Maura and Aric had all the children outside, enjoying the sunshine. Corso joined them, stretching and yawning. The whole family had been at the farm house for several days now, without incident. Corso had pulled the midnight to morning watch and was just now returning. He caught Aric's inquiring look and shook his head. There'd been no further sighting of Joslin, and nothing had happened overnight to alarm anyone. He shuffled over to the lounge chair and stretched out.
"All's quiet, " he said as Devin climbed up in the chair with him. "Miriah's inside?"
"Yeah, she seems fine," Aric said. "Sarai came up early with breakfast, and they're inside now baking." Maura was standing on the end of the deck, looking out over the lush pasture. "We're planning to go to Coruscant in a couple of weeks, think the twins can stay with you guys?"
"Of course, " Corso replied, noting that his friend had made the request in a soft voice, glancing to see where his wife was when he spoke. "What's going on? Everything okay?"
"We're going for some tests and an appointment with a fertility specialist," Aric said, not meeting Corso's eyes. "Maura is getting anxious over having another baby, and I promised I'd do whatever she wanted to figure out what's going on." He sighed. "What if we can't? I know we have the twins, but with Mags just having had Ian, and now Miriah expecting Logan, she's feeling a little left out, I think."
Corso waited a few seconds, watching Maura take the girls inside, Colin and Devin playing near the two men. "Whatever it is, it'll get figured out, Aric. We'll do everything we can to help." He grinned and closed his eyes in the warm morning sun. "Besides, practice makes perfect." He laughed when Aric growled at him. They were sitting in companionable silence, the little boys making engine sounds and absorbed in their playing, when they heard speeders approaching the ranch. Corso's eyes flew open and he jumped to his feet, grabbing the children under his arms and rushing them inside. Aric followed, and they called to Felix as they passed through the house to the front porch.
Sarai and Miriah were in the kitchen and saw them pass through. "There are several force users approaching," Sarai said. "They're friendly, although I sense they're concerned about you, dear."
"Me?" Miriah asked, puzzled at her mother's nod. "Well," she said, wiping her hands, "I'll go see what's up." She found all three men on the front porch, and stepped up beside Corso. "Mom says they're friendly force users," she told him, and saw the relief in his eyes. They waited as the large passenger speeder came up the road and eventually stopped, its passengers exiting the vehicle.
"Whooohoooo," Shurxan yelled as he unfolded himself from the driver's seat. "I'd forgotten how much fun it is to drive!" The huge grin he wore covered his face, and his friends laughed and clapped him on the back as they made their way up the steps.
"Shurxan!" Miriah said as she stepped forward. "Jestera! How wonderful to see you!" Jestera embraced Miriah as the men shook hands. They made their way to the chairs and once they were seated, Shurxan made introductions.
"Corso, Miriah, and Aric, this is Tekmer, Ken and Flar. You know Jestera," he said.
"And this is Felix Iresso," Miriah said. Once they all knew names, Sarai and Maura came outside as well, curious as to their visitors.
Sarai had taught Shurxan when he was first at the temple, and hugged him as she approached the group. "Master Sarai, you're looking well. Retirement is agreeing with you," he told her. They joined the group. "I know you must be wondering why we're here. Miriah, I have reason to think you might be in danger from someone you met on Aria."
"Joslin is here," she said, glancing at Corso. "She caused me to wreck my speeder a few days ago. Mags knows she's here, too. We haven't seen her since, though." She was sitting between Corso and Jestera on the swing, and could feel the force flowing around the group. "But when that happened, I thought I heard her say she had the wrong sister in me."
"No," Jestera said, the growl in her voice similar to Aric's. "It is you, Miriah. She has crossed to the dark side, and her focus is on you. I have felt this, even from Aria. Even before she left."
"But why? She seemed friendly when we were there," Corso said, taking Miriah's hand in his. "We kept our word to her. There was nothing we did to make her mad enough to come after us."
"We don't really know either," Shurxan said with a sigh. "About a week after you left, we had another visit from a Sith, one who would regularly come about once a year. When he left, Joslin left with him. She didn't say why, but Jestera has a theory." He nodded at his friend, who took Miriah's other hand.
"She was, quite simply, jealous. When you all were there, there was a new spark of life in the colony. A palpable lightness, one that we all noticed. For once, Joslin wasn't the brightest burning fire, and it bothered her. Deeply." The Cathar held Miriah's hand between her own hands. "You have some force sensitivity. I felt it, even when you were on Aria. Trust what it tells you."
Mirah looked at the group, a confused expression on her face. As she was working out how to tell them she had no idea how to use the force, Magdalane came out of the house with Ian on her shoulder and a smile on her face. She was introduced to the group, and when she'd been given a seat, she told them her news. "Obo is coming out as well, he just called from the spaceport. He's bringing a friend with him." Miriah had to laugh, earning her a curious glance from the group.
