First Day, First Order (Open to FO)

[Kuzo]

AVALONIA, DOSUUM

At first, Irajah had panicked. It was a small, quiet panic, and she kept the screaming thoroughly in her head. But it was panic nonetheless.

I'm not equipped to handle this. I can't take care of a child, let alone one who needs so much rebuilding. What do I even do? Where do I begin? Let him figure out his own way? Or offer guidance? I'm not his mother. I am most certain not his master. Do.... do I hug him? Or wait for him to hug me?

Eventually though, the terror had become a low grade background noise that [member="Cait Falcor"] had assured her was a normal part of being a parent- especially an adoptive one. It was good to know she had someone she could tag in if things got too real or too overwhelming. If nothing else, the other woman, with her own adopted daughter, understood.

Oddly enough, besides the occasional very awkward conversations and the intense distrust he had of everything, [member="Boo Chiyo"] was not a difficult kid. His amphistaff, Azi, caused more trouble that he did, truth be told. But Irajah was surprised to find that she didn't mind. And that she almost wished he did cause more problems. At every turn, it was like he was waiting for the bottom to fall out from under him- for her to order him around. Or worse, she knew. For now, she did her best to be patient and kind- to answer his questions when she could, and to admit when she didn't know the answer. When he wanted to sit close enough to touch, she let him. More often he shied away, needing a certain distance. And that was okay too.

They had spent some time on Coruscant. Irajah had business and a job to finish up, something she wasn't going to abandon. They bought him clothes, a small computer, and a few other odds and ends. She knew until they got settled, that was all she could do. He still seemed vaguely bemused by three meals a day.

But she needed something more. Someplace more. She couldn't keep going as she had been, a new planet and a new job every month, always searching down the next lead. And so, after some researching and soul searching, Irajah and Boo had gone to Avalonia, on Dosuum. The First Order had (so the holonet said) some of the best education opportunities available. And she had found a job at one of their medical centers even before they'd left Coruscant.

Only a week after arriving, Irajah looked up from her caf. She sat at the small, round table in the kitchenette. The apartment was small, but clean. Neither of them had much in the way of belongings, so it was still sparse, but she intended to work on that. After all, they'd be here for some time, wouldn't they? The sound of the sleepy child bumping in to a particular corner he still wasn't used to brought a slight smile to her face.

"Morning," she said, pushing away from the table and taking the three steps it took to get over to the stove. "I've got wookiee-cakes."

​Today was both of their first days- Boo at the Academy here, and Irajah at the Medical Center. She had changed jobs so many times in the last six months that she wasn't particularly nervous- Irajah liked to meet new people. But she wasn't really sure how Boo was feeling about all of it. The boy was sometimes hard to read.

 

[Zak Dymo]

It had taken a week for him to stop hiding food.

Which, ProTip, if you sneak a sticky bun into your pockets, the Irajah will be upset about it later. Especially if you forget its in there and she finds it while trying to get all the ants out of the laundry pile.

As masters... er... Irajah's went, this one was really strange. There was still the telling him what to do, or where to go, but a lot of the time she seemed to want him to just decide for himself. Was it a test? Was he supposed to try and figure out what she wanted him to say?

At least she didn't make him get up at the butt-crack of dawn to fetch her Sith robe or her Sith slippers. Yes, Dark Lords of the Sith wore slippers. Or, at least, his had. They'd even been bunny slippers... if you take into the account that he'd decorated them with the heads of two Kushiban Jedi he'd defeated in some forgotten battle once upon a time.

Allegedly, anyway.

Boo had never seen a Kushiban, so those skulls could have just been from the rats on top of the trash cans out back.

...and, if that were the case, the boy might have been more impressed. Those rats had been fierce.

Anyway, the boy still wasn't sure just what he was supposed to do with this whole Irajah thing. He'd borrowed a book from the library on Coruscant. Well, stolen was more like it at this point, but what's done was done. In any case, it was a book for orphans and foster kids who got adopted, which was the term for when you were a slave except your masters were called parents and there were laws against them abusing you. Well, sorta anyway. Though the book suggested that slave labor was outlawed, it seemed to him that chores very closely resembled unpaid child labor.

Modesty and cleanliness had been in short supply in the ghetto, but the boy was learning that Irajah wanted him to take a bath every day.

