More Little Moments

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The notion of 'quiet' was a rarity these days, though thankfully those rare instances were becoming more numerous. With her post aboard the Dauntless made permanent, Loklorien s'Ilancy busied herself with the duties associated with her rank. And of course with the duties that came with being Dan's official adviser. It was a never-ending waterfall of paperwork that she still at times had difficulty grasping. But at least she had been allowed the courtesy of seeing to her tasks more or less from the comfort of the quarters shared between herself, the General, and their daughter. Such small blessings were vastly appreciated; now moreso than ever.

Early evenings were spent much the same as those that came before, and as s'Il had effectively commandeered Dan's desk her own datapads and documents had begun to overtake those of his own - which in all reality were hers as well. It was what happened when one was the gateway to an individual higher up. Of course she grudgingly acknowledged that she was little more than a glorified secretary, but all the same there was something within her that felt compelled to filter and scan the documents, requests, and other flotsam that was sent his way. And on the other side of the credit chit she was relentless in editing and proofreading whatever he sent out. Which was, quite honestly, a good thing. His handwriting was abysmal and something she had sworn on more than one occasion to be some proto-form of aurabesh that was little more than scribbles and dashes.

One such hardcopy she had in front of her now. Brow knit in concentration, the Lupine worked relentlessly to copy her husband's nearly illegible writing to a much more legible datapad. Ensconced at the desk that Dan had begrudgingly ceded to her, s'Il doggedly pressed onward, word by word.

Teagan had returned home from her studies group hours previous, and now the little girl was happily occupying herself for the time being - thankfully in her room. The sound of some children's holo-program filtered through the closed bedroom door in muted tones, but it was nothing that would be too distracting.

She was dimly aware of the holo growing quiet, and the sound of Teagan's door opening before soft footsteps could be heard from the short hallway.

Still engrossed in her work, s'Il gave her daughter a passing glance as the girl moved to stand beside her chair. Both were silent as Teagan placed small hands at the edge of the desk, her head angled to stare up at her mother as she worked.

At least a minute passed before the little Lupine finally spoke up.

Engrossed in her task, s'Il furrowed her brow as she continued working.

"Hm?"

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

"I said I still don't get it."

Dama was always working these days, though it was sort of nice that they weren't always having to leave Daddy to go to the Wheel anymore. Of course, that meant that seeing Wyl had become decidedly trickier. Dama kept saying they would, but as the days passed, Teagan was beginning to doubt her Dama's words.

But, with the news of something so profound that it caused her to be instantly skeptical, returning to the Wheel and Wyl had been suddenly placed on hold.

It was so outlandish. It was so unbelievable! Ever since she'd been told, the girl could not hide her skepticism, and over the last week she'd tried to figure it all out. To no avail. Nothing of it made sense, and nothing of it was right at all.

"It just doesn't make any sense!"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

At that, the Lupine paused. The hardcopy and datapad both were gently set down as she leaned back in her chair. Turning to look at Teagan, s'Il gave her daughter a confused look. It was plain to see that the girl was perplexed.

"Sweetheart, what are you talking about?"

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

She frowned.

Dama saying she didn't know only furthered her frustrations, and she let out a huffed breath.

"I mean... you know."

A hand detached itself from the edge of the desk to point a finger at Dama's midsection.

"That."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Oh.

So that was it.

While she'd certainly not begun showing obvious signs of her pregnancy, s'Il had become more than aware of the beginning stages of that telltale bulge of budding new life.

In an instant any thoughts of finishing her work were dashed.

"Teagan."

How to even begin explaining?

"What don't you get about it, Darling."

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Another huffed breath, only this time through her nostrils.

"Everything!"

Dama wasn't helping to make this any easier to figure out.

"I just... I don't see how it works! I've tried to figure it out, and I can't. I mean it's just... "

Basic failed her, and she lapsed into Bast'yr.

"Ar'akhu kheh'runa'ek!"

At the decidedly stern look from her mother - maybe saying that the whole thing was a 'bucket of garbage' (only she hadn't exactly said garbage) was a little much - Teagan held up her hands.

"Sorry."

She went on before Dama could interject with any sort of punishment for the expletive.

"But look. The sizes; they're just impossible! It's all so... impossible."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The shock at hearing Teagan swear, even in Bast'yr, was enough to cause her shock, but it was this notion of sizes that made her grimace in thought. This was becoming more of an impossible situation with each word spoken. The Core could simply vanish into a black hole and s'Il would have an easier time of explaining what had happened to cause that.

Salvation came in the form of an opening door, and both mother and daughter turned to look at the poor soul who'd had the unfortunate luck to land himself slap-center in this dilemma...

[General Dan]

When you're married and / or have kids, you have to be an interpreter of looks. Not everything important is said, and if you just wait until a conversation happens, the damage is already done.

"What did I do?"

Okay so it was more of a guess than a solid interpretation, but he'd start with that one and go from there.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

With the sight of Daddy, Teagan breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Perhaps now with the both of them here, they could together explain to her how this worked! It didn't make sense, but perhaps soon enough it would; after all, her father was usually real good at explaining things.

