Private Many Merry Meetings

[Jacen Nimdok]

Aboard the Bright Knight, Coruscant

"No way," Starlin Rand muttered, turning away from the ship repairs he was working on to face an unexpected visitor. "No freaking way! Jacen Nimdok?"

Jacen grinned at him. "The one and only."

"You were like, this high only yesterday, dude!" Starlin held his hand down low. "Did you grow a ton overnight?"

"It's been a while since you last paid me a visit, Starlin."

"Ugh, I know." Wiping the grease from his hands with a towel, Starlin reached out to give the boy a hug. "C'mere, you."

The two embraced fondly. When Jacen pulled away, Starlin patted him on the shoulder. "So, what brings you to Coruscant?" he asked.

"Just visiting. I wanted to see you and Miri, mostly."

"Are you, uh... considering anything?" Starlin asked tentatively.

Jacen shook his head, his ever-present smile thinning slightly. "Someone like me can't possibly make for a good Jedi."

"Oh, I don't know about that." But Starlin sensed that Jacen wasn't interested in discussing the matter, so he let the subject drop. "Well, come in, make yourself at home." Ascending the ramp, he called out, "Eli! There's someone I'd like you to meet!"

Lief​

 

[Lief]

Eliphas Dune was sat on the floor in the lounge, fussing the belly of his beloved Mirar. Ordinarily, with anyone else, the act of being sat down there wouldn't have seemed like anything to write home about, but for the first time in a long time the boy had meant to be sat down there, he hadn't fallen or gotten exhausted, he'd walked in here, sat down on the ground, and thus far hadn't struggled. ​

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He'd even stood up a couple of times since then.​

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"Who's got a fat little belly? Mirar does!" She was on her back, belly up, thoroughly enjoying the pets she was receiving. Though Mirar was still small, she was growing larger every day it would seem and he could tell already that she was going to be... big.​

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Eliphas knew he'd have to enjoy her smol size while it lasted, and thus: playtime.​

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Starlin's voice had him twisting in place, craning his neck toward the entrance ramp. "Who is it?" he asked, "Please tell me it's not those women trying to marry me off, again... I'm not interest--oh." He blinked when he saw the boy following in Starlin, and then grinned slightly. "Another Padawan, Star?"​

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Jacen Nimdok ​

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

"Who is it?"

Starlin found Eli sitting on the floor with Mirar, muttering something about women trying to marry him off. His master laughed. "No, no. This is Jacen Nimdok." He wrapped an arm around Jacen's shoulders. "Jacen, this is Eliphas Dune, my Padawan."

"Nice to meet you," Jacen greeted. He appeared to be a few years younger than Eli, and wore a black turtleneck sweater and a leather jacket. Real wool and leather, nothing synthetic.

"Another Padawan, Star?"

Starlin opened his mouth to respond, but Jacen beat him to it. "No," he said. "Just an old friend paying a visit."

"Yeah," Starlin said, nodding and smiling. "It's funny—I was planning on taking Eli to see another old friend later today. Uh, let me go finish up what I was doing real quick. Give you two a chance to get acquainted."

He left them alone. "My sister Miri mentioned you," Jacen remarked, looking at Eli with a calm, but not disinterested expression. At least, until he was distracted by the sound of growling at his feet. Mirar bared her teeth at him and barked in warning.

Lief

 

[Lief]

Eliphas seemed genuinely relieved that it wasn't the old lady ranting about promises made by a dead man. He expelled a soft breath, then raised one hand to wave at Jacen even as Mirar flopped onto her side then sniffed the air. His pup was soon on her feet, nearing the boy.​

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"I didn't realize there were more Nimdoks," he said, with a slightly cheeky smirk, "However will the Galaxy survive?"​

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It took him longer than it should have to find his way to his feet, and to try and offset any balance issues he settled his hand on the back of the sofa instead. Smooth. It likely didn't help much. Oh well.​

