Young Jedi: Legacy's Shadow

[Pryde]

41 ABY
Jedi Temple, Tython...

The door to her apartment slid open with a silent hiss. She chanced a quick peek, leaning out just far enough to see inside. The room beyond was empty, a tap, tap, tap echoing from somewhere deeper inside. She breathed a sigh, leaned back against the wall, finally relaxing. Good, she's in the kitchen. She leaned her head out again, twisting her body to bend around the door frame, one arm outstretched, her hand groping for the key hooks by the door. After a few moments, someone cleared their throat.

"Ahem, looking for these?" Caitlyn asked, holding up the keys to her speeder.

Of course she had them... how does she do that? Cadence fell back against the wall with a huff. "I thought you were in the kitchen."

"And miss the opportunity to catch you trying to sneak another joyride?"

"It's Tython, mom. Not like there's anything else to do around here."

"You should be studying. Why aren't you in class?"

"Said I didn't feel well. Besides, what's the point? I already know all this stuff, anyway."

"Oh? So you're ready to pick a master then?"

Cadence groaned, pushed off from the wall and entered the apartment. Not this again... The smell of bantha meat sauteing on the burner wafted into the room from the kitchen. Someone was cooking something, it wasn't just a ploy so her mom could catch her.

"Is Dad home?"

"Don't change the subject, missy. Have you picked a master or not?"

"Mom—"

"Yes, or no. It's a simple question."

"I have, alright? And it isn't you."

A pained expression flashed over Caitlyn's face, but she quickly controlled it. "Kalja? Again? Honey—"

"I know, I know. She doesn't want a padawan, but I don't care. I don't want anyone else."

"Why?"

"Why does it matter? Not like you listen to me, anyway. 'Do your homework, Cadi. Put the robe on Cadi. Stop stealing your dad's speeder and racing off across the plains, Cadi.' All you care about is yourself."

"Cadi—" Caitlyn started, but Cadence had already spun on her heel and raced up the stairs.

Once inside her room, she closed the door, locking it. She waited a terse moment for the inevitable knock and her mother's voice calling to her from the other side. When that didn't happen, she breathed softly, crossing the room and falling into her bed. She rolled onto her back, her eyes drilling holes into the ceiling as her anger boiled over. Why doesn't she just leave me alone? She groaned, pounded her mattress in a childish fit. Her mother could be overbearing, but she meant well—most of the time. Still, she could learn to lay off a little bit.

Cadence knew it hurt her mother she hadn't accepted Caitlyn's offer to be her master. Caitlyn had pointedly refused to train a padawan until her daughter came of age, but Cadence hadn't told her to make that decision. Nor was it Caitlyn's decision to make. But did she care about that? Did she ever stop to consider her feelings? No, how could she? She had no idea what it was like being the daughter of not one, but two war heroes. The weight of expectation bearing down on her shoulders, crushing her. All those eyes in class watching, laughing every time she screwed up. She never had to deal with the embarrassment, the ridicule of not being able to live up to her family's legacy. Or the pressure to be just another carbon copy of her mom.

That's why Cadence insisted on skipping class, why she refused to wear the robes. Maybe if she became enough of a screw up people would stop comparing her to her parents. But she doubted it. It was her own damned fault, after all. She talked a big game coming into the temple, thinking she was going to be instantly good at everything. Boy, was she wrong. Turns out you can't have everything just because you want it. A lesson she, unfortunately, had to learn the hard way...

***

Isis stood in the doorway, watching her sister as Cadence stormed up to her room. A familiar sight she'd seen on more than one occasion. One that reminded her of her own past. How many times had I done the same to dad? She set the pairing knife down on the counter, wiped her hands, slipping her apron off over her head. When she came back into the living room Caitlyn was on the couch, one foot propped up on the coffee table, her arms folded over her chest. Literal storm clouds hung over the younger woman's head as she stewed quietly. Isis almost reconsidered butting in.

"Still fighting?"

Caitlyn nodded.

"She's what? Fourteen now? It's just a phase."

"Is it?" Caitlyn asked, giving her a pointed look.

Isis winced. Yea... guess not. "Look, what if I talked to her?"

"Don't see the point, she's not going to change her mind. She doesn't want me as her master."

Well, maybe if you didn't hover over her so much. "Yea, well... maybe I'll just talk to her, anyway. She listens to me—sometimes."

Caitlyn sighed, shaking her head. She gave Isis an exasperated wave toward the stairs. "Be my guest."

Isis headed out of the room, stopping at the base of the stairs to cast one last look over her shoulder. She felt for her sister—and maybe even a little bit for her father. She could imagine him sitting there with her, both of them wondering where they went wrong. With a rueful smile, she headed up the stairs, each step eliciting a slight creak. The sound echoing off the walls.

Cadence's room was at the far end of the hallway on the left and, as expected, the door was locked. Isis cleared her throat before knocking. "Cadi? You in there? It's—"

Before she could finish, the door slid open and a girl threw herself into her arms.

"Uncle Sis!"

Uncle... the name Cadence gave her when she was five. What was her reasoning again? Something about how she acted more like an uncle than an aunt? Probably didn't help that Caitlyn was always so prim and proper. Well... that, and Isis insisted on wearing combat fatigues everywhere, even onto the Senate floor. Plus, she had the mouth of a Corellian spacer.

"Hey, kid. Good to see you too."

"What are you doing here?"

"Had some unpaid vacation days. Plus, I heard a rumor someone was turning fourteen today."

Cadence flushed. "I forgot about that."

Isis smiled, ruffling her hair. "Yea, I figured. C'mon, let's talk."

She entered the room, crossed over to sit on the corner of Cadence's bed. She pat the mattress next to her, giving the girl an expectant look. Cadence ignored it, closed the door but remained standing.

"Your mother's pretty upset."

"Yea? Me too."

"You know how much she wants to train you, maybe if the two of you just talked—"

"Yea right, like she'll listen to me. You know what training with her will be like?"

Got a pretty good idea. "That's not what I meant, Cadi. I mean maybe if you told her why."

"She knows why."

"Well, clearly she doesn't cause right now she thinks you hate her."

"I don't hate her, I just—" she fell silent, turned away, her shoulders slumped.

Isis leaned over, trying to get a look at her face. "Just what, Cadi?"

"Nothing."

Isis frowned. The girl was making this a lot more complicated than it needed to be. As if I had done any different. "Okay, how 'bout this? Maybe you don't tell your mom. Maybe you tell me instead. Why is it you want Kalja so bad?"

The girl stood there with her arms crossed, still pointedly looking away from her.

"C'mon, Cadi, you gotta tell someone."

"Because she doesn't expect anything from me," she blurted out, whirling back around. "Okay? Kalja doesn't care if I don't wear the robe. She doesn't care if I'm not good with the Force. She doesn't look at me like—" she faltered, her voice catching in her throat. "Like everyone else," she finished in a quiet voice.

Isis' expression softened. Boy, that sounds familiar... "Come here," she said, standing.

Cadence dropped her arms to her sides, coming over to stand next to Isis. She stiffened a bit as Isis threw her arms around her.

"You'll get no judgement from me, Kid. You don't need to be perfect," she said, "no one expects that of you. Just try your best, alright?"

"Yea," Cadence said softly, burying her face in Isis's chest...

[Halomek]

Tython was a rare jewel in space.

Hidden in the Deep Core, it was about as close to Galactic Center as possible for a viable solar system without being torn up by the gravitational eddies that wracked the Deep Core. Its location had been lost for millennia until a Jedi Master known as Kalja Sairu Leidias somehow managed the impossible and not only rediscovered it, but brokered an agreement with the Empire to create peace between the Jedi and the Empire and allow her to set up an academy on the planet.

That peace had not only held for an astonishing two decades so far, but the longer it lasted, the longer it felt normal.

There were conditions, of course. The Empire controlled all access to the planet. Starships had to arrive at a designated waypoint and then be ferried in and out of the system under their strict supervision, including to and from the planet. Any unauthorized ships were destroyed on sight.

Additionally an Imperial garrison had been built on the planet with a dual purpose of protecting the planet and as a precautionary measure in case someone at the temple went mad with power. Supposedly it was filled with all kinds of anti-Forcer technology and troops trained by Oremin’s best to deal with Force-users.

The Imperial Knights also had a satellite office on the planet as yet another precaution.

It seemed like a lot, and it was, but in exchange the Jedi were free to travel through Imperial territory and act as peacekeepers.

It was also - partly - what made Tython one of the safest worlds in the galaxy. Prior to the Tython temple, the newly established Jedi Order had a history of having their temples attacked and razed by enemies of all sorts, making it tough for them to have a stable presence in the galaxy. The main temple at Ossus had suffered attacks in the past, but was thankfully still standing. The academy ship known as the Skywalker had also helped to regrow the Jedi Order.

But it was Tython that currently had the best record among them all.

Master Leidias was the reason why Tython had the reputation that it did. She had friends and allies across the galaxy, including among the highest echelons of the New Republic and the Empire. With those contacts, she had turned Tython into more than just a temple for Jedi. She had made it into a home for her children and a center of peace in an often chaotic universe.

It was because of her that Tython had a small colony on the planet that helped to support the temple. It was situated by the modest spaceport the Imperials used for their ferries. The Jedi Temple and the Imperial garrison were on opposite ends of the outskirts. The town, known as New Joy, had its own housing and private businesses with facilities on par with any modern world in the galaxy.

And, as per the usual for Master Leidias, she had made such a thing that anyone else would have called impossible look easy. Just another notch in her long list of accomplishments.

As her daughter, Kalja Falanis Leidias, strolled through the temple to reach the headmaster’s office, these thoughts and more flitted through her brain. “It’s a good thing I love her, because otherwise being her daughter would drive me crazy,” she thought to herself with weary amusement.

Kalja was a name of honor passed down through the Leidias family. Kalja Falanis was the latest in a long line of Kaljas to carry it and she was proud to do so, but her mother was a tough act to follow. She had certainly acquitted herself well so far as a Jedi Knight, but nothing on her record could hold a candle to her mother. Kalja was currently 23 standard years old and considered to be a powerful Jedi, but by this time in her life her mother had already started teaching classes at Devon Vos' Praxeum and not long after would be invited to become a member of the Jedi Council...

“Stop it!” Kalja admonished herself silently. “Don’t obsess over this stuff. It doesn’t matter!”

Kalja wore the familiar robes common to a Jedi, but she had added her own flair to the standard ensemble. The outfit had purple and burgundy accents added to it as a tribute to her mother and her father, which were colors usually associated with them. It was also tailored to show some Palawa stylings as a nod to her favorite instructor.

Kalja’s jet black hair was tied back with a ribbon and held with a hairclip for added stability. She found it easier and less time-consuming than spending an entire morning braiding it like her mother preferred to do. As she stopped in front of the door for the headmaster, Kalja closed her blue eyes and took a deep breath before raising her hand to knock on the door.

“Come in, Kalja!” a friendly voice from the other side intoned before she could even hit the door once.

Kalja entered the office and shook her head. “Do I even want to ask when you sensed my presence?”

Her mother smiled back and shook her head. She was currently seated at her desk. A beam of sunlight through one of the windows in the office was at her back, somehow giving her a golden glow. Even though she was pushing her fifties, one would be hard pressed to find signs of aging on Kalja Sairu. She looked like a woman still in her late twenties; green eyes still vibrant and blonde hair decorated with braids and a flower or two for decoration.

“Try as you might, you can’t hide from me. Neither of my children can,” her mother said with a smile. “I’m sure your father would be happy to resume your lessons in stealth when the two of you can find time.”

“Easier said than done,” Kalja sighed. “Even though he’s supposed to be taking it easy these days, he’s still putting out more fires than I am.”

Her mother nodded. “That’s Delth Ardin for you. Trying to get him to stand still is one of the hardest things I’ve ever tried.”

Kalja chuckled despite herself. “That’s saying something.”

“Anyway, we’re not here to talk about your father,” her mother reminded her. “I read your report about that group of Darksiders you went to investigate. As usual, I need to soothe things over with the Empire because you ignored protocol.”

Kalja waved it off with a dismissive hand. “Yeah, I know I was supposed to contact the Imperial Knights and work with them to take them down, but it would have been a waste of resources. It was just another bunch of deluded idiots claiming to be the reborn Cult of Shadow. Cleaning them out was barely an effort.”

Her mother gave her a patient look. “Whether it was easy or not is not the issue. Those protocols are in place to demonstrate to the Empire that they can trust the Jedi while we’re in their territory. You know better.”

Kalja slumped her shoulders. “Yeah, I know.”

“And what if it had been the real remnants of the cult?” her mother asked needlessly. “Raii Meriaz is not to be taken lightly, as you well know. You were lucky last time you ran into her.”

“That was years ago!” Kalja tried to argue, but it was clear that such reasoning wasn’t going to work on her mother. She sighed and bowed her head. “I’ll be better about protocol.”

“Do you promise?”

“Yes...”

Her mother gave her a measuring look before nodding. “Very well, I won’t harp on it any longer. After all, today is a day of celebration.” She smirked. “You know... she asked for you again. She’ll be old enough now to be assigned as a Padawan.”