EVERY.

DAY.

Who did that!? ...apparently Irajah, that's who. Also, possibly normal people. There were more books on hygiene, like brushing teeth and stuff like that. But, even though she wanted him to take a bath all the time, he wasn't supposed to go around the apartment naked. Apparently 'naked' was synonymous with 'private' and belonged in his room or the refresher.

He hoped that she was writing all of these rules down, because there was no way that he was going to remember all of this.

Kind of like that corner. He didn't remember that either.

As he came into the kitchenette, the boy wore part of what was apparently the school uniform. A pair of grey trousers. There were some black boots over by the door, along with a white jacket that had grey shoulders and a black First Order insignia on the left sleeve. Since the jacket covered the undershirt, he was told he just had to wear something underneath it. So, he was wearing a yellow t-shirt that had a graphic tee on the front. It was the 8-bit form of a cartoon Ewok from the EndorMon GO! games.

The boy started to reply to the greeting, but wound up yawning instead. The Irajah said something about wookiee-cakes, but the boy was possibly sleep walking. Arriving at the breakfast table, the youth sat down and then stared somewhat blankly ahead as his mind debated whether this whole 'waking up' thing was really worth it.

[member="Irajah Ven"]​

 

[Darek Sjaa]

A small plastic model of a Krayt Dragon had come to dominate the eagle like vision of someone who felt uniquely out of place in metropolitan areas. Each tiny manufactured curve and detail had been formed at the hands of soulless machines who followed a set of per instructed commands at the whim of a human master, all for the enjoyment of a human child. The thought strained along the edge of his mind as he continued to curiously eye the thing, temporarily removing him from the controlled chaos that was the Medical Center's lobby. After returning from interstellar deployments a check up and physical with a certified physician was mandatory before any Trooper could redeploy. Darek's customs dictated he find one on his own dime and outside the arm of the military. A fellow follower of The Faith. One that could provide the proper physical and spiritual guidance.

His eyes shifted slightly as caught the glimpse of a shadow before a tiny hand snatched the small model and clutched it to a greedy chest. His civilian clothes crinkled as he cringed at the spoiled creature's blubbering. Would the heathen ever be taught the value of a honest day's work? Or the truth of the Universe? Darek gave a slight sigh and lazily watched the news present on a nearby monitor. Soon they would call his name. He thought. He hoped.

Drudgery felt like a grim limbo to life for the young man.

 

[Marzena Vaas]

Marzena Choi sat at the dining room table, a hot mug of chamomile tea in hand. She inhaled the herbal steam, it was pleasant enough, but it would never be a suitable replacement for caf. Her dark eyes shifted down to her plate, she had finished her serving of fruit, but a few bites of whole-grain toast remained. With a quiet sigh, she traded her cup for the small piece of lightly buttered bread. Her life in the spotlight had always dictated her diet, strictly ruling out things like bread and pasta. But now, things were different. A healthy pregnancy required a well-balanced diet, and an increased calorie count. At least she had the guidance of a dietician, and was now armed with a meal plan that seemed to be working well. Of course, after indulging in foods that had once been off limits, she couldn’t deny the feeling of guilt. However, it would all be well worth it in the end.

With a clean plate and an empty cup, she made for the kitchen and deposited the dishes into the sink. She let her hands run down the front of the silk robe that wrapped around her form, it was time to change and get on with her day. After all, there was much to do. There was already a list forming in her mind, and she ran down the items as she took long strides towards the bedroom. She was all set to have a dress fitting with Jean Paul Renaud, a consultation with a florist, and a cake tasting at a local bakery. All of the plans for the wedding were coming together swiftly; she felt confident that everything would be perfect for the ceremony and reception in the weeks to come. In fact, all of her vendors had been quite accommodating.

Marzena paused outside the small room that was slowly being transformed into a nursery. Her fingers slid along the door frame, and a smile formed on her lips. They had already received a number of gifts from friends and family. Most of these items sat in boxes, including a crib and changing table that [member="Ludolf Vaas"] would be tasked with assembling later on. Still smiling, she slipped into the bedroom to dress, a light spring in her steps.

She had a feeling that it was going to be a very good day.

 

[Kuzo]

Irajah looked at the pan and frowned slightly.

