Private Never Far Away [Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

[Caedyn Arenais]

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Location: Mnemosyne, The Jedi Temple.
Atten: Loreena Arenais-Valhoun .

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Loreena,

I hope this message finds you well, and that whatever plight that you are caught up in these days, you have not forgotten the connection and strength that has guided our family through all the years.
I am sure that, wherever you are out there in the Galaxy, you are no doubt caught up in some kind of trouble, or making trouble for those who have done wrong. After what time has passed, I felt it high time to reach out to you from my home here back on Mnemosyne and remind you that your annoying twin brother is still here, thinking of you and keeping you in high spirits.

Living with the Jedi here on Nmeosyne has given me the peace of mind and sanctuary to pull myself away from the grief of war that has always encapsulated our Galaxy. I have essentially taken on the role of the caretaker for the Temple Grounds and have acquired a homestead on the outskirts, it is humble if anything, a far cry from the Estate back on Commenor or the Palace life that we grew up in. The Temple Staff know of my experience as a Jedi Knight and when it suits me, I am able to provide lessons to the students. This helps me to feel connected to the Force and to the Order still, even in my chosen retirement. From time to time I still hear news of what's going on out there, mostly from the Core Worlds and some correspondance yet from the Jedi Enclave on Svivren. Nowadays I try to keep myself distanced from all of that negative business.

Back when I decided to withdraw from active service in the Galaxy, I had come to find myself being too strongly influenced by the conflict that was shared between Governments, Interplanetary Organizations and Force Orders. I felt like I was losing grip on my own inner peace, and instead seemed to more often than not be drawn into these conflicts where I would need to engage into violence with others, always for reasons of wanting to protect others or in defense of my own life, yet never without subsequently doing harm regardless of the justifications that I had told myself.
This inevitably caused me to question my role as a Jedi, and as someone meant to encourage compassion, emotional intelligence and cooperation within the Galaxy. Every assignment or goal gradually became less about keeping the peace and acting as a deterrant to violence, and more about entering into confrontation for the sake of past actions or incidents that I hadn't been present to witness. Over time, it was becoming clear that there was a darkness that was clouding my path as a Jedi, and that negativity was at risk of compromising my responsibility as a Jedi Knight.

I'm not sure if this will be something that you can relate to in any way, but I felt it was important that I share with you my reasons for returning to Mnemosyne and isolating myself from the external politics of the Galaxy, why I resigned as a Jedi and yet also why I have chosen to live with them here on the Temple Grounds rather than lead Mnemosyne as would be our right. I don't know if Mom would understand my choices, but I'm certain that Dad would empathize.

I know it's been some time since we last saw each other, but if you would like me to visit you, or for you to come and see me here on Mnemosyne just let me know. I am of course still able to travel. I may be retired from my past way of life but I haven't forgotten the basics.

Lovingly,
Your Brother,
Caedyn Arenais.

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

The message from Caedyn Arenais had caught her by surprise. It was like getting a message from the dead. Deep down she knew that her twin brother wasn't dead. He was just...gone....out of reach.

Lori cradled the datapad in her arms, wiping away tears that were both happy and sad as she sat curled up in the corner of her room, hidden from anyone by her large bed. She was alone in her room, with Arla nearby in the next listening for trouble.

Cayden guessed it right. There was always some sort of trouble if she was involved. He knew her too well.

But what to tell him? There was far too much. She didn't want to pull him away from his peace, yet she wanted to see him all the same. Would she be able to go back to Mnemosyne? Maybe she could just tell the others that she was looking to promote better ties between the two governments, or maybe just say that she was just fetching some of her things from there.

Yeah, something would work. Surely she could disappear for a few days. But not before leaving Rex Valhoun and Dorthea Dobson a note. She was allowed some time off, right?

Spoiler

~I'll come to you. Meet me at our estate there please.

I could use my big brother right now.~

Well it wasn't as though Caedyn was that much older. Only by a minute. But still, he was taller, stronger, way more serious and a born leader. Lori was still just the Goofball, even though it's been a long time since she had pulled any sort of prank.

