Mending of the Souls

[Jake Daniels]

.::.Honoghr.::.​

​

The Freighter skimmed over the treetop canopy of Honoghrs vasts forests which carpeted the planet wide continents. There were of course large bodies of water that were not quite large enough to call oceans. They nurtured an otherwise thirsty land. Rivers and waterfalls seemed to be everywhere. Throughout the landscapes there were large temples that rose above the tree lines; the sacred places for the Noghri. The planet was one of the few things in the galaxy that Jake truly loved. He was willing to die to protect it from any and all threat; from Jedi and Sith alike.

It finally came to a landing pad where the descent began. Jake, sitting in his small room next to Evangeline, had spent the majority of the trip in absolute silence. He had held her close; refusing to let the woman out of his reach for any longer than a few passing moments. There really wasn’t much to say. He tried to let his tenderness speak for itself. He just wanted his little Gem to know that he was here for her. When the landing gears touched the ground, Jake slowly rose and took Evangeline's hand.

“We’re home.” Daniels said.

By the time the pair made it off the ship, Umako had already landed Evangeline's ship on the other half of the pad. Both ships now took up the entirety of the landing space. Both ships hissed as they cooled in the brisk Honoghr air.

Unlike Serenno there were no cities. There was no population center. As Jake took in the afternoon sun, he glanced at over the horizon. Rolling hills, distant mountains, prairie lands, a few lakes as well as two large Temples in walking distance. Jake sucked in a deep breath. The freshness of the air was unlike any other in the galaxy. Pure. Toxin free. Anyone unaccustomed to it might have felt light headed at first.

Rania quietly emerged from the ship but remained a few paces from Jake and Evangeline. She made sure they had their space.

Jake turned back to Evangeline, “This way.”

The pair began a trek up a worn stone path. A direct line from the landing pad to Daniels Home. As they walked, still in silence, Jake could feel the gaze of a dozen or so black eyes staring at them. In the shadows of the surrounding trees, the sentient species of Honoghr stalked the pair. Daniels didn’t need the force to sense them. They were always around. They were always watching. They served no threat to Jake. They never would. His guests however were a different story.

Jake’s hand never left Evangeline's. Still wrapped in Adita’s quilt, a remembrance Jake was happy she kept, the man finally lead the pair an opening in the forest that revealed the recently rebuilt Daniels homestead. The beautiful constructed, recently painted manor was a sight for very sore icy blue eyes. It was the one place in the galaxy Jake felt the safest. It was the one place in the galaxy his little Gem would find peace in her time of need. Before Jake could proudly take Evangeline into the home, they were greeted by new guests.

From the surrounding forest, a single Noghri Warrior emerged. Dressed in traditional thin cloth garbs, the Noghri approached Jake first. The Warrior only stood at about four and a half feet, shorter than both humans, but he was four and a half feet of pure muscle. Metallic colored skin, black eyes, and sharp teeth. In a sheath on his back was a large Noghri broadsword. Jake finally spoke as the Noghri stared up at him.

“This is a Noghri. The only native sentient being to this planet. They do not like off worlders.” Jake explained. “The design of the sword he carries indicates he is a hunting party leader, a honored fighter amongst his people and one of the few specifically tasked with watching my home.”

The Noghri leaned into Jake and took a deep breath of his scent, “The Noghri is making sure I am the man who lives here. Their sense of smell is so sharp they can even tell if someone is a clone of someone else.”

The Noghri then stepped in front of Evangeline. Jake pulled her gently closer which caused the Warrior to look at him.

“He wants to know who you are.” Jake explained. He didn’t need to read thoughts. He still didn’t need to use the force. He had literal decades of experience understanding the Noghri and learning their mannerisms.

“Intimate partner.” Jake said with a striking confidence. His left hand gently squeezed her own. He wasn't going to lie. He wasn't going to deny what he felt. The way Jake said it, the tone he used, ensured the Noghri clearly understood. This little Angel was Jakes. She wasn't too be harassed in any way.

The Noghri turned his attention back towards Evangeline. Slowly he leaned in and took a deep breath of her own scent.

“He scented you simply so his people know you are under my protection. When they pick up your scent, they will not bother you again. The other unique thing about Noghri? They know family lineages by smell as well. Should our children one day walk these lands, they would know instantly we are the parents. That is how strong their sense of smell is.” Jake explained. “The only rule on Honoghr is you cannot venture past the tree line of my land. Anything cleared away such as the landing pad, its walking path, my home and its surrounding grass and even the few walking paths that lead to a private waterfall lake in the back are fair game. If you leave the territory without me; the Noghri will view it as a threat.”

Satisfied after hearing Jake explain the rules to the human woman, the Noghri made his way back into the trees, where his small stature seemed to vanish back into the shadows.

“Well my little Gem let’s commence with the beginning of the tour. I do promise you, we are safe. The only way to find this home is to have been here previously or to know its coordinates.” Jake explained. He desperately wanted her to feel safe. He wanted to protect her from the hurt of the galaxy. He wanted to ensure she was as comfortable as she could be. It probably would just take time.

Quietly the pair made their way up to front steps and right through the front door. The best thing about Honoghr? Jake never had to lock his doors. No risk of thieves or robbers. The first room Jake took Evangeline into? The sitting room. The pair quickly found the sofa.

“The outer skeleton and walls of the home were rebuilt by myself, Rania, Umako, and Cody. Together we replaced what had become a condemned home that had been claimed by forest. Over the months everything fell into place.” Jake didn’t tell her that he used a simple force trick to get the remainder of the home build by weak minded contractors. “Rania built the floors in here.”

“I sure did. There better not be any scuff marks!” Rania joked as entered the home. She carried two large duffel bags, with various bandages, bacta supplies, and another cast kit visible in them. “Doctor Rania is here. I believe I need to check on some injuries. Who first?”

Jake motioned to Evangeline, “Evey first, please? My arm can wait.” Daniels still had no feeling in it. The pain medications completely numbed the extremity. Honestly, it felt great even if it looked grotesque. His entire focus was on Evey and her needs.

Nothing more. Nothing less.

​

[member="Evangeline Cross"]​

 

[Evangeline Cross]

“We’re home.”

Evangeline heard the voice of her devoted protector, but it faded into the background as Honoghr rushed into view. The planet was breathtaking. Evey had heard of it before, but all she knew was that at one time it had been the home of a Sith Academy and was later subjugated by the dark Empire. The fabled Darth Vader had even stepped foot on its soil once. But that was thousands of years ago, buried in the history books that Evey, brainy thing that she was, had memorized page by page. She had no idea that Honoghr was this serene, hidden jewel nestled away in the far reaches of the Outer Rim.

“It’s beautiful,” She breathed, taking Jake’s hand and blinking into the sunlight as they emerged from the ship and onto the landing platform, Adita’s quilt blowing softly on the breeze from where it hung on her small shoulders. “I could stay here forever.”

Evey was no stranger to lush hills and rippling lakes, but even her picturesque homeworld of Naboo could not boast such clean air. Theed was only one of many bustling cities, but here on Honoghr, there were no such cities in sight. It was quiet and sheltered from the rest of the world, the perfect refuge to rest and heal. Evangeline was immediately grateful. Though her body still ached, she could not keep a smile from forming on her lips. It was one of relief.

“This way,” Jake said, and she obediently followed. However, as he led her up a winding, stone-cut path and into the surrounding forest, the fine hairs on the back of Evangeline’s neck began to stand on end. She and Jake were not alone. Reaching lightly into the Force, Evey almost jumped—she was expecting to sense one presence, maybe two—but certainly not a dozen. Her tender muscles tensed as she stopped in her tracks, tugging gently on Jake’s arm.

“Jake—“ She started, but before she could warn him, a figure was approaching them from ahead. As it got closer, it was unlike anything Evangeline had seen before. Short but heavily muscled, humanoid but still strangely reptilian. The thing was armed. Evey remembered that she had her lightsaber tucked securely away on her person, but she knew that was not an option. Evangeline looked up at Jake, unspoken questions hanging in her big brown eyes, before looking back to the approaching creature with intermingled curiosity and apprehension. Jake seemed to read her mind.

“This is a Noghri. The only native sentient being to this planet. They do not like off-worlders,” He explained. “The design of the sword he carries indicates he is a hunting party leader, an honored fighter amongst his people and one of the few specifically tasked with watching my home.”

Evangeline felt her guard soften, still keeping a healthy distance as she shielded herself ever so slightly behind Jake’s much larger body, watching as the Noghri leaned in and seemed to . . . smell Jake.

“The Noghri is making sure I am the man who lives here,” Jake said, answering her confusion. “Their sense of smell is so sharp they can even tell if someone is a clone of someone else.”

Evangeline raised an eyebrow. “Should I have worn perfume?”

The Noghri was approaching her now, causing the girl to widen her eyes and easily give into Jake’s gentle prompting of her body closer to his. She stood stock still as the Noghri stopped directly in front of her, a mere breath away.

“Oh—hello there,” Evey said, somewhat uncomfortably, before turning to murmur under her breath to Jake, “Interesting alarm system you have here.”

“He wants to know who you are,” Jake replied. The small warrior now paused to look from Evangeline to Jake, an expectant look hanging in his shiny black eyes.

“Intimate partner,” He told the Noghri, who seemed to understand the meaning of the title clearly. Evangeline, however, was not so sure. Hearing those words had made her heart leap in her chest. But what did they actually mean? Jake squeezed her hand, and she thought she was beginning to understand. Something was happening that was out of her control. Suddenly, a ripple of warmth traveled down her otherwise chilled body.

She smiled as the Noghri leaned in to inhale her scent.

“He scented you simply so his people know you are under my protection. When they pick up your scent, they will not bother you again.”

It was fascinating and primitive, something Evangeline would have loved to study. She resolved to ask Jake about this later. The small warrior was backing away from her now, and she paused to give him a respectful nod. The girl was a diplomat to the last.

“The other unique thing about Noghri? They know family lineages by smell as well,” Jake said. Evangeline turned an inquisitive gaze up to him, wanting to know everything. He continued, “Should our children one day walk these lands, they would know instantly we are the parents. That is how strong their sense of smell is.”

There it was again. Her heart leaping like a wild thing in a cage. Our children. Evangeline did not know what it meant. Jake spoke so casually, and he was so much older than she was. Twenty years at least, she had estimated. His experience made Evey feel like a child by comparison. Was she being naïve, feeling that flutter inside her chest when he spoke those words? Possibly. Was there something else going on, something that she could not yet anticipate? The odds of that were just as high. Evangeline might have been young and at times naïve, but she was no fool to the ways of the Force. ‘There are no accidents,’ Her Master often said. ‘Everything is written in the stars.’

Jake had already begun to explain the truce that existed between his homestead and the Noghri, and Evangeline was quick to zone back in, taking detailed mental notes.

The small warrior left, and the pair continued on their way. When they reached the front entrance of Jake’s manor, Evangeline had to crane her neck to take in its full majesty. The whimsical spires sloped down into an elegant blend of curves and angles, and the structure was simply massive. It was beautiful, a seamless blend of old and new world styles. It was also familiar.

“This reminds me of the architecture on Naboo, or what I remember of it,” Evangeline said, turning to smile up at Jake. “It looks like home.”

As they settled themselves inside the opulent sitting room, Evey could not suppress her surprise when she learned that Jake and his friends were responsible for its beauty. It seemed there was an artistic streak in her soul that had a deep appreciation for aesthetics.

