cold as stone, I respected the ruthlessness.

I turned to stalk off the bridge and take a starfighter, but she addressed me next. "Do you intend to command as a pilot?" I half turned briefly, "Yes, I do." I turned away again and as the door opened, she replied. "I'll have a special unit waiting for you. A new model. Better equipped for someone of your skills." She said evenly. I nodded, and the door shut behind me. There was something prickling at the edges of my awareness, something familiar. It inflamed me further, though I tried to shake it off. My patience was worn thin, I focused my mind on the task ahead. I was more than ready for the reprieve of unadulterated brutality and violence.

Callan's POV

Star Home

Aida wasn't kidding, this 'ship' was bigger than most cities. I was anxious, but trying not to fidget as we allowed them to lead us into the bowels of the place. Hopefully to the prison cells where Islene would be. I could feel that she was here, she was alive, so I was relieved in that sense. But it was hard to feel calm knowing we'd injected ourselves into one of the worst possible places to be in perhaps the known galaxy at the moment. If one thing went wrong, we could all end up dead. And I was having a tough time with that thought. I felt immeasurably guilty that Islene was here because of us and our failure to protect her. My failure.

We heard the announcement to battle stations as they hoisted us up out of the pod we arrived in. The ship was clearly in the midst of battle now, people running this way and that, they paid no mind to us as we were escorted through passageways and into lifts. We could hear distant booms and vague rattling, the battle was very close at hand. We passed viewports occasionally, starfighters roaring by engaging in calculated firefights. At the last viewport we passed, we observed what appeared to be their enemy's flagship crumbling in on itself in a mess of fire and explosion. The battle only heightened my unease, seeing what skilled killers this fleet possessed, not to mention the fact if the battle didn't conclude soon, it might endanger our escape plan.

We'd very rarely had the opportunity to use mind tricks on people. We were both capable, but lacked in practice. It would be fine, had been Aida's response. We'd also only ever cloaked our Force signatures in practice. And though we couldn't feel each other's right now, we also had much less refined senses than the older students of the Order. Maker, please let us get through this. Finally, we entered the holding area. Aida wasted no time, "You're going to disable the video feed to this floor and help us." The three guards repeated her statement, and the one at the computers cut the feed. Relief.

"You're going to release us from these bindings, and release the other prisoner to us." I added, and two promptly removed our cuffs, the third walking over to a cell at the end of the hall and opening it. "What's happening? Where are you taking me?" I heard Islene demand the guard. As she approached, he removed her cuffs and she stared at him puzzled for a moment, before turning and seeing us. "Callan! Thank the stars, you're alright!" She busted out into a full sprint, launching herself into me. I wasn't expecting that, and I kept telling my stupid brain urgently to grab onto her instead of standing there lamely like a tree.

My cheeks were probably red again, but I didn't care so much this time. I was deeply pleased by her enthusiasm directed at me. I liked the way her body pressed against mine, and the smell of her when I breathed in. I knew I was forgetting myself and needed to regain focus, but how I wished I could linger in that moment a little longer. Aida had been busy ordering the guards around. Apparently to remove all their clothing. We were extremely lucky, the two who led us down here were women, and the cell guard was a man. Clearly, the sexes had different uniforms here, and that would be important to pose as them.

I was still apprehensive. I didn't know much about Hapian culture, but I remembered something about them being a female dominant society. Throughout the galaxy, not much was known about them because they were so purposefully isolated from everyone. Would we know enough to escape notice? We'd hid our lightsabers carefully before coming aboard, and now we were pondering how to hide them in these uniforms but still be able to access them. "Okay, I had the guard instruct me on how to reach the nearest escape pod. Let's get out of here!" Aida opened the door, peering into the hall to see if anyone was coming. "All clear, let's go!"

Aida slipped out into the hall, I followed her, and Islene followed close behind me. We tried our best to look formal, but unconcerned. None of us being military, it didn't come naturally. We came to a junction with a larger, and more populated hallway. My unease heightened again, but we continued on. I felt something in the Force. Something...off. It felt black as space, like a soundless scream of rage and need. Dread pooled in my stomach. Was it Kieran? "Aida." I muttered quietly. "I feel it too. Focus." She replied softly.

