Sarai knew her time was short. The flimsy veil between the world and the force was growing ever thinner, and while she loved feeling closer to her late husband and son in law, she was not quite ready to let go. Not just yet. She had some wisdom to impart to her family. She sighed, thinking about it. Her girls. Adults, yet still her children. She shifted in the shapeless bed and tried to get comfortable, her very bones aching so badly she felt like crying sometimes. She turned inward, to the force, and felt her body relax, finally slipping into sleep.
Corso had been restless, and had taken care not to wake Miriah, but she was sleeping deeply, oblivious to anything. He smiled, watching her. So many times, she was the one not resting. He figured he could take a few less hours of sleep as long as she was snoozing, and watched her steady breathing, her stillness and closed his eyes. He worried about the interview, and his mother in law, and had sighed loudly when Miriah rolled toward him. Fearing he'd awakened her, he held his breath, but she only settled against him. He saw the threads of silver in her ebony hair, and thought about how much they'd been through together. We're so lucky, he thought, to have each other. He pulled her closer and let his thoughts drift until he fell asleep again.
Caly had been by to see her grandmother the day before, and when Torian rose before dawn, she thought about getting up to go see her again. She knew her mother was caught back into the whirlwind of Odessen, and wanted to be helpful. Torian saw her sit up and was immediately at her side. "What's wrong, my love?"
"I was thinking of going to see Nana, but maybe it's too early," she replied, and Torian took her in his arms.
"It is, the med center won't allow visitors for another few hours." He kissed her gently. "I know you're concerned."
"I am, but no need to get up, I guess."
"Sleep, love. I'll have an early day, we can go out and enjoy the afternoon." She smiled at him, and got another kiss before he left. Feeling loved, she lay back down and was soon dreaming of him. She was sleeping so deeply, she didn't hear the knocking on her door until it was accompanied by the chime. Startled, she jumped up and ran to open it, wondering if her Nana had taken a turn for the worse. Instead, she saw Coleen with a sleeping Caitlin on her shoulder.
"What's wrong," Caly asked, pushing her mussed hair out of her face.
"Caly, I'm sorry I woke you but I need your help." Absently, Caly reached for the baby, but Coleen strode past her to the sofa, laying the sleeping child down gently. "No, not with Caitlin. With Ty," she explained.
"Who?" Caly frowned, then remembered that Torian had told her about one of the Mandalorians having a major crush on her cousin. "Oh, now I remember. What about him?"
"He's asked me to marry him, and I'm scared." Caly could see from the dark smudges under her cousin's eyes that she'd been likely losing sleep over this, and sat beside her.
"You know I'm going to tell you to follow your heart on this," Caly said softly.
"What about the culture? The families? I know only what we learned from Akaavi, so long ago that I barely remember the language."
"Lucky you," Caly sighed. "I missed all those lessons. But, Col, the Mandalorian culture is all about families, raising strong warriors, remaining loyal and true in marriage. Pretty much what we were all raised with." Caly gazed at the baby and smiled. "If he's pledging himself to you, he means it."
Coleen sighed and put her face in her hands. "I'm just so scared. Love hasn't worked out for me so far, and I don't want someone in my life, in our lives, that won't stick."
"I know, but you've handled things well, Coleen. I'm proud of you for standing your ground, doing what you had to do, and moving forward."
Coleen gave her cousin a rueful grin. "Look at you, so mature and together. At your age, I was partying at university, wasting time and money. You remind me so much of Aunt Mir, all the time." Caly was pleased by that and blushed. She could see a relaxing of Coleen's muscles and wondered how long she'd been up.
"Go to the guest room, there you can rest and Caitlin can sleep there, too. The bed's against the wall on one side so she can't roll off." Coleen hugged her then, and Caly could feel how frail she was under the too big clothing. Once they were settled, Caly looked at the clock. She could sleep more, she realized, and relaxed into her pillow, hoping that her cousin could get some much needed sleep.
Miriah marched into her office, fresh and ready. She'd reminded the guard of her interview, and she'd only just mentioned it when Aric came in, telling her he'd already swept the room for any listening devices. Lana had only told her yesterday that they'd sent away two spies for the Empire just last week, "with extreme prejudice," she'd said.
"Never can be too careful," Aric said, and then sat. "But this guy, Alec Ranin, he seems okay. He was really excited to see Odessen, he had that look on his face that Corso gets when he's outside on the ranch." Corso grinned, and knew exactly what Aric meant. "I'll go get him in a few minutes."
"No rush," Miriah said, smiling. Corso stood and began to massage her shoulders, and she closed her eyes. Aric jumped up.
"I'll take this as my cue to leave," he laughed. "Conference room in thirty?"
"Yeah, that's good," Miriah said, her tone denoting her enjoyment of Corso's hands on her. She lay her head on her desk, and Corso heard her groan when his thumb dug into one of the knots on her back. After a few minutes, she raised her hand and took one of his hands in hers. "You didn't sleep well," she told him.
"How did you.. I mean, what makes you say that?" he asked.
"Your eyes. I can always tell when you're tired," she told him, pulling his collar until she could kiss him. He held her in his arms and they spent several minutes together, kissing and murmuring sweet words.
"I was just worried about today," he finally said, and she nodded.
"Me, too."
Alec Ranin woke to threads of sunlight flirting around the edges of the curtains, and stretched his limbs. He had slept better in this cantina room than he had in months, and felt at peace. He made his way into the shower, and then to the mess hall after dressing. It's amazing, he thought, watching all the people gather food and then interact with each other. This is free for anyone, he'd been told, and he could see no cashiers anywhere. He stood in line, listening to the conversations around him. A couple planning for their evening in front of him, a couple of soldiers behind him in uniform, short hair and military bearing marking them even if they'd been out of uniform. Everywhere, people were courteous and happy. Once at the food, he'd taken several items, almost overwhelmed by the choices, and made his way to a table. He'd only just set his tray down when Aric Jorgan sat across from him, two mugs of caf in his hands. Silently, he put one down beside Alex's tray, gaining a grateful grin. "So much to see, I missed the most important part."