“This must have taken a lot of labor and a lot of love,” The girl said, dusky eyes moving over every inch of the room in awe before pausing, thick lashes lowering momentarily. “In another life I would have been an artist,” She ventured, almost bashfully, turning a smile onto Jake as she shared what felt like a secret. “This place inspires me. I would love to paint it.”

If Jedi were allowed hobbies or indulgences, painting would have been hers. She had not painted in years. Being on Honoghr, in the seclusion of its rich landscape, in this beautiful home, her urge to create was awakened.

But that would have to wait. Rania had entered the room and was now brandishing medical equipment at Evangeline, Jake having shrugged medical attention off. “Evey first, please? My arm can wait.” Typical. Evey tapered her eyes like a little cat’s, giving him a pointed look over Rania’s shoulder as the Twi’lek set about tending to her wounds first.

“You are too self-sacrificing, Jake Daniels,” The girl said, but her tone was good-humored. “I hope you’re this accommodating with sharing food.”

Rania snorted. Evey was only teasing, of course. In her heart, Evangeline deeply appreciated his selflessness. She would make that evident by the gentleness that fell over her smile to him in the wake of her little joke.

Minutes passed, then an hour. The Twi’lek was proficient with a med kit, to say the least. Evangeline, though still moving slowly, felt far better than she had when they first arrived. She was pleased to see that Jake’s arm had progressed as well.

“Rania, I truly cannot thank you enough,” She said softly, venturing a small squeeze to the Twi’lek’s hand. “I don’t think either Jake or I would be here without you. If there is anything I can do to repay—“

Rania instantly waved off Evangeline’s offer of repayment and simply beamed down at the little woman before turning to Jake. “Keeper,” was all she said, packing up her med kit and leaving the two alone.

Evangeline was too distracted by the artwork on the walls to blush at Rania's comment or to acknowledge how deeply her weakened body still pained. Her deep eyes were filled with wonder, absorbing every detail of Jake's home before returning to Jake himself. “I want to see everything.”

[member="Jake Daniels"]​

 

[Jake Daniels]

“You are too self-sacrificing, Jake Daniels. I hope you’re this accommodating with sharing food.” When Rania snorted Jake gulped. They were on Honoghr again. If Jake returned to his old habits then the Twi’lek would be showing up at the door and literally handing him a plate of food. She, Cody, or Umako would then ensure someone stayed and watched Jake eat it. When he was alone, Jake didn’t feel like eating. The difference between now and then was simple; Jake wasn’t alone anymore.

Once Evangeline had been tended too, Rania came to the Knight. What was she going to say to a man whom had, with as much power as he could muster, shattered a cast with continual blows over Evey’s attackers head. Rania pushed the displaced bone back down but was startled when Jake made no movement. Giving it a playful poke she smirked. How was the Sith Knight not as high as a kite? She wrapped his arm in a single cast; this time with a couple of extra bacta wraps. The color of the outer roll was now black. The pink jokes had run their course.

“Rania, I truly cannot thank you enough, I don’t think either Jake or I would be here without you. If there is anything I can do to repay—”

His little Gem was so polite. It was a rare trait in a galaxy of wants and demands. Jake admired it. The brashness of his demeanor. The self-effacing of Evangeline’s. Two halves of what had become the same coin.

Jake couldn’t hide the beam a smile when Rania brushed off Evey's attempt at a thanks, then turned to him and said “Keeper.”

Finally, for the first time in what felt like an eternity now, they were alone. Jake glanced at Evangeline who was continuing to admire the sitting room. There wasn’t a shred of disappointment in her eyes. If anything she was genuinely impressed.

‘Phew.’ Jake thought internally.

“I want to see everything.” Evey's tone was one of excitement and curiosity.

“Ok then. We’ll start down here, then go upstairs. Tomorrow I’ll take you to the waterfalls.” Jake said. He beamed ear to ear and no he didn't try to hide it.

Jake and Evangeline came to slow stands, their bodies becoming acclimated to the idea of not fighting for their lives. Jake started with their current room. He gave a look around, particularly at the walls.

“The overall home itself is the same design as it was four centuries earlier. Then, like now, I oversaw its construction. I can’t live someplace without feeling as though I had a hand in its creation. I honestly cannot tell you why. Just a tick of mine I guess.” Jake explained.

“After I woke on Dantooine and was brought here upon my request I saw the home itself had been destroyed. Centuries of decay had eaten away at everything. Some parts of it still use original woodwork; I’ll point those out as we see them. I think the only thing missing from this room? Personalized artwork. It’d be nice to have an artist create some original pieces for our home.” Jake said.

He did not miss her comment about wanting to paint. That was something Evangeline would never had to worry about. Jake would always listen. “I’ll talk to Rania about getting some supplies for you on their next outing. Come.” The order once more in the soft and gentle tone Jake seemed to use only with the little Gem.

They entered the dining room next. “Even though I kept a lot the same in the rebuild, I did make subtle differences. I wanted to signify that this was a new time. In many ways, a new life. Accept what I lost and move on. So we constructed a few differences that were not in the original blue prints.”

He came to stand at the opposite end of the long dining table. Behind him was the window which overlooked the backyard with his family grave site. His frame did enough to hide it so that unless Evey was directly upon Jake, she wouldn’t be able to see past him. The man gently placed a hand on the back of his chair. “This room has a tighter fit than it originally was. As you can see, instead of simple picture frames about or shelving screwed into the walls, we built cabinets into them. It meant putting up an interior wall for the new cabinet’s construction but I thought it was a nifty idea. Honestly, I won't take full credit. Cody came up with that one.”

“It’ll be nice actually eating with someone and not just sitting here talking to myself.” Jake caught himself. “Not that I talk to myself. I never do that. Crud, I’m rambling? Am I rambling? Let’s change the subject.” His voice went high, then low, then confused as he felt like putting his foot in his mouth one more time. Jake wasn't suffering from psychosis. The Knight held a nervous excitement in an awkwardly cute sort of way. That was unmistakably apparent.

“The only original woodwork we could save is some of the door framing entering from the sitting room. We managed to save some of the areas of the flooring as well. Its why some of the wood seems to have a different color than the rest. Rania cleaned then specially treated them to stop continued decay. To be honest; she really went out of her way with the flooring in here. I made one mistake, just once, of coming the home with dirty shoes. I got an earful for days. Have you ever been yelled at by an angry Twi’lek? Not fun.” Jake laughed as he rounded the table and came to a stand directly before his precious Gem.

Throughout his bad joking and various explanations there was a pride in Jake's tone. A shift in his demeanor that was unlike Serenno. He was happy here. Everything about him spoke to that fact. The smiles, the glimmer in his eyes. Even how he carried himself. Though still ever the Wolf protecting his Mate, Jake was showing a side of himself that Evangeline had yet seen.

“You mentioned earlier that the home reminds you of Naboo.” The mans left hand slowly rose, the warmth of his flesh meeting the softness of her cheek. “Is there anything that you can think of right off the bat which will truly make it feel like home? I want to ensure you are as comfortable here,” his thumb gently brushed past her supple soft lips, “as I am.”

As Jake felt his heart suddenly thump, his own body temperature rising, he slowly retracted his his hand and once more found her own, “And if I am too much of a bore on our tour of a centuries old home then feel free give me a swift kick to the hide. Please, if you have questions, don’t hesitate to ask. I’ve nothing to hide.”

Nothing to hide, he said. Now wasn’t that just a Sithy little lie.

​

[member="Evangeline Cross"]​

 

[Evangeline Cross]

Where Jake led, Evangeline would follow. She listened to him tell the story of his home like a child in rapture, her big brown eyes taking in every ornate detail as they moved from room to room. Occasionally, she would tug gently on his hand which held her own, as she stopped to point out something—a sculpture here, a divan there—and ask him a series of questions. Evey felt that getting to know this house meant getting to know a larger piece of Jake. She truly did want to know everything.

And he certainly wanted to to talk. Evangeline’s heart had begun to ache for him as she realized that this was probably the first time he was able to share his home with someone in this special way. She wondered how the pitter patter of his children’s feet had echoed as they barreled into the dining room for breakfast, the very dining room that she and Jake stood in together now. She wondered if his wife had liked to cook, and if she did, what did she cook? How had the dining room smelled just before dinner time, all those centuries ago? Imagining it all taking place there—right where she stood, four hundred years later—took her breath away.

His voice brought her back to earth. Evangeline blinked from where she had been admiring the smoothness of the grand table, looking up to smile warmly at him as he rounded the corner. The man looked somehow different now than he had on Serenno. Lighter, freer, like a soldier at ease. He looked happy. Seeing him this way made Evangeline happy, too.

“You mentioned that the home reminds you of Naboo,” He said, and she nodded, holding her smile as he drew closer. The man really was like a great wolf, she briefly thought, as his loping gait brought him to tower above the softness of her dark curls. She stood in his shadow like a wee little thing, the top of her head barely meeting the middle of his broad chest as she looked up into his eyes, but she wasn’t afraid. His hand cupped her cheek, and a ripple of warmth burst through her skin in waves. “Is there anything that you can think of right off the bat which will truly make it feel like home? I want to ensure you are as comfortable here as I am.”

It was here that Jake paused, running his roughened thumb over the soft rosebud swell of her lips. It was a powerful move, one that reminded Evey of the strength that lay in his large hands. The wolf could have easily crushed her slender throat with the grip of one palm. She had seen him come close to doing so with Jorah. She had seen enough to know that he was an alpha male through and through—yet with her he was all sweetness.

The girl smiled. “You’re too kind,” She said, breaking their gaze momentarily as she lowered her lashes somewhat abashedly, before lifting them once more and bringing dark eyes to meet light. “I don’t want to intrude on you any more than I already have. Everything is perfect, truly. I’m just happy to have made it here alive and in one piece.” She paused, and then cautiously ventured, "I'm happy to be here with you."

In truth—and here was the kicker, that dark cloud that was hovering in the back of her head—Evangeline was not sure how long she would be staying on Honoghr. It was far more than simply being polite, although that did have something to do with it. The Jedi Order would be wondering where she was. Somehow Evey felt they would not be overly elated to discover that she was hiding out in a strange man’s home in the far reaches of the Outer Rim. What was more, she knew she had not seen the last of Jorah. She did not want him coming anywhere near Jake or his safe haven—not after all he had already done to the others whom she loved.

Jake’s hand left her cheek, leaving a cool draft in the absence of his warmth. His hand soon rejoined hers, however, and Evangeline felt her momentary sadness seep out of her heart. Jake broke the silence.

“If I am too much of a bore on our tour of a centuries old home then feel free give me a swift kick to the hide,” He said, prompting a melodic laugh from Evey. “Please, if you have questions, don’t hesitate to ask. I’ve nothing to hide.”

Well, that makes only one of us.

Evangeline had not forgotten how much Jake still did not know, and in that moment she felt the weight of the secrets she still kept hidden from him press in on her from every side. It was a horrible guilt, censoring whole passages of her life from the man who had sacrificed so much just to keep her alive, who had opened his home to her as if she belonged there, too. Evey was suddenly uncomfortably aware of the lightsaber she still concealed on her person.

But now was not the time for brooding. She would grapple with her feelings later.

“I do have one question,” The girl slowly ventured, turning her whole body in to face him as she held his one hand with both of her own. “What was your family like?” Her eyes were soft and shining as they gazed up at him in earnest, not wanting to stir up painful ghosts from his past but unable to suppress the innocence of her curiosity.