I tried to, looking straight ahead, but the strange looks we were attracting were getting harder to ignore. "I think something is wrong." Islene murmured. "Just hurry." I replied. My heart was beating wildly, I could feel the sweat rolling down my neck. "We're close." Aida whispered. "Stop right there." A woman boomed at us from down the intersecting hallway. Oh hell. Aida's eyes met mine nervously. I searched for indication, were we close enough to just run for it? "Your disguise, and your cloaking, aren't very good." A male voice from the opposite hall behind us.

I spun around. Kieran. My heart felt heavy with dread. He'd found us. "Men always walk behind women in Hapian culture. How unfortunate you are so uneducated." His hair was sweaty and matted to him in different spots, as though he'd just returned from battle. I tried not to tremble, pushing Islene behind me. I had to protect her. Would Kieran really hurt us? Even two on one, I wasn't sure we were strong enough to overcome him. "Oh, is this a new girlfriend? You seem awfully protective. Let's take care of that." I heard Islene squeak behind me, and I spun around to find her lifted from the ground grabbing at invisible hands around her throat.

I shook off my utter disbelief and faced Kieran again, reaching out with everything I had to diffuse the energy he was utilizing. With significant strain, I managed to interrupt enough for a few seconds that Islene collapsed to the ground. "Kier, please don't do this, we just want our 're still our brother." Aida pleaded, hoping that maybe if we offered no interference to whatever the hell he was doing, he'd let us go. He said nothing, grabbing his saberstaff hilt from his belt and activating it. I yanked out my lightsaber in response, the sapphire beam singing to life.

"Aida, take her and go!" I yelled at her urgently, knowing in the unsettled pit of my stomach that this was the only chance of any of us making it out alive. I had to stall him. The indecision was clear on her face, but she hesitated for only a second before Force pushing the squad of Hapian women opposite Kier flying down the hall, then using the Force to help lift Islene and make a run for it. "Wrong. You'll all die here." Was he reading my thoughts? His saberstaff was wielded menacingly as he tore after them, I tried to push and deflect him, but he was entirely too strong and brushed off the attacks, not even interested in engaging me.

I felt a ripple against my consciousness, a warning. I saw his hand pull away from the staff and I instinctually braced for the attack, preparing to try to absorb it. My brain was miles ahead of me, trying to work out some way to gain enough ground to escape. I'd absorbed that insanely powerful energy at the temple, and I'd redirected it with almost no effort to the mural, I was confident I could duplicate that scenario at the very least. I obscured my thoughts to keep him from reading my mind, if he was, and he went ahead with his attack- launching an obscene amount of dark energy in a wave toward us as I tried to keep distance from Aida and Islene.

She reached the console to engage the pod, to my relief, and I focused on the brunt of his blast. It felt like my skin was on fire, I grunted under the strain trying to soak it in like I had before. He gave no reprieve, immediately seizing the opportunity to strike out with his staff, and I was barely able to parry. I freed a hand to redirect his own energy at him, and I felt his surprise keenly. He managed to stay standing, fighting against the blast, but I took off at a sprint for the pod. Aida and Islene were already inside, Aida hesitated waiting for me, using a Force bubble to deflect blaster fire from Hapian soldiers approaching from the perpendicular hall.

I was almost to the threshold of the pod when I felt an ethereal, cold hand grab the back of my neck and yank me onto my back on the floor. Kieran was on me in less than a second, his eyes wild with rage and determination, his staff stabbing into my shoulder. I screamed out in pain, awaiting a finishing blow that didn't come. Aida had leapt from the pod with her own emerald saber drawn, forcing Kier to release me and parry her. "Kier! Please! Why are you doing this?" She questioned with the sharp edge of desperation in her tone. "The most merciful thing I can do is kill you." He spat back coldly.

