× CHAPTER FOUR ×

"Hey, Keil!" she hollered. "Pass the hydrospanner, will ya?"
Keil handed the redhead the requested item, straining to get a glimpse of what she was doing. Lime eyes glittering, she whacked him upside the head with the hydrospanner.
"Oh, no you don't!" she scolded. "It's a surprise!"
"It's my ship!" Keil protested, all the while knowing it wouldn't work. The Shi'ido was quite a virago; she'd been assisting him on his smuggling runs for weeks now, and was as doughty as the best of them. Her motor functions had recovered within about a week of her leaving the bacta tank, but no amount of rehabilitation had seemed to have any effect on her memory. She still didn't know her own name. In fun, he'd called her "coral" because of her curly pate of red-orange hair. Without having anything else to call her, the name had stuck.
After about a month in mental therapy with no response, he'd taken her with him as copilot. Together, they'd braved pirates and customs, gangsters and other bootleggers, all without the girl breaking a sweat. For some reason, however, all he had to do was get angry and she'd cower and bolt.
Keil shrugged, yawning. After this run was completed, he had a little surprise planned. His eyes gleamed with anticipation, which he was quick to hide when "Coral" saw him. He chuckled softly to himself, as the Shi'ido made her surprise modifications to his ship. A smirk escaped his lips. She'd just love what he had planned…

"Mommy!" the little boy screeched. "I want Mommy!"
Yak tried to console his son. "Mommy can't come. She's… away, right now."
Little Ronnie's eyes bulged, and he started sobbing and screaming his head off; for what reason, Yak had no idea. At a loss, he stared at the child. Then, gradually, he came to realize what Ronnie's problem probably was; the boy didn't know who he was! Yak stooped down and gave the boy a hug, not letting him pull away. "I'm your Daddy," he whispered in his son's ear.
The child froze, staring at Yak. A slow grin spread across his features and his eyes lit up. "Daddy?" he asked. "Really?"
Yak nodded. "I'm really Daddy." He tried not to show the pain he felt at having to tell his son who he was. "Now will you come with me?"
Ronnie nodded eagerly, taking his father's hand. "Tell me a story!"
"Tell you a story?"
"Yeah! About where you been."
Yak laughed nervously, shaking his head. "No, your Mommy wouldn't like that."
"Why?"
Enervated, Yak abruptly faced his child, pausing for a several seconds as he attempted to frame an answer. "Well, um, you see…" He gave up. "Mommy doesn't like my stories, so you won't either." A slight lie, but what was he supposed to say? That he'd been on Nal Hutta? Even Mana didn't know that!
But then, Mana was still asleep from that time, what? Over two months ago, now…
"Where we goin'?"
In lieu of answering, Yak asked a question of his own. "Do you know your name, bud?"
His son nodded. "Uh-huh. It's Ronnie."
"Do you know my name?"
Ronnie blinked, caught off guard, then frowned thoughtfully. "Hm… No, I don't think so."
Yak nodded his approval. Well done, Mana. "We're going to my homeworld, and they're gonna treat us kinda funny, so be ready." Yak, unused to children, hoped he was speaking on his son's level. "Mommy's already there." No use adding she's in a med center until she wakes herself up, he thought, a bit glumly. He really missed his wife; especially now, when he was finally "cleaning up his act", so to speak…
The three-year-old beside him tugged his arm. "Daddy?"
"Yes?"
"Where we goin'?"
Yak sighed, trying to keep his frustration from showing. "We're going to my homeworld." Well, I might as well tell him. I don't need to hide my past anymore. "We're going to Alderaan."
His son regarded him thoughtfully. "Alderaan," the boy repeated. "Does Mommy like it there?"
Yak winced as Ronnie unwittingly hit a raw nerve. "I don't know," he honestly admitted. "I really don't know." Boarding the ship that would take them to the homeworld he hadn't visited in over a decade, Yak avidly hoped his wife would be happy with his choice…