Kalja felt herself smile at the news. Of course her mother was referring to Cadence and her birthday. “Look, I love the little troublemaker, but I’m not ready for a student. I’m like Father, I’m a lone agent - in and out of trouble zones with surgical precision!”

“Delth hasn’t worked alone for years.”

“I meant in his prime, like me,” Kalja insisted as she briefly shadow boxed the air for emphasis. “I don’t need a partner right now.”

“You should reconsider it, Kalja,” her mother argued. “Cadence might have even more... um... ‘spirit’ than you at her age. Not just any master will do for her. She needs someone who will understand and relate with her on a fundamental level. Take it from someone who has never had an easy time with Padawans.”

“Does that include me and James?” Kalja asked with a smirk.

“Especially you and your brother,” her mother emphasized. “Just consider it, please? At the party today, check out how much Cadence has grown since you visited last. You might be surprised.”

“I suppose. Fine. No promises though.”

Her mother smiled back – that golden smile that most people in the galaxy associated with the numerous stories about her – and nodded her approval. “Then go out and enjoy the day! I may be a bit late, but I’ll see you at the party.”

[Pryde]

"We shouldn't be here. A full Imperial garrison? Plus the Jedi? This is suicide."

Jarus ignored the man's complaining, leaning in closer with his macrobinoculars. From his vantage point in the woods, he could just make out the Sinclair family homestead. Home of one of the largest bounties in the galaxy—not that anyone was stupid enough to try claiming it. Caitlyn Sinclair's fierce loyalty for her family was near legendary and her skills were nothing to sneeze at. But what concerned him was her husband, Akain Karna. The bounty was for him.

As much of a splash as Caitlyn had made during her time as a Jedi, it pailed in comparison to the damage caused by Akain and the enemies he made along the way. There were a lot of people willing to pay top dollar for anyone brazen enough to try to take him down. Jarus just wanted to catch him. The price for him alive was higher, anyway. As much as those people wanted him dead, they each preferred to do the deed themselves. Which was fine by him, he wouldn't stand a chance against a Jedi. Plus, as he swept his binoculars over the front yard of the house, an idea was already forming in his mind.

A young girl stumbled out of the house, struggling to carry a large trash bag. She had deep black hair with blue highlights, wore a cropped jacket over a tight, double layered shirt, skinny jeans and a pair of high-top shoes. Their kid? He watched as the girl half carried, half dragged the bag to the trash can at the front of the yard. Most notably, she wasn't levitating it. Nor was she wearing the robes traditionally worn by pupils of the temple. Not a Jedi, huh? The girl heaved the bag into the can, nearly knocking herself off balance.

She's perfe—Jarus paused as something silver glinted in his eye. He hadn't seen it before because the trash bag had obstructed his view, but hanging from her right hip was a lightsaber. He sighed. Too good to be true... or is it? She didn't dress like a Jedi, didn't seem to make much use of her powers, plus she was young. A learner, perhaps? Maybe one who's just starting out? I could make this work.

"Let's go," he finally said to the other man. "I have a plan..."

***

Cadence's stomach grumbled as she came back into the kitchen, the fragrant aroma of cooked meat and potatoes filling the air. Her mouth watered and she hovered near the stove where a pot of stew was boiling. She reached out to grab the ladle and—

Snap!

"Ow!" she cried, shaking her hand. She shot an annoyed look at Isis.

"Not until it's ready."

"It smells like it's ready now."

Isis lifted the ladle to her lips, tasting it. "Needs more spice. Hand me that over there." She pointed at a nearby spice shaker.

Cadence hesitated. "You sure? This isn't one of your 'special recipes', is it?"

"What are you trying to say?"

"That you like your food spicy. Meanwhile, the rest of us would like to keep our tastebuds."

Isis regarded her for a moment, her hand hovering over the spice jar. After a few seconds she shrugged, picked up the ladle again and began stirring the pot. "You're right, that's enough spice."

I knew it... "Why'd you make so much, anyway? It's just the three of us, isn't it?"

"You're kidding, right?"

"Um... no?"

"Cadi," Isis began, speaking patiently, "It's your birthday."

"So—" Cadence started, then her eyes widened. "Mom's throwing me a party?"

Isis nodded, her expression grim.

"No. No way forget it, I'm out."

"No can do, kid. I promised your mother I'd help make you stay for the whole thing."

"Oh, come on, Sis. I don't want a party."

"Why not? All your friends will be here."

"You're my friend."

"Sheesh," Isis said with a shiver. "I thought my social life was bad."

"Okay, well... looks like you've got things handled here, so I'm just gonna—" She half turned to leave, but barely made it a step before something clicked around her wrist. At the sound, she glanced down at the manacles cuffing her to her aunt. "Seriously?"

"Yep," Isis said, picking up the ladle again. Simultaneously lifting Cadence's arm in the process.

Cadence groaned. "You know, you're the reason I need therapy..."

***

True to her word, Isis made sure Cadence had stayed for the party. She spent the entire afternoon cuffed to her aunt, helping with chores and preparing food so long as it was within arm's reach of Isis. That part she didn't really mind, though. She liked it when her aunt visited. Isis was the only reason she had something to wear other than boring old Jedi robes. Cadence couldn't believe how different she was from her mom. Isis shirked responsibility at every opportunity. Meanwhile, her mother was a staunch traditionalist—or at least pretended to be. It annoyed her that Cadence never followed the rules, a fact she rather enjoyed. The Jedi were so stuffy, they could use a bit of color.

It was late in the afternoon, early evening when the first party guests showed up. Cadence was forced to stand next to her aunt and her mother by the front door to greet everyone as they came in. One by one various students and masters from the Jedi temple filed through the door. Each one of them hovering their eyes over the handcuffs binding Isis's wrist to hers, but no one said anything.

"Uncle Sis, this is embarrassing," she hissed.

"I know," Isis said, a big broad smile on her face...

[Halomek]

Kalja’s next stop was at the Imperial Knight’s satellite office. The description was a bit of a disservice as it implied a small out of the way building staffed by maybe a handful of people. In reality the satellite office had been built with the usual Imperial flair for the grandiose. The building was large and blocky as per the standard Imperial design philosophy. On the front of the edifice was a large logo for the Imperial Knights, just in case anyone hadn’t got the hint about what the building was all about.

Kalja strolled up to the guard house in front and flashed her ID to the two soldiers inside. It was barely necessary, not only was Kalja about as well known on Tython as her mother, but this was hardly her first trip to the satellite office.

One of the guards waved her inside with a smile, to which Kalja responded with a casual salute and a grin. “Thanks, Lurgan! Looking good, by the way! Love the new beard!”

Lurgan laughed good naturedly as Kalja walked into the satellite office proper and past the receptionist. “Hey, Kiely! Rocking that uniform as usual!”

Kalja moved through the building, occasionally exchanging greetings with some of the other staff, before she arrived at her destination: the training arena.

It was a modest arena with stadium seating encircling it. There were currently a few observers sitting down and watching the spectacle. Kalja took a seat as well, a smile on her face, as she watched the “show” taking place in the arena.

There were three people in the arena, all Imperial knights in their black training uniforms. Their trademark silver lightsabers hummed and crackled as the duel moved around the arena. Two of the Imperial Knights were trying to overwhelm the third, although the one being ganged-up on was not making it easy. From past experience, Kalja knew all three of the fighters in the duel.

There was the brash young Jakus Renna, the newest of the Imperial Knights to be assigned to Tython. He had energy and skills, but lacked the refinement of some of his more experienced comrades.

Fighting alongside Jakus was Silva Vinn, the second in command of the Imperial Knights stationed on Tython. She fought with more discipline than Jakus and was careful about where she directed her strikes and how much force she put in them, but Kalja could see signs of frustration on her face.

They were fighting a man in the center, Kalja’s fraternal twin brother, James. He had short dark brown hair and green eyes, but otherwise he was said to be the spitting image of their father in his youth – which was to say quite handsome. He was like a calm center of a storm as he expertly used Soresu to deflect the attacks of the other two knights.

“They’ve got him cornered!” one of the observers said breathlessly. “He can’t move.”

Kalja just shook her head in amusement. Before their paths had diverged, with Kalja joining the Jedi Order and James opting instead for military service in the Empire, their parents had been quite dutiful about teaching them everything they could to survive in an often dangerous universe. Kalja Sairu had trained them in utilizing the Force and the Soresu style, and their father, Delth Ardin, had taught them some of the more aggressive lightsaber techniques as well as his own special brand of hand-to-hand combat.

In other words, the siblings were never without options in a fight.

And James had total control of the duel right now. He was just waiting for the right moment...

Kalja saw it at the same moment James did. Jakus overextended his reach as he fell for a false opening that James had created for just such a purpose. In a flash, James reached out and twisted Jakus’ wrist, forcing the other man to let go of his lightsaber. James then used Jakus’s own momentum to throw the smaller man at Silva.

Silva had virtually no time to react. She tried to dodge, but couldn’t get out of the way in time and was knocked down as Jakus collided with her. The two knights fell down in a heap. A moment later James’ lightsaber was held above them.

James, breathing hard, but still as calm as ever looked at them expectantly. “Do you yield?”

Jakus just groaned in pain, but Silva tapped the ground with her hand to indicate surrender. “Damn it, we were doing so well there for a while too!”

James smiled as he deactivated his lightsaber and offered a hand for them to get back up to their feet. “You’ve definitely improved.”

Jakus struggled back up to his feet and headed for the exit. “Well done as always, sir. Ugh, I’m going to feel this in the morning...”

Silva, on the other hand, took James’ hand and rose next to him. She blushed a bit at their proximity, before stepping back and brushing some sweat-soaked blond hair behind her ears. “I should get cleaned up too.” She gave him a proper salute. “Thank you for the sparring match, sir.”

James nodded. “I think your new training regimen is showing results. Dismissed.”

Silva exited the room as did most of the observers. Kalja, on the other hand, clapped at the performance as she walked up to him. “Not bad! I wish we had time for me to take you on myself!”

“We’d be here forever,” James laughed as he used a towel to clean himself up a bit. He wasn’t the least bit surprised to see her. They had always been able to sense where the other one was. “Is it time for the party already?”

Kalja nodded. “Yep, and per family tradition we’re already running late.”

James nodded. “Okay, shouldn’t take me long to get cleaned up and changed. I’ll meet you out front by my speeder.”

Kalja clapped happily. “Ooh, are we taking the P75!?”

“Yes,” he replied before immediately following it up with: “No, you can’t drive.”

Kalja crossed her arms in disappointment. “You’re no fun.”

“And you’re the reason why I don’t have the P74 anymore,” he reminded her. “I’ll see you out there.”

***

Back at party, the main viewscreen was active as most of the adults, and Cadence, accepted a call from Tav Garvin and Clara Molariou. The pair were aging gracefully. They looked mostly like the holos Cadence had seen of them back in their prime. Tav was mostly the same, he was even still wearing that headband with the Corellian Sand Panther on it that he liked so much. However, there were some extra wrinkles around the eyes that indicated the passage of time. Clara had grown out her hair and her muscle tone had softened considerably, but that could also be a result of the fact that she was in the later stages of pregnancy.

“I’m sorry we couldn’t make it, Cadence,” Tav apologized. “Flying around in the deep core with all those gravitational distortions is not really the best place for a pregnant woman. Not to mention that Jaris has been a terror lately. He’s into everything. I can’t imagine trying to take him on a long trip. Definitely takes after his mother.”

Clara punched Tav in the arm playfully at the last remark. “You be quiet.”

Tav rubbed his arm with a chuckle. “I knew that was coming and I went for it anyway.”

“Do you know yet if Jaris getting a little brother or a sister?” Isis asked.

“I’m hoping for a daughter this time,” Clara remarked as she rubbed her belly affectionally. “Med droids weren’t certain, so we’re going to check again in another month. Anyway, this call isn’t about me! It’s Songbird’s birthday! Sis was able to take our present to you with her, so I want to see you open it while we’re on the call!”

Isis smiled as she handed a small decorative box to Cadence. The box was about the same dimensions of a standard datapad, although much thicker.

Clara grinned eagerly as Cadence started to take apart the wrapping. Tav seemed less enthused for some reason, but was still managing a smile. The reason became apparent as Cadence lifted the lid off the box to reveal a small tactical combat knife with a sheath inside.

“Well? Don’t you love it!?” Clara asked. “It’s just like the latest model used by the SpecOps, except I got it sized down so Songbird would have an easier time handling it. The blade is made of a fiber-alloy so it’ll never get dull or rust. It also doesn’t conduct electricity, so you could stab a power socket and be fine!”

This time it was Tav’s turn to punch Clara in the arm, albeit in a much gentler fashion than her punch.

“Uh, not that you should be sticking things in power sockets...” Clara added hastily.

[Pryde]

The party was in full swing—well, almost full swing—when everyone stopped to answer calls from friends and family who couldn't make it. First Hirai, whom Cadence hadn't seen since her grandfather's funeral, then Tav and Clara. Uncle Tav and Aunt Clara, as Cadence called them, despite the fact they weren't related. Clara and her aunt Isis had been 'sisters' for longer than she'd been alive. That was enough for her to consider them both family. That made little Jaris her cousin, though the last time she saw him he was in diapers.