When her dad used to make these, they actually looked like little wookiees. These however.... if she tilted her head just right- they were blobs with arms. Whelp. At least she hadn't burned them. Transferring the breakfast cakes to a plate she put it down in front of [member="Boo Chiyo"]. There were syrups and assorted other toppings (had she gone over board? Maybe) on the table, along with a napkin, fork and knife.

"What kind of knife even is this?" He'd asked her the first time he'd seen the butter knife, his voice full of scorn. "You can't even kill someone with this."

In some ways, it had been a challenging couple of weeks.

Adding a glass of blue milk to the table, she sat back down across from him. Her hands wrapping back around the mug of steaming caf.

"Excited about today?"

She had no idea what he'd answer. Which was, in fairness, par for the course.

 

[Darek Sjaa]

After several uneventful moments of spacing out on the holo screen a sound interuptted Darek's blank solitude. Clicking heels and a homely looking nurse with a clipboard.

"Sergeant Sss.."

There was a pause, indicative of uncertainty and hesitation.

"Sig-aa?"

Darek brought himself up from his seat with a hint of urgency and faced the nurse with a smile that would put a rabid wompa at ease. The nurse returned the smile, showing an unspoken gratitude at Darek's total lack of acknowledgment regarding her mistake.

"Follow me please." She said, continuing the smile.

Darek obliged and followed her across the lobby and into a white hallway filled with doors before halting in front of one marked "101". The nurse slid a key card briefly in front of a scanner and the door removed itself from their vision. She directed him towards a bench and spoke as quickly and politely as humanly possible. Darek again obliged and sat, before attempting to get a portion of a question out that remained unfinished by the time she'd edited the room.

"Why had she needed a card scanner to open a door?"The farmer thought to himself as he looked around the largely barren room.

 

[Zak Dymo]

Food.

It was strange to not really be hungry. He was kinda hungry, like just woke up hungry, but not like really hungry as in... hadn't eaten in the last 36 to 48 hours. As such, it wasn't a natural instinct to eat what was placed in front of him. For the last several years, he'd been an opportunistic scavenger. Seizing an opportunity like this and saving it for when he really was hungry. Now, it seemed, food was more of an assumption as opposed to assuming he'd be hungry later. He'd gained some weight over the last couple of weeks, rising to a healthier build rather than the skin and bones that Irajah had found in the bombed out ruins of that skyscraper.

"Thank you," the boy chimed, perking up as his eyes rose from off the table as she set the food in front of him. Two things he'd learned begging on the street. One, always thank the people who gave you something. Two, always look them in the eye if you meant it.

He could have just eaten the cake without any toppings. Truth be told, he had no idea what half the stuff on the table even was. So, instead, he just waited for Irajah to sit down. "Are you going to have some?" the boy asked, taking the fork but waiting for her if she was going to eat, too.

Then he could see what she put on top of hers, and could mimic that to figure out what this stuff was. And what he was supposed to do with it.

"Kinda excited... I guess," answered her question, with a shrug. He'd kinda heard about school before. Never been there, but he'd heard about it. It was something new, right? That wasn't terrible.

[member="Irajah Ven"]​

 

[Marzena Vaas]

The songstress sat at her vanity, observing her reflection with a sharp eye. Her slender hand lifted a fluffy makeup brush and gently powdered her face. Satisfied with her complexion, she finished off her look with a bright coat of red lipstick. Her gaze shifted down towards the datapad in her lap, and her lashes fluttered lightly. Running late, again. Quickly, she scooped the datapad into her shoulder bag, slipped on a pair of heels and shuffled out the door.

Marzena’s driver was waiting at the curb, the door to her speeder open and waiting. She offered the man a pleasant smile and ducked inside the cab. Once the driver had his instructions, Marzena pulled the door closed and sat back in her seat. If anyone understood the term fashionably late, it was certainly Jean Paul Renaud. Still, she figured that it would be best to give him a heads up. She dug in her purse for her comm device and dialed in her designer friend’s frequency.

A blue-hued holo image of Jean Paul appeared a few moments later, his blonde hair still in curlers.

“Let me guess,” He said, before she could even greet him. “You’re going to be late?”

