Coruscant
Paneau Consulate
5.4 APC
Returning to Coruscant after spending almost two years among Bomarg and Coerrel Montarians who hardly stood more than a meter tall, Elena almost felt out of place around beings her height. It was cruel, too, to be sitting in Consul Neludu's empty, silent office awaiting an escort home to Paneau when the decor and atmosphere reminded her so much of the Rys'tihn Manor without actually being there. She could just smell the light, pleasant fragrance that always hung in the air with the fresh bouquets of purple panna flowers that were brought in each morning, and she could easily see any of the handful of paintings on the walls exchanged with those around the Manor's. Though she knew it wouldn't happen, she was still somewhat hopeful that Koril would walk into the office to meet her at any moment, giving them a chance to talk as they hadn't for months...
"M'lady?"
Startled out of her reverie, she looked up to a group of three Paneau officers, only one of which she recognized. Assuming that her escort had arrived, she stood from her seat to leave, but the muted, grim expressions on their faces halted her before she moved much further.
"Captain Arscoll, m'lady," the familiar woman introduced herself quickly. Forcing her mind out of its travel-laden grogginess, Elena recalled that Arscoll had only recently been relocated to Coruscant when she was appointed security chief for the Rys'tihns' apartment on the city-planet. Thankfully Major Jax had kept Elena informed of the personnel changes as they happened while she was gone, so Arscoll's presence there wasn't a surprise once she thought about it. Curious what had brought the captain to her directly, though, Elena nodded in return.
"I'm sorry to tell you this as you're on your way home," Arscoll began hesitantly, "but I thought I should inform you in person. There was a break-in at the apartment two nights ago. No one was residing there at the time, and our security cams only caught brief glimpses of the burglar. The only item we've been able to determine that's missing is a painting from the main living room; nothing else was touched."
Elena arched her eyebrows. "A painting?" Of all the opulent treasure that was in plain view and was much easier to smuggle out of the apartment undetected, why had a bulky painting been targeted? If she was thinking of the right one, it wasn't small, and while it was a fine piece of art, it wasn't necessarily a unique masterpiece. There were several like it around her in Consul Neludu's office, there were dozens of similar pieces at home in the Manor, and she even remembered seeing some in Dalon Palace before its destruction. Recalling what Koril had told her about them years ago, she became even more confused. "It was done by a local Paneau artist more than twenty years ago. It wouldn't have much value here, or anywhere else outside of Paneau, for that matter."
Arscoll nodded. "We're continuing to run sweeps through the entire apartment to look for anything that might have been left behind, intentionally or not. I've handpicked the increased guard presence in case another attempt is made, and we'll be checking and rechecking the building's security to determine how it was circumvented and how to prevent it from happening again. We will find out who did this, m'lady, you have my word."
Elena sighed as she nodded, accepting the captain's pledge. "Keep me informed, and send along the recordings. I'll see if the High Commander has anything to add that might help."
"Of course, m'lady," Arscoll concluded with a bow, as did the other two officers at her side, before they left, leaving Elena alone in the room once more. Frustrated with having to wait even more, she sat back down in her seat and rubbed her forehead, desperate to quell her anxiety that was worsening the longer her return home was delayed. With their mission finally completed on Montar, they first brought her friend Kihara Marelleck home to Coruscant. Though exhausted, Elena would have been perfectly satisfied to pilot herself home to Paneau, if only Consul Neludu had not been so adamantly opposed to it. So instead, she had to stay put and follow protocol as the wife of Paneau's Head of Security...
Lightly running her fingers over her Rys'tihn Crest's smooth, jeweled surface as it sat just at the base of her neck, she debated on whether to send a message to the Manor to announce her return. The cessation of hostilities on Montar had taken much longer than she had hoped, even when it seemed to have been winding down more than four months earlier. Her family and friends weren't expecting her back just yet anyway, especially when she had repeatedly postponed her anticipated arrival after problems with the Montarian peace agreements continued to surface. She often wondered if she'd ever be able to leave, but even as she sat in Neludu's office, it felt almost...artificial and surreal, like she wasn't really there and she was only imagining her upcoming trip home.
