The ties that bind us together...

[Soren Khapst]

...are often the ones that keep us the furthest apart. Wish you were here, big brother. The weather on Naboo is spectacular this time of year. I'm off to Tatooine next...call of the wild, so to speak. I doubt I'll be there long. Something tells me it's just a pit stop.

Miss you.

~Fi

Soren dragged a heavy hand over his face and uttered a sigh, scrolling through the painfully short message several times. The worn datapad landed on his desk beside his heavily booted feet.

His head dropped back against the cushion of his high-backed chair, blue eyes cast sightlessly towards the ceiling. He loved his little sister beyond words, but her planet-hopping habits frustrated his abilities to keep tabs on her. Hell, it was nearly impossible. Not that she wasn't capable of taking care of herself - he'd made arrangements to have her properly trained in self-defense.

He'd been beyond pleased that Fi had taken to the lessons so well, and had held out hope for a while that she'd follow in his footsteps and join the Corps. But no, the girl had her own infernal plan in life, and upon turning eighteen and gaining access to her trust fund had fled Bakura on the first ship.

Firenne had told him then that she was different, and meant for bigger things in life...a statement that still bothered him. Soren had half an idea what she meant, but never pressed the issue. After all, what he didn't know, he couldn't betray to the Inquisitoriate. And no matter what, she'd always be his baby sister.

"GIBSON!" he bellowed, getting to his feet.

The aformentioned man rose from his nearby seat at the table where there was an impromptu pazaak game. "Sir!"

"I'm headed out for three days. Make sure you either all take a few days of leave, or if you'd rather save them, head over to Central for an indy. Reachable through the usual channels, and you're in charge until I'm back."

The men all gaped, but managed to hold in the celebratory shouts until -after- the door closed behind Soren's retreating form.

[Firenne Khapst]

The young woman couldn't have explained what drove her to leave the comfort she'd found in the Lake Country of Naboo.

She knew, from the minimal teachings she'd received in her abilities, that it was the guidance of the Force. The deep, pulsating darkness that ebbed and flowed in her veins even as her blood did.

It was the why that eluded her. Why now? And why the visions of Tatooine? The endless oceans of sand and the heat of the twin suns would be insufferable. Firenne did not want to go.

But she knew she had to.

The message to Soren was brief, and reasonably cryptic as always. He'd expect no less, she mused. But, the possibility of him meeting her on Tatooine was also existant. It wouldn't be the first time, and certainly wouldn't be the last time that he'd chased her down. She'd honestly be disappointed if he didn't.

After all, she'd not seen him since the funeral almost a year ago.

~*~Destination reached, please collect your belongings and disembark from the shuttle~*~

The tinny voice echoed through her small compartment, and elicited a sigh. A tiny hovercart floated along behind her, carrying a small R2 series droid and her traveling cases. Clad in a loose, white silk dress and soft boots, her long curls rippled in the wind that rose as she strode down the ramp and into the spaceport on the outskirts of Bestine.

[Soren Khapst]

Hard to believe she was already twenty-one.

What wasn't hard to believe was that finding his little sister had been so damn easy. Firenne was, if nothing else, a predictable creature who needed her little comforts surrounding her. The only city with accomodations that might suit her was Bestine, the planetary capital. He made a mental note to have a word with her about changing her routine as he finally caught sight of her.

Where Soren favored their tall, fair father, Firenne most definitely favored their petite, exotic mother. Dark hair and glittering dark eyes tugged at what few heart strings the man had left, drawing him out of the shadows near the entrance of the spaceport. "You still suck at hiding yourself, Fifi..." he grinned, scooping her up for a hug as she abandoned pretense and flung herself at him.

[Firenne Khapst]

The only sound that passed her lips was a childish squeak of delight at first. He'd tracked her down in record time on this jaunt, she mused distantly, sighing happily as he hugged her tightly. Burying her face in his shoulder, she allowed herself a moment to just relax and free herself of the pretense that normally dictated her every waking moment.

This was her brother, though, the one person in the entire galaxy she knew she could trust without question, no matter what.

"Its really good to see you, Soren. I'm...sorry its been so long this time around." Firenne said softly, tucking her arm into his as they pulled apart to walk. Her free hand rose to absently smooth out the soft silk of her dress and nudge her loose curls into some semblance of order.

[Soren Khapst]

"Tattooine is really quite scenic this time of the lunar cycle. Bestine especially..." Soren said dryly, watching Firenne out of the corner of his eye. If nothing else, being on her own had suited her to perfection. She looked whole and healthy, and reasonably happy, if he was reading her right.

That being said, however, she was in the middle of nowhere in the Outer Rim. Alone.

Which his protective instincts didn't like in the least. But that argument could wait a while. He had two more days, after all, before he started in on the lectures that would precede his departure. Soren leaned over and kissed the top of her head with a smile.

"Kerr sends her love...she graduated, you know. Top of her class, of course. Hand-picked by the finest squadron in the Empire, the Shadows." His voice brimmed with enough pride for several parents, though his expression was tinted with a touch of regret that her mother wasn't there to witness it. That, however, was not worth marring the moment for.

[Firenne Khapst]

"That's wonderful news! You're fit to burst with pride, aren't you big brother?" Firenne grinned up at him. "I knew she'd be amazing. Khapst genes, after all...we're destined for greatness."

Barely three years older than her niece, the two had always enjoyed a close relationship while they had both been living on Bakura. They'd parted ways when Kerryna had been accepted to the Academy on Carida and Firenne had fled Bakura upon her eighteenth birthday. It wouldn't do to lose touch completely, but by necessity, she would wait to make contact. Hopefully it wouldn't be noticed, given how busy the girl would be as the newest and youngest member of the Shadows.

"I'll have to send her a message through the HoloNet once I'm settled in. Give her my love in the meantime, though. Ahh! Here we are..." she said a bit abruptly, tugging Soren's arm as she turned to enter the small hotel they'd been walking towards.