#rioooooo

After searching his feelings, he realized he really didn’t want to meet his parents yet. Not wanting to alarm them, he shot a quick message of his intention, subsequently receiving affirmative responses. His destination was already clear to him; the caves always provided him with tranquility and solitude. There were the occasional strange incidents such as beastly cave-dwellers or natural phenomena, but nothing he couldn’t outmaneuver.

But he was not alone in the cave. He fell down from his levitating meditation upon being spotted by his uncle.

“I’m sorry, I must have disrupted your meditation,” the uncle continued; “I shall leave you be, but if you want my company-”

“Yes, please. Meditate with me.” 

Riornivo could sense from Rian’s sad tone that something was weighing on his dear nephew. But meditation first, he thought. It would definitely help Rian’s state of mind and perhaps make him more open to share his possible woes. The two Jedi shared a fruitful meditation session facing each other, levitating and connecting through the Force. 

“Thank you for sitting with me, uncle.” 

“Of course, if you need more of this just call me,” Riornivo murmured while stroking Rian’s hair. “Can I ask you something?” to which Rian nodded.

“Do you need to talk? Something seems to be bothering you.” 

The boy’s gaze fell, and he hesitated to whether to spill his heart or to keep it to himself. His moist eyes were met with uncle’s loving ones, ending with a vague question; “Uncle…  Did you train with my mother when you both were padawans?”

“Sadly, no. We weren’t around each other much, I was often away from Tython.”

“What about father?”

“That… too. I only met your father when we were newly adults. But that was more than a decade ago.”

Rian decided to not continue asking. After he excused himself, his uncle offered to walk him back to the base. The boy was not looking forward to facing his parents today, but then he recalled a lesson about negative emotions; to not dwell on them and to look into a dilemma from a different perspective. He didn’t completely grasp the point of the lecture, but knew the surface level enough. 

The next two days before the trip went by in a flash. There was tension in the air amongst the small family, causing both parents to count on the excursion for relief. Something Rian appreciated was how he didn’t have to retell his lectures because the classes were technical–consisting of sparring and crafting. When it should have been an exciting prospect, the small family was tense and quiet instead during the journey. The silence was so paralyzing, had it persisted longer it would have figuratively imploded the ship. 

The Sith Lord had to be the one breaking the ice. 

“So what do you want to see first in Alderaan, good Sir? We’ll go there first after we’ve settled in our… home.” Rionnic was kicking himself inside over how cringe-inducing his delivery was. 

“Huh? Oh.” As the boy snapped out of his reverie. “Hmm… based on what I’ve seen in the holos… the caves! Then after that, we should go to the Elysium!”

“Right, right. Your grandparents can’t wait to see you again.”

Jaesa was still quiet with a faint smile. The shuttle landed on Alderaan’s space station shortly after, breaking the tension. After landing on the surface with another shuttle, the chilly yet petrichor infused air of Alderaan was a balm to their souls. Memories of their childhood flashed in both parents’ minds.

“Welcome to our home, Rian. I’m sure you’ll like it here.” Jaesa greeted.

As they approached the reconstructed castle of House Panteer, Rian was in awe of the grand architecture, even more so with the interior. It reminded him of the Jedi temples he’d seen in the holos. The entourage dropped their belongings in the guest suite, while Rionnic dismissed an assigned personal assistant. He immediately smiled the jetlag away upon seeing Rian throwing himself on the bed.

Which reminded him that he’d have to sleep in the same bed with his wife again.

He’d cross that bridge when he got there. In another hour, there would be a welcoming dinner for them–but Rionnic preemptively requested it to be a private one. He decided to take his son for a short tour around the castle compound while explaining what he could about those insufferable royal etiquettes, before nightfall. 

“It’s perfectly fine if you struggle to follow these steps. I’ll probably mess up too… it’s been such a long time since I’ve been here.”

“Why must we do all of this, father?”

An expected question. “Culture, or customs. Each place, each habitable planet, has their own society practicing certain ways of life. It’s good to have a strong bond to your identity, but keep in mind that it wouldn’t always be acceptable to others. Some will clash…” as Rionnic kneeled, placing a firm grip on Rian’s arms. “There are ways for you to face that situation. Respect their home and culture, or refuse to participate. Never encroach or disrespect them.”

Rian nodded, with a hint of nervousness from his body language. Rionnic responded with a smirk, while stroking Rian’s arms. “I’ve babbled again, haven't I? We’re doing this because we’re showing our respect, good Sir. Don’t worry too much about it. They’re your family.”

“Thank you, father. You’re not babbling!”

Before the pair could converse further, a harried messenger called out to Rionnic. The dreaded dinner was upon them, which meant it was time to get dressed. Once again, the estranged couple was secretly admiring how they both looked; she was loving how her husband did his hair and how the tailoring fit his frame perfectly, while he was swooning over her makeup and the scent of her perfume.

“Woooow, you both look awesome!” Rian cheered, indirectly confirming his parent’s thoughts.

“Well, you look the best among us!” 