She missed her children dearly, and she knew her absence had been hard on them, especially since they were so young. Dirani was hardly four months old when Elena left, so how attached to her could the two-year-old girl still be? And Derek had become so upset when he couldn't hug her holoform during their first transmission days after her departure; her heart seared fiercely as she had to watch his anguish from the other side of the galaxy, listening to his unrestrained cries as no words of hers could console him. Mand had told her a few weeks after the sad transmission that Cordira was keeping him distracted, but he, too, had grown up two more years without her. He was now almost four and a half, so how would he react to her return?
Hearing the office's door opening behind her this time, she turned to look back at her new company and was pleasantly surprised to see more familiar faces. Edgepoints Mennil Leikam and Saross Wip, dressed in their finest Paneau Royal Navy uniforms, were approaching her with kind smiles, looking as happy to see her as she was to see them. Finally smiling, too, she stood again and met them halfway, embracing Swip tightly in a friendly hug before he had the chance to bow to her. Though he was a bit surprised, he returned her hug, laughing lightly at her enthusiastic greeting.
"It's good to see you, m'lady."
She released Swip after a moment, turning to embrace Leikam in the same manner. "You two are definitely a sight for these tired eyes."
"We were already on our way to Coruscant when Consul Neludu told us you were here," Leikam continued as Elena stepped back from them both. Swip nodded.
"We brought the Consul her new assistant. You haven't been waiting long, have you?"
Just glad to see her two favorite Edgepoint pilots, she could dismiss the wait. "A little while," she shrugged, "but it's been nice to just take in familiar surroundings again. Are you two my escort back home?"
They both nodded with even broader smiles.
"Whenever you're ready to leave, M'lady."
She nodded, too, still smiling. "I've been ready since I got here."
"I'll prepare the ship for departure, then," Leikam returned as he bowed, quickly leaving for the hangar just floors below. Still standing in front of her, though, Swip turned on his heel to her side and politely offered his arm to her, a gesture far more formal than their relationship had become in recent years. She had once again gotten unused to being treated so cordially, but appreciating his kindness, she clasped both of her hands around his arm just above his elbow, leaning into him slightly. With the chance to relax around her close friends, she realized just how tired she really was, allowing her fatigue to show instead of always keeping up a front of strength. Swip seemed to take notice as he walked slowly with her, remaining silent as though he could tell she was working through her own thoughts. Against her better judgment, she opened their private discussion with a difficult subject...
"I'm worried about him, Swip."
Already aware of what was on her mind, he nodded carefully as he matched her soft volume. "We all are, m'lady."
"...has he gotten any better?"
He drew in a long, cautious breath, hesitant to explain. "He...goes in and out. He seemed to be the most focused a few months ago, but...he sank back down into the same state after a while." With a slight pause, he inclined his head toward her, quieting his voice even more as he gently placed his hand over hers that were still locked around his arm. "Maybe it would help if he knew you were on your way home now...?"
She took a few moments to consider it more, but eventually she shook her head. "We'll have two more days of travel before we even reach Paneau. I'll contact Rech and Mand before we leave, but...I'll wait to talk to him in person. Might be the only way I can get through to him."
Finally reaching the turbolift that would take them down to the Consulate's hangar under them, Swip pressed the panel to open its door and stepped inside with her, choosing the lower level. "I think just having you back home will do a lot to raise his spirits."
As the lift's doors swept closed, she nodded sadly. "I hope so."
Paneau: capital city of Dalon
Rys'tihn Manor
Though morning hadn't even broken over the frigid capital city, Mand was already awake but remained in bed, determined to not disturb her husband still sleeping beside her. Her stomach was churning, sometimes intensely, but she was doing everything in her power to subdue it and remain still. Rech was such a light sleeper, and he often woke with her slightest movement, but hopefully he wouldn't pick up on her distress through the Force, either; she didn't want him asking questions. He'd be able to piece it together if he found the nutrient supplement she'd been taking and the special tea Tascit had taught her how to make years ago.
As much as she wanted to share the news that she was expecting again, she didn't know how much more heartbreak Rech could tolerate. After her first traumatic miscarriage during the Huxnel attack on Demmar almost four years earlier, she had discovered that it was her own body that had attacked and destroyed the infant within her, a result of the experimentation that had been done on her in her late teens. She had only been able to carry Cordira to term with the help of Master Noor and a steady concoction of nutrient supplements, but her subsequent pregnancies had been far more disastrous. In the past year and a half, she had suffered two more devastating miscarriages, each as physically and emotionally incapacitating as the first. They had reduced her ability to keep up the intensity of Ri's training, even despite the lengthy breaks she took in between sessions. Rech had done his best to lessen her fatigue in the interim, but he couldn't lend her energy all day long, and she didn't want him to. Eventually he would be able to sense the baby's tiny presence in the Force, and she couldn't bear to see the look of such deep sorrow in his eyes if she were to lose this one, too.
