Such Luck You Have

[Fiolette Fortan]

Fiolette's hand rested beneath her chin, eyes glazed over in thought. The sitting room was quiet, curtains drawn allowing the Bastion sun to flood along the carpet. Her lips curled inward her eyes blinked and her face was flush. Josef had arrived not too long ago, and almost immediately asked to speak with her privately. He had arrived unannounced, Lucy was away for her clinical and Taeli had only just departed but was said to return soon enough. Her nose tinged with emotion and eyes blurred now with tears as they welled. Josef stood there with his arms folded across his chest, meaty arms rested with ease. "Say something." He almost demanded but his voice was softer than that.

"I don't know what you want me to say," she pulled her hands o rest in her lap a moment before one moved to sweep hair out of her face. "What answer would delight you?" She asked him, the chair groaned a moment as she shifted her weight. Josef pushed off the wall and sighed, his hands fell to his sides as he walked across the room and then put his hands in the air.

He was crossed, rather he had been crossed with Fiolette for some time now.

Only now had she seen fit to give the time of day, his brown eyes narrowed on her. Josef knew this woman, he knew her long before she took his name. And he remembered when Lucy called him to say she had taken an offer of youth. At first, he thought she was kidding, and then he came to realize she wasn't. When he had gone to meet with her after she had taken the deal, she had been deaged. Transformed as it were, she no longer bore the white hair of her age or the wrinkles. No, she looked as she did in her prime, and when she spoke she was not the same woman he knew.

Yet here before him, he found some resemblance of that person.

Still.

He wanted answers.

"Anything Fii, anything." Josef was exasperated and one could scarcely blame him after all she had put him and their children through. "You let Natasi handle the girls, Natasi Fortan."

"I am well aware of who I allowed to care for them, and you will not say her name in that manner." Fiolette rebuked although she was in no position to do so.

Josef reminded her of that, "oh piss off with it. You know damn well she does not care about you, she never has. Worse yet she probably resents you more now than she ever could have." Always straight to the point and never one to mince his words. "You abandoned them to a woman who could give two - " he stopped a moment and took a deep breath. "You didn't even stop to think what your actions would do!" His hand went to the back of the sofa, he gripped it and turned to face her. Fiolette sat there shoulders square and head held high with all the priss of the stubborn Galidraani he knew.

"I had every thought as to what my actions would do, Josef." Fiolette rose from the chair and crossed to face him, "I knew exactly what would become of my actions, and I knew that the First Order was not above using our daughters against me."

It was Lucy again who had called him and informed him.

Josef moved to collect Ryssa and Ariel from their predicament and relocated them with him to an undisclosed location. Guarded by a group of mercenaries that alone left him uneasy the whole mess did, to be honest. "So tell me again, why, why did you do this - all of this. There was nothing wrong with you, you-"

"There was everything wrong!" Fiolette retorted her voice rose a fraction and the tone firm, "everything was wrong. I was sick Josef, and I was scared of my own mortality so when an offer came to help I took it."

"Bollocks Fii."

He pushed himself away from the sofa and exhaled hard, "these are our little girls." He turned to her emotion well in his face, "do you know how scared I was that I was going to lose them?" Josef moved to her, crossed into her space until he was nose to nose. "When we first met, you told me about the hell your family put you through. So what in the Force made you think, for a second, she would ever protect them? What in the Nine Divines, possessed you to think that she would ever give a damn? Let alone you sticking our girls with them."

Fiolette grew small and she shrank, the redhead backed up and shrugged. "I don't know." She blinked away the tears, they simply rolled down her face. "I don't... I."

Josef looked down at the floor and then threw his hands up in the air, "you don't know." He looked at her, his own gray hair exposed. Laugh lines were also exposed and as his brow furrowed he asked. "Why did you not come to talk with me?"

"I'm sorry."

"Fii, we have been through hell and back. What did I do?"

"Nothing, Josef." She told him plainly and moved to sit in her chair. This time she slumped into it and looked at him, her blue eyes bore the marks of her tears. She looked down at her hands as they rested once more in her lap. She could tell him about the Sith entity that had tried to possess her, even then, she would still blame herself. For it was her fault, she had decided to shake the devil's hand and make a deal. She exchanged her family for youth and a promise of eternal life but in the end, she found herself more alone than ever before. Josef had been her best friend, they had met ages back it seems now when their ages and bodies matched one another, the man from Belsavis simply watched her a moment and he sighed again. His boots were quiet against the carpet, his trousers were neat and his shirt tucked in - it was gray in color darker than his hair.