"I'm confused," she proclaimed, half in answer to his question and half in self-pity.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

And all that she herself could offer was an expression as near to relief at the sight of him as anything. The root cause of this small problem was obvious at least, but the specifics were still shrouded in mystery. If she could only ascertain what those specifics were, she'd be in a much better position.

With Teagan now focused on Dan, the Lupine mouthed a single word to him so that he would be on the same level of understanding as her.

Baby.

[General Dan]

The look he sent back to Lok was more like: no! no! no! this is your job! but then again nothing ever made sense in these matters, did they. Dan reluctantly stepped forward, remembering at the last moment to remove his coat and hang it up before sitting on a corner of the desk near his wife.

"Well, Teagan...."

But there was nothing else.

"...well..."

He cleared his throat.

"You know Dama is having a baby, right? Well, babies are very small. Before they are babies they are even smaller, and..."

Okay, ball is in her court now, she has to follow his lead!

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

"But how can they be smaller? Kids don't get much smaller than me!"

And in that she had confessed the reality of her problems with this whole thing.

"It's just not possible for a kid to fit into a grownup! Kids are just too big, and besides you're supposed to buy your kids anyway."

A helpless shrug was sent to both of her parents, and she kept on.

"It's just so confusing, because Dama isn't as big as some of the other girls I've seen around and there's no way she can fit anything even half as big as me into her tummy!"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

And there it was.

With an inner sigh of relief at having to dodge the more obvious talk that she had been beginning to dread was the case, this was nothing more than an issue of size. Of course that consolation was not much when faced with still having to explain it.

She cleared her throat.

"Sweetheart, listen to me."

Reaching out, s'Il took both of Teagan's hands in hers.

"Kids start out very small. They just grow the older they get, is all; in fact, you've been growing too. You weren't always as big as you are now, you know."

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

The look that spread across her features was one of near-horror, and Teagan felt her mouth slightly open in surprise. Only, this wasn't one of those kinds of surprises that she liked. This was a bad kind of surprise, and it only served to deepen her disbelief.

"No," she shook her head, her voice a whisper.

"That's not true... "

As far as she was concerned, she was the same size she'd always been for as long as she could remember.

"That's impossible!"

[General Dan]

"Well, don't take our word for it."

Dan reached over to the desk, picking up a holocube that he thumbed through, eventually finding what he wanted. He projected a hologram of a tiny, pudgy little cherub, half immersed in suds in a kitchen sink.

"Do you know who that is?"

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

At that her mouth dropped open.

"I thought Dama made those pictures up for you!"

Pulling her hands from Dama's, the girl placed both palms to either side of her face as she stared incredulously at the holo. For the longest time she had believed the supposed 'baby pictures' were nothing but a farce; after all, you bought your kids, and they always came in the same size - the size that she was now.

But, staring wide-eyed at each picture as Daddy cycled through them, all that she once knew to be truth was suddenly crumbling all around her to fall in zillions of little bits at her feet.

Finally she looked over to Dama, and her voice dropped to a whisper."

Was I really that small?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The elder Lupine gave a gentle smile.

"You were."

She reached out to pull Teagan's hands down.

"You've even grown taller than you were when we first started living with your Father."

[General Dan]

"See, kiddo, it's kind of like when we planted those flowers, you remember?"

Dan pointed to the potted plant in the corner under a UV sconce.

"We got the dirt ready, put in a little tiny seed, then gave it water and a lot of attention, and it grew. But it all started from a little tiny seed."

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

She followed his pointing finger with her eyes, her gaze narrowing at the flowers that they'd planted many months before. The blossoms had come in, and their vibrant yellows and reds added a touch of extra color to everything around them.

Her little brow knit in deep concentration, and Teagan pursed her lips as her mind worked through what her Father had said. She supposed it made sense, but in a roundabout way.

So perhaps kids were got at stores, just... as seeds?

She breathed out a long sigh.

"Then, if I've been growing... " she bit her lip, "... was I ever as small as that?"

She pointed at Dama's tummy.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Leaning forward in her seat, s'Il gave an easy smile.

"Oh yes, certainly."

Arms going out, she pulled her daughter into her lap.

"In fact, look at your Daddy," a slender finger pointed at Dan.

"See that little twinkle in his eye?"

Teagan gave a cautious nod, her eyes locked on Dan's.

"You used to be one of those."

[General Dan]

Dan shot a look at Lok, as if to say are you kidding me? This wasn't the easiest little talk, and he wasn't gonna do all the heavy lifting!

Still, it's not quite so easy to fact check tall tales, especially when you're trying to make a child swallow the most benign explanation. He grimaced a bit, working with effort to make that a smile.

"You see Teagan, when a boy and a girl really like each other..."

And the grimace was back. Maybe Lok could string that one better than he cared to.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

At that she threw her hands up.