She couldn’t help but chuckle, he knew her well. Marzena nodded, watching as the image before her yawned. Jean Paul looked a bit tired, and perhaps hungover. He had probably gone out dancing the Synthwave club in Prosperia last night, if she had to venture a guess.

“Yes, you’re right.” She answered, smiling. “See you soon, okay?”

Marzena ended the call and was about to drop the comm back into her bag, when she felt a strange tightening sensation around her abdomen. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and she placed a hand on the side of her stomach. The moment of discomfort was over as quickly as it had come. She shifted in her seat, trying to ignore the urge to panic. Marzena drew in a breath and gazed out the transparisteel window. It’s nothing, everything is fine. She repeated this phrase silently a few more times, before she could believe it. Her hands folded over her midsection, and she waited patiently, taking in the lovely sight of the capital city in all its glory.

 

[Cait Falcor]

SSG Cait Falcor - Commonwealth Marine
Commonwealth Space, Alexandria,
Fort Abenaki, Enlisted w/ Dependents Apartments
A few days ago...
____________________

"Damnit, Cait, I don't want to go to school with all of these kids...they're all little drones determined to 'do my part'. Service guarantee's citizenship, my ass!"

Cait Falcor was having a day. Her daughter, Eliza, was not responding to the recent move to Alexandria with the enthusiasm Cait had hoped for. But there was nothing for it, the 14 year old couldn't be expected to understand that living in the Republic was going to doom her.

The ailing former power was losing systems, had an unsustainable economy with too much military spending. Job prospects were bad, inflation was crazy. Moving her family to the Commonwealth made sense to Cait - more secure, a booming, if smaller, economy, great schools.

None of which even registered to a 14 year old who had had to say goodbye to all of her friends...most notably Carter. Cait couldn't help but roll her eyes at how traumatized her daughter was acting about that. There would inevitably be other boys.

"No one's saying you have to enlist. But you do need a degree if you ever want to get into Stellar Hydroponics...and to get that you need to finish Secondary School. We'll talk about where you go to University in a couple of years. But until then, this conversation is *over*. Your bus is almost here...vamoose!"

Cait pretended not to see the epic eye-roll that followed, and chose not to engage with the over-dramatic groan the girl emitted before slumping out the door toward the bus-stop.

I can't have been this bad when I was her age...right?

***

Her morning errands taken care of Cait utilized some precious free time to put together a holo-card to her friend [member="Irajah Ven"]. It was a rare day off, and her uniform was no where to be seen. Instead she was padding about her small townhouse in a "Republic Army" sweatshirt and a pair of running shorts, her hair up in a lazy pony-tail. The place was in its usual state - barely controlled chaos.

She sat on her love-seat, looking around to make sure her town-house looked okay. She hurriedly brushed a hoodie off of the back of the small couch and pushed a couple of magazines out of frame. Long as the parts the camera sees are clean...good enough for Government Work.

Cait took a quick sip of her caf, and pressed "record"

" Hey there Doc!" Cait waved at the camera on her data-pad. "So I heard you and [member="Boo Chiyo"] are finally all set up on Avalonia! That's such great news, I hear they have good schools there, and lots of jobs. Knowing you I'll be you've already working and doing the best you can for Boo.

Also, knowing you, you're probably trying to figure out how 'putting down roots' works, because that doesn't really seem like a 'you' kind of thing."

Cait took another sip of her caf, and pulled the fleece blanket up over the running shorts she was wearing.

"So, I've sent you a little house-warming gift! In the crate, you'll find a nice nIKEA Couch! Its nothing fancy, but it'll give you something comfy for your place...I also included the receipt in case you don't like it. There's also a HoloFrame with a photo of you and I killing some time in that makeshift camp near the Dantooine Queen. What a month, huh? Its a little weird as a photo, but I like it, because we made even that place feel like home, once I got over the dementia of course. So, home is where you decide that it is.

Lastly there's some vacuum sealed Ewok Paws! They're like Wookie Claws, but smaller! eeeeck! they're so good!"

As if to illustrate, Cait had some of her own, and she ate one, popping the small bite sized frosted pastry into her mouth with casual ease. That would likely come as no surprise to Ven, Cait figured.

"Anyway, I hope you guys are getting settled in well. Once the initial shock of moving is past, I might swing out there, with or without Eliza. I've got some leave burning a hole in my pocket and haven't taken the Venture out in a while. All my best!"