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

Loreena Arenais-Valhoun

It had been quite a while since Caedyn had last visited the House Arenais Estate on Mnemosyne, situated on the outskirts of the capital and within the Ovates border surrounded by agricultural farmsteads and wide-sweeping green plains. The family estate was a beautiful home with the most modern of technological advancements ranging from high-security scanners allowing entry only to those permitted, as well as all the luxuries that one could want when relaxing or lounging around in such a place.

Caedyn's life had been void of any such luxuries as a personal preference and need to withdraw back to more humble means of living. Were it not for his Sister's request, the Estate would have remained empty for some time yet, with the exception of the cleaning droids who regularly provided maintenance to the place.

Arriving in a borrowed land speeder from the Mnemos Temple, Caedyn pulled up outside the front of the Estate cloaked in a long and loose brown robe, his tan coloured garments visible around the neck and leggings when he stepped out of the vehicle to cast his gaze back upon the Estate, his mind thinking back on their parents and the past they had once shared.

Veiere Arenais was one with the Force, and while Caedyn had learned to commune with him, he rarely did so; Those who had passed on had earned their peace, and he didn't believe it wise nor safe to draw upon such connections often, a precaution in order not to misuse such powerful personal attachments and unnatural practices that ought to be safeguarded least in dire need.

Their Mother NPC Treasury on the other hand had been seen more recently and had accompanied Caedyn on his return back to Mnemosyne while they discussed what trouble she had found herself in at the time. So much alike, Loreena and Kay, are both sticklers for finding themselves in difficult situations. Caedyn had hoped that they might fare well enough in his absence, not needing his skills and knowledge to intervene as he had numerous times in the past.

"Hello again old friend" Caedyn muttered to himself as he looked upon the Estate with a growing sense of nostalgia; "Seems the droids are keeping up with their duties at least" he added as he began to approach the main entrance.

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori arrived some time later in Jaster's Delight. She was going to travel in her newest fighter, but given the distance, she figured that it was better to travel more comfortably. And more safely. Although she doubted that anyone would try to attack her, it was still better to be safe than sorry.

Arla helped her pilot the vessel, which came at a gentle landing nearto the Estate. The repulsors were activating, sending a small cloud of dirt into the air as it touched down.

Lori unbuckled her seatbelt and nodded to her bodyguard before hurrying out of the Jaster's Delight wearing nothing more special than her spacer outfit. She was eager to see Caedyn Arenais , and right away she was searching for him as she hurried towards the Estate. "Cae?! Cae where are you?! I'm heeeeere!" At least the Estate looked the same as it did when she left it. That day felt like a lifetime ago, but it was barely over a year.

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

"Cae?! Cae where are you?! I'm heeeeere!"

It didn't take long at all for Caedyn Arenais to appear at the front door wearing an amused grin at the sight of his twin sister Loreena Arenais-Valhoun ; "I am indeed!" he replied jovially, stepping on outside and greeting his sister with open arms. It had been too long since they'd last seen one another, too long not to give her a big brotherly hug now that she had finally arrived.

"It's great to see you again Sis'" Caedyn added as he released her from the embrace and turned to motion for Lori to head inside out of the cold; "I haven't been here for a while myself, so it's not exactly been prepared for us. Only the droids have been about keeping the place clean and maintained, as far as I'm aware," he said while heading into the open living room. There were a couple of large couches as well as single-seaters within the room, a holo-vision and a couple of smaller tables for stim-caf and the like.

"How've you been doing? You've probably got a tonne of news right?" Caedyn asked, curious to hear what his sister had been up to in their long absence together. "It really does feel like it's been forever huh..." he added.

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori didn't hesitate or even stop the hug from Caedyn Arenais . In fact she dove right into it and held him tightly, closing her eyes while she rested her head against his shoulder. Of course she did her best to hold back her tears and just enjoy the happiness of the moment. Lori was with her brother; with her family.

"It's good to see you too..." She wanted to add 'Snotface' to that sentence, but held back, knowing how it embarrassed him, even though there was no one there to embarrass him in front of.

Lori stepped into the estate and glanced around before shrugging in response to his remark about them having to tend to themselves. "That's okay. We can fend for ourselves." It wasn't as though they weren't capable.