“Agreed!” Jaesa said as she fixed the collar of Rian’s apparel. The small family proceeded towards the banquet hall. The first thing Rian saw was the abundance of food on display, shrugging at how excessive it was. So far removed from his days growing up in Ossus. The next thing he saw was his father bowing to a lady who seemed surprised.

“You’re bowing? You’re the Emperor and you’re bowing? To me?” the lady said with jest.

Rionnic smirked. “You’re the Queen of Alderaan, and my older sister. Of course you outrank me.” To which the lady let out a laugh; a poised and quiet one. 

“And who’s this adonis with the striking eyes?”

“Rian, meet Lady Katei Panteer, she’s my adopted sister.”

“Adopted? How does that work?”

Which caused the adults to chuckle amongst themselves. Rionnic offered to explain to Rian another time, leaving him even more curious as to what was so funny with his question. Jaesa exchanged a curtsy shortly before her parents arrived. The dinner proceeded in quite an interesting way.

“Wow, cloudberry pies!”

Rian was loud enough to make everyone else feel awkward. It was a violation of royal etiquette to talk while eating. “Rian… can we please be more quiet?” Jaesa whispered while lightly stroking his back. Rionnic, however, was quietly displeased with the pretentiousness of it all.

“It’s fine, let’s forget about the protocols for tonight,” Katei interjected. “This is an informal dinner with family. Time to unwind, to reconnect.”

Parvin perked up, utilizing her best aristocratic voice and practiced speech. “I agree! I must say, this appetizer is already so heavenly, I’m eager for the rest of the course!”

Both Jaesa and Gregor internally sighed at Parvin’s counterfeit enthusiasm, while Rionnic found it amusing. Parvin had always loved flaunting her elevated status, not missing any chance whenever she socialized. What could be more elite than being family with the Queen? Said Queen gave a short but polite acknowledgement, proceeding to inquire about her adopted brother’s life in his absence.

“Assuming you’ve seen the holos… Well, life’s been… hectic. It's been looking up rather recently, though. I’m planning on retiring sooner than later.” Quite the generic answer from Rionnic–while Katei was reconciling with the fact that they were separated for too long for him to feel comfortable sharing his personal events to her. Before she could reply however, he continued. “But I do hope that we can talk again later. Possibly before I depart.”

“Of course, I’ll be here for the week–I don’t have any off-world dealings as I know of… How about you, Jaesa?”

The Jedi preferred to not talk much during the dinner, but had to shuffle her brain for an acceptable response. “Not much, Your Majesty. It’s just filled with raising our son, and trying to survive the war. I’ve been wanting to return here, to, ah, introduce Rian to our homeworld.”

The dinner proceeded with Katei conversing with little Rian, admiring his manners and eagerness for exploring. She had been trying for an heir from the last decade, hoping for a miracle each time she interacted with a child. 

Anxiety took hold of Rionnic once more when it was time to return to the guest suite. Rian held off on sleep, informing him that shutting down the body too soon after a meal would lead to indigestion. He, however, was stalling sleep for a different reason. But there was only so much time left before night turned into morning, thus he decided to stop fighting himself. As he laid next to his wife, he began ruminating about why he was resisting. He actually longed for her touch, for that domestic bliss he was starved of. But her words lingered, resulting in pain at the sight of her. That impending death of his marriage.

He didn’t feel like he slept at all. His eyes shot open; the numbers by the end table indicated that only three hours had passed. Shaking his head, he got up and put on a coat as he stepped outside, all without even glancing at his wife. 

The early morning mist calmed his irrational heartbeat. His steps were slow as the grass bent, and his head empty. 

But his solitude was short-lived. Quiet as she tried to be, his senses were stronger–turning around exactly to where she was despite her attempt at hiding behind a tree. Her gaze immediately fell upon being spotted, and his silence pierced her confidence. She pivoted for an exit. “Stop.”

His command was as sharp as a needle through the heart. “Why are you here… What do you want…” Rionnic’s tone was breathy and forlorn.

“I was just leaving.” As Jaesa took further steps away from the situation.

He didn’t think so. Jaesa gasped as an invisible force stopped her movement, then slowly pulled her towards her estranged husband. It stopped about a foot away. She turned to face him with her heart pounding, brows frowning, and resolve withering. His messy hair and exposed chest were forbidden touches she yearned to steal. 

“You clearly want to talk… Why would you be stalking me otherwise? Let’s talk.”

Rionnic’s lower volume and softer tone didn’t help her mind. She sighed heavily, wanting to be soothed by his caresses and the warmth of his body. “I… I don’t know how to start. I don’t want another fight. I don’t know what I want…” Jaesa lamented.

“Neither do I. There’s only uncertainty and I hate that…”

“Red…”

Jaesa braved herself to get closer, gambling on his passivity for a sensible conversation.

“I want to run this by you. Do you agree that Rian should be in the Academy if we are to co-parent? I’m confident the Order will grant you access–I’ve talked to them about it, they seemed accepting. If not there, then he’d be staying in Odessen.”