But something about this pregnancy kept her...cautiously hopeful. She was already a few weeks past the point where she had lost the previous three, almost to her third month. Concerned that her body was reacting differently to this one for whatever reason, she began taking the same nutrient supplement that had gotten her through her pregnancy with Cordira, and it seemed to be working. If it wasn't for her worsening morning sickness that had prefaced her first miscarriage, she'd feel almost confident enough about it to tell Rech...
Another wave of nausea turned into a sudden splitting headache, though, forcing her to close her eyes and bring a hand to her head as she failed to stifle a soft groan. She hadn't even taken another breath before Rech had turned to face her, sitting up and leaning over her with concern.
"Mand?"
It wasn't fair how quickly and easily he shed the signs of sleep, looking instantly alert as though he had already been awake for several minutes.
"Just a headache," she whispered as she lowered her hand, releasing a slow breath to calm her stomach. "I didn't mean to wake you."
Rech lightly brushed his fingers over her cheek before gently settling his hand on the side of her neck. "Most people don't wake up with headaches."
Looking up at him, she gave him a weak smile. "I'm not most people. You're well aware of that."
He continued to study her worriedly, though, and she could already feel him soothing her pain with the Force. But without the headache to command her attention, her nausea returned; she had to close her eyes and discreetly hold her breath to let it pass.
"What else is bothering you?"
Before she could deflect again, though, she heard Cordira beginning to cry as she woke up in her room beside theirs. The poor girl had been tormented by nightmares for days, yet she refused to talk about them. If they were anything like the visions Mand had encountered in her own dreams, it was understandable why Cordira was reluctant to repeat them.
"I'll go," Rech volunteered quietly with a light sigh. "You rest." He kissed her lightly on her forehead as he got up out of bed, disappearing around a corner into Cordira's room. Thankful for the distraction, Mand, too, climbed out of bed, holding her hand over her stomach, though it did her little good.
Come on, little one. Can't you make it easy on me this time?
She was still somewhat groggy as she made her way through the dark room, reaching down to a small shelf where she kept a cooled pitcher of the special tea in case she needed it urgently before she could make some downstairs in the Manor's kitchen. She poured herself a glass and was only able to down a few gulps before the comm desk in the living room beeped with an incoming transmission. Hoping Rech would remain occupied with Cordira, she continued sipping it as she pulled a light robe around herself, sitting at the console while consciously correcting her expression that was probably still reflecting her discomfort.
As Elena's image appeared on the screen, Mand's relief at seeing her friend removed any remaining traces of sickness she felt. Elena's expression was remorseful, though, quickly dampening Mand's mood.
"I just realized what time it is there," Elena began apologetically. "I'm so sorry!"
"No," Mand casually dismissed her worry as she shook her head. "Don't be. We were all up already."
Elena winced. "That good of a morning, huh?"
"Yeah, but lucky for you, your day is almost over, right? How are things going on Montar?"
"It seemed to be going well enough when I left it yesterday."
Caught off guard, Mand blinked. "You...left? You're done there?"
A small, tired smile slowly crept across Elena's face as she nodded. "I never thought I'd see the day. We brought Kihara home to Coruscant first, and now I'm just about to leave with Swip and Leikam. It'll be another two days, but I'm almost home, too."
"That's great, Elena! Derek will be so happy to see you, and he'll be even more excited to hear you're coming home."
"Well, I was hoping to make it a surprise for them. Two days of excitement would drain them both pretty quickly."
Mand nodded as she released a slow breath. "Yeah, I guess you're right." Her bright expression faded, though, as she continued hesitantly. "...what about Koril? Do you want me to tell him?"
Distressed by the topic, Elena cast her gaze to the floor, her brows furrowed together in obvious pain. She seemed indecisive for a few moments before she looked back up, slowly shaking her head.
"No. I don't think he'd...listen unless I was actually there, anyway. I'll talk to him when I get back. Inform Major Jax that we should be arriving around this time in two days. He can coordinate everything else from there."
