Private Brother, Not Blood | Sacorria

[Jasper Kai'el]

Sacorria, Kai'el Home
Tags: Corazona von Ascania

Lightsaber
​

Jalen had been elated upon Jasper's return. Having his little brother rattle off a laundry-list of things that had happened reminded Jasper of when he was much younger, excited about some new ship part or other matter of the like. Unfortunately there was a lot more than just the simple matter of him being Knighted. Much had happened on Ukatis in his absence, something that did weigh some on Jasper's mind. He knew more than most the unique struggles that Corazona had faced in regards to her upbringing and culture, as well as what King Horace had done to claim his throne. These weren't the sorts of secrets he carried lightly.

Given all of that, he figured it was right to reach out. They needed to catch up, and Jasper was certain that he knew pretty well what it was that would help ease the mind of his friend.

It was spring on Sacorria. The quaint farming planet was not too warm and not too cold, with a gentle heat from the sun combining with a slight chill in the breeze to make a sensation perfect to reside in. The Kai'el Estate was situated on the side of a cliff, where the air was thin and clouds passed by to leave their moisture in his garden. When Cora's ship set down on the home's landing pad, the Jedi Master was seated on a bench outside his front door, waiting for they younger Jedi to emerge. He had always felt a kinship towards Cora that manifested into the actions he took when she was imprisoned and slated for execution by Ukatis's crown. He hadn't before and would never again blackmail anyone, hopefully anyways. Regardless of that fact, he certainly wished to continue aiding her. Now that he intended to stay away from the battlefield for a while, such a thing was going to have to manifest in different ways.

So he'd wait with a warm smile for her to emerge, ready to offer just that.

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Sacorria, like Ukatis, was an agricultural world. As she peered out the viewport of her ship, something in the clear skies and rolling fields below had her feeling guilty. There was so much to do in the aftermath of the failed rebellion, and even a single step off of Ukatis brought that web of complicated feelings to the surface.

Those emotions settled as the landing ramp deployed, and she caught sight of a familiar face in the bright spring air.

"Jasper," came his name like a sigh of relief. She couldn't help the smile that stole onto her face as she disembarked, approaching the man who'd become her brother in arms. It had been too long since they'd seen one another, but he always had a way of drifting into her life during the difficult times.

She felt another pang of guilt for not reciprocating.

"It's been too long," she approached him warmly, a gentle bend at the waist taking her into a smooth bow. "I'm glad to see you again, and I'm sorry for not reaching out sooner. Thank you for inviting me to your home."

Jasper Kai'el

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Sacorria
Tags: Corazona von Ascania

Lightsaber
​

"Hey, don't sweat it," Jasper assured. "Chances are I probably wouldn't have been able to pick up until recently, what with being stuck in a whole other galaxy... signal wasn't very good out there."

Jasper stepped over and promptly gave Cora a hug.

"You're not gettin' a bow," he noted, "but you are gettin' a hug."

It was good to be back. He had everything he needed to start putting himself back together. After the hell he had experienced out there in Firefist he was relieved to be able to actually hold those close to him. It was like finally waking up from a bad dream. Before long, though, he did release her and invite her inside.

"I figured you could use a moment to catch your breath anyways," the Jedi Master told his sister-in-arms. "Besides, there's something I'd like to show you, and I want you to be one of the first people to know. We can talk through the last few months of hell later... Just clear your head and follow me."

He proceeded to guide Cora through his refurbished rustic home. Very rustic, in fact. It had been constructed well over several thousand years ago by his ancestor, Dillon Kai'el , right into the cliff-side of a rather lovely plateau. It made sense, of course. After all, Jasper and his family all seemed to have a natural affinity for flight and starships. Of course they would want to be where the air is thin. He lead her through the home to a lone room at the end of a hallway, opening it to reveal a style that was clearly different than the rest of the house.

It was work in progress, with various pieces of furniture in the middle of the construction process. It's function would certainly be clear in an instant, however: A nursery.

A cradle sat in the center of the room, a mobile of starships hanging above it. Jasper reached in and gently swept up a small creature, already sporting a head of fluffy blonde hair. Cora would be met with a pair of bright and curious green eyes, a trait inherited from his mother.

"His name is Cole," Jasper told Cora, bringing the infant over. "Little scamp decided he couldn't wait for me to get back to get here, so I'm afraid I missed his birth. A bit of a surprise to come home to, wouldn't you say?"

