Private Never Far Away [Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

[Caedyn Arenais]

"Well that sounds much less intimidating than what I had expected when hearing the word 'Empire', huh" Caedyn replied with a slight lift in his tone. Most 'Empires' these days were all about ruling with an iron fist, running some sort of dictatorship boasting military power and leading by influence and fear over their people; Or at least in Caedyn's experience over the years.

Loreena Arenais-Valhoun 's role in it all, also sounded positive, and much less likely to get her hurt or killed as opposed to the old rebellion that she had taken an active part in. Not that Caedyn could judge given the many dangerous operations, missions or jobs that he had undertaken...-But then it was his job to look out for his Twin-Sister. It was only natural to want better for her.

"It sounds like Mom and Dad would be proud of what you're doing" He smiled, glancing at his Sister with a proud and fond eye before looking off again at the thought of their parents. He didn't often think about Commenor anymore, but there at that moment shared with his sister, he couldn't help but miss their old home and how peaceful it had all been for the majority of their lives.

"So then...-No War and plenty of people to help. Sounds like you've been busy".

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

"I guess that just the word Empire has a bad wrap at the moment. Same as Mandalorian has, etc. Sometimes just that alone is enough to cause people to hate someone or a group of people without even knowing about them." All of that had to do with reputation.

Her brows lifted as Caedyn Arenais said that their parents would be proud of her. "Really? You think so?" Being the youngest, a lot of what she did was to try to make others proud of her and to get recognition from them. To hear her brother express as much was a wonderful thing. She couldn't help but dive into him in a big hug. "Thanks Cae. That means a whole lot to me." In truth it meant everything to her. If only she could hear them say it.

Gosh how she missed them...

After releasing the hug, she hooked her brother's arm into her own and dragged him to the kitchen because she was hungry! "Yeah, I've been busy. I even made this amazing station called Damascus that fits a billion people! It's almost like a planet of it's own and sits anchored between two sister planets where it draws it's energy from. It's pretty wicked and could become another home for me that isn't a ship." But it was close! Over the years Lori had rarely lived on a planet. Not since Commenor was invaded by the Sith.

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

Caedyn smiled at the news. Damascus sounded like Loreena Arenais-Valhoun 's version of what Caedyn had dreamed for Outer-Heaven; 20 kilometres in length and able to house millions aboard its travelling metropolis arms, he could only imagine what his Sisters had imagined' planetary station would look like.

"You'll have to let me see the place", he replied enthusiastically, clearly intrigued and trying to envision the facility suspended between two planets; "It sounds like an amazing sight to see something so large drawing power from two planetary cores like that..." Caedyn had always held an interest in technological works, building the foundations of new societies upon the back of artisanship. It was what had led to his investment into Alkahest, the art of Light Alchemy.

"You are an Empress now, though, are you not?" he asked with a soft laugh, "Shouldn't you be living in some crazy-flash palace or something like Mom and Dad used to?" he grinned broadly, the sheer thought of Lori being cooped up in some overzealous mansion or architectural wonder was no small joke; Not because she wasn't capable but simply because she'd be driven mad by it all. His Sister was far too independent to be holed up somewhere with servants tending to her every need or suffering under the weight of such blatant financial splendours.

"I suppose I should meet this Husband of yours too..." He added, his amusement fading in exchange for something of an apprehensive and uncomfortable look, "...-Mom would kill me if she knew I had yet to vet the man".

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori snickered as she went to the fridge and started digging out some food for herself. And for Caedyn Arenais . She then got out a pan, some utencils and began prepping them both a small meal. She knew how to cook, of course. And without burning the food too.

"Alright, I'll give you a tour of Damascus Station as soon as you'd like. I'm heading back that way myself, so you can either follow along in your fighter or come with me. I just need to eat something because I'm starving!" Highly emotional times always got her hungry and today was no different.