Josef pulled the chair opposite of her out from the table and sat. He looked over at her, "and now you're with this... Taeli. This Sith."

"Yes," Fiolette confirmed. "I am."

He moved to open his mouth and then nothing. Josef looked over at her, "so let me just let me just see if I got all of this." The man sighed again and placed his arms on the table, fingers down as he gestured across the top of it. "You learn that you're sick and the diagnosis was that it's terminal." He looked at her for acknowledgment and when he got it the man moved on to the next part. "You were afraid of losing yourself, of dying, and at that moment you sought help from a group of First Order Alchemist on Tokmia, and when they do this... you're turned back into." Josef gestured to her and proceeded, "and then suddenly you, as a person, have changed not just physically - so help me understand that." He then shifted in his seat and asked. "What about this changed you, that you all of a sudden say, kark this parenting gig and dump it in the lap of your niece. Who you barely knew for one, and secondly is about as cold and calculating as they come."

"The Alchemists used a short cut to grant me what they had so promised. This shortcut was utilizing a Sith entity, who then began to influence my actions - not that this excuses them in the slightest." She answered, and continued, "and I- I felt it then and yes I do regret doing so. I felt it then that they would be better with Natasi at that moment. Then with myself, and yes I should have come to you first and foremost as you are not just their father but also someone I consider a friend." Her voice spoke of confidence while her expression said she was doing her best to suppress her emotions. "And when I had learned through my own agents of the First Order's plots, namely at the lips of some rather unsavory members of both the FOSB and Navy. I used my network to relocated our daughters."

"And are you seeing the part that you skipped, where I was not involved in all of this."

She looked him the eyes and replied, "yes - and my thoughts then were not of you, but of our daughters."

"But you still didn't call me, Lucy called me. Lucy. Fii. Lucy." Josef returned her look with one of his own, "and that's the part that still gets me. Did this entity just convince you not to do this or is that you."

"Don't do that," she returned, "I simply di-"

Josef nodded and gestured, "and there we have it, ladies and gentlemen, you did not think. Not for one bloody minute did you think about including me, or informing me in any way which way Fiolette Minerva. I am their FATHER." His voice rose, the old sergeant returned and she did not flinch. "I am their father, Fiolette. And I will be damned if this happens again." He shook his head, "you know what comes next."

"I do." She had accepted it by this point.


"I talked with the lawyers." Josef shifted in his seat again and watched as she did the same. "Now they're wanting you to be completely out of the picture, but um, I still believe that they at least need to have access to you." His carob brown eyes searched Fiolette's azure orbs, "and I told them that I wanted to meet this Taeli Raaf first. Sith lady aside, I need to know that between the two of you. One of you has some sense because clearly, it's not you." Any trust or faith he had in Fiolette had long since vanished and he was not quite in a place that he'd be so ready to forgive her. Not yet, not by a long shot.

"You're welcomed to sit and wait, not sure how long she'll be."

"Yeah, maybe, but what I'm going to do - I'm going to take the girls out since they've been given the grand tour here. And, gonna take them to have lunch and then I'll call you."

She nodded to him and watched as he rose from his seat and headed to the door. "Carrington, I can figure out a damn door." Fiolette heard him as he moved past the butler, she meanwhile exhaled and wiped the tears from her eyes with her fingers. The redhead unfolded from her chair and headed out of the sitting room. "When her Ladyship returns tell her she can find me out by the pond."

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Fiolette Yvarro"]

Taeli had no idea of the turmoil going on at the estate. Her day had been consumed by meetings she had needed to attend in person. Discussions with her Paradox Adepts and the future direction she had for several of their projects within the Order of Shadows. A business meeting with Jaxson and her chief engineers to talk about the continuing progress of their modernization program, along with the progress for Project TITAN and NEMESIS. The second meeting with other Sith, these ones asking for her support in some plans they had in her position as Triumvir of Power, then tea with one of her more mundane agents that was tasked with keeping tabs on the Alliance remnants in the Outer Rim.

Busy bee that was, she had also stopped into the Sith temple and overseen a lesson for the acolytes, observing those that had potential and making sure the Overseers themselves put those ones through their paces. The Sith Empire would not have weakness within their students, she would make sure of that.

After that, she had another, quieter meeting with Eldaah, dispatching her on a mission of utmost importance to her current research. The bounty hunter was taking too long, in her opinion, so it was time to take a more direct hand in affairs.