"{No! I don't wanna know!}"

She lapsed backed into Bast'yr unintentionally, the swiftness of her denials overriding anything but instinct. The little Lupine knew the tone of voice that her Father now took, and she wanted no part of it, no matter what. That tone usually meant nothing good, and the sooner she stopped him the better.

"{Keep your flowers and babies and dirt and seeds. If I was small, then I was small. But don't tell me why!}"

And turning on her heel, Teagan marched herself out of the main living room and down the hallway.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Well.

The sound of Teagan's bedroom door forcefully closing was enough to break the spell caused by her daughter's brusque declaration and abrupt exit.

It was also enough to make the elder Lupine lean back in her chair and let out a relieved sigh. For a long moment both husband and wife sat in silence, neither speaking a word.

But, as was always the case, the calls of duty and work were not to be denied, and s'Il moved to turn her chair back to the task at hand. Palming the hardcopy she'd been 'translating' before all of this mess began, she reached out with her free hand to give an almost absent, light pat to Dan's leg as he still sat atop the edge of the desk.

"Count your blessings, old man."

A rueful smile as she retrieved her datapad.

"Imparting ancient knowledge and wisdom is nothing compared to the power of a child."

[General Dan]

It was enough cause to de-cork a bottle of wine, which he promptly did and decanted into two glasses. He paused mid-offer to Lok, remembering her condition, and sat back on the desk with both wine glasses.

"We did good, kid."

He sipped from one glass.

"We did real good."

And then the other.

"Twinkle, huh? Yeah, you get to explain that one when she's a little older, then."

[Q. Samus Dage]

* * *


It'd been at least three days since the General and Commodore s'Ilancy had returned from wherever it was they'd gone to have their second child, and Quentin Dage found himself in the almost unenviable position of calling on the couple at the stationed home on Bothawui. While he was certainly curious to see the new addition to their family, the underlying reason for his visit was not particularly the reason why he would've called upon them. He'd have waited at least a week, but Alliance Command dictated otherwise, and he found himself in the sad position to not deny what duty demanded. Kori had opted out, choosing to stay away for the time being. The less ire earned from the General the better he'd said, and while Dage surely agreed, he was unable to refuse what those above him wished.

And so it was that the lanky blonde found himself at the front door of Dan Thrule's 'home', a datapad in one hand and a giftbag in the other.

At least he could make the attempt to smooth over his intrusion with a gift for his old friends' new child.

The toe of his polished boot moved outward to tap at the bottom edge of the door, simulating well enough that someone was hoping to gain the attention of those inside.

It was noon according to Bothan time, but with a newborn, Dage was willing to bet that it was anything but to those inside.

[General Dan]

The door cracked open, and Dan stood at the aperture, the light from outside aggravating eyes that probably wanted to see sleep instead of sunlight.

"Yeah? Oh. You."

His shoulders slumped in some amount of relief, but squared again just as soon. Dage carried a gift bag and a datapad. If he had one without the other, it might seem innocuous enough, but both together meant that there was something up and that Dage was trying to smooth it over with the most clever option he had.

"Beware Myomarians bearing gifts."

The General's face was a tired mask, and he sighed, marshaling up what passed for better spirits.

"Come on in, Quent."

[Q. Samus Dage]

Oh it was a brave face the General put on, but both had known each other for long enough.

"Gods you look like shit," came the unbidden response as Dage stepped inside, waiting until the door had been closed behind him.

He was damn near the image of proper military fashion, his uniform crisp and his hair combed back into a surprising show of respectability.

He gave his superior a good looking-over, shedding for the time being military protocol.

He decided for at least a small amount of offered humor. It was his way, after all.

"Ain't seen you like this since five days past getting hitched to that she-wolf."

There was a pause, and he made a slight amendment.

"... course you had a few busted ribs too, but still."

[General Dan]

"Well, that she-wolf is asleep, and so is the boy, mercifully."

Frazzled, Dan gestured to the hall leading to his office, on the other wing of the suite from the master bedroom.

"Let's mosey this way, out of earshot. Took us an hour to put him down last time."

In what was becoming his last refuge, Dan stepped gingerly into his office, and after Quentin had followed, closed the door with careful ease, manually trimming the hydraulic speed on the closing mechanism to ensure it did its work whisper quiet.

"You've gone through the effort to butter me up. Guess I'd better know the hub-bub."

[Q. Samus Dage]

"Aw hells," it was said with a bit of bashful overtones, but Dage gave a shake of his head to try and brush off the knife that the General used so skillfully to cut to through to the heart of all matters.

Thankfully he himself knew how to skirt that knife and avoid its' edge for at the very least a short amount of time. In the end he'd always been unable to fully deflect Dan's blade, but it was usually enough time to make things easy enough to swallow.

He set the bag and datapad on the General's desk, intentionally ignoring duty for the moment so that he could dispense a small bit of 'cheer'. He made a show of rifling through the pastel blue bag, shifting the contents inside.

"Got the boy some clothes and such," he started, "... and grabbed Teagan the newest Action Johnny Rebel toy."

He knew the particular point of perverse pride that Dan Thrule held when it came to his daughter's love for those particular action figures.