Rionnic looked away. Of course she’d talk about the separation, he thought. But it was an agreeable term, despite the resistance his heart was exerting upon facing the end of his marriage. 

“Hm.” 

She decided to further push her luck, closing in to inhale the remnants of his perfume. A steady hand reached out for his arm, tenderly grasping. No reaction. It should be a good sign, as she took a deep breath before uttering her heart. “I want to apologize again. I know it means nothing. I just… I just want to stop hurting you… and me. Perhaps it’s time to-”

“I don’t know how to do this, Jaesa!” Rionnic’s volume took a sudden climb, spooking her. His reaction to her touch was to grasp both of her shoulders. “I don’t want this. But it won’t be the same anymore. But I can’t…. I can’t fight it off. I can’t decide!” as his speech became increasingly desperate and vulnerable. “I want it to stop. I want…”

Her hands moved towards his face, attempting to calm him down while secretly relishing the touches. “You should take your time to think about it. I’ll agree to whatever you want. Even if you’d change your mind later.”

Upon realizing how tight his grip on her was, he abruptly released his hands and flinched backwards, fearful of hurting her. His emotions were awry, hand through his messy hair, and creating further distance from his wife. He shook his head before he ran away.

“Red!” 

But he didn’t stop, leaving Jaesa just as confused and indecisive as he was. One moment she was talking about divorce, then took it back just as fast. Whatever happened to wanting a distance away from him just a few days ago? Perhaps it was the wrong decision to make. Perhaps she was rushing into things. There were too many talks with him ending in escalated tension without a decision made. 

Words from her brother's mouth that echoed her mother's stance. A strong part of her wanted to take them up on that offer. It had been lonely since Serrus was sent back to Zakuul. But was that real? It might just be a dream after all, and her pride barred her from any sort of reconciliation. 

She decided to let it go, giving herself more time alone for her mental state.

The ride home from the rescue mission was quiet for the twins. Even though they were technically sleeping through it all, it was exhausting nonetheless. Riornivo noticed his twin's frown fixated on his chest; the moment of his brush with death seemingly looped in his brother's mind. The Sith didn't even notice that his twin's hand was already grasping his arm. 

"Red? I'm okay, it doesn't hurt anymore," smiled Riornivo reassuringly. "I'm more worried about you. How are you feeling now?"

"Why? Nothing happened to me."

There was a slight pause from the younger twin. "You did just fight the two ... and he was controlling you-"

Rionnic scoffed. "You think I need him to still prove my point to them? To you? Perhaps you enjoyed her treatment towards you but when it directly involved me–I'll have a different say about it."

"Not now, Red."

"Exactly. Not now, not ever. It's useless anyways."

Effortlessly souring most situations was becoming Rionnic's speciality, even though his words held some measure of truth. Both twins then glanced at the shuttle pilot who happened to be Lana, undoubtedly in the most awkward position. Their conversation concealed just enough to keep it vague, but Lana hazarded a guess about the subject. Rather than prying into it, she broke the tense silence by suggesting both twins rest. They offered no resistance to that.

Back at the base, little Rian eased up the rigid atmosphere with his energy. Rionnic was back to his automated brain pattern of paperwork, sweeping the concern over his twin under the rug for the moment. Riornivo however, was worried about someone else. 

His twin tried to kill her, after all.

His meditation was disrupted by a familiar but serene energy, emerging unexpectedly. His eyes were wide from trying to find the source, calling out; “ Father? ” 

There he was, appearing behind his stepson. The half-Arkanian man stood unwavering, taking Rio back to his younger days of being a padawan under his tutelage. It was the first time ever that he appeared since his death years ago. Riornivo’s eyes welled and his chest tightened with how much he missed him. 

“Hmm.” The very first action his stepfather did was placing his ghostly hand on the wounded chest. It shocked Rio with a freezing sensation as his wound reacted to the touch. He took a moment to regain his breath upon flinching.

"Father… it's been so long."

"The war did a number on you. I can't keep letting you bottle it up while relying on the Force to help."

Those words were his personal burden, exposed by his stepfather. His head hung low, instantly feeling vulnerable and humbled. "But I had so much help from the others. I haven't been going through this alone, father."

"Yet your heart remains unfulfilled. I know what's been going on. I have much to say about it, but I know you too well to gauge your reaction."

The Barsen’thor was quiet. Stepfather’s words always rung true in the end, regardless of how unorthodox or upsetting it was to hear. He braced himself for an incoming heartburn inflicted by his stepfather's wisdom .

"We always want the best for the ones we love. What we think is the best might not be the case for them. What they think they want might not be the best for them. Sometimes, staying in that uncertainty is the way to go," as the silver-haired man sat next to his stepson. "I followed my heart. I got what I wanted. But was it truly the best for her? No one can answer that… ultimately, our circumstances were different than yours. Always balance the outcome accordingly."

Cryptic as he was, his stepson fully understood what he meant. Both of them traded stories and knowledge until it was time for the late Jedi to leave. Riornivo begged and pleaded for his stepfather to stay. He only received a hair ruffling as the Force Spirit faded away, like old times.