I struggled to get up with my functional arm and scramble into the pod, I stepped in with one foot, then yelled out again when Kier's staff pierced my other calve to the threshold. I thought I might black out from the pain of it when Aida swung wildly again toward his head, forcing him to release me and send me tumbling into the pod. Aida Force pushed wildly and tried to run in after me, her precognition saving her from another sweeping blow by Kieran meant to cleave her in half. But it was milliseconds too slow, leaving a scalding burn from her left hip to right shoulder across her back.

She screamed in pain and effort, flipping around as she fell inside with us, giving every bit she had to steel a bubble over the threshold as I engaged the release and we were launched away from the ship at last. We could see, and feel, Kieran scream in fury before storming off. Inevitably, to a spacecraft to come after us. I activated the beacon on my wrist as we were launched, and saw our ride dump out from hyperspace making a beeline for us. "Cal!" Aida sobbed, fat tears bursting from her eyes as she turned to clutch me tightly. I felt my own tears burning hot trails down my cheeks, still in shock, but starting to become lucid again.

I felt the pain hitting me full force finally, my body beginning to tremble violently from the adrenaline and trauma. I gave in, and cried into her hair, gripping her with equal fervor with my functional arm. Either of us could've died, lost the other. Forever. And that was the most deeply terrifying feeling either of us had ever experienced. We were fools in denial, rushing in so callously with naive notions that we'd find a way and rush back out unscathed despite all risks. We were paying the price this time. I heard the roar of fighters in the distance, and I held my breath. As we docked in the transport, I felt the jump to lightspeed. Safe. We made it.

I pulled Aida's face from my neck and brushed the damp hair away from her face, resting my forehead against hers. "We're okay, we're gonna be okay. We're safe." My voice was shaky, I was cold all over and the trembling was intensifying, presumably from the pain overcoming me. The door to the pod hissed open, and Aida flinched, jumping at the noise. It was Cearu, appraising us with wide, worried eyes. "I shouldn't have let you go alone." Her face was sorrowful, reaching for Aida first, sitting in front of me closest to the door.

She helped her out and hugged her close, but Aida insisted I needed help right away. It was then her worried eyes snapped to mine, and appraised the two violent holes and my clammy, surely now deathly pale, skin. She reached for me and I moved to stand and step down from the pod, but I couldn't feel anything below my waist. Everything started to spin and I felt the sensation of falling, but all was black before impact.

Aida's POV

Somewhere in the Mid Rim

I was thoroughly shaken to the core by our experience on the Hapian royal flagship. I couldn't get over how horrifying Kier was. The anger, the evil, the blackness in his eyes. We'd never lifted a finger or said a word against him. What in the stars had we done to deserve such murderous rage from him? Cearu warned me he would be willing to kill us, but I don't think I had truly understood that he was willing to hunt us down like game animals just for the sake of it. He didn't even attempt to turn us, he just wanted us dead. My mind struggled to even accept that creature as our brother.

Kier had always been a thunder cloud as long as I could remember- mercurial and difficult to understand. But, I'd also known him to be kind, and protective of his family. He was tender to Jaina, even playful with Rene. We were so much younger, it was hard to be close, but he'd give me words of encouragement and help us study sometimes before he ascended. He was brutally honest and rough around the edges, but it was all for a reason in his mind. He'd never been cruel for the sake of it, not that I'd ever seen. And he'd always hated Allana, but now they were allies?

"Oh, you're awake!" I was brought out of my reverie by movement on Islene's cot. "What happened? Did we escape?" She asked groggily, her voice hoarse. I picked up her hand in mine, "You were Force choked and lost consciousness, Callan and I fought off the pursuers and we did escape, though not without further injuries." Islene looked to her left and noticed Callan on the other bed. She gasped and her brows mashed together in worry. "He's going to be okay, right? What happened?" Her voice tense with anxiety.

"Yes, he'll be alright. Cearu is the only healer among us, so she focused the bulk of her energy on healing the worst of his wounds and some on mine. He was pierced by a saber in his shoulder and lower leg, I got a sizable slice across the back. He just needs to rest his body after all that trauma." I replied, realizing how drowsy I was myself. Islene must've seen the weariness in my features, her eyes softened sympathetically. "I'm so sorry you were hurt because of me. Thank you for saving me." She said earnestly, then added, "Please, get some rest, I'll stay up and watch over Callan."

