Coming Home

[Kaili Talith]

Kaili had made the call long ago for Micah to come meet her at home. It wasn’t for any particular reason, at least not that Kaili herself was aware of. It had quite simply been an age and a little more since they last actually met and talked to each other. Or at least so it felt like. Her contact with her sisters had never really been all that great. Maleah and Kaili had vastly different interests that got in the way and Aela, Kaili figured, was far more busy with running around the Outer Rim and with the Galactic Alliance that Kaili would quite simply just get in the way.

But Micah. Micah had no excuse whatsoever to say no. Kaili was Kaili, and what Kaili wanted, she got. At least from her brother. They had always been the usual suspects as kids, and with good reason. They made a good team. Scratch that, they made the best of teams. One lookout and the other to grab the cookies. One of them to distract mother and the other to sneak the keys to the cabinet when she wasn’t watching.

Okay, maybe the second one hadn’t ever actually happened, but on several occasions Kaili had to admit she had pondered the possibilities. Maybe they could get Henry and Alexandria to help out as well...

No, that was the one limit Kaili didn’t want to cross just yet. She might have just barely turned eighteen, but that was no excuse to suddenly start acting like an idiot around the homestead.

For now, she would remain in the living room. Staring out the window hoping for Micah to arrive and do the checkup that Kaili had promised him. Run him through the usual topics and let them reconnect again.

Oh, and to cook probably. Kaili tended to get that honor all to herself when it was just the two of them around the house. Not that she was complaining as long as it meant she had someone to talk to.

Droids weren’t the best for that. Even she had to admit that.

[member="Micah Talith"]

 

[Micah Talith]

By far, it was the largest chit-eating grin Micah Draith Shamalain Talith ever had.

Oh he was ecstatic for this particular meet up. Little Miss Primerose comm'd him up to head on over to her shop. Seeing as Alex couldn't stop making remarks about how 'Her gears needed turning', he figured he might as well make the women in his life happy.

He was surrounded by them.

First there was Kaili. Then Aela. Then Maleah. Let's not forget Vexen. Mara the Shortstack. Laura the Cricket. His mum. Honestly, he was surrounded by the fairer sex with less than a handful of support from those predatory beasts. Okay, maybe that was exaggerating a bit, but he had a lifetime of punches, tackles, and smacks on the back of the head to amount for his woes.

Sigh... Women, he mused, bright citrine eyes regarding his objective. Kai's storeshop was a rather tiny thing. But it served her purpose and it made her happy, which in turn, made the Talith happy as well. He'd spent some time teasing her about her taste in decoration, only to toss up his own little trinkets here and there for her pleasure that he found.

Kai had a thing about treasure hunting and whatever sort of ancient tech she could find. Since he spent the bulk of his time traveling with Vex, he had more of a chance to find some curious things. One particular object he had brought down for Nohei. One he figured she'd really enjoy.

Well, okay so he had TWO presents. One was presently slung over his shoulder. A fresh kill. If anything, Nohei had the talent their father managed to one up on their mother; cooking. He was a grilling sort himself, but when his youngest sister could take a hand to it, he enjoyed it more. There was just something about having another cook for you that just made him feel like he was back home.

Besides, he really did enjoy hanging out with Kai -- she was so easy to rile up.

Smirking, it wasn't long before Micah would sing aloud with notable mirth. "Oh Kaiiiiiiiiiiii... I'm hooooooomeee."

Needless to say, three dead pheasants would find themselves tossed onto Nohei's workshop table.

[member="Kaili Talith"]

 

[Kaili Talith]

And the birds landed with a thud. Kaili smiled at her brother for a moment before her attention set on the pheasants again.

“Not exactly what I thought you meant when you said you were chasing birds, Micah...” The youngest deadpanned before she let her arms wrap themselves around her brother in a combination of ‘Hello’ and ‘I have missed you.’ The moment was allowed to last for just a little bit longer before she squeezed him a little tighter and let go. “It still feels like ages since last.”

By the very least the dust on her equipment was gone. Though that might have been because of the recent increase of customers. Or well, repairs that needed to be done. Kaili still didn’t much care for such jobs, but they kept her fed and allowed her the chance to save what remained from the paycheck that Danger’s wedding had provided her with. Not that much was left of it by now.

And at least by now she no longer lived with her parents on the secret island.

Yeah, she still had a hard time wrapping her mind around that.