Cadence held up the knife, weighing it in her hand. It was a practical gift, a very Clara-esque type of gift. She knew without looking that Tav's input had probably been for something different. He tended to understand her better than Clara did. Still, a knife could be useful, she supposed. She handed the box to Isis and unsheathed the blade.

"Careful," Caitlyn said, almost by instinct. She was trying and failing to hide the disapproving look on her face.

Of course Aunt Clara got me a weapon, Mother. "I know."

She held up the knife to examine it. It had a solid grip, an analog compass built into the pommel, and the blade was darkened so as not to reflect light. The perfect tool for a SpecOps on the go, but not necessarily for a teenage girl who had more interest in music than combat. Still, she flashed Clara her biggest, brightest smile.

"I love it, Aunt Clara, thank you. You too, Uncle Tav."

[Halomek]

Not long after the call with Tav and Clara wrapped up, Kalja and James pulled up to the Karna-Sinclair residence in his P75 SoroSuub Sport Speeder. The landspeeder had the rounded curves common to a lot of SoroSuub designs, with a two-seater cockpit up front and four turbine engines in the back. Like most landspeeders, it was open air, but a static shield could be activated to keep out the elements. It was painted a bright candy apple red with some black piping along the side as accents.

As James’ pride and joy, the craft positively gleamed from being cleaned and waxed on a regular basis.

Once James parked the landspeeder, the two siblings hopped out. Kalja was wearing her usual Jedi clothing, but James had changed into a dark sport coat and slacks combo that did a fine job of accenting how in shape he was. With his good looks, James looked like he had walked right out of a fashion show. The only sign that he wasn’t a model was the lightsaber clipped to his belt.

“Looks like Mother still hasn’t arrived,” he observed as they walked to the door.

“No sign of Aunt Elena either,” Kalja added. “It’s too bad that Uncle Reave and Aunt Morwenna can’t make it since they’re busy on some mission in the Outer Rim. I always enjoy their stories. You think there’s something going on?”

James flashed her a wry look. Her brother was about a head taller than her, which made Kalja feel like the younger sibling even though they were the same age. There was some debate about who had been born first, but neither of their parents had even deigned to clarify the point.

“What’s with that look?”

“Kalja, there’s always something going on,” James explained. “You know that as well as I do.”

“I mean something serious,” she emphasized. “Not these ratty little Sith clubs that keep popping up every so often and claiming to be the next big thing.”

“Let’s hope not. The galaxy has enjoyed peace for almost twenty years despite some grumbling to the contrary,” he pointed out as he rang the door chime. “If the Big Two ever came to blows again, it would cause a lot of suffering.”

“True enough,” Kalja admitted. “The only important thing to worry about tonight is how spicy Isis made the meal.”

The door opened as Caitlyn greeted them and there were cheers from the crowd within. Kalja slipped inside and spotted Cadence sitting on the couch next to Isis. “Hey, there’s the birthday girl!” It was then that she noticed Cadence handcuffed to Isis. “Uh, I don’t remember this from the last birthday. Is this some kind of Sinclair family tradition?”

[Pryde]

Cadence had just stashed her new knife at the small of her back when the front door opened again. There were cheers from the gathered assembly, but she couldn't see who was at the door from her vantage point. Not until Kalja was standing in front of her along with—

Oh no...

James was with her too, looking rather dashing in that outfit of his. He had a solidly athletic build and a face that would take the runways of Coruscant by storm. He rounded the corner like the hero of some sappy holodrama, riding in on his great white steed to sweep the heroine off her feet. As soon as he came into view, her cheeks flushed and her heart skipped a bit. She almost forgot about the cuffs binding her to Isis—until Kalja pointed them out, making her embarrassment even worse.

"Um... Uncle Sis kind of... deemed me a flight risk."

"Was I wrong?"

"That's not the point. You know these are my formative years, right? I'll remember this."

"Isis, take the handcuffs off my daughter. You've tortured her enough," Caitlyn said, coming up behind them.

Isis sighed in resignation, fishing the keys out of her pocket. "I suppose you're right, but you better keep an eye on her. I won't take responsibility if she runs."

Grateful to be free of her prison, Cadence massaged her wrist. The manacles had rubbed her skin raw after wearing them for so long. She only wished Kalja hadn't been here to see—she stopped. After sneaking another glance at James, her heart leapt into her throat. She quickly stood. "I gotta—"

"No," Isis began, drawing it out slowly.

"Ugh, fine."

She fell back into the couch, trying her best to pretend like she wasn't avoiding eye contact with James...

[Halomek]

Kalja didn’t miss Cadence’s reaction.

And she loved it.

“Hey bro,” she said to James. “Why don’t you take a seat on the couch next to Cadence while I get us some drinks.”

“No!” Cadence objected a little louder than she intended. “I can get them.”

“You’re going nowhere,” Isis said to her. “I have stuff worse than cuffs.”

Kalja walked over to the punch bowl and started pouring drinks, only snickering once she was turned away from the crowd. She could dimly hear James talking to Cadence in the background, asking about something or other.

Cadence’s responses were even harder to make out.

By the time Kalja returned, Cadence’s face was in the process of flushing to a bright red. Upon seeing that, Kalja felt a slight pang of guilt at putting the girl on the spot. The crush on her brother was bigger than she thought.

“Scoot over, James,” she said as she handed her brother a drink. “It’s my turn to talk to the birthday girl.”

James raised an eyebrow, as if to say: You just told me to sit here. Now you want me to move? However, he didn’t object and indeed seemed rather oblivious to the effect he’d had on Cadence as he made some room between them for Kalja.

Kalja sat down and handed her drink to Cadence. “Here. You’re looking a little dehydrated.”

Cadence took the drink and seemed grateful to have the opportunity to do something other than talk.

Kalja waited until the girl had her fill before continuing. “So, kiddo, it’s been a while since we’ve seen each other. What have you been up to?”

[Pryde]

Cadence blanched at the suggestion James should sit next to her. On the one hand, she was giddy as a schoolgirl, on the other all she could think about was, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. What do I do? She felt like such an idiot when James started talking to her, asking her about various things. How's life? How's her training going? What has she been up to? Mostly basic stuff. She kept her answers short, trying not to look at him. The whole time, her cheeks were on fire, sweat beading on her forehead. Did the temperature just go up five degrees?

Fortunately, Kalja came back and spared her any further embarrassment. Ignoring for the moment, she put her in that position to begin with. When Kalja handed her a drink, she nearly gulped the whole thing down, casting the occasional side glance at James. When she lowered the glass, Kalja was the first to speak.

"Oh, you know... training," she said in answer to her question. Casting a glance over her shoulder at where her mother stood behind them.

"She skipped class again today."

"Mom!"

"She assures me she already knows everything, but she doesn't realize I talk to her instructors. They tell me you struggle with even the most basic training exercises."

"I told you I wasn't feeling well."

"But you felt well enough to try taking the speeder for another joyride."

Cadence's face flushed. Yeah, she had tried to do that.

"You know, dear, if you put as much effort into your training as you do that silly guitar you'd be top of your class."

"Well, maybe I don't want to be, Mom. Maybe I'm fine with being a bottom of the barrel Jedi."

"Cadence—"

"Cadi, I think I see Elena pulling up in the driveway. Let's go say hi," Isis interrupted them. Nudging Cadence to her feet and toward the door.

As they stepped away from Caitlyn and the others, Cadence's anger ebbed. Quickly replaced by embarrassment as she realized she just argued with her mother in front of James. On her birthday, even. Oh my god, my life is over, she groaned. I should just end it now...

[Halomek]

Kalja Falanis watched Cadence head towards the door to greet Aunt Elena, looking for all the world like a prisoner on a death march. The poor kid was miserable when this should have been a happy occasion and it seemed like no one else could really see that. Suddenly her mother’s words about Cadence’s progress echoed through her mind.

Check out how much Cadence has grown since you visited last... You might be surprised...

At the time, Kalja had assumed her mother had meant how much Cadence had grown as a Jedi. Now it was clear that she meant the opposite.

Not just any master will do for her... She needs someone who will understand and relate with her on a fundamental level...

Kalja groaned internally. She should have known. Her mother always was more clever and more insightful than people gave her credit for. Well it wasn’t going to be that easy! It was a shame that Cadence was doing so poorly, but that was a Sinclair family problem. She had bigger issues to worry about! Having an apprentice would just slow her down!

She looked again and saw Cadence doing her best to seem happy, but the façade wasn’t holding very well.

Kalja could feel a persistent nagging sensation chipping away at her wall of obstinance. It was trying to tell her that she had some ideas about how to help Cadence; ideas that probably wouldn’t occur to most instructors...

“She has to at least show me some kind of promise,” Kalja argued with herself. “By the Force, I can’t believe I’m even considering this...”

With a small sigh, Kalja stood from the couch and greeted Elena with a hug. She made some small talk before grabbing Cadence gently by the shoulders. “Hey, Isis, do you mind if I borrow the birthday girl for a little bit? We’ll just be in her room. I promise I won’t let her escape.”

[Pryde]

Isis looked surprised. "No, of course not. Be my guest," she said waving them off.

Elena watched the pair of them go, she'd been feeling some kind of strange vibe from the girl. Almost as if she didn't want to be here. Didn't want to be at her own party? I thought little girls loved to celebrate their birthdays. Cadence was a bit of a special case, she knew. Always so reserved and distant from the other students. Maybe she felt overwhelmed by this crowd, it was arguably more people than could reasonably fit in such a small place. But was that right? Had she always been this shy?

"Hey, Isis, what's the deal?"

"Excuse me?"

"With Cadence, is she alright?"

Isis frowned, turned to watch as her niece headed upstairs with Kalja. She seemed to be pondering something, as if she were calculating how much was safe to talk about. "Well, she wasn't thrilled about the party today. I think she wanted something smaller, but you know Caitlyn."

"I do."

"I mean, I love my sister, but she's dense as a doornail when it comes to understanding her own daughter. If only the two of them would just, you know... talk."

Elena crossed her arms, giving Isis a wry smile.

Isis' cheeks flushed. "Yea, yea, I know. Strange coming from me, talking's never been my strong suit, either."

"But you're a senator, all you do is talk."

"No, all we do is argue. That I can do just fine..."

***

Cadence's heart thumped loudly in her ears as she led Kalja into her room. She hadn't anticipated this turn of events and wasn't able to prepare the ground first. Not that she could since she'd been cuffed to Isis for most of the afternoon. Her room was a mess, with clothes scattered about on the furniture and the floor. The waste bin by her desk overflowing with scattered notes and unfinished sheet music. Her guitar was still leaning up in the corner and normally she hid that whenever people came over. Not that she needed to, of course. Her mother had blabbed to just about everyone about how talented her daughter was, much to her chagrin. As a result she'd gotten so many requests to play for people she was running out of excuses for turning them down. Even the time she played for Clara was an accident. Her aunt surprised her, stopping by unexpectedly while she was out in the backyard singing a tune.

While Kalja crossed the room to perch on her bed, Cadence quietly slid the door closed. Taking a moment to breath she turned around, hand cupping her elbow as she rocked back and forth from heel to toe. "So, what's up," she said, pointedly avoiding eye contact with Kalja.

[Halomek]

Kalja took in as much of Cadence’s room as she could. The clutter, the clothing, the chaos... it was all fitting together...

“I want to hear you play,” Kalja said to her without any preamble as she indicated the guitar.

Cadence seemed reluctant. “Now isn’t a good time. It's just a hobby... and we have a bunch of guests over that I should be talking too.”

Kalja pointed at the door to the room and flicked a finger, activating the locking mechanism with the Force. She then looked back at Cadence. “Now it’s just you and me. I promise no one else is going to come in here. Just play me one song.”

Cadence’s voice got quieter. “I don’t really know any songs...”

Kalja could sense that Cadence was making excuses, and probably lying a little bit to try and get out of the situation she was in. She wasn’t going to make it that easy for the girl though.

Kalja simply smiled back politely. “It’s okay. I don’t want to hear any songs. I just want to hear you play. I want you to sit down next to me and just play whatever notes you feel like playing. It doesn’t have to be written down or memorized. Just play what feels natural to you and take it from there.”

"That’s it?” Cadence asked, a little incredulous.

“That’s it,” Kalja promised. She then patted the spot on the bed next to her in clear invitation. “Now, how many times are you going to make me ask?”

[Pryde]

At least once more, for as long as I can manage. She refrained from saying it out loud, though. With an exasperated sigh she stepped past Kalja to the other side of the bed to fetch her guitar. Then she sat down on the mattress with her back to the other woman. She slipped the guitar strap over her shoulders, plugged in the amp and put her hand to the strings, reaching up to pluck the first note. But the moment the bed shifted she stopped.

"No," she said, "please. Just stay there."

She felt the bed shift again, the other woman's weight settling back where it was. Breathing softly, she tried again. She fingered a G chord, plucking the strings one at a time. It was out of tune, filling the room with a discordant sound. She blanched, quickly stood, already lifting the guitar off over her head.

"I'm sorry, I can't do this."

A hand touched her arm and she froze.

"It's alright," Kalja said in a soothing voice, "pretend I'm not here."