I thought to protest at first, but she was right, I was exhausted, and Callan would want to see her when he woke anyway. I relinquished my seat and took her place on the bed as she rose and took my chair. I watched quietly as she turned the seat toward Callan, laying her head on the edge of the cot and clutching his hand in hers. I smiled softly at the sight, she definitely cared very much for him, and I hoped she'd tell him. With that last thought, I drifted off.

Islene's POV

Somewhere in the Mid Rim

While the twins slept, I called Seara, my double. She filled me in on the brewing tensions at home, namely the pressure from the Confederation. Naboo had always been a staunch supporter of the Republic, and now the Galactic Alliance, but there was great unease about Confederation forces lurking in the sector. She'd been managing things with the guidance of my mother, along with assistance from the Princess of Theeds and Senator of Naboo. She requested I please return quickly, she'd never filled in for me this long and she was becoming significantly more nervous about being exposed. I agreed, it was time to go home.

When I returned to his side, Callan started to twitch, beginning to wake. His warm, hazel eyes finally opened, locking onto mine. "Hey." He said softly, then looked down at my hand holding his. "I'm glad you're finally awake, I'm sorry for being so useless. Aida told me you got hurt badly, I've felt really awful about it." I tried not to tear up, gripping his hand tighter. He scoffed in response, "You're not useless. He's just very powerful, we thought we could escape without him noticing us, but we were wrong. We've taken a lot of risks lately, it was inevitable we'd eventually get hurt."

"But still, you got hurt trying to save me, you had no obligation to. I'm sure they would've eventually negotiated some ransom or something. If you had died… I don't know if I could've ever forgiven myself." I knew my voice was strained, my throat felt tight with emotion. I chanced a look, and his expression was unreadable, some mash of emotions I couldn't sort out. "I guess I'm flattered, that you'd care if I was gone." He said quietly, and I blurted out with indignation immediately, "Of course I would care!" I swallowed harshly and tried to regain my composure, but I knew traitorous tears had escaped.

I blinked rapidly and tried to hide my face to wipe them away, but Callan didn't release my hand, in fact he pulled it to him. I trembled slightly, my heart was pounding loudly and my stomach was fluttering with nerves. I could feel my cheeks burning, and heat across my neck. The way he looked at me then, it was so vulnerable and open. Before, I couldn't be sure if it was just boyish shyness, and I was hesitant to say anything. I knew I felt something for him, something I'd never felt, I was drawn to him inexplicably. I'd hoped he would give me a sign, something to show he felt it too, and in that moment, I realized this was it.

I saw him tense as I leaned in toward him, the matching redness in his cheeks too. I closed my eyes and lightly pressed my lips against his, his head coming up as I pulled back, reluctant to break the contact. He took a haggard breath, and we both were quiet for a moment. I didn't know what to say. I hadn't thought that far. "I like you." I blurted out. "I...I-I like you too, a lot." He sputtered out. And then, we both just laughed. In relief or happiness, I couldn't be sure. His smile was so innocent and sweet, his eyes full of joy at the revelation between us, it made my heart squeeze in my chest. I couldn't remember ever feeling this happy before.

He sat up on the bed, turning to face me as he tossed his legs over the side. I saw the puckered skin on his left calf and right shoulder as he shifted. Though he'd apparently been healed enough to close his wounds and internal damage, he'd still be scarred from it. That made me sad, but I tried not to dwell on it and just enjoy this time. "So how are you? Are you feeling better?" He asked. I'd almost forgotten my own injury until he mentioned it. "My throat still aches a bit, but I think I'm alright." I laced our fingers in our still adjoined hands, and he smiled bashfully again.

Aida was still sleeping soundly, as evident by her deep and even breathing, so I tugged at his hand and suggested we move out into the common area. He released my hand to tighten up his robes and right them, then slipped on his boots that laid on the floor beside his cot and followed me out. In the cockpit, there was a man maybe in his late 20s or 30s with dark curly hair and a beard in robes similar to the style of Callan's and a younger woman seated beside him, maybe early 20s. She turned to face us, she was gorgeous, sky blue skin and eyes that were like molten gold, with iridescent white hair to her waist.