Cait finished packing up the crate, while she polished off the rest of the Ewok Paws, and then lugged it to the Commonwealth Postal Service office.

Due to the cautiously friendly relations between the Commonwealth and the First Order, there was already a Postal Good Faith agreement between both powers. Shipping would only take a few days!

***

Her letter to her friend taken care of Cait retreated home for a few precious hours of quiet before Eliza got back from school. She fired up the Holovid and scrolled through NetPix until she landed on her guilty pleasure...

Real Housewives of Gamorrea...

 

[Kuzo]

Irajah beamed at him when he said thank you. That was one way he was just so polite. Of course, she would have been less pleased by it if she knew why. Possibly even horrified. Instead, she took it as a sign of his intrinsic goodness.

An early riser by inclination, she had already eaten. Hmmm. Maybe in the future she should wait and eat with him.

"I already ate," she said apologetically. "Tomorrow we'll have breakfast together?" Once again, she misunderstood where his comment was coming from.

Somehow, despite the deeply different places the two came from- somehow they still managed to muddle through. At least, so far.

She was about to reassure him about the new school when the doorbell rang. Hazel eyes flickered to the front door of the small apartment, just visible down the hallway. Her hands tightened on her mug, a certain tension in the set of her shoulders.

"Excuse me," she murmured, standing up slowly, as if answering the door was the very last thing she wanted to do. She kept her mug in her hand, and if it seemed off that she was holding it more like she was ready to clobber someone over the head with it rather than sip from it, well- it wasn't the first time she had acted a little nervous about unexpected 'company'.

Peering through the peekhole, her body visibly relaxed. She opened the door to a delivery-bothan. Trading a few words and then a signature on his data pad, he tipped his hat and beat a hasty retreat back down the hallway. No wonder. How had the slender bothan gotten a box this big up here on his own? Her grin got a touch sour as she realized it didn't matter, but he sure as maw wasn't going to help her get it in to the apartment. She positioned herself, intending to drag it inside. But even putting all of her weight in to the pull, it only moved a couple of centimeters.

"Hey Boo!" She called over her shoulder. "Can you come give me a hand with this?"

Return address proclaimed it was from the Commonwealth, Alexandria- Fort Abenaki- which meant [member="Cait Falcor"].

Housewarming gift? Seemed likely. Wasn't something like.... dunno a soap dish or tea towels customary? How many tea towels were in this thing?

[member="Boo Chiyo"]

 

[Zak Dymo]

...already eaten.

Well, crap.

At least, that hadn't gone like he'd expected; however, a moment later she was excusing herself from the table. As soon as she'd turned her back, the boy had skipped the silverware and just shoveled the wookiee cake into his mouth. He didn't know what a wookiee cake was, what it should taste like, or even what it should look like... but this was better than getting breakfast out of trash can.

"Hey Boo! Can you come give me a hand with this?"


"Okay," the child answered, sucking at his fingers -- now sticky with food -- as he made his way through the apartment to the doorway. The Irajah was on the doorstep. With a... large box?

...he was soooooo making a fort out of that box later.

Seriously, he didn't know what plans the Irajah had for that box, but it was definitely fort material.

Looking it over for a moment, the youth stood on one side and bend down to test the weight. This was going to be interesting to squeeze through the doorway. "What is this?" the boy asked, curiously.

"...and, can I have the box?"

[member="Irajah Ven"]​

 

[Marzena Vaas]

Once she arrived at the hotel where Jean Paul was staying, she exited the speeder with the assistance of her driver’s steady hand. She offered the man a small smile and stepped up onto the curb. Marzena took a moment to straighten out the front of her dress and placed a pair of sunglasses with fashionably large frames over her eyes. Turning back to her driver, she flipped her dark hair over her shoulder.

“I won’t be long,” She started, and perked her brows in thought. “Maybe an hour or so.”

With that, she walked on towards the entrance. Brisk steps brought her to the door, and she stepped gracefully into the hotel lobby. A few heads turned as she moved through, Marzena did her part to smile and wave as she entered the lift. After a few moments, she made her way to Jean Paul’s room and set a gentle knock upon his door. A smile grew on her face as her friend opened the door, his blonde hair now free of curlers and coiffed just perfectly.