“I know this house must hold many memories for you,” She murmured gently, giving his hand a squeeze that was as tender as it was slow. “You’re safe to share them with me.”

[member="Jake Daniels"]​

 

[Jake Daniels]

“I do have one question what was your family like?”

Jake suddenly stiffened at the question. Her eyes were filled with a wonder about a subject Jake hadn’t truly spoken of. It was a raw subject for the man but now one he would refuse to address. He had planned too. Jake just didn’t except to speak of it so early in his little tour of his homestead. A small smile escaped his lips, reassuring her that the question would be answered.

“I know this house must hold many memories for you you’re safe to share them with me.”

Jake nodded. He believed her. That was truly surprising. In a galaxy where Darth Gravis had only ever trusted four people; his Master, his Wife, and his Sons. Yet here and now he was willing to trust a fifth. He knew he could trust Evey.

“This way.” Jake said as they entered the kitchen. Just as beautiful as the rest of the home; the care in its construction ever present. Instead of going over the details of how they rebuilt the room, or to show off the original wood work in the counter tops, Jake simply came to a stand near a coffee maker. “For this, we need a whole pot.” He said with a smile.

Jake pulled two cups from a cabinet and set them quietly down. Filling a small grinder with whole coffee beans, he quickly made a fresh batch of brewable coffee grounds. The aroma filled the room almost immediately; blending in perfectly with the natural mahogany smell of the wood used in its construction. As the first drops of water fell into the pot, Jake turned back towards Evangeline.

He came to stand on the opposite side of the small island. His left hand played gently with own fingers, “My family was unique.” Jake began. He wasn’t going to lie to her. He was just going to leave the parts about the Sith out. “Lady Reticea, my wife, was an archivist of sorts. She loved to read. Loved to do research. She had an incredibly sharp mind. She also had an innate ability to know what I was about to do before I did it. She learned my habits well; as I did hers. She was mute which made things quite special for us. I learned sign language because of that. Typically that’s how we communicated. Over time simple looks spoke volumes. She could tell what I was thinking just by a look in my eye.”

Jake let out a soft chuckle, “She could tell if I was about to do something stupid even before I did. The smartest woman I had ever known.” Jake’s eyes which had fallen to the untanned skin on his left hand ring finger glanced up at Evangeline, “I see her sometimes. Sometimes she arrives in a dream. Sometimes she arrives in a night terror. She’ll always be with me. I’ll always love her.” Jake was being honest. How could he not? The woman whom stayed by Jakes side for two decades before the Plague ripped her away from him had given him absolute loyalty and two beautiful sons. Jake fought back tears as he remembered them all.

“Lysander wasn’t my own biological son. He was my wife’s from her first marriage but I was there during her pregnancy, at his birth and beyond. I have and always will view him as my own. He and Romano, my son with Lady Reticea, were a handful at times. When I’m alone in the home sometimes I can hear them stomping through the house. When I stand here and drink my coffee in the early morning hours, I sometimes see Lysander walking in, hands rubbing his eyes, wondering when his father was going to learn the idea of sleeping in.” Jake said.

The sound of the beeping from the coffee maker pulled Jakes attention away from Evangeline for only a few moments. He quickly filled both cups then turned back, setting them on the island counter top. Reaching back into the cabinet, Jake grabbed a bottle of powder creamer and sugar.

“I’m sorry. I’m off world so much that I don’t have any dairy in the fridge.” Jake said apologetically. “I hope this will do?” Most of Jakes food was preserved; either in containers in the kitchen or in the basements storage rooms. How did Jake get fresh food? Well that was something Evangeline was going to learn just a little bit later in the day.

Daniels did something to his own cup of coffee that was truly important in this moment. Jake put creamer in his coffee. The man’s coffee reflected his mood; something Evangeline would undoubtedly learn with time. No creamer meant an uneasy, unhinged, overly emotional Jake. Creamer in the coffee meant Jake was truly relaxed. It took Rania all of about two days to learn that habit. She still made jokes about coffee being Jakes mood ring.

“My son’s hated coffee. One morning Romano came in and swiped my cup. I had yet to put any sweetener in it. Seconds after I turned around, I heard a crash in the dining room and the look on a child's face like he had just drank poison.” Jake burst into a sudden laugh, “From that moment on he and Lysander both never touched coffee. I mean had he waited a few moments and allowed me to sweeten it up then he might have grown to like it. They just had to know what Dad was drinking. The good thing out of that whole experience? I never again had to worry about someone drinking coffee. It was all mine.”

Jake took a quiet sip as his laughter subsided, though the occasional chuckle was heard; along with a quick grin that went ear to ear as his mind replayed the scene. It was here that Jakes eyes fell to the backdoor. Now seemed like the proper time to show his little Gem the family graves.

“Remember when I explained I buried my family before I was put into cryosleep?” Jake asked. With a small nod of his head, he motioned for Evangeline to bring her coffee and follow him. The Lion led his little Lamb to what was the most important part of the home; currently the most sacred spot. The pair came to a backdoor of the kitchen which Jake opened. Ever the gentleman, Evangeline was allowed out first, Jake following close behind.

They were greeted by a mowed lawn. However, the lawn held something that most homes didn’t. Three tombstones. On the left and the right of the trio were the standard shaped headstones. The names of Lysander and Romano clearly visible. The headstone in the middle was a half marble dome that rose from the ground; Lady Reticeas true name, Cerusia Shamalain, as visible as their children’s.

“I laid them to rest where our family had always been happiest.” Jake explained. “I couldn’t deny them that. I wanted them close.”

Now that was a hell of a lot to take in. Not only had Jake rebuilt his family home but the graves of his wife and children were in the backyard. Only a couple of dozen paces away from the home itself. He glanced over at his little Gem and could only wonder what she must have thought of this all. Was it creepy? Was it a shocking? Jake desperately searched for any signs from Evey as they stood in momentary silence.

​

[member="Evangeline Cross"]​

 

[Evangeline Cross]

“For this, we need a whole pot.”

Coffee? Evangeline loved coffee. Her Master had first introduced her to coffee when she was a young girl, but she would only drink it with mounds of sugar and cream back then. Now, she craved it plain—rich, dark, unadulterated. Mmmm.

In fact, the only thing Evey loved more than coffee was sharing a good talk with someone while sipping it. As Jake retrieved two cups from one of the cabinets, she could not contain her pleasure as she sat down at the kitchen island, resting her chin on her hands, looking like an eager little girl. As that familiar, comforting aroma hit the air, her whole face lit up.

“I can’t tell you how long it’s been since I’ve had a good cup of coffee,” She said, closing her eyes and smiling as she breathed in that deep bouquet of flavor. “I can’t drink more than one cup without getting shaky—I’m a lightweight—but I always drink the second cup anyway. I love it,” She laughed, feeling the most relaxed and the most normal she had felt in days...in months. Sitting in a kitchen, waiting for a pot of coffee to brew, enjoying a charming man’s company. For a fleeting moment, she could pretend that her life was ordinary and that she was an ordinary girl.

There was a moment of silence, but it wasn’t necessarily heavy. She knew Jake was searching for the words to answer her question—a deeply personal question, to be sure, but a question to which she desperately wanted to know the answer. Jake was more than just a mere fascination to her. Where others might have gawked at him or pried into his life as if he were some sort of circus freak—step right up to see the four-hundred-year-old man!—Evey simply wanted to know him. From every nook of the home that he built with his own hands, to the people who had held the love of his heart for years. For centuries. She wanted to look around the house with his eyes, through the lens of his memories. Her Master had always said that the best way to get to know a man was to put on his shoes and walk around them. That’s what she would do now. Curious and compassionate to the core.

“My family was unique,” Jake began, and Evangeline settled in, as if preparing to be swept away into a wonderful story.

The description of his wife made Evey smile and ache, all at the same time. Although she visibly perked up at the words "loved to read, loved to do research," enamored with the thought of sharing those hobbies in common with such an incredible woman, she could feel his pain underlying every word he spoke. He loved his wife, deeply, and she understood the horrible desperation of losing someone so irreplaceable. At his last words—“I’ll always love her”—a gentle smile appeared on Evey’s lips as she said, “Of course you will. She sounds absolutely brilliant.”

Another silence fell over the kitchen, and Evangeline allowed him a small moment of dignity as he gathered himself and what she heavily sensed were his swirling emotions. Her eyes were quiet and kind, seeming to say, I know what you’re feeling. Take your time. I’m not going anywhere.

After a moment, he continued.

It was here, at the mention of his sons, that Evangeline truly illuminated. The fatherly pride in his voice, imagining two wild little boys tugging at his bootstraps, sent a surge of warmth through her body. She smiled as he described their antics.

“Oh, I know how little boys are,” She said, laughing. “Even after growing up with three brothers, whose favorite pastime was pulling my hair and breaking my dolls, I always thought that I would want sons of my own, if—“

If what? If you weren’t a Jedi? Guard your words, girl.

“—if I ever had such luck.”

Phew.

“It sounds like you were doubly blessed,” Evangeline said lightly, making a full recovery from her near-slip of the tongue. She was grateful when the coffee maker started to rumble.

“I’m sorry,” Jake said, turning to fill both cups. “I’m off world so much that I don’t have any dairy in the fridge. I hope this will do.”

Evey watched as he poured creamer in his coffee. Another way they were starkly different.

“I didn’t take you to be a creamer sort of man,” She remarked, half-surprised and half-teasing, watching him with playful eyes over the rim of her cup as she took a long, deep sip of her straight black coffee. “I like my coffee plain.” She delicately returned the cup to the table and offered him a soft smile, all the teasing gone from her eyes now as she said with simple sincerity, “This is perfect. Thank you.”

Jake had relaxed, and so had she. All felt so simple and so right. She laughed with him as he described his sons’ incident with the coffee, raising an eyebrow at his last words, “I never again had to worry about someone drinking my coffee. It was all mine.”

“Well," Evey began slowly. "I am terribly sorry to inform you, sir, but you now have an avid coffee drinker in the house,” She announced in a mock serious tone, the sparkling brightness of her eyes giving away the underlying humor. “Beware.”

Their laughter peaked, filling the kitchen with a warmth Evey knew it hadn’t seen years, and then slowly subsided as she sensed that he had one last thing to tell her—or show her.

“Remember when I explained I buried my family before I was put into cryosleep?”

Evangeline could tell that whatever was happening was especially difficult. Genuine seriousness stole over the elegance of her features as she cupped her coffee cup with both hands, following him to the backdoor and gifting him with a warm smile as he allowed her to go first, dusky eyes looking up at him appreciatively as her small frame passed his through the narrowness of the opening.

Standing in the fresh grass, Jake did not need to explain. She saw them, rising from the ground with all the weathered dignity of dearly loved treasures. Three headstones. Evangeline was silent, reverent, bowing her head and breathing it all in.

“I laid them to rest where our family had always been happiest,” He said at her side. “I couldn’t deny them that. I wanted them close.”

He did not need to justify himself. Seeing those headstones cut Evangeline to the core. If she had the opportunity, she would have done the same for her Master. She knew his pain. Somehow, seeing the tangible markers of where his family had been lain to rest, a small sense of comfort and closure crept into her own heart, even if she was only feeling it vicariously through him.

After a moment, he would feel the touch of her little hand slowly entwining with his. Silence, then:

“If we stay here long enough,” She ventured quietly, eyes fixed ahead on the graves, “and if you allow me, I’ll build them a garden.”

Like painting, it was a revelation and an offering of her most exposed self, a talent that she kept hidden and latent from all but him now. She would offer her hands for his healing. It was that simple.