They'd mentioned getting a woman from that temple, but I didn't know who the man was. Maybe someone they met while we were separated? I couldn't be sure. But, I did notice the man was keen on the woman, observing her closely, but she didn't seem aware, or perhaps she was ignoring it. "Oh, you're up. How are you feeling?" The woman addressed Callan, standing and approaching him. He nodded, and I smiled politely. "Nice to meet you, you must be Islene. I'm Cearu. Aida told me you're Queen of Naboo? You must have a strong sense of adventure to have taken off like that." Her eyes twinkled with amusement, she didn't pay any mind to Callan's silence.

"Ah, yes, that's true on both counts." I chuckled, instantly at ease with her. She gave off a very matronly feeling, despite her youth. "And speaking of which, unfortunately my adventure needs to come to a close, my people need me and I must get back." Cearu nodded and leisurely headed back into the cockpit, "I'll update the coordinates and head that way." The man came out to greet us next. "I've briefly made the acquaintance of Callan, you must be Islene. I'm Johun, by the kindness and grace of Aida, I was also saved from the World Between Worlds." He bowed.

He had a very serious, but serene demeanor and warm, kind eyes. His accent was a bit off, but I didn't ask about it. There was a lot about Callan's reality that was incredibly foreign and confusing to me, I supposed I'd get used to it over time. "Pleasure to meet you." He looked between us briefly, then turned and went back to the cockpit where he'd been seated before. Callan wandered over into the main hold that doubled as an improvised common room, poking through some crates and cabinets. I sat on a bench that wrapped around a small table and he joined me a few minutes later with some ration packets.

He looked a little embarrassed, as though it was his fault, it was endearing. I chuckled, "It's okay, I'll live. It's not your fault our ship was stolen." He just shrugged and smiled, biting into a protein pack. "So, who was that guy? It definitely seemed like he knew you, but maybe not in a good way. It left me wondering if they really came after us because of that issue with the Hapian fleet, or something else." His trepidation was visible, and he hesitated to respond. "Well, it's complicated. Something happened between him and my parents, I don't know the details. He took off about 2 months ago and we actually had no idea where he was until Cearu told us."

That didn't exactly answer my question. "So who is he then? A former member of your Order?" Again, he faltered. His eyes met mine, then cast to the floor, then the far wall. "Honestly, I'm not so sure who he is anymore." His eyes came back to mine, the pained look in them made my chest feel tight. "But his name is Kieran. And until then, he'd been my eldest brother." His eyes went to the floor again, and he scoffed sadly. "My own blood, he tried to kill me. And the worst part of all it, is that I don't even know why." I placed my hand on his thigh and squeezed lightly, not knowing what else to do.

"I'm so sorry Callan." I laid my head gently on his shoulder as he took my hand from his thigh and laced his fingers in mine. He laid his head against mine gently and sighed. "It's alright. Our parents should be back at the temple by now, so we'll head there and figure things out after we return you. I wish you could stay with us, but it's probably for the best." His tone was tense and sorrowful still. "I hope everything works out. I wish I could come with you, I'd love to meet your family. But, duty calls and I can't put it off any longer. I'll be thinking of you until I see you again."

He squeezed my hand, "I hope that what you feel now doesn't fade, that you'll be waiting for me. I'll come to you as soon as I can." I pulled my head away to look him in the eyes, brushing some locks from his cheek behind his ear. "You don't need to worry about me, I'm not so fickle. My fondness for you will only grow stronger in the meantime. You just call when you can, and tell me about your adventures so I can be jealous of them, okay?" I smiled, and earned a bashful chuckle in response. The adoration and warmth in his eyes nearly melted me on the spot. "I promise, I will."