She walked into the living room and plopped herself down on one of the couches, grabbing a cushion to cuddle up with. "Yeah, quite a bit of news. Most of it is okay. And there's some that you won't like. So where to begin? The good or the bad-ish?"

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

It was great to see her again, not having realized how much he'd actually missed Loreena Arenais-Valhoun until she was standing there embracing him once again. It was easy to pretend like the distance didn't mean much when they weren't actively speaking or seeing one another, but after such a length of time and with his sister back within eyes sight, Caedyn was truly glad to have reached out to her.

"Yeah we can" he agreed, "Wouldn't be the first time" he added with a grin as they both moved on into the family estate. As twins, they'd been nothing if not independent and resourceful. While their parents were busy tied up in politics and all that boring adult stuff, she and Caedyn had gotten into their own trouble or been busy adventuring about Commenor, off exploring the wilds or getting lost in the mountain caves of the Eldritch peaks.

When Lori mentioned there was quite a bit of news, Caedyn threw her something of a concerned look while finding a comfortable seat for himself in the living room, choosing one of the single-seaters opposite from the couch she had perched on.

"I guess...-Start with the good news. I imagine I'll be taking up more time asking questions concerning the bad news, so you might as well get us started on the easier stuff" he answered her with something of a weary smile.

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori noted the concerned looks and weary smile on her brother's face. And it wasn't as though such a thing was unwarranted. She often found herself in trouble with Caedyn Arenais there to help get her out of it. Or rescue her from it entirely.

She put on a goofy grin in a bit of an effort to try to put him at ease. "Good news first. Right. Well...you'll probably be pleased to hear that I'm not a part of the Eclipse Rebellion anymore. I haven't been for a while, actually. The Rebellion went in a completely different direction and I just didn't really have a place within it anymore. So I left. I didn't try to take on the Eternal Empire on my own either. I just left that sector of the Galaxy entirely." Lori went silent for a second or two before continuing on. "I turned my focus back to MandalArms. Recently all of it's facilities was destroyed by a terrorist group, however. But I'm having them rebuilt, maybe even better than ever!"

There was more to say, but she wasn't sure how he'd take it. So Lori figured simplicity was best. "The attacks weren't against me at all, otherwise I'd of been sought after too. It was all just a further punishment to Kaine; even though he's been dead for quite a while. I lost some good products and staff in there. Even Arla is now the last of her line...But she's still with me and as protective as ever."

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

"Mm, I know of the controversy behind our late Uncle and his associates," Caedyn remarked on the aforementioned attacks against MandalArms; "Sadly the Galaxy doesn't easily forget, and Kaine wasn't always aligned with the same ethics that were taught to us by our folks" Caedyn added, thinking back to some of the battlefields that he'd personally seen, never having to face against Kaine himself but sharing some battles with the man and his more impulsive and violent methods.

"I even recall Dad speaking of a battle where they found one another on opposite sides. They fought, but both of them walked away from it and managed to continue to think of one another as family despite that awful business..." Cae frowned while relaying the short story in as little detail as he could. It wasn't one that he wished to tell in any great lengths for the details that Veiere had shared made Caedyn himself think twice about their actions, not only Kaines but his fathers also.

"I am glad to hear that you've distanced yourself from the Rebellion against the Eternal Empire, not because I disagreed with it but because it's not a battle that's easily won and I fear that you'll one day wind up feeling like I have; That the Galaxy is built upon an endless cycle of war, destined to see us burn ourselves out before ever actually bringing peace to the people". These words were perhaps the bleakest that Caedyn had ever spoken to his sister, but such feelings were the result of a peaceful man caught up in what felt like endless violence.

Loreena Arenais-Valhoun

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori scratched an itch on the back of her neck while Caedyn Arenais spoke about Kaine. She knew of the man's impulses and that at times he was a gun for hire working for the wrong side. But he never did her wrong personally. He didn't even treat her badly.

"Kaine never treated me like a little kid like everyone else loved to do. He didn't push me away out of 'safety'. He let me have a voice, respected what I said and always took it into consideration. He'd even follow my suggestions at times, and was there to pick me up when everyone else was tearing me down or ignoring me. He was proud of me...I miss him, like many others that I miss too. And I don't care about the terrorist group that destroyed what he built and left to me, I'll still have a monument dedicated to him there."