With that done, she was finally on her way back to her speeder to return to Stormvale for some much needed quiet. Sitting down, she activated the autopilot and leaned back as the speeder took off. Closing her eyes, she used the Force to activate the call feature connected to the estate and Mister Carrington.

"I'm on my way back to the estate, Mister Carrington. Can you please see to it that Rose has the report on the movements in the Cron Drift ready for me and some Bastion Black Tea."

 

[Fiolette Fortan]

Mr. Carrington was all too happy to relay the order to Mrs. Hicks. The ordeal between Mr. Yvarro and the Admiral had sent most of the house into a flutter, Miss Ahern was content to be absent of most it. Although she was already preparing her report for [member="Taeli Raaf"]. Mr. Barbary readied himself to recieve her ladyship just as Stormvale's valet prepared a spot in the parcade for the speeder. The butler kept his watch over the servants and eyed anyone who dared to speak of the matter, but it didn't stop the brave soul that was Mr. Barbary who spoke with Miss Saxon, Lucy's maid.

"A wonder Miss Yvarro wants to turn the nursery, eh?" He was rather upfront about his thoughts, "the Admiral being as she is."

Saxon merely looked at him and quietly scurried at the sight of Mr. Carrington. "There will be none of that, Mr. Barbary." Carrington's sonorous voice resonated. Mr. Barbary remained neutral in his facial expressions and moved about with his work. He was sure to address this in a meeting with the help later on, Carrington decided to speak with Mrs. Lane about it now to head off any further gossip.

Mrs. Lane was upstairs helping to set the nursery back into tip-top shape. Carrington ascended the stairs from his small office and turned the corner, his footsteps gave him away before he arrived at the nursery. He cleared his throat at first and knocked on the door frame second, "Mrs. Lane if you have a moment..."

"I do." She said without looking behind her, "and if you would be so kind, while you're talking - as to set that chair right in the corner."

"Of course," he replied knowing that he could be both useful to Mrs. Lane while meeting his own objective, "now then - this business with Mr. Yvarro and the Admiral. I had wondered, if you-"

She looked up at him but once while they set the crib, "already spoke with the ladies. We're well aware and they shall keep mum on the matter until asked, if we're asked."

Mr. Carrington nodded in approval, "good." It would not be unheard of for someone, rather a someone of Mr. Barbary's character to attempt to start gossip and rumors among the Galidraani community here. Admiral Yvarro already has and had quite the upheaval due to her own past with the homeworld. He would not allow any further attempts on her character by the likes of the help. Most especially the help under his watch, it was then he decided - after helping Mrs. Lane the head housekeeper to dispatch the second footman, Mr. Suthmeer to help Mr. Barbary.

Barbary would know why, Suthmeer, no.

In the meantime, Fiolette remained outside overlooking the pond from the bridge and on occassion moving to collect pebbles to skip them across.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Fiolette Yvarro"]

Arriving at the estate, she allowed the chauffeur to take the speeder to its landing pad and store it away. Walking inside, she accepted the datapad with the report from her personal maid, along with the cup of Bastion Black Tea. The pot, she was informed, was in her study and would be kept at her desired temperature. Yes, it was still weird for her to be doted on this way by the staff, but she was slowly getting used to it. She thought anyway. Sipping her tea, she sensed the tension in the walls, the whispers among the servants.

Oh joy.

Fiolette was, once again, out by the pond. Reading her report as she went, Rose keeping a respectful distance behind her, Taeli made her way back out onto the grounds and towards where the redhead was skipping rocks. She hadn't noticed her yet, and she gestured for Rose to take the datapad. She would finish reading it, and the dispatch from the Shadow Hand about Asation, when she returned to her study.

"I see your meeting with your ex-husband did not go as you expected," she said neutrally.

 

[Fiolette Fortan]

Fiolette heard her beloved quite clear, her hand let go of the pebble in a swift movement. The pebble skipped along the pond before it sank, and the Galidraani stood there trousers loose, and her blouse unbuttoned on the top, red hair down on one side. Red lipstick finely painted, she looked like a painting but a painting that had been tarnished as her once neutral expression shifted. "That obvious?"

Rhetorical.