Cadence squeezed her eyes shut, groaning inwardly. She sat down on the bed again, settled the guitar into her lap. She plucked a few strings, quietly tuning the instrument. Once she was satisfied she took a deep breath. Then another. And another. Finally, she began to play, slowly at first but picking up speed. She played the opening chords to a song she wrote about a girl who longed to fly, if only she could learn to walk. It was a quiet piece, each note played with the trepidation of a man on his way to the firing squad. But as she played, the music began to take hold. Her fingers sweeping across the strings before the notes even formed in her mind, and before she knew it she was singing.

There was a nervous trill to her words, her voice cracking on every sustained note. But she remembered what Kalja said, 'Pretend I'm not here.' Taking those words to heart she closed her eyes, tried to imagine herself in her secret spot. The place she always went after stealing her mother's speeder, a small clearing in a forest about six and a half kilometers from the temple. There she pictured herself sitting on a rock, the sun shining down on her through the trees, its warmth on her face. Birds sang from the branches high above, their tiny voices adding to her own. She shivered as a cool breeze rustled leaves, carrying with it the scent of wildflowers and honey. She lost herself in that moment, her hands moving confidently on their own. As she sang, her voice belted powerfully like she were the only one around for miles who could hear.

When the song ended, the last note lingered, reverberating off the walls. She sat stiff backed and still as it faded away, nearly jumping out of her skin when Kalja cleared her throat. In an instant she was on her feet, her eyes wide, hands up to defend herself. When she remembered where she was she felt sheepish, lowering her hands. She lifted the guitar off her head, gently setting it down. After taking a moment to compose herself she sighed.

"See? I told you, it's just a hobby. I'm not that good."

***

Downstairs the party continued in Cadence's absence as if no one had noticed she was gone. The various students and adults were all gathered in small clumps around the room quietly conversing while drinking or munching on snacks. Elena had found her way over to Caitlyn who was in the middle of a conversation with James, apparently about her daughter.

"I wish I knew what happened. She'd always been so confident in herself before, but lately..." she trailed off. "Her instructors all say she's trying her best, but she just isn't getting it. I don't know why. I never had this much trouble when Kalja was training me, and I had about a week to learn before we were all fighting the Cult of Shadow. Cadence should be doing better than this. Her connection to the Force is stronger than mine, stronger than Akain's even. I just... don't understand."

"What does Kalja have to say about it," Elena asked as she walked up behind them.

"She says Cadence needs a mentor who understands her," Caitlyn answered, making a face that suggested she didn't agree with that. Or maybe it had more to do with something else.

Elena was aware that Cadence had been pressing the elder Kalja for her daughter Falanis. She was also aware that Caitlyn had wanted to train her daughter herself. The only reason she hadn't been promoted to master was because she had refused to train a padawan until her daughter came of age. Now it seemed that even Kalja Sairu Leidias believed that Caitlyn wasn't a good fit for Cadence.

"Maybe you shou—" Elena started but Caitlyn held up a finger.

The other woman tilted her head to the side, quietly listening. Elena stared at her in confusion, then she too tilted her ear up. Above the din of the party, faint though it was, she could just make out... was that music? Someone was singing and playing guitar. Playing it beautifully, even. Despite the fact they were hearing it through the floor and probably several walls, Cadence's voice rang clear. Like the bells of a wind chime played perfectly in tune. Time slowed as one by one each guest at the party stopped to listen, everyone tilting their head, drifting closer to the stairs. Before they knew it everyone at the party was enraptured by the sound.

Elena glanced toward Caitlyn, surprised to see tears in her eyes. Then a wetness trickled down her own cheeks, startling her. I never knew... "Is that?"

Caitlyn nodded. "I don't know how she did it. I've never been able to convince her to play in front of anyone."

[Mir]

Ord Mantell
One week ago

As seedy bars went, it wasn’t that bad.

The young man sat in a booth by himself, hood up. His left hand held a glass of some local distilled specialty. It hadn’t been much, but it got the job done. The bottle was on the table, and while it had been full when purchased, it no longer was. In the underbelly of the planet, he fit in, which was exactly what he was going for. Up on the screens, highlights played of the day’s pod racing. He watched the weaving of the racer they continually showed. HIs eyes, dull, flicked over the highlights, even as his mind calculated what the racer had done that was right and wrong. Analyzing. He shook his head and looked back down at the glass.

If he had needed a distraction, he found one, as the door to the bar opened and an older man walked in.

Their eyes met and the younger man almost grimaced. He thought about leaving, but knew there wouldn’t be a point.

He simply waited as the older man started walking towards the booth.

The older man joined him in the booth and looked at the bottle before looking at him.

“I didn’t know you drank.”

“New habit.”

“Not something your mother would approve of, I don’t think.”

“Neither is the podracing.” The younger man replied and the older man nodded, twisting to look at the highlights of the racer in question, the winner of the tournament..

“Neither is the podracing.” He agreed, turning back.

“What do you want?”

“I wanted to find you.” He waved off the bar droid. He reached into the pocket of the long coat he wore and produced a purplish looking fruit, an apple. Absentmindedly, the man felt up the other pockets, looking for something.

The younger man produced a small paring knife and handed it to the older man.

“You’ve done that. What do you want with me?”

“To talk to you.” The other said, taking the knife and cutting off a piece of the apple and eating it.

So it was one of those.

“Does this have to be a long talk?”

“Are you in a rush? You don’t seem to be.”

“No, but I’d rather move this along if it’s not that important.”

The older man ate his apple in silence for a moment, before reaching up and absentmindedly rubbing a spot on his chest, near his heart. “I would consider your sister’s birthday important.”

The younger man blinked a few times. “Cadi’s birthday isn’t for another week.”

“Of course. However, I was wondering if you were going to join us. You missed last year. She hasn’t seen you for some time.”

“I was busy.”

“Of course.” He continued to eat his apple.

“Do you have to do that? I mean, right now?”

The older man’s eyes, fixed on the apple the whole time, lifted as he paused. “Does this bother you? Your mother insists I have one a day.”

“It’s not…it’s what the apple means.”

Now confusion came over the older man’s face.

“What it means?”

The younger man shifted forward in his seat. “It’s just a reminder of who you are.”

“An apple?”

“Yes.” He replied. “They don’t know what it means.” He said, meaning the denizens of the bar. “But I know what it means, what you mean.”

“I’m afraid I don’t quite understand what you mean, Toshiro.”

“That’s not my name.”

“It’s the name we gave you. You were named after-”

“I know who I was named after. You don’t…you don’t get it, do you?”

“Considering how we left things off and considering this has been the first conversation we’ve had since before your sister’s last birthday, I think we can cut me some slack. I’m a very old man in a much younger man’s body, Tosh. Tell me what you mean.”

“In a bar on Ord Mantell.”

“Or a farm on Tython. Or an office on Caitlyn. The bridge of the Solace.. Wherever you desire.”

“Do you know why I don’t introduce myself as Toshiro Karna-Sinclair?”

“It’s a mouthful?”

He couldn’t help himself, he smiled at the joke. “Well, yes, but no. Because everyone knows what those last names mean. Quadrillions of people in the galaxy and anyone who knows anything knows what those two last names mean. Like it or not, they fixate on the first part of that last name and then they remember that I am your son.”

“Tosh, I don’t presume to know what you’ve experienced. I only know what I’ve experienced. And what your mother has experienced. We fought in wars.”

“No, that’s putting it mildly. You both fought in wars and won wars. She’s a walking symbol of what perseverance means. You’re the most dangerous man in the galaxy. You’re…”

“A butcher.”

He winced. “I wasn’t going to say that.”

The older man shrugged slightly. “It’s what you were thinking. You know me, I like to cut to the chase. You have a problem with the fact you’re my son and everywhere you go people expect things from you because you’re my son. You don’t think that that’s fair and you want to be able to be your own person.” He gestured with the knife. “How am I doing so far?” He asked and the silence gave him the answer he was looking for. “You think that because of who your parents are that you can’t possibly live up to the expectations put in front of you and you would much rather pod race or space dive off of-”

“Do you know why I do those things?” He asked.

His father leaned back and looked up above him for a few moments. “Because they’re singular activities. If you fail or succeed, it’s because of you not because of someone else.”

His son stared. “That’s…that’s right.” He said and was quiet. He hadn’t expected his father to get it. “I’m not Caitlyn Sinclair’s son, I’m not Akain Karna’s son when I’m doing those things. I’m just me.”

“I’ve…we’ve never asked you to be anything but you.”

“You didn’t have to. You cast a shadow.” He stopped and thought about it. “You showed up in the Solace didn’t you?” When his father nodded, he smiled. “The ship casts a shadow over others and over normal traffic.”

Akain rubbed the spot on his chest again.

“What I don’t understand is why do other people matter?” He asked, eating his apple. “Why does it matter? You think that people have expectations of you, fine. But why do their opinions matter to you? You know what I think of you. You know what your mother thinks of you. Cadi thinks the world of you.” Akain said and then raised his hands. “I’m not trying to fight. I only came here to ask you to be at your sister’s birthday. It would mean a lot to her and to your mother. Don’t do it for me. Do it for them.” He said, finishing the apple and pocketing the core.

He rose from the booth and looked to the door. “Hopefully, you’ll join us.” He said, closing the knife and tossing it to his son before starting towards the door.

His son’s words brought him back.

“How’s Sal?”

“He’s getting old.” Akain said. “We both are.”

==-==

Akain walked through the streets of Ord Mantell. He reached for another apple. Finding his own knife, he smiled at the revelation. Akain started cutting it, stopping, when he realized a group of men blocked his path. He frowned. He took a step and realized they definitely were not going to let him pass.

“May I assist you?”

“You could go quietly.” The one in the front said. “We know who you are and the bounties on your head.”

Akain nodded. “May I finish this apple?” He asked. “My wife insists I eat these.”

The one in front stepped up and smacked the apple out of Akain’s hand. “We don’t have the time.” He said, producing a blaster. “You’re coming with us.”


“Us?” Akain asked. “Who is this us?”

The man looked behind him and realized the rest of his cohort were floating in the air.

“You know who I am.” Akain said. “Yet this is the number you brought. The math checks out when you think of how evenly you can split the bounty but…greed clouding your judgment was easily the first mistake.”

The floaters flew backwards, all thrown against parts of buildings that would knock them out. The man looked back, tightening the grip on his blaster.

He then watched as the screws of his blaster came loose and it turned from a cohesive machine into a collection of parts floating in the air. If he registered surprise, the next thought was pain as Akain crushed the bones in his hand.

Akain reached down and picked up the apple, rubbing it against his cloak. “You know, my wife really insists I eat these. I don’t think it’s that important, but you know, she insists.”

He cut another piece of the apple and continued on his way, waiting a few more steps before using an invisible force to push against the back of the man’s head, knocking him out as well.

[Mir]

Ord Mantell
Two Days Ago

Tosh stood in his quarters in his ship. He looked at the bed, where a duffel bag sat, open. It was filled with credits from various governments. His winnings from the podrace as well as a few gambling wagers he’d made. He had a decision to make. He had received an offer to compete in a pod race on Corellia. Additionally, he’d received an offer to compete in another pod race on Mon Calamari.

Mon Calamari was easily the more dangerous of the two, because of the water, and the creatures dwelling in the depths. As a result, it was also more lucrative.

Not that he needed the money. His parents were ridiculously wealthy even if they didn’t touch the money unless they truly needed it. More often than not, Crescent Holdings profits were just funneled into various charities around the galaxy. Tosh had money even if he didn’t really want to use it.

Really though, he wasn’t doing it for the money.

Leaning against a wall, he closed his eyes as he thought about what his father had said. He’d been a little surprised that Akain had shown up, but at the same time, it made sense. As he was gaining notoriety for his dramatic flair, people were following him more and more. The idea that a seasoned fighter couldn’t track him was ridiculous.

It was more the idea that his father had actually been there.

He hadn’t seen the man in a long time.

A weird wave of homesick washed over him. Stronger than he was used to. Normally he could push it away. He wasn’t sure if he would call his mother’s food gourmet, but it was comfort. Her stern tone, even if it could become grating to him, it reminded him someone cared. He had seen enough of the galaxy now to know that for many, that feeling was in short supply. His sister’s antics, oftentimes aided by him.

He opened his eyes and as it happened was now looking at a desk that folded out of the wall. On the desk was a collection of holos. Tosh saw himself, with Cadence. Another with his parents. A final, with Sal.

His father’s words came back to him.

He’s getting old. We both are.

He knew his next destination.

==-==

Tython
Now

Through the magic of faster than light travel, the Solace of Midnight arrived near Tython. The colossal capital ship was well known to the various forces assigned to defend the planet. While it wasn’t often the White Wolf returned to Tython these days, the ship type was so rare in the galaxy that it really could only be one thing.

Akain walked through the hangar towards a small transport ship. He smiled as he walked past another ship, where he could see empty bushel boxes being loaded up.

An apple a day, at least. Please.

They would depart for the Sinclair homestead, landing nearby at a large farm that grew those apples.

He boarded the small transport ship, and the pilot took them on their short journey, departing from the Solace.