"Got you a little something, too."

And from the bag, he pulled out a mid-sized box, embossed with a flourishing 'C'. There was no mistaking the maroon and gold markings; a bottle of Coruscanti Y1 was not something that many took lightly, and Dage set the elegant box reverently before Dan.

[General Dan]

Interest piqued, Dan leaned forward to inspect the piece de resistance. Y1 was a blended whisky, but the story went so much deeper than the method.

"Where'd you find this?"

The question came out remarkably genuine, and Dan's eyes were alive with speculations. While Quent could certainly buy it on his pay grade, he might have to downgrade his rations to molecular noodle packs for a month to do so. But even if you could buy it, finding it was another story. It was a singular creature - like every vintage of Alderaanian brandy. Every sip you took, you were destroying history never to be seen again.

"Do you have any idea what this is?"

[Q. Samus Dage]

"I know exactly what it is," came the almost smug answer; though there was also a healthy touch of satisfaction in his tone. He'd been saving it; keeping it to himself for the right occasion.

"And you wouldn't believe me if I told you how I got it."

Which was mostly the honest truth.

At Dan's look, the blonde gave in.

"I found it ages back." There was a 'helpless' shrug.

"Way back on Malastare I think. We went through some curio shop; you seemed happy enough with that 'No Apologies' game you'd found, said somethin' about how funny it'd be to make Lok play," a smirk, "... which was I must admit, wonderfully hilarious. But you were so keen on that game that I never felt the need to show you what I'd found."

A gesture to the box.

"... which was this."

Another shrug.

"All I ask is that you share it; least one glass, at any rate."

[General Dan]

"That long, eh."

He examined the box, finding one last triangle of dust remaining on its top contour where it must have been laid up for a while.

"Considering what you were making back when you weren't making a damn thing, makes it even more of a steal."

He paused, looking at his subordinate at the realization his turning of phrase might be literal.

"Eh, I won't ask. But..."

He carefully worked the seal free from the edge of the box, violating a crypt designed to ward off the ages.

"Thank you."

Paused in reverie, the General eyed two glasses on his desk with a of course, you idiot look to him. He peeled the artisanal gold-embossed wood sarcophagus free from its base, hearing the air displace as the lid pulled free.

"The Coruscanti Distillers Guild makes blends all the time, Dage. That's not the point. You can get those for a pittance in every shop in the galaxy. But this..."

Removing the lid led to still another layer of intrigue in the form of a silk and gold-threaded pouch, seated into a felt recess.

"This is a blend from a Year One reserve. This is the essence of a whisky that has outlasted the Republic itself."

[Q. Samus Dage]

"Oh come off it now."

But it was clear to both himself and the General that Dage had taken a healthy amount of pride int he roundabout praise given.

"You'n me an' the missus, we been around long enough."

Dage watched as the glass bottle, wrapped in silk, was so gently held in Dan's hands.

"... Kori too, but he was too scared to come out an' see you. His loss."

Of course, if Kori had known what Dage was bringing along, he'd have been happy to accompany. It was as it was though, and Dage grinned cheekily to himself before desciding to pre-emptively make things somewhat 'right'.

"At least save a glass for Kori though," he asked politely enough, "... poor man was too scared to come out with me today."

There was a moment of silence, as Dan looked at his hallowed gift and Dage looked at Dan. It was a moment that seemed to encapsulate so much.

"And save some for your she-wolf; I'm willing to bet she's gonna need to have a nip."

Dan still seemed enraptured by what he held, and Dage gave a gentle rap to the glossed desktop with his knuckles.

"Oi man, poor us a drink then, eh?"

[General Dan]

It was a careful thing. With near-religious reverence, Dan undressed the bottle, sliding the silken sheath away from a crystal decanter that seemed to catch every spectrum of light in the room, transmute it into the dulcet caramels of the contents within, and create a creature that was more than the sum of both. He plied the stopper gingerly, listening for the tell-tale rush of air. Though the blend itself was a far more modern creation, he had to give the creature its due. More than just Year One, this was a reserve through the ages, mingling reserves through the centuries of history that spanned the sum of the Guild.

With the greatest of care, Dan brought the stopper to his nose. The scent was neither brash nor aggressive. A more casual palate might dismiss it for mild and inoffensive. But catching the almost namana-esque graces of fruit mingled against leather, spice, and sweet caramel, you could almost will an ancient parchment to give up its text that had nearly yellowed into oblivion over time. Exhaling slowly, he passed the stopper to Dage. It was an unspoken ritual, and even his war buddy might not have the education to fully understand it.

"One glass. One."

The nectar of history burbled forth from the fluted neck of the bottle, a ribbon of twining amber cascaded into a thick-cut tumbler, casting a sultry hue through the crystal in another changeable light. Dan paused through the pour, holding two fingers against the glass - measuring miserly at the graces deigned to be given. Another splash. Another smaller. Done.