The encounter left him pondering the lesson he was just taught.

A few hours later, there was a knock on his door. Vyria appeared with an unusual expression on her face: calmness. "I sensed Dad. Wasn't sure to barge in between you two. Privacy and all."

"Didn't he appear to you?"

"No."

Immediately, Rio felt bad for his sister. He pulled her in for a hug, apologizing for nothing. When asked about his condition, he assured her of his well being. He was expecting her to ask about the topic of his conversation with their father, but surprisingly there was none of that. He regretted not mentioning Vyria to their father just then.

"Don't be. Let's go outside, you've been in here for how long already?"

The siblings went to the gorge with the wooden steps made from cut tree logs, where Satele used to train Rio not too long ago. It was also the place where the former Grandmaster projected herself via the Force to thank her student for the rescue. The subject of Theron came up between them, which led to Rio suggesting she dedicate more time for her son. Satele agreed.

"Gonna stretch out these joints for a bit. Not recommended for you though, bad for your wound."

And Rio was content with just watching his sister practice her lightsaber forms on top of those wooden steps. His mind however, did not join him there. Father's words trumped over the supposedly historic event of defeating the Emperor once and for all. It felt as if something was still unfinished, somehow. 

Vaylin's shuttle landed on the lands of Ord Mantell. She only gave herself a few days of rest before the urge to tend to the unresolved overwhelmed her. Without wasting time, she headed towards the place where she slaughtered the Knights and dueled her mother. There was an obscure memorial in the shape of a plasteel box with flowers inside. Her steps felt heavier as she could sense all of the anguish and desperation in the last moments of their lives. In a crashing wave, remorse weakened her knees, constricted her chest, blurred her vision, and took her back to her child self where she first caved in the Knight's armor into themselves during a training session. How she crippled one when she was even younger for the smallest mistake.

It felt as if she was breaking her chains in Nathema all over again, but somehow worse without the physical pain. 

The world started spinning. She fell into a prostrating position, eyes to the ground in an attempt to minimize the distortion. Sobs without tears, but the agony was real. But the most damning thing was how she still failed to grasp the true meaning behind this remorse. Was she there only for herself or for the people she murdered?

She collapsed into unconsciousness, alone and exhausted.

Yet another dream. Birds chirped as the sun spots rocked back and forth by the tree shade, waking her up to a fair day. Next to her was the man she was pining for. Seeing his pretty smile for her was such a relief after the breakdown just then. She reached out to him, needy and vulnerable. His embrace was warm and wholesome; it was exactly what she needed.

But suddenly she was shoved then pushed away with the Force. 

After she got back up, the man turned into his evil twin. With a wicked smile, he dashed in a crimson streak as his lightsaber viciously skewered her. 

Even in her dreams, trauma followed her everywhere. She woke up screaming in a small bedroom, which meant that someone had brought her there. The anxiety ridden day seemed to never end. Caution set to maximum,  she left the bed while examining her surroundings. A plate of fresh fruits, bread and water was her only companion in that room. Consuming them helped alleviate some of her bad nerves. Slowly opening the door, she found out how empty the house was except for a letter on the coffee table.

My dear Vaylin,

I found you passed out alone on that site… you look drained. I won't ask why you were here, but I hope you're going to be fine. If you want to see me, stay there. If you've already left when I return, I fully understand. I love you.

Always yours,

Mother.

Strangely, the letter brought comfort instead of worsening her anxiety. She huffed. Of course, there was always a possibility of her mother being there. She sat down, weighing the choices that were presented, leaning more towards leaving. What would they even talk about if they met? It was more of a question of how the conversation would go because she had so much to say, and she knew her mother did too. Not wanting a repeat of the penthouse incident, she pocketed the letter as she proceeded to leave.

Unfortunately, Senya returned just as she stepped out of the house.

"Vaylin… how are you?"

No answer but a frown. She finally replied without eye contact. "Leaving."

Senya wilted upon hearing that, but nodded in acceptance. Her eyes followed her departing daughter, but widened upon the young woman stopping, then turning around. “Did… did anyone else see me?”

“I don’t think so.”

Vaylin quickly turned away again, and her tongue idle despite wanting to ask her next question. While her mother stayed quiet to not risk saying the wrong things. 

“What are you doing here?”

The former Knight took the question as an opening, proceeding to answer it while still keeping her guard up. "I was on my way to babysit your nieces, but made a stop here to… pay my respects. Did you know you have twin nieces now?"

Again, Vaylin was quiet. She had been wanting to meet her baby nieces ever since she first laid eyes on them by the holovid. Would she emerge the victor in the struggle of demolishing her walls enough to verbalize her intention?

“Would you… want to see them?”

Rian's cerulean eyes sparkled as he held up an eyepiece scanner. The other gifts he was holding reminded Rionnic of the lack of his own. "Haha, I can see your skeleton! Ooh, and also your heat signature!"

