Previously on Where the Heart Is…
We finally got to know Dex Wessiri…
Season 4
Episode 9
Interlude, Part 2
When you're down and troubled
And you need some lovin' care
And nothin', nothin' is goin' right
Close your eyes and think of me
And soon I will be there
To brighten up even your darkest night
You just call out my name
And you know, wherever I am
I'll come runnin'
To see you again
Winter, spring, summer or fall
All you have to do is call
And I'll be there
You've got a friend
If the sky above you
Grows dark and full of clouds
And that old north wind begins to blow
Keep your head together
And call my name out loud
Soon you'll hear me knockin' at your door
You just call out my name
And you know, wherever I am
I'll come runnin', runnin', yeah, yeah
To see you again
Winter, spring, summer or fall
All you have to do is call
And I'll be there, yes, I will
Now, ain't it good to know that you've got a friend
When people can be so cold?
They'll hurt you, yes, and desert you
And take your soul if you let them
Oh, but don't you let them
You just call out my name
And you know, wherever I am
I'll come runnin', runnin', yeah, yeah
To see you again
Winter, spring, summer or fall
All you have to do is call
And I'll be there, yes, I will
You've got a friend
You've got a friend
Ain't it good to know you've got a friend
Ain't it good to know, ain't it good to know
Ain't it good to know
You've got a friend
Oh, yeah, now, you've got a friend
Yeah baby, you've got a friend
Oh, yeah, you've got a friend
You've Got a Friend/Carole King
Jedi Medical Center, Mon Calamari
28 ABY
One Year After the Fall of Coruscant
Dex's eyes fluttered open, and he was momentarily confused when he didn't recognize where he was, then heard the soft tweetling of Finn and Weller and knew that he must be ok. A second later he registered that he was in a med bay, with another body pressed tightly to his side, and finally remembered exactly where he was, and why.
Tahiri was nestled in his arms, her soft exhales blowing air against his neck... and all relief left him.
Her head was resting on his shoulder, her usually bright curls not splayed out but dull and matted. Her arm, scratched, bruised, and hooked to a nutrient tube feeding fluids into her vein was resting on his chest. Her wrist looked so thin he suspected it wouldn't take much pressure to snap it. Her cuticles were ragged; her nails jagged. It looked like she'd either been digging in rock with her bare hands, or that the only thing she had eaten in the last couple of weeks had been her own fingers.
When he'd first entered the room she'd been curled in a tight ball in a nest of bed linens, only unfurling when he'd crawled in beside her and wrapped himself around her.
He'd seen her two months ago, and though he'd been alarmed by the bags under her eyes and her weight loss, she'd brushed off his concerns. She'd even joked that he had no idea how much work it was to run a squadron… he'd be too busy to eat or sleep if he were in her shoes too.
They'd both laughed because she hadn't been wearing shoes when she'd said it, but he'd accepted her explanation. He had lectured her about taking better care of herself though, and playfully slugged her arm for teasing him about having her own command when he didn't. Then he'd thrown her into a simulator so he could judge how safe he thought she'd be in space without him there to protect her.
He'd been concerned four days ago when she hadn't shown up for the meeting they'd arranged, but he was listed in her military file as the second person to contact 'in case of emergency' so he'd assumed that if there had been any real cause for concern he'd have been notified. Then he'd received the comm from Kyp; she'd finally turned up, and wasn't in great shape. Kyp had warned him, tried to prepare him for what he'd see when he arrived, but he hadn't imagined this.
Even more disturbing than her appearance had been her behavior in the two days Dex had stood vigil over her. Something major was going on, more than just fatigue, and kriffing Cighal had given him almost no information. Even Tekli, who he thought he could trust to be straight with him at this point, had only said that it was probably a result of the stress Tahiri had been under. Dex had a feeling that Master Skywalker had instructed them to not give him any real information and he was on the verge of losing it with the man.
He and Skywalker had gone head to head over Tahiri before, the first time on Borealis when Dex had told him off for agreeing to her going to Yuuzhan'tar with him. Skywalker seemed to think that Dex had a crush, or some other inappropriate emotional attachment to Tahiri, and had written off Dex's concerns as overly sentimental. That encounter had made Dex wish, for the first time in his life, that he had trained as a Jedi, if for no other reason than that he could at least attempt to take a swing at Skywalker… Jedi Master or not.
A movement at the observation window caught his attention and he looked up to see Kyp and Han standing outside. Both had already warned him that he couldn't miss another shuttle. If he ignored his recall orders any longer no one, not Kyp, not Han, or even Wedge, could get him out of trouble. He needed to get back to his squadron, or risk being declared AWOL.
He sighed and turned back to press a kiss to Tahiri's head, then slipped out from under her, carefully placing the covers around her again, recreating the nest she seemed to need whenever he wasn't wrapped around her himself.
"Come on guys," he whispered to Weller and Finn, then made his way outside the room to where Kyp and Han stood waiting.
"Hey kid."
Dex didn't have a chance to return Han's greeting before he caught sight of Luke approaching.