But then his next words about the endless cycles of war gave her pause. Usually Caedyn was so hopeful, but this time it was different. "Are you okay, Cae?...I don't think that I've ever heard you talk this way before. Did you want some tea or something? I can make it for you. I promise not to burn it or anything." She gave him a bit of a goofy grin.

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

Caedyn didn't initially respond to Loreena Arenais-Valhoun 's concern, he wasn't sure he knew how to explain himself without worrying her further, yet she was his Sister and the closest person he had ever held in his life; she deserved to know where his head and heart were at. "You read what I wrote to you in that transmission right?" He asked her rhetorically, knowing full well she would have read every word hungrily and eager to see him again after so long, just as he had been to catch up with his twin sister.

"I guess I can relate to how Dad felt when he started to recluse" Caedyn gave a rather weak shrug, his expression somewhat uncertain and sheepish as he tried to word things in a way she might understand; "Things were easier back when you were off training with Kaine and I was studying with my old Master back at the Je'daii Order". Asha Vynea had always had a way of steering him right when his concerns got the best of him.

"I'm not sure how Mom and Dad did it, facing down so much consistent adversity and violence. I've served under the pretence of being a Jedi for years now and the sheer volume of violence I've both encountered and been forced to resort to has just...-I guess it's burned me out. It's been difficult to believe that the Galaxy will find its way to peace when it's fueled by war. It always has been, as far back as I can remember even on Commenor. Our first eye-opener was the Invasion of the Sith Empire after all..." they'd both been exposed to a great and traumatic deal of violence so early on in their lives; despite how much their parents had tried to protect them and keep them ignorant to the truer nature of the Galaxy.

"As a Jedi Knight, I swore to be a keeper of the peace but it was difficult to continue to lie to myself when ninety percent of my assignments back then were involving violence of some kind. Sure, some people were smart enough to surrender themselves...-But the ones that weren't?" Caedyn frowned, there seeming to be a darkness to his gaze, not prevalent of the same darkness that the Sith revered in but a different kind, one absent of the same light he had held in the years prior to his resignation and isolation on Mnemosyne.

"I came here because I felt vulnerable of following the same path that our father did. I swore that I wouldn't repeat his mistakes, of course. Instead, I chose to teach what I could to other Jedi here at the Mnemos Temple grounds, but I don't practice or call myself a Jedi any longer. I can't" It just didn't feel just to consider himself a keeper of the peace when so many had died by his hand, whether or not it was out of self-defense or that of others, no matter how justified his intentions might have been, it couldn't remove the guilt of being a killer. One way or another, he had struck down not one but many lives in 'service' to the Galaxy and the Jedi Path. How could he consider himself one of the good guys with the weight that he held atop his own shoulders.

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori listened quietly for once. Nodding her head as Caedyn Arenais asked her if she read his message. She did. But hearing it from him instead of reading it was quite different. Now she could hear the truth of his words...

...And of course it was concerning. When their Dad reclused, he went Darker and Darker until he snapped and started killing people. Everyone was capable of such a thing, including her. And yet neither of the twins went down that path.

Or so she thought.

Caedyn's path had been so filled with violence and yet Lori's wasn't. It was a strange thing given that her training had been by warriors, yet the amount of deaths she had commited could be counted on one hand; and that was a Sith fighter pilot during the liberation of Commenor.

Lori noticed his physicalities; how he carried himself, how he moved, even where he chose to sit while he spoke. Seperate. Alone in a chair, while she sat on a couch that could be shared. Hmm...

She set aside the pillow and then got up from the couch, walking the few steps towards him before draping him in a hug whether he wanted it or not. "You're not some cold blooded killer, Cae. You've saved more people than I could ever do. And it's kinda funny. I get trained by warriors and yet I've hardly seen battle, whereas for you it's been the opposite. We all long for greener pastures, Cae. I always have. The trick is to keep our chins up with where we are and how far we've come." She wanted to tell him how they've both been used by different orginizations as pawns in a really big game. But that was something that she kept to herself. Especially now that she so willingly stepped onto the gameboard in hope for glory and recognition.