"That's great! Those sure are useful tools to have," as he sat on the ground, entertaining the boy. "I'm sorry."

"Father? What's wrong?"

"I haven't brought you a gift, while you've given me one."

Rian's face shifted to a proud and determined look. Then his index finger pointed up. Uh oh, yet another Jedi lesson, thought the father. 

"Mother said it's not… uhm what's that word again? Trans… transactional? Yeah! So don't worry about it."

It was Rionnic's turn to be proud. The traits and qualities surrounding his son reassured him of a better growth and future. The bar was already low if compared with his own childhood. "But I do have a gift for you. Once we return to Odessen you should have it."

"Yay! I can't wait!"

The evening was spent around the campfire trading stories and hobbies. Among the more mellow activities were fishing, foraging, and swimming. Night eventually drew presence, and it was time for dinner. Jaesa braved herself to make a move--his reaction earlier that day provided the confidence boost she needed. 

"Here, have a taste. It's a recipe I crafted just for this occasion."

Rionnic's eyes flitted between the spoon in front of him and his wife. Then he glanced sideways towards his son playing games with his twin. His son noticed him and waved cheerfully, to which he waved back. 

He took the spoon and sipped without breaking eye contact, making the hair on her neck stand up. 

"It's good."

"Just good?"

He didn't know what else to say. With a frown, he turned around and walked away. Jaesa was a little disappointed, but it's a progress nonetheless. Dinner went on a little too fast for Rionnic's liking. He could see his son yawning a few times, while Gregor and Parvin already settled inside their tent. An idea came up to him just in the nick of time.

"I'll do nightly supervision."

"Leave that to me. You must guard Rian's tent." Riornivo retorted, smiling half-teasingly. Perhaps it was a petty payback from the hide and seek stunt earlier. Rionnic was not amused.

"Don't you dare fall asleep then, because I won't." said Rionnic rather tauntingly.

The younger twin's smile turned to a challenging smirk. He merrily resumed cleaning out the camp while playing a favorite jazz song in his head. It was petty of him after all. Meanwhile, Rionnic headed towards the riverbank for a moment to himself, soured over his failed plan. But nature conspired to make him face his fears. Bugs began to bite at him, crickets sang louder than usual, and a large tree branch fell nearby, spooking him. 

He huffed his way back to his tent. Sleepy Rian noticed his father's scowl and asked about it groggily. 

"Oh, just… bugs. Biting me..." as Rionnic's gaze fell upon his wife spooning their son. She smiled at him, seemingly inviting him to sleep as well. Rian verbalized Jaesa's intention, to which Rionnic could not refuse. After closing the tent, the Sith laid down, facing both his son and wife. He tried hard not to make eye contact with the latter.

"Father… Do you have any stories for me?"

He nodded, taking a few seconds to think of a story. Considering how sleepy Rian was already, it shouldn't take long to send him to dreamland. He began the tale by lowering the volume of his voice to a near-whisper and raising his pitch a little. "So there was a boy… a very strange, enchanted boy…"

Indeed, only three minutes into the story and the boy fell asleep. Which left him alone with his wife—their son was the only one keeping them from touching. He carefully shifted his body just enough to get that angle away from her gaze. A little sigh escaped Jaesa's nose, understanding her husband a little too well. She decided to not tease him and tried sleeping, even though in vain.

And the husband wasn't as successful either. His mind drifted towards the mountain of work waiting for him tomorrow. But one glance at his son reminded him that it was one of the moments he had always dreamed of: to live normally with his little family, far away from the war and schemes. Perhaps his wife did the right thing after all by leaving him.

Jaesa woke up abruptly, seeing the break of dawn and her loved ones beside her still fast asleep. She deftly left the tent but not before spending a good minute ogling her husband. Memories of old passion and pain washed over her, wishing that she never left for those years absent from him. Had the war not dragged towards Ossus, would she still deprive him of his son? 

"Awake already?"

The deep voice of her husband startled her out of her grogginess. She turned to see his twin beaming at her. "Are you just awake or…" Jaesa trailed off, looking around the camp.

"Haven't slept. I was just about to make breakfast."

"Goodness. Maybe you should sleep so I can take over from here. We can depart at noon."

"It's alright. I just need to meditate for a moment." 

Both Jedi proceeded to work on breakfast as more participants awakened from their slumber, Rionnic being the last. He was quite embarrassed about it. His wife eagerly offered him a warm cup of his favorite tea, which he reluctantly accepted. Rian's eyes lit up when he suddenly exclaimed, "I want a picture!"

"Oh, I can help with that!" 

The boy grabbed his parents' arms and pulled them closer together, then took a seat right between them. "Red, where's your handsome smile?" teased Riornivo, aiming the lens' focus. After that, it was the whole family's turn, personal and group pictures alike.

It was also time for the camping trip to end. 

The adults promised that there would be more trips in the future. It lessened Rian's pouting; he also remembered that his father's gift was waiting for him in Odessen. 