Her fingers traced along the edge of her workshop before she lift her hand up to grab the pheasants by their feet. Lifting it up in front of her she grimaced for a second before starting to make her way towards the kitchen.

“I bet you’ve never seen the workshop this clean, huh?” She snickered. “Turns out there were more potential customers around Borleias than I imagined at first.”

[member="Micah Talith"]

 

[Micah Talith]

[member="Kaili Talith"]

“Among other things…” the Talith would say with notable dry humor. Oh, was there ever impish mischievousness in his citrine eyes. The smirk across his lips would suggest he figured that would land him a smack or two; in fact he was already preparing light feet to dart out of the way.

Kai had always had a short temper. Something she truly attempted to work on and had been the subject of concern due to how volatile she used to be. Micah knew she never actually meant it. She burt bright like a firework only to end just as fast and feel twice as guilty. It was one of the reasons he affectionately teased her, because it was one of the ways for her to remember that it wasn’t all serious.

He enjoyed seeing Nohei laugh.

Light steps would follow the younger blonde, Micah reaching up to interlock his fingers behind his head as he walked. “So how did you manage to bait these customers?” another wry grin, “Did Henry set up traps to force them to buy things?” he joked. It was nice to see that Nohei started her own shop. He himself took to working with their uncle Dissero, where he would often look after and work on his trinkets to sell at Marrow & Illskins. Things were progressing there, and with every alchemical creation, he too was getting a little bit of money back for his time and creations.

Just then a smooth feminine voice floated on by.

[ Negative. Miss Kaili does not utilize the same methods you use to attract a mate. ]

It was Alex, the droid Nohei had built for him. A roll of his eyes came next.

“It wasn’t to trap her… she decided to step into it!” a gesture would bring his hands to his chest in mock affront.

“It isn’t my fault the Padawan decided to test my trap!”

 

[Kaili Talith]

With the knife from cupboard held firmly in her hand Kaili got started on preparing the pheasant for dinner. She enjoyed this. As weirded out as she had been at first about Micah bringing dead beasts over from his hunting trips, there was just something oddly cathartic about cooking for others. Part of it was the company that she was provided with and the rest was the eating part. Or well, the part when the others ate. Micah could eat a lot, and when he brought Vexen over there was no denying that whatever Kaili didn’t need in her pantry was more than likely gone the following day.

Which at times left her in a hurry for the shops before closing, but hey, that was the price of having a sibling.

Along with the occasional glibs and jabs at her sense of pride, of course.

“Hey, Alex.” Kaili smiled as she brought her attention to the hovering little droid on Micah’s shoulder. “Glad to see Micah is treating you right.” There was a pause. “He is treating you right, right?”

Watchful eye on Micah. Kaili still remembered when he had come back only for Kaili to spray clean half of Tattooine out of the circuits of her second favorite creation. Henry scuttled across the counter and set his sensor on Micah. Apertures slowly shutting as if he was narrowing his eyes.

[ That’s technically my daughter, you know. ] The droid warned Micah.

“Sure is, Henry.” Kaili agreed and mock-mimicked her droid before turning back to the pheasant. “So, you trap padawans these days, Micah? Are you training them or just being the same old nuisance around the temple grounds?”

“Or actually, more importantly, was it the foot snare or the classic box-and-stick trick?”

[member="Micah Talith"]

 

[Micah Talith]

[member="Kaili Talith"]

Oh did the wickedness ever shine within the twin suns of Micah’s eyes then. He nabbed one of the nearby stools, drawing it over to set it down by the bar type table Kai had overlooking the kitchen. With the glee of one smug about his tricks, he would prop his elbows down upon the surface of the bar and set his chin upon his palms.

The most innocent of expression would float over his angular features.

“Just a bit of training, that’s all.” or more like hide-and-get caught. It had been a lesson on situational awareness within a jungle environment. Needless to say, Micah had far too much fun pretending to be the predator and nabbing as many padawans as he could.

“Situational awareness.” he’d add, just as Alex would fly to over over Henry. “Look at you, bud…” the way he said ‘bud’ was enough to make the droid get a bit peckish.

Then again, Micah did so enjoy riling up Henry.

“Don’t worry, Alex is doing just fine… “ pause, sly glance. “I mean.. she’s interfacing with everything on sight, but I guess that’s what makes you such the proud papa!”

 

[Kaili Talith]

Henry proudly raised his chassis in glee.

