Though their walk to the Jedi Temple wasn't long, Rech kept an abnormally tight grip on Mand's upper arm. He was determined to stay as close to her as possible so he wouldn't lose her to the crowd as he once had.

It had been almost six years since that day she had been kidnapped, taken in broad daylight from a busy Coruscant marketplace they had traveled to together while on a break from their studies. He still felt so guilty for not being able to protect her, but barely sixteen at the time, he wouldn't have been able to do much against the Dark Jedi sent to capture her anyway. This time, though, he felt prepared to take on anything or anyone, despite not sensing so much as a faint whisper of the dark power they had encountered on the city-planet three times before.

"Rech," Mand protested gently beside him, "you need to relax. Your review needs to go well."

"Don't worry about that," he answered quickly, matching her volume. Warily watching the hundreds of beings about them, though, he didn't release his grip. "I can easily show Master Rylka everything I'm capable of."

Even though they were walking along at a pace matching the flow of the crowd, Mand stopped abruptly, catching Rech off guard. He turned to her, alarmed, afraid that something had happened to her. Meeting her defiant gaze, though, he breathed a light sigh of relief as he continued to watch the mass of people passing around them. Mand didn't move.

"Rech," she said pointedly, getting his attention again, "you can't go in there like this. I can sense your fear, and there's no way you can hide it from the committee."

Still wary of the crowd, though, Rech, kept one hand on his saber hilt and the other on Mand's arm. He softened his expression somewhat, but he couldn't lower his guard, at least not yet.

"We'll talk about it when we get to the Temple, not here."

Resuming their pace with the others around them, Mand didn't protest further. She gently pulled his hand off her arm and tightly folded it in hers, looking up at him with worried eyes. She had faced the scrutiny of the committee before, defending her actions she had taken against her evil father the last time they were on Coruscant, so she knew what was awaiting him in the Temple.

Except for his concern for her, though, he felt surprisingly calm. He could feel no residual shadow from his brief but rapid descent into the Dark Side, because he had worked so tirelessly to redeem himself. Under the guidance of Master Noor's Force Ghost, he had meditated for hours on end, removing hatred and anger from his thoughts as best he could. He had to release his feelings toward the Tarthos family, Mand's father and siblings who had been involved in her kidnapping and were responsible for the experimentation done on her for the four years she was missing. He had to let go of his hatred of her father, Morden, who had orchestrated it all a second time and forced him down such a dark path.

With all of them dead or in prison, though, he could leave those feelings behind and move on, but in its place moved an earnest concern for Mand's safety. Though the Tarthos were gone, he knew there had to be other enemies lurking in the shadows, enemies that could be looking for revenge and waiting for an opportunity to strike. As Mand had said earlier to Elena, they hadn't made friends during their last stay on the city-planet, and he was justified in his apprehension. The committee had to understand that.

Finally reaching the warm steps of the restored Jedi Temple where they could talk a little more privately, Rech pulled Mand aside, embracing her tightly for a long moment. After releasing her, he stooped to sit on one of the broad stone steps, facing the Coruscant skyline that was unobstructed around the Temple grounds. Mand sat beside him silently, watching his expression closely.

"Mand," he began softly, "you know you mean everything to me. I would do anything for you, and I know that will make me look all that more dangerous to them."

Mand's eyes softened. "Rech..."

"But I don't care," he shot back strongly, meeting her gaze. "They can argue and debate all they want about the hazards of attachment, but it doesn't apply to me. The only fear I harbor is the fear of not being strong enough to protect you, but I don't let it control me. Instead, it focuses me; it drives me to be at my best, to force my skills to their limits and beyond. I only want to better myself, because I know what it'll take to keep me from losing you again. My fear doesn't consume me," he concluded intensely, "it improves me."

Mand's expression was conflicted, as though she wanted to believe him but knew he was up against critical Jedi Masters who wouldn't immediately consider his heartfelt, earnest words. Still, she squeezed his hand, holding his gaze with hesitantly optimistic eyes.

"I hope they see it that way, too."

Rech gave her a tired smile, comforted by her support. It quickly fell, though, as a tall, robed Jedi approached them, his hands folded under his sleeves. Rech stood with Mand, still holding her hand as they faced their envoy.

"Mr. Natiyr," he addressed Rech with a grim tone, "please come with me. Mrs. Natiyr, you are to report to the Temple Training Center at once."

Turning back to Mand, Rech smiled again, trying to raise her spirits. She only briefly met his gaze, though, hugging him tightly with an anxious expression on her face. Intent on easing her concerns, he pulled back from her slightly, gently brushing a few stray strands of her hair from her face as he focused on her eyes.

"It'll be okay," he assured her, still smiling. After a few silent moments, he inclined his head and kissed her softly, enfolding a comforting wisp of the Force around her mind. He wanted to keep it there, maintaining his presence with her, but he knew the committee would draw on every last mental reserve he could muster. Reluctantly withdrawing his consciousness from her, he stepped back, again giving her a confident smile as he turned and followed the Jedi in front of him into the heart of the Jedi Temple.