Once they arrived home, Rionnic disappeared from the rest of the group and headed towards the forest. The night before, he had requested his subordinates to prepare his chosen lightsaber parts and expected it to be ready when he entered the cave with the forge. 

He started crafting a custom shoto for his son, smiling through the process. It was a brilliant green blade, with etched temper steel body and a wooden handle. He then held the shoto to his chest, as if imbuing it with his essence. 

"May you protect and light the way for the one I pledged my life to…"

Before he even stepped out of the cave, work notifications started cascading in his receiver, echoing around. Irritated, he returned to his office for a little bit of paperwork. He was welcomed to the sight of his wife sitting on his chair, browsing something on a datapad. 

"What are you doing here?"

The disdain in his tone was clear. Jaesa steeled her resolve for a possible conflict. "I'm just looking for my report from last week," with her eyes still on the datapad. 

"You should have told me first. I don't appreciate people entering my space without permission."

Those words stung so much that it stopped her from what she was doing. Her posture shrunk as she gulped down her nerves. 

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty. Won't happen again. I'll be out of your hair now…" said her shakily, avoiding his scowl on her way out. Just when she thought things were improving between them. But what he said was true, and this time she'd rather remove herself from the situation. 

It reminded her of what Master Gnost-Dural said. Progress is not always linear. It can be treacherous and volatile. Her deduction from that was to try and give Rionnic more space.

Or she could ask him what he really wanted instead.

She detoured and pressed the buzzer to his door. Without even looking at who was on the other side and not expecting Jaesa to return so soon, Rionnic immediately opened the door.  

“I don’t want to waste any time. I just have one question,” as she locked the door behind her, striding towards her husband, then taking a seat in front of his desk. Conflict be damned, she thought. “What do you want, exactly?”

“Broad question. Should I answer that with something you want to hear?”

Such condescension. If that’s how he wanted to play it, she would return it in kind. “You seem to lack comprehension. That’s not an answer to my question. Let’s try again.”

It was his turn to feel that sharp jab into his heart. The audacity to challenge him like that–it made him lean back and smirk. “Interesting. Let me think harder.”

“Right, let me know when you’ve found it,” as she grabbed the datapad from his hand, casually scrolling through the files for her report. “Ah, and I’ve found mine. I just transferred my report. Thank you.”

Rionnic could not believe how brazen his wife was behaving. But at the same time, he could not say anything nor feel upset about it. He liked it. “You must have an agenda behind that question. Maybe if you tell me, I can give a more precise answer,” stated Rionnic, calmer but barely holding his internal panic.

“I’m asking about… us. It's been a few months… Tell me what you want so I can give it to you. How do you want to proceed… or if you don’t see a future together. Just tell me something,” pleaded Jaesa, while her eyes began to mist.

“Pushy, aren't we? You seem to be forgetting that I would never forgive you. Let me tell you what I want then," as he leaned forward, eyes darkened. "Leave me alone."

He hurriedly left the room before he could see her cry, escaping the result of his action. It was a hurricane of conflicting emotions–his words were meant to hurt, but deep down it did not hold as much power as it appeared to be. He loved and hated the attention she was showering him with. It felt like a weakness to accept her back with open arms after she abandoned him.

The elevator opened up to the hillside as the morning turned to noon.

His eyes were watching his feet kick away the fallen leaves with every step. She was definitely crying now, he thought. He had never made her cry in the entirety of their relationship, it was always mellow and sensible between them. His mind took a leap of conclusion regarding on how to stop hurting the love of his life.

What the hell is this outfit Sageboi? What were you thinking????

Formalwear

Formalwear

Later Years Jedi Robes

Later Years Sith Armor

Casualwear 

Casualwear

Um... semi-nekid? 🙈

“Well, if that’s how it is I’m sure his birthday will be extravagant!” Jaesa quipped, to which Riornivo cheerfully agreed.

“Wait, is his birthday soon?”

“Oh, not for another three months. Don’t worry, I’m just joking about the birthday.”

“No it’s alright, we can definitely make his birthday extra special. The ones who have met Rian would definitely agree.”

The boy with such high regards entered Rionnic's office with a somber expression. Rionnic immediately dropped whatever work he was doing and asked about it, while placing a consoling hand on Rian’s back. Before the boy could answer, Jaesa entered the room.

“I… I lost a sparring match today...” revealed the young padawan.

“Are you hurt?” To which the padawan denied. Only his pride was damaged.

“That’s what matters. Nobody loses or wins in a sparring match, good Sir.”

While some might say that Rionnic’s stance on sparring was quite out of character considering his background as a Sith, his sense of fatherhood was stronger than that. His statement however, didn’t quite reassure his son. The mother knelt and offered her own advice. “I agree. What matters is the experience and lesson you gained from it. There’s only improvement moving forward.”

The pouting on the boy’s face decreased. His eyes slowly darted around his smiling parents, which ended up in a dramatic sigh coming out of his mouth. Rionnic smirked at that. “Winning is a little… overdone. Adapting around losses and obstacles is what strong people do.”

