Carrick Station. Corso had warmed his blaster and it was on safety, securely strapped to his thigh. He glanced over at his wife, and felt a swell of pride. After much fussing and fixing, she and Caly had finally settled on a ponytail for her thick, black hair, and he could see it sway as she walked in front of him. Even sitting high on her head, the ends were past her shoulders, and he wanted to reach out and touch them. He heard the air lock cycle and took his position in front of her, side by side with Aric. Maura and Torian brought up the rear, and as one, they moved down the ramp. Corso spotted Jace Malcom as they hit the floor of the spaceport, and frowned at the troopers standing at attention there. "Mir," he said over his shoulder, "we have an issue here. If I give the word, haul ass back into the ship."
Miriah frowned at him. "What do you mean?" she asked, and peeked between his and Aric's shoulders. "Huh," she muttered, and saw Corso and Aric close ranks as Malcom neared.
"No need for alarm. We just didn't think it prudent for the Commander of the Eternal Alliance to have to walk through the crowds to the meeting. We can take a safer route." He stopped a few feet from them, and Corso felt his hand flex, remembering his last encounter with this man. Today, though, he seemed relaxed and in control of himself, and not for the first time, Corso wished Devin were here with them.
"We'll follow you," Aric said, a silent conversation taking place between he and Corso. With a sharp nod, Malcom turned and Corso felt Miriah sigh. She had been patient on the trip, resting and eating and he thought she was doing well, up until now. Now, he recognized the fraying temper and hoped there would be no further surprises.
Miriah took a deep breath and tried to calm her nerves. This meeting would be one where a lot was asked, both of her and the Alliance, and this endless posturing was already annoying her. She felt Corso's worry like waves coming from him, and vowed to stay calm, no matter what it cost her, just so he could take a deep breath. Maybe Daeruun will be alone, she thought. The would be ideal. Then maybe we can get going without any fireworks. She followed her makeshift detail into a corridor that seemed to run along the inside ring of the station, and hoped that there would at least be heat in the conference room.
Caly had sent her mother off without much of a breakfast, but she understood Miriah's nerves. I'll have a hearty snack ready, she thought, and some cocoa. Whistling, she looked up to see her Aunt Mags standing in the door to the galley, looking lost. "Aunt Mags, what's up?" she asked, and saw her aunt's eyes clear.
Mags smiled at her niece. "Nothing, really. There are so many beings on this station," she said, and sat at the plush booth. "So many emotions. It's hard to sort through any of them."
"Mom is okay?" Caly heard the slight tremble in her voice, and went to sit across from Magdalane.
"She's fine. Everything is to your father's and Aric's liking, so far. They'll be fine, Caly. There's no way the Republic wants an incident involving the Commander of the Alliance here in the heart of Republic territory. They've likely been purging those on the station for days now, in preparation for this. They're all safe." Caly swallowed and nodded, and felt Mags' force warm her.
"Thanks. I never know, when she leaves, when they leave, if she'll truly come back." Magdalane knew Caly's fears of abandonment ran deep, but didn't realize she still struggled with it. Mom knew, Mags thought, and reached to put her hand over Caly's.
"They'll all be back soon." She saw Caly's face relax then, and hoped she hadn't spoken too soon.
Devin had finished his morning's work and was clearing the desk from his afternoon when Lana knocked softly on the doorframe. "Devin, how are things going?" she asked, and he could see the waves of fatigue in her force signature.
"I was just thinking I'd hand off to the duty officer and head home, maybe get some time with the children. It's warm until the sun sets, at least."
Lana sighed and stretched, a hand to her lower back. "Tali should be finishing at the temple, and I was headed that way. Will you let me know when you hear from the Commander?"
"Of course. Go, rest, Lana. I'm sure that the meeting will take a little while. The Republic likes all the pomp and posturing of being in charge of it, so I figured it might be a few hours before we hear anything." He smiled at the Sith then, and saw that she was bordering on exhaustion. "You need to not push so hard. Put your feet up and take it easy."