“So good to see you, Jean.” Marzena beamed, and gave him a quick hug.

“You too, dear.” He smiled. Jean Paul stepped to the side to let her inside, revealing a very luxurious suite. But she noticed immediately that his room was starting to resemble his sewing studio. There was a small table with a sewing machine, a bolt of fabric, and notions. Her dark gaze shifted to the dress form near the window, its canvas figure clad in flowing layers of white. The daylight cast the gown in an ethereal light that made Marzena gasp. She walked over to the form and let her fingertips gently touch the delicate chiffon.

“It’s beautiful.” She said in awe. “Can I try it on now?”

She turned slightly, thrilled to see Jean Paul nod his head.

 

[Kuzo]

"Probably not 400 kilograms of tea towels?" She said in response to his first question. That, of course, wasn't very helpful.

"Also probably not a colony of Tookes....." she paused, looking concerned for half a heart beat. "I hope. Whatever it is, it's from my friend Cait, and of course you can have the box."

Irajah and [member="Boo Chiyo"] jockeyed for position for a couple of seconds. Eventually, he ended up outside the door, preparing to push, with Irajah inside, ready to pull.

"Okay, ready? On three. One, two.... three!"

Together, they managed to shuffle the box in to the apartment. Irajah was going to thank [member="Cait Falcor"] for *whatever* was in this box- and then kindly request that she send something smaller next time maybe, because they weren't all amazing combat amazons (which, as far as Irajah was concerned, Cait certainly was).

The box got caught up on the edge of the rug and Irajah lost her grip. Fingers slid off of the smooth exterior and she found herself suddenly on her rear end with a surprised look on her face. Standing up slowly, she checked over Boo's shoulder- it was inside and far enough out of the doorway- good enough for now.

Glancing down at her chrono, she exclaimed, "We're going to have to open it later or we're going to be late! Do you want me to walk you to the bus?"

Yup. Giving him choices again.

 

[Zak Dymo]

The boy perked up at the news that he was getting the box.

This was just like Life Day, except... he never got anything on Life Day. Because Sith slave. Maybe it was a stereotype, but Sith Lords were kind of a bunch of scrooges.

...now, where was he going to put the box? It was too big for his room. Well, it might fit in his room. But it was going to take a bit of work. He might have to get out the scissors and the space tape, which... when you finished cutting up and taping back a box, it was never as good as when it was a fresh box. Especially a recently opened box. Even more so a box this size. In the Undercity, a box this size could be used as shelter by a family of three.

Further contemplation of box operations couldn't be considered, as the Irajah stood up and declared that it was time to depart!

Which meant, it was time for him to go to school. He still wasn't sure how he felt about this school thing... but, it seemed important to the Irajah that he attend. So, he'd give it a try.

They'd talked about him walking to the transport and finding his way to and from school, but it seemed she was interested in accompanying him to the transport. Or, was this a test? And he was supposed to say no? Was there a reason to say no? Was there anything to lose by saying yes?

It was easier when master just told you what to do.

"Sure, I guess..."

It was entirely possible that [member="Irajah Ven"] could believe that the boy was incapable of uttering any other combination of words.

 

[Marzena Vaas]

Jean Paul stepped out of the room for a brief moment to give Marzena some privacy. The pop star set her things down on the table and began to disrobe. Very carefully, she stepped into the delicate gown and slid it up over her figure. Marzena was mindful of the numerous pins that currently held some of the seams in place, and her arms crossed over the front to hold it up, due to the lack of a zipper. She crossed the room and paused in front of the mirror, her eyes immediately grew misty at the sight. Marzena turned slowly, viewing her reflection from multiple angles, and she couldn’t stop the wide smile that found her lips.

It was all starting to get real now, she was getting married.

The designer entered once more, and clasped his hands under his chin upon seeing Marzena dressed in the gown. “It fits surprisingly well.” Jean Paul said, moving in a circle around the pop star. Of course, his well-trained eyes spotted a few alterations that would need to be made. Such changes were usually quite simple and straightforward, but Marzena’s growing stomach complicated matters. There was no telling just how big she would be by the wedding. Jean Paul crossed his fingers, and hoped that the changes would not be drastic.