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

"Oh-"

Cora blinked, going still as she was swept into a bear hug. It was not the norm for an aristocrat - and Jasper knew that - so it took a good moment for her to return the warm gesture. The relief that swept through her was a surprise, and Cora realized that she'd needed that.

Jasper knew that, too.

Formalities melted away as she was lead through is home. Similar to the one she'd come up in, the Kai'el homestead bore signs of solid craftsmanship and endurance. She tried to guess how old it might be.

The room he lead her to, however, seemed newer. A fresh coat of paint and softer edges. Her eyes tracked to the little mobile of starships, then to the bassinet beneath in silent awe.

"Oh! Oh Jasper, if I'd known, I would've brought him a gift-!"

All at once, her demeanor shifted into cheerful surprise. Cora bent slightly, enough for her to coo as she offered the babe her finger.

"Hello there, young man. Aren't you handsome?"

She grinned, her voice light and playful as she shifted her focus back to Jasper for the moment.

"You're a father now, that's wonderful. How old is he? How is his mother doing?"

Jasper Kai'el

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Sacorria
Tags: Corazona von Ascania

Lightsaber
​

"Marissa has been resting a lot," Jasper noted. "Understandable... she had a lot on her plate before all of this."

Cole, ever curious, would reach out to grab Cora's finger, and naturally try to put it in his mouth. The typical means of exploration and discovery for an infant his age.

"I'm sure you'll have pleanty of time to bring him a gift later," he insisted. "I sort of like this being a surprise. He was for me anyways. He's a good three months now. Came out with that full head of hair, apparently. Kinda wild."

Jasper mustered up a soft smile.

"Certainly a different feeling than adopting someone in, I think," he noted. "Not that both aren't equally as valid, I mean, just that they are different. I've got a fair amount to figure out, so I've decided for the time being I'll be remaining on Sacorria. I'm not quite ready to start swinging around a weapon anyways if I'm being truthful..."

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

"That's good."

Cora grinned as Cole wrapped a hand around her finger. She let him gnaw on it, laughing softly at the tickle of his gums. The eldest of nine, she'd always been fond of babies and children.

"He's got a strong grip. And a good father."

Straightening back out, Cora left her hand to Cole's devices. An added measure of warmth suffused her joyous expression. It was not unusual for one's mindset to shift after having a child of their own, and Jasper's decision came as no surprise.

"You've given the galaxy so much of yourself, Jasper. You deserve to be able to focus on your family. I'm certain that Marissa and little Cole would agree."

Cora had come to Sacorria with a flurry of questions whirling in her mind. The sudden appearance of the baby had swept them all to the side, but now they'd begun to float their way to the top of her mind.

"May I hold him?"

Jasper Kai'el

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Sacorria
Tags: Corazona von Ascania

Lightsaber
​

"Of course..."

Jasper would gently transfer Cole into Cora's grasp, his movements still a bit slow. The sort you'd expect from a new parent who was getting comfortable handling an infant. Cole was unbothered by the change of hands. In fact, the bright hair on Cora's head was more than enough to draw his attention. The world around him hardly existed at this stage. It was all just things around him that blipped in and out of existence.

"I don't know how young I was physically when I was created," Jasper admitted. "I don't think there are any records of me being younger than a toddler when I was left at the Temple. I suppose this process has really brought out my imagination over the last few days."

Would being born for real have changed anything? Maybe. It was hard to say. There was no guarantee he would have even had parents given the state of the galaxy when he was young.

A thought experiment, if nothing else.

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora accepted Cole into her arms with a bright smile. She adored children, and one born of her brother-in-arms would not be spared her relentless affection.

"I've heard that the galaxy changes the moment you become a parent," she said while stroking the boy's hair. Fine and soft, it felt feathery beneath her fingers. "I suppose once you have a child of your own, you start looking at things through a different lens."

She bounced Cole softly in her arms before pressing a kiss to his forehead. Cora had held her siblings as babies before, but that had been quite some time ago. Still, she vividly remembered the nursemaid who placed the tiny form of a newborn Lysander von Ascania in her arms. No amount of strife could bitter that sweet, pure memory.

"Jasper, can I ask…where did you disappear to?"

Jasper Kai'el