"Don't focus so much on titles, Cae or what you think you're supposed to be. We're both supposed to be dead or enslaved by the Sith, remember? Yet we're not. You're a teacher with a vast caste of knowledge to past down to your students. And I'm a....well, we'll get into that later." Lori's stomache grumbled causing her to grin and get to her feet. "Turns out I'm hungry. Come on Cae, let's fix ourselves something to eat, huh? You haven't forgotten how to cook, have you?"

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

(OOC: Caedyn's future is no longer aligned with any particular faction and is currently in the wind, changes are to be made since having posted last).

"You're not some cold-blooded killer, Cae. You've saved more people than I could ever do. And it's kinda funny. I get trained by warriors and yet I've hardly seen battle, whereas for you it's been the opposite. We all long for greener pastures, Cae. I always have. The trick is to keep our chins up with where we are and how far we've come.".

"Neither was Dad and look how things went for him" Caedyn replied with a snort followed by a laugh of scepticism; "I feel like the more progress I make in my ability to use the Force, the more vulnerable I become to slipping away from the reasons that led me to learn from the Jedi to begin with" Caedyn gave his Sister a look that both spoke of self-damnation and bemusement, targeting himself with a dark sense of humour of which the truth lay buried within.

"Though I suppose that is the whole point of being a Jedi isn't it" Caedyn added after a momentary pause, glancing off away from Loreena Arenais-Valhoun thoughtfully, "They've always taught that one needs to take accountability in their actions and even greater care in their feelings and ambitions for the possibility of being led astray. Famous Jedi have gone down in history because they themselves lacked the foresight to mind themselves and eventually fell to the Dark Side of the Force...." He spoke bleakly, elaborating with a darker tone of voice as though his confidence was slowly waning with every further word spoken. One could argue that 'what hope was there for him when greater Jedi such as their Father had succumbed to these very same demons'.

Their lives had changed so drastically since they were both young, Caedyn and his Twin-Sister needing only concern themselves with their next adventure off into the wilds of Commenor. These days they found themselves responsible for the well-being of worlds and millions of people living therein, or the looming threat of war that so often and so easily seemed to come flooding back into their path.

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori smirked as Caedyn Arenais indicated that their Dad was a cold-blooded killer. But she didn't see him that way. "Dad redeemed himself, Cae. He made up for his moments of Darkness. And you know what else makes one seem more vulnerable? It's growing up. As younglings, we are blind to what the Galaxy and living in it is like. We are sheltered from the harshness of it all. And when we see it, experience it, it's not hard to fall victim to it."

She clenched her jaw a little as he continued on, more distracted with his own thoughts that he didn't even realize that she had switched the conversation to food because she was hungry. And that could only mean that he wasn't quite finished yet with the topic. Would anything that she say ever sit well with him?

"Look Cae, everyone is capable of evil and doing awful things. They don't need to be Force Sensative either. They don't need to have Jedi training or anything else. They can still start off good and end up going bad. You're being too hard on yourself. Way too hard. When people find out that I'm your sister, do you know what they say? How much they respect you and are impressed by you. And what do I get for myself? Nothing. No matter what I do, I just can't even get an ounce of respect or anything. And to be honest...that makes me jealous." Only Arla had ever heard Lori talk about it. Until now.

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

Whether or not their Father had redeemed himself, Caedyn didn't know; After all, how did one go about redeeming themselves for killing innocent people. He was thankful that he didn't have that weight on his conscience. Veiere had given his life for others on Bimmisaari, died at the hands of the Sith Lord Prazutis, and Caedyn understood that their Father had sought to make amends as best he could; But he had always wondered what kind of effect and trauma such actions had held upon the soul of the man responsible.

It was difficult enough living with the lives that Caedyn had been forced to take in the field of duty as a Jedi Knight, given no other choice but to protect himself and others during times of war or mere criminality. To kill in cold blood wasn't something he ever hoped to experience. He couldn't live with himself were such a horrible thing ever to happen, and thankfully he wasn't the type of person to do so.

But then...Neither had their father believed himself to be.