The ritual was completed a second time, and retrieving the stopper from Dage, it was returned to its source with the care of a museum curator. Once more the silken sheath was drawn. Once more the bottle found its home within the felt recess of the box's base, and once more the sarcophagus was sealed. They would not be tempted a second time. Not so easily.

Dan carefully passed one glass to Dage, and kept a face about him that might indicate he was about to deal in matters of state secrecy.

"Keep your hands against the glass, and turn it carefully. Now, smell."

[Q. Samus Dage]

Dage did as he was told, noting the scented accents and subtle undertones that mingled so perfectly with one another. It was a symphony of olfactory delight, and he had to wonder if that was what s'Il felt whenever she described some scent to him in her honeyed and flowered words. What spoke to him now was a delicate yet primal thing, transcending all but the one who held the glass. His eyes closed as he took it in, allowing his body to conform to whatever the blend wished.

But still, through it all, there was so much of Dage that had to speak.

It was through a sigh of contentment that he knew his superior shared however, and was therefor not afraid to voice his sudden thought.

"Ok, maybe no glass for Loklorien then," his eyes still remained closed, his body stuck in a moment of time.

"She would never understand this... "

[General Dan]

Dan raised his glass in an unspoken agreement. This was a concord between men. The only thing missing was the proper occasion, which was obvious.

"To Markos."

And with all due reverence, Dan pressed the rim of the glass to his lips, allowing the scarcest quantity to pierce the veil. He rolled the spirit on his tongue, letting it warm him, and letting him warm it. Flavors that appeared on the nose were amplified and transformed, and the maelstrom had all the brilliance of a kaleidoscope. Almost as a regret, he swallowed, and at last remembered to breathe again.

"Ahh."

The laws of diminishing returns applied to many things. Engineering, physics, biology. So too did they apply to matters of taste. This was the apex. The first, best sip. From this point on, there would be magic, but in a way somewhat less than the moment before. So once the first act was done, Dan dutifully set his drink on the table. Perhaps neglect might prolong the magic.

"You've outdone yourself Quent. I'm almost afraid to ask how far the other shoe drops."

After all, he had come with a datapad.

[Q. Samus Dage]

Dage let the taste swell so wondrously on his tongue; let it tantalize and tease. It gave him a brush of everything holy and all things forbidden. And it made him smile. Even as he heard Dan's glass being set gently on the desktop, he let himself partake in just a small bit more of the delight that he'd allowed past his lips.

And as if after an eternity he set his glass down, eyes finally opening as he brought the 'pad back to the forefront.

He held it, as if holding back some horrid fate from the man before him who'd just experienced something akin to the best night of his life.

"It drops a fair bit, I'm afraid."

Dage extended the 'pad after pulling up the required set of pages.


What he'd neglected to tell Kori was the level of actual importance to the communique that he'd been tasked with delivering. It was nothing but a requisition acceptance for Dauntless' normal delivery payloads.

Dage gave a ruefal smile.

"Least, not anymore than normal."

A hand reached out to clap Dan on the shoulder.

"Any excuse to show you up, old man," he grinned almost maniacally, "... not to mention congratulate you; a guy at your age, takin' on a young'in? Brave soul, you are."

[General Dan]

The deception was complete. Dan read the requisition, and chewed up an appreciative smile at his friend's treachery.

"Well I'll be damned, then."

The congratulations were sorely appreciated, and Dan had to exhale the stress of both the expectation of doom and the more-real stress of tending to the newborn.

"Brave or foolish? I gotta tell ya, I don't know how the ol she-wolf managed it the first time on her lonesome. But maybe you're right and it's just the age talking. I feel a lot older, Quent. But maybe too, younger in spite of it."

[Meiers Brecklin]

* * *

The speeder had come to a slow, rolling stop, but the features of Meiers Brecklin were set in a perpetual frown that held distinct worry lines. He did not want to move. He did not want to leave the safety of their transport; not yet at least. And once more he closed his eyes as a hand went up to pinch at the bridge of his nose. He sighed, feeling utterly shanghaied into this - from his perceptions at least - very bad idea.

Why did no one warn him?

"Madame Senator, I still do not think that this is a good idea."

And despite the fact that their destination had been reached, he still tried to dissuade his traveling companion from her chosen path.

"We should really come back at another time."

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"Nonssensse." came the matter-of-fact reply from the seat behind the Admiral.

Senator Meorrrei, resplendent as ever in a mantle of silk arrayed in bright and warm patterns, wore a wig that hung in luxuriant blonde ringlets over her shoulders. Making sure her appearance was as exacting as she intended, the rrou'fai clamped shut her compact mirror, tucking it away into a small handbag.

"Loklorrjien ss'jIlancjy jiss a dearr frrjiend of mjine, and jit'ss mjy obljigatjion and mjy honorr to ssee the beautjiful ljittle cub sshe hass brrought jinto the worrld."

It occurred to the Senator that her turn of phrase was archaic in a galactic perspective, but shrugged nonetheless. Again, she fixed an expectant look forward.

"Arren't jyou gettjing the doorr?"

[Meiers Brecklin]

This was it.