[member="Jake Daniels"]​

 

[Jake Daniels]

“If we stay here long enough and if you allow me, I’ll build them a garden.”
Jake heard her words. Jake felt her touch. Hand linked to hand as she attempted to become a support for the man whom had lost everything he’d ever had. She dared to touch him as only one other woman ever had. He allowed it. It was a simple comfort that Jake had missed for so long. Yet as another grasped his hand, her touch felt so strangely familiar; it felt safe.
“I know they would appreciate that. I would like that, very much so.” Jake whispered as he took a sip of his coffee. His eyes, for the moment never wavered from Cerusia’s grave. Particularly they focused on her surname; Shamalain.
Jakes mind wandered to a memory, a newly formed and devastatingly painful one with regards to his first encounter with Amorella Darke:
“I have loyally served this family for decades. I have done what was asked of me, when it was asked of me. If this family refuses me now,” Jake glanced around the office of Amorella Darke, “I will burn this all down. Everything the Shamalain’s, or Darke’s, hold dear. Everything. I am not making a threat. I am not posturing. Should this family fail me in my time of need; all of this will go the way of a tumbleweed in the wind.”
Jake paused as he opened her office door, then turned his gaze from Amorella, “If for a second you don’t think I am capable of doing anything I have just said; then I very strongly suggest you dig up whatever information about be that you can because sweet cheeks, its apparent you really underestimate me. That’s a shame. If you can’t help me then perhaps there is another Shamalain you can point me too. Take some time to think on that. I’ll be in the hotel across the street until morning. After I’ll be back on Honoghr planning my next course of action. What action that happens to be is entirely dependent on you.”
His mind returned to the here and now just as quickly as it had wandered.
There was a darkness that, for the moment, had been buried within the confines of his tormented soul. It didn’t mean the Knight didn’t feel it. He was, after all, only human. In moments like this, that darkness began to flicker like a match being dragged across a box; threatening to release a flame that left unchecked would burn any and all around him. The darkness wanted to right a serious wrong that had been done to his family. In Jakes eyes, the Shamalains had betrayed him. In his eyes, they spit on his families graves. That was an injustice that would not go unanswered. A single refusal to a plea for help from a loyal servant had stirred a waking demon.
Jake slowly squeezed Evangeline’s hand. That same darkness which vowed an oath of vengeance on those that wronged his family also promised to reap just desserts upon the tormentor of his little Gem. Daniels had a growing hit list of names. Soon there was going to be head after head rolling of people whom were written upon it. The only question? Who was going to be first?
Jake finished his coffee then glanced at the empty cup. “I think I need some more.” He said with a playful grin; the first real bit of emotion the man had displayed in the last few silent moments. Yeah Evangeline stated she was a coffee drinker. It’d be nice to wake up on a brisk morning, sitting in the dining room and simply look out the window with another person. Quiet. Peaceful. Drinking a shared freshly brewed pot. That’s all the aged warrior secretly wanted. Normalcy. Yet there was a storm brewing. He could feel it in his bones.
When they reentered the home, Jake filled his cup then topped off Evangelines, “You said you always drank a second cup.” He joked. “Besides… what does a caffeine hyped Evey look like?” The challenge had been laid. Jake was curious. The playfulness returning to his demeanor. The darkness being shoved back down into the recesses of a tired, grizzled man.
“Now the next part of the home is just a bit odd so forgive me in advance.” Jake said as he opened what appeared to be a sliding door in the kitchen. The moment the door slid hallway open the lights flickered on. “Oh and you might be wondering how I get electricity? Everything to this house is run by solar panels. About a quarter kilometer south of here there is some land with a few dozen of these panels. The wiring was build through the ground using a tunneling system so as to not disturb the forest. So long as the panels remain intact, I’ll always have lighting. This way.”
Jake descended first, coffee cup still in hand. When he made it to the bottom, the stairs tight passage opened up to reveal a massive basement. Dozens of shelves were neatly lined up. Upon each wooden shelf were hundreds, if not thousands, of glass containers, plastic buckets, and bags. “So this is the food storage room. The temperature in here is controlled by the home itself. Given how large the house is above it, the warmth of outside air doesn’t seem down. The walls in this room are of solid brick, over layed with wood paneling. That explains the mahogany scent down here, like in the rest of the home. Each jar,” Jake said lifting one, “holds a preserved fruit or vegetable. Each plastic container,” Jake set the jar down and patted the nearest one, “holds a different nut or grain. While the plastic bags hold various dried herbal leaves. I hate mixing things together. I like uniformity. That’s why I have eight or nine large plastic tubs of nuts with each holding only one kind. You won’t find anything mixed down here.”
Jake turned his attention to several large barrels in the far back of the room, “Those are meats in salt containers. The Noghri taught me to salt curing. When I’m off world the meats I have are saved in here. The salts used are a specifically given to me by the Noghri villages around here. For some reason whatever salt they use works better than what I am accustomed too. Don’t ask where they get it. I can’t honestly tell you though I would like to know.” A laugh escaped his lips. "So all in all... we will not be running out of prepackaged foods for a very long time."
What he didn’t tell his little Gem was that the reason he ever created such a large basement. A Sith had a lot of enemies. Jake had developed more than most. If the day ever came that the planet was attacked, Jake could have hidden his family down here. There was enough food storage to sustain a family of four for weeks. If it were just he and Evangeline, then double that time. If he included Rania and her boys, then a bit less. It was a safety precaution. Jake liked safety.
“There is a second basement.” Jake said. Not many homes held such a unique construction. Not many homes had Jake as its resident. He opened a sliding door much like the one upstairs and descended down, Evangeline close on his heels. The room that opened up too them was as large as the one above it. It was also colder. The sound of running water was immediately heard. When the motion sensor activated lights flickered on, the room majority of the rooms floor gave way to a large pool of water.
“This is the heart of the plumbing.” Jake said. “There are four tunnels for water; two that bring it in and two that let it out. The water comes in from there and there.” Jake pointed to two small openings that allowed water to pour into the large pool like a faucet. “To prevent overflow when I am not using water, there are two exits there and there. A neat thing is the exits are large enough for a body so if there was ever a reason, people could shut off the in-flowing water with a small hatch, then simply crawl out through the outflow ports.” He pointed to two large openings that allowed excess water to escape. In the center of the pool was a large stainless steel pipe that rose up and into the ceiling. “The water heaters are in the home itself so I promise you’ll have hot water when you bathe. ”
Jake paused as he took a drink from his coffee, “I don’t like water that just sits like it normally would in a traditional plumbing system. I will always have fresh spring water. This flow comes from the water falls nearby. A simple room and nothing here but one of my favorite. Its dark most of the time to keep humidity down. Lets head back up.” Much like the first basement, this room ensured if anyone had to hide out down here; they’d have fresh water. If anything, both of Jakes basements showed that the man was a survivalist.
When they made it back into the kitchen Jakes eyes shot to the kitchen window. In the backyard and at the entrance to a pathway that would lead to the nearest village, the same Warrior from earlier stood. He patiently waited. His eyes dead set on the man looking at him. The Noghri had a message.
The message could wait.
Jake slid the door to the basement closed then gave Evangeline his full and undivided attention, “You know. While I lead you on this tour that is not doing this home justice, I seem to recall that you mentioned your brothers broke your dolls and tormented you. Granted that’s what Brothers do but why, in everything that is holy, would you want a boy? We’re a freaking handful. Hell the galaxy can barely handle me.”
Jake didn’t want this to be entirely about himself. It was time to turn the tables. It was time to get personal with Evey.

[member="Evangeline Cross"]

 

[Evangeline Cross]

“I know they would appreciate that. I would like that, very much so.”

Evangeline released an internal sigh of relief. The moment she had offered to build a garden where his family lay, she immediately wished she could have swallowed the words right back into her heart. ‘You are far too sensitive. In this way, you are a still a child,’ Her Master had often cautioned, and he was right. Evey had seen the three tombstones and followed her heart directly into a place she now knew she did not belong. She had no business building a garden for his family. She had only just met this man, and his family had taken their last breath centuries before she took her first. Perhaps it was her own recent losses—now not only her Master, but also Adita—that had elevated her already preternatural empathy. Even now she could feel the heaviness settling over Jake at her side, rolling off his body and into hers like sad, gentle waves against the shore.

Losing people was a hideous punishment, Evangeline thought, especially for someone like Jake. ‘Mourn them not, miss them not. Attachment leads to jealousy . . . ’—the old Jedi adage that she knew so well, that had sustained her through so many months of pain without her Master, seemed almost repugnant in the face of a father who had buried his sons and the woman who had born them—and then went on to live four hundred years after them, alone.

Evangeline felt like she had died every day from her Master’s death until that fateful afternoon on Serenno, when suddenly she was not alone anymore. And that was only months. She wondered how many times Jake felt as though he had died after waking up and realizing that four centuries had passed. The thought of it was crushing.

As they stood together in silence, Evangeline’s highly operative mind was already launching into several options of discourse where she would apologize deeply for her boldness—how could she have been so intrusive?—but she immediately stopped as she felt his hand squeeze her own. Reassurance melted over her slowly at first, and then warmly as it spread. He was so kind to her where he could have easily rebuked her or pushed her away. He did not know it now—and Evangeline did not quite know it herself, either—but she needed that squeeze from his hand, that corporal reminder that he was there, that she was safe, and that he understood. She momentarily felt like a stray kitten who showed up on the doorstep and wouldn’t leave, attaching herself to the biggest, warmest living thing she could find, just to stay alive. Even if it was a wolf.

“Thank you for bringing me here,” She said, giving one last look of respect to his family’s grave before they turned and retreated indoors, back to where the coffee was still hot and everything smelled like mahogany. As Jake moved to pour more coffee, the energy around them seemed to lighten. It was as if he was giving her permission to laugh again.

“You said you always drink a second cup,” He joked, bringing light back into the room as the dark liquid sent aromatic clouds of steam into the air. “Besides . . . what does a caffeine-hyped Evey look like?”

Evangeline paused, eyeing him warily as a slow, playful grin formed over her lips. “You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into,” She warned, but her voice had adopted that same mock serious tone that he would begin to recognize as her dry, witty style of humor. “I go from ninety to zero at the rate of a toddler. One second, bouncing off the walls. The next—curled up somewhere, fast asleep.” She laughed, covering her face with her hands in a moment of unguarded sweetness before pushing her fingers back through her hair, gifting him with a smile. “You don’t have to worry, though,” She said, finding her coffee cup once more and taking a delicate sip, dark eyes still sparkling with quiet wit. “I’ll be on my best behavior.”

And she was. The girl compliantly followed him as they resumed their tour of his home—that great, sprawling, lonesome manor that she was finding more beautiful, more enchanting, and more mysterious with every turn they made. It felt like a forgotten castle in one of the fairytales she had read as a child. She relished in every rich detail and description that he offered as he narrated their walking tour. She marveled at the ingenuity in his electricity system, voiced her approval at his orderly system for organizing his food—Evey, by nature, had always been a stickler for cleanliness and organization—but it was his water system that suddenly gave her pause. “. . . the exits are large enough for a body,” Jake explained casually. “So if ever there was a reason, people could shut off the in-flowing water with a small hatch, then simply crawl out through the outflow ports.”

The same uneasy drop in her stomach that she had first experienced when she saw Jake and Rania commandeer the speeder back on Serenno now resurfaced with a vengeance. She did not know much about building construction, but she had the presence of mind to know that the average civilian did not construct his plumbing with the physical specifications of a human body in mind.