Before he could storm forward or say anything, Kyp grabbed his arm.
"I just spoke to Hamner," Kyp said. "There's a shuttle leaving in an hour. You need to be on it."
He opened his mouth to respond to Kyp's warning but Luke spoke first.
"I appreciate your concern for Tahiri, but Kyp's right; you need to get back to duty. She'll be fine."
Dex felt a surge of anger jolt through him, then felt Kyp and Han press against him, pushing him back from Luke, but he ignored them and leaned forward. "She'll be fine? What makes you think that? The Force?"
Luke smiled serenely and Dex fought the urge to punch him when he answered, "Yes, as a matter of fact."
"Really? Was it the Force that told you she'd be fine while you dragged your feet on evacuating Yavin?" Dex took great satisfaction in the look of pain that instantly crossed Luke's face. "Was it the Force that told you sending children to Myrkr was a good idea?" This time Dex felt the dismay in Han as well as Luke and felt a little bad, but not enough to stop. "Has it been the Force that's been telling you that having a vulnerable, traumatized, sixteen year girl lead a kriffing combat squadron into battle after battle is a good kriffing idea? And you wonder why I have zero interest in becoming a part of your Order?"
"Dex…" Han shook his shoulder, clearly trying to calm him. "As soon as Cighal clears her, Leia and I are taking her with us."
"On yet another mission." Dex barked out.
"We'll look after her. I promise."
Dex heaved a sigh as he stepped back from Han, then looked at Luke again. "She's been murmuring in Yuuzhan Vong in her sleep. She hissed - hissed - when Weller and Finn whistled hello to her. She nearly came out of her skin when she woke up and a med droid was standing near. Something is seriously wrong and it has to do with what they did to her. She can't go on another mission. She needs to be away from all of this. Why can't you see that?"
"I trust Han and Leia to take care of her."
Dex was on the verge of asking if Han and Leia would take care of Tahiri as well as they'd taken care of their own children… then caught himself. He respected Han too much to level that kind of cruelty at him.
He turned to the observation window, his heart breaking all over again as he looked at the tiny form on the medbed. He wasn't going to win this one. Technically, because Tahiri was a 'minor', she was still a ward of the Jedi Order, and ultimately it was Luke's decision where she went and with whom.
Turning back to Han he said, "I've already missed three shuttles… Kyp's right… I'm not sure Janson would forgive me for missing the next one."
Han put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it. "I know how much she means to you. She means just as much to us. And we will take care of her. I promise."
Dex closed his eyes and nodded his head. "She's been asleep for three hours… it's the longest she slept without… I don't want to wake her up. If I record a message for her will you make sure she gets it?"
"Of course I will kid."
GA Star Destroyer Elegos A'Kla
Under the Command of General Tycho Celchu
In Orbit Over Contruum 6
29 ABY
Dex let himself into his quarters and flopped down on his bunk, trying to remember when he'd ever been so exhausted, so scared, and so exhilarated all at the same time. Probably never - at least not in that combination.
General Celchu hadn't given him much information before leaving to meet with the other battle group commanders, but what Dex did know was that the final push was coming. By his best guess, in less than two days the GA would launch the offensive that would ultimately decide the war. They'd either prevail… or everyone he knew and loved would die.
Well, everyone that he knew and loved that wasn't already dead anyway.
He blew out a breath, wondering if summoning up the energy to find something to eat was worth the effort. Maybe he should just try to sleep? He'd been fighting long enough to know that once the offensive started it wouldn't be the fact that he was well rested or fed that would determine his fate; it would be pure adrenaline. And the primal need to survive. After all, it was that primal need that had seen him through so far.
And, maybe, possibly, in a small way… his Force-sensitivity.
But he didn't want to think about that right now, because thinking about his Force-sensitivity always made him think of Blondie.
He didn't know where she was right now, but he did know, could feel… or was simply choosing to believe… that she was alive. Of course simply choosing to believe that she was alive was the only option he'd had lately given that to the best of his knowledge no one had heard from her in months.
It was times like these, when he wanted to know where she was and that she was ok, that he wished that he'd trained. Maybe that would enable him to connect to her over a long distance. Feel her enough to offer him some relief from his worry. Or… maybe amplify his worry?
Kriff. Leave it to him to find a trouble magnet to connect with on the eve of losing almost everyone else he cared about.
He took a deep breath, trying to relax and let go of his worry, then… It was almost like he could feel a faint tickle in the back of his mind, dimmer than it would be when she was trying to get his attention when they were in the same place… but similar.
He sat up, working to ignore his exhaustion and agitation so he could focus on the tickle. If he was actually feeling this, and not just imagining it, then she was alive.
And close by.
He fell back down on his bed, groaning, and began rubbing his chest, the hurt he'd been experiencing since leaving Tahiri on Mon Calamari returning. He'd give anything to talk to her; find out from her if the rumors he'd been hearing were true. Jag had told him that Tahiri was okay, but, as much as he loved Jag, he also knew that Jag didn't feel about Tahiri the way Dex did. Therefore, Jag's assurances that her 'melding' was a good thing had not left Dex reassured. What the kriff was a 'melding' anyway?