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Before Starlin could fully leave, Eliphas tried to stop him. "Wait... Who were you bringing me to see?" Another friend..? It hadn't gone so well last time, had it? Thoughts of Val left him a little flushed, though whether it was because he felt flustered or angered by the memories was kind of impossible to tell. Probably a little of both, in all honesty. His heart still hadn't recovered.​

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His attention returned to their guest.​

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"Miri's a nice girl" he said with a soft nod of his head. Mirar broke the ice there, barking up at Jacen. Eliphas looked horrified, and stumbled forward to where she was - slipping in the process. Rushing the way he had left him off kilter. He flopped down beside the dog, and managed to save face by pulling her against his chest.​

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Yeah, he totally meant to do that...​

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Jacen Nimdok ​

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

"I didn't realize there were more Nimdoks. However will the Galaxy survive?"

“Somehow,” Jacen replied with a smirk, catching the joke.

“Eli knew the Professor,” Starlin mentioned. “He taught Eli a few of his tricks and gave him copies of his books. Signed, of course.”

"Wait... Who were you bringing me to see?"

“It’s a surprise,” Starlin said with a grin before heading out. As far as he was concerned, it was nothing to worry about. Definitely not another Val situation.

“She’s a good sister,” Jacen agreed. He had already visited her and her family. The twins were growing like weeds. Time waited for no one, it seemed.

Jacen took a step back at Mirar’s aggravated reaction, only to start forward when Eli fell. “I’m sorry—“ he began, reaching down to help—only to back off again when Mirar snapped at him.

“Animals don’t like me very much,” he admitted. “Something about the way I smell.” He turned to Eli. “Are you okay?”

Lief

 

[Lief]

Eliphas nodded when Starlin made reference to the Professor. "Do you have copies?" he asked, "I could share if not."​

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Surprises... Once upon a time Eliphas was all for surprises, but events had happened so quickly as of late, and usually for the worst, that quite frankly the idea of another one made him want to stick his head in the sand until everything blew over.​

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"What time?" Starlin was already gone though, and his attention quickly fell upon the Mirar situation. The other boy was quick to try and help him back to his feet, but Mirar was faster.​

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"Mirar!" He looked horrified when the pup snapped at Jacen, "Bad girl, leave him alone. I'm sorry... She's not usually like this." It took him a moment to remember he was on the floor, then his cheeks flushed. "Oh, uh..."​

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Bringing the pup with him, he forced himself slowly back to his feet. It was harder than usual, given how he'd crashed down there, but still manageable.​

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"I erm, I was going to go to the medical bay in the Temple" he explained, looking past Jacen to the entry then back again. "You can come with if you'd like..?" It didn't occur to him that visiting his sister wasn't a group excursion. Not in that moment. "And you, little miss, should go rest up. Honestly, I don't know what's gotten into you."​

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He could plop Mirar into his room on the way out, provided Jacen wanted to come with. If not? Well, he supposed he could hold off for a little while.​

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Jacen Nimdok ​

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

Jacen seemed surprised that Eli had known his father. “What was he like?” he started to ask, but then Starlin’s leaving and Mirar’s hostility took precedence.

“Like I said, animals don’t like how I smell.” For good reason. Jacen watched Eli struggle to stand, his mouth set in a stern line and his brow furrowed. He looked a lot like his father when he wore a serious expression.

“I wouldn’t mind,” he replied. It seemed like a curious venture, but then Jacen could tell Eli wasn’t exactly well. “Lead the way.”

He couldn’t quite hide his relief when Mirar was stowed away in Eli’s room.