Lori scrunched up her nose as Caedyn suggested that she should be living in a fancy palace. "No way! Firstly, I'm a Queen, not an Empress thank goodness. And secondly, I'm not so tied down. We have a Palace being built on Spindle IV, but I don't really plan on living there. At least maybe not until I'm old. You know me. I don't do well in cages. I prefer being able to travel." And she meant it. Caedyn knew how free-spirited she was and that hadn't changed through the years either.

She looked to him once he made a not of having to meet Rex Valhoun . Yeah, that was bound to have to take place sooner or later. However what Caedyn said afterwards, coupled by the look on his face caused Lori to raise a brow in question. "You mean Mom and Dad, don't you?..."

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

"Alright, alright. Let's get some food then" Caedyn smirked, unable to ignore the third...or fourth sign of his twin sister's apparent starvation and following her towards the kitchen and dining area. Moving across and into the next room, Caedyn considered the prospect of visiting the Damascus Station within such short notice. He couldn't however think of a reason keeping him from agreeing. There was no urgent business that required his immediate attention; after all, he wasn't anybody of any real importance these days; "...-And sure! I'd love to visit the place with you" he informed Loreena Arenais-Valhoun with a fond smile.

He couldn't help but laugh softly as Lori expressed her instant distaste towards living lavishly, Caedyn being right on the credits about her preference of lifestyle; "Yeah I do know you" he grinned while moving to scour the kitchen for any sign of descent looking food. Caedyn on the other hand had rather enjoyed their former lifestyle on Commenor, and their upbringing reflected well in many of his designs and investments that were presently active in the Galaxy today. The Mnemosyne Estate being a perfect example.

Caedyn frowned briefly as he stared into the cupboard, his Sister asking the question in regards to both of their parents having his head for not looking into her arranged marriage. He hadn't considered that it might sound strange to mention their mother alone, but then he quickly realized that Loreena still wasn't aware of Kay-Larr whereabouts in the Galaxy...-More to the point, the fact that she still lived and breathed. "Well...-Dad would probably be more accepting of your choices. At least up until the point of their being evidence to support the contrary" Caedyn responded with his best pazaak face.

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori grinned once Caedyn Arenais agreed to come visit Damascus with her. "Wicked, Cae! It'll be so much fun! There's so much to see and do and it's such a marvel in itself! And so far, no one has tried to destroy it or attack it as far as I know. But we've got plenty of defence forces for it. I helped out with those too."

She continued to work on prepping a small meal of meats and veggies for the two of them. At least there was fresh food. Caedyn seemed to have prepared well for her visit. That was a good thing!

Lori nodded and then shrugged her shoulders a bit as Caedyn mentioned what their Dad would have done in regards to the arranged marriage. "I suppose....but we both know that if they were alive, neither of them would have allowed in anyways. It probably wouldn't of even been brought to my attention.And then I'd just be.....I dunno, causing trouble somewhere? Maybe going after the Hutts next?" It was hard to imagine what her life would have been like if she didn't marry Rex Valhoun . At least now she had some sort of focus and certain responsibilities. It was still her own life and now she felt as tjough she had gotten away from living under the shadows of her parents and her brother.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Unbeknownst to both Caedyn Arenais and Loreena Arenais-Valhoun , there was a particular reason why the Estate was in good order and that fresh food was in the kitchen. And that reason was that she had quietly returned home.

After her talk with Veiere Arenais , she had decided to visit Caedyn first. His whereabouts were easy to determine, but Lori's...not so much. It was only by pure luck that both twins happened to be there at the same time as she was.

Kay had her Force Signature shrunken down to that of a small tree nut the moment that she had arrived and she had kept it that way even now, leaving her less vulnerable to detection. Quietly she had listened upstairs to the two of them talking, sharing their fears and their hopes. In a lot of ways she wanted Veiere to be there too so that they could all be a family again. But she had bothered him enough already.

An arranged marriage. That was surprising to hear. But she couldn't judge. Not yet. Lori had a strong head and she was certain that she wouldn't choose something like that blindly.