She flipped the smaller pebbles in the palm of her hand. Fiolette gave Taeli a small look and then focused on the pond once more. "Is our house a whisper with such dramatic events?" Her tone part way between sardonic and agitated. The uncertainty that hung around the typically certain woman was profound, she let fly another pebble across the pond. Her lips pursed together as she watched it skitter across the water, and then much like the other pebble, it too sank. "How was your outing?" Fiolette asked in a vain attempt to turn the subject of their conversation. A third pebble flew from her hand and then she dusted her hands, slid them both into her pockets. Shoulders sunk slightly, unusual from her typical squared up shape, "tell me of your trip, Taeli." Her voice adjusted, the tone while warm merely continued her want to dodge the topic at hand.

Fiolette did want to talk about it, and then she did not. At this point she had rather wish it did not happen at all, this visit with Josef.

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Fiolette Yvarro"]

"You would know how Galidraani servants would respond better than I would," Taeli said, neither confirming nor denying whether the staff was gossiping about the altercation that Taeli was highly suspecting took place. Fiolette would know the answer after all. Taeli didn't need to confirm it. She didn't move any closer either, just patiently standing there while Fiolette grasped around for another topic, any topic, to avoid talking about what happened.

"Productive," Taeli answered, leaving it at that. There was no way her love was going to get out of explaining what happened to her, no matter how embarrassing it might have been for the redhead. It could not have gone any worse than when she went back to her adopted parents and revealed she was Sith. That... had not ended well at all, but it had led her towards her future and her real family. Purple eyes watched as the stone skipped across the pond.

Silence stretched between them, as Taeli was in no rush to talk. Years of interrogations, experiments, expeditions and excavations, and teaching Sith acolytes and knights had given her an incredible amount of patience. She knew she could wait out Fiolette until she had to talk about it.

 

[Fiolette Fortan]

There it was.

That tone, it was a sort of neutral tone that Fiolette had come to know. If at ever the redhead thought she had been the beacon of patience, she was wrong. Even after seventy years of life in this galaxy. Some part of her knew patience well enough to exude it on the battlefield, knew it - how to wield it when studying the actions of an opponent. In her personal life, patience had come and it had gone again.

Her lips parted as if to speak, but no words came out.

Taeli was right, she knew more of Galidraani actions. They were second nature, and still, the redhead turned and looked at the ever standing Taeli. Taeli who stood there quite plain, her expression had not changed. A violet gaze met hers, and it was Fiolette who turned away and there seemed to be a stillness in the air. The Lorrdian's rather short answer provided the response that Fiolette half expected. Half, at least. Hands still in her pockets, she moved away from the rails and walked toward the Sith. It was hard then, for the Galidraani woman to imagine that her life would come to this. To sharing this home, this estate with Taeli - a Sith. The home was a safe haven, a fortress of their minds a place to retreat and be calm to have and to hold one another.

And even then, as Fiolette's shoes crunched the small bits of dirt and stone beneath their wake. She said nothing, her silence was her answer - what had transpired was more than she wanted to admit. It was a revelation of her nature, of her shame - the shame of a mother who abandoned her children. The redhead stopped when she was shoulder to shoulder with Taeli, "then I am glad that your day was well spent my love." A look in Fiolette's eyes bade Taeli to follow as the Galidraani extended an arm.

When it was accepted, Fiolette led Taeli toward the gazebo. "He wants to meet with you." She said with no introductions, "out of the two of us, he hopes one of us has some common sense and that person isn't me." There was no warmth to her tone, "my actions and - rightly so - have... well, they are quite regrettable. It is rather fortunate that I've been disowned already, although after today - this may have been served a third time." There was a lot to explain, but for now this would serve as their starting point.

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Fiolette Yvarro"]

Accepting the arm, she fell in step beside Fiolette and just let her talk as much as she was willing to. An internal smile almost formed on her lips, but she kept it contained. She hadn't even been wearing Fiolette down yet, so half the fun was out the window already. Ah well. She listened with rapt attention as Fiolette spoke, explaining that... uh how was his name pronounced again... wanted to meet with her to see if she had common sense. Well...

"As long as we don't touch on the matters of my curiosity, and my experiments thereof, I think I'll be able to waylay his fears," she said quietly, trying to make some light of the situation. The redhead was so dour right now, and Taeli had spent most of her day with dour individuals, that she wanted to see that little half smile. "As for your actions dear, you were afraid for your own mortality, had a Sith spirit whispering in your ear, and you let your new lease on life get to your head for a bit."