Lief

 

[Lief]

It took a moment for understanding to enter Eliphas' brain when the question was asked. Sure Starlin's departure and Mirar's poor behaviour put it to the side, but Eliphas did not forget and once it was decided that they would, in fact, be going to see Lissa he decided to bring it back up again.​

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"He was a good man," Eli explained, "A little... eccentric, but I think that comes with being a Professor honestly." Those he'd known growing up were pretty out there themselves. "I'll be just a second."​

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Stepping into his room, he set Mirar down upon the bed, collected a couple of books from his shelf, then sank down into his hoverchair. The Medical Bay was much too far for him to walk.​

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Back in the hall, he offered one of the books across to Jacen.​

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"It has some forewords and the like, written by your Father. You're welcome to read it, well.. them." He held up the other books. "You, erm... didn't know him too well..? I'm sorry." Eli could not imagine being estranged from his family, they were such a strong unit. Or, had been.​

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Soon they were headed toward the Jedi Temple, Eliphas knew the way to Lissa's room so it wouldn't take too long to reach.​

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Jacen Nimdok ​

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

Sure enough, Eli returned from his room sitting in a hoverchair. Evidently he could not walk for very long or very far. It wasn’t clear what exactly was wrong with him, but Jacen decided not to pry into the older boy’s medical history.

Eli provided a belated answer to his question, and brought out some of the signed books in question. “I’ve read everything he wrote so many times, I know it by heart,” Jacen said. But he still took the books and looked at them, tracing gloved fingertips over the handwritten notes and signatures within. It was clear he hung onto every word Eli spoke about his father.

“He died when I was very young,” Jacen said. “Even when he was alive, he spent a lot of time working away from home. I knew him as a father, but not as a man.” He closed the book in his hands. “I was just curious.”

But he did bring the signed copy of Son of Solo: The Life and Times of Darth Caedus with him to the Temple. It was a biography of his namesake, after all, and if nothing else it would make for good reading material.

On their way out of the Bright Knight, they passed by Starlin, who was still in the process of repairing his ship. “You going to see your sister?” he inquired. It wasn’t hard to guess Eli’s destination; he performed the same pilgrimage every day. “I’m nearly finished. Give me about another half-hour, then we can head out to see M—er, my friend.”

“Sounds good,” Jacen said with a smirk and a nod, following close behind Eli’s hoverchair.

Lief​

 

[Lief]

"I lost my family, too," Eliphas said gently, his words so soft that he hoped it was clear that he wasn't trying to take the conversation away from Professor Nimdok, "I understand all that is lost in his absence, the questions left unanswered, unuttered..." Eliphas knew that he was much more fortunate than Jacen in that he'd known his father for sixteen years, and most of that had been spent at his side. Learning from the late Duke and his wife, and whatever tutors they saw fit to bring in.​

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He'd taken for granted that the man would always be there.​

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"From what I saw of your father, he was selfless. Put himself in harms way for the safety of others, be that on an individual level or societal." He was sure that Miri and Starlin could provide far more information than that, but hopefully seeing a more-or-less outsiders' perspective would help solidify anything they did tell him in a positive light.​

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On the way out of the door, Starlin spoke and in doing so had Eliphas pausing his chair. "Yeah," he said, insofar as Lissa was concerned. She still hadn't woken up. He wanted to say that maybe today would be the day but... He'd learned well the problem with false hope. So instead he offered his Master a small smile. "I'll bring you back a snack."​

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Then they were off.​

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It didn't take them long to reach the Temple, nor to navigate through it to the ward in which Lissa was kept. She probably ought to have been moved by now, she wasn't a Jedi after all, but accommodations had been made for Eliphas' sake and besides which they didn't feel comfortable transporting her until they saw some level of... progress? More like anything at all.​

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Eliphas had grown more quiet the closer they got to her room, and by the time he opened it and led Jacen inside he was more or less mute.​

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The room was alive with all manner of sounds, machines working to keep her going even when her body didn't seem to want to. Despite that there was an eerie stillness to be felt. He directed his chair forward, to her bedside, and took one of her hands in his as he always did.​

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"Hey, Annalis" he whispered, quieter now than he typically would on account of the fact that he wasn't alone. From within the pouch attached to his chair he brought out a small stuffed animal featuring intricate embroidery. Gently, as though dealing with the most fragile thing in existence, he shifted her other hand and set it beneath her touch. "It's not quite the same as Mister Fluff, but... It's as close as I remember. I hope that's okay."​

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Leaning in, he set his lips to her forehead, then finally pulled back and glanced over at Jacen.​

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"Have you been in the Temple before?" he inquired, "If you'd like, I can show you around?"​

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Jacen Nimdok ​

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

Jacen was attentive as Eli spoke of his own grief. “It’s something like that,” he muttered in agreement. Mostly he felt a hollowness in his life, as if something were missing. A hole that could not be filled.