Somehow, the last sentence resonated with the padawan. He nodded weakly as Rionnic raked his dark brown hair. “I come bearing great news! We’ll be meeting the big family tomorrow!” as Jaesa clapped her hands gently, successfully stealing Rian’s attention.

The next morning was fair and pleasant. Seeing the camping equipment already packaged quickly excited Rian. After finishing his breakfast, he and Jaesa were met with aunt Ria and uncle Rio as they departed Odessen to their destination planet, Rishi.

"Where's father? Is he coming?"

"Of course he is. He'll meet us there, he just has some work he needs to do real quick!” assured Jaesa as the shuttle jumped to hyperspeed seconds later. It took a few minutes to arrive in Rishi’s orbit. Seeing the waterfalls and rock formations of the planet as they approached the surface made the boy’s eyes sparkle. Imagine the gems or unique rocks he could find! His enthusiasm was reciprocated by the equally energetic aunt as they hyped each other.

As soon as they stepped out of the shuttle, the fresh tropical air calmed the shared excitement between the nephew and aunt a little. Jaesa discussed the coordinates of the camping spot with Riornivo, confirming the route to get there. They chose a small clearing near a waterfall with as little clutter and wildlife as possible. Both for safety and for not disturbing the animals. The pirates were no longer a concern by that time.

While on the journey there on the slower skiff, Rian kept exclaiming about the mineral deposits he would point out, which warmed uncle Rio’s heart for reminding him of his late mother. The archeologist in her was fully alive through the grandson.

Rian couldn’t wait to act out on his burning desire to explore the caves to find those rocks. But seeing the adults set up camp and cleaning around the site made him recall his Jedi training of always offering help. Not long after that, an elderly couple arrived at their coordinates, hugging Jaesa, then eagerly approached him. “Oh my goodness. He’s already so big!”

“Last time I saw him, he was just learning how to walk!” announced the elderly husband.

The lady cupped his little face, eyes misty upon stroking his hair. Jaesa proudly introduced her parents. "This is grandpa Gregor and grandma Parvin! They've been wanting to see you for so long."

Gregor produced a little gift from his pocket: a handheld metal detector. When asked about what he was holding, Gregor gave a chuckling answer. He then happily thanked his grandfather. Parvin brought some homemade cookies to go along with Jaesa's cooking. The grandparents wasted no time getting to know Rian better, despite his awkward responses.

Minutes later, Rionnic finally arrived with his uncle Enzaran and cousin Eniriva. It looked like they had done something laborious as apparent on their faces. Upon seeing his father, Rian's eyes lit up as he dashed towards the Sith for a hug. "Father!! You're here!"

All of the weariness instantly disappeared once Rionnic saw how enthusiastically his precious son greeted him. He buried his head on Rian’s dark brown hair and tentatively kissed his forehead. “I’m sorry I’m late. I promise to do better next time.”

“It’s only been an hour!”

However, his smile quickly dissipated once he realized that Jaesa’s parents were in attendance. Reluctantly, he approached them as Enzaran and Eniriva introduced themselves to his son. “Woah, there’s a third twin! Hello there, young Knight!” saluted Enzaran. Rian immediately took a liking to the old spacer.

“Gregor. Parvin.”

The elder couple’s expressions were unreadable, but Gregor held out a hand to his son-in-law. Nervously, Rionnic shook his hand. It was awkward–in the back of his mind he wondered if his in-laws knew the truth behind Jaesa’s disappearance all along. Twice he asked them about her in all those years, receiving vague answers. But there's no time for those thoughts; that day was supposed to be relaxing and fun for Rian's sake. Then another thing caught him off-guard in a glimpse.

The redness of her lips. Jaesa was always barefaced, being the natural beauty she was. But a simple change of color made him weak. Those walls were crumbling faster than he could fix them. He finally shook away his stare, hoping that his wife didn't notice.

As the morning progressed, the lack of interaction between Rionnic and Jaesa was apparent. None of them dared to bring attention to it but their son. The boy sheepishly stood between his parents and proceeded to hold both of their arms, asking sweetly: "Can we go to the caves? I want to see those rocks."

Such a strange request if it were any other child. Both parents wanted to agree but what about the rest of the guests? "Don't worry, we'll be fine here," stated Riornivo while stirring his stew. "Be careful out there."

"Well good Sir, we can go but we should be back before lunch. Is that reasonable?" Rionnic bargained, which was accepted.

And off the little family go to explore the few nearest caves. There were not many gems to be found unlike the caves in Odessen and Ossus. However, the little geologist managed to identify some mineral deposits and even found some exonium--a nice souvenir from Rishi. In one particularly large cave, a sudden whiff of hot but foul air caught the family off guard. Then it blew again.

"F-Father?"

"Shhh… let's lay low and stay quiet," as Rionnic identified the source of the hot air: a sleeping krayt dragon. Jaesa's hand was hovering above her lightsaber as the three of them hid behind a large boulder. Dust began to fly around as the dragon shifted in her sleep.

"Wh-what is it? Father?"

"It's uh… a krayt dragon."