Akain’s eyes flitted towards one of the space stations in orbit, wondering if Tosh was there. He hoped he had gotten through to his son. It pained him that Tosh felt the way he did. Truth be told it was something difficult for him to understand.

The true gift a parent could give a child was a better life than they had had.

Tosh and Katy had known struggles, everyone did, but at the same time, they had never experienced anything either of their parents had gone through when they were their age. Akain at age five had fired his first blaster. At six, he had watched his parents operating as mercenaries. At seven, Akain had killed in self-defense.

When she was nine, Caitlyn witnessed the brutal murder of her parents. A street urchin, she had been forced to survive.

In comparison, both of their children had lived privileged, comfortable lives. It was difficult for their children to relate to them and admittedly, for their parents to relate to them. Akain and Caitlyn had given them that gift, a better life.

But everything came at a cost.

He blinked as the transport entered the Tython atmosphere, and the sunlight’s effect hit differently. The ship cut through the air as it descended. He saw his home in the distance and he smiled.

The Solace may be a wonderful home away from home, but for Akain, nothing would ever top the presence of his wife, the presence of his daughter.

Hopefully the added presence of his son.

The transport landed near the homestead. As he walked down the ramp, Akain could hear the sounds of the party, and music playing.

He frowned, unsure as to why the sounds were getting quieter.

[Halomek]

When Kalja heard Cadence play her music, it was almost a transformative experience. She had expected the girl to be better than she claimed, but once Cadence really started playing from her heart, everything was elevated. Kalja could feel the sadness of the song subtly plucking at her emotions and drawing out feelings that normally a trained Jedi would have more control over.

Cadence’s musical skills were good, but this was something else. This was her tapping into the Force at a subconscious level and unknowingly using it to influence the emotions of others. It was not an easy thing to do, even for one trained in the ability. It gave Kalja a glimpse into the real power the girl had within her that was just waiting below the surface.

It was considerable.

By the time Cadence finished up the song, Kalja felt a lump in her throat caused by the pure emotion that had built up during the performance. She cleared her throat to regain her composure and unintentionally startled Cadence in the process.

“See? I told you, it’s just a hobby. I’m not that good.”

“I wish I was that bad at my hobby,” Kalja responded sardonically. “That was amazing, Cadence! Music really suits you.”

“Maybe...”

Kalja reached into one of the folds of her robes and took out a small box. The only wrapping was a red ribbon with purple stripes holding it together in a bow. She handed it to Cadence. “I was going to just let you open this with the rest of your presents later, but I think it’s better if you open my gift now.”

Cadence looked from the box, to Kalja, and back again before undoing the ribbon. She lifted the top to reveal a golden metal hairclip resting inside.

“I’ve seen you eyeing some of my homemade jewelry before, so I figured I’d make you something of your own this time,” Kalja explained. “The clip is primarily made of orichalc but I was able to accent it with a little aurodium to make it just a teeny bit valuable. Do you like it?”

[Pryde]

Cadence's body quivered as she waited in breathless anticipation. When Kalja finally spoke, complimenting her on her talent her first instinct was to squeeze her eyes shut and turn away. But what Kalja said caught her off guard. Music... suits me? She'd been complimented before, by her mother, by Uncle Sis, even Aunt Clara, but they were family. They had to compliment her. Maybe Kalja was doing the same, being nice to her because they were friends. Cadence wanted to believe the compliment was genuine, but she couldn't shake the small kernel of doubt lingering in the back of her mind.

Fortunately, Kalja gave her something to take her mind off it. She produced a small box from the folds of her robe, handing it to her. Cadence glanced from the box to her, undoing the ribbon and—

She drew in a sharp breath. Inside the box was a hairclip, like the ones she'd regularly seen Kalja wearing in her own hair. It was an intricately designed, handcrafted chunk of metal. She held it up, staring at it in wonder. This was certainly better than getting a combat knife for her birthday, but she wasn't about to tell Aunt Clara that. Though... now that she thought about it, maybe Kalja could give Aunt Clara some tips. Or at least some ideas for gifts an actual teenage girl would want. Neither Clara nor Isis had fit that bill when they were her age, both of them were obsessed military types who not only thought gifts like combat knives were practical, but preferred. They were great at gifting to each other, but when it came to normal people like her or her mother... well, suffice it to say their tastes left much to be desired.

"I love it. Thank you."

***

Downstairs Isis came out of the kitchen holding a beer. Because of the age disparity of the guests the drinks she and Caitlyn had prepared for everyone were all non-alcoholic, but that didn't stop her from bringing her own supply. If she was going to sit through an entire birthday party full of tween Jedi then she was going to have a few beers, damn it.

Back in the living room she stopped near the open doorway, surprised to see everyone crowding around the base of the stairs. She scanned the crowd, quickly found her sister standing next to James and Elena. She looked like she was crying, wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her Jedi robe. Oh hell, she swore, hurrying over.

"What? What is it? What'd I miss?" she asked after getting Caitlyn's attention, "Don't tell me you and Cadi are fighting again."

"No," Caitlyn said, shaking her head. "Cadi played her song for Kalja."

"She—wait... what? Cadi played her song? And I missed it?"

"We only heard it through the floor," Elena explained. "But it was beautiful. I didn't know your niece was so talented."

"I... yea. Why do you think Clara calls her Songbird?"

"I suppose it makes sense now, but why is it I've never heard her play before? Talent like that shouldn't go to waste."

Caitlyn let out a soft sigh. "Wish I knew. I've been telling her for years how good she is, but she won't believe me."

"Did either of you teach her? I know Isis here plays the violin, right?"

"No, neither of us did. She taught herself."

Elena stared at her incredulously. "Taught herself to sing and play?"

"Yea, why?" Isis asked, feeling defensive.

"Nothing, just... you said Kalja was up there with her?"

Caitlyn nodded.

Elena scoffed. "Figures... leave it to a Leidias to catch something the rest of us missed. I'm going to go refill my drink, either of you want anything?"

Both Isis and her sister gave her blank stares, shaking their heads. After Elena left, Isis turned to Caitlyn. "Okay, what the hell was that all about?"

"Don't look at me, the more I talk to that woman the more she sounds like my old master. Starting to wonder if maybe Kalja might not be such a good influence."

"I don't know, you turned out alright," Isis said, taking a sip of her beer. "Anyway, we shou—"

Thump, thump thump!

There was a knock at the door, startling everyone. Isis glanced at Caitlyn whose eyes widened considerably. Before she could voice the question, however, her sister took off like a Lolth wolf across the prairie, rushing past everyone to the door. She was there in an instant, throwing the door open and flinging herself into the arms of the man outside...

[Halomek]

Kalja smiled back. “Well, try it out!”

Cadence nodded as she turned towards a mirror and began to mess with her hair to try and find a suitable place to add the hair clip. Kalja watched with mild interest, but her thoughts were on other matters now.

Quite despite herself, Cadence had definitely given Kalja the sign of potential that she had been looking for – and then some – but there was one last test Kalja wanted to try. She suspected Cadence would pass this one too, but she had to know how well the girl could adapt to changing situations.

Silently Kalja once again cursed her own mother. Just how much of tonight had she foreseen? Had there ever really been a chance that she wouldn’t decide to take Cadence as a Padawan? Was she just falling into step with how Kalja Sairu was guiding future events?

“Listen,” Kalja said to Cadence. “There might be a part two to your gift later tonight. I’m still working on the details, but I think you’ll like it.”

Cadence turned to face her, having found an appropriate fit for the hairclip. “Oh... okay.” She then passed a hand through her hair next to the clip. “How does it look?”

Kalja smiled back. “It suits you. I’m glad. You know the best part about it? Even if your mother does somehow force you into those dull dish rags that are the traditional Jedi robes, you can still wear that hairclip as part of the uniform. There’s no traditional style guide for how a Jedi is supposed to wear her hair.”

Before Cadence could say anything, there were sounds of a commotion downstairs. “How about that?” Kalja remarked. “It looks like your father is here! No mistaking that aura, that’s for sure.”

She stood and gestured towards Cadence’s door to unlock it. “I suppose we ought to rejoin the party.”

[Mir]

He knew who had opened the door. Though it was his home and he could enter as he pleased, Akain always knocked, so Caitlyn could always answer.

Akain looked down at the top of his wife’s head. The height difference had been rather comical when they were younger, but now it engendered a different feeling. Thousands of years had beaten a lot of the emotion and humanity if that word could apply to a near-human out of him. It created difficulties relating to others in an individual situation. He had to spend time around that individual before he could truly empathize with their struggles or issues.

However, there was never an issue with emotion whenever he saw Caitlyn after an extended period away.

He went to lift her chin but she went to her tiptoes, placing her ear over his chest. He knew what she was listening for, the arrythmia. There was a new normal in how his heart functioned. Pleased after a few moments, Caitlyn lifted her head for a kiss.

“You’re back.” She said and he nodded.

“I wouldn’t miss today.” He replied.

His eyes lifted up, and scanned. Many of the faces he knew, many he did not. He wasn’t sure if this was the time or place to tell her about his conversation with Tosh. Akain wasn’t sure if Caitlyn thought or believed that Tosh would show up. Maybe it was something she hoped for. If Tosh arrived, then she was happy. If he didn’t, better to talk to her afterwards and not let her be let down in the moment.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. Opening it, he showed her all the apple seeds, carefully removed from their cores.

“You’re eating them.” She said with a smile.

“An apple a day…” He said, smiling back. “Where’s the birthday girl?” He asked.

[Pryde]

Cadence was about to vow that her mother would never get her to wear those stuffy Jedi robes when Kalja distracted her with something else. One thing she hadn't quite learned how to do yet was sense a person's presence. So when her father had arrived at the party every Jedi downstairs and even the one sitting in front of her had likely known about it before he'd entered the building. Everyone but her. Normally, she'd have felt chagrined by that, but she hadn't seen her father for a long time. The second Kalja mentioned he was here, she was already moving toward the door, even forgetting that it was still locked.

Fortunately, Kalja was just in time to unlock it before she ran headfirst into the door. She'd thrown it open, darted out into the hallway and was flying down the stairs two at a time. Nearly losing her balance at the bottom. Two other party goers had to dodge out of the way as Cadence went flying past. She was at the front door at the same time Caitlyn was telling her father where she was.

"Cadence is—"

"Dad!" she cried, throwing her arms around him, squeezing him tight. "You're home. Please tell me you'll be staying longer this time."

***

Elena had narrowly missed being bowled over by the young Cadence as she went racing past. She found Isis standing pretty much where she was before she'd left to refill her glass. The aging senator had a bemused smile on her lips as she sipped her beer.

"Did I miss the punchline?"

"Kids," Isis answered, tipping her beer in Cadence's direction.

"Speaking of, where are yours?"

"With their father. This was his weekend."

Elena mentally chided herself, she'd forgotten they were separated. Gritting her teeth, she hoped she hadn't brought up a sore subject. Fortunately, Isis spared her any regret.

"Good thing too, cause I've just about gotten my fill of teenagers today. Got some nice Alderaanian dry waiting for me back home. Gonna pour myself a glass, put my feet up and bask in the glory of no kids for the weekend."

"Hear, hear," Elena said, holding up her cup.

They clinked glasses and Isis finished off the last of her beer. "Mm, I'm gonna grab another. Want anything?"

Elena shook her head, sipping from her cup as Isis headed off toward the kitchen. Not long after, she spotted Kalja coming back to the party and sidled up next to her. "So... fell for another of your mother's 'tricks', huh?"

[Mir]

Akain closed his eyes for a moment, holding onto his daughter. It was still a weird feeling, knowing you were a parent. Knowing that the most important thing in your life is outside of your body. Maybe that was another layer of difficulty for Akain when it came to his children. He was a man who had fought through so much, bled on so many battlefields. HIs life didn't belong to him anymore. It belonged to his wife and more importantly, his children.

As someone who searched for a weakness and then exploited it, it made it that much harder to acknowledge that his weakness was standing in his arms. And how much it killed him, that

"I can't promise you that, but I know I'll be back for a while." He said. "Now, how's your birthday been so far?" He asked, handing Caitlyn the box of seeds. "Nice hairclip."

[Halomek]

Kalja, her thoughts on Cadence’s potential future, was almost blindsided by her aunt’s unexpected question. “What!? No! Of course not! I mean...” She sputtered incoherently for a little bit after that. All the while, it was clear that Elena was not buying her denial for a second. Finally, Kalja just gave up and sighed heavily.

“Maybe,” she admitted quietly. “You know the most frustrating part? Even after all this time, I still don’t know if my mother does it intentionally or not.”

[Pryde]

"Maliciously, no. Intentionally, yes," Elena said, drawing a confused look from Kalja. "She could have told any of us about Cadence's special way of connecting to the Force and spared the girl some frustration. Instead, she let you figure it out for yourself. Now, what does that tell you?"

Kalja opened her mouth to respond, but Elena answered for her. "That you, and I, and the rest of us, still have things we need to learn. We should've seen it, any one of us, but we didn't. There's no excuse. But you did. Your instincts could help the next generation of Jedi—though you may have to drop that loner attitude of yours first," she said with a smile, playfully punching her niece in the shoulder.

***

"Oh, this," Cadence said, rubbing a hand over her new hairclip. "It was a gift from Kalja."

