Give a clone some soup and she'll ask for breadsticks

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Ordo"]

An unopened flimsi attached to an unmarked clone-pod arrived at one of the more, discreet homes of the Dark Lord of the One Sith. There was a young woman inside, suspended in temporary stasis. Pale-blue scrubs clothed her minted-form.

A note in [member="Velok"]'s handwriting was left for Ordo:

Inside is a clone of the deceased Jedi Master, Tahira Solo. You met her once, the older original. She was a stubborn-headed master-healer with whiphid-worthy cheeks. This is a clean canvas. Don't waste this opportunity.

-Stormcaller

 

[Ordo]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

Ordo for once had been caught off guard. He walked to the entrance of what he had thought was a secret home in the rural part of Alderaan. He was unarmored and his eyes were for the moment the same tired grey-green that he had always had. He looked around and saw no one and he kept no servants or guards as those tended to grab attention. He looked down at the clone pod as he stood in trousers and a T-shirt. A big hairy hand held the hand written note and he began shaking his head.

He looked at the woman his mind taking less than a moment to pull up the memory of the fight he had had and the mistake he had made in trying to bring down the wrong woman. He laughed for a moment again as he thought of the headbutt gone wrong and bent down to drag the pod inside the small building where he hid from the eyes of the Sith he now commanded. Scar covered arms took little time for muscles to bunch and the pod to be in his three room shack. He looked for the controls as he kicked the door closed with a big bare foot and after having found them opened the pod and caught the girl as she came out. He held her drapped in his arms and dragged her to his couch that had at one time been a crew bunk in an old freighter and laid her down. His hand cupped her chin and gave it a gentle shake to wake her and then he let go and started for stove and oven that sat in the same room.

It didn't take long to grab some vegetables and a chunk of shatual and start preparing his famous shatual stew. If this one was anything like Mya. She would be hungry.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

Myrtle-ellipses fluttered lazily open for the first time. Her mind was already churning to identify the basic understanding that she was designed with: sights, sounds, feelings, language....smells. She pushed herself up to a seated position on the couch, yes, her mind confirmed her understanding of the word, a couch, only to grimace as a wave of dizziness hit her from her undeveloped and never-used muscles.

Voice squeaked as she finally found it, eye tracking the giant-of-a-man. "Who are you?"

And with a flutter of panic, she wondered who she was.

[member="Ordo"]

 

[Ordo]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

Ordo looked at the ceiling for a moment as he heard a voice so much like the one he had heard while hunting the original woman. He smiled and looked back down at his food.

"I'm the cook miss." He said as he thought of how he wished that were the whole truth. "I am making you something to eat."

He stirred the pot slowly and turned 90 degrees to look over at the poor girl and gave a small smile and turned back to the stove. He always used to worry how people would react to his scar riddled face and body. It was funny, but you could be one of the most hated people in the galaxy and still worry about something so small wjen you were alone.

"Are you thristy." He said after a moment, "I made shiig."

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Ordo"]

She nodded timidly, but with enthusiasm. Eyes never left his form. Trembling-hands clenched in her lap. She wasn't scared, just...overwhelmed.

Who am I?

A frown she didn't know was there, deepened on her lips.

Where am I?

The smell coming from the kitchen was comforting, almost grounding. She leaned forward and perched on the edge of the couch. "Why do you seem so sad?" Eyes carefully tracked his movements.

 

[Ordo]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

He poured the shiig, a slightly stimulant tea, into a small cup and turned the heat down to simmer the stew before he drew a deep breath to answer. She was just awake and already she was reading him like a book. Was he so transparent? Probably so. He had always been pretty simple.

"I've done bad things to people." He said setting the cup down in front of her, "but you just woke up miss and there will be plenty of time to worry about why people are sad later. For now how about you try out those hands before you try your tea."

