Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?

[Julius Sedaire]

Location: Sedaire Residence, former Guardian Academy, Socorro​

​

It had been ages since he and 'Stali had been in the same place when it wasn't a war zone. Honestly, he missed the man in an odd way. One could never really call the Aing-Tii their friends, not matter how long one spent with them. Not in his estimation at the least. And though he had associates all over the Galaxy now, he could hardly claim any of them as friends. Truth was, despite being the constant 'good time Charlie' as some back in Coronet City might put it, he was well and truly alone in the Galaxy.... Even the one he pined for was utterly clueless, and likely saw him only as a faithful companion.

Waiting by the entrance to the compound, he sat on an alcove edge above the arch, a good twenty feet above the ground, with utterly smooth stones mortared by his own hand. It was plain work, now that the basics were done by the company he had hired. But now the pace was done by his hands, a home with no family to fill it. One knee crooked up, the other splayed off the edge, he rested his right elbow on the crooked knee, sipping from the cup-cap of a thermos of caff. For once there was no smell of alcohol from it, and there was some waxed parchment paper holding half a loaf of baked bread, barely burnt. He was learning many things.

Most of his day had been spent on this place, but still pinned to the entrance of the complex sat a simple driftwood sign, etched and burned with a curling, wandering hand that spoke of a mind wandering down memories when it was made. It was a motto of sort, the words oozing a swagger and confidence the Rogue normally did himself, though at this moment his blued steel eyes seemed to be watching the sunset with more than a tinge of regret. Despite his time with the Monks, there just didn't seem to be a home for him except here. Again, he read the sign out loud, smiling.

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"We are here to drink beer.​

We are here to kill war.​

We are here to laugh at the odds ​

And live our lives so well​

That Death will tremble to take us"​

​

Looking down at his scuffed boots, he shook his head and turned gaze to the lightsaber laying in the alcove with him, and remembered days gone by. His time with the Empire, his time amongst the Jensaari with them, and others. How his talent had blossomed, grown, and moved beyond time and time again. The lightsaber, in a way, was a hallmark of just how far he had come and how much he had changed, its' creation considered a masterwork to most Jedi. But still, his mind and soul and heart felt empty and hungry. Perhaps it was the journey back to Corellia to retrieve the soul diamonds of his family, and the memories and visions from setting them into a lightsaber. But, morose memories could be put aside, for now.

​

Soon, what may be his last friend in the Galaxy would arrive.

[member="Meeristali Peradun"]

 

[Meeristali Peradun]

It had been ages since he and Julius had been in the same place when it wasn't a war zone. Too true.

It had been only somewhat less than a year since the liberation of Coruscant, the first major mission the felinoid had taken on since the injuries he'd sustained over Dulvoyinn bound him to Sulon, and the home of his young and growing family. They numbered five now, between him, Avalore, and their three boys, and Stali had been making great efforts to spend more of his time with them, while still taking missions and training to remain relevant. Life in this way was more than a full-time job, and it was one that fulfilled him and filled his heart. And still...

He laid eyes on the driftwood sign from a small distance, and toyed idly with one piece of jewellery he wore: a ring he held for the day that one of his two eldest sons, Armaud, would have it. He could scarcely believe it had been so long since this homestead was an academy in which he and his old friend had trained, and even longer since it had first come into being. Old memories and recent ones played across his mind, and he approached the homestead, and [member="Julius Sedaire"], who stood outside of it. Boots fell on the ground, casual step after casual step, eased of the natural grace that belied his size and mass, making the sound of his step noticeable when it tended not to be. His nose twitched, taking in the scents that greeted him stronger as the distance closed. Was that... bread? Hm, slightly, only slightly burnt. That was a surprise - not that it was burnt, but that Julius baked at all.

That's new. What else has changed, old friend?

The thought of such change brought an easy smile brought softness to a face that the Corellian had never known without its scars, markings that only added to the façade of menace oft-times necessary to his work.

"This is unnatural," he quipped, with some mild humour, "shouldn't there be Sith to cut open? A planet to liberate?"

Not hello. That formality was hardly their nature.

"Congratulations, by the way. Sorry I wasn't there. I know it meant a lot to you."

 

[Julius Sedaire]

A slow, easy smile spread across his face as his 'brother' spoke. Meeristali was one of the few people in the 'Verse he would ever listen to without hesitation. And trust without a moment of doubt crossing his mind. He could be beneath a blue sky and 'Stali say it were red and he wouldn't argue at first, he'd check to see if the man had been in his flask, and then check the sky. The scars crossing his old friend were beginning to be mirrored on his body. Long hours in the trenches, as it were, had him weary of battle, and for once he realized the comment caused him to think. It was true, the two were very used to a bond forged almost exclusively in battle, but regardless it would seem it had outlasted that and become something more.

An easy leap saw him land in a slight crouch on the sand, and straighten. The bread was left on the alcove along with the caff, and he walked to put the cat-like man in a bear hug and see a grin split his face like a crack through ice, his eyes coming to life from a long period of dull duty. Corellia had become stifling. Running a temple day in and day out, being a literal Grandmaster of the Green Jedi... It was taxing in a way no battle or war could ever hope to be. So he had taken a vacation to Socorro, telling no one but people like [member="Kira Vaal"] and [member="Jorus Merrill"] where he could be found, in case of emergency only. But 'Stali always seemed to know how to find him. Force Bond or otherwise, the man was always there.

"Well you're still kicking I see. I thought a change of pace might be nice. And since there's no lady of the house like you have, here.... Well.... I decide to make sure I could eat more than field rations and stale kaff. And it's going ok... Only a half dozen fires since I got here. Most of them small..."

A moment's pause, and he backed away, looking the man in the eye.

"Won't lie, we could have used you... But I understand... Life pulled us in different ways... There's no ill will. I know you would have been there if you could have been"

[member="Meeristali Peradun"]