Unless he was a soldier, of course.

Or a secret agent.

Or—you know—a trained assassin. Serial killer. Murderer. Crime boss with an army of bounty hunters hidden in that second basement. Maybe that’s why he had so much food. Bounty hunters probably ate a lot. What was that thing her parents had told her about strangers when she was a small child? Right. Stay away from them.

Calm yourself, girl. Breathe.

Evey paused, raising one eyebrow ever so slightly and turning to look him squarely in the eyes.

“That’s interesting,” She said, injecting curiosity into her soft brown gaze. “Have you ever had to use that function?” Her voice was as gentle and unassuming as ever, but the girl was smart as a whip. She rarely used her young-and-innocent card to her own advantage, but she could not help but remember how routine Jake had looked, pointing the mean end of his blaster toward that unfortunate man in the speeder back on Serenno. It still made her wonder, and that feeing in the pit of her stomach had not subsided. How much did she actually know about this man?—this enigmatic beast of a man who had rocked her to sleep in his arms when she had cried out for someone, anyone, this man who had saved her from an almost certain death. Despite her waxing and waning misgivings, she could not shake the feeling that she could trust him. Body chutes or no body chutes.

Her ruminations were interrupted, pleasantly, at the mention of hot water for bathing and waterfalls. Two things sure to get any young woman’s attention. Evangeline’s face brightened as they turned to walk back up the stairs. “Naboo was overrun with waterfalls—I miss them. Perhaps tomorrow you could show me the waterfalls of Honoghr?” She could wait until tomorrow. He had opened up quite enough of himself to her today.

As they reemerged in the kitchen, Evangeline might have sensed or even plainly noticed the Noghri warrior keeping his vigil outside on the back pathway if she had been as attuned to the comings and goings of Jake’s home as he was, but alas—she was not, and she did not. She simply resumed her perch on the seat at the lovely kitchen island, another soft smile pulling at the corners of her full lips at Jake’s next words—but this time her smile was slightly self-conscious, though still genuine and sweet.

“I seem to recall that you mentioned your brothers broke your dolls and tormented you,” He said, and a quiet laugh rippled past Evey's lips in response. “Granted that’s what brothers do but why, in everything that is holy, would you want a boy? We’re a freaking handful. Hell the galaxy can barely handle me.”

Evey’s laughter gently subsided, but the warmth of her smile remained steadfast, growing stronger and brighter as she looked up at the ceiling, trying to find the words to explain herself and what she knew must have sounded crazy.

“Well,” Evey began slowly, shifting slightly to fold her slender legs underneath her on the seat, settling in with the warmth of her coffee cup cradled in both hands. “My father would tell you that I was a born nurturer. My brothers even called me ‘the little mother.’ I usually looked the other way when they got themselves into scrapes—those were inevitable, and sometimes they deserved it—but I always made sure they never got themselves killed.” She laughed, dusky eyes seeming to look at a far off memory before returning to settle on his own. “I was quite good at it. Perfect success rate.”

Evey took a quiet sip of her coffee before setting it down on the island, delicately wiping at an errant drip of the dark liquid that had lingered on her lips. “I need to stop drinking this—I’m getting jittery—but it’s just too good!” She lightly remarked, smiling at him before clearing her throat and continuing.

“It wasn’t until much later that I realized how good it was for me to grow up with brothers. I was always a very quiet, internal child—a bit of a tough shell to crack. I still am.”

She paused momentarily, wondering how he would respond.

“But boys—boys live out loud. From the moment they wake up, to the time they crash into bed, their day is like one giant exclamation point. Boys are fast. They drag you outside of yourself. There’s no time to live inside your head and think.”

She smiled at him, eyes still gently locked onto his. Completely calm and content, savoring the opportunity to talk about something so dear to her heart—something her Master had warned her she would have to forsake. But she chose not to think about that now. She had never spoken to anyone else about this before. Normalcy, after all that had happened, felt like fresh air.

“I’m good with handfuls,” Evey said almost shyly, lowering the thick fan of her lashes, abashed at having chattered away for so long. When she lifted them and resumed their shared gaze, the shyness had melted away. She was absolutely glowing. “When my hands are busy, my heart is full.”

[member="Jake Daniels"]​

 

[Jake Daniels]

“But boys—boys live out loud. From the moment they wake up, to the time they crash into bed, their day is like one giant exclamation point. Boys are fast. They drag you outside of yourself. There’s no time to live inside your head and think.”

Evangeline wanted what Jake had once had. The love of boys that one minute drove you up a wall while the next could show just why young men were so special to a family. It was here that the pain Jake thought he had slowly, very slowly, been moving on from hit him like a wrecking ball crushing into a feeble brick wall. The pain was real. His expression strikingly stiff. He let out a small smile towards Evangeline before motioning for her to follow him.

“I’m good with handfuls, when my hands are busy, my heart is full.” Jake was similar. When he held a lightsaber, a part of him felt complete.

Jake led Evangeline through the home and up the stairwell. It was here that he felt an internal tug; one that he had felt when searching for the Shamalain lineage. This one, strangely stronger than any he had felt before. It was also the first time he felt this tug since encountering Amorella Darke on Byblos. Jake had learned these were pulls on the force; trying to alert the man. Something was amiss. The Knight kept his composure, showing little, if any, outward emotional reaction. When they finally made it to the second floor Jake finally spoke.

“There are three places I cannot allow you to venture.” Jake said. “The first is my private room. I had it constructed as my wife had designed it. I apologize in advance,” he paused as he glanced at the door; the exact door that had stood in the same spot four centuries prior, “but I won’t dishonor her memory by allowing anyone in there.”

“The second area is this bathroom. Rania will tell you she has been in there once; after an incident on Ambria to help me in and out of my tub but much like my bedroom, it was designed by my wife and thus private. Rania and the boys follow that rule. I expect the same from any guest in my home.” His tone was one of striking seriousness. Jake Daniels was a paradox in an of himself. That much could not be argued. Yet that tug on the force was starting to turn into a literal headache at the rear of his head. This one was different. Still he did what he could to keep composure.

“The only other area is my wife’s study. I had it, like the my private room and bathroom reconstructed how she saw fit.” Jake explained. “The rest of the home is open to you as it is the crew outside.” Jake motioned for Evangeline to follow her. “These two rooms belonged to my sons. This third bedroom is used by Rania, Cody, or Umako when one of them is sick or they just get tired of the ship. Your room, for as long as you stay will be the four bedroom. Yours and the Crews bedrooms are the same in design. There are two bathrooms up here. Equal in design. I simply ask you clean up after use.”

Jake paused, “I also did not forget about your question downstairs. Yes I’ve had to use the waterway exits. They had to be tested. I had some guys with me that were too scared to try it so I did. It’s actually quite a rush. The issue is that since the stone is wet from the water you slide at an incredibly fast past and start bouncing around. You escape with your life; but you’ll be a bit beaten up from it.”

There were other secrets to his home that Jake didn’t quite spill yet. Security features that were meant to handle any internal threats should the need every arise. Those features were a few of the modern additions to the home. Something Jake wouldn’t tell anyone. Even the Smuggling Trio had no clue what all Jake had installed around the house. This also concluded the tour.

"The one thing you will notice missing is any sort of television. My wife and I didn't have one when we both occupied this home, I won't have one now." It was apparent that there were tendancies and habits Jake would never break.


As the pair made their way back down the stairwell, Jake was greeted by a visibly irritated Rania, "We need to talk?"
"About?"

"The Noghri. There's one that keeps staring at us." Rania replied.

Jake let out a sigh, "He has something for me. Rania, you and Evangeline start prepping for dinner. I'll go talk to the Noghri then bring back some meats. Don't waste any of the preserved foods."

"Yes sir!" Rania sarcastically replied, "And while we're at it should we put on aprons, grab mobs, and start cleaning the floors?"

Jake simply gave an all too familiar glare back at Rania.

She knew that look. That was an irritated Jake look. Something was off about him. She waited for Jake to walk out of the front door before turning to Evangeline, "Is he ok?"

Rania didn't wait for Evangeline to answer. It was probably time to have a girl chat with the young lady, "There is one thing you're going to learn about Jake. His emotions are wild." Rania led Evangeline back to the first basement and immediately began looking through the various tubs in an attempt to find something she knew the boys would feel like eating. "I've known him for about four, maybe four and a half months. Shortly after he woke from cryosleep. I've seen him come a long way. There are times though," Rania opened up one bag which was filled with rosemary leaves, "that... he returns to the man I first met. He has a lot of secrets. He has even more demons." Rania sniffed the leaves to ensure they were still good before grabbing the bag, along with a small container of rice, "It's not my place to reveal the secrets I know about him, but if you have any questions I might be able to answer. But first," Rania returned to her original comment, "Is he ok?"

That look in his eye. That scary look.

He seemed off. Was it the Noghri or something else?

​

[member="Evangeline Cross"]​

 

[Evangeline Cross]

Jake had brought Evangeline great warmth until this moment, when she suddenly felt him turn cold. They had been laughing so fondly over their steaming mugs of coffee, and she had only just begun to open up to him about her family, and her past. Why, then, did his smile suddenly seem so stiff now? What had she said or done wrong?

Before she could rewind and scrutinize the last ten minutes of their conversation in her head, Jake had already moved on. He was beckoning her to follow him now. Evey summoned the grace to return a warmer version of his forced smile as she rose, quietly falling in line with him as they moved through the drafty manor, but on the inside, she was faltering.

Meddling child. You asked too much of him.

There was something else there, though. Something deeper inside Jake than a mere negative response to her prying questions. She could not put her finger on it, but she knew it was there. Not much passed through the energy around and between them that she could not detect.

For all her smarts and practicality, Evangeline really was too sensitive. She could feel tidal waves of emotion where others could only feel a single drop. Her Master had been unsure whether this was a simple personality trait or whether it was something much stronger, a special ability driven by the Force. In either case, Jake’s sudden withdrawal felt to her like a swift, unexpected kick to the gut. She was surprised at how much she didn’t like it.

Evey grew quiet as they climbed the grand staircase, walking a pace or two behind Jake as opposed to claiming what had become her usual place at his side. Beauty following the beast. Giving the wolf his space. Despite her growing concern for him, and despite the cold chill that now prickled over her skin at the absence of his large body beside her own, the girl did not sulk. Whatever it was that Jake was feeling, this was his home to feel it in. She knew how lucky she was to be his guest. She would be gracious.

She would also be respectful. When Jake mapped out the boundaries of where she could and could not go, Evangeline simply nodded her head. “I understand,” She said, though her heart ached for exploring his wife’s study. The girl was bookish to the core, and the opportunity to explore a remarkable woman’s treasure trove of knowledge felt like a siren song that was almost too strong to bear. But Evey would bear it for Jake. His tone did not leave room for any other option. He had nothing to fear, though—his little Gem was a rule follower. Most of the time.

Evangeline had so many questions. What had these bedrooms looked like four hundred years ago? What had changed the most since then? What had changed the least? And why in the world did his water system have that mysterious escape mechanism in the first place? She asked none of these things.

As Evey followed Jake back down the splendid breadth of the staircase, the stiffness of his loping gait told her that he was finished answering questions for the night. The thought briefly occurred to her that she did not much enjoy the feeling of being so severed from him, but she internally swatted the thought away. She had no entitlement here. She had saved his life, he had saved hers. No one owed anything to anyone anymore.

That’s what she told herself now.