"You look beautiful," Caitlyn said, wrapping an arm around her daughter and kissing the top of her head. "And I'm sorry."

"Sorry? For what?"

Cadence looked up at her, one eyebrow raised. Just what was that about? What'd she miss? Her mother was looking at her strangely. In fact, so was everyone else. She hadn't noticed before during her mad dash to greet her father, but some of the adults were looking at her with admiration in their eyes. And the students? Well... most of them weren't looking at her at all. "Did I... do something?"

"No, dear," Caitlyn said, squeezing her again, "Everything is fine."

Great, now I'm even more confused...

[Halomek]

"I haven’t decided on anything yet,” Kalja insisted as she rubbed her arm with a mock show of pain. “She doesn’t get to decide my destiny that easily.”

James walked over to them, apparently having overheard at least part of their conversation. “You sound like someone trying to convince herself of something she doesn’t believe in her heart. I’ll never understand why you’re so resistant to Mother’s guidance.”

“Oh, nobody asked you!” Kalja remarked sourly. “I’ll never understand why you’ve never been bothered by what she does at all.”

He smiled at the both of them. “That’s easy. I don’t need to be. I just want to protect what she was able to build for us. You don’t even have to go further than this party to see the value of it. Under one roof there are Jedi, New Republic...” He gestured to himself. “...Galactic Empire, and whatever Mr. Karna is these days – all openly enjoying the day with each other. Back in the times before you and I were born, this would probably be unthinkable.”

“Not without some cataclysmic threat to existence to force them together,” Elena said with a nod. “Even so, just about everyone thought that what your mom was doing here was going to be a fool’s errand.”

“Precisely,” James agreed. “In many ways this peace she created is still very tenuous. If something ever happened to Mother, this could all come crashing down. I never want to see that, so I’ll do whatever I can to reinforce the foundation of peace that Tython represents. If that means Mother gets to be right about my future on occasion, then so be it.”

“It’s not that I don’t know all of that,” Kalja answered as she crossed her arms. “Of course I love her. I try to honor her and Father every day. I just don’t like the idea of anyone but me choosing how I live my life.”

“Sounds kind of like Cadence, doesn’t it?” Elena asked as she nudged James with a knowing elbow.

“Sure does,” James agreed, now purposefully teasing his sister.

Kalja pounded her hands against James’ broad chest in an apparent show of sibling angst. “You’re both insufferable! I’m going to see how close we are to dinner being ready!”

As she turned to go she could hear her brother and her aunt quietly snickering at her reaction. When she was confident that neither of them could see her face, Kalja let herself smile too. As frustrating as family could be, she wouldn’t give up any of this for all the stars in the galaxy...

[Pryde]

"Come on, let's go inside," Caitlyn said, taking the box of seeds from Akain and leading them inside. Later, after the party or in the morning, she would head out to the orchard and plant them.

Cadence had seen the ritual many, many times now. Her mom always told her the apples were to keep her father healthy, but she suspected there was something they weren't telling her. She considered asking about it again, but maybe now wasn't the best time. Tomorrow perhaps. Instead, she had a more pressing question she needed answered.

"Hey, Dad, is, um..." she trailed off. She wanted to ask about him, but she didn't want to be disappointed again. She remembered how she felt after the last time he hadn't shown.

[Mir]

Yesterday
Hyperspace

“Those things are terrible for you.” Tosh said.

The woman sitting across from him shrugged, smoking on her death-stick. “We all die some day.”

“Sure, but why rush it?” He asked.

Tosh looked around at the passenger ship he was on. Sometimes, instead of wasting fuel, he booked passage on large cargo ships. Storing his vessel in the hold, Tosh could travel without having to worry about anything. He found himself now in the passenger section. Unfortunately, he’d booked his travel a little later than was the norm and found himself in the smoking section.

“I suppose.” She said. “I think we’re almost there.”

He nodded.

They would be dropping out of hyperspace soon enough. A small pit stop on the cargo ship’s longer journey, it was where he would be getting off. He rose and headed through the throngs of people towards the cargo hold.

Once there, he boarded his ship, going through the pre-flight check and speaking with the hangar control. Not too surprised, he was one of the only vessels leaving when they arrived at their destination.

They exited hyperspeed and he warmed up the jets.

Anuro.

The homeworld of the Anurans.

He sliced through the atmosphere of the planet with a comfortable ease. Tosh knew his destination. He thought about calling ahead but knew the people he were visiting would get a better kick out of him showing up unannounced.

As he lowered closer and closer to the ground, he saw heads popping up out of the grass. Watching and waiting. Until one of them recognized the ship. He was low enough to the ground and moving slow enough that he saw the scurrying.

The Evrek clan knew that one of theirs was coming home.

By the time he touched down on the landing pad, there was a contingent of them waiting.

“Toshiro Karna-Sinclair.” The leader of the group said. “You have returned to us!”

He knelt and smiled as the leader strode forward and they embraced. “How is he?” He asked.

“He’s getting old.”

“That’s what Akain said.”

“One does not refer to the Great Grandfather with his name.” One of the group said and Tosh smirked.

Akain was a walking legend in the Evrek Clan.

But that tended to make sense when you remembered who he was to them. He and Caitlyn were the ancestral clan leaders. “Even if you’re the Great Grandbrother?” He asked.

The young female Anuran’s eyes narrowed. “Even then.” She said.

“Please, excuse Sasha.” The leader said, giving the young Anuran a sharp glare. He turned back to Tosh. “May we take you to him?” He asked and Tosh nodded.

The Anuran lead Tosh through the group and through the compound. One of the mothers offered Tosh and sleeping baby Anuran and he graciously accepted, carrying the small child as they walked. He knew the customs, he knew the traditions.

When they reached the main compound, he knelt and then offered his palms up. A few of the Anurans came and licked his hands more times than he could count and then he ran the hands through his hair.

Stepping into the home, he bowed first to the oldest woman and then to the youngest woman, which as it so happened, turned out to be the Sasha referred to before. Then he was offered a cooked fish and he respectfully took a small bite.

Then he was ushered into a room.

Sitting on a couch, his eyes closed was a much, much older Anuran. He was sitting there, contemplating something, when his nose twitched. It twitched again.

It twitched again.

I know that smell. I was there when that smell first entered the world.

The eyes opened.

BROTHER!

Salvatore E. Salmurian rose from the couch and scurried, as best he could with his advanced age, towards Tosh.

You have returned to us.

They embraced. Tosh could see that Sal was struggling, and gave him a gentle boost up so Sal could scurry up him and settle on his shoulder, twirling his tail around Tosh’s neck.

Maximum claw.

“How are you Sal?” Tosh asked his brother.

I’m getting old. We all are.

Tosh smiled, the same words Akain had said.

“I’m wondering if you’re up for another adventure.”

Great Grandfather Salvatore is too old to make a trip. Sasha said.

Salvatore looked at her. Tomorrow is Cadence’s birthday. It’s a trip to Tython. I would enjoy seeing Mother and Father again.

The implication was in the air. One last time.

“Then it’s decided.” Tosh said.

Sasha stamped her foot. We’re to expect you to look after him properly?

Salvatore considered for a moment then he beamed. Sasha will come with us!

Tosh and Sasha’s eyes widened.

Now it’s decided. He said.

==-==

Now
Tython

“I don’t know, Cadi.” Akain said. He knew what she was asking about. Or more importantly, who.

Caitlyn met his eyes and a silent look passed between husband and wife.

While he didn’t say it aloud to Cadi, Akain wanted to keep it away from his wife. But she could tell from the look. He had gone to speak to Tosh. An imperceptible flash of something came over her eyes. Anger? Sadness? Of that he wasn’t sure.

“Let’s see what other things you’ve been given for your birthday.” Akain said.

[Pryde]

'I don't know...'

Cadence knew better than to think that meant anything other than no. Tosh missed her thirteenth birthday, missed Life Day, and every holiday over the past year. Missed every holiday and family gathering over this year so far. She had no reason to believe that would change and every reason to anticipate it continuing. She looked crestfallen, but turned away from her father to hide her dissapointment. When he mentioned her gifts, she hadn't responded right away.

"Cadi," Akain said, tapping her on the shoulder.

"Oh right, sorry."

She led Akain over to the small pile of gifts near where she sat before. Showing them off one at a time, starting with her gift from Uncle Adrian, who couldn't make it to the party. Some NRI mission, or something. As usual, he couldn't tell her anything about it. While she did that her mother and Isis were busy setting the table. Others helped, putting out food, plates, silverware. Before long everyone was sitting around the table—well... tables, to be accurate. Cadence's mother had to put several tables together to accomodate the number of guests.

She tested the food gingerly, expecting to set her mouth on fire. To her surprise, Isis had used just the right amount of spice. Suddenly, she found herself feeling very thankful she'd been handcuffed to Isis all day. Her input managed to temper her aunts more eccentric tendencies...

[Halomek]

As everyone sat down to eat, Kalja deliberately chose a spot across the table from Isis. Isis, for her part, smiled when she noticed. They locked eyes. Kalja didn’t even glance away when she lifted a spoon of the stew to her mouth and ate it.

“How’s the meal, Kalja?” Isis asked her with a smirk.

Kalja smiled back. “Oh, I’d say it’s savory, satisfyingly robust and aromatic. Most people would compliment the chef on how perfectly seasoned it is. A meal fit for the masses.”

“Is that so?” Isis asked, as she rose from her chair.

“Yeah, that’s so,” Kalja answered back as she stood up as well. “That’s what most people would say. I call it... weak.”

“You’re not ready for this,” Isis warned her. “You have no idea what kind of forces you’re messing with.”

“I can handle it. I’ve been training.”

“That’ll make for a humorous epitaph.”

By now most of the adults seated nearby had noticed the mutual display of bravado from Isis and Kalja. James, who had taken a seat next to Kalja, was just shaking his head in exasperation.

“This won’t end well, Kalja,” he cautioned her. “I mean... it never does... You lose every time...”

Isis pulled out a small bottle with what looked to be a positively caustic red liquid inside. She unscrewed the top and allowed Kalja to sniff it. When she did, Kalja felt her sinuses expand, her eyes water, and had to resist the urge to cough just by reflex.

Isis grinned as she stirred some of the contents of the bottle into her stew. “They had to take this stuff off the market after it was claimed to be lethal to certain species. The courts are still sorting that out. It’s called Mustafar Murder.”

By the time Isis was done stirring the concoction into her stew, the broth had turned an angry red. It stained the meat and vegetables the same color. Isis then set the bottle down, put the cap back on, and grabbed a spoon. Without hesitation she ingested the entire spoonful without so much as a flinch and then nodded towards her challenger.

Kalja steeled herself as best she could. Her brother was not wrong. When it came to spicy eating contests, Isis always bested her. The ones to truly challenge Isis were usually Clara or Tav, but without them here this year, Kalja knew it fell on her to represent the ones who couldn’t make it.

Grabbing her spoon, Kalja filled it up and quickly shoved it into her mouth.

It was like trying to swallow starship fuel while it was exploding. Her body’s natural reaction was to spit it out, but Kalja clenched her fists and forced herself to chew and ingest it. Her eyes were watering and she was sweating by the time she was done, but she was able to get it all down. A moment later Kalja's stomach gurgled in protest at having to deal with the insane brew she had just willingly tossed down her throat.

Kalja’s voice was raspy and weak as she looked back at Isis. She could only imagine that she looked like a mess, but Kalja felt triumphant at having bested the first bite. That was better than most years. “Your turn.”

[Pryde]

Cadence sighed the moment Isis stood up, she knew what was next. Every time her family got together, there was always at least one person foolish enough to challenge Isis. Usually, it was Clara or Tav. Someone who could actually give Isis a run for her money, but Kalja? Cadence had yet to see her get past the first bite, but then there was a first time for everything. Despite the fact she was clearly suffering, she managed to get the first bite down and challenged Isis to another. Isis gladly obliged, a wry look in her eye as she gulped down her second bite without hesitation. Then she looked expectantly at Kalja.

This is why you're 'Uncle Isis', Uncle Isis, she groaned, rolling her eyes. She shoved another spoonful of stew into her mouth, trying her best to ignore the contest. As she chewed, she quickly ran her eyes over the table. Her mother had seated her with the other students, most of which were her classmates. As they ate most of them were in quiet conversation with each other, some giving her sidelong glances across the table. What the hell did I miss? Why are they looking at me like that?

[Halomek]

“The woman has no taste buds,” Kalja thought to herself in astonishment as Isis downed the second bite as casually as one would drink a glass of water.

Kalja’s stomach was already telling her not to take another bite, but the Sinclair family was not the only one with a reputation for stubbornness. Gritting her teeth, Kalja took her spoon and got another helping. She raised it up, but felt herself hesitate as it neared her mouth.

“Really, Kalja, just admit defeat,” James said to her. “She’s out of your league. No need to torture your-”

“Shut it, James!” Kalja snapped as she suddenly shoved the spoon into his mouth instead.

The more normally reserved sibling spit out the spoon, but the stew was already in his mouth. His eyes widened in pain as he was torn between also spitting out the food and making a mess or somehow dealing with the liquid fireball in his mouth. He chose the latter, making a considerable effort to force it down – even pounding his fist on the table as he tried to do anything to distract himself from the pain.