"...and so he rounded up us pilots and designated a few teams to take back some buildings near the Palace. I was just a young ensign at the time, and he wasn't ranked much higher than I, but he led our group and we were able to recapture a key communications tower that brought in more guards from the surrounding provinces. It was his outstanding leadership that kept the Royal Navy organized enough to fight back, m'lady, so the Royal Forces will always be at the service of the Rys'tihn Family. We owe the High Commander that much."

Seated comfortably in the small shuttle's cabin with Derek nestled snugly in her arms, Elena listened intently to Captain Aurin Jax's stories of his experiences serving under Koril. Though she at first had considered him a nuisance, she was quickly becoming fond of the captain; he gave her insight into a side of Koril she wasn't familiar with. She knew of his honors and awards following the Huxnel Invasion, but hearing the events from someone who had been at his side through those battles gave her new perspective on her future husband's character. Jax was more than happy to share, and she smiled appreciatively.

"He never told me about that. He doesn't like to talk much about what he'd done for the awards he's received."

Jax nodded as though he expected as much, but his brows furrowed into a grim expression as he sighed lightly. "He actually may not remember it."

Elena's own expression fell, anxiously awaiting Jax's explanation. With a quick glance up to the cockpit in front of them to gauge their progress through Coruscant's busy skylanes, he continued.

"After we secured that communications tower and signaled for backup, the High Commander received a message about a group of hostages being held in a nearby building. He led those of us left over to it to rescue them, but we were ambushed. He of course made sure that we had taken cover first, but it left him vulnerable, and he was severely injured by a concussion grenade that had detonated close to him." Pausing briefly, Jax blinked as his face contorted into a strange, pained grin as he went on. "Even with his massive internal bleeding, he was still giving us orders, telling us how the five of us left were going to outmaneuver the dozen troopers that had surrounded us. And the only thing that was crazier than his orders...was the fact that we all followed them. And it worked."

Looking down at Derek asleep in her arms once more, Elena had to smile, too. That was the Koril she knew. He had never put his own needs ahead of others', and he had constantly neglected his own injuries if something needed to be done or if someone else needed help. She hadn't been with him long when he had been wounded in the Dalon Palace collapse a year ago, and even though he was in dire need of medical attention after a serious concussion, he refused to rest. Instead, he pushed himself and his injury too far while trying to get back to the king, focused only on his duties as the monarch's protector. He could've permanently lost his vision, and maybe even his life, if he hadn't been healed by Master Noor numerous times. Apparently he hadn't learned his lesson from his experiences with the Huxnel Invasion.

"Unfortunately, that was the first and last time I worked under him directly," Jax continued. "I can't tell you what an honor it is to serve him again by serving you, m'lady, and your son."

Elena nodded, looking back up at him. "I appreciate it, Captain, but...I'm not yet married to Koril. I still feel strange about all this, accepting so much on his behalf. I'm not his wife. You don't have to address me so...formally."

Jax shrugged casually. "Maybe you're not married yet, but you are the mother of his son. That's close enough for us. But shall I address you as something else, then? Ma'am, perhaps?"

Elena rolled her eyes. "If you have to, I'd prefer m'lady to ma'am. Maybe just...not so often?"

Jax smiled. "Very well. I don't know how well you'll get others to comply, but we Royal Pilots will do our best."

Again, Elena nodded after a moment, though she knew even more formalities awaited her at the Consulate. Intent on deflecting her thoughts and the focus on her, though, she grinned, putting the Captain on edge.

"Speaking of, just how many of you Jaxes are there, Captain? I've encountered no less than five so far, almost all in the Royal Navy. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're all related somehow."

Laughing, Jax nodded. "I was wondering when this would come up. Yes, m'lady, we're all related, and there are quite a few of us. Even though we're not Royals, the Jaxes have long been associated with the Royal Forces, and we pass on our name as the Royals do." Seeing an uncertain look on her face, he continued. "Like the Royals, the name Jax is passed down through the generations, regardless of which parent is the Jax. In marriage on Paneau, most women will take their husband's name, but, for example, in my mother's case, she was the Jax. After marrying my father, she stayed Sanin Jax, and my brothers and I were born as Jaxes. The same thing happens with the Royals."

Elena furrowed her brows. "But Vianne Banarecc's boys took their father's name, Redgrave." Jax nodded.

"Unofficially. Should King Verojec and his sister Annari die somehow, then the Crown would move to the next family in line, and Aiyden and Ethan would resume their given Banarecc names."

There were so many rules concerning the Crown, and even after having lived on Paneau for a few months in the past year, she still didn't know most of them, she figured. It all seemed so confusing, but with six Royal Families sharing the Crown for thousands of years, nothing could be easy.

"So, getting back to the Jaxes," Elena grinned again, "how are you related to Koril's best friend Brent?"

