Royal Blood

[WolfMortum]

The Vegabond departed from Ession without a hitch, Veiere taking his time to adjust to the much smaller yet lavishly comfortable freighter, having had it decked out into an emmisery vessel for the likes of diplomats and those of better tastes than his own. She held little in the way of weaponry though she was faster than most typical craft, he had chosen it for not only his comfort but for [member="Cedric Grayson"] as well. The boy had barely made it into his first decade and yet here he had been thrust into the life of responsibility of royalty and leadership. He had been quiet and reserved when Veiere had first come to Ession, no doubt knowing not whether to trust the former Jedi or otherwise, they'd rarely had time to relate to one another let alone build the personal relations that one would typically wish in an apprentice. Veiere had made certain that the boys quarters would be more than adequate yet the size of the vessel ensured that they would be forced to interect had Cedric wish to do anything more than sleep; in Veiere's personal care now, his house attendants and for lack of a better title, his personal aids had encouraged the pairing in the hope that Cedric might get out and learn more of life outside of the imprisonment of royalty.

Within the cockpit, Cillian Braedon sat at the helm. He was barely a decade older than Cedric himself and yet his piloting skills were top notch; he having pulled Veiere's ass out of the fire on a good many occasions by now, had grown accustomed to being the Jedi's personal entourage and more importantly his trusted friend. He earned a paycheck on the side of course for his services in their travel, it had been an agreement made long ago back when Veiere detested and one might even say he feared flying, let alone attempting to handle the controls of such a thing. When Cyril had handed all of his possessions on to Veiere in his return to the Force, Veiere had been more or less forced to adapt, having to take charge of a vessel so large as the Chimaera that this small freighter could fit within one of it's hangar bays...

Their location however was to be Commenor, of whom Veiere had sent word to [member="Lady Kay"] that he had reasons to meet with her on her home ground. He had informed her of his guests presence, going so far as to explain the boys significance not only to Veiere as his mentor but also to the Dominion in that this would be an eye opener for the lad hardly having left Ession's sector of space before; there was also the small matter of making Commenor a colony world for the Dominion, of which Commenor would remain it's own sovereignty and yet they would both benefit by way of mutual support with no short falling such as unnecessary taxation and the like. It was a little over the top for Veiere to be there himself, dealing in such matters of finance when really this would have been better suited for their Master of Coin, only they didn't currently have one and knowing the Queen as well as he did, he had volunteered both he and his apprentice for the venture none the less.

Beyond anything, he hoped that Cedric would grow to tolerate Veiere's presence in his life and dare he say it, find the confidence and the comfort to want to learn from him. Veiere had little doubt that Kay herself would be supporting of the pairing, yet there was the small question of what she might think as far as their relationship went and how this might affect her...

[member="Bradshaw Ku"]

Spoiler

Kay, seems like a good time to introduce the kids

 

[Placeholder 0128]

The bag of chips crumpled up as Cedric raided it for further snacks. Most of the cheesy slivers of empty calories had been eaten already, but the boy managed to scoop a few errant crumbs from the bottom of the bag. He sat in one of the chairs situated in the cockpit of the Vegabond. Having always been one for space travel, the child found himself gravitating toward the control room of the vessel. From here, he could see the stars that flew past the vessel as it took flight. The Vegabond itself was similar to the ships Cedric had flown on before, though the boy had rarely been allowed so much autonomy. His mother was always a bit overprotective in those sorts of situations, and would usually confine him to one space of the ship for the majority of the flight. Even as a small child, Cedric had always suspected that confinement was for the safety of the ship rather than himself.

For now, he managed to keep himself from pressing every shining button on the dash. He stared at the many flickering lights, blue eyes narrowed with something that might have been akin to curiosity. The bag of chips fell to the floor, utterly forgotten as Cedric rose from his seat. He moved quietly toward the front seat of the vessel, his mischievous gaze falling upon the pilot. A ghost of a smile found its way onto the boy's chubby face as the pilot did his work. Needless to say, little Cedric was fascinated by the working of a flying craft, particularly with those carried out by the ship's pilot.

After a few moments of rather awkward and silent staring, the boy turned to stare at another section of buttons along the dash.

I wonder what would happen if I pressed that one...

[member="Veiere Arenais"], [member="Lady Kay"] [member="Bradshaw Ku"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay looked over the message from [member="Veiere Arenais"] . Both him and young [member="Cedric Grayson"] were coming for a visit. It wasn't just any visit however. This was one in part about Commenor's new place in the grand scheme of things when it came to the Galaxy's superpowers. It'd still be small, but a bit more in the spotlight. The pact to be made was going to be more than just an economic one. It will be cultural and military as well.