Finally he got it all down, but his face was red by the time he was done. He quickly grabbed some bread and began to eat it to try and dull the pain. To his credit, he still held onto some of his decorum as he did so. “Real mature,” he croaked out.

“It did the job,” she said to him even as she lifted another spoon to her mouth.

As satisfying as it had been to force-feed James, it also kind of backfired on her. There was no way she could refuse a second bite after doing that to her brother. She had to keep going. Doing her best to brace herself, Kalja had a second helping of the stew.

It was somehow worse than the first bite. Pain flared from every inch of her mouth as she obstinately forced it all down. Tears were coming freely down her face at this point before Kalja used her sleeve to wipe them and the sweat beading on her forehead away. Once it was all down, she actually laughed a bit in disbelief at managing the feat.

Maybe she really was getting better at this!

Maybe she could-

Her triumph was short-lived as Isis got another spoonful but then, to up the stakes, she opened the bottle of Mustafar Murder and added another drop of it onto the serving. She then downed it all with a satisfied smile. The only sign that it had affected her at all was a slight case of the hiccups before she pounded her chest to calm them down.

Kalja felt her shoulders slump at the display. Okay, it was impressive, but she was a Jedi! Nothing was impossible for Jedi with the Force on their side! All she had to do was endure one more measly spoonful with a dollop of that poison added to it. No big deal. She had come this far. She could handle-

Kalja’s stomach gurgled again, but it was a more insistent growl this time. It was not happy with her. In fact it was about to return the meal she had just ingested with interest.

“Excuse me a moment,” Kalja said with a calmness that she didn’t feel before she rushed out of the room towards the refresher...

[Mir]

Tosh closed his eyes, trying to stifle back a groan. The entire trip, Sasha had been fussing over Sal, making sure the older Anuran was as comfortable as possible. Sal, for his part, had been enjoying the attention, even if it was relatively unnecessary. He may have been old, but he was still quite capable of moving around when he wanted. The idea of being able to see Akain, Caitlyn, and Cadence clearly sat right with him, and so he sat right where he needed to be, on Tosh’s transport ship.

One would have thought that Sal couldn’t go fifteen minutes without some kind of refreshment the way Sasha made sure everything was taken care of.

But here they were, landed near the homestead.

Akain had been right, it had been some time since Toshiro had been home. But the house looked as he remembered it. Which, all things considered, was comforting in it’s own way. Sasha had insisted upon bringing a hoverchair with them and Sal lounged comfortably as the trio made their way to the front door of the homestead.

Tosh lifted his hand to knock but then felt silly. It was still his home, wasn’t it?

Wasn’t it?

He opened the door and the trio made their way in.

It didn’t take long to find where everyone was. Tosh leaned against the doorjamb and waited until someone realized the party had been crashed.

“Hey there.” He said.

Akain, Cadence and Caitlyn looked up from their meals.

With a flash that belied his age, Sal moved with a furious speed. Sasha’s eyes widened and she made a move to stop him, but she was nowhere near as fast as he was.

He bounded to the ground and weaved around the legs of chairs and party goers alike.

He found purchase, scrambling up Caitlyn’s chair and up onto her shoulder. His tail wrapped so tightly, it could have choked, but he knew better.

The most maximum claw that could have ever clawed.

There was nothing but the purest form of love and adoration in his eyes as he stared at his mother.

"Mom." Sal cooed.

Sasha couldn't believe it. It was like her great grandfather was a baby Anuran all over again.

[Pryde]

Cadence was sitting with her back to the open doorway, so as usual when something happened she was the last to know. It wasn't until Salvatore had climbed up on her mother's shoulders that she realized someone else had arrived. A little Anuran she didn't recognize had tried to follow Sal, but she wasn't as quick or as nimble as the old cat. She was, however, over protective, complaining about how Sal was going to hurt himself. Caitlyn gave Sal a loving smile.

"Sal, honey," she said, cupping him with one hand while pressing her cheek against him. "It's good to see you. And you too, Tosh, welcome home."

Cadence dropped her fork on her plate with a loud rattle. In an instant she was standing, her chair creaking across the floor as it was abruptly shoved away. She whipped around, caught sight of her brother, then dashed across the room to throw her arms around him.

"Tosh," she cried happily. A giant smile on her face, tears brimming in her eyes. "I can't believe you're here. This is... I'm so happy to see you!"

[Halomek]

Kalja Sairu Leidias was deep in a trance before she felt another presence intrude upon her meditation. It was a familiar one though, one of Kalja’s oldest friends and the current Chief Librarian of the Tython Temple, Jana Dophi. Kalja opened her eyes and took a moment or two to adjust to being back in the here and now. “Jana? What are you doing here? I told you I didn’t want to be disturbed until-”

“Until the party?” Jana interrupted with a rhetoric statement and a wry smile. “Maybe you should see what time it is.”

“It can’t have been that long,” Kalja mused as she looked up at the digital chrono inside her meditation chambers. “I wasn’t under that-” She cut herself off as she saw the time. “Uh... oh... Oh! That’s bad, even for me.”

Jana nodded as she brushed some stray brown locks away from her face. “Yeah, you were under deep. When I came in here, your alarm was blaring and you didn’t seem the slightest bit affected by it. I tried shaking you and that didn’t work. Finally I had to concentrate on joining your meditation to get you to notice me.” She looked at Kalja with concern. “What were you doing that was so important?”

Kalja got to her feet and stretched. Sure enough her body felt a little sore from being stuck in one position for a few hours. “Nothing out of the ordinary. I was scanning for visions of the future to see if Tython was in any danger... but it was strange. Usually they come to me pretty easily, but today it felt harder to get a clear picture. I’m not sure why.”

“Maybe it has something to do with Akain,” Jana suggested. “He showed up in that giant ship of his and you know how disruptive his presence can be in the Force.”

Kalja considered it for a moment before shaking her head. “Maybe, but I doubt it. I know Akain’s presence and I know how to account for it.” She pursed her lips. “It might be Cadence...”

Jana seemed surprised. “Cadence?”

“Nothing I can share, Jana,” Kalja said to her. “Maybe you noticed a few things from your own observations though... If so, that will have to be good enough for now. Regardless, trust me when I say tonight is going to be very important for Cadence. I’ve tried to steer things in my own way towards a positive outcome, but the possibility exists of things going in the opposite direction.”

“Should I be concerned?”

Kalja smiled reassuringly. “No, I don’t think so, but Cadence has that trademark ‘Sinclair Stubbornness’ which could get her into trouble if it’s not pointed in opposition of the right things.”

“Then you better get moving!” Jana implored her. “If you miss Cadence’s birthday, Caitlyn will never let you hear the end of it. Maybe I won’t let you hear the end of it either.”

Kalja nodded as she grabbed her outer robe and Cadence’s present with the Force and brought them to her. As soon as her robe was on, she tucked Cadence’s present into an inner pocket. “Of course. I’m on my way right now... I’m...”

She stopped herself suddenly as something drew her attention. She looked at the faint blue glow of the Leidias Family Holocron, currently sitting on a pedestal. It was her most prized possession; a family record for the entire Leidias family spanning back thousands upon thousands of years. Even after more than 20 years of study, Kalja felt as though she had only scratched the surface of the knowledge that it contained.

Making a snap decision, Kalja deactivated the security protocols around the holocron with the Force and brought the large cube towards her. Once it was within her grasp, she felt a sense of inner calm. This was right. She didn’t know why, but bringing the holocron with her felt like guidance from the Force.

“Okay, now I’m really headed out!” Kalja promised.

Jana waved a goodbye. “Have fun tonight! You’ve earned it!”

***

Kalja Falanis didn’t know how long she had been lying on top of Caitlyn’s bed after finishing up in the refresher, but she was starting to feel better with the stew out of her system. The room was dark and she had one arm over her eyes as she tried to get her stomach to settle down a little more.

That was when Cadence found her.

Kalja felt her presence, but didn’t move. “How’s the party going?”

“Better! I can’t believe Tosh and Sal were able to make it. I don’t remember the last time our whole family was in once place.”

Kalja smiled. “I’m glad to hear it. If you’re here to get me for the cake and presents, I don’t know if I’m up to looking at more food at the moment.”

“About that...” Cadence started hesitantly. “Why do you always challenge Aunt Isis to these contests? It never goes well for you.”

Kalja lifted her arm off of her eyes and looked over at Cadence’s silhouette in the dark room. Despite her aching stomach, Kalja chuckled ruefully. “Seems kind of dumb, doesn’t it?”

Cadence looked away a bit sheepishly. “I wasn’t going to say it like that.”

“It’s fine,” Kalja assured her. “The honest truth is I’m not very good at it and it scares me.” Her stomach gurgled as if to emphasize the point. “If something scares me, I don’t run away from it. I confront it to take away whatever power it might have over me. Plus, I think every Force-user could stand to be reminded that the Force does not make them invincible.”

“Oh.”

Kalja propped herself up on her elbows. “Hey, I promised you a part two to your gift, didn’t I?”

“Yeah?”

Kalja groaned as she achieved a sitting position. Seemingly out of nowhere there were a pair of keys dangling from her fingertips. “James let me borrow the keys to his speeder. Any time you want to blow this scene, let me know and we’ll take a drive around town and have some fun.”

Even in the darkness, Kalja could see Cadence’s eyes widen. “He let you borrow his keys!?”

Kalja put a finger to her lips to indicate silence. “It’s his own fault that he hasn’t noticed yet. Don’t worry, I’ll take responsibility for all of it, but I figure how often does a girl turn fourteen? Only once by my count. It should be memorable!”

[Pryde]

On the surface, it seemed like a silly competition, but Kalja's reasoning made some sense. Still, there were probably better ways of confronting your fear that didn't involve a trip to the 'fresher and an hour of lying down. Kalja had been away from the party for so long she missed not only Tosh's arrival, but the cake as well. Cadence didn't have the heart to tell her. Not that it mattered, since she was sick to her stomach, anyway.

Cadence thought about what Kalja said. About how the Force didn't make a Jedi invincible. Makes some of us less vincible than others. Her mother and father for one, Kalja Sairu for another. Even Faye. Each of them faced situations where the odds were stacked against them and survived. During a time where the galaxy was divided, and the darkside was at its strongest. Had I been born back then would I have survived to start a family?

Given her track record of not being able to lift anything bigger than a rock, she doubted it. Unless she found the pebble of destiny, or something. And Sivter had a weakness to rocks.

"One last ride before your brother kills us? Count me in."

[Halomek]

Trying to sneak out of a house when it was filled with powerful Force-users would be impossible, but taking them by surprise was a different matter. At Kalja’s instruction she and Cadence acted casual as they made small talk and walked to the backyard. Cadence acted like she was showing Kalja the changes to the yard since her last visit until they made their way to the front towards where James had parked the P75.

At a gesture from Kalja, Cadence quickly jumped in and secured her restraints before Kalja hopped into the driver’s seat and did the same. A quick insertion of the keys and the landspeeder powered up with a pleasing deep hum. Then, with a triumphant laugh, Kalja hit the throttle and sent them speeding off towards downtown New Joy.

***

By the time Kalja Sairu arrived at the Sinclair house, it was in an uproar. The children had all been sent home and the adults were in various states of activity. Everyone was so busy that no one noticed her opening the door.

Well... almost no one...

“GRANDMOTHER KALJA!” Sal squealed with joy as he bounded off of the furniture and leapt towards her.

Per their usual routine, Kalja used the Force to catch him in midair and direct him towards her hands for a loving embrace. The Anuran was quickly putty in her hands as she skritched Sal in his favorite places. “Well hello, Salvatore!” Kalja greeted him a smile. “I’m so pleased you could make it.”

She remembered back in the day at insisting on being called “Aunt” Kalja to satisfy Sal’s method of adding everyone he liked to his family tree. However, after having her children, there was no helping it. Her title was irrevocably changed back to “Grandmother.” Kalja had conceded since it was at least a little more accurate at that point.

By now everyone had turned to look at them.

“Let me guess...” Kalja started. “Kalja and Cadence ditched the party?”

“Did you know this was going to happen?” Caitlyn asked her.

“She stole my landspeeder, Mother!” James protested. “Again!”

Kalja held up a hand to quiet everyone down. “Everyone, just stay calm. For all of Kalja’s apparent recklessness, she never does anything without having a good reason for it. Let’s give her the benefit of the doubt for now and see how things develop.” She then looked squarely at her son. “And James, we both know you have a homing beacon installed on your speeder. We can locate them any time we need to. I’m pretty sure Kalja knows it too. Is it still working?”

James nodded reluctantly. “It was one of the first things I checked. They’re headed towards the downtown area.”

“Are they?” Kalja asked with a knowing smile. “I see. That is interesting.”

“You know something,” Elena accused her. “What are they up to?”

Kalja used a tiny application of the Force to soothe some of the aches and pains in Sal’s old muscles, causing him to purr like crazy. She then looked back at the group. “I can’t say anything for certain, the Force moves in mysterious ways after all, but I think it’s a good sign that those two are bonding. Let’s not ruin it by rushing off to confront them over sneaking off.”