“I appreciate you opening your beautiful home to me,” was all she said as they neared the bottom landing, venturing to offer him a small smile. “I promise I won’t overstay my welcome.”

It was a brave attempt at reconnecting, but it was doomed to fail. Rania had entered the room, and she was in a tizzy. The Noghri was back. Evangeline wasn’t sure if she was more perturbed at the fact that the muscled, heavily armed reptilian warrior had evidently been staring at the house all this time, or if she was more perturbed by the darkness that was rapidly filling Jake’s eyes. Those piercing, slate-colored eyes looked wild and distant now. She almost couldn’t remember what they looked like when they were filled with softness. Before she had time to recall, Jake was gone. Her gaze lingered on the front door.

“Is he ok?”

Rania’s voice snapped Evangeline back to attention. The girl didn’t know what to say and was instantly grateful for the Twi’lek’s habitual loquaciousness.

"There is one thing you're going to learn about Jake. His emotions are wild," Rania cautioned.

Evangeline allowed her words to register, wondering what ‘wild’ meant as she followed the Twi’lek down to the first basement. Her thoughts still swirled around Jake and his abrupt change in behavior, despite throwing herself into the task of rifling around through the tubs of food. This was another clear reminder of how little she actually knew the man. It troubled her.

"I've known him for about four, maybe four and a half months. Shortly after he woke from cryosleep. I've seen him come a long way. There are times, though, that . . . he returns to the man I first met. He has a lot of secrets. He has even more demons."

“Don’t we all,” Evangeline might have murmured to herself from where she had briefly hidden between tubs of dried vegetables, the pit of her stomach starting to feel somewhat sick. She grabbed the vegetables and turned back to face Rania, barely concealed uneasiness writ plain across her features.

"It's not my place to reveal the secrets I know about him, but if you have any questions, I might be able to answer. But first—is he ok?"

Loaded question.

Evangeline took a deep breath, squeezing her eyes shut momentarily as she hugged the tub of vegetables against her chest and leaned her back against the wall. When she exhaled, the weight of the world came with it.

“I don’t know, Rania,” Evey finally said, opening her big brown eyes to regard the Twi’lek with a look of intermingled desperation and exhaustion. The girl had been strong for such a long time, and she had never had a female friend to confide in before. Her body, still recovering from the brush with Jorah on Serenno, was beginning to ache again. She felt the rising swell of long-suppressed thoughts and feelings rise up like a wave, powerless to suppress them.

“We were talking over coffee, laughing, sharing stories about our families. I must have pushed him too far—but I think there was something else that triggered him. I felt it, but I don’t know what it was.”

Evangeline paused, puffing a long, dark curl away from where it had fallen despondently across her face, before following Rania back up the stairs and into the kitchen. The girl was on a roll now. Without waiting for the Twi'lek, Evey had already jumped headfirst into preparing dinner. Helping herself to the cabinets, shoring up cutting knives, pots, pans, and all the other necessary utensils. Washing vegetables, putting the rice on to boil. Sprinkling seasonings where she knew they would taste best.

The little woman was stress-cooking.

“I don’t know anything," She said, frowning into the pot of rice as she gently stirred it. "He’s told me so much about himself, but it still feels strangely pieced together. There are bits missing, and I don’t even know where to begin to ask.”

She took a moment to think, the soft aroma of delicious home-cooking starting to waft warmly around them in the kitchen.

“How much do you know about who he was before the cryosleep?” The girl ventured slowly. “And what was he like when you first met him?”

The beginning was always a good place to start. Her mind was really starting to work.

“What changed between now and then to make him different—to make him better?”

The questions were almost falling out of her mouth now. She had to resist the urge to ask if Jake had fully disclosed the true nature of his profession and if she knew anything about those troublesome body chutes in the plumbing, but she resolved to leave Rania with one last open-ended query instead:

“What do you think I should know about Jake?”

[member="Jake Daniels"]​

 

[Jake Daniels]

“I don’t know anything, he’s told me so much about himself, but it still feels strangely pieced together. There are bits missing, and I don’t even know where to begin to ask.”

That was a bitter truth about Jake Daniels. The man was an excellent holder of secrets. The fact that Rania or the Boys had any inclination about his past was only due to the need for survival. They wouldn't help someone they didn't trust. Jake truly didn't trust anyone; not completely anyway. He said just enough to warrant their continued business relationship. Occasionally something new would slip out but nothing that would be an epiphany of sorts about the man.

Rania was silent as she helped to set up the kitchen for dinner. Evangeline simply seemed to take over, a revelation in itself about the little farmers daughter. While she worked a different side dish, she continued to think about Jake. That look. It was so familiar. So scary. Had Jake ever harmed Rania or her Boys? No. He had laid down countless threats; the kind that would make even a body builder poodoo themselves but his hand nor his force abilities ever touched them. Still he was a dangerous man. It was here than Evangeline began her questioning.

“How much do you know about who he was before the cryosleep?” That question was a bit harder to answer. One that Rania herself was completely sure about. She had some intel but what exactly was true and what wasn't was open for debate.

“And what was he like when you first met him?”

Now that was a question Rania wouldn't have any problems answering. If anything that would be a bit of a length response.

“What changed between now and then to make him different—to make him better?”

This third question... that was a tough one. Jake only recently changed and even then... had he actually? The Byblos Denial, as the Crew called it, had systematically altered his perceptions not just of the family he loyally served but of himself. This question would be a tricky one to answer.

“What do you think I should know about Jake?”

Then the fourth question, perhaps the hardest of them all. What did Rania think Evangeline should know about Jake? What was in her right to tell her? Saying that the owner of this home was a ferocious Sith Knight wasn't proper. Perhaps instead of saying Sith, Rania could alter it, a play on words of sorts.

"To answer your second question Jake was a shell of a man." Rania explained. "Umako, Cody, and I were running from Hutt Enforcers. We landed on Honoghr as an attempt to hide out. To our dismay, the Noghri population tried to kill us. Jake had seen our ship in the distance and came to investigate. He arrived right as they had begun an attack on Umako's ship. He saved us. I don't know why. He didn't have a ship. He could have easily allowed the warriors to kill us and claimed the ship for himself but the man took pity. In return for our help, he used his skills to aid us in quick scores around the galaxy."

As if anticipating Evangelines follow up question about Jake not having a ship, Rania continued, "We learned that after he had awoken from cryosleep the man wasn't immune to the plague that wiped out trillions around the galaxy centuries ago. The Dantooine Authorities placed him on Honoghr with the understanding that he would stay put. The thing about Jake? He doesn't like being confined. He saw our ship as a way off the planet. We also learned he had been a soldier in some regiment called the 62nd Marine Light Infantry. A Commander of sorts. It was he and his men that were tasked to try and save Honoghr from the oncoming plague. He didn't succeed."

"To be honest and to answer your third question, I don't think he's changed. All I think he has done is buried his feelings deep inside. When he awoke he wanted to find a way to resurrect his dead family. We went planet to planet finding knowledge about such a procedure but when it looked like he might succeed, the rug was pulled out from under him. Please don't ask for more on this. He will kill me if I say anymore or if he knows I just told you that." Rania explained. "He doesn't like his secrets being shared."

"When that rug was pulled out, we came back here... defeated. That was when he removed his wedding band and buried it in the soil outback. That was only ten or eleven days ago. To me he is still a tormented soul. The same shell of a man that lost everything centuries back and is still, I think, trying to find some way of getting the life he once had." The Twi'lek paused as she added some oil to some of the rosemary blend she was cooking up, "When we returned that's when I think he just buried everything. Shut himself off to the world around him and tried his best to move on. Unfortunately his way of moving on is," Rania caught herself. She wasn't going to talk about his plan for revenge on the family the Knight believed abandoned him, "not so healthy."

"As for your first question. Like I said. He was a soldier. A devout family man. When I mean devout," Rania tapped the spoon against the side of the pan then set it on the stove, "I mean that in his room there is a framed picture of his wife and sons. The only one that has survived all of this time. He sleeps with it in his bed; on the pillow beside him. I only know this because he also suffers from cryosickness. I've had to tend to him on more than a few occasions." Rania rubbed her eyes, "There's been a lot of sleepless nights because of him but my lack of sleep pales in comparison to what must be going on in that head of his."

"As for what do I think you should know about him?" Rania returned to the boiling mixture of Rosemary, oil, and water. She tossed in a bit of dried garlic and parsley, "He is the most unpredictable person you will ever meet. He is neglectful of himself. He's a stubborn son-of-a-queen. He can be conceited. He can be a royal pain in your arse. Yet there is another side of him; the loyal side. The same loyalty he apparently showed his family seems to have attached to all of us. He wants to feel appreciated. He wants to feel acknowledge."

"I would have loved to see how loyal he was to the family he seemed to have served centuries ago. That is also my biggest fear." Rania turned to Evangeline, "That family still holds a control over him the likes of which I have never seen. The fear I have is, what happens if someone of that time survived? Say the Mistress he served? What if she's in a cryotube somewhere waiting to be awoken? What if she is? Where does that leave all of us? I don't think we hold a candle to what he once had; not by how he acts. Not by what drives him inside. Even with everything I have just said and everything I have gone through in five months with him, I wouldn't want to lose him as a friend."

What Rania didn't express was the fear of what would happen should Jake ever encounter the Mistress he served and that Mistress demanded he kill anyone whom has gotten close to him? A thought Rania did not want to have. A thought she could never get rid of.

[member="Evangeline Cross"]​

 

[Evangeline Cross]

Evangeline absorbed these revelations in silence. It wasn’t easy to stomach what Rania was telling her, much less begin to process each troubling new piece of information that seemed to spill out of the Twi’lek and onto the countertop in front of them. Somehow Evey felt more confused and more in the dark than she did before their little Q&A. She had no trouble picturing Jake as a soldier in his former life, but everything else that she now knew about him . . . all of it raised more questions for her than answers.

What kind of Mistress did Jake serve, and why? Why did the family he seemed to love so dearly have such a sinister-sounding control over him, enough to make even Rania nervous? If he had only just removed and buried his wedding band, what business did he have caressing her cheeks and kissing her head? Why did their bond feel so easy? What, in the name of all things holy, had she gotten herself mixed into?

Whatever it was, Evangeline’s suspicions were confirmed that there was something much larger going on than she could readily observe. The uneasiness in her stomach was growing.

Calm yourself. Focus.

Evangeline furrowed the thick arches of her eyebrows as she sprinkled seasoning over the now freshly chopped vegetables, preparing to pop them in the oven to roast. That’s how her mother had made them, so many years ago. It was starting to smell like home in the formerly lonesome kitchen, now bursting with warmth. As Evey spread the colorful, fragrant vegetables onto a lightly oiled pan, she was glad to have this little distraction. Having something to keep her hands busy also kept her racing mind from making the jump to hyperspace. Besides, the girl could cook. She punched in the temperature on the oven and placed the cheerful-looking veggies inside to cook until they became tender but crisp.

“I don’t know what to say,” Evangeline remarked after a moment, turning her attention back to the rice. She peered underneath the slowly clouding lid of the pot, satisfied to see that it was starting to steam and bubble inside. “That’s quite a lot to take in.” She dipped a large spoon into the rice, stirring it slowly, mimicking the swirl of thoughts that still churned in her head before placing the lid back on the now pleasantly simmering pot.

“First, I should say thank you,” Evangeline started, delicately setting the spoon on the countertop and turning to face the Twi’lek, gifting her with a quiet but sincere smile. “Thank you for talking to me like this. I’ve been raised around mostly men my whole life. I didn’t know how lovely it could be to have another woman to talk to.”