She sent Veiere a reply, letting him know to dock near the Palace. Cillian knew where to go. There was no need for her to patch him to coordinates. The Vegabond was also a known vessel that had automatic clearance.

Now Kay turned her attention to a different matter. And that was of [member="Bradshaw Ku"] . She still had yet to tell Veiere about his sudden return. How to go about such a personal thing was tough to say. There was no way that she could tell how either of them will handle it. Did she tell Veiere about Brad and Rae-Anna before? The gaps in her memories left her unable to answer that question.

Well, best just to get on with it...

Kay picked up her commlink and signalled her son. Hopefully he wasn't in the middle of his playboy antics. "Brad...Come see me in my office asap please. It's important."

 

[Bradshaw Ku]

For the first time in his life, Bradshaw wasn’t flirting with women in one seedy cantina or another. In fact, he wasn’t just not flirting, he was, instead, being pummeled by two female members of palace security who’d unsurprisingly jumped at the opportunity to give the womanizing pilot a beating, completely unaware that they were also whaling on the prince.

His mother, and master, had, like her force sensitivity, decided to keep their relationship a secret, choosing to tell only a very select few that he was her son. All he knew was that it had something to do with all her enemies and that, if they discovered who he really was, they would use him against her in one way or another. To the rest of the galaxy, Bradshaw Ku was just the newly hired personal pilot for the Queen – who also happened to have a nice suite in the palace and acted like he was someone more.

An expertly unblocked knee slammed into his stomach. He crumpled to the ground, heaving. “Come on, you have to be done now,” the guard said, watching him roll around on the training mat. “Yeah, you’ve spent more time gasping on the floor like a fish out of water than you have on your feet,” the other said. They laughed. Sometimes he wondered if he were some sort of masochist after the countless times he found himself bruised and broken on the floor throughout his life. But he always came back for more, either out of pure stupidity, or just maybe, a hidden perseverance that even he wasn’t aware he had.

“Hell no,” he gasped, “It hurts too good,” another gasp, “I love spending time with you ladies… wouldn’t trade it for the world”. Well, okay, maybe he was still doing a little flirting.

Still galvanized by the grade-A grilling he’d received not long ago by both the Head of Palace Security [member="Darlyn Excron"] and [member="Lady Kay"], his ego still bruised by the thought that his mother might not believe in him, maybe even think he was a joke, not that she ever actually said any of those words, he’d awoken each day with a resolve to prove everyone wrong. Reliving Masq killing his father, the Sith at the center of his revenge narrative, was all it took to get his heart pumping, blood flowing, and temper flaring in the morning. All it took to motivate him.

Before his ill executed training session with the two women, he’d spent hours in his palace suite trying to levitate various items of dishware with the force. Each attempt ending in his failing to accomplish the simple feat, losing his temper, and inadvertently shattering the plate, bowl, or cup in anger. For not the first time, he eventually ran out of dishes and crunched through the shattered remains of his failures to join the women in one of the training rooms. And not for the first time, he’d have to have it all replaced.

As he lay on the mat, the women laughing, he heard his comm buzz. He’d been too late to his last meeting, which had been the catalyst that started all the lectures, he didn’t want to be late to another. Crawling over to his jacket, he pulled out the commlink. Just as he feared, it was a message from his mother telling him to see her in her office asap and to top it off, it was important. “Sorry ladies, duty calls,” he said as he managed to stand, “Let’s do this tomorrow though.” He pulled his usual clothes on, the unmistakable garb of a pilot and smuggler.

“It’s a date,” he called out as he exited.

“You wish,” they shot back.

He entered his mother’s office without knocking, figuring that if it were important, knocking would be pointless. That, and the fact that he never knocked. A bit out of breath and leaning a little to one side from his righteous backside whipping, he said, “I hope I’m not too late, I really was in the middle of training… So, what’s so important? Are we finally going to fly somewhere? Because I still haven’t flown your spaceship,” he paused to think, “actually, now that I think about it, I don’t even know what kind of spaceship I’m supposed to fly you around in.”

| [member="Veiere Arenais"] | [member="Cedric Grayson"] |

 

[WolfMortum]

Every now and then, Cillian would glance to his left catching a glimpse of Cedric Grayson watching him as he worked at the controls of the Freighter. He found it strangely refreshing to have on board the company of someone younger than himself as Veiere was quite older by a decade and a half or so, possibly even more, Cillian had never thought it a good idea to ask. What Veiere had however told him was the nature surrounding the boys future and what his heritage meant to the people back on Ession. From the pilots seat, Cedric didn't look all that important or much like a future ruler at all. Here he looked innocent and adventurous, certainly curious over the handling of the vessel and nothing alike the rumors Cillian had heard of Cyril, the boys father. At often times, when Veiere found himself massively stressed, he had few people to come to in order to vent and thus, with Cillian often having been his only pilot during most if not the entire length of Veiere's employment under the madame president of Commenor, it was safe to say that Cillian had heard much.