Lana returned his smile. "Deal! Keep me posted." Lana set off and he stood, hoping she was only tired and not that there was any trouble ahead for her. He felt his spirits lifting as he emerged into the courtyard, and briefly wondered if Logan had been right about being in the secure area. He made a mental note to bring it up to his wife as he covered the distance to their home.
Miriah's entourage was brought to a halt, and she tried to peek between Corso and Aric. All she could see was a huge door, the Republic symbol etched on it's surface. After several minutes of shifting her weight from foot to foot, she noticed that Maura and Torian had turned to look behind their group, and she felt the first wave of unease travel through the Alliance group. "Maura, what do you see?" she finally asked.
"Nothing," Maura answered, her voice low. "But I don't like being still, in what can easily thought of as hostile territory, and not knowing what's coming." Torian grunted agreement, and said some Mando'a word under his breath, but Miriah fully understood his meaning. They were sitting ducks. Just as she was considering turning her group around and back to the ship, the large door opened, and the troopers who had escorted them stood to the side. Moving forward, Miriah felt waves of heated air, and sighed contentedly. Whatever happened, she'd be comfortable, and that thought made her laugh softly.
She made her way to the holo map, where she'd spotted General Daeruun. There were many ships showing on the hologram, some larger then others. She stared at the display. "More than one hundred capitol ships, with smaller picket ships and support vessels close by. And that's not all," he said. "There's enough fuel transports for all those warships to cross half the galaxy. Darth Malgus is leaving nothing to chance. His fleet won't stop until he reaches his objective."
"Which is?" Miriah asked, her voice low.
Master Gnost-Dural turned from where he'd been putting in ship coordinates. "Corellia," he said, and nodded to Miriah.
"Great to see you again, Master," she said with a smile. "But why attack Corellia again, after all these years?"
"The fleet's target is the Meridian Complex," Daeruun explained. "It's a state of the art shipyard that's set to begin production in a matter of weeks. The Meridian Complex can produce new warships at triple the speed of any existing shipyard, at half the energy cost." He handed a steaming cup to Miriah, and she sniffed, smiling at the signature fragrance of Gatalentan tea.
"Once that shipyard becomes operational," Gnost-Dural continued, "it could give the Republic a significant advantage in a matter of months. That's why they're committing so many ships to this mission. The Sith Empire will stop at nothing to destroy this new shipyard before it can save the Republic's war effort."
"What can the Alliance do to help?" Miriah knew there would be an ask for troops, but she wanted to be clear on the expectations.
General Daeruun blew on his own tea before taking a sip. "It's crucial that we redeploy the Republic fleet to defend the Meridian Complex immediately. Unlike Malgus, we cannot move our ships to Corellia without refueling stops. We expect the Empire's top agents to target our reinforcements anywhere they stop. They won't risk our forces arriving in time to make a difference." Daeruun took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "We want you to defend and expedite those reinforcements as best you can. If we defeat the Empire at Corellia, we turn the tide of this war in our favor." Miriah saw Corso shift out of the corner of her eye, and glanced to where her family stood. They all wore neutral expressions, but she saw Corso's very slight nod, and sighed.
"Do I get to kill Malgus?" she asked wryly, and Daeruun almost laughed out loud.
"Commander, I have no problem with that. Once we have organized the ships moving to defend Corellia, I will take charge of the ground forces based in Coronet City."
"I am leaving shortly to meet with the Green Jedi. I'll help coordinate their defensive efforts with our own." Master Gnost-Dural's mask hid the inflections of his voice, but Miriah could feel his determination in the force.
"Your first objective will be the planet Onderon," Daeruun explained. "The Eleventh fleet is gathering there to resupply and refuel before heading to Corellia. It's the only Republic port in range of their current position."
"Onderon has been a Republic world for centuries, but local politics have become strained and fractious. Tau Idair is already investigating. She suspects Imperial infiltration." Gnost-Dural had started to gather his things from the nearby chairs.
