Sarai woke early, not unusual for her, and felt someone else already up in the house. She rose and dressed quickly, a little concerned that maybe her guests needed something. She went first to the kitchen and was putting tea on when she heard Diedre's voice. Hmm, Sarai thought, she's speaking to the other senator again, and I can feel her passion for him. Her mother doesn't like it, however. The child loves him, though, and that carries a lot of weight. Her hands continued to work on breakfast but her mind worked through her usual force checks. Miriah and Corso were still sleeping, and she could feel their contentment. Aric and Maura were awake, oh heavens, leave that door closed, she thought. Magdalane was awake, her son's movement making her restless, but she could feel that her oldest daughter was rested, and then the "Hi, Mom" that Mags sent her. That made her smile. She was still smiling when Garza came into the kitchen.
"Good morning, General," Sarai told her, and was surprised with her reply.
"Helena," the career military woman said. "No one ever calls me by my given name, but it's Helena." She smiled at the tiny Jedi, and thanked her for the tea Sarai handed her. "My daughter is already working?" Sarai nodded, pointing to the dining room off the kitchen, and Helena sighed. "I'd hoped she would take a break from it."
"Helena, the relationship with Senator Zenith, it's an issue between the two of you?" Sarai asked the question gently, not wanting to upset anyone this early. She saw the general stare at her tea cup, but slowly nod.
"She's my daughter, my only child, and her husband was a wonderful man. His death was a major blow, and I know she's lonely, but I had hoped that she would find someone not in politics or in the military. The danger is so prevalent for everyone on Balmorra, but it seems to be particularly true for those in those professions." She rose and went to look out the long windows at Sarai's garden, the flowers in riotous bloom. There's a peace here, she thought, a kind of isolation that calms the soul. She was still there when her daughter joined them, a yawning Paolo in tow.
"Good morning, ladies. Master Jedi, this is a fabulous place. I don't know when I've slept so well," Diedre told Sarai, her smile genuine. Her son nodded, but his sentiment was different.
"Are we going back to the ranch today?" he asked, a hopeful look on his face. His mother sighed, but Sarai beamed at him.
"Of course, we will. It's a fun place, isn't it?" She chuckled as the boy nodded vigorously. They cooked and had breakfast, waiting until it was a little later to join the others.
Miriah stood at the counter in her kitchen wearing nothing but Corso's shirt, her hair wild around her and her eyes still half open. When Aric told her good morning, it started her and she jumped, spinning around. "Stars, Aric, forgot everyone was here." She realized she was very underdressed and after grabbing a mug of caffa for Corso, eased out of the kitchen and down the hallway, hearing Aric's chuckles behind her. Corso was still dozing, and when she sat the mug on the nightstand and sat on the edge of the bed beside him, he slowly began to wake. "Morning, sugar," she told him in her sleep-roughened voice. They'd not discussed the mission at all, nor the fact that Garza had appeared on the planet a day early, before sleeping, but Miriah had questions now, questions that she wanted to share with her husband. He sat up, rubbing his hands over his face, and pulled her to him. Their good morning kiss done, she had just started to tell him what she was thinking about when Devin came down the hall. "Well, I guess I'm meant to just sit on this for now, but maybe at some point we can talk about this mission," she groused, picking Devin up and taking him to get changed and start breakfast. She'd just arrived in the kitchen when she realized she was still in Corso' s shirt, and stopped dead in the doorway. Mags took Devin from her and sat him in his chair, his breakfast already done for him. He told his aunt thank you, and Mags kissed his head, then turned to her sister.
"Go, Mir, and get dressed. I've got Dev." Miriah turned and walked back down the hall, and found Corso in the shower. She pulled his shirt over her head and joined him. They said nothing but she held onto his waist while he shampooed her hair, his hands smoothing out the rough edges of her morning so far. When they'd gotten dressed, he turned her to him and spoke.
"Mir, what's on your mnd, darlin'?" His deep drawl made her smile, and she sat for a minute to organize her thoughts.