"So...", Cillian thought it best to try and start the conversation himself, it seemed the lad was still a little shy in himself around all these strange new things, "What do you think of the Vagabond?" He smiled, glancing to his left for a little longer this time, trying to gauge the boys over all mood, "She's a light freighter, though much nicer then a lot of the others. Veiere used this ship for travelling to other worlds to meet and talk with people. She's not much of a fighter but she sure can move...".

Further back in the ship, Veiere sat at the table in the center of the open living area with his datapad against the surface staring back up at him displaying Kay's message. She had acknowledged the importance of this meeting and it seemed as though clearance was still his. This would be the first official diplomatic meeting with her since he had been allowed an audience the day of her return; behind the scenes they had of course been working together very frequently and yet made sure to cover their tracks when and where possible.

Cillian turned back once again to look to Cedric, soon gesturing to the viewing screen across the dash of the cockpit, pointing to the stars flying by in such a speed that their trail had been white lines of blurred light, the darkness of space behind them rather difficult to make out in any true clarity. "You know what all that is, kiddo ?" Cillian smiled some more, "That's everything...-The entire galaxy flying by as we make our way to Commenor. We should be there in roughly five minutes and then...-Well then hopefully you'll meet some very nice people and a close friend of Veiere's...".

[member="Bradshaw Ku"] | [member="Lady Kay"] | [member="Cedric Grayson"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay was standing by the fireplace when [member="Bradshaw Ku"] came in. Her arms were folded across her chest and she was clearly deep in thought, not even noticing his arrival for a few moments. Even his speaking didn't startle her, nor gave her any indication that he was there.

Finally she turned to face him. He looked quite dishevelled and it was hard for her to tell whether or not he was doing any training at all. It wasn't as though he had any giveaways when it came to lying.

"No, we aren't going to fly anywhere. We have guests arriving that I'd like you to meet. They are important to me and in turn, will be important to you. Their names are [member="Veiere Arenais"] and [member="Cedric Grayson"] . Veiere is a Jedi and Cedric is his young charge, a young King of the Dominion that lost his father. I'm sure that you can relate to that. Commenor is going to have strong ties with them in a number of different ways. This visit is to help solidify that. So please, be on your best behaviour."

 

[Bradshaw Ku]

Bradshaw quickly noticed that [member="Lady Kay"] didn’t appear to be paying any mind to what he was saying. In fact, he started to wonder if she knew he’d arrived at all. This was already going much differently than his last meeting. Would she even have noticed if he had shown up late?

You show up late to a meeting and you’re apparently the worst person in the world, he exaggerated to himself, you rush to another labeled important and you could’ve taken a nap before without anyone noticing. Of course, he didn’t fail to recognize the reason for the delay, Kay was clearly very deep in thought by the fireplace. This meeting must be important, he mused.

His mother eventually responded to his earlier questions – so she had been listening. He frowned a little when she said they wouldn’t be flying anywhere. For a split second, he hoped his pay as personal pilot didn’t reflect the amount of personal piloting he actually did. He smirked to himself. His attention was quickly stolen away, however, when she mentioned that the guests were important to her, and would be important to him. It only got more intriguing from there. His brows raised as he learned that they’d be meeting with a Jedi and his charge who was apparently the young king of an empire, who’d also lost his father. Bradshaw certainly could relate.

Was this some sort of important diplomatic meeting, he wondered? It certainly sounded like it. They’d be meeting with a young emperor, and here he was barely wrapping his head around involving himself in the politics and business of a single world -- let along countless worlds. Hard to imagine it wasn’t long ago he was shuttling people, and merchandise, around the galaxy for almost nothing. Nobody to anyone, nothing to the galaxy, and now here he was standing in a queen’s office, about to meet an emperor. At the same time, though, it didn’t sound like just a diplomatic meeting, not that he’d ever been to one. It sounded more personal. If it were just business, why would he, the personal pilot to the queen, be involved?

“Of course I’ll be on my best behavior,” he said as he flopped into one of the chairs, relieving some of his discomfort and exhaustion, “aren’t I always? So, this sounds like some sort of diplomatic shindig or something. Do I need to change? Should I be wearing a suit?” Then added, “or crown?” he joked, knowing only Darlyn knew he was anything more than a pilot, and he didn’t seem to care one way or the another. “But before that, what exactly do you mean they’re important to you and will be to me? Are we just talking important like, you know, governmental, political, economic… stuff… or are we talking personal? Just trying to do my homework before this big encounter.”

| [member="Cedric Grayson"] | [member="Veiere Arenais"] |

 

[Placeholder 0128]

(Sorry for taking so long. Had folks over all weekend.)