"From what I saw of your father, he was selfless. Put himself in harm's way for the safety of others, be that on an individual level or societal."

“Compassionate,” Jacen murmured. That was the word most used to describe the Professor. “He was a kind man. I remember that about him.”

He was admittedly glad to drop the subject. But walking through the Temple didn't exactly make him feel better. Jacen kept his head down, avoiding eye contact and sticking close to Eli. But he couldn't quite shake the feeling that he didn't belong there.

Eli led him to the Halls of Healing, where his sister Annalis lay in a coma. One could tell just by looking at her that she had been in that state for some time. Jacen watched in silence as Eli performed a loving ritual, laying a stuffed animal under her arm and kissing her brow.

"Have you been in the Temple before? If you'd like, I can show you around?"

“What’s wrong with her?” he asked bluntly. Then, realizing that was hardly an answer to Eli’s question, he quickly replied, “I've never been here before. If you want to show me around, you may.”

Lief​

 

[Lief]

Kind, compassionate, yes, those were good words for the Professor and Eliphas found himself nodding along in agreement as they were uttered by his son. He didn't press the matter any further, in fact Jacen seemed just as eager to fall into a quiet step as Eli was, so they did not compete to end the silence and instead merely existed within it.​

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He was, of course, the first to break it. He could not come to see his baby sister and then sit in silence, no she needed him to talk, a familiar voice would help they had said. As much as it hurt, he had to converse with her as though she could hear, and maybe deep down she could.​

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Jacen's question caught him a little off-guard, though he supposed it oughtn't have. "Our home, Empress Teta, was invaded. She was the only one of my family to survive, but she wasn't found until... quite some time after. Emaciated, catatonic even. Some days I can't tell if she's really in a coma, or just choosing not to awaken."​

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He knew the answer, of course, she wouldn't be on life support otherwise, but still... Could he blame her? Hardly.​

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As for the tour, Eliphas nodded his head.​

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"So long as we swing back around this way after, I'd like that." He didn't really come out this way anymore other than to see Lissa. He didn't attend classes, barely went to the Thousand Fountains despite it being his favourite, no... He just hid away on Starlin's ship.​

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"Would you like to see the best place first? Or should we save it for---"​

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The sudden blare of alarms coming from the machines caused Eliphas to leap out of his skin, in fact he almost fell from his chair.​

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"DOCTOR" he shouted out, immediately turning to face his sister. He took her hand in his. "We need a doctor!"​

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He was so caught up in the noises, that he didn't even realize the girl in the bed had moved. Not just moved, but torn out some of the devices keeping her alive.​

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Jacen Nimdok ​

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

"Our home, Empress Teta, was invaded. She was the only one of my family to survive, but she wasn't found until... quite some time after. Emaciated, catatonic even. Some days I can't tell if she's really in a coma, or just choosing not to awaken."

Ah, that explained it. "I'm sorry for your loss," Jacen said, turning kind eyes upon Eliphas. "I doubt she's chosen this willingly, especially if she knows you are here waiting for her."

They were about to start the tour, when a sudden blare of alarms stopped them. Eli went into a panic, but Jacen remained calm, looking curiously toward the machines. He soon found the reason for the upset. Annalis appeared to have awoken, and was trying to remove the needles and wires hooked up to her body.

“Relax,” Jacen said gently, pressing the button on the bed which would summon a doctor. “Both of you.”

A doctor arrived to tend to the patient.

Lief​