Exultant, the young Shi'ido whooped when she completed her task, one grimy hand pushing back a sweat-sodden strand of hair that had fallen in her face. Keil came running. "You done, Coral?" he hastily inquired, eagerly passing her to get a look at what she'd done to his ship.
"Coral" stepped aside, her lips exhibiting a cunning half smile. She casually watched Keil as he carefully examined his engines. "Wrong thing," the Shi'ido stated detachedly, idly wondering if this was what Keil really looked like. A changeling, himself, he could appear any way he chose. Personally, she liked him as he was; his shaggy black hair hanging low on his forehead and covering his ears, giving him a scruffy appearance. His eyes were an unusual tone of hazel; more of an almond, actually. Fatigued, Coral decided to rest awhile.
"I'm gonna go take a snooze!" she called as she went to her living quarters, in reality no more than a small, hard bunk in an old storage closet. But what did she care? Coral had no idea of what her previous life had been, but whatever it was, it must've been filled with self-discipline. She could sleep literally anywhere, eat anything, drink anything, smell anything… somehow, she could cut out her senses of taste and smell as if they didn't exist.
Her strength and endurance were astounding, and she could easily recall things she'd merely glimpsed or heard in passing. It was quite fun, actually. She could pretend to be a dimwit while she was distracting customs and keep an eye on Keil at the same time!
She stifled a yawn, stretching out on her bunk. I wonder what we're hauling on our next job? was the only thought she had before she fell asleep…

"Lady Organa?" the voice asked. "Lady Organa?"
She opened her eyes, immediately staring at the speaker. Without averting her gaze, she fluidly got out of the bed and on her feet. "Where am I?"
The man in front of her licked his lips anxiously. "The AMC—that's the—"
"Alderanean Med Center," she finished for him. "You're the doctor." It wasn't a question.
The doctor nodded, nervous. "Yes, M'lady."
Her gaze diverted momentarily, distracted by a ship passing by the window. Abruptly, her perusal was back on the doctor. "Where is my husband?"
"The Prince has not yet come, my lady. He is still—"
"On his way." She turned away, stepping out on the balcony just outside. The man was so simple-minded—his thoughts were rather predictable. Too predictable, for her taste. She gave a curt nod. "Dismissed."
The doctor bowed, then made his exit. Although her eyes seemed to be on the sky above, in reality her vision followed him. Once the door had closed, she allowed a troubled smile to cross her features. Her husband being an Alderanean Prince didn't surprise her—he'd told her about that. It was what she hadn't told him that worried her.
It was what she remembered.
It was what the Masters—what Drevon—knew.

Ronnie had been fascinated by space travel. Yak chuckled as his awed son studied the view from the cockpit—even when it didn't change for six straight hours. When they stepped off, in Alderaan's capital, Alderr, Yak hesitated.
"Where we goin' now, Daddy?" the little boy beside him asked eagerly.
Yak paused before answering, deciding that matter, himself. "The palace. We're going to the palace."
"We gonna see the king?"
His father shook his head. "There is no king. Only a prince."
"Oh." Yak couldn't tell whether his son understood him or not until Ronnie asked his next question. "We gonna see the prince?"
Yak nearly burst out laughing, but was quick to stifle it, just in case. He didn't know how popular he was. It would be better to wait until he was secure in his position before he revealed himself, unadorned. He approached customs.
"Please fill these out." The officer's tone was bored as he handed Yak the forms.
I would really appreciate Mana's help right about now. He filled them out as quickly as possible and handed them back to the official. "I'm in a hurry, so if you don't mind…"
The man nodded, scanning the forms. "Got i—" The officer's face paled. "Can I see a proof of I.D., please?" he asked weakly.
Yak reluctantly handed over his ship's documentation, along with a picture identification card.
The customs official gave Ronnie a shaky smile. "Looking forward to visiting the palace, boy?"
Fidgety, Ronnie nodded. "Oh, yes! We gonna see the prince, ain't we, Daddy?"
The man chortled. "Oh, you'll see the prince, all right, boy. You'll see the prince." He turned his attention to the boy's father. "Have any pseudonyms picked out?"
"I beg your pardon?"
"There is such thing as a legal fake I.D."
Yak's surprise showed. "You're offering to forge me an I.D.?"
"No, I'm offering to get you a legal false I.D. That way, you don't wave the red flag to everyone you meet. It's a good security investment, too," the officer pointed out. "If you ever need to hide."
Yak scowled, seriously considering the offer. He had heard of legal false I.D.'s, but had understood their use to be exclusively for politic persons of importance. But then, that would pertain to him, now, wouldn't it? "If I was to get one from you," he inquired warily, "how do I know you wouldn't sell my fake name to the highest bidder?"
The customs official gave a tight smile. "If your name were to leak out, there would only be one possible source." He drew his forefinger across his own throat, leaving no doubt as to his allusion. "And silencing a talker is easier than you'd think."
After much deliberation, during which Ronnie grew from being restless to being under the feet of passerby, Yak decided to accept the proffered I.D. For simplicity, he kept their names as close to the originals as possible. The new identification cards labeled them as "Jack" and "Ronnie Morgan". Yak frowned, considering what name his wife should have on her I.D., should they get one for her. Mary? Anna? Or maybe Donna?
Yak shrugged. They'd figure it out when—if—they got her one. He took the I.D.'s, which were really genuine, albeit false. Nodding his thanks to the customs official, he took his son's arm and led him away. He paused upon seeing the signs of restaurants. Glancing back at his son, he declared, "I think lunch sounds good right about now, don't you?"
After he said that, Yak had difficulty controlling Ronnie's excitement. His perhaps uncalled-for firmness came from his recalling that in the palace, a boy like Ronnie could be mollycoddled all too easily…