 

[Fiolette Fortan]

Quietly Fiolette remarked, "mhmm all such things still fall to me, but I appreciate the sentiment." Her voice moved an octave but her expression remained unsettled focused on the matter at hand. So often as a military leader she focused on the problem and fixed it, and thus tried to do that here. Unfortunately these were the type of issues she had not been accustomed to. Now was the time to reattach herself to emotions, to be a normal person did her heart ache? Yes. Did she know fully how to express it, sure. In some ways she did, but in others she did not. In the moment, she simply remained quiet with Taeli at her side as they remained arm in arm with one another.

As the walked a quiet breeze passed them on once more, it collected the loose bits of grass and dirt each seemed to cascade along the walkway before them. "He is aware of your profession shall we say." She spoke as the trees seemed to rattle around them with the wind curled around the bark and branches. She let out a long sigh, as if she had been holding it in for quite sometime. And for a moment she said nothing allowing the silence to fall between them once more, "you know, I've - I've never been in this position before." She confessed after awhile. "Being so..." Fiolette searched for the word. "I don't know, hopeless? Helpless?" Both perhaps.

"Oh Taeli," she cried, "what have I done?"

Fiolette stopped, she stood still there on the path - she was so unsure and uncertain of herself. The sins of her past had caught up to her and no matter how she tried to run or hide, there they were.

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Fiolette Yvarro"]

She remained quiet as they walked. It would be best for Fiolette to get it all out now, although Taeli had to admit it was odd that the woman who was twice her age was needing her for comfort and emotional stability. Shouldn't it have been the other way around? She knew the feelings she was going through, well to a degree. No children of course, but... well she had killed her adopted parents by accident and she had been... distraught was an understatement. She had felt hopeless, lost, helpless before her actions.

But she had been able to move on from that tragedy.

She quietly wrapped her arms around the redhead and just held her head against her chest, lightly stroking her red hair.

"it's not all bad," she muttered. "You're trying, you know what you did was a mistake and you're trying to make amends. Lucy forgave you enough to even follow you here to the Sith Empire. You'll have to take it one day at a time, proving yourself through actions. And if Josef doesn't change his mind... I could always enslave his free will."

The last was added with a joking edge to it, to try and make Fiolette smile, if only a little.

 

[Fiolette Fortan]

They sat somewhere between the bath house and the gazebo, a bench along the path.

The steady sounds of the leaves rustling with the wind provided enough noise to drown the sound of Fiolette's tears. Looking back on the moment later on, the Galidraani would say that age was and is not a reflection on emotion nor the stability thereof. As often, children had a way of bringing emotions out - and the actions of the parent almost always weighed heavily upon the adult. As it did now, Fiolette having reattached herself to emotion - understanding the full consequence of her actions. And the reprecussions thereof, it wasn't easy and as she settled her head along Taeli's chest. The older of the two women felt the younger's hand on her hair stroking it lightly.

Taeli had a point, and to her credit she was attempting to make amends. Fiolette wanted very much to repair the damage between herself and Lucinyia, and Josef had every right to be more than cautious. And, after a time the admiral gathered herself and sat up right - a smile on her face as she placed a finger underneath her eyes to wipe away the tears. "As tempting as that might be, I've learned by now to not interfere with such things." There was always some sort of cost or backlash to such ideas, still, she laughed. "Lucy has suggested counseling, and I know that much will help. Having someone come to our home to speak with us."

"As for the girls, Ryssa and Ariel..." Fiolette's voice trailed a moment as she looked off to the distance, "well." She turned her attention back to Taeli, blue eyes drawing upon the gaze of violet eyes. "I suppose only time will tell." A soft sigh escaped her lips as the redhead looked up at the canopy for a moment. She let her hand slide into the Lorrdian's, fingers intertwined as she then brought the back of Taeli's hand to her lips. "Thank you." Her voice still rather hoarse from the tears, "truly."

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Fiolette Yvarro"]

Taeli had to fight hard to pull face about some random counselor coming into their home. They would need to be vetted severely, perhaps an oath or two to prevent them from even accidentally saying anything to their enemies. Paranoid? Maybe, but Taeli had not gotten to where she was by being foolhardy in who she trusted. Although... she did owe Carach or whatever name he was going by these days a slap in the face. She did smile as Fiolette thanked her, and she seemed a bit more together after the crying.

"Of course dear," she said, purple eyes dancing as she kissed her hand. "I love you and I'll always be there to be the voice of reason. Now, you should probably let Josef know I am home so I can interro... I mean chat with him, and definitely not string him up by his thumbs for making you cry."

Again, a little joke. She wouldn't do that... unless she felt she had to of course.