Caedyn she was concerned about. He seemed quite lost and she hoped that she could help him.

In time.

Right now she just kept herself hidden until she could figure out just how to reveal herself.

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

Caedyn smiled warmly as Loreena Arenais-Valhoun showed her happiness over his decision to accompany her to the new space station she had spoken of. It would give them both something to look forward to, while also meaning they could make the most of the extra time spent together. Given how long it had been, and how rarely they saw one another, Caedyn wanted to make a proper go of it while they had the opportunity.

"You sure you're not giving them too little credit? Or yourself?" Caedyn replied regarding their parents and Loreena's married life today; "They might have had some doubts or concerns, but I think at the end of the day they'd have wanted to be happy for you. You know what parents are like, they guide us as best they can in what they think is right but they know we're going to make our own choices in the end..." Caedyn shrugged a little.

His own daughter was somewhere out there in the Galaxy with the survivors of the attack against the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Kristyl Arenais, coming into her own and exploring worlds with her Mom Asaraa Vaashe . Caedyn's sister hadn't met Kris. It was something of a black mark between her and Caedyn, a reminder of how quickly life can move when you're all off pursuing your own careers, agenda and problems in the Galaxy. Caedyn felt guilty for it, but now Kris and her Mother were on opposite ends of the Galaxy with the Ascendency making a new life on wild and uninhabited worlds.

Silence befell Caedyn as he thought about her, and Asaraa, and tried not to feel the guilt that always followed his reflections on the pair of them. He had always loved Asaraa, and it went without saying that being apart from one's own child was difficult as well.

"You're alive. You're not alone. You're making something of yourself. I think they'd be proud of you" Caedyn concluded, speaking only partially with an absent mind, trying to bring his attention back to the here and now.

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

"I don't think that Mom or Dad would have even considered the proposal from Heath Valhoun . They'd of wanted me to marry for love, like most of my friends do. But....if they were here now, then maybe they'd of supported my choice."

Lori lightly shrugged her shoulders as she continued to cook the small meal for them. And just as Caedyn Arenais was lost in thought, so was she. The best part was that they were comfortable with eachother enough to have those silent times without being bothered by it.

She smiled a little as he said their parents would be proud of her. Lori certainly hoped so. She always strove for the approval of all of her family. And not just the Arenais, but her Mandalorian family too. Gosh how she missed being around her mentors and vod at times...

"I do have a back up plan, in case things go sour. All that I have to do is say the word to one of my vod and they'd come and get me. So that at least gives me some comfort." Where she'd go from there, she had no idea. Not Mnemosyne. That'd be too obvious and she didn't want to endanger it's people.

"We have an Embassy in Chasin City. Isn't that neat? I get to go visit our old haunts whenever I'm able. One of our Grand Admirals convinced Rex that it was a good idea when I had brought it up during a big meeting with the Silvers. It's kind of surreal to be back there. The occupation still haunts me sometimes." That was an event that changed all of their lives, and it was something that neither of them would forget.

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

"I suppose you're right, I can definitely hear them lecturing us both about marrying for love and spending the rest of our lives together with the ones that mean the most to us..." Caedyn replied softly, his thoughts returning to Asaraa Vaashe once more; "But life doesn't always work out that way. Sure it's their job to want the best for us, but they know things happen in life that can't always be within our control and as long as you're happy now then who really cares about the small details...".

Having tried to spend his life in service to others, Caedyn didn't necessarily know what a 'happy and wholesome life' looked like. Due to their parents' success, neither he nor Loreena wanted anything financially, and so that was about the most he could relate to living well. Truth be told, Caedyn didn't know how to live for himself, or what life would look like away from the ideology and routines of the Jedi Order that he had followed for so long. In a sense, it was almost as though he'd become institutionalized in it all.