Cillian's words did not register to the boy all at once. He glanced up at the pilot with curious eyes, his head nodding a little as the pilot spoke of the Vegabond. "It's nice," the boy finally said, his voice a bit hoarse from his lack of speech. "My mom used to have a ship called the Girly. It was kind of like this, but everything was sharper. No cushions or anything," the boy mused, his gaze drifting back to the stars beyond. Pudgy arms drew about his thin chest, and his brow furrowed as he contemplated the workings of the universe.

Cillian's words brought certain thoughts to the forefront of his young mind.

"Master Veiere met my father here a few times, that's what my aunt told me," the child voiced, "It isn't my first time in space. My grandma lived on Naboo before she died. Aunt Sherry says she was a queen." A sad smile found itself onto the child's features. "I don't really understand why they died for this though," Cedric gestured out toward the cosmos. "Ession was nice, and we needed them. There are people on all these worlds, right? Couldn't they just take care of themselves?"

Cedric took in a sharp intake of air and fell silent. The gloomy feeling was forming in his chest again, and he was going to force it away with his will alone. Talking about it just made the feeling stronger. "I want to meet them." He finally said. "The Commenor people. I wanna try to figure things out."

[member="Veiere Arenais"], [member="Bradshaw Ku"], [member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay smirked, then rolled her eyes as [member="Bradshaw Ku"] mentioned always being on his best behaviour. Her books that he threw would surely say otherwise.

She sipped her tea and sat down in the chair next to his, crossing her feet at the ankles and tucking them underneath her. "No need to dress in a suit. What you're wearing is fine. And no crown either..." Kay rolled her eyes a little. Brad hadn't even been fitted for a crown, let alone anything else. It was best to keep it all a secret for now.

His next series of questions weren't answered straight away. Instead she sipped her tea as she tried to figure out the best way to say it. "All of the above. Veiere is one that I care for very much. He's been there for me for the past few years, and continues to do so when he can. Cedric...I'd like it if you could treat him like a younger brother. You'll probably be one of the people in his life that he would look up to, so you should try to be a good role model. Okay?"

[member="Veiere Arenais"] [member="Cedric Grayson"]

 

[WolfMortum]

Cillian's initial response was a smile at the mention of the boys mothers chosen name for a ship, 'the Girly' really did sound like something a woman would name a high tech and immensely powerful mode of transportation such as the beautiful splendor of a starship. When [member="Cedric Grayson"] turned his attention to the most commonly violent matter of galactic politics, Cillian's smile faded and instead he sought to try to explain to the lad the intricacies of the life they often experienced around them. "I won't sugar coat this at all for ya kid, there's some real bad folks out there...-They don't care about much other than themselves", he wasn't at all the parenting type in the young age that he still lived and yet he didn't feel like lying to the child either; "But there are good people too. They might be harder to find but they're far easier to appreciate...-And more often than not the Galaxy doesn't much like them for it because they challenge the status quo of society, they fight for what they believe is right...-Like Veiere and me..." He turned a glance back to Cedric, wondering if he was getting any of it at all. "Even for a small timer like myself, I'm just a pilot but hey, I've done my share...-We used to live primarily on Commenor and I've flown a number of people to safety, high tailed them out of some potentially dangerous situations. You don't have to be some big shot Jedi to do good in our galaxy, you just have to have a care for the little people..."; on the subject of the boys parents death, Cillian didn't quite know how to counsel that one; he personally had never known his parents, he'd grown up on the streets and for all intents and purposes, probably shouldn't have landed being where he was today. In his time, he had been abused, taken for granted, bullied and even had a blaster put to his head but he had somehow come through it all with a good heart. Despite whatever people thought of him, young Cillian Braedon wasn't quite as much a failure as his parents had probably expected him to be.

"I didn't have a whole lot to do with your old man, myself..." He admitted openly, his voice gentle and sorry to say yet it was the truth; "I carted Veiere around and the last time they were in each others company was on Atrisia. Veiere told me to high tail it out of there...-All I really know is that he wanted to stick by your old man; he doesn't really talk about it". Cillian was hoping the kid would take the hint, that the subject was something of an awkward one to bring up, yet really Cedric had more right than anyone, Cillian just didn't want the kid to get off on a bad start to what was apparently becoming a regular presence aboard the Vagabond.

"Anyway...." He concluded, shifting the focus of the conversation perhaps more for his own sake and comfort than anything else; "Commenor's a nice world, quite beautiful. It's not like Ession, there's more tree's and green life than there are cities and what not. Plenty of good lakes to go swimming in and the people are usually pretty well mannered. We're actually going there to meet with the Queen, she's a close friend of Veiere's..." Cillian's tone faded momentarily in thought. For Cedric's age he probably didn't need to hear much more than that when details of the relationship there were concerned, it was confusing enough for Cillian let alone a child to try to grasp. "I hear they could become a great benefit for the Dominion to get trade in and out of the system, Commenor's mostly known for it's high density trade market both in and out of the system...".

