Corso stepped to his wife's side, watching as she visibly shook of grief of the last few days. She squared her shoulders and lifted her head, and became the Commander of the Eternal Alliance. It's been like this for days, he thought. The face she shows the planet is light years away from the one I see once she's safely at home. Caly knows, he realized, and remembered their dinner of Miriah's favorite dishes the evening before. He walked beside her, her hand in his, and hoped that today they could find a balance for her, for all of the sisters. He felt determined to make that happen.

Lana laughed out loud as their son kicked out at Nico's hand. "He's awake and ready to play," she murmured, stretching her arms over her head. She had snuggled with Tali this morning before she skipped off to school with Nico, and he'd returned to snuggle with her. "I really need to get up and ready," she said. "But I'm really comfortable."

"I'm sure the Commander would be fine with a day off," Nico said, looking into her eyes.

"She would, but with all that's happened, I'd not be fine with it," Lana admitted, and Nico saw the flash of sadness in her eyes. "The memorial is this afternoon, at the temple. Maybe after that."

"I'm going to hold you to that," Nico said, pushing his worries about her and their baby's health aside for a moment, knowing that she would be cautious. He helped her up, her balance a little precarious lately, and pulled her into the shower, their kisses promises for later.

Aric had breakfast waiting when Maura listlessly made her way into the kitchen. "Sit, eat, hon," he told her, kissing her forehead. He noted that she was in her robe, and knew she'd taken herself off the duty roster for the week. It worried him, the pale face and long silences. As far as he knew, she wasn't really talking to anyone, and that in itself was a departure from normalcy for Maura. He sat across from her, putting a mug of caf beside her plate. After several minutes where she only stared at the table, he spoke. "Maura, I love you. And because I do love you, I'm worried about you."

"I'm fine," she said, but shook her head. "No, I'm really not. But there's nothing that can be done but go forward. I miss Mom every day, there's this hollow place inside me, and right now, it just hurts too much to do anything else but be still."

Aric was on his feet at once, kneeling beside her chair. He took her in his arms and felt her tears. "Oh, my love, I know you're feeling lost. I'm here, always, for whatever you need," he murmured to her, holding her close. He knew she felt left out with the whole force thing, and when he stood, after his knees could no longer bear being on the hard floor, she stood with him.

"I love you, too, Aric. I just want to get through the day, that's my only goal today." He stood with her in his arms and when she finally broke to go to the shower, he messaged Corso.

Corso felt his datapad vibrate and discreetly pulled it from his pocket. Miriah was on a call with some of the planets near Empire space, listening to their reports of increased traffic and bold incursions against their ships. Aric's message told him that they'd see each other at the temple, and he figured that was a good plan. Hearing the exchanges on the holo, he felt a pang of dread. Things are nearing a war, he thought, and Mir will need to lead the forces. He sighed but knew this to be true. Seeing her calm the leaders of other planets was not new, but her posture, her body language, told him that she was not ready for combat. I'm not either, he told himself. He sent Aric a message that they all needed to start preparing, and got an affirmative response. That settled, he saw Miriah stand as the calls winked out, and she turned to look at him.

"Let's go home," she said. "I'd like to change and take a few minutes before the service." Smiling at her, he took her hand in the crook of his arm and they made their way out, waving to Lana as they went out into the hallway.

Lana glanced at the giant chrono in the war room and sighed. She'd gotten most of the items on her list done, and was heading to get Tali from school. The little girl insisted on going to Master Sarai's service, and had cried last night when she wasn't sure if she'd be allowed. Nico would meet them there. He'd been spending his days as Hylo's assistant, taking over the requests made from their crews and sellers while she negotiated with suppliers. They worked well together, and Lana was grateful that he was only down in the hangar to work. She waited at the gate of the school, her hand on her back. This little guy doesn't feel so little anymore, she thought, but it made her smile. Tali was released and she made her way to her mother, and Lana saw the solemn face. "Tali, honey, everything okay?" she asked gently.

"Yeah. Just sad. I'm supposed to be sad, right?" she asked, her little face upturned to Lana's.

"It is sad that Master Sarai is gone, but she left so much love in the force, remember?" Tali nodded pensively. "And she left the Commander, and Master Magdalane, and I know you love learning about healing."

"I do," Tali said, taking Lana's hand as they started toward the secure area checkpoint.

"And Colonel Maura, who helps keep us safe. They're all Master Sarai's legacy." Tali was quiet while they made their way home, and once inside the apartment, Lana sank onto the sofa for brief rest. She had closed her eyes when Tali sat down beside her, her small hand going to where her brother lay.

"I will miss her," Tali said softly, and Lana leaned over to kiss her daughter's cheek.

"I will, too." Lana felt Tali lean against her side, and closed her eyes.

Miriah had gone straight to her large tub once they'd gotten home, and Corso found her there, the steam rising from the fragrant water and her head resting on a rolled towel. He had brought her a glass of red wine, hoping it might mellow the grief she had lived with since Sarai's passing. The love in the force had dissipated over two days, and left those behind with the sharp edges of loss. "Here," he told her, and Miriah opened her eyes, reaching for the glass.

"Thank you, sugar," she told him, taking a large sip. He sat beside her and sighed. "I probably need to get ready and grab a snack, but this is so good." He started to stand, but her hand on his arm stopped him. "You stay right here, you don't need to wait on me." Her words were tempered by the smile on her face, one of the few genuine ones he'd seen lately.

"I like knowing that you depend on me for things," he joked, and she laughed softly.