"How much they respect you and are impressed by you. And what do I get for myself? Nothing. No matter what I do, I just can't even get an ounce of respect or anything. And to be honest...that makes me jealous".

Suddenly his attention was drawn back upon his sister, Loreena Arenais-Valhoun , not having told him such a thing before, and Caedyn not having expected it. "Really?" He replied, absent of confidence in the fact she had spoken and yet believing she meant it. He couldn't understand why he would have earned her peers' respect before Loreena herself would have done, and frankly, Caedyn didn't know who Lori associated with these days.

"Well. That's just stupid" he added with a little more strength in his words, conviction and confidence behind his voice; "You led a full-on Rebellion against the Eternal Empire, fighting for the good of the people and did so with more success than I myself managed to do with a similar group. You've trained with Mandalorians and carried their way throughout your life and you're no less a good person than I am...-So either these people don't know you, or maybe now you're being too hard on yourself".

There wasn't much about his Sisters life these days that he could claim to be familiar with, although that didn't change what he knew about Lori. She was his flesh and blood, and they shared a bond that no other could understand or hope to gain with him. If he was worthy of praise, it was down to people like his Twin-Sister's impact on his life, as well as their parents.

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori slowly shook her head in response to some of Caedyn Arenais ' words. "I didn't lead the Rebellion, Cae, I only pretended to. That was what the public were shown in order to protect the identities of it's real leaders. I was a distraction and I merely followed orders."

Of course she was hard on herself, but other people were too. And she knew that from how she was treated; which was more or less like a child that had no place at the grown-ups table.

"These days it's fighting in battles that gains respect and I've been pushed away from them for my own safety more often than not. And there are plenty of Mandos out there that don't accept me or our family history with them. I am just an outsider and a Dar'manda. Even Jaster won't let me near his Clan that helped train me because of his business ties with the Eternal Empire. He thinks that me even knowing where they are would endanger his Clan. So I'm not allowed to see them....I can't break that command." And it hurt. Such a thing hurt her a lot.

And now for the clincher. Lori just couldn't help herself, but blurt it out as the floodgate had been opened. "I'm in an arranged marriage. Our aunt The Lady Rowena set it up between me and the now King of the Elysium Empire; Rex Valhoun . I accepted it because I wanted to make more of myself than just being a goofball that people sheltered away. And it's boosted my company's profits. But don't worry. He hasn't tried to force himself on me and we don't even spend time together, really, outside of multi-government meetings if I'm invited to go along." However her words tended to fall on deaf ears when she attended them. "I have Arla with me still and I've got some great employees. And if Rex continues down an aggressive path, I'll have to do what I can from the inside to stop him." Lori had already begun laying in the groundwork for it. Politics was a chess game, afterall.

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

The news of the Mandalorians didn't surprise Caedyn; he knew how exclusive they could be of those who fell outside of their beliefs. "I don't know much about Mandalorian ideology, but I know that they can be rather extreme in their beliefs and even more so in their judgement of those who don't strictly follow their way," Caedyn spoke softly, not wishing to sound as though he were speaking ill of the culture but out of support for Loreena Arenais-Valhoun and what he had experienced of them himself.

"Kaine Australis burned a lot of bridges, especially with his people. He is not thought of or spoken about fondly by other Mandalorians. I'm not sure what he did, but it sounded like he was less a Mandalorian and more of a Mercenary at the end of the day". Loreena's only lasting connection to Clan Australis was Mandal-Arms, as far as Caedyn understood, but even speaking about Australis in any positive manner would likely be enough to deter the more extremist Mandalorians from siding with her. "I'm sorry you're cut off from your people. In a way, I feel like I can relate...-But that doesn't help your situation at all" Caedyn sympathised, knowing that as far as Mandalorians were concerned, he was an outsider and couldn't be of any influence or assistance there.

It wasn't the same situation at the end of the day, Caedyn wasn't being pushed out, he was more the cause of the distance. Or rather, his habit of doubting and being hard on himself. Pulling away from those he had worked alongside and been family outside of blood. Loreena on the other hand was his blood and the closest one in his life. He could talk to her openly and never felt the need to pull away or exclude her from his life; it had been their separate paths that had defined them, yet never denied them their bond.