Years of faithful service, years of fast friendship. Years of camaraderie. It was all to be undone in this moment. Dan would find some form of revenge to take for the intrusion that Meiers had unwittingly been a part of. What had started as an innocent comment had spiraled out of control to this.

Slowly, like a man walking to the gallows, the Alliance General opened his door, stepping out, and another moment later found him opening the rear door for Senator Meorrrei.

One last time he tried to veer her from this doomed venture.

"Do you not think that they would like their rest? It is only a week since they've returned."

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Taataani turned slowly to hear his latest protest, her ears raising to drink up the foolish attempt to dissuade her.

"Generral..." she purred, saccharine hiding the poison. "...how manjy cubss have jyou rrajissed?"

[Meiers Brecklin]

Taken slightly aback at that, Meiers pursed his lips as his frown only deepened, and he looked away while closing her door.

"I've none, Ma'am."

He perhaps would've liked to have little ones of his own, but the career that he'd forged and the cause that he'd dedicated himself to left little time for anything else.

He made a gesture for her to lead the way then, opting to finally concede and halt his attempts to pull her from what she'd set her mind upon.

"I will trust your judgement then," he gave in.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Taataani's smile broadened to show pointed tips of teeth.

"And jyourr trrusst wjill be well placed, Generral. jYou wjill fjind the luckjy couple rreljieved that jI have come to dote on thejirr cub and afforrd them that much-needed rresst jyou keep talkjing about."

She extended a hand for the General to take, so that he might escort her in.

[Meiers Brecklin]

Even despite it all, General Meiers Brecklin was still a gentleman at heart, and he extended his arm for the Senator.

Escorting her along the short walkway that led to the front door of Dan and s'Il's small temporary housing, both stopped. Without pause Meiers reached his free hand out, giving the door a gentle few raps with his knuckles.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

It was not necessarily a short amount of time before the sound of a lock disengaging reached the ears of those outside.

Slowly the door opened to reveal a weary mother fast in the throes of near madness. Lok s'Ilancy blinked slightly, unsure of what she was now seeing wasn't simply a trick of her sleep-deprived brain.

"Meiers?"

Her voice was soft, as if she was afraid any volume higher would bring the galaxy crashing down upon her head.

A hand wiped across her eyes as her gaze moved to the woman on the General's arm.

"Taataani... ?"

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Normally intent on keeping others from addressing her in the familiar, it was a right afforded to the few she knew as friends, and the Senator's brilliant smile confirmed Loklorien s'Ilancy's status.

"Ja irra korra'nai mjy darrljing."

Detaching from Brecklin's arm, she embraced the Lupine fully, placing a kiss to each cheek. Only then did she hold her friend at arm's length to appraise her.

"Saanjarra'ss grracess, jyou arre sspent mjy dove. Come, let Taataani take carre of jyou and ssee thjiss adorrable cub!"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The hug caught her off guard, and the Lupine could only stare blankly at the bubbling Cizerack for long enough to give a befuddled and thoroughly confused nod.

"... I, um, well... "

And before she knew it, Taataani was past the door's threshold and striding purposefully inside, leaving a harried General Brecklin in her wake.

Wrapping her arms around herself, s'Il blew out a long breath before finding her voice once more.

"Whatever you've done now, I truly believe he is going to kill you for it."

[Meiers Brecklin]

For his part, Meiers only looked on helplessly, and gave a solemn nod at Loklorien's summation of Dan's most likely reaction.

"The Senator insisted," was the only explanation he could offer, and as he stepped inside, his hands moved to clasp behind him, his eyes following after Madame Meorrrei.

"Where is he?"

[General Dan]

"Who's at the door?"

A gruff voice sounded from close by.

"If it's another well-wisher with a fruit basket just send them away with our thanks."

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"And therre jiss the handssome arr'fai rressponssjible forr thjiss wonderrful ljittle bundle."

Taataani charged headlong into her affections like a reek, applying wet kisses to General Dan Thrule as if he was simply next in line.

"And at jyourr sstateljy age, even? How vjirrjile. Nomaani'ss forrtune wjith thjiss one, no doubt."

The Senator called back to her Jedi friend.

"Loklorrjien, jyou've been hjidjing thjiss crreaturre frrom me forr too long, how have we not been jintrroduced?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Handsome arr'fai. Stately age. Virile.

The beginnings of an amused yet still exhausted smile had started to curl at her lips, strategically hidden by a hand at her mouth to cover the small, forced cough she let out. She stood beside Meiers, both watching Taataani's attentions so completely placed upon Dan.

But, it was best not to keep the Senator waiting too long for an answer, and letting her features fall back into their tired set, she spoke up with the only reply she could think of.

"I... don't know. You never asked to meet him?"

[Meiers Brecklin]

He was a General of the Alliance. A General from the days when they were nothing but the Rebellion. He was the head of the Starfighter Corps, and had commanded powerful cruisers into battle against the Empire over the span of decades.

And yet here and now, Meiers felt complicit in some nameless yet horrible crime, and he looked on with an apologetic glint to his eyes.