"Okay. Anything else I can do?"
"That should be all for now." Elena sighed lightly, looking as physically and emotionally exhausted as Mand expected her to be. "You've already done so much for me, Mand, helping Kollie and Raen with my children all this time. How can I repay you?"
Mand gave her a friendly grin. "I'll think of something."
Elena rolled her eyes with a lighthearted scoff. "I'm sure you will. See you soon."
As the screen returned to its dark, silent state, Mand quickly downed the rest of her tea, hoping it would last her the remainder of the long morning that lay ahead.
Paneau: capital city of Dalon
Rys'tihn Manor
5.4 APC
Despite being a light meditation to rejuvenate herself before arriving on Paneau, Elena still heard the transport's engines slowing as it descended to the surface, and she only felt a subtle jolt as it landed, both a welcome and worrisome feeling. She took in and released a deep breath to calm her rising anxiety, but she remained seated with her eyes closed until she sensed Swip quietly stepping up behind her.
"M'lady...we're home."
The mixture of emotions was difficult for her to process. Though she knew she should be nothing less than elated to be returning to her family, her fear of her husband's unstable state weighed heavily on her, making it nearly impossible for her to think about anything else. Still, she stood from her seat in the transport's rear hold and gave Swip a small smile as she walked over to his side. Surprising her, the lieutenant looked refreshed, even after their long two-day trip; Swip easily interpreted her curious expression and casually shrugged with a grin.
"I'm always up this early, m'lady. It's a routine day for the Edgepoint Squadron. Did you get enough rest?"
She nodded a bit reluctantly, amending her response. "Some."
Understanding her hesitation, he held his hand out toward the transport's rear ramp, inviting her ahead of him with an amiable smile. "The Natiyrs are waiting just outside. And don't worry, they were already here when we landed."
If she didn't know any better, she would have assumed that Swip had read her mind, but he seemed to know what she was thinking even before she did. Perhaps it was her fatigue making her thoughts more transparent than she wanted them to be, but as much time as they had spent together in recent years, he would've caught on anyway. Appreciative of his kindness, she smiled, too, and embraced him in a warm hug, giving him a light kiss on his cheek as she stepped back from him.
"Thank you, Swip."
"As always, a pleasure, m'lady," Swip returned as he bowed slightly to her. "We'll be around whenever you need us."
With another smile and a wave up toward the cockpit where Leikam was still seated at the controls, she left the transport's main hold, descending its rear ramp into the Manor's large hangar. As Swip had said, Rech and Mand were already there waiting, as were Major Jax and a few other Royal Guards who all bowed when she looked to them. She met the Natiyrs first, though, and Mand's embrace was somewhat overeager and tight, but expectedly so.
"Welcome home," Mand greeted her with bated excitement, and Rech looked just as excited to see her, too.
"For a while there, we thought we were going to have to come rescue you ourselves."
Rolling her eyes in good humor as she turned to hug Rech, she gave a short laugh. "If I recall correctly, I was the one having to rescue you two the last time we were on Montar. I don't even want to imagine what kind of trouble you would've gotten into there today."
"I think we learned our lesson back then..." Tossing a significant glance at Rech, Mand grinned. "Never split up."
Rech laughed, too. "At least when the Coerrel were involved." He returned his attention to Elena after a moment, anticipating her question before she had even thought to form it. "The children are still asleep upstairs, including Cordira. Kollie's with your two."
Glancing between her three closest friends surrounding her, she could see on their now solemn faces that they weren't going to say anything else until she asked.
"...and Koril?"
Major Jax turned his gaze to the side while Rech and Mand exchanged hesitant looks, heightening her anxiety. Mand finally spoke up, though, albeit quietly as if afraid to be overheard.
"He hardly sleeps anymore...but I did see him go into your bedroom just before we came down here. He should still be there."
At least he was somewhere they could talk privately...
"Elena," Mand continued carefully after a moment, looking at her with concern. "I'll come with you if you want someone else there...just in case..."
It took Elena an extra second or two as she looked at them both to realize that her friends feared another violent snap from Koril, and the thought momentarily took her breath away. Even in his uncharacteristic, unpredictable state, Koril could never hurt her intentionally...could he?
"I'll be fine," she tried to dismiss their worry, even though her own voice trembled. Before they could protest more, she stepped past them, heading into the Manor and up to her room while leaving the others behind wordlessly.