"I need you, for so much besides all the food and drink you make sure that I have," she told him, taking another sip of wine. He leaned over to kiss her, tasting the sweet grapes on her lips.

"I know, and I need you, too," he told her. She pulled herself out of the water and Corso draped a fluffy towel around her. She pulled a long sleeved black gown from the closet, and Corso realized she must have ordered it, as he'd never seen it before. She pulled it on over her underthings and left her hair up, and once she added her moonstone necklace and earrings, she proclaimed herself ready. He had pulled on his formal suit, and followed her into the kitchen. They put together sandwiches with the freshly baked bread Caly had made, and sat in contented silence at the small kitchen table.

Magdalane had worked until she collapsed in exhaustion every evening, and slept until she couldn't ignore the needs of her body, then started over. She could feel her mother's joy at being reunited with her father, and though she missed Sarai with an ache that nothing could ease, she knew that things were as they were meant to be. She had signed out of the clinic and made her way to the apartment, and was struck again at so many of her mother's favorite things, still in their places. She picked up the soft throw from the sofa and brought it to her nose, inhaling the scent of her mother's favorite lotion. The sensory pleasure made her smile, and she sat heavily. What do I do now, she wondered. I moved from where I was happy with Felix, to this place, to be with Mom. Where do I fit? She stood and moved on wooden legs to her room, and pulled black robes from her closet, last worn to put her husband in his grave. She fingered the nubby texture of the fabric, and briefly thought of burning them later, hoping to not need to wear them again. She almost laughed out loud at that, because she could feel the growing darkness as much as any force user, and knew that Miriah was already planning defensive and offensive strategies. Dressing quickly, she made her way to her youngest sister, ready to offer anything she could do to help.

Miriah and Corso were exiting the apartment just as Mags approached, and she joined them in the detail, their formal uniforms adding more dignity than usual to their bearing. She could see Maura and Aric at the front of the detail, their black armor almost glittering in the overhead lighting. The war room fell silent as they made their way through, most of the personnel there standing as they passed as a show of respect. Mags felt Miriah's step falter, and took her arm as they waited for the elevator. They passed through the courtyard, which held few people, something that Mags noted as unusual. Even the weather seemed to pick up on the solemn mood, the clouds covering the sun and making the afternoon dark. They reached the temple door and the detail split to the sides, and Aric and Maura met them. "Everything is ready," Aric said. "We'll go to the front of the benches."

The first thing that Miriah noticed was the flowers. They were everywhere, bouquets of roses and lillies, with candles glowing in the darkened room. She grasped Corso's hand tighter and let him guide her up the middle aisle and into the seating. Devin and Mia were right behind them, and Devin reached to touch her shoulder. She smiled in return, and felt Corso's lips brush her temple. Across the way, she saw Lana and her family, and Tali's little wave. She was brought from looking at everyone by the oldest remaining Jedi, who would start the memorial.

Magdalane sat between Miriah and Maura, and felt herself drifting, listening to the Jedi priest. She knew she'd be expected to say a few words, but hadn't prepared them. She was trying to pay attention when she felt eyes on her and used the force to see Theron, his gaze trained on her. She'd pushed that hug far back into her mind, refusing to examine it for days now, but just seeing him brought it back with a vengeance. It was just the loss, she told herself. We were both vulnerable, and needed the comfort of physical contact. Yes, she decided. That was it. She refocused on the service, and when Miriah stood, she and Maura joined her.

Once the stories and reminisces had been shared, and the large mass of people had left the temple, Miriah felt hollowed out, and leaned heavily on Corso. He could feel her shaking, and they had arranged to have everyone back at their place, which made him almost reconsider that. Taking a deep breath, Miriah drew herself up, back into Commander mode, and made her way across the courtyard and into the secure area. Once home, they saw that Caly must have slipped out early to set out the food she'd prepared, and everything was ready. Miriah was settled in the corner of the sofa when Maura sank down beside her, stripped down to cortosis undergear. "Love you, Mo," Miriah told her, and Maura slid down to put her head on Miriah's shoulder.

"I love you, too, Mir. I miss her, though."

"I do, too. It was a nice service, and she would have loved the flowers." Miriah smiled up at Caly as she put a full plate of food on her mother's lap. "Thanks, sweetie. You did a beautiful job."

"I made all of Nana's favorites, and it was as if she were guiding me," Caly said, and Miriah smiled at her daughter.

"She probably was." Miriah saw Aric and Corso in a deep discussion near the kitchen and wondered what they were doing. Maura followed her line of vision.

"Solving all the problems, they are," she said, and Mags joined in.

"Or wondering when they can get back to Rishi," she added, making her sisters laugh.

"That was a spectacular trip," Maura said. "I'd love to go again."

"Yes, that would be amazing," Miriah murmured, "but I have a feeling things on the war front are developing more quickly than we imagined they would. I've been in calls for the past couple of days that are disturbing, to say the least."

"I felt as much," Mags admitted. "Let's not lose this feeling of connection. I need you two, every day." The sisters held hands then, and felt Sarai's presence surround them, giving them comfort.

Theron left the temple and wandered the base, thinking of all the times Sarai had fed him, hugged him, made him realize he had a place in this world. He wondered how many losses he would have to endure. His mother, his wife. He thought of how Mags had looked at the service, and wondered if the hug they'd shared was just a fluke, only the thousandth time he'd analyzed it. Seeing her today, though, made his whole body tingle, just as it had outside Sarai's apartment. Well, that makes it harder to forget, he told himself, and wondered how he could feel a loss of someone he hadn't even had.