He turned and walked back to the stove and poured himself a cup before going to sit down on the couch beside the woman and took out his datapad. Then took out a pair of corrective lenses and put them on to read. If the people of the galaxy could see the man now.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Ordo"]

She looked down at her clenched and unsteady hands, embarrassment warming her cheeks. Nimble fingers slowly uncurled and she reached forward for the mug. "I feel like you know more about me than I know about myself," she peeked at him from behind chestnut-strands of hair that fell across her face.

The liquid in the mug trembled as she brought it toward her lips and went to take a big gulp. Eyes instantly watered as she realized her mistake took late. Yelping and sputtering at the surprising heat, the mug flew from her hand toward the cook's datapad.

Reflexive reaction caused her to stand quickly, prepared to lunge for the falling mug. But her legs weren't quite ready and she quickly lost her balance and fell toward the coffee table, making the far end rise like a catapult, sending any papers or books instantly airborn.

"Sorrysorrysorry!"

 

[Ordo]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

Ordo watched the debacle unfold and shook his datapad slowly as he looked at the young woman. He felt pity and feelings he had not used of late stir and stood. Big hands scooped the woman up and sat her back on the couch without a word as he supressed the desire to hug the poor clone and tell her it would be ok.

He carefully picked up the datacards and book he had and wiped up the spilled drink. The cup was miraculously unbroken and he picked it up and walked back to the stove to pour more. This time he cooled it slightly before bring it back blowing on it as he walked.

"Let's try again shall we?" He said as he sat beside her and held the cup for her to drink, "slowly this time. It's still warm."

Hr waited for her to drink and thought about his family. This was who he really was, not the war machine, not the Field Marshall, just another man that wanted his family protected.

"How's your tongue?" He said after she tried to drink again.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Ordo"]

She wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. The dueling emotions were almost too much to handle. She also thought about hiding under the couch for the rest of her life.

She gulped down the tea, slender-digits curled around the cook's hands that held the mug. Her fingers looked almost childlike against his. "It's bedder," she squeaked after a second healthy gulp. "Dank you."

The unknown, exhaustion, sensory-overload, it was all too much. She felt a sting start in the back of her sinuses which spread to her eyes. Her blinks became rapid as she diverted her gaze from the big man next to her. The focus on her was...too much. "Have you been a cook," voice cracked and she focused on something across the room, "long?" Lower-lip trembled and she pursed them in frustration.

Unwanted moisture trickled out of the corner of her eye and she hastily pushed it away with her palm. "I'm sorry," voice was quiet.

 

[Ordo]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

It was not hard to imagine just how hard this was. She was so knew to life. like an infant that cries just because they have no other way to express themselves. He could relate really. He hadn't a clue some days whether to laugh cry or run screaming. He could expect no less from a person born as an adult with no time to grow into the feelings and emotions that would be her everyday existence.

"Yes," he said his deep voice thoughtful, "I've been cooking for a long time now, maybe not much longer though."

He watched as she turned away and set the cup down. He reached over very gently and placed a hand on her back and softly rubbed trying to sooth her.

"No need to be sorry." he said his deep voice as kind as he could make it, "You haven't done anything wrong."

He scooted closer and wrapped her in his arms like he would have done with nearly anyone at that moment.

"You'll be alright." he said, "I promise."

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Ordo"]

His hug broke any illusion of control over her feelings that she thought she had. Face buried into his chest and she openly sobbed - the real ugly, stomach wrenching kind. She cried util her throat was raw, within his tank of a cocoon.

The tea was probably cold by now and the soup more than ready.

Slowly, her sobs grew to whimpers.

Whimpers turned to steady-breathing. She quieted to match the steady beat of his heart that pressed against her ear. She leaned against him a beat longer.

"I'm ready," hoarse-voice murmured from within his arms.

Simple words but heavy with meaning. She was ready to be okay about not knowing who she was or where she was going. She was ready to surrender to what would come. She was ready to wade through these emotions and everything new. She was ready to make mistakes.

And she was ready for soup.