Jaina's POV

Dantooine

The day after Anakin's discovery, we all spent time cleaning up around the Enclave after almost two decades of disuse. Anakin was sweet on the younglings, teasing and playing with them as they did the chores they were assigned. Anakin had a great smile, so bright and earnest. His Force signature became more pronounced and clear. I didn't know truly how strong Darth Vader was, but it was becoming apparent Anakin was startlingly strong. There was such powerful light in him, it seemed only natural that the younglings gravitated toward him. At times, I even found myself drawn into his gravity well. He was mischievous, and they really loved that. They were even teaching him little tricks of theirs.

Master Finn was a bit uneasy about it at first, and it made my heart clench a little when Anakin noticed the stern looks and his smile faltered, hurt shimmering in his bright blue eyes. But then Finn reconsidered, seeing it was beneficial. The younglings liked him so much and Finn didn't have to prod at them. Maybe he wasn't so awful after all, and Anakin's relief was visible when Finn gave him an approving nod. Ez had been off with the other two pilots alternating patrols and salvaging what they could of the security systems in case anyone came looking for us here.

Lando wasn't so mobile these days, and had been at the dining table helping prep food while Jannah milled around cleaning and organizing meals. By sunset, things had settled down around the Enclave. The cleaning was done for the main living areas and the main classrooms, and everyone was cycling through washing up for dinner. Anakin stuck by me when the kids weren't around, and Ez didn't love that, but she was being gracious as he tried to adjust to life here. We sat at the counter again as Jannah and Finn worked on dinner with the droids. "So, would you tell me more about your family?" Anakin asked innocently.

I sighed, I knew I'd kind of been avoiding this topic honestly. But, if he was to remain with us, I had to tell him eventually. "Um, well, I'm not sure what all you want to know. The Amidalas-" I nodded pointedly at him to indicate our previous discussion, that people didn't know we were Skywalker descendants, "Include my father, Ben, my mother, Rey, my older brother Kieran, myself, my younger siblings, Rene, Callan, and Aida." Only after I'd said it had I realized, I hadn't really absorbed that Rene was gone. Anakin saw the emotion flicker in my face, and cocked his head to the side in confusion.

"Like I said, things are complicated right now. My parents are the Masters of the Order, along with Finn that you've met. My dad is away right now looking for answers to what happened to my mom. She's frozen in carbonite under the temple right now after a strange and sudden episode of homicidal psychosis. Which is not like her at all, she hates fighting and violence if at all avoidable. Kieran has gotten tied up with some Sith, and we're not sure what to do about it right now. Callan and Aida are twins, apparently they took off a few weeks ago without telling anyone, we don't know where they are. And my other younger brother, the one after me…"

I bit my lip as my skin prickled with gooseflesh, a cold empty feeling sitting like a rock in my stomach. I looked down at my lap swallowing hard, trying not to let emotion get the best of me. Anakin grabbed my hand, intuitively offering support, though he didn't understand. "Well...he was killed while I was away, I wasn't there to save him." I knew the tears were burning trying to escape, and I blinked trying to hold them back. Anakin's expression was solemn, but kind. "Bad things happen, as much as we might want to always be able to protect those we love, we can't always be there. I'm sorry for your loss, but please, don't blame yourself."

I shook my head, clearing away those thoughts. "Anyway, why don't you train with us tomorrow? See if you're any good!" I chuckled. He smiled again, but it faded a bit. "Well, I would need a lightsaber." I ponder on that. He was right of course, and I knew there were some who-knows-how-old sabers in that hidden chamber. But I was reluctant to open it again, nervous what visions might be triggered if I touched other objects there. Would they even work after possibly a hundred years or more of disuse? My eyes fell to the hilt on my left hip.

Would Rene approve of Anakin having his? I wasn't any good at Niman anyway, Anakin could put it to good use and honor yet another fallen member of the Skywalker clan. He was still watching me with curiosity as I unclipped it from my belt and held it out to him. "I want you to have it." I said firmly. He looked at it, then met my eyes, appraising whatever he saw there. But, he took it and rubbed his thumb over the polished metal. "It's Rene's, isn't it?" He asked without looking. "Yes." I answered quietly. "I'll do my best to be worthy of it." His eyes finally met mine again, and he smiled softly.