[member="Lady Kay"] | [member="Bradshaw Ku"]

 

[Bradshaw Ku]

Bradshaw smirked, “Good, because I don’t think I own a suit and I haven’t decided which crown I want,” he looked over at her sitting in the chair next to his, sipping the tea she seemed so very fond of, “they’re all just so purdy, how will I ever choose.”

She took her time answering his more serious questions. When she did, she was a little more specific, but still vague, he noticed, as if the explanation, like an onion, had so many more layers and she were carefully peeling one layer at a time, not wanting him to know the whole story. At least, not yet. Apparently, this [member="Veiere Arenais"] had been there for her over the last few years.

As her son and apprentice, he was grateful to him for that. With his little sister lost to the galaxy, and his father, Shaw Ku, dead, she was the only family he had – a family he’d been without for fifteen years. While, like this story, he didn’t yet know the details of the many enemies she spoke of, the little he did know, like her capture and torture by her so-called master, the cowered, Darth Prazutis, gave him a rather disturbing idea about just how much she needed friends. But, as someone loyal to his late father, he wasn’t comfortable with the thought that Veiere was more than just a friend. He felt a surge of adrenaline as he mulled over that thought. His instincts told him to hate him for it. To shame Lady Kay for even thinking of casting off Shaw Ku. And yet, it was more complicated and confusing than that simple reaction would allow. Not long ago, he’d barged into her office accusing her of letting Shaw Ku die as if he were still the nine year old who’d run away after his father’s death and yet, he was now her apprentice. He’d even sworn vengeance against some of her torturers, Prazutis and Thraxis, as if they were his own.

Did he expect her to be celibate for the rest of her life? Would Shaw Ku have wanted that? He couldn’t know, though he had an idea. What he did know, was that his father wouldn’t think it his place, as an apprentice, to question his master’s relationships. At least, certainly not to the degree he wanted. Who was he to say that a Jedi at the head of an empire wasn’t good enough for her?

It was all very muddled.

Speaking of empires, she wanted him to treat this [member="Cedric Grayson"] like a younger brother. Like himself, he’d lost his father at a young age and that meant something. But would the future king of countless worlds really look up to him? He wondered. Not long ago he was a wandering pilot with few responsibilities – with the few he did have never taken too seriously. Now he was being asked to set a good example for a future emperor.

Deep in thought, he stared blankly at the fireplace. He’d been without a family for so long, he wondered what he’d missed. He was so used to not being tied down, never really having any close friends, and of course, no family. With his sister in tow, he found [member="Lady Kay"] and Shaw Ku for a reason all those years ago, now, he just couldn’t remember what that reason was, as if he'd blocked those memories off.

Still staring blankly at the fireplace, his tone serious and distant, unusually void of emotion – like mirth or anger – he asked, “Are you going to marry him?”

 

[Placeholder 0128]

Cedric listened with wide eyed curiosity, though he never spoke. He simply drank in Cillian's words, evidently satisfied with the young man's explanation. With a slight shrug, the young Grayson child found himself crouching below the dash, blue eyes narrowed as he looked at every little wire that hung beneath the flashy dashboard. It reminded him of the Girly, though not in the way he thought it would. It didn't smell like engine grease and cinnamon, and it was certainly a lot quieter than his mother's vessel. No, the Vagabond was similar to the Girly because it just felt that way in the ocean. That was what his father had called it anyway, the great ocean. The boy had not learned much of it, but he felt it just as he smelled the clear air or tasted the breakfast he'd eaten earlier.

Cillian probably wouldn't understand that though.

"The little people are pretty important," Cedric muttered in agreement. "That's what my mom used to say too. It's how she told me why she was leaving." The boy rolled his eyes at the memory, evidently rather annoyed at his mother's particularly simple explanations.

"My grandma was a queen. The queen of Naboo!" Cedric exclaimed, a hint of an amused little grin splaying across his chubby face. "Commenor sounds kinda like Naboo. I always liked the lakes. Caida always cried when we went though. Mom said it was because of her allergerms...allergems-" the boy frowned. "Whatever. Anyway, how far out are we now?" Cedric took it upon himself to settle into the co-pilot's chair alongside Cillian.

"I wanna see the lakes."