"Well, so far the casualties have started to climb. Brock, the soldiers, three workers on Balmorra. Why doesn't Garza seem more concerned? She hasn't even mentioned it since she got here, granted, I understand wanting to shield her grandson. But doesn't it seem off that she's so nonchalant about it?" She stood and paced. "And what about the outposts? I haven't.." She was interrupted by C2, who informed them that Senator Zenith had arrived. "Zenith?" She looked at Corso, puzzled, and followed him to the living room, where Magdalane and Felix sat with the senator.
"Good morning, " she greeted them, and noted that Felix looked a little tense.
"Diedre holoed me this morning, " Zenith said. "She is here, correct?" At their nods, he continued. "I received word early this morning that the Republic is sending troops to aid the government there in regaining control of the chaos. If this is true, then the war on Balmorra will have escalated into the old Republic verses Empire battle, and our people will suffer. Do you know of this?"
Magdalane shook her head. "I do not, but I will contact some of my colleagues and see what I might discover." She moved to the next room, accessing the holoterminal there, and they could hear her speaking.
Miriah walked into the kitchen for something cold to drink, and found Maura and Aric with the kids there. "We're listening," Maura said, "but wanted to give the kids a chance to finish eating. " Miriah looked at Devin, who was handing Michi his spoon, and grinned at her son's cereal covered face. She took him to clean up, and Corso found her outside with the kids, she and Maura enjoying the sunshine, Aric throwing a ball to the little boys.
"Darlin', you've been trying to tell me something all morning, but keep getting interrupted. What have you figured out?" He put his arm around her as he sat beside her.
"Who benefits? From all of this, I mean. The Empire doesn't hold Sobrik anymore, and I'm sure have replaced what was produced there with another arms factory. So, why? Why now? And who gets the biggest cut?" She looked expectantly at him as he thought about her query.
"I am not really sure, but I think it's a good question, especially for Garza. Mags is waiting on responses, and I see Sarai and our guests arriving," he told her, getting up to greet them. Paolo immediately started in with Corso on the ranch, and he took the boy and Devin and Colin to the barn, all of them chatting excitedly.
Diedre knew Zenith was here, he'd sent her a message, and she went inside to see him. Sarai and the general stayed out with Miriah and Maura and the little girls, who were playing quietly. "It's a nice morning, and so beautiful here." Garza looked around, and then saw that Miriah was staring at her. "You have questions for me, I'm assuming."
Miriah nodded, and leaned forward. "Who do you work with on a daily basis? Besides your assistant? Because, in my mind, someone very close to you knows pretty much everything you know, and if compromised, could be a very bad thing." Garza thought, pacing on the deck.
"There is only one other person who I see and work with every single day, and that's Colonel Jurin, my liaison with SIS. He and I brief each other every morning, and again in the afternoon." She looked at Miriah, who'd stood to pace, and wondered if she'd been a fool.
"Did you happen to discuss the Brock incident with him?" she asked, and saw the general look up at her sharply. "You did, didn't you. Aric contacted you about the surveillance on Brock at the Port, and then again when he was taken into custody. Does he also know that you're sending a team to the transponder station?"
"Yes," she replied, pulling her holo out of a pocket. "Major Austin, please recall anyone going to the transponder station. They haven't left, have they?" She peered at the Havoc squad leader, sensing his confusion.
"No, general. They are in the shuttle but haven't taken off yet."
"Get them off, out and away from the shuttle." They watched as the major gave the orders, and as the squad members disembarked the shuttle. They were a safe distance away when the small craft exploded, to the astonishment of the squad as well as the women watching via holo.
"Major, casualty status." Garza looked at Miriah with fear in her eyes.
"Minor, three minor injuries. Don't know who got you the intel, but you just saved six soldiers. Thank you." The major rubbed his hand over his neck, relieved that he'd had his holo close. Garza let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding and told the major to sweep the area. She disconnected the call and groped for a chair, her knees suddenly weak.