Evey was a sweet girl. She meant every word. But there was something underneath the glow of her smile, something shadowy and pensive. For all her sweetness, Evangeline would never be able to shake the constant stream of consciousness hurtling through her mind. Being so internal meant that she was both a feeler and a thinker. The weight of her own thoughts and emotions could have crushed a man ten times her size. Typically, when her heart and her head did battle in this way, her head won. She was a fiercely practical woman. Now, however . . . in the relative privacy between one woman and another, her heart begged to be heard.

“There—there is one more thing,” Evangeline ventured, unsure of how to phrase the questions she needed to ask, or whether she should be asking them at all. The girl held Rania’s gaze for a moment, soft brown eyes gentle but cautious. “. . . what do you think Jake wants from me?” She asked. “How can I help him?”

Her last questions were innocent, holding absolutely no pretense, motive, or agenda. It was not an attempt to dig up more information for her own selfish purposes, nor to swindle Rania into giving more away than she should. Evangeline truly wanted to know. Any remaining questions she had, she would take to Jake himself.

A whistle from the stovetop briefly caught her attention. The rice had finally begun to boil at full steam. Evey turned to gently stir the rolling water, but her eyes were not all there. They had traveled over to the kitchen window, where the first colorful bursts of an evening sunset had begun to stretch across the distant mountains, painting them in long shadows as the sun made its slow descent in the sky. It would be getting dark soon. A gentle breeze rustled over the tops of the trees, and Evangeline began to wonder where Jake was, and when he would return. She resolved that the kitchen—warm and freshly cleaned and full of delicious, comforting smells—would be ready for him when he did. They had a lot to discuss, but dinner would come first.

[member="Jake Daniels"]​

 

[Jake Daniels]

.::.Outside the Daniels Residence.::.​

Jake cautiously walked through the forest. Leading the way was the Noghri Warrior that had greeted the Knight upon his return to the planet. Behind him were the rest of the Warrior’s hunting party. Four other Noghri, each with their own broadsword, though theirs were not as elaborately designed. Even with their heavy frames, it was not the Noghri that made sound with each step. It was Jake. The man was simply not as stealthy as he had once been. The group came to a small curvature in the path. The Warrior kneeled down, his sausage like fingers with nails as pointed as a knife touched the soil.

“She passed through here.” The Noghri said in a low whisper. His nostrils flared and his attention turned towards an offshoot of the path, “Five many ten minutes ago.”

“Are you certain?” Jake asked.

“A Noghri’s nose does not deceive them.” The Warrior replied.

Jake felt the darkness surge inside of him. His icy blue eyes shifted to their fiery hell storm of a yellow and red blend. At his hip was his lightsaber. Upon leaving the house and learning of the Noghri’s suspicions, Jake had fetched it from Umakos ship. It was still hard for him to believe. The woman the Warrior claimed was on the planet should have been dead. She was dead. Jake killed her in an incredibly personal, maniacally savage way.

The Knight gripped his saber, his thumb ready to ignite the crimson blade in a moments notice. The group quietly entered the offshoot; passing over and around fallen trees. What was the first thing Jake noticed about this part of the forest? In an afternoon sun the avian wildlife should have been loud and boisterous. They often were whenever a Noghri or Human was spotted. Today they were silent. That mean something had them truly spooked.

“We’re close.” The Warrior spoke. He raised a hand and motioned for the hunting party to spread out. They did as they were commanded by the experienced Noghri.

Jake reached out in the force but he felt nothing. His connection had been limited, would remained limited. The only time the man felt any real connection that was strong enough to warrant sensing another force wielder was when he was with Amorella Mae or when he had his Lady Silencia’s ceremonial dagger that was currently under Noghri care. So long as Jake could use the force, that would suffice for now.

Then it happened. The Noghri began to fall like wobbling bowling pins.

“Everyone back to the home!” The Warrior shouted.

The command was too little, too late. Within seconds of the order, he too fell besides Jakes feet.

Daniels thumb flicked the switch on his saber. The crimson blade burst outward, the hum filling the air’s eerie silence. His crimson eyes narrowed as he spotted an all too familiar cloaked figure walking towards him. Just as Jake began to charge at the Woman, she raised a single palm and invaded the Knights mind.

Jake then fell.

Jake then woke; but not in the physical world. The moment his body hit the forest floor, Daniels mind burst to life. In less than a fraction of a second, the Knight knew where he was. The rubble of a cliff was behind him. The entirety of the forest was now smoldering stumps. The earth was as black as coal while ash danced through the air on an ember filled breeze. The skies were filled with smoky clouds. This… Jake knew this… and he didn’t like it.

“Elizabeth Hernandez. I thought I killed you.” Daniels said.

“You did.” The cloaked woman replied. “However you underestimate the powers of a Sith Lord. You beat me in a physical sense. I won’t let that happen again.”

Jake spotted the woman just a few paces from him. His eyes narrowed. Raising his blade, Jake launched the saber at the woman, blending a telekinetic assist that helped to keep its aim true. To his dismay, the woman once more raised a hand. The blade stopped just as the tip was mere inches from her right eye. She then reached out, grabbed the blade, and deactivated the saber.

“Have you forgotten, even in your own mind, I reign supreme?” Elizabeth said.

“How in the hell are you alive? Guess I should have burned your body.” Jake snarled.

“Ha!” The woman replied, “It would not have had any effect. I will admit. In our last encounter I underestimated your physical prowess. Even for an old guy you can really hold your own. I got arrogant; a pitfall of all Sith. I thought force itself would be enough to tame you. I was wrong. Tell me, have you been able to read that Archive you took from Ambria?”

Jake narrowed his eyes.

Elizabeth smiled, “Of course you haven’t.” She turned away from Jake and began walking away, “Come.” The woman ordered.

Unlike the last time, where Jake stood in terrified silence. He felt nothing. The Honoghr they walked over was nothing but a vision in his head. Unlike last time, he would remember this. It was exactly the same, even down to the charred Noghri bodies that burned where they died. Their flesh so black it looked no different than a burning tree log. Jake stood in absolute silence.

“You do not feel like you did when I first showed you this.” Elizabeth said.

“Why would I?” Jake replied. “It’s all an illusion.”

It was here that Jake and Elizabeth found themselves at his Residence. The same vantage point as before; this time there were major differences. Near the rear of Jakes home, on the burnt grass, he saw himself. Once more motionless on the ground. His robes shredded, torn, and burned. His face soiled and marred. Two lightsabers rested on the ground beside him; near both of his hands. The first was the blade gifted to him by his Lady Silencia, the second was the one he built not long after he formed a family with his Lady Reticea. Unlike his prior vision, where his entire family had stood around his corpse, defending it and his home, people simply stood and stared down upon him.

“Look at them.” Elizabeth said. Around his body stood the most influential people on the life of the forty-two year old man. “The Master that failed you.” She said of Samara Galloway; who had both arms folded across her chest. “The Padawan that cared for you.” Her reference of Avarra Eslick, who held a hand to her lips in shock. “The Mistress that trained you.” Lady Silencia, who whose hands were clased in front of her. “The woman that loved you.” Lady Reticea held her hands much like her Mother. “The Children that needed you.” Jakes sons, both of whom seemed slightly older than he recalled. Each held their own though they were not activated.

“You’ve given me this speak before.” Jake said.

“Silence.” Elizabeth replied. “You need to hear and rehear what I have to say.”

Jake rolled his eyes and returned his gaze to the scene, “This scenes different. Why?”

Elizabeth ignored the Knight and continued on, “These six people shaped you into the being you have become. The man the galaxy once feared. You in turn had an effect on each and every one of them. Look at your former Jedi Master. You were her first failure. The blemish on an otherwise perfect record. She, like you, was never quite the same afterwards.” Elizabeth said. “Avarra Eslick, the Padawan that tried to bring you back to the light. Lady Silencia, the woman that claimed your soul. She turned an untapped well into a gold mine. She protected you when you needed a shield. She unsheathed you when she needed a sword. You were a true representation of her will and you were loyal to her unlike any other. You loved her.”

“I still do.” Jake replied.

“Do you?” Elizabeth asked.

“Absolutely.” Jake responded. There was no hesitation in his voice.

“That brings us to them. Lady Reticea, the woman you had no right to love yet did. The woman that showed just how true to your word you are. Well, how true to your word you used to be.” Elizabeth scolded.

“Don’t question my loyalty.” Jake snorted.

“Someone has too.” Elizabeth replied. “Trust me when I say you will see where this is all getting too in a moment. Let’s not forget Lysander and Romano. One a sire of another man and the latter an heir to you directly. Both called you father. You called them sons.”

Jake turned and stared at the scene, his heart aching for his family. His eyes spotted new additions however, some were fully cloaked, a couple completely visible. He spotted Evangeline, Rania, Umako, and Cody.

“Everything is in continuous flux. Time itself is like an ocean current. It ebbs and it flows. Every decision you make changes what is too come; except this. This scene right here has remained the same.” Elizabeth explained. “Do you know why that is?”

“Because you’re mind karking me? Could have at least bought me dinner first.” Jake snorted.

“What a fool. How Lady Silencia ever saw such promise in you is beyond me.” Elizabeth replied. “Try again or I will kill those Noghri sleeping on the forest flood.”

Jake narrowed his eyes. He wasn’t going to let Noghri suffer because of him, “Because I’m still going to die."

“Bingo!” Elizabeth replied. “Every decision you make changes this. This whole scene is just a metaphor of your eventual death. The first one depicted you surrounded by a loving family. This one, based on recent choices, shows you dying alone with nothing but contempt in those that surround you.”

“Wake me up.” Jake spat.

“I will but first you must know. This vision, unlike the last, will not be one and done. As you go through your remaining days, however many they may be, those cloaked figures whom are not yet revealed will be filled. One of those people will kill you. Who and how is entirely dependent on what choices you make going forward.” Elizabeth explained. “Will you die alone or will you be surrounded by family? How will the revered Darth Gravis pass on?” Elizabeth turned to Jake, “And I will be doing nothing more than enjoying the show.”

Then with a wave of her hand Jake startled awake; the Noghri stirring alongside him.

.::.Daniels Residence.::.​

​

​

Silence had fallen over the kitchen as Rania tried to find a good way to answer Evangelines questions. Those were questions she often found herself asking; as did the boys. The first of the two was the most difficult to come up with a response for. When it came to Umako, Jake wanted him for his ship and his smarts. There was Cody whom Jake seemed to like for his joking comments and the mans dedication to what he did. He was like a little brother to the Sith Knight. Jake, in Rania’s mind, viewed the Twi’lek like a mother of sorts. A placeholder, if one were to use the term, had he been able to resurrect his dead Master and family. What did he want from Evangeline? Probably the same thing he wanted from all of them in the end; to just not be alone.

“To answer your question? I honestly don’t know.” Rania said. “Like I mentioned before, he’s a difficult person to try and understand. However, if I were to guess. Perhaps what he needs from you, from me, and from the boys is the same thing; he just needs to know he isn’t alone. That's also how I think we can help him... for now."

The front door of the home could be heard slamming shut, which drew Rania’s attention, “Jake?”

“No.” Cody said with a perplexed look on his face, “He hasn’t come back?”

“Come back? Where’d he go?” Rania asked.