"Good thing Akaavi and Cy's house is done, the guest house is empty and has plenty of space," she said. "Let's take your things down there and get you all settled, then we'll have some lunch." While Corso and Aric helped get the gear bags from the speeder, Jestera remained with Miriah.
"She had so much anger, but you didn't cause it. You were just the available target," Jestera told her. still holding onto her hand.
"I knew her when we were young, but we were never really friends. She has always been vocal and outgoing, even as a young girl. I thought we had tried to be unobtrusive when we were on Aria, and I certainly didn't try to take any focus from her." Miriah frowned then, trying to remember anything she might have said to trigger Joslin's anger, but just sighed when nothing came to mind.
"Worry not, friend. It's not good for the little one," Jestera told her with a smile. "Besides, we are all here. She won't get past our defense. You are safe." With that, Jestera rose and went to join the others trailing down to the guest house.
Joslin was fuming, pacing in front of the little cabin she'd rented. She could feel the push of the additional light side force users, and one signature in particular infuriated her. Jestera, she thought. The traitor! She was my friend, until Miriah came along! Now she's here, with Shurxan and the others, to defend my enemy! She didn't notice the grass underneath her feet turning brown and dying with her every step. She whirled, and shot an arc of lightning across the path, her temper making her reckless. It was then that she felt another force signature, and it took her breath. Obomonus is here, she thought. For the first time since she'd left Aria, she wondered if she'd made the right decision. Once one of her closest friends, now Obo would stand against her, too. Fine, she thought. Let them all try. She whirled around, setting the area ablaze, and headed for her speeder.
Obo and Raych were heading to the ranch when the speeder controls were suddenly yanked from Obo's hands. He felt physically ill when the wave of dark force energy hit the speeder, buffeting it around in a fast spin. "Raych, block it if you can," he gritted out. They rode out the spin, and when it was done they found themselves thrown off the road, a woman running away from them in the distance. Obo knew who it was, and Raych had felt the push of darkness against them. Obo clenched his jaw and resumed the journey to the Riggs Ranch, his thoughts racing about what had just happened.
Magdalane felt the disturbance, as did Sarai. They looked at each other as the panic and fear flowed through the force, and both smiled when it resolved. "Apparently," Mags said, "she's unhappy that Obo isn't taking her side." Sarai nodded, she knew things weren't over but she felt sure there were enough surrounding her family that they'd be safe.
Lord Anyzama paced in front of the holoterminal of her ship, waiting for the call she'd placed to connect. After a dozen chimes, she saw her apprentice on the other end of the vid feed. "Joslin, what is the status of your operation?" she asked, seeing the residual dark side force flickering over the other woman.
"I have determined that there are a number of force users now present, come to defend my target. My original plan was to capture Barsen'thor Magdalane, to make a statement both to Miriah and to the Jedi Order that the Sith will rule all. But with all the additional light side force here, I have changed my plans." She smiled, but it was dark and dripped with venom. "Now I plan to just go after Miriah. Anyone else who dies will be considered collateral damage. You know, they do a lot of the planning for the Republic military. This will stop that." She looked at her master, wanting to see approval on her pale face, but Anyzama's face was unreadable.
"Your requested troops will be on planet in forty-eight hours. You will command them. I will be waiting to hear from you." With that, Anyzama cut the call off. She knew that Joslin was mad, but the depth of her hatred for this woman, this Miriah , seemed limitless. Nikos watched her as she pondered the situation. In his opinion, the defected Jedi was nothing but trouble.
Jestera fit seamlessly into the sisters, and they were all talking and enjoying being in the warm kitchen as night fell. The Cathar watched as Corso entered the room and crossed to his wife, tilting her head back to kiss her. Their bond is strong, she thought. Good. She will need his full support to stand against a dark side force user. She continued to watch them as Miriah put her head on Corso's chest and her arms around his waist, closing her eyes. Jestera could feel as Miriah relaxed against him, the well being that surrounded them both. She looked away when she felt another force spike, and looked down to see the deep brown eyes of their son looking at her with curiosity. "Hello, little one. What is your name?"
"Devin James Riggs," he said, a grin causing dimples to form on his face. He held his hand out to Jestera, who took it. When she did, she felt the jolt of pure force from the child, and it shocked her that one so young would be so powerful. Here, she thought, is the key. Devin led her toward the center of the kitchen, stopping near his mama.
"Mama, need cookies." He turned to Jestera. "Mama make cookies, yummy cookies." He turned back to see his mom laughing at him.
"Go get Colin, Calleigh, and Michi, and bring them back for cookie time, okay?" she told him. He nodded and ran toward the playroom to get his cousins.
Jestera met the captain's silver eyes. "He is very strong, Miriah, and I have a feeling he will be key in this," she told her new friend, seeing the cloud of concern cross her face. "He will be protected, I assure you. I will protect him with my own life." Miriah nodded, but the concern remained.
Magdalane observed the interaction, seeing with force clarity that Jestera had figured out Devin was force sensitive. Good, then she knows what a powerful ally we have, one that will never let the dark touch his mother.