"A backup plan always helps, just in case..." Caedyn added, returning to her mention of the Mandalorians still willing to rescue her if things went too far south; "You've still got me around too, in case you need me to kick someone's ass for you" he gave a wary grin, throwing her something of a jesting look. He didn't want her to have to take him up on the offer, but she was his Twin and she knew he'd be there when it counted most.

"I haven't gone back to Commenor in a long time now...-Chasin City probably looks totally different to what I remember. Last time I was there I'd invested in the building of the new Silver Jedi Temple there in the capital. Stayed on board for a year or so to teach but...-It feels like another life now" he shrugged a little. Back then, he still had Kyra Perl for a Padawan and the Galaxy looked far brighter.

Loreena Arenais-Valhoun

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

"I'm doing okay. I'm helping people, rebuilding my company and yeah...I don't have to worry about a lot of things. It can get a little lonely at times, but that's just a small price to pay, right?"

Lori finished preparing their food, giving Caedyn Arenais a playful nudge as he offered to kick someone's butt for her. It was in his nature to be protective and despite her stubborness, there was times when she accepted it. Like now. "Now that'd be something to see. My big brother kicking butt for me. Although hopefully you won't need to rescue me anytime soon." Like he had done before. At least she didn't have to worry about anyone trying to capture her this time. She wasn't a Rebel anymore.

"It was another lifetime ago, Cae. We've both done so much since then. Our lives had changed so much, and Chasin City too. But that's to be expected, isn't it?" Lori dished out their food and took it over to the table, setting it down for them. She then plunked down in her chair and started to dig in, speaking with her mouth full; "At least my cooking's improved." Oh yes, she wasn't burning her food anymore due to distractions.

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

"You ever thought of rebranding?" Caedyn asked, wondering if perhaps it wasn't a good idea to shed the weight of the past and recreate the old Mandalarms into something more reminiscent of Loreena's agenda as opposed to their late uncle's former exploits. "Perhaps you'll be able to make more of a business impact without all that old baggage weighing you down, you know? I could even help you, come on board as a team member and work for you?" he suggested, having accomplished much on his own in the way of business innovations for the Jedi and various other activities and larger organizations present in the Galaxy.

Caedyn nodded in response to the notion of Commenor being a lifetime ago, moving to help her bring their meals to the table and in turn seating himself on the opposite side so they would be facing one another for their lunchtime discussion. "I'd be surprised if Commenor hasn't completely forgotten about us honestly" Caedyn chuckled quietly under his breath; "The galaxy moves so quickly from one thing to another, with all the good and the bad going on out there, our family's contributions feel like just another phase that came and went with all the others".

Loreena Arenais-Valhoun

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Rebranding? Now that was something to think about. Lori always figured that she should keep the company as it was. But maybe....maybe Caedyn Arenais was right. She snickered though at the thought of her older brother working for her. "You want me to be your boss? Are you sure that's safe?" She laughed inbetween bites. "Dorthea would probay like the idea. I have her running Damascus Station at the moment. It's got over a billion people for her to manage. Then I can focus on other projects. I've already had to rebuild, so I guess rebranding makes sense. I'm just glad that not everything was destroyed. Although I lost one of my personal ships." Jaster's Sparrow was one of her favourites, but now it was gone.

Lori nodded as Caedyn spoke of Commenor forgetting about them. It certainly felt that way. But then again she was used to being ignored and snubbed by others even when she was standing right in front of them. But that's what happens when one is regarded as being a 'nobody'. "Yeah, we're old news Cae. Long forgotten history and we're not even old yet! But sometimes it's a good thing to be forgotten. It means less trouble finding us."

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

Caedyn laughed at Loreena Arenais-Valhoun 's question, "Of course, it'll be safe" he replied with a grin. What was the worst that could happen? Caedyn couldn't imagine Lori getting too pissed off at him for any reason. At least, not off the top of his head that he could think of. "Trade's got to be easier than half the stuff fights I've gotten me into as a Jedi, right?" he suggested. Sure it was a Mandalorian based company, but Caedyn was a fighter and he was certain he could still manage to deal with customers of their culture fairly adequately.