 

[Fiolette Fortan]

Fiolette knew Taeli's thoughts behind anyone in their home that hadn't been vetted. Even so, the process of finding a counselor both she and Lucinyia were okay with would be difficult at best. Emotionally, Fiolette wasn't sure if she was entirely alright. While no more tears flowed forth, her past still bothered her the choices made during her time with the First Order seemed to haunt her even now. A small smile reemerged on her lips if momentarily at the mention of Josef's fate as it were. "Well, I'll send word to him soon enough, but for now I think we've spent enough time on the matter." Or rather she had, "but please tell me more in detail with regards to your projects if you're able to."

She was interested in hearing about her beloved's projects and their progress, mostly she enjoyed hearing Taeli speak so enthusiastically. "Mhmm, perhaps we can go inside for tea?" Fiolette offered as she rose from the bench. By now she was sure dinner plans were being made by Mrs. Hicks and that her daughter would be home soon enough. Evenings on Bastion were always beautiful and she looked forward to spending it with her love.

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Fiolette Yvarro"]

Well, she could tell when a subject was closed to discussion. Taeli would grant Fiolette a reprieve from talking about the issue, but she was patient. She would wait and wear her down until she had finally talked about everything she was feeling. Tea sounded lovely though, so she looped her arm around Fiolette's and started steering them towards the estate. It was a subtle way of saying that Taeli would handle things from here, that Fiolette would not have to worry about anything for a bit.

"Oh we're working on this and that," she said airily. "A team of my researchers has been doing some experiments on Kessel that are absolutely fascinating. They've been introducing specific strains of spice and Lignan crystals to Anothian Living Crystals. It's something they've been working on for... oh a year now? to create some sort of living Lignan crystal. They've been experimenting with the energy spiders and on some... less than willing volunteers on the effects the crystals have on living beings. I was supposed to get the first batch of reports today or tomorrow actually. Oh! And of course my own personal experiments are starting to bear fruit, even without Vitiate's holocron, I've been able to get a grasp of the machinery and rituals he used."

The Children of the Emperor had held a great pull on her imagination. The perfect sleeper agents, even more so than the methods she and her Order of Shadows used to hide. And all of them connected to one stronger being, and that being able to send their power and control the agent... oh it was something that greatly intrigued her.

"And the lab on Valrar just received an upgrade. You really should come visit there at some point. Or maybe you would like to come see what my Aurora technicians have been working on. Some new technologies are almost ready for reveal. You'd like them I think."

 

[Fiolette Fortan]

Stormvale welcomed them once more as the pair ascended the stairs. Fiolette listened to Taeli speak of crystals, Lignan to Anothian. It was comforting to hear her beloved talk, and of course most if not all of Taeli's work was of great interest both academic and not. The redhead was guided by the brunette through their home, they'd most likely end up in Taeli's office which was next to hers and they would have tea and discuss more of their work. Mostly, Taeli's work - Fiolette did not consider much of her own work to be all that interesting. "A year now?" She questioned and wondered if that was too short or too long of a time frame for experiments. There were mentions of energy spiders and the not-so-willing volunteers, to which Fiolette smiled. "If you ever have a need for more subjects." A raised brow, it seemed there was always a vein of prisoners with jobs who could suffice for volunteer test subjects.

Their talk would continue, and the episode of Josef's visit for now laid to rest. No doubt the topic would come up again but for now it seems the surface of the issue had been scratched. There laid more beneath the ice, unwanted feelings and regrets of the past. It was to be broken soon, allowing for Taeli and Fiolette to push each other out of their comfort zones.

Later on that evening while the two prepared for bed the subject would be broached again. Taeli could feel that the matter still weighed heavily upon Fiolette. Would pursuing this uncover Taeli's own insecurities? Perhaps, but why hold back now? The two had already opened themselves to one another so now here laid yet another matter of the heart. With the Galidraani's chest ripped open, heart still beating - having laid down the ugly truth of her past in all its indignity. What could be said was said, what was not said - had also been read through the other's body language.

As they laid in bed having the comfort of one another's arms, soothing whispers from one to the other would echo. A cacphony of understanding, the crescendo of accepting what one could not change and having the will to change what one could. Even at seventy and thirty-five life's little lessons were still there to be learned, over and over again. How fortunate though, they were, to have one another in which to learn these lessons. And to have and hold one another when the lessons prove themselves difficult to comprehend or master.

In the quiet, and in the stillness their hands still held onto one another just to know that their beloved was still there.

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

-Fin-