[ That’s my girl! ] He nearly whistled. [ Interfacing is the easiest way to gather data, not that a primitive organic such as y- ]

“Henry...” Kaili scolded her droid and bopped it with the butt of her knife. “You are no less primitive than those who created you.”

[ Of course, Kaili... ] He said most dejected. His receeptors narrowed once more at Micah. Oh, this human had set him up for that one. With a slow scuttle backwards and with a most suspicious look to him, Henry remained quiet and stared at Micah.

“Henry has a point though. She is designed to do that.” Kaili sounded most proud of herself as she turned her attention back to Micah. “I trust that she has been useful to you over the last few months, right?”

[ He better say yes. ]

“Henry.”

[ Sorry, ma’am. ]

“That’s okay.” Kaili rolled her eyes and wondered why she had installed the ‘Father Figure X-01’ databanks within Henry. “One day, the two of you will know peace, Micah.”

“... One day.”

[member="Micah Talith"]

 

[Micah Talith]

A snort cut the noise, Micah clearly amused by the euphemism that went sailing over Henry's mechanical head. A wag of eyebrows would ensue over at Nohei, his hands falling away from his chin with a chuckle.

"Peace... Oh there's plenty of peace." Pushing himself up off the seat, the Talith went to wander for a drink. "Alex's doing well. We managed to track somethin' off the Tingal arm, actually."

The last was said with a bit more of a serious tone, the young man moving over to the refrigerator to search for something to set his whistle. "Pretty interesting. You'd have likes it Nohei." He swung the door wide, bending down to scan what she had.

"So what else is new?"

 

[Kaili Talith]

The Tingel Arm. Kaili hadn’t been in space for a very long time, which may have seemed weird for someone who still had high hopes and dreams of being a Warden of the Sky some day. It was one of the leftover crumbles of the crash from all those years ago. She still wasn’t on speaking terms with loud noises but it was getting better and better for every attempt she mustered at getting into space again.

Landings were still a problem though.

“Sounds like you had fun.” Kaili spoke with a lopsided smirk. “If you’re looking for something to drink I’m afraid you won’t find much other than the bottle of Corellian.” For cooking. Force knew that Kaili was a lightweight when it came to those things. “Otherwise, well, you know the store is around the corner.”

“Me personally, I’ve been in my shop.” Kaili went back to preparing the pheasant. “... Was close to another breakdown not too long ago, but I managed.”

All things considered Kaili was, after all, far better off now than in the immediate aftermath of the crash.

“I think I am doing better with handling those though.” Kaili shook her head subconsciously. “Sooo, what was it that you and Alex tracked down? The Tingel Arm is quite far away from here.”

[member="Micah Talith"]

 

[Micah Talith]

[member="Kaili Talith"]

Micah was a quiet thing when he wanted to be. Normally rather rambunktious, the Talith was all laughs and grins and horrible jokes. However, as Kai was preparing the pheasant, the young blonde woman would feel the slip of her older brother’s embrace looping over her shoulders. Tall as he was, his chin managed to plop over the crown of Nohei’s head.

It was a show of comfort, along with a slight pretend of choking her that didn’t actually even take. He was just trying to make her laugh. A kiss pressed on top of her head, then he plopped his cheek upon it much like a pillow. After the event with the crash, Nohei had spiraled down a state of depression and post traumatic stress disorder. It had affected everyone in the family; their parents had been worried. His mum fussing over the youngest Talith child and trying to make her feel better.

Aela was the closest who could relate to such trauma, having suffered through such at an early age. For Micah, all he could do was simply show his support for his little sister. Even if that meant getting extra poundings from her just to see her smile.

“Ohh… nothing much…” he began in a slow sing song, using his body to start rocking Kai from side to side as if in a little dance.

“Just a Gree navigation computer for this one blonde chick who apparently is super into that silly old stuff…”

Wait for it…

Wait for it…...

 

[Kaili Talith]

She was calm at the moment, but she appreciated what Micah was doing. The swaying back and forth as she tried to prepare the pheasant and the way it made her feel like a metronome. A metronome with a very, very sharp knife in her hands. Just about the last few steps of skinning a pheasant was done and over with when Micah caught her attention. That man (because calling him a boy made no sense anymore) never found things that were ‘nothing much’, it was always something bigger with Micah. Also, if nothing else, the tone of his voice betrayed any attempts at playing coy.