The woman swiveled slowly, checking her appearance in the mirror. Her eyes expressed a frown as she perused her image. The gown she approved of; its style simple. It consisted of a halter top and proceeded smoothly down to formal length, no seams visible. The back was a bit low, for her taste, but it would do. The choice of the dress was not hers; the gown had been her mother's.
The fabric was of two shades of shimmersilk; royal blue and pansy, the two dominant eye colors in her family. It matched her eyes perfectly. Her wavy, naturally white hair, another family trait, complemented it well. The family hairpin, also of the strong, deep tones of blue and violet, held her hair out of her face. Otherwise, her tresses fell unhindered to her waist.
Cocking her head to one side, her gaze kept its clement appearance as she shrewdly considered what she needed to complete her attire. She blended two colors of eye shadow and lipstick to get the desired shade, then applied the resulting cosmetics with care. Personally, she thought she looked overdressed, but this was her heritage. As only known survivor from her home planet, Mana felt it her duty to keep up with what customs she remembered…

"Where we going?" she whined, trying to pry her copartner's hand from over her eyes. "Tell me!" she demanded, switching to another tone. "Where we going?!"
Keil bit his lip, unrelenting. He had hoped that she'd wait a little longer before using this approach, because after this, the contest began. They each would use their shapeshifting abilities to try to best serve their respective interests; her to discover where they were headed, and him to keep her from doing so. Keil was extremely fatigued, and knew if they competed, he'd give out fast.
"Coral," he began, hesitantly. "I've really gone through a lot of trouble t' make this a surprise, an' I'd feel pretty badly if it was ruined. Would you keep the lid on your curiosity awhile? Please?"
To his surprise, and great delight, Coral nodded. "All right."
Grinning, Keil guided her back to their lounge. "Thanks!"
Coral gave him an odd glance. "All you had to do was ask."

Yak struggled to get the garment on his son. "Ronnie, hold still!" he ordered irritably, in vain. Suddenly, an idea hit him. "Do you want to see the prince?" he asked.
Ronnie hopped up and down in his excitement. "Yeah!"
"Then be still. You aren't going to see the prince if you don't wear this."
"Why not?"
Yak thought fast. "Because… we need to look nice so we'll be allowed in the palace."
"Oh." Ronnie obediently held up his arms to be dressed, his dark brown hair a bit shaggy. That could use a decent cut. When his face appeared over the shirt, Yak was struck by the boy's royal blue eyes, much like Drevon's. Yak shook his head. That's absurd! he scolded himself. The very idea—he froze, noticing for the first time how much his son resembled the Dark Jedi. He blinked, dumbfounded.
His expression darkened as his incensed gaze swept the room. Mana was going to have some major explaining to do, as in major explaining. Somehow, Yak doubted Ronnie's being a mini Drevon was a coincidence…

She loved the garden.
Mana closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, all the scents around her combining into one, heavenly aroma. It was so relaxing, she could almost forget this load she bore…
But only almost.

