The next day brought more info in and gave them a little more of the overall situation on Balmorra, but not any specifics on the threats General Garza's daughter, Senator Aimes, had received. The background showed that Numen Brock had gone far underground, with no activity on his accounts in months. Corso was a little uneasy about that, thinking that the sleaze had somehow changed his identity and gotten another backer. He was thinking about that when Aric approached his desk.
"Did Felix tell you that Zenith would be arriving tomorrow?"
"Yeah, what's with those two? I mean, Felix is so even tempered, but I sensed some tension there."
Aric pointed at the younger man. "Exactly! I told Maura that, and she poo-pooed me as being too suspicious of everyone. I'm not, am I?"
"Nah, just people you meet and those you know who you know are already bad. And those who you see when you're scouting stuff, and…" Corso smiled at his friend and brother in law.
"I get it, yeah, okay, I'm naturally suspicious of people," Aric grinned. "It's an instinct that's kept me alive more than once. But I really do sense something with Felix, he doesn't like this Zenith guy and the only thing that would make him hold a grudge this long is if it's to do with Mags. Don't you think?" Aric peered at the Mantellian, whose face had gone serious, thinking.
"If it were me, then yeah, it would have to involve Miriah for me to hold a grudge that long. I mean, I have, right? Brock is one example." He looked at Aric, "He's disappeared, for all intents, according to the background trace. Makes me a little nervous." He looked around, seeing his wife with her sister in the break room, cookie time for the kids. This was their last half day, and he was taking the kids fishing this afternoon after naps, and Felix and Aric were coming along. "Hey, you know, I was wondering. Their names are different, so I'm assuming the senator is or was married. Is she still?"
"Widowed," replied Aric. "I'd met her husband, he was one of the majors stationed on Balmorra, was killed there about a year after we left there. He was a really nice guy, Imps killed him during the last push on the planet." He looked down at his feet, knowing he or Maura could have had the same fate.
"Well, we might want to see if he had any enemies that might be trying to get something from her now that he's gone. I know it's been a while, but still a possibility." Aric nodded, he hadn't thought of that.
Miriah and Maura glanced over at their husbands, lost in conversation. "Wonder what they're solving over there?" Maura asked, looking at their posture and concluding that it was a work conversation.
"Oh, I'm sure it's some complicated galaxy-changing issue that we'd never understand," Miriah joked, getting a laugh from her sister. "I'm sure it's to do with this mission, if they talk about us, they have a different look." She nodded when Maura looked at her with a question on her face. "They do, honest."
"I sometimes forget how well you read people." Maura shrugged, "At least we're making some progress. All the current ops are going well and the ones we have on backlog are caught up, at least as much as we can catch them up until they get closer." She pulled Calleigh's golden curls away from her face. "I think we can coast a little now. Did you know Zenith is coming here tomorrow?"
"Really? Wow, haven't seen him since Mags' wedding." Miriah turned to the half full cookie container. "Uhoh I need to bake this afternoon. Can't let Tanno run out of cookies," she laughed.
"Or Aric," Maura said with a smile. She could cook meals, but the baking arena belonged to her sister. Miriah glanced at the men and saw Corso staring at her. What's he thinking, she mused, then she saw his slow grin, and felt it heat her up inside. Mags brought Michi in from her morning nap and slapped Miriah on the arm.
"Cut it out, Mir. I'm too tired." Miriah and Maura both turned their attention to Magdalane then, not realizing she was having any difficulty.
"Mags, go home. Rest. Are you okay?" Maura asked her older sister, noting her slowed movement.
"I'm just tired, you know how this part of pregnancy just saps your energy," Mags replied, kissing Michi's head as she put the little girl in her chair. Miriah put cookies down for her and Maura handed Michi a cup of milk. Miriah turned and hugged Mags, concerned for her.
"We're really fine here, and if you want, I'll take Michi with us for lunch and naps." Mags looked at her youngest sister with relief.
"That would be amazing, Mir. Are you sure? Dev won't fuss about sharing his mom?"
"He's getting a little better about the clinging," she told them, "and Mom is there if he gets fussy." She moved to take Devin out of the chair and wash his hands, then took him to his dad. "We're taking Michi at lunch, give Mags some time to rest, " she told him.
"Mags is okay?" His concern for her apparent on his face.
"Just tired. So we'll get her to go home and have some resting time." He nodded, he loved all the kids as his own, so one more was perfectly fine with him. Magdalane joined them, and Corso stood to hug her.
"Rest, Mags. Michi is in good hands." She nodded, grateful for the respite, and they waved as Felix took her hand and led her to their speeder car.
Felix was concerned about his wife. "Honey, are you absolutely sure this is just fatigue?" He knew her force power would tell her if anything else was wrong, but he was still concerned.
"Remember when I would fall asleep in the middle of conversations, with Michi?" Felix nodded, smiling as he recalled her odd and sudden collapses into sleep, sometimes even during a meal. "This is just like that. Just tired. No pain or anything else, just want to sleep." He nodded again, and helped her out at their house. She walked to the couch and slipped off her shoes, and motioned him over. "Hold me for a bit?" she asked, and he would never refuse a request like that. They got comfortable on the couch and he felt her fall asleep almost immediately. He lay there with her, her warmth and calm aura soothing him into sleep as well.
After another couple of hours, both families gathered their families to head to their respective houses, the kids getting hungry and tired. Devin was singing in the speeder and Michi was laughing at him. Corso looked at Miriah, and grinning, asked her, "Does this make you want another baby?" He laughed out loud when she whipped her head around to him.