“Alright, let’s get started. I’m thinking that I will be best for me to omit the zipper entirely. Of course, that means I’ll have to sew you into the gown before the ceremony. But that’s a small price to pay for the perfect fit, right?”

Marzena furrowed her brow, her stomach suddenly felt ridged and tight again. This time was different; the sensation actually hurt a little. Her hand caught the edge of the table for support, and she squeezed her eyes shut. When she failed to answer, Jean Paul blinked and looked up from his work, wondering if perhaps he had accidently stuck her with a pin.

“Marz, you okay?” He asked, his normally cheerful tone laced with concern.

“I-I’m not sure,” She replied, her hands on her belly. “My stomach feels tight, like it’s… contracting. But I shouldn’t be having contractions now, it’s too soon.”

As the feeling began to ebb, she released a breath and stood straighter. Her hands rubbed the sides of her stomach; it felt normal now, no longer ridged and hard. But even as the strange feeling completely disappeared, the worry remained. Jean Paul could tell that Marzena was not quite herself, and he felt anxiety creeping up in his mind too. So, he grabbed his datapad and stepped back over to Marzena’s side.

The two did what anyone else in this situation would probably do – they consulted the HoloNet.

 

[Fiolette Fortan]

Mum always had a way about her, Ryssa knew this. Mum had things done a certain way, teas heated to a particular temperature and everything had its place. Cousin Natasi had brought mum home months ago, new spine, new legs, and even a new outlook on life, but something was off and Ryssa could feel it. Mum would misplace her holotablet, here or there - she'd forget a number for something she'd normally knew like their address. And at first this was okay she could deal with that, she could even deal with her dad moving back in. He came to help them all he said, but mostly, he was helping mum.

Mum wasn't here, she'd fallen the other day and said she had forgotten the number of steps they had in the home. Mum knew how many there were, and her forgetting the steps turned out, hadn't been a first. She'd forgotten that Lucy was not at home anymore, Lucy was off at the War College now. She'd forgotten how to get home the other day and if dad hadn't been in the speeder Ryssa isn't sure what would have happened to them. Lucy, if Lucy was here right now things wouldn't be so bad, Ryssa thought as she prepared for school. Her father yelled up the stairs for her to help her sister Ariel, he was having trouble with her, as usual.

Ryssa slid her sunglasses off and stomped down the hall to her little sisters room while her father made his way downstairs to get the door. She could hear him speaking to Cousin Natasi, who had become an ever increasing presence in their lives. The young girl had once overheard her father talking with someone about what would happen to them should he or their mum perish. Perish was the word that he used, and Ryssa didn't want to fathom the idea. Where would they go? Lucy was too busy now. Mum wasn't doing so well and their dad was busy taking care of her and her stunt at the Banquet was quite a shock at least to their family. "Ariel, c'mon!" Ryssa groaned as she looked at her sister who was half way into one dress out and half way out of another.

[member="Natasi Fortan"]

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Galidraani tradition and culture weighed heavily on Natasi as she stood on the stoop of the house. Divorce was almost unheard of in the upper classes of Galidraan; divorcees were not received in the homes of better families. But they were not on Galidraan anymore, and so here was Natasi, ringing the doorbell. When Josef answered, opening the door, he would find Natasi smiling broadly. "Uncle Josef," she said pleasantly, stepping into the foyer with him. She took him by the forearms and kissed both cheeks. They discussed the Admiral's condition, and the Grand Moff twisted her fingers anxiously. They were rapidly coming to the point where Old Ironpants would need to step down -- and if she wouldn't, she would have to be made to do so, or her reputation -- and Natasi's -- would suffer for it.

And that could not happen.

"Is she ready?" Natasi asked after a few more moments of chitchat. "I have an oh-nine-hundred with the Minister of Defense, so we'll need to get going here shortly."

[member="Fiolette Yvarro"]

 

[Fiolette Fortan]

Indeed the Grand Moff was Josef's doorstep and then she was standing in the foyer of the very Galidraani home. Josef Yvarro was the backwoods man as Fiolette always told him, just some guy from Belsavis where culture mattered about as much as the dirt on their shoes. A hand came up to his mustache as he twirled it between his fingers, "I gotta get Fio to her other doctor they moved the appointment up, and I know I told you, you were just taking Ariel but I figured since Lucy did all the paperwork that Ryssa oughta be startin' today too." He looked up the stairs, "Ariel didn't know what dress she wanted, too busy fussin' so I had Ryssa get up there." Joe gestures up the stairs, and then clears his throat. Never did he ever believe that a head of state would be in his house, much less related to him - well, sort of. Technically, he and Fiolette divorced years ago but he was still one of her best friends and she was his.