Jax smiled. "Very distant relation, m'lady. I'm actually more closely related to the High Commander himself. His mother Lori was a Jax, but, of course, the Royal Families outrank us."

Elena blinked, completely unaware of the connections Koril still had. His mother and his brother Ceraéo had died before she had met him, and after his father Merli'il's death in the Palace collapse, Koril became the last Rys'tihn, the last of the Rys'tihn Royal Family, and the weight of it had taken its toll on him. The other Royal Families had come to his aid during his recent ordeals, but he still had to shoulder such a heavy, lonely burden...

"He...he has family?"

"Of course, m'lady. The High Commander will always family. We may not be Royalty, but we, too, have strong ties to each other."

As the shuttle rocked gently with an easy landing, Elena looked down at Derek and was surprised to see him awake but quiet. She knew he'd be hungry soon, but hopefully he would at least hold out until after the meeting was over.

With a hand at her elbow, Captain Jax stood with Elena and again tugged the bag strap over his shoulder as he watched her. She smiled and nodded her thanks, walking with him out of the shuttle. Hugging him to herself protectively, she kissed Derek lightly on the forehead as they stepped out into the midday brightness. She shielded his tiny eyes as much as possible, following Jax as he led her into the Paneau Consulate.

A handful of guards and aides met them inside immediately, and each aide introduced themselves quickly, spouting off positions and titles excitedly. They were young Paneau, hardly any older than she, and despite their stately, formal gowns they wore bearing the Paneau Royal Crest, they could barely curb their enthusiasm as they walked alongside her, watching Derek in her arms.

"Oh, he's handsome, m'lady!"

"He has his father's face --"

"And your gorgeous eyes!"

"Derek Aalon, what a strong name."

"Such a sweet boy..."

Elena smiled at the aides, unsure how else to respond to their praise other than with a simple thank you. Captain Jax did his best to at least keep them away enough to allow Elena to walk without tripping over them.

Finally, the aides left as Elena and Capt. Jax stepped into the Consul's main chambers. A group of eight or nine men, wearing Royal Navy uniforms, were huddled together in front of her, laughing and joking amongst themselves. All talk suddenly ceased, though, as they turned to her, recognizing her. She recognized a few of them, too, but before any exchange, the men bowed respectfully and stepped aside, revealing the petite Consul behind them.

"Miss Lyran," the gray-haired woman greeted her kindly as she stood from her desk and walked over. "So good to see you again."

Elena nodded and smiled. "And you, as well, Consul Neludu. Thankfully this time we're meeting on somewhat happier terms."

The first time Elena had met Paneau's Consul, Odovil Neludu, she was attending a memorial service for the Paneau who had been killed by bounty hunters in a string of politically motivated murders on Coruscant. Koril was supposed to have been among those killed, but unknown to her until later, he had escaped the hunters with little more than a diagonal scar across his forehead. The Consul remembered, Elena surmised, as her expression fell momentarily.

"Yes, of course, my dear. Please, sit," she asked, indicating a plush chair behind her. Elena nodded and sat, carefully cradling Derek as she moved. Capt. Jax stood behind her, setting the bag beside her chair while Consul Neludu directed two young women toward Elena.

"Miss Lyran, you remember Kollie and Raen, servants in the Rys'tihn Manor. They're also well-trained caretakers, and they're here to take over Derek's care for you to ease your burden while you are here."

Elena did her best to not look alarmed. "Thank you, Consul, but I won't be needing --"

"M'lady," Capt. Jax interrupted softly, putting a hand lightly on her shoulder as he leaned over her. "I will stay with them exclusively. They will be well protected, and they don't have to leave your sight."

Still unsure, Elena looked down at Derek as the woman she remembered as Raen knelt beside her with a soft expression.

"Please, m'lady, he will be safe."

After glancing at Captain Jax once more and getting an encouraging smile from him, Elena looked back down at Derek, releasing a shaky breath. She brought a hand up to his small face, stroking his soft black hair on his head before she leaned down and kissed him on the cheek. Though still reluctant, she eased him into Raen's arms, checking his blanket to make sure he was still tightly tucked in it. Raen smiled as she carefully stood from Elena, stepping back to stand with Kollie, who also tended to the infant. Elena watched the two anxiously for a few moments, but as Consul Neludu reclaimed her attention, she noticed the pilots moving up beside the elder woman, as well, seemingly awaiting an introduction.

"We've all been eagerly awaiting a report on the High Commander's condition," the Consul began with keen interest. "We were hoping that you could fill us in."

As every gaze in the room fell on her, Elena again sighed and tried to calm her shakiness. She folded her hands carefully in her lap as she swallowed dryly, meeting the eyes of the concerned pilots while searching for the right words to begin the explanation. She wasn't sure what the Paneau knew of Koril's plight, so she began with his capture by the Huxnel, watching the pilots' reactions as she narrated the past four months, the longest of her life.