[General Dan]

"I..."

"...I don't..."

"...what's..."

"...what?"

Taken by surprise completely in the assault of praises and kisses, Dan tried to break from the alien woman's embrace, finding no easy way of doing so.

"Madam, I really don't think that..."

[Taataani Meorrrei]

"Whjy wouldn't jI wjissh to meet jyourr man?"

Clutching him like a prize, Taataani herded Dan towards s'Il and Brecklin with insistence.

"jIf he'ss won jyourr hearrt, that'ss a battle worrth hearrjing about, rrou'a. Tell me thjiss herro'ss name and how jyou conquerred ssuch a prrjize forr jyourr own."

The Senator looped her tail around Dan's middle, clearly not willing to let the ritual of introductions slide on a technicality.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

They were all in this together now, and s'Il brought folded hands out, one gesturing to Taataani, and the other to Dan.

"Taataani, this is my husband, Dan Thrule."

The Lupine pulled in a deep breath then. What was about to come next was no small feat, and she would need every ounce of power her tired lungs could provide.

"Dan, this is Senator Taataani Fai'sheea Igaarrai Meorrrei, daughter of Sirraaithi Meorrrei, Rrou'fai of House Meorrrei, and Baroness Executor of Koensayr-MeorrreiCorp."

Was that all of them? By the Force she prayed that was all of them.

Any other questions that Taataani had posed were suddenly pushed away from thought as a small cry rose up from the back of the house, and s'Il snapped her head in the direction of the steadily growing wail of a waking little one. He had only been asleep for an hour; certainly not the amount of time that she and Dan had been hoping his nap would last for.

She was moving on instinct then, unthinking as she gave a wave behind her.

"Excuse me... "

[Taataani Meorrrei]

With a pat to Dan's chest, Taataani smiled and released him from her possessive grasp, untwining her tail as she followed the all-too-familiar sound of a crying child. She hurried to catch up with Lok, her tail swishing as her ears perked.

"Let me ssee thjiss wonderrful ljittle cub of jyourrss!"

[Meiers Brecklin]

With the whirlwind of Taataani Meorrei - for the moment - elsewhere, Meiers straightened his back, his eyes tracking to Dan. The poor man seemed to still be reeling from the manic attentions and immediate affections of the Senator, and it caused Meiers to reach out a hand to lay on his counterpart's shoulder in a show of support.

"Steady now, Son. That one isn't easy to take in all at once."

[General Dan]

Dan flinched, absently wiping away one of the wet kisses planted on his cheek.

"Who in the devil is that woman?"

He winced, suddenly.

"And why do I have this headache?"

Dan turned, looking at Brecklin through narrowed eyes.

"This is all your fault, you know that?"

[Meiers Brecklin]

And now it began. Meiers gave a wince of his own, slightly looking away from his old friend.

"It was an accident, Dan. I swear to you, that's the truth."

The hand was taken from Dan's shoulder to rest on the wooded chairback of a small dining table.

"I made mention that you guys had recently come back from... " he waved a hand in the direction that Loklorien and Senator Meorrrei had disappeared. "... you know.

"Next thing I knew she was insisting on a visit."

At Dan's look, Meiers gave a tired sigh.

"I know," he looked off toward a window, "... my fault."

He stirred a bit then, suddenly remembering that he'd managed to at least not come empty handed, and reaching into the inside pocket of his longcoat, the General pulled a metal tube out. An etched series of graceful lines and aurebesh ran down its' length, and even the stopper at the tip matched the motif. One word was larger than the rest, and the bold aurebesh letters that read ENDOR seemed to compliment the softer designs and descriptive words while at the same time being altogether separate.

"But I did bring you this. Never seen you smoke one a day in your life, but I'm told this is quality."

[General Dan]

"Can probably count the number of time's I've dabbled on a hand, Meiers."

Taking the offered cigar from the General, Dan gave enough of a smile that said the gift was a stay of execution.

"This is one of those times for that sort of thing, isn't it?"

Dan carefully plied the stopper, allowing the cigar to slide into his hand. Bringing it to his nose, he took in the deep, spicy aroma of pepper, leather, and cedar. Glancing back at the sound of baby cries and the busied sounds of women talking, he jerked his thumb towards the front door.

"Guess we ought to take a step outside."

It gave enough cassus belli to get out of the warpath of that Meorrrei woman, that's for sure.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The boy was awake, that was certainly not in question, and as s'Il had led the way into the master bedroom towards the back of the house, she hurriedly moved to the small cradle that held him. She reached down, gentle hands sliding beneath his small body to bring him up and out, to cradle him against her chest. She whispered hushed words in her own tongue, soothing him with a hand over his head.

A weary smile was sent to Taataani as the cries died away to slight whimpers, and the Lupine moved to sit on the foot of the bed (which - despite the appearance of its' owners - was neatly made).

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Taataani followed, her blue orbs wide as she took a seat beside Lok. Leaning in a bit, she peered at the little bundle of joy.