Yak and Ronnie entered the palace atrium. Ronnie loved it, immediately taking off after passing butterflies. Yak, still brooding over his earlier observation, missed the garden's beauty in his earnest desire to 'have it out', so to speak, with his wife.
When he found her, his first thoughts were of his tender love for her and appreciation for her stunning beauty. Then his mind took charge, and his anger rekindled.
Mana straightened suddenly, and he knew she'd sensed his mood. She turned. "Yak?" Her voice sounded as winsome as he remembered it. "What's wrong?"
Squelching his ardent desire to hold her, he regarded her. Deliberately taking his time in his approach, he asked, in a soft tone, "Why are you wearing that color?"
Mana frowned, perplexed. "What color? The violet?" Yak slowly shook his head, his eyes never leaving her. "The blue?" She obviously didn't understand his problem. "Yak, what?"
Considering her with the same, steady gaze, he quietly inquired, "Mind explaining why your son looks like a mutual acquaintance of ours?"
The blood drained from Mana's face. Blinking back tears, she asked, hurt, "My son, Yak?"
"Your son, Mana. Interesting how closely Ronnie resembles Drevon, don't you think?" His tone left no doubt as to what he believed on the matter.
Tears streamed down Mana's face. Her voice wobbled. "But not because—" She turned away suddenly. When she spoke again, her voice was hushed, but strong. "You have every right to be angry at me; I haven't been completely honest with you."
Yak nodded tersely, his eyes following Ronnie. "I can see that."
Mana shook her head. "That's not what I meant, Yak." She sighed, her expression woebegone. Her voice was hushed. "Yakrino…" She stepped up beside him, not letting him move away. "Ronnie takes after his uncle."

"Hey, Coral!" Keil called. "Ready t' go?"
"Well, I think so…"
Keil's lips quirked. "Kinda hard without knowin' where we are, huh?"
"My thoughts precisely." Coral finally joined him at the airlock, wearing her shoddy black flight suit. She had knapsack dangling from one shoulder, and was wearing her old utility belt; the one that had been salvaged from her past life. Keil noticed a pyramid-shaped box he didn't recognize dangling from the belt.
"What's that?" he queried, curious.
"Hm?" Coral followed his gaze. "Oh." She shrugged. "Don't ask me. It came with the belt."
"You ain't gonna open it?" Keil took her knapsack from her and let her lead.
Coral nodded. "Already did. Has two purple Adegan crystals in it. Don't know what to use them for yet, but might eventually."
"I see your point." They stepped off the landing platform. Coral took a quick scan of the street before turning around to assist Keil with their luggage. Keil shrugged her off. "I got it!"
"Where we stayin'?" Coral fell into stride beside her partner.
Keil nodded towards the rich side of town, near a mansion that seemed like a palace. "That way," he panted. The air was thinner here than he was used to; the city was on top of a mountain. He focused on altering his lungs until he could breathe easily. That's better.
"What planet is this?" Coral inquired.
"Alderaan. This is th' capital, Alderr."
"Really?" Her surprise showed.
Keil nodded. "Yep. Th' planet's currently undergoin' a government switch over; th' royal family's been ousted an' a new leader's coming in. Ironically, this 'new leader' is really a member of th' old royal family who disagreed with his family's policies an' has been in hidin' for at least a decade."
Coral frowned. "But wouldn't that undermine the attempt to dispose of the royal family?"
Keil flashed her a cocky grin. "That's just it; th' people don't mind th' system, they just detested th' previous rulers." He held up two pieces of flimsy. "You know what these are?"
Coral shook her head, studying them intently.
"They're two tickets t' th' new leader's inauguration dinner."
Keil watched in enjoyment as the girl beside him gaped, goggled, and beamed. She grinned at him. "You know what?"
"What?"
"I love your idea."
"That's great!"
"There's just one problem."
Keil's lightheartedness deflated. "What?" he asked cautiously, a bit reluctant to hear the answer.
"What will I wear!" she wailed, wringing her hands in mock despair. Keil knew her well enough to know that she was poking fun at aristocracy, while making her own point in the meantime. She couldn't possibly go to the dinner in that ratty old flight suit!
He gave her a consoling shoulder pat. "Don't worry. I'm sure we'll come up with somethin'." They reached their hotel, a rather affluent one. Keil had reserved a single two bedroom suite. As she unpacked, Coral considered what she'd wear to the dinner, too preoccupied to notice a little flicker in her mind…