He hadn't been able to track her down after the 'melding' before she'd been sent on yet another kriffing mission, this one top secret according to Han. From what Dex had been able to gather from his contacts she was either MIA or still on that secret mission.
Of course if his suspicions were correct, that secret mission likely involved her meeting up with Skywalkers and Zonoma Sekot.
Dex suddenly realized that if she was close then that meant she probably had found the Skywalkers… And if in fact that were all true, and he was feeling her… she must be on that kriffing planet. And that she was going to be a part of this insane offensive the GA was about to undertake. Knowing her, and the kriffing Jedi Order, and Master Kriffing Skywalker, she'd be at the forefront of this crazy offensive. Because why the kriff wouldn't the Sky-Solos put a seventeen year old girl who'd been through as much as Tahiri at the front of this kind of battle?
Kriff.
Dex sat up again and swung his legs over the side of his bunk, running his fingers through his hair in exasperation.
Weller suddenly began to tweet frantically, and Dex reached over to stroke the droid's dome.
"Hey, buddy. What's up?"
Weller tweeted again and Dex grabbed his data pad from the foot of his bunk, where he'd thrown it when he'd entered his quarters. He punched several buttons, bringing up the translation of what Weller was trying to tell him and watched as the words began to scroll across the screen.
Incoming message.
Military encryption… Marked Top Secret, Urgent.
Multiple relay hits… Twenty-seven holonet pings...
Intended destination… Personal comlink of Lt. Colonel Dex Wessiri.
Vessel of origin… Jade's Shadow.
From… Tahiri Veila.
Dex gasped, then yelled, "play the damn message," as he dropped to his knees on the floor.
Seconds later - though it seemed like an eternity to Dex - Weller was projecting a bluish holo image of Tahiri on the bunk, and Dex let out another gasp, this time in relief, because she looked ok.
'Hey Dexie. Long time no… Kriff. How the bork do I even begin this? Maybe… by telling you that I love…'
Dex watched her inhale deeply, then wipe her fingers under her eyes to clear her tears.
'Sorry. I've spent ages thinking about what I wanted to say when I finally got the chance to talk to you, or get a message to you. I wanted to tell you myself what's happened, and to assure you that I'm okay, and here I am, crying… as always… and not sure how to say what I'm trying to say. But, I wanted to find you so I could tell you that I'm…. I'm safe.'
She snorted, and Dex snorted too, because the last thing in the universe they were was safe.
'Well… I mean I'm safe right now. Anyway...'
She hesitated again, looking up at the ceiling and sniffing. Then she took a long breath and blew it out, finally returning her eyes to the camera.
'I know Han… and probably Jag Fel... told you that something happened with me. That I'm not… 'Tahiri' anymore. And I needed to tell you… No… not tell you - I hope, when… if… we see each other again… you'll still see me as your little Blondie. But… kriff. This is so much harder than I thought it would be. I should have listened to Jacen and written down what I wanted to say to you before I started recording. But I didn't want to seem like I'd rehearsed stuff... or was just reading...'
She stopped again, and ran her fingers through her hair, and Dex watched as she scraped her nails against her scalp. He'd always teased her that when she did that, it was like she was trying to dig into her own head for answers.
'I'm sorry I didn't contact you after it happened. I was afraid. Afraid of what your reaction would be. And I kept thinking I'd contact you the next day… and then the next. And then I went on a mission, and then next thing I knew, months had gone by, and I'm sorry for that. You've been one of the few truly supportive people in my life for so long. I should have trusted you. Trusted that you wouldn't hate me, hate what I am now. At least… I hope you don't hate me. But no matter what happens, no matter how the next few days go… it's really important to me that you know that I love you. And I miss you. And I really want to see you again on the other side of this.'
Tahiri sighed, then breathed deeply before she continued.
'You may have figured this out already, and if not… this message will clue you in - Yeah, Dexie… I'm going down to Coruscant again… or, Yuuzhan'tar… with the Jedi. We need to end this. I have to assume, given where you are, that you know this as well as I do, and that you'll be part of the offensive as well. And I'm going to hope, with every fiber of my being, that you will have ample opportunity when this is all over to kick my ass from here to Dantooine for volunteering to do this.'
She snorted, then laughed and kept going.
'Stars, I'm rambling. And must sound like an idiot. We can debate my idiocy and the intelligence of my decision making later, and you can yell at me all you want. Honestly, I'll be so kriffing happy if you have the chance to yell at me that I won't even care that you're yelling, because that will mean that we both survived this.'
She sighed again, then her voice got softer.
'I love you Dexie. More than I know how to express, and I really, really hope that in two days I have the opportunity to look you in the eye…'
She laughed again, though it seemed more like a cross between a snort and a sob.
'And you can do all the yelling you want, because I don't want to think about the alternatives to that.
Clear skies, Lt. Colonel Wessiri. Please, please Dexie… be safe down there. Veila out.'
Next time on Fear and Love…
The war has ended… and here's where Dex and Tahiri find themselves...