I'm in an arranged marriage.

"Married. Really?" Caedyn frowned, not having least expected to hear the latter news. The last time he had heard from Lori, she had been in a relationship with someone who had seemed rather dear to her. Nowadays she was married, and apparently not for love but for some kind of arrangement. "You don't need to be married to be someone. You already were someone. One half of the House Arenais, a former princess of Commenor, current of Mnemosyne and my Sister" Caedyn said to her, smiling a little. It faded quickly, however, as the words had clearly come far later than they should have. He hadn't been there to explain this all to her sooner.

"What does your life look like these days? Where do you live and how do they treat you?".

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

"Most Mandalorians are mercenaries Cae. They often are hired to fight other people's wars. They switch sides as often as any other major power does. All of these wars are so pointless and hypocritical. It's all 'do as we say and not as we do, or we'll attack you'. But in the end they'll just attack you anyways. You just can't trust any of them." And she didn't. Not when it came to the major powers out there. "And it's because of my work with the Rebels that Jaster keeps me away from the Clan. It has nothing to do with Kaine. Jaster works for the Eternal Empire, so it's a huge conflict of interest for him. He'll see me by himself of course, but I can't know where the others are or see them. It only endangers them if I do. In some respect, I am their enemy..." Although Lori doubted that they would kill her, they would certainly arrest her and hand her over if they had to.

She gave Caedyn Arenais a small smile as he tried to assure her that she was a somebody without having to be married. "I know that you think that I was a somebody before, but....I felt more or less as an afterthought. Especially with being pushed away all the time. And with being ignored. Now I'm a Queen of nations like Mom was. I don't have a huge staff like she did, and I don't live in a palace even though we technically have one. I live on some of the ships, or on Damascus Station that I helped to build. My husband is usually off on missions or training, whereas I run my company, try to get a handle on the politics in our territory and spar with both Arla and the head of the security forces. I also go on my own missions, usually helping those new to the Empire and seeing that all their needs are met. It's...actually not too bad of a life. Although a couple of my friends...want to get me out of it....I just haven't given them the go ahead to try."

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

"Hm..." Caedyn murmured with a nod of understanding; "Jaster's position makes a little more sense, in that case, then", he added. It was unfortunate that he and Loreena Arenais-Valhoun were forced to distance themselves, but Cae could also relate on that front. Political obligations were one of the major things that caused his relationship with Asaraa Vaashe to gradually decline due to their long periods between seeing one another. At times they could go months without seeing each other due to their sense of duties and differing obligations, hers to the Confederacy and his own to the Silver Jedi Order at the time.

"As far as everything else goes...-It sounds like you are relatively happy?" He asked uncertainly. Honestly, it was difficult to tell with how she spoke of her life these days. "What is your Husband like with his leadership of this other Empire you're involved with now. Are they any better than the Eternal Empire's methods of governance in your opinion?".

"I'm assuming it's not a dictatorship, given your involvement".

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori nodded. She understood Jaster's position, which was why she continued to obey his commands. He was one of her mentors and trainers. It was out of her respect for him that she did what she was told. Out of all the people in the Galaxy, Jaster knew just how to keep her in line while others couldn't.

In response to Caedyn Arenais ' question, she shrugged her shoulders a little. "I suppose so. It's better than what I had before. Sure I wish that Rex was more attentive of me and didn't jump when I touched him, but it could be worse. He was raised in the wild and as King he has a lot on his plate already. So I suppose that I can understand why he's so distant." The head of security had a crush on her, or so it seemed by the way that he behaved around her. She had to tread around that issue very carefully.

Lori scrunched up her nose as Caedyn tried to compare the two Empires together. "Oh it's way different than the Eternal Empire. There's no second-class citizens or the forcing of military service, or threat of war if one doesn't submit. Our territory is expanded through helping others, like what Mom and Dad did." Although lately Rex's methods had become more aggressive in nature. It made her wonder if he was going Dark. "I do what I can to win their hearts and minds, and help provide work and education if they need it. And thankfully, we're not at war, nor do I want us to be. Let the others fight themselves."