"We'll sort this out," Miriah assured them. She saw Corso cross his arms over his chest, and Aric's face wore a grin.
"I have one more favor to ask of you, Commander." Miriah turned her full attention to the Jedi, as the general had been called over by his team. "Arn, if you please?"
Miriah saw a young man walking toward them, but as he neared, she realized he was not as young as she thought, and that he had suffered extensive injuries, evidenced by the number of prosthesis he wore. Still, the dull brown robe of the Jedi covered him, and she could feel his force aura.
"Commander. Been looking forward to meeting you. I am Arn Peralun, Jedi padawan." At his voice, Miriah's family all turned to inspect the man.
"Are you Tau's new padawan?" Miriah knew that Tau had been told she might be called to have someone to teach, but surely this man is older than a padawan.
"Tau had to leave for Onderon before I could introduce her to her new padawan. Since you're going anyway, I thought Arn might ride along with you."
"It would be my pleasure," Miriah assured the older Jedi.
"May the Force be with you both." Gnost-Dural gave a little bow, and took his bag onto his shoulder, heading out. Miriah studied the padawan as her family again surrounded her. Introductions were made, and they made their way to the door. Outside, the corridor was totally empty.
"Well, I guess they figured they delivered us, so their job was done," Aric remarked, and Corso snickered. They made a quick journey back to where the Dreamweaver sat, and boarded without incident.
Caly and Magdalane had known that Theron had gone out into Carrick Station, but he'd given no indication when he might return. Annoyed, Miriah sent a message. The sooner they were off the station, the quicker they're reach Onderon. She also sent word to Odessen, getting reassurance that Shae Vizla and the Mando'ade would be lifting off to Onderon within the next few minutes. Satisfied that she was on top of things, Miriah joined her family gathered around the lounge.
Mags had been drawn to Arn immediately. They knew some of the same Jedi, and that gave them a lot to talk about. Everyone else sat back and enjoyed their interaction. Miriah noted that Mags hadn't looked so happy in such a long time, and she exchanged a glance with Maura, who wore an amused smile.
Theron thundered up the ramp, having touched base with some contacts he hadn't heard from in months. He was feeling good, and had enjoyed having time to talk with Magdalane on their journey. He was all smiles as he came through the air lock, only to be met with a scowl from the Commander. Uhoh, he thought, but brazened in, letting Miriah know that he had not been just sightseeing. He was finishing his report as he felt the ship lift off the deck and in the same instant, turned to see Magdalane deep into conversation with someone he didn't recognize. He saw her happiness and felt his own start to fade.
Lana had gotten the same message that Devin had, and when she called Shae, could see that she was aboard her ship and ready to fly. She wished them all good fortune, and closed the call with a deep sigh. She rubbed her belly and made her way into the kitchen. As much as she wanted this baby, she truly missed being in the thick of missions, especially since the Commander was off planet. Onderon, she thought. Maybe I can at least gather some intel on the ruling structure there and who might help us. Her energy renewed, she quickly placed an order for dinner and sat back on the sofa, her feet up but her fingers flying over her datapad, her heart light.
Corso was on the bridge when Miriah found him. Instead of speaking, he pulled her into his lap, smiling at her giggle. "We'll have dinner soon, sugar. Everything okay with you?"
He kissed her head and felt her snuggle into him. "I don't want you in the middle of all of this. When we get to Onderon, you do the diplomatic stuff, but the fighting? That's what we have troops for, okay?" He felt her nod, but knew that he was asking her promise something that she couldn't, not really. He knew she'd do what she had to for the Republic fleet to be able to refuel. Sighing himself, he only held her tightly against him, taking a measure of comfort that she was relaxed and well.
Magdalane laughed at something Arn said, and felt her entire being lifted up. What is going on, she thought, but didn't want it to end. They went in to the dinner Caly had prepared, and the good mood continued. By the time she had stretched out in bed, she realized she hadn't thought of Felix since she'd met Arn, and wondered what that meant.