Aric laughed. "Indeed you did. This is the heartbeat of the base. Everyone comes in at least once a day. Some more. The amount of food cooked every day is staggering, but the staff do an excellent job."
"I can certainly see how your military attracts and keeps so many recruits," Alex commented between bites of succulent bantha bacon and light, fluffy eggs. Aric waited patiently for him to finish, sipping his caf. Many stopped to say hello, and Aric knew every one by name. Alex finally could eat no more, and stood to take his tray to the conveyor that would take it to the dishwashing area, almost looking sad to see it go. Behind him, Aric picked up a tray of beverages and a bag that smelled warm and sweet.
"Ready?" he asked, and Alex nodded. Together they made their way through the secure checkpoint and into the main base. Alex stopped and stared. He'd been into some elite military areas, but this was phenomenal. Aric stepped ahead and turned. "No peeking," he said, and smiled. Alex followed him up some stairs to a room that had opaque windows and a set of heavy metal double doors. Aric swung one open and motioned for Alex to enter.
Miriah had been sitting only a few minutes when she saw Aric open the door. She stood, and felt Corso close at her side. He's always vigilant these days, she thought, and plastered a smile on her face. "Welcome," she said, and put out her hand. The reporter shook it reverently, and his relaxed attitude made Miriah feel more confident.
"Commander, this is an amazing place," he said, his voice soothing. "I have never seen anything like it."
"We are unique," she admitted, and motioned him to sit. They chatted for a few minutes, and Miriah sipped the cocoa that Aric had brought her. The techs from downstairs had the equipment ready, and Miriah took a deep breath.
"Welcome back to Republic News Network. I'm Alec Ranin, and I'm here today with the Commander of the Eternal Alliance, Miriah Riggs." From that point on, Miriah heard nothing but the questions, and answered as she'd rehearsed. When the light were off, she felt relief flood her, and realized she had been so tense she hadn't even really processed the interview. She was so lost in herself, she jumped when the report touched her hand. Corso was there in an instant, and she turned her face to him to smile.
"I have a request," the reporter said, and she remembered his name was Alec.
"Of course," she replied, and felt herself focus again.
"I'd love to have the opportunity to stay on Odessen a few days," he said softly, and Miriah felt herself tense. "No interviews, no broadcasts. Just a relaxing few days. I admit, I haven't felt a peace anywhere in the galaxy like I've felt since I landed here." Miriah saw in his eyes that he was sincere, but she was wary.
"I will permit that. However, I do warn you, if you go back and report things that never happened, I will find you." She didn't raise her voice nor really change her intonation, but Alec had no doubt he would be in dire circumstances if he were to break his word.
"I promise," he said, and Miriah stood, nodding at him. At once, she was surrounded by her detail, and when they had all filed outside, only Alec and Aric remained. Aric took his datapad from his pocket and grinned.
"You've been invited to the Commander's home for dinner. I'll come and get you through security, but until six this evening, you're free to go anywhere on the main base," he told the reporter, seeing his eyes light up at the prospect of being here. They walked together to the elevator and Aric left him gazing around the courtyard in wonder.
Coleen had been searching for her mother and few stolen minutes since the day before, so she felt like she'd won a prize when she saw Maura across the war room. She hurried over to her and got a hug, and then pulled Maura into the cantina. "What's up, hon?" Maura asked.
"I just really need to talk to you." Coleen explained how things evolved with Ty, and the most recent events, and when she sat back, taking a sip of her tea, she watched Maura's face.
"Coleen, I had no idea you'd been so involved," Maura said, taking her daughter's hand. "It sounds like you have a solid foundation for a relationship, so I'm not sure why you're so hesitant." Coleen blushed and lowered her head, but Maura gently lifted her chin so that their eyes met. "You are a beautiful, confident woman, at least you were until Coruscant. No one here will judge you but yourself. Trust your heart, my child. If you want to be with Ty, no one will be upset. Even your father."
"I really want to believe that I can make a good choice," Coleen said.
"My opinion? If I were your age, I'd be all in. I was, from the first with your dad. Even though we had a rough professional start, there was always chemistry between us." Maura smiled, thinking of the brash, superior Cathar who had commanded her on sight, then their reversal of roles, and how he'd fought his training to be with her. "I'll support you whatever you decide." Coleen shot up from her seat and hugged her mother, her inner turmoil gone.
Corso brought the meat he'd grilled into the apartment, missing the large deck they had on the ranch house, Smoke dancing behind him, hoping for a morsel. The puppy had rapidly grown, and with the force training that Mags had done with him, was house trained and very obedient, following hand signals. Now, Corso wrapped the platter with foil, slipping the sitting pup a morsel of ronto. Miriah laughed at the sight of them, totally relaxed now that she was past the interview. They were kissing in the kitchen when Aric and Alec entered the apartment, and Aric caugth the pheromones in the air. He escorted Alec into the family room and loudly made his way into the kitchen, meeting their grins with one of his own.
Alec looked at the almost sparse furnishings that managed to make the room feel comfortable, and remembered that they'd come here with only what they'd had on their ships, building a home from what they could find. He had secretly admired the Commander, and even more so since he'd been here. He saw the family start to come in, and told himself he needed to be patient. The time to ask for a permanent residence here would come, he just knew it.