“Noghri took him into the woods. Couldn’t understand a thing that was said but it looked like serious business.” The dark skinned human replied. “Something sure does smell awfully good.” The man came over to a pot Evangeline was tending too and attempted to stick his fingers in to taste the food. A swat from a spatula that Rania was holding caused the man to draw his hands back.

“You haven’t seen him at all?” Rania asked.

“You know how he and the Noghri are. They come. They talk. They all leave. He then comes back. He’s fine. I’m sure of it or I’m not the sexiest thing this side of the galaxy.” Cody joked as he came to sit on the island. “So what were you two ladies talking about?”

“Jake.” Rania said as she turned back to her own mixture.

Cody laughed, “Boring!” That was a hidden message to Rania, a subtle cue to change the subject. If Jake knew they were talking about him he might not be too pleased. Especially depending on how he returned from his trip with the Noghri Warriors.

“So Evangeline,” Cody said in an attempt to change the subject, “perhaps this is a question that should have been asked awhile ago and seeing as to how we are now, for the moment, safe. Why was a guy with a glow stick gunning for you?”

No one knew what the note meant. All anyone knew was that Evangeline had been the primary target. Why? Jake may have had his secrets, but did Evangeline have her own?

​

[member="Evangeline Cross"]​

 

[Evangeline Cross]

As her gaze lingered on the kitchen window, Evangeline gave a faint start. What was that? She paused, her hand coming to an abrupt halt from where it gently stirred the bubbling pot of rice, tapering her eyes as if to scan the horizon beyond the window for whatever it was that had just caused her disturbance. She had felt something, a ripple in the surrounding energy—small and fleeting, lasting but a moment—but enough to catch her attention. The energy on Honoghr had felt remarkably Force-stagnant upon their arrival. This tiny ripple in the Force had felt to Evey like a jolt of lightening. Where—or who—could it have come from? She closed her eyes, summoning the energy to track its source.

Nothing.

Whatever, or whoever, it was had disappeared, or had otherwise cloaked itself thoroughly. Evangeline furrowed her brows, opening her eyes and craning her neck toward the window as if the answer to the mystery lay somewhere beyond the mountains, now glowing in brilliant shades of pink and gold as the sun sank even lower behind the tree line. Between her conversation with Rania and now this, Evey felt terribly out of sorts. She longed to see Jake’s hulking figure reemerge from the forest and burst through the front door. She did not like the idea of him out there alone so close to nightfall, with some strange source of Force energy skulking around. He had been gone for quite some time.

Come home.

Those two words resonated in her mind as she gently reached into the Force to send them out through the surrounding energy like a warm, radiating whisper—not strong enough to be detected as a blatant use of the Force, but sufficient to reach her target and urge him home. So she hoped.

Rania’s voice suddenly broke the silence. Evangeline jumped, snapping her attention away from the window and back to the pot of rice, which was now nearly bubbling over. She dialed down the heat on the stovetop and gave the rolling liquid a brisk stir, internally scolding herself as she collected her composure and zoned back into the moment.

“To answer your question? I honestly don’t know,” The Twi’lek was saying. “Like I mentioned before, he’s a difficult person to try and understand. However, if I were to guess. Perhaps what he needs from you, from me, and from the boys is the same thing: he just needs to know he isn’t alone. That's also how I think we can help him . . . for now."

Evangeline smiled. “I think that’s manageable,” She said lightly, eager to lift the heavy mood that had settled over the otherwise warm and bright kitchen. “A home-cooked meal with friends is a good place to start. Here—I believe the roasted vegetables are ready. The rice needs a little more time. If you tend the rice, I’ll start setting the table.”

The little woman took over from there. Rifling around through cabinets and drawers, she found silverware, plates, water and wine glasses, and even a pair of long, elegantly twisted candles with a box of matches to light them. Evey immediately set to work, dressing the table in such a way that anyone who stepped foot in the dining room would know that a woman’s touch had been there.

The plates were set pristinely around the table, with the napkins, forks, and knives all laid out on either side of each plate in the proper order as etiquette prescribed. She artfully arranged the candles in the center, striking a match to light them, casting the whole dining room in a cheerful, pleasant glow. Her last order of business was scrounging up a bottle of wine, which—given the present company, between the effervescent Rania and her two gallivanting crewmen—Evey had no doubt she could find. She placed the bottle of the wine on the table between the two candles, then stepped back to survey her work. It was a lovely sight—the sort that anyone would want to come home to. Warm, inviting, no longer lonesome. The manor felt like a home again.

Evangeline glanced over her shoulder as she heard the front door swing open then slam shut. Her heart jumped, then just as quickly fell. It was only Cody. She smiled at him before moving to check on Rania’s progress with the pot of rice, barely listening to them exchange chit chat and banter as she took the pot into her own hands and prepared to drain it.

“So Evangeline,” She heard Cody say from his perch on the island behind her. “Perhaps this is a question that should have been asked a while ago and seeing as to how we are now, for the moment, safe. Why was a guy with a glow stick gunning for you?”

The girl froze, small fingers tightening around the mitts she used to handle the steaming pot of rice. She knew this question would be coming sooner or later. She only wished it had been later, and not from Cody—not in front of the whole crew. She bit her lip.

Think, girl.

She slowly began to pour the rice into a colander to drain, buying time for her acute mind to concoct some sort of satisfactory cover—not an outright lie, as the girl could not bring herself to lie, nor was she good at it—but rather more of a smoke screen. Something to slake their curiosity for the moment without giving away all that she had worked so hard to conceal—all that she had sworn to the Council to keep hidden, lest she endanger herself or others. If anyone was going to find out her secret, it wasn’t going to be these people—not before Jake.

Evangeline inhaled deeply, a steady calm flooding through her veins. “I’m as shocked as you are,” She replied, voice steeped in sincerity as she moved to begin arranging the rice and vegetables into serving bowls. “The Nautolan—Variss is his given name—was an old friend. We studied together under the same teacher.”

Teacher. The word pained her heart, even as she distracted her hands with the final preparations of the now piping hot, delicious smelling food.

“Variss . . . fell in with the wrong crowd near the end of his schooling,” She glossed casually, bending over to hunt through a drawer for serving spoons, momentarily hiding her face from their inquisitive stares before rising once more, running one hand through the crowning glory of her dark curls. A nervous habit. “It’s quite a long, painful story from there. Not very cheerful dinner conversation—may I pour any of you a glass of wine?”

Evangeline smiled, brandishing the bottle of wine and volleying the conversation away from herself, hoping to shift their attention back to the pleasant spread she had prepared for their evening meal. To their eyes, she would seamlessly hide underneath that innocent farmer’s daughter glow, looking ever the part of little woman and hostess.

Her heart beat steadily. Where was Jake?

[member="Jake Daniels"]​

 

[Jake Daniels]

“Heck yeah.” Cody said to the invitation of some wine. No more than had those words slipped from his lips than had the human noticed Noghri Warriors walking past the home. They looked tired by how they walked. Stressed by their pace. Angry by their expressions. Something happened. “Be right back.”

Umako entered the home first. He locked eyes on Cody and shook his head; something was wrong. Of everyone Umako didn’t like being in Jakes home. He felt it was a violation to the man and his family. The Togruta’s home was his ship. Jakes home was this house. Anyone not family whom intruded upon it was insulting the man and his family. That was just Umakos opinion. The fact he was here, that was surprising.

“What’s going on?” Cody asked.

“We’re sleeping here tonight.” Umako replied as he began to make his way towards the kitchen.

“What? Really?” Cody asked in surprise.

Jake stood on the front porch of his home, his back to the world though his head turned. His peripherals scanned the environment, desperate and daring for anything hidden to reveal itself. Nothing did however. Elizabeth Hernandez was on Honoghr. Where? Jake didn’t know. Why? Well that became painfully obvious. When it was apparent nothing was around, Jake stepped into his home.

“You look like hell.” Cody remarked as Jake closed the door behind him.

Daniels said nothing as he ascended his stairs and disappeared into his room. Sliding the lightsaber between his mattress and boxspring, Jake came to sit on his side of the bed. That was a habit that had not yet broken. He could claim the bed for himself; yet the other half still belonged to his Lady Reticea. Grabbing the framed picture on the pillow near him, the man slid his fingers over three faces he longed to see. The quiet of his room was what he needed. The peace it brought. The solace. Yet through it all there was a fear; an underlying torment of a future that was well on its way. Jake was going to die. Yet his mind returned to what it wanted most; to bring them back.

Downstairs Umako entered the kitchen and set the wrapped meat on the only clear counter top he could find. The Togruta, who’s montrals nearly touched the ceiling, pulled out a large grilling pan and fired up a burner.

“Umako,” Cody said as he entered the kitchen, “whats going on?”

“I don’t think I should speak for him. All I know is he stopped by the ship to get something, then went into the woods with the Noghri. About an hour later they reemerged.” Umako didn’t like calling the Knight of the home by his birth name. He would show the Sith respect and forever refer to him as Darth Gravis. However seeing as they had a new guest and she had no clue what Jake was, Umako would simply say he when referring to Jake.

“Just tell us.” Rania replied.

“It’s not every day I see angry Noghri walking about.” Cody added.

“They were attacked.” Umako replied.

“By who?” Rania said in surprise.

Umako, like clockwork, seemed to know Jakes routine as well as anyone. He grabbed a cup of coffee, this time keeping it black. A signal to both Cody and Rania that Jake was stressed. Walking into the dining room he set it besides the plates and silverware Evangeline had put out. No more than had the cup touched the table than had Jake found his seat at the head of it. He gave the table one quick look over; ensuring no one would be seated at the other end. Only two people ever sat there. It would remain so.

“There is another off worlder here.” Jake said breaking the silence. Quietly Jake took a sip of the coffee before turning his gaze towards the kitchen where he was greeted by three sets of eyes. Umako didn’t both looking. He went back to cooking the meat.

“Who?” Rania asked.

“Someone I thought was dealt with recently.” Jake replied.

“From Ambria?” She added.

“Yes.”

“That’s not possible.” Rania replied.

“Tell that to her. She dropped us all like we were nothing. Five highly trained Noghri warriors and me.” Jake glanced at Evangeline and immediately caught himself. He had some explaining to do, “The person we are referring too was a psychotic woman. She was from Dantooine and one of the first I met upon waking. A psychopath would be putting it lightly. The woman was certifiably insane. She attacked us here a couple of times.”

Umako could be heard clearing his throat; a sly signal for Jake to adjust what he had said.

“Fine. She attacked me a couple of times here. She followed us to Ambria. She and I got into it.” Jake paused and took a sip of his coffee. “I ended her.”

“Not just ended.” Cody said with a sudden excitement. “He obliterated her.” He made a swiping motion at his throat, “Removed her head with nothing more than his body weight and a regular old rope.”

“Stop.” Rania said. “I’m going to get sick again. It took days for me to stop throwing up after seeing that.”

“In my defense,” Jake quickly added as he spoke directly to Evangeline, “She had tried to set me on fire. I simply couldn’t risk her being a continued threat to myself or the Crew. However it appears I was mistaken.”

“Are you sure it was her? I mean I don’t know of anyone that can come back from decapitation. Maybe an angry twin sister?” Cody asked.

Jake ignored the question then glanced at Evangeline, “Whats for dinner?” The tone of his question, the way he looked, everything coming off as if nothing had just happened. Evey didn't need to know he was dealing with his own Sith Lord; the man wouldn't put his burden upon her. Tonight would be a night of a nice home cooked meal.

Tomorrow was going to be different. Tomorrow Jake was going to train them all.

[member="Evangeline Cross"]​