"I wanna see it!" whispered Rian excitedly.

Rionnic shook his head, but was defeated by Rian's pout. He agreed to a quick peek as he lifted his son up. The padawan marveled at the sight of the humongous creature, barred by just enough distance to fully observe and escape. The father fastened his grip on his son, then began to step away as lightly as possible with the mother closely behind. They made it out safely without stirring the sleeping dragon.

"Phew… we should head back to camp, it's time for lunch."

No contest from either father nor son to that. The spelunking had left them quite hungry. Once they arrived, Rian excitedly blabbered about his discoveries. The rest of the family were baffled when the boy got to the dragon encounter, but they were glad the little family escaped unscathed. Jaesa shifted the scene towards lunch as the food invited their appetite through the aroma.

After they were done eating, it was back to awkward socializing mainly from Rionnic's perspective. Everyone else seemed cordial and relaxed around each other. He knew that they noticed the coldness towards his wife, but he was not about to cave into the societal pressure of a make-believe romance. An hour passed with minimal activity.

Until Rian suggested a game of hide and seek.

"Whoever wants to participate, raise your hands!" exclaimed the little padawan. Some of them did, while the elders stayed behind with Eniriva guarding the camp. Whoever was up first was determined by a makeshift draw using fallen twigs. It was aunt Vyria.

Using a blindfold on Vyria to secure the no-peeking rule, every participant hid and did their best to remain silent. Vyria took a good while to find everyone, the last being Enzaran. The old captain remarked how his line of work made him an expert in hiding. Next up was Rian, and he took even longer to find everyone. Rionnic’s bias led him to make a mistake on purpose by cracking a few branches to make it easier for his son. It was finally his turn to don the blindfold.

Except he never took it off.

Vyria, who was hiding nearby, asked why didn’t her brother take the blindfold off. It was a simple yet predictable mistake. Rionnic didn’t let this blunder go to waste and quickly grabbed her. “To make it easier for me,” gloated the Sith.

“This is unfair. It’s outrageous! Why did you have to make me the FIRST to–ugh, whatever!” Vyria sulked, realizing that it was her own fault that led to this outcome. Rionnic then continued to wander around aimlessly, becoming an amusing sight for the rest of his family. He then nonchalantly bluffed; “Hmm. This is harder than I expected.” He was sure he heard a faint giggling nearby as his head whipped towards the direction it came from. It spooked his son, but what happened next changed everyone’s mood from amused to tense.

The Sith suddenly changed direction and sprinted towards a tree, delivering a semi-flying kick to it. Like a fallen fruit, Enzaran was knocked off balance and fell from his hiding place, cushioned by the bushes below. “But how?!”

“Are you hurt?”

“Naahh… I guess it’s one of your powers… thingy… isn’t it?” as Enzaran folded his arms, wishing he had embraced his own Force sensitivity instead of turning away from it. The rest who were still hiding grimaced, knowing it was just time until they lost to Rionnic’s psychometric proficiency. They unanimously agreed that he did not need the blindfold at all. The Sith then walked towards the middle of a small glade, ducking down to search for a stone.

Then he threw it at his twin.

“Ow! Wh-that’s not-” blabbered Riornivo, rubbing the back of his shoulder. “Oh well. Guess he found me,” as the Jedi moved away from his hiding place, defeated.

The last one left was his precious son. He already knew where the padawan was hiding, approaching him with a smile and a greeting. But Rian darted away, shouting for his father to catch him. Rionnic gleefully gave chase. He made another show of running off-track thanks to the lack of vision, which made Rian laugh. It was the happiest Rionnic had ever been. Eventually he caught his son with an exuberant lift to the air, with their laughs echoing around. Catching his breath, Rionnic finally removed the blindfold.

“What? You still have to find mother. Did you forget?”

Somehow, Rian’s statement planted a little doubt in him for reasons unknown. Regardless of how he felt, his son’s wishes were his command. Blindfolded again, he continued the search albeit nervously. His senses led him towards a riverbank. His wandering hands accidentally landed on Jaesa’s hair as his wife was crouching down, fetching some water. It surprised them both–Rionnic quickly removed his blindfold while Jaesa stood up but the rock decided to be slippery, causing her to stumble back. Her husband swiftly caught and pulled her close.

With barely any distance between them, it took Rionnic everything to not run his fingers on those red lips like he did all those years ago.

He abashedly released her, flustered and anxious. Jaesa only smiled while asking; “What is it? Need help?”

“It’s-it’s Rian’s order… of me, um, finding you. H-hide and seek?” blabbered Rionnic, just like his twin before. He glanced to his left and saw Rian and Vyria giggling to each other while pointing at him, then both shared a high-five. “Oh, but I didn’t participate. I had to clean the camp with Eni.”

The Sith frowned, realizing that he just got pranked by his sister and son.

“I’m glad you’re having fun. I hope this helps you relax a little.” added Jaesa as she carried the water bucket back to camp. He stood there still, mulling about what just happened and the parting remark from his wife.