[member="Bradshaw Ku"], [member="Veiere Arenais"], [member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay just had to smirk at [member="Bradshaw Ku"] 's remarks on having a crown. Who'd of guessed that out of everything, a crown is what he focused on the most? Well, it was better than the whole eligable Princesses thing, but still, she didn't want him to be flaunting his social status and using it to pursue his playboy ways. He had not been officialy presented yet, so there was next to no one that would believe him if he started to blab about it. She could deny all knowledge.

And then he was silent. Kay shifted a little in her seat as the silence went on for longer than she thought comfortable. She could feel the different emotions in him, one rolling into another and another, until they were hidden away from her. He asked about marriage. The lack of anything in his tone made it sound so very cold.

Kay sipped her tea, needing the comfort of the hot liquid to soothe her and keep her calm. She needed to maintain control of herself and the fact that Brad had dived into the topic of marriage was just as bad as if he had asked her if she was sleeping with him. But no. She had remained loyal to Shaw for nearly 15 years after his death. Now someone else was deserving of that same loyalty and devotion.

"The subject hasn't come up, Brad. It's too soon. Sure we've discussed retiring from public life together, but that's it. Even then such a thing as being able to retire feels like a pipe dream. We've only shared a single kiss, Brad...." Would she marry [member="Veiere Arenais"] if he had asked? More than likely. But their lives were just so complicated right now. That might only give them more stress.

"....I'm sure that you've done a lot more than a kiss to many girls out there, so you have no right to chastize me." She turned the tables on him now, in order to get the focus off of herself.

[member="Cedric Grayson"]

 

[Bradshaw Ku]

He listened intently to [member="Lady Kay"]'s explanation, gaze trained on the fireplace, too uncharacteristically contemplative to bother looking at anything else. This thinking thing takes a lot of processing power, he mused with some humor to himself. She had many excuses for why they weren’t getting married. At least, why they weren’t getting married any time soon. So, that settled that. It wasn’t that she wouldn’t marry him, it sounded like she very much wished she could. It was all about the barriers in their way.

He breathed in deeply and let it out with a soft sigh. Should he be mad at her? Them? Was all this bad, or good? He searched his feelings, an act of introspection rather new. Maybe that was why he couldn’t decide how he felt? On the one hand, it seemed easier just to denounce the whole thing and get angry – at least then he’d know where he stood. But, on the other, that somehow felt wrong.

Kay’s last comment referring to his playboy ways helped snap him out of his reverie. He might not know how he felt about all of this, but there was one safety net into which he could always fall, even when he was angry.

Making a joke of life. Maybe if he pretended not to be bothered, he really wouldn’t be.

New life was breathed into him. He gave Kay a look of mock pain, as if he’d been injured by her last comment, “More than kiss?” He gasped. “Of course not, I’m saving myself for the perfect pretty princess.” He crossed his arms across his chest and pretended to pout, “Not that you’ve been any help with the search…”

Then, wide eyed, he looked at her as if he’d suddenly had the galaxy’s best idea since mini lightsaber bread slicers… or was that just him?... “Maybe you should marry him. What’s hotter than a prince?” He quickly answered his own rhetorical question, “That’s right! The step-prince of a galactic empire… or big step-brother to the future emperor... whatever way that lineage mumbo-jumbo works out.” As usual, he was only half-joking. He never made a complete joke of picking up women, that was serious business.


| [member="Veiere Arenais"] | [member="Cedric Grayson"] |

 

[WolfMortum]

While [member="Cedric Grayson"] spoke to Cillian further ahead within the cockpit, Veiere Arenais sat at one of the conference tables within the main room centered in the Vagabond. There he remained silent and reflective, his head looking to the surface of the marble table, his hands laced by the fingers, rested upon it while his mind went to another place entirely. To himself, he questioned his path more and more, yet understood the need for someone in his position. So many lives had suffered since Atrisia, the refugee's had come to ession and stalled the economy, rendering many more without jobs as the financial climate had collapsed under the weight of over-population. Since Veiere had arrived, he had worked tirelessly through Commenor and several other contacts made over the years to try and rehabilitate the world, eventually succeeding as more and more came to the support of Ession and soon formed the bulk of the Dominion...But what was the Dominion?

The Dominion is a sanctuary, it's built on the security of people, the understanding and mutual benefit of the people through co-operation, empathy and moral virtue...

That was what he told himself, at least. Ahead the son of the man whom first brought these people together, sat chatting away none the wiser to Veiere's concerns. The boys father wasn't necessarily a good man but his intentions had been, his delivery of said intentions however most always resulted in a conflict of some kind, the last having resulted in the end of his life and leaving an heir fatherless to the world he were too young to understand fully. Now Veiere was supposed to do the job his father should have been alive to do. The Galaxy was too big to save, people too vast in their differences but the north now held a pocket where they weren't judged on their backgrounds but rather their efforts moving into the future. Jedi, Sith, Mandalorian or otherwise, it mattered little so long as the people were willing to work for the betterment of society there.