"What??!!" Yakrino Organa was dumbfounded. He turned away, shaking his head. "I'm so sorry, Mana! I can't believe I did that!" He looked back at her suddenly. "Drevon's your brother?" he asked, knowing full well what her response would be. "Unbelievable!" What an incubus his wife bore!
Mana was studying him intently. At least, he thought it was him she was perusing, but with her Jedi skills, he couldn't be sure. She could be studying something that wasn't even in his general direction for all he knew. "Is something wrong?"
His wife kept gazing at whatever it was she was looking at, not responding.
He moved beside her. "Mana?"
She blinked once, her eyes immediately concentrating on him. "Yes?" Her tone was neutral.
"Are you all right, beloved?" Yak's worry evinced itself in his gaze and tone of voice.
Mana nodded. "I think I'll go visit a luncheonette, if you don't mind. I've not yet eaten."
"Just don't ruin your appetite for the dinner tonight. You are the prince's consort, you know." Yakrino's smirk betrayed his serious tone.
It was then that Ronnie realized his mother was present, and he rushed into her arms. "Mommy!"
"Ronnie!" She picked him up, giving him a hug, then put him back down. He complained. "Mommy's hungry, Ronnie. Let Mommy go eat, okay, darling?" Mana blew her husband and son each a kiss as she left. "Mommy'll see you two later. Why don't you get settled in? Our domicile is marvelous!"
Once Mana had left, Yak turned to his son, who was still moping. "Hey, bud! Let's go check out your room, ay? C'mon!" Leading his son away, Yak looked forward to the banquet that night. Still, he couldn't suppress his fear that his wife would be the laughingstock of the court, as she'd never been taught how to act in genteel society…

Coral and Keil were about to go clothes shopping when a package arrived. Instead of the name of the receiver, the label had a physical description: Shi'ido, with vermilion hair and lime eyes.
That describes Coral, all right. Keil rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Ain't you gonna open it?"
Coral shrugged. "I guess so…" she said hesitantly. Reluctantly, she opened the box, lifting out a stunning lime green dress that matched her eyes, along with corresponding sandals and mesh stockings. There was a barrette that matched her dress, as well as several cinnabar bobby pins the color of her hair.
Keil was the first to comment, "Maybe there's someone here you used to know."
Coral rolled her eyes, taking another outfit, this one for Keil, from the bottom of the box. If the person had tried to do the matching they'd done with Coral's outfit, they'd failed miserably. Still, the deep russet lizard skin suit and boots did accentuate how purely black Keil's hair was, and didn't detract from his scruffy look. Everything was of the highest quality.
Keil grinned, taking his getup. "Guess we don't need t' go shoppin', huh?"
Coral scowled. "I don't like this."
"Aww, don't be a worrywart. They're a lot nicer than what we would have gotten on our own, an' there's that dinner tonight."
"But—"
"Just shut up an' wear it!" Coral's reluctance was making Keil irritable. "It was free, which is more than I can say about you!"
He regretted the words the instant he'd said them, but the damage was done. Coral, hurt, locked herself in her room, so she wouldn't have to see him until the banquet. Keil mentally kicked himself. Here he was, with a perfectly nice girl, the first of her type he'd ever known to be able to abide with his lifestyle, and he had to alienate her. Then he remembered what she'd been in her previous life, and wondered if maybe keeping her at arm's length wasn't such a bad idea, after all…

Author's Note:
One more chapter! :)