"Ohhh he'ss adorrable..."

She paused, somewhat hesitant. Was he supposed to be this mottled and pink?

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

With wide open eyes, Markos looked up at his mother before being shifted in her arms so that he was afforded the view of someone new. If it was possible, his eyes got bigger. Wild fingers flexed outward and then curled back in, and a small arm brought the tiny fist into his mouth.

"His name is Markos," came the Lupine's next words.

And knowing well enough the nature of of the Cizerack sitting beside her s'Il lifted the boy only slightly, a motion which signaled that yes, Taataani could indeed hold the child if she so wished.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

With a practiced gentle touch, the Rrou'fai received the offered bundle, supporting Markos's head as she cradled the rest of him close to her.

"Come herre, mjy sscrrumptjiouss ljittle arr'alo, let me ssee how handssome jyou arre."

Making air kisses at Markos, Taataani reached a finger towards him, and his curious, drool-damp hands followed the approaching digit until they clasped around it and held on tightly.

"Oh, and sso sstrrong!"

Taataani broke her adoring gaze only a moment to look at Lok.

"And jyou favorr jyourr motherr sso much, ljittle one!"

Markos squealed, a big happy pie wedge of a smile on his toothless face.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

While the chance to be around more kids her age than were on the Dauntless was new and exciting territory, the fact that she'd been placed on a more or less fixed schedule of schooling was something that rankled the little Lupine, and she'd made sure that her parents knew of her ire at least once a day. Of course once Markos had been born, both Dama and Daddy's patience levels were far thinner than they had once been, and not to mention they just looked so tired. All day long!!

And suddenly school wasn't so much of a horrible place to be. Her new brother was annoying with his sudden bouts of crying, and the times that she was home she had to wonder how her parents put up with it. Doing homework was just so difficult when under threat of constant interruption!

And on this day, as she waved a farewell to her friends, Teagan made her way to the side door. Rather than go inside where no doubt Dama was trying to shush a crying baby and Dad was either in the kitchen making food or in his office shut away with his paperwork (Dama had told her the other day that it was the first time he'd willingly gone to tend to the things that he normally asked her to take care of), the girl sidestepped to the gate that would open up into the small backyard. Her hand was on the latch when she stopped, nose tilting upward.

There was a funny smell to the air, and the sound of hushed voices.

A resolute face, and she lifted the gatehook, stepping carefully inside. Shutting and latching it behind her, Teagan turned back around to find her Dad and Mr. Brecklin. They were talking about... something. Whatever it was they were talking about was not what took her interest so much as the thing her Dad had held between two fingers. Another sniff of the air and it became more than evident the smell was coming from whatever it was her Dad was holding.

Dama was nowhere to be seen, but drawing on so many stories that Dama had told her about the times that Dad and Mr. Brecklin were together, she instantly assumed that whatever that... thing was, it was something that'd make the elder Lupine angry. Her voice, when she spoke, was stern and almost accusatory.

"What's that?"

And swiftly followed up with a "... does Dama know you have that?"

[General Dan]

Dan turned hawk eyes onto his other little rascal, a stern fatherly frown on his face.

"This...is top secret."

He narrowed his eyes.

"And if some young ladies want dessert tonight, they'll keep it that way."

Was he resorting to outright bribing a child? Eventually scruples of parenthood weathered under the constant erosion of the need for peace and quiet. Of course, he had to make it worth the informer's while.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

For a split-second her eyes grew wide at the thought of dessert, but it was only a moment later that her uplifted gaze narrowed. She looked to Mr. Brecklin who gave tight-lipped smile and then back to her Dad.

She crossed her arms.

"Only dessert?"

[General Dan]

"Blackmail is a serious offense, squirt."

He stood there for a moment, debating whether to scare her straight or not. Eventually he relented.

"Extra ice cream tonight. But if you are double-dealing, little lady, it'll be no desserts at all for a monthy."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

* * *


OSSUS



She'd fallen asleep on the sofa, facing away from the room at large and arms around one of the throw pillows. At some point a thin blanket had been draped over her. It'd been a peaceful sleep, uninterrupted and quite a lovely bit of a pause from the day. Markos had kept her busy for much of the morning and midday, and Zem had been kind enough to take charge of the boy so that she could have a small amount of time to herself.

A long breath inward, and she slowly unfurled herself while turning over on her back, then a movement that saw her easing upward to sit.

The sun was still in the sky, streaming light in through the window to cast the open living area in soft hues.

It was the picture of peace and calm.

Coherent thoughts trickled back in quick succession, and she rose from her sitting position to stand on her feet.

Food. She was hungry. It had been too long since she'd eaten, and she was famished.

The cooler unit in the kitchen area was reached without incident, and reaching out, s'Il pulled the door open. And in that moment her brain seemed to slow to a halt, thoughts grinding and screeching into a logjam that refused to let anything else go past.

And so she stood there, staring into the cooler unit, her eyes going over the contents inside with the sort of anticipation that they would spontaneously jump out and prepare themselves for her to eat.