They were terrible spouses, but they're still friends. And somehow, and Joe still isn't sure how - they have three girls, three. "Ryssa! Ariel! C'mon y'all, yer cousin's got to go, get on down 'ere." The man was a veteran of the stars himself, having seen more than his share of battle and if his naval tattoos were of any indication he'd served a number of governments as well. Rolling up his sleeves he sighed and then he heard something drop and two more yells from Ryssa and another quip from Ariel, "for a toddler that girl sure is sharp." He shakes his head, Ryssa was on the losing end of this one, "c'mon!"

Ryssa stormed out and came down the stairs, "you deal with her, and hi." She says out of the corner of her mouth when she sees Natasi and offers something of a wave but who knows. Ariel meanwhile is walking out in a pair of her mum's heels with a bag that was either Lucy's or Natasi's and really at this point it's Ariel's bag if the rhinestones on the outside are of any indication. Joe hangs his head and sighs, "not sure if I'm gonna die dealing with Fio, or with Ariel, or maybe the three of them will do me in." He gets up the steps, "c'mon ya silly bird."

"I am a lady!" Ariel protests, "put me down!"

"Well little lady you gotta get your real shoes on, and you can't take that to school." Joe tells her, "yer gonna lose it."

Ariel huffs, "I am not! It says Ariel!"

"No it doesn't it says ... something," Ryssa countered, "here, put these on." She gets to her sister who gives her a deadly yet all too familiar death-stare that was once mastered by Fiolette herself, and the older Yvarro sibling just shrugs.

[member="Natasi Fortan"]

 

[Kuzo]

Boots, uniform jacket, lab coat, security badge, check on Azi (no, no time for fetch now, sorry)- keys! - one last quick sip of rapidly cooling caf and the duo were out the door.

As they walked, Irajah juggled her coat and badge, removing the copy of the key to their apartment she'd had made for [member="Boo Chiyo"]. They had already talked about (well, she had talked and he had shrugged) about how she would try to be home when he got off the transport, but because of the nature of her job, she couldn't promise. He knew where she was going to be (the clinic was literally around the corner). And while he had been fairly tight lipped about his own past, from what she'd gathered she wasn't concerned about him in this regard. Of all of the worries she had, him not being able to take care of himself in this instance wasn't actually one of them.

So why were they here, like this?

Maybe because Irajah was hoping to show him that there was more to it than that.

Handing the key over to him as they came to a stop at his pick-up location, she smiled encouragingly at him.

"It's going to be weird, and maybe hard, but you'll do great," she said. "Remember that I'm going to be here to help you with anything. Whether that's homework, or whatever." They'd been working a bit on reading, but it was slow going so far. The school was aware of the situation- where he was coming from, at least in the broad strokes that Irajah knew. He was incredibly bright, that much was clear. But he was going to be starting at a real disadvantage.

Not for the first time, she wondered if she was doing the right thing, sending him to school so soon. But this was normal, right? And maybe that was the best she could do for him.

 

[Zak Dymo]

Well, this wasn't awkward at all.

"Yeah, sure..." the boy uttered. He actually had no idea what she was talking about. This whole school thing was a little over the top if anyone was asking him. But, he got the basic drift. Go where he was told to go. Wear what he was told to wear. Obey your masters.

See? Everything I need to know, I learned in indentured servitude.

Slavery... and educational!

They arrived at the transport terminal, and it was time for the Pantoran to depart. So, what was he supposed to do now? Should he say goodbye? No... that sounded like he wasn't coming back. Should he wave? What was that anyway? Just flapping your arm around like that was supposed to mean anything.

So he settled on giving the woman a hug. It was brief. And it was awkward. After that, he just shuffled back away and then made his way onto the transport.

She was wrong. It wasn't going to be weird at all.

The word was awkward. And it had already been that.

[member="Irajah Ven"]​