Maura went inside for cold drinks, bringing out an armload of them and a plate of cookies. Miriah took a long drink, then faced Garza again. "There's someone close to you who is trying to pit the Empire and Republic against each other on Balmorra. Now, granted, not a hard thing to do, but there is the question of what is there to gain? If not in assets, then in terms of revenge or justice. " She looked out over the ranch, seeing the kids and Corso heading back their way. "Zenith doesn't know about the transponder station, neither does Diedre. Let's keep it that way, just for a bit, okay?" She looked at the older woman, seeing her nod, and turned to watch Corso lead his little pack up to the house. They took the kids inside, Michi getting sleepy, and the others played while the littlest one slept. Maura stood beside her sister while Miriah started to pull things together to cook.
"I'm going to go brief Aric on the holo call," she said in a quiet voice. "You okay here with the kids?" Miriah nodded, and turned to catch Maura's arm.
"Tell Aric to start a search for activity on the good Colonel, looking for any gap in time not accounted for." Maura nodded, patted Miriah's hand, and went to the next room. Miriah worked on, and after a few minutes of silence, turn on music in the kitchen. She felt her shoulders relax, and wondered where Corso went. As if she'd conjured him, he walked into the kitchen, having heard the info Maura was giving Aric. He walked to her and hugged her, whispering to her.
"So very glad you thought of her associate, love." He held her in his arms, and when the song changed, he began to sway with her, feeling her respond. They were still standing in each other's arms when Garza and Sarai came into the kitchen.
"We came to help…whoops, sorry," Garza spun to leave, but Sarai's hand on her arm stopped her.
"What can we do, Miriah? I know the Senators and the older kids will be ready for lunch soon." She patted Corso's arm, which was still holding her daughter to him, and they slowly parted, knowing that she was right.
"I'm making the plain pasta with cheese sauce for the little ones, and stuffed pasta for us," she explained, getting their attention. It was a recipe that they all loved, and just thinking about it made Sarai hungry. She took plates and glassware out of the cabinets and started to set the big table in the dining room, too many people for the worktable in the kitchen. Garza helped, finding comfort in working with Sarai, and finally had to ask the question.
"Are they always like that? So, I don't know, connected to each other? I was married a long time before my husband died, but I never remember being so pulled to each other." She smiled at her new friend, and saw Sarai's gentle nod.
"They really are, and my daughter is not one to trust easily. Magdalane always has said that Corso has a pure soul, and if anyone would know someone's true self, it would be Mags." She finished the table, and turned to the general. "I damaged her at an early age with respect to trust and love, I can hardly begrudge her the intense relationship she has with her husband. The other two have the same sort of relationship, but aren't as comfortable showing it as they are."
"I can only hope Diedre can find that," Garza said, and Sarai smiled her knowing, Jedi smile at her.
"She has, Helena," she said to her friend in a soft voice, and saw the realization in the general's eyes. She'll need to process that, Sarai thought, and went into the kitchen, seeing that Corso and Felix were getting the kids fed and Miriah was finishing their own lunch. Devin turned as she entered, and his Nana was said through a mouthful of pasta, but his sentiment evident.
When they sat down to eat lunch, Maura noticed that Zenith sat with Diedre, her mother on the other side. Paolo had eaten with the little ones, but no longer took naps. Instead he watched a holovid in the other room. Corso pulled Miriah's chair out and did the same for Sarai, Felix seating Magdalane and the general. They ate, and kept the conversation away from Balmorra and briefings. A tour of their office was on the schedule for the afternoon, and Aric and Maura were taking care of that. Corso had told Miriah earlier that he might go up as well, anxious to start working on the background of the SIS agent. She'd agreed then, but now, she wished he wouldn't go, but wouldn't tell him that. Sarai and Miriah stayed at the house instead, the kids all there.
Magdalane was on the holo, a colleague from her diplomatic service days on the other end. They were discussing the geopolitical changes on Balmorra when the other Jedi mentioned that she'd been there only a few months ago. She remembered it well, she said, because she met an SIS agent there that had impressed her with his knowledge of the prominent players on the planet and who they were affiliated with. She was effusive with her praise, and Magdalane sensed some emotion playing into her account of the mission there. "Do you remember his name?" Mags asked.
"A Colonel Jurin," she replied.