And yet still...-He had preservation's for reasons he couldn't quite touch on.

A pacifist turned pessimist...

He mused silently to himself yet it brought no comfort...

Further ahead, Cillian continued to guide the vessel, monitoring the systems read outs while they soared through hyperspace. Reaching for the comms, he opened the ship up to the intercom and announced their status for both Veiere and Cedric to acknowledge, "We'll be jumping out of FTL in a minute or so, Commenor's just ahead of us now...Might pay to double check you have all you need, knowing [member="Lady Kay"], we won't be returning to the ship any time soon".

[member="Bradshaw Ku"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay smirked as [member="Bradshaw Ku"] began mocking shock and disappointment. Oh she could clearly see [member="Darlyn Excron"] 's influence on him. Or perhaps this was how Brad had always been? She wasn't entirely sure as the two were just getting reacquainted after fifteen years. "Oh please...I'm not going to arrange some marriage for you. I don't want any involvement in your lovelife outside of making sure that you stop being a playboy, and to give my blessing when you do find a lady that can handle such a.....strong personality as yours." Her words were chosen carefully. A couple of playboys had tried to charm her, but they failed miserably before they could even so much as hold her hand or kiss her cheek. They bothered her and grossed her out with their creepy ways. The last thing that she wanted was a playboy in the family.

She raised a brow as Brad suggested that she marry [member="Veiere Arenais"] not for her own benefit, but to increase his chances in scoring with women. Kay rolled her eyes, but did so in a goofy sort of way. It was better to keep him in a good mood right now. "Oh Brad....I will marry when it's time. Just be patient. He hasn't even asked me or hinted that he would. One step at a time, please...."

At least one thing was for certain, Veiere didn't care for her position on Commenor or what it could mean for him. He'd rather that she stepped away from it all, yet knew that she couldn't, anymore so than he could step away from [member="Cedric Grayson"] and the Dominion.

 

[Placeholder 0128]

All my life, I have lived by the sword...

Cedric perked up at the words, the voice itself all too familiar. Confused, the boy looked from one corner of the cockpit to the next, trying to find the source. Alas, there was no one here to be found, save for Cillian. Having conversed with the man for some time now, Cedric knew the voice could not have belonged to him. No, perhaps it was simply a trick of the mind. Such things were beginning to become rather common for him. Frowning, the boy made his way into the back of the vessel.

He drowned out Veiere's voice with his own thoughts. Content to dwell upon those words spoken at the back of his mind, the young Cedric settled down in one of the chairs in the aft of the ship. His eyes closed as he focused on the words, on that voice.

Did the voice's owner await him on Commenor?

[member="Lady Kay"], [member="Veiere Arenais"], [member="Bradshaw Ku"]

 

[WolfMortum]

Turning, Veiere noticed [member="Cedric Grayson"]'s entrance, the boy seemingly lost in his own thoughts, detached from the present environment. Lightly his brows furrowed as he watched the young one, he of whom seemed to remain silent and barely even acknowledged him as the lad passed and took a perch upon one of the more cushioned of seats. There was a sense of unease around the prospect of training the boy, not because of Cedric himself but rather the legacy that he seemed to be forced to follow in. Veiere hoped that many of the traits that his father held wouldn't inspire the negativity and violence of his Cedric's future, that thirst for action and defiance against what was, that need to focus on mediating politics outside of his own jurisdiction. Much of what Veiere was doing today was set in preparation for the things he hoped Cedric wouldn't be required to do in the future. To be a good leader, he hoped that Cedric would need only concern himself with the good of his people, [member="Mephirium"] having always been looking ahead and not appreciating what was in the present.

"Exiting FTL in five...four...three...two...one..." Cillian's voice rang across the intercom, the ship shuddering as it's velocity steadily decreased and the vessel's hyperdrive whined under the stress of the jump, the hyperspace fields around the Vagabond all disintegrating as the stars slowed, the streaks of light returning to their typical form, dotting the blanket of dark space with the brilliance of their light. Ahead of them the world of Commenor coming ever closer as the young pilot drew them in, sending word ahead that their arrival was imminent.

Veiere's gaze was again returned to Cedric, sympathetic for the young lad. "If you're nervous at all, there's no need to be..." He tried to encourage the boy, his silence leading Veiere into thinking that maybe the venture they were undertaking was coming to quickly for him. He'd had no children of his own, fathered none yet trained one student before the boy, Brennan of whom was much more outgoing, overly confident and boisterous to a fault. By comparison Cedric was far quieter, and to an extent this wasn't such a bad thing, had he only manage to not isolate himself from the rest of the galaxy and it's many wonders to be discovered. "Do do me a favor when you meet the [member="Lady Kay"] however...-Call her Madame President, not a Queen..." Veiere smiled some, hoping that Cedric would simply agree rather than having to explain exactly why Veiere hated the title. It was a by-product of Darth Prazutis after all...