"What are you suggesting, Mister Riggs? You're the one who still has occasional nightmares about Devin's birth." She saw him blush, it really was a scary time for them both. "I do want another, just not sure this is the right time. I really want Devin to be a little more independent before I'm pregnant again." Her voice was soft and her hand on his. Maybe it would be better to have Dev a little older, he thought. He nodded at her, and she relaxed. When they reached the house, they got the kids out and had the lunch Sarai had made for them all, and after a little play time, Devin brought Michi, holding her little hand, to his mom.
"Her sweepy," he told Miriah, and Michi rubbed her eyes. Miriah's heart thumped, her little man had just reached through her chest and touched it. She took the little girl in her arms, and Devin climbed up on the chair beside them, patting Michi's back. When Corso came back into the kitchen, he saw his wife with Michi on her shoulder, and Devin with his head on her lap, both children asleep. He gently picked the little girl up and put her in the crib set up in the guest room. Miriah picked her son up and took him to his bed, then met Corso in their swing.
"That was a sight, you covered in sleeping children," he smiled at her, as she settled against him. She told him how Devin had brought Michi to her, and he smiled. Their son was quite a little gentleman, and he was so proud of him. "You do such a great job with him, teaching him things, loving him," he told her, gently squeezing her against him.
"He copied you, you know. He does things he sees you do, all the time. He's your clone," she joked, snuggling to him. He laughed, he'd noticed Devin copying him, too, but figured that was okay for the most part. She turned to him, her face suddenly serious. "I love you, Cor."
"And I love you, cyare, very much." He kissed her forehead, which in their current position was all he could reach. "Everything okay?"
"Yes, I just realize sometimes that I don't say that enough to you. We show each other all the time, but I want to tell you more how I feel." He pulled her up onto his chest, kissing her with great care. They parted when they heard Sarai approaching to join them on the porch.
"Miriah, I'm going shopping. Anything you need? I'm going looking for house things, then going over to my house. I checked this morning, my things should be here in three days!" Sarai was very excited, she loved the little house she'd bought here, about ten minutes away from her daughters.
"No, Mom, I'm good. I'm baking this afternoon when the gang goes fishing, the cookie supply is getting low." They smiled at each other, and Sarai walked to them, kissing them both on the cheek. They're so perfect for each other, Sarai thought, as she walked to the speeder.
Sarai arrived at the local markets and shops, and found several things she wanted for her house. She also found some clothes for her granddaughters, and some toys for her grandsons, and a couple of soft blankets for her new grandson. She was gathering up her purchases when she saw soldiers in the small square. Republic soldiers. She paused, looking at their armor. Havoc squad patches adorned their chestplates. Hmm, she thought, this is unusual. Instead of going to her new house, she detoured to Aric and Maura's house, wanting them to know of the military's presence. Aric greeted her as she got off the speeder.
"Hey Mom, how are you? Missed you this morning," he told her, smiling. She grinned back, and hugged the large Cathar.
"I need to tell you something. I was just in the local markets, and saw Havoc squad soldiers in the square. Did you know they were here?" She looked at him as he processed this.
"No idea. Who is Havoc leader now? I don't even know. I'll get Maura, she might know." He rushed into the house, where Maura was reading and drinking tea. Sarai followed him, and they both startled Maura. They told her what Sarai had seen, and she walked over to her computer.
"Hmm says here that the current Havoc leader is Major Austin, I know him. Wonder what they're doing here?"
Aric crossed to her, reading over her shoulder. "No clue but I'm sure we'll be seeing them. Maybe I should stay here instead of taking the kids with Corso?"
Maura shook her head, "No, I'll be fine if they show up here. Maybe it's just a R&R or maybe Garza sent messengers. Whichever, it'll be fine." She turned to put her arms around his neck. "They're not here to take us back, love. It's okay." She grinned at him, and he bent his head to kiss her, both of them forgetting that Sarai was there for a moment.
She smiled at the two, and went to the kitchen to make caffa, calling on the force for a little calm. She got the machine started, and walked out to the speeder to get Calleigh and Colin's gifts. She'd just returned to the house when they felt the military armored vehicle rumble up the drive. "See?" Maura said, "I knew they'd visit." She smiled at Aric, who was a little nervous about the sudden appearance of Havoc squad. They stood at the door as the major approached them.
"Major Chantalle, Captain Jorgan?" At their nods, the man continued. "Major Austin here. We were sent to offer our support in the protection of General Garza's daughter, and wanted to stop here first to let you know we're on the job. Are there any further orders on this mission?" Aric and Maura looked at each other.
"We're looking into associates of both the Senator and her dead husband, to see what might turn up there," Maura said, "and there are a number of well known protesters and such that we're running background on." She looked over the major's shoulder at the others in the squad, who were looking curiously at the former and current Havoc squad commanders as they talked. "I would be thankful to know that at least her physical quarters were secure." The major nodded in agreement.
"That's our current mission. Sorry to barge in on you like this, but comms are so unsecure, we'd rather have these discussions face to face." Maura nodded at that.
"Why don't you all come in for caffa and cookies? You can't get off planet for at least a few hours anyway." The major blushed, but turned to give the command to his squad, and they gratefully accepted the offered respite.
"I'll let Corso know that I won't be there, " Aric whispered to his wife. "I want to see what these guys know." She nodded, and Aric went to message Corso with the latest developments, still wondering why an elite squad would be taking this mission. They'd done a couple like this when he and Maura were in Havoc, but not many, and it was to further a larger mission goal. He then wondered if there was a bigger objective involved here than finding someone who was threatening Senator Aimes. Corso replied to his message immediately, "No worries, Aric. Looks like rain is on the way anyway, probably not going. Why is Havoc there?" I wish I knew,Cor, Aric thought. I wish I knew.