Kalja raised an eyebrow. “As I recall, we’ve all snuck off at one point or another for far more dangerous reasons than having a little fun. Myself included.”

[Mir]

Tosh felt uneasy around everyone.

He couldn’t help it. He didn’t consider himself one of them. While he was a Force user, he had always been stalwart in not pursuing his training. While he had always thought his parents would try to compel him to do so, they never had. He was sure it was something they wished for, but that life had never seemed to be what he was called to do.

At the same time, he himself didn’t know what he was called to do.

While he noticed his sister and Kalja leave in the speeder, he had not felt the need to raise any awareness of it. Even if it hadn’t been her birthday, Tosh didn’t really consider himself in any position to tell his sister what to do. He simply wasn’t around enough to do that.

All the same, he took the opportunity to step outside, away from everyone else.

He looked back at the party from the backyard of the ranch’s home area. Everyone, well, almost everyone, was dressed in traditional Jedi robes. Here he was in his spacer’s gear.

Tosh didn’t fit in.

Looking over at a bin, he walked over and opened it. A smile came over his features. He may have left years ago, but his mother hadn’t removed his old toys. There was a small red bantha hide ball that he used to throw around and he reached down, picking it out of the box. His fingers gripped it with familiarity.

Tossing it up and down in the air a few times, he crouched. His free hand went over the grass, feeling the individual blades. There wasn’t much of this backyard he didn’t know. He probably still remembered every divot, every curve of it. The two small bumps in the distance that he had called the hills. Tosh remembered Akain’s laugh when he’d called them that, since the “hills” were no more than a half meter up off the ground.

But to a small child, they had been huge.

Two huge pillars looming in the distance.

He looked back over his shoulder and saw his parents. Caitlyn rested her head on Akain’s arm as the group discussed something or other. Probably where they thought Cadence and Kalja were going. He looked back out over the expanse.

He wasn’t sure how long he would stay. Or even, how long he should stay. He had no doubts his father would take Sal back to Anuro. Sasha definitely would insister sooner rather than later.

He could leave if he wanted to.

So why didn’t he?

[Pryde]

Cadence reveled in feeling the wind in her hair, the cool breeze on her face. She would've preferred to be the one driving, but this speeder was James's baby. He'd likely not forgive her if she stole it. Still, this wasn't bad, speeding off over the open plain, the small town of New Joy on the horizon. The city had seen a lot of growth over the years but compared to other metropolis', the ones she heard of but never seen, New Joy barely qualified as a city. Briefly, she wondered what Kalja had planned.

"So... what are we doing first?"

***

Caitlyn steamed as she cleared the table of leftover food and dirty dishes. She was making such a racket, slamming forks onto plates, pounding things into the table, causing it to shake. It was so loud everyone very nearly missed Kalja's arrival. Now the elder Jedi was telling her not to ruin Cadence's night by rushing off to confront her? What about her night? She planned this whole party for her daughter and she fething left.

"You know, this is just typical. I go out of my way to do something nice and this is how she thanks me. And if you think for one second your daughter is helping by encouraging her behavior you're wrong. All these people were here for her." She emphasized her point by waving a hand toward the remaining party guests, the unspoken implication being that it was extremely rude of her to leave. "By the way, it's not lost on me that you don't think I'm a good fit to train Cadence. Since when did padawans get to choose their masters? Aside from Kalja I'm the only other Jedi without an apprentice and she was away on a mission and has no desire to take a padawan. You should've assigned Cadence to me already and I know why you haven't."

***

For someone as loud and boisterous as Isis was, she could move damned stealthfully when she put her mind to it. Generally, New Republic Senators were discouraged from putting their lives in danger, but Isis refused to let her skills atrophy. She still took the occasional bounty, poked her nose into NRI business and pretty much got into trouble whenever and wherever she could. Thus she was able to sneak up to Toshiro without the younger man even noticing.

"Hey," she said, startling him. As he turned to look at her, she handed him a beer. "Caught your last race, that was a sick maneuver you pulled on that final turn."

She smiled, knowing her use of the younger generation's slang would sound weird coming out of her mouth.

[Halomek]

Kalja remained calm, one hand still idlily scratching a near comatose Sal, as Caitlyn vented her anger. She had been expecting this from her former student tonight, but had hoped that it wouldn’t be necessary. Caitlyn was frustrated, she was hurt, and she was looking for an outlet to unleash it somewhere. Perhaps on some level, Caitlyn knew that her former master would be a safe target to attack, because she would know that Kalja would understand.

When Caitlyn had finished, Kalja glanced around to see who was left. Most of the adults that were still left had taken Caitlyn’s outburst as a sign to call it a night. She could sense James in the other room watching GNN and patiently waiting to give his sister a piece of his mind when she returned. Isis and Hitoshi were outside – probably for the best. Akain was also elsewhere on the property, but eavesdropping through the Force in case his wife needed him.

Salvatore’s... Granddaughter? Great Granddaughter? One of his relatives that Kalja still had yet to meet formally... was sneaking a peek from behind a doorframe – but she seemed more concerned about Salvatore than anything else that was happening in the room.

Finally, Elena was in the room with them and looked like she really wanted an excuse to not be there. Kalja gave her one as she handed Salvatore over to the other woman. “Could you find a comfy spot for him to rest? Maybe somewhere on the couch next to James?”

Elena carefully received the transfer of Salvatore with a nod. “I’m on it.”

She then hastily exited the kitchen area with the other Anuran trailing after her.

Which left Kalja alone with Caitlyn.

To make sure they had enough privacy, Kalja made a small circular gesture with a finger and suddenly the two were further isolated by being put inside an opaque blue bubble that took up the entire room. “My own variation on the Protection Bubble,” Kalja explained. “I call it the Privacy Bubble. It is soundproof, it will reflect all external waves of the light spectrum, and it blocks spying through the Force so not even Akain can see in here unless he tries to force it – in which case I will know about it. Comes in handy when I’m working on next year’s budget. It’s just us in here.”

“I don’t care about your tricks,” Caitlyn grumbled. “I want you to answer my questions! Why are you undermining my authority as a Jedi and as a mother? You’ve ruined everything I had planned for Cadence!”

Kalja sighed as she sat down at the kitchen table. “All those children that showed up to the party today... Did Cadence request for any of them to be here?”

“Well, no...” Caitlyn admitted. “She didn’t need to. I took care of all the planning and invited all of her classmates for her.”

“I’m guessing you used the temple directory to send out those invites...”

“I had to! Cadence wouldn’t let me see her personal contacts.”

Kalja nodded. “Then can you tell me how many of those classmates Cadence has invited over here previously?”

Caitlyn seemed to hesitate as she fought for an answer. “Well... there’s... Um... I know that... Uh...”

“None of them,” Kalja stated flatly. “That’s the correct answer, isn’t it?”

Caitlyn looked away. “No, that can’t be right. I’m sure I’m just forgetting their names because Cadence doesn’t bring it up much.”

Kalja pulled out a chair for the other woman. “You’re not forgetting anything, Caitlyn. There’s a secret I’ve been holding onto as the Headmaster of the Tython Temple that Cadence asked me to never reveal to anyone. I’m breaking that promise tonight because we’ve reached a critical moment in Cadence’s development as a Jedi and I need you to understand everything your daughter has been dealing with.”

***

Kalja Falanis grinned back at Cadence as they entered the outskirts of New Joy. “Well, since it’s your birthday, I thought I’d let you in on an ancient Jedi art that isn't taught in the temple.” She held up one hand and wriggled her fingers in a spooky manner. “Are you ready to learn some forbidden knowledge?”

“W-what?” Cadence asked. “What are you talking about?”

“It's an experience you won’t soon forget, trust me,” Kalja promised her with a sinister expression as the speeder hit one green light after another at seemingly just the right time. “But first I need you to do something more me: howl. Howl out into the night with everything you’ve got!”

“I don’t know-”

“It’s easy,” Kalja assured her. “Just do what I do.” She then proceeded to let out a loud whoop of joy that caught the attention of anyone on the sidewalks before the speeder zipped past them. “No one is even going to know where it came from before we’re several blocks away. Let loose!”

Cadence nodded hesitantly as she held her arms up and yelled out into the night with a cry similar to Kalja’s, although less enthusiastic.

“Not bad,” Kalja complimented her. “We’ll work on that, but a good effort.”

“You still haven’t told me where we’re going!” Cadence insisted. “Why would an ancient Jedi secret be in New Joy?”

Kalja chuckled. “Well, that's because it’s hidden in plain sight, of course,” she explained as she suddenly maneuvered the landspeeder into a parking lot next to an unassuming building. “Speaking of... We’re here.”

The two disembarked as Kalja led her to the entrance. “Cadence Karna-Sinclair,” she intoned with a serious expression before a smirk ruined it as she pushed the door open. “Are you ready to learn the ancient Jedi art of Karaoke?”

[Pryde]

Before this conversation started, Caitlyn felt so sure about herself. She knew her daughter, how could she not? Kalja wasn't the one who lived with her on a daily basis. Now, though, she was starting to question what she actually knew. Had Cadence never really invited anyone over before? Didn't she have friends?

Kalja pulled a chair out and offered it to her. Caitlyn remained standing, her arms crossed. "What are you talking about? What secret? Cadence has never had an issue at school."

***

Kaoroke? Seriously? Cadence took a step back, looking over her shoulder toward where they parked the speeder. Kalja had the keys on her, without that she wouldn't be able to start it. She could still run, though. "I... I don't know," she stammered, taking another step back. "Won't there... be people inside?"

[Halomek]

“It wouldn’t be able to stay in business for very long if it didn’t have people,” Kalja Falanis replied with a chuckle. “Look, you have nothing to worry about. I’m the Headmaster’s daughter, all eyes are going to be on me. Trust me on that.”

Cadence still looked uncomfortable at the thought. Her body language was starting to resemble what Kalja had noticed at the party. Cadence was looking for an out, even though trying to run away wouldn’t get her very far – not at her current skill level.

Kalja wasn’t very interested in hide and seek though. She had brought Cadence here for a reason and if the younger girl ditched her, Kalja might not ever get the answers she wanted. And if tonight ended up a failure, there was no telling what that would mean for Cadence’s future.

Kalja mentally shook those burdensome thoughts away. Yes, they were here so Kalja could satisfy her own curiosity, but the primary reason was for Cadence to have fun. That was going to have to be the first priority.

“I’ll tell you what,” Kalja said to her. “We’ll rent a private room, so it’s just you and me. We’ll get some junk food and drinks from the in-store restaurant delivered to us while we take turns singing whatever we like. My treat. We’ll just enjoy the night. No one else allowed.” She then nudged Cadence with a knowing elbow. “Besides, I bet you’re secretly dying to hear what I sound like when I sing.”

***

“Nothing she told you about, no,” Kalja Sairu replied. “I know because I’m the Headmaster of the Tython Temple and it’s my responsibility to know how all the students are doing. Of course, with you and Akain being my former students, I have a special interest in what Toshiro and Cadence do with their gifts. Toshiro made his own choices, which I respect, but Cadence decided to stay because more than anything else, she wants to be a great Jedi like her mother.”

Some of Caitlyn’s anger ebbed. “She said that to you?”

Kalja shook her head. “Not in as many words, but the intent is as clear as day. The problem is that she’s lost in her own head. She struggles to make any progress with her abilities, which makes her frustrated, which clouds her focus, which just makes her more frustrated... It’s a vicious cycle. At first glance, one would estimate that her abilities are barely above that of a Youngling. Her peers tease her about it often. It’s become so bad that she regularly ditches classes to go to a private spot in the woods to try and teach herself with stolen temple equipment.”

“That’s impossible!” Caitlyn objected. “I know she has great power. I’ve sensed it many times! If you had just let me train her when I wanted, none of this would be happening!” She turned away from her former master and braced herself against the sink. “I trusted you...” Caitlyn turned back with angry tears in her eyes. “Instead all you want to do is give all the glory to your daughter!”

In her younger days, Kalja might have taken umbrage at the accusation, she might have even let some of her own carefully contained power slip, but instead she took it in stride. The accusation stung, of course, but it was not unexpected. “Caitlyn, when did you get it in your head that I want to hurt you? On Tython, the Master and Apprentice bond has to be mutual. The Master has to want to teach the Apprentice as much as they want to learn from the Master. I can’t force Cadence or my daughter to do anything like that – nor would I try.”

Caitlyn grabbed a clean napkin and wiped at her face before finally, reluctantly, sitting down next to Kalja. The tears were under control, but the voice still wavered. “Why doesn’t she want me to teach her, Kalja? I’d be good at it, I know I would! I had so many things planned...”

Kalja leaned forward and gave her a hug. “Who can say why things turn out like they do? The best we can do is try and adapt to the changes and make the most of them. What works for most people might not work for everyone. It just means we need to try thinking outside of the box... for their sake. For Cadence's sake.”

Kalja broke the embrace but kept a comforting hand on Caitlyn’s shoulder. “And, to set the record straight, I think you’d make a fine Master to some lucky student. You know, I have a file full of requests from students who want to be your Apprentice. I’ve had to turn them down because of how adamant you’ve been about wanting to teach Cadence first – but if you ever change your mind, I can send the files of some prospective candidates your way.”