Veiere had no idea just how vastly different this visit would be from the others, he had been told about Kay's children yet they had thought them to be lost; Kay, to his knowledge had not seen them in a lifetime and for the most part, Veiere had come to presume they were no longer a factor in their lives. It would be a pleasure to meet them, yet had he known what was to come, he might have prepared himself better mentally for the meeting of her son, [member="Bradshaw Ku"].

 

[Bradshaw Ku]

[member="Lady Kay"] playfully rolled her eyes at his antics, a response becoming rather common during their interactions. She also pointed out that she didn’t want any involvement in his love life, except for not wanting him to be a playboy. That doesn’t seem very fair, he thought.

“Hey, I’m not asking you to arrange a marriage. I’m a big boy after all, or at least that’s what my underwear says,” he laughed, “I’ve never had too much trouble meeting,” he cleared his throat, “nice ladies. I’m just saying that if I could tell people I was a prince, maybe I could find a woman worth bringing home to momma.”

He shot a hand up to stop her from inevitably telling him that it was too dangerous to reveal his true identity. “I know, I know, enemies and all that. I get it. But maybe we could chew it over, you know, for when I’m super powerful,” he suggested optimistically, like there was no question he would soon have any semblance of power, or at all, for that matter.

“And don’t sell yourself short, lots of people propose out of the blue.” He said, his attention turning to the teapot. Why did she drink so much of this stuff? Was it really that good? “That’s what happens in all the holodramas anyway.” He focused on the teapot in the force. Tried to find it in that most mysterious of fields permeating the universe, feel its shape, its curves, its mass. Maybe he’d try it and see what was so great. Never one to pass up an opportunity to show off, he wasn’t going to just get up and pour a cup like a normal person – shattered dishes be damned.

Locating the form through the force, he lifted it from the platter. First only a few centimeters, but then inches, and soon, it was far enough aloft to pour tea into a cup. He was already surprised it hadn’t burst into pieces, maybe his training with [member="Darlyn Excron"] was starting to pay off. Carefully, the teapot tipped, filling an awaiting cup rather gracefully for someone who’s kitchen floor was currently strewn with the shattered remains from similar attempts. His eyes narrowed in concentration, the teapot safely landing back on the platter. Now for the hard part, he mused, getting the tea to him. He found the teacup through the force easily enough. It rose from the platter and glided with poise through the air.

His adrenaline surged with the excitement over his so far successful demonstration. Too excited. His emotions took over – pride, self-satisfaction, and arrogance. Focus lost, the delicate touch needed for the endeavor overwhelmed, the teacup shattered halfway to him, spilling tea covered shards across the floor.

He looked at Kay like a guilty pet. A coy smile spread across his features, “See, I’m already halfway there, just imagine that being someone’s head.”

| [member="Cedric Grayson"] | [member="Veiere Arenais"] |

 

[Kay-Larr]

"If you go around telling people that you are a Prince, all that you are going to get is people wanting you only for your title and nothing else. Why would you want anyone so superficial? And if people find out who you are--"

Kay frowned as [member="Bradshaw Ku"] lifted up his hand to silence her, and then chose to just belittle her concern. He was increasing her stress levels and almost undoing some of the work that herself and [member="Victor Tesla"] had been doing to try to help her to recover.

Her brows furrowed as she watched the tea cup slowly rise. Her eyes would dart between the cup, to Brad and then the cup again. He was cocky, too cocky. It was no wonder that he wasn't left to die in a ditch somewhere. All of Shaw's influence and training that he had were just gone. There was no discipline, no control. He was like an adrenalin junky that was on a souped up speeder that was too difficult to control.

She sighed and just shook her head as the tea cup nearly exploded mid air. There were reasons of her own as to why she didn't think that that was funny. Hopefully Brad would never find out what that reason was. "Someone's head...right...."

Kay's holopad beeped. She got to her feet and walked over to her desk, setting down her cup before picking up her datapad. She read over the message. "He's just gotten clearance. His ship will be landing shortly. Come on. We'll meet him outside. Gives them time to clean up your mess."

She found herself getting nervous, which wasn't common for her, but this was an important day. At least to her. Kay straightened up her dress a bit, fixed her hair and then headed out of her office, glancing behind her to ensure that Brad was following along.

Moments later she was outside near the Palace's landing pad. Four guards stood nearby. Her eyes were to the sky as she waited for the Vagabond to touch down. Hopefully the sunshine brought the promise of a good day.

[member="Cedric Grayson"]