Yeah, we're old news Cae. Long forgotten history and we're not even old yet! But sometimes it's a good thing to be forgotten. It means less trouble finding us."

"And yeah I suppose that's true. No changelings tracking me down in the middle of the street pretending to be an old friend of my twin sister" Caedyn said with no small hint of sarcasm as he thought back to when Ingrid L'lerim had him pegged, acting under an alias in order to try to get closer to him, seeking anything useful against him and Loreena.

"What was it like being back on Commenor? You visit the Eldritch Mountains like we used to? I can't help but wonder what's left of our first home there".

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori tilted her head to the side a bit as she grinned. "Trading. Is that all that you think my company does? I think that you'll need to visit Damascus Station, but not just where the businesses are renting space, but to my labs and manufactoring facilities are. Of course I have others outside of the station. Can't have all of my eggs in one basket, right?"

She nodded again as Caedyn Arenais spoke of the incident with the changling. He wasn't the only one duped by one. A changling had lived with her for a time and she didn't even know the difference. But that was a lifetime ago, back when she was deemed both a pawn and a threat. Now she was in her own protected bubble far from the chaos of the rest of the galaxy.

"I didn't go to our old house yet, or the Elders Sanctuary. I just stayed within the city limits. I may go the next time though, when I can make more time for it. When was the last time that you were there?"

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

"By trade, I mean a wider variety of things. Business in general, as opposed to doing things that I normally would have as a Jedi. It might be nice to have a steady income for a while rather than living off of what comes back to us through our family trust. Not that we're ever not going to be financially comfortable but this way it might be something of a more 'normal' way of life. Earning a wage every week and whatnot" Caedyn shrugged, waving a hand with dismissive nature. He wasn't certain what Loreena would have him do for the company, but she knew he had his hand in a number of financial pockets and had been known to construct weapons and armours for Jedi in the past, a notable skill that he doubted any other had in her company was his knowledge in Alkahest, Lightside Alchemy crafting.

"Gods, it's been years since I was last on Commenor. I used to teach in the Jedi Temple there for a bit between missions and assignments with my Padawan at the time, but when Kyra decided she needed to step away from the Jedi Path, a part of my ambition died with her apprenticeship honestly. She was such a promising student..." Caedyn explained, thinking back upon his time alongside Kyra Perl. He was proud of her much in the same way as he was with his own daughter Kristyl Arenais.

"We could always visit on the way to this big new Space-Station of yours?".

Loreena Arenais-Valhoun

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

"It feels good to earn an income. I've been doing it since Kaine made Jaster's Sparrow for me. I had to pay him back for it. I could have just given him money from Mom and Dad, but I chose to earn it instead. And I've done so ever since. I just borrowed some from the trust after MandalArms facilities were destroyed, but I'm paying it back. Every credit." Lori took another bite of her meal and chewed it down. "But I can get you on the payroll in no time. There's probably plenty that you can do, and of course it wouldn't include babysitting me."

She snickered and then listened as Caedyn Arenais spoke of teaching on Commenor. It was always disheartening to lose one's way. Lori had been there a few times. "Well no one said that being a Jedi was easy. I'd imagine that most walk away from it early on, unless they were born into it. Look at me; I barely lasted a week at the Academy. And it's been years since I've even touched my lightsaber. It's more of a relic now. The only Force power that I've used really is my ball of Light. Still a handy flashlight like always." Lori scarfed down a bit more of her meal. The last time that she had ever needed a lightsaber or the Force was....even before her days as a rebel. There was just no need of it. She didn't encounter Force users on a whole. They were as rare to her as a Jawa or a Hutt. More than likely they were all too focused in other sectors fighting eachother which was probably the best thing for everyone under her care.

"We should probably just head to the station. I don't want to be away from my sector for too long. People might think that I was kidnapped or something." Ha!