The word ‘gree’ parted his lips and in an instant Kaili began to turn around. Knife in hand she caught herself before she stabbed her brother in his waist. She turned back, gently threw the knife at the cutting board and turned back around to give Micah the most excited look she had most likely ever given anyone.

“No. Farking. Way.” Modesty be damned. Gree tech was not a joke. “You found an actual gree ship computer?!” She contained the urge to sprattle around like an idiot in front of her brother...

... She failed.

“Doyouhaveanyideahowrarethoseareohmygod?” Kaili latched onto her brother again before a sudden realisation hit her and she eased up. “Wait, by blonde chick you mean me, right?” Screw that. It had to be. “Oh wait, what am I saying? Of course it is! Yay!”

Micah would feel the bone breaking embrace of a sister who, for once, seemed to be using this particular technique not to actually crush his bones, but to show him just how much she loved him right now.

“Best. Brother. Ever.”

[member="Micah Talith"]

 

[Micah Talith]

[member="Kaili Talith"]

Annnd just like that, he got semi-tackled by the Jawa that was his sister. He braced his feet, muscles flexing to make sure that the woman didn't end up bringing them both tumbling on the floor.

"Whoaaa.. Easy there! Easy!" he'd joke, his chuckle a brief rumble up his chest as he caught her in a hug. He figured she'd be excited about it. There was no one else he knew besides Mara that would enjoy the gree nav computer. Whatever state it might be in, he knew his little sister would be able to do something with it.

And hopefully not get lost somewhere in the Maw.

"Watch the goods there!" he said in a wry quip, masking a mock affront at almost getting stabbed and tackled. "I gotta keep these charming good looks of mine at peak performance!"

There came that rascal grin, and he waggled his eyebrows at her.

"I mean... if you ever want to become Aunti Nohei and all."

Enter the sticking out of his tongue and the sudden rub of the top of her head, musing her hair.

 

[Kaili Talith]

Kaili let out a hummed chuckle as she let go of her brother. Auntie Nohei. Now that was a title she hoped she wouldn’t hear for at least another ten years. For now, Aunt Amo would be allowed to play by herself in that particular corner for at least a while longer.

“Yeah, right.” Kaili raised her brows and gave Micah a most skeptical look. “You have to actually find a girl before you can start threatening me with Aunt Nohei jokes, Micah.”

She ran a quick hand through her otherwise pretty neat hair to flatten out the aftermath of her brother’s teasing. Kaili narrowed her eyes and let her eyebrows furrow to match her mock pout. With a quick shake of her head she gestured her annoyance at him in the most loving way that she could. No doubt he would laugh, but that was what he did. Micah made jokes and (from now on (because nothing else would do)) brought her Gree tech as if it was no biggie.

Or well, coordinates to where she could find one, something like that.

“So, got any kind of recipe you want me to find or do we go for the same old?” Kaili shrugged. “I’m thinking something more simple, what do you think? Just a roast, or... ?”

She motioned at the turkey. “It was your kill, Mic- Draith. You get the honors of choosing what becomes of it becomes.”

[member="Micah Talith"]

 

[Micah Talith]

"Who says I haven't found one already?!" he shot back, giving her a mock smug expression along with a wagging of his brows. Oh, he was good at giving a fib or two, but this one was unlikely. If there was anyone who would blab about finding someone first, it would be Micah. Friendly as he was, despite all the jokes, Micah was as much of a romantic at heart as his father. There was an ideal there. Would it ever be met? Who knows. Yet the Talith did know he wanted a family someday.

Not now, but someday would be nice.

"I'm down for roasting," he said, quite truthful about it. He enjoyed the crispy outer later of the roast, along with the bits of dark meat. Personally, the thought it had all the flavor. He swung back around, frowning a bit as he inspected Nohei's kitchen.

"Nothing to drink besides Corellian?" he sounded as if bemoaning the lack of options. "I'll go fix that," he said with some determination. "You need anything else?"


[member="Kaili Talith"]

 

[Kaili Talith]

Kaili snickered at the feigned smug look on Micah. Kaili wanted to say that she too had her ideal out there, maybe some day she would find it as well. Maybe she already had. In truth she most likely wouldn’t even know at what stage someone would be called as such. Living in a workshop did have more than just the few disadvantages, but if it kept her mind off of things she was happy. And if she was happy, so was her mother. It wasn’t exactly unheard of that their parents would swing by every now and then on an unannounced visit to check up on her, but ever since things had seemed to calm down and ever since Kaili seemed to have regained most of her old habits, the visits seemed to slow down.

Or perhaps it was because the worry for their child had stilled somewhat. Or there was the other alternative. Considering that her mother and father were who they were, Kaili did not need a particularly bright imagination to understand why surprise visits to her childhood homestead might not be the best idea ever.

Horrible thought sent shivers down her spine.

“Okay, well, water from the tap if you want that.” Kaili laughed at her brother’s disappointment. “I would love it if you could get me some more of that mint-flavored tea we found before. You know, the one that actually had that slightly frosty bite to it? That would be great.”

[member="Micah Talith"]

 

[Micah Talith]

[member="Kaili Talith"]

“Tea?” Micah’s eyebrows perked. Mulling that, he wondered if the local store would have it. “I could get some.” another thought came to mind, along with notable mischeif.

“I bet mum still has some.” The way his expression would turn into one of devilry would be enough of a forewarning. He was intending to pilfer what they needed from the main house.

“Reckon mum and dad are still asleep?” he would sing, wagging his brows as he began to walk away, moving backwards. It was much like when they were kids, where elaborate hijinks would be enacted in order to nab the cookie jar.

Oh, now there’s a thought! I could get the cookie jar! His shoulders set with determination. Oh, now he was actively planning his scheme.
It was all there on his face.

 

[Kaili Talith]

Kaili’s eyes widened in surprise at t he mention of her mother’s tea collection. There was no denying that Kaili admired it, desired it even. But in the end that was still her mother’s. A brief moment of silence passed between the two siblings before Kaili raised her eyebrows and set her eyes for the skies. Head bobbing back and forth in ‘deep’ contemplation she let off a lopsided grin.

“She wouldn’t mind, would she?” Kaili let her grin blossom out into a mischievous little smile while her attention leveled out towards Micah. “We’d just be borrowing a little from it, wouldn’t we?” The girl mused in a high-pitched voice. “It’s just fair that she shares. I agree with you here, Micah.” Her head began to nod faster and faster for each word out of her mouth. “We should totally do it!”

She turned around towards the cutboard and...

Damn it.

“The pheasant.” Kaili turned back to her brother. “What do we do?”

[member="Micah Talith"]

 

[Micah Talith]

"Well, roasting it will take a good hour right?" he asked, giving a slight pause. It was faster over an open pit, but if they popped it into the oven... they could go to the house and come back within that time. He took a step forward, his brow bunching. "We could set it on low.. and instead of using high heat, roast it in a low temp."

That would give them about three hours instead.

"So, more than triple the time." here came that cheeky, scruffy faced grin. "Besides... I'll need to to be a distraction just in case."

Oh, this was going to get interesting.

[member="Kaili Talith"]

 

[Kaili Talith]

That worked. Kaili could occupy her mother while Micah snuck in through one of the other entrances. Or something like that. Was Kaili known as the one within that duo who sneaked around? No. In fact, quite the opposite. Kaili was about as sneaky as a drunk ysalamiri. Sure, she could do it, but the chances of not getting caught was fairly slim. But at least she knew her way around her mother, sorta. She’d just have to talk a lot while Micah worked his magic.

“I can do that.” Kaili turned around towards the pheasant and got back into a slightly more hurried work pace. “So, I distract mother, you take whatever we need and theeeen... I’m blank.”

“We just sneak back? Do we have any plan B?”

Spices, check. Oil. Where was the oil?

[member="Micah Talith"]

 

[Micah Talith]

"Well, if we are going to go shopping a Mum's Mart, might as well figure out what else you'll need." he would point out. "You get as much as I can put in my oubliette satchel!"

If he knew his sisters well, is that they couldn't stop themselves when it came to nabbing the things they love. He'd end up with more than he bargained for, saturated under the weight of whatever bits of fancy Nohei wanted.

"Tea. Drinks. Oil?" he used his fingers as tick marks, arching the dark slash of his brow up to his youngest sister. "Cookies..." everyone required dessert! He gave a small tap of his foot. Much like their mother, Micah could never really stay still. He had to constantly keep moving. As the one who had more of a knack with kinetic communication, that made a bit more sense.

"What do we have for side dishes? I can probably nab any left overs if our father cooked the night prior."

Which was completely likely. While their mum meant well, she prefered to bake. Meanwhile, Soliael reigned in the cooking department.

[member="Kaili Talith"]