“Everything,” she said,
“I would love to see it all.”
Jake liked to think of himself as stone faced. In some instances he could be. When he was in combat, when he was training with his Master or family, or even when dealing with Noghri. The man could keep a stoic and placid expression. However when it came to more personal matters, matters of the heart and home, the man was nothing more than a house of cards ready to topple over. He gave a small smile, not a grin, but an actual smile. A mans home was his castle and the King of this one was as proud as anyone would have been.
“This way.” Jake led her to the basements. She wanted to see everything? OK then. She’d get a detailed overview of the home. When they began their decent down the first flight of stairs Jake continued,
“To say everything is as exact in design is mostly true. When I found the home the majority of the home upstairs was in shambles or rotted away. Anything made of stone and protected from the elements lasted. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how you want to look at it, the only thing that survived intact was the first and second floor basements.”
As they emerged into the first basement a motion sensor light lit up small bulbs that lined the ceiling. What was revealed was a cache’ of dozens of bowls, buckets, and containers of various seeds, dried fruits and vegetables, and large drums of salt.
“The room, as if the rest of the home, is powered by solar panels. Those panels are on a small clearing some distance from the home. Given that Honoghr has some really wild thunderstorms the wiring is all underfoot. The clearing is on a slope that goes with the traditional winds so often times the storms pass over the panels when they do come. I’ve not lost power since rebuilding.”
That was the basic explanation of how the only real home on Honoghr had any electricity.
“The Noghri had been teaching me basic farming. Hunting isn’t a problem but given that I am a mere human I do need a balanced diet. The preserves and dried fruits, nuts, and vegetables allow me what I need.” Jake looked around,
“There’s enough food here to hold me out for months, if not a year, should the need arise. Since the room is build with reinforced brick overlaid by earth and concrete the humidity is low which in turn means it will all last longer. Barrels in the back of the room are salt. Some contain dehydrated meat.”
The duo made their way to the second basement floor. The room was incredibly cold but not a lit when the lights came on. The sound of running water was immediate. Standing on a small two foot wide ledge that wrapped the room, there was a large pool of water in the center. In the middle of the water was a large stainless steel drum with pipes that looked like a tacky oversides speeders engine that seemed to be sucking the water up and into pipes that disappeared into the ceiling.
“This is the water filtration system. I diverted two streams near this home to bring a constant flow of water in. The two holes towards the top of two walls,” Jake pointed to them,
“allow the flow in. There is a button on each one that allows for me to stop the water should I choose. To help prevent an overflow from occurring, there are two drainage points.” Jake then pointed to two large rectangular holes in the wall near the floor where the water in the large pool was exiting.
“Those exits are large enough for me, and at one time, my family to escape; one at a time of course. When the home was built, and now rebuilt, I had ensured that if push came to shove and we had to escape we would have a secretive way of getting away. Each exit point leads to a different area. One towards a creek that faces the direction of my Masters Temple, the other towards the southern plains and a large Noghri village. The idea being that by the time anyone actually searched the home, my family would be long gone.” Jake glanced back at Amorella, “Now that the duller parts of this tour are over, let’s head back up.”
When they made their way into the kitchen, Jake quietly closed the door to the basement and led Amorella into the
room meant for meals. The only thing that seemed out of place was Jakes empty coffee mug with a couple of dried brown spots around the rim. The man had become quite addicted to the drink.
“The only change here compared to centuries ago is the far wall. I added cabinets and a display. Unfortunately I only have one photo of my family; the others long since gone. That’s why there’s nothing set up on the shelves. The change to the wall also explains where there is a tighter fit in here.” There was a slight pause as Jake took the time to admire it,
“There are two rules in this room. I sit there,” Jake pointed to the head of the table with his coffee mug,
“My Lady Reticea sat there.” He pointed to the opposite end.
“The only person allowed in either seat was my Lady Silencia.”
That spoke volumes. Even after centuries, the loyalty he still showed
his Wife and
his Master shined through.
His wife’s seat was her own. Even he did not dare sit in it while
his Master had free reign over their lives. Most Apprentices, or even men, would have wanted some sort of separation. Not Gravis. Not Jake. The man welcomed
his Lady Silencia’s influence, her insight, and in the rare instances of display… her care. Did that mean he viewed
his Master as more important than
his wife? Not by any means. While
his Master gave him the tools to survive. While she gifted him his life,
his wife had been his confidant, his solace, and his escape. As his eyes lingered on
his Lady Reticea’s chair, small flickers of memory from casual supper talk to more in-depth and deeply personal discussion flowed freely.
It wasn’t until the silhouette of a Noghri outside a window was picked up in his peripheral that Jake realized he had suddenly fallen silent.
“Sorry.” He shook his head to rid himself, for the moment, of the memories so the tour could carry on,
“Out here is the sitting room. The one thing you’ll notice is I don’t have a television. I’m not big on watching television. The most I have is a datapad upstairs. The one thing I noticed when I came back is the home was stripped.”
Jake glanced at Amorella, then gave the room another look around,
“Almost all of our furniture was gone. How did I know? There were parts of the home that hadn’t been as ravaged by time and weather. There were no traces of any furniture. No fabric. No wood. Nothing. That told me that my Masters family must have saved anything and everything they could when they evacuated the planet. At least that’s what I hope. I’ve searched long and hard to find pieces that are as close to what I once had as possible. The idea? That had I been successful in bringing my family back they could step in here and it’d be just like they’d never left.”
Jake led Amorella out of the sitting room and out of the front door,
“You’ve obviously seen the outside area here. The Noghri and I have an unspoken agreement. Any land that is considered my property is cleared away. Such as the landing pads, the stone pathways, this home and its surrounding grass, along with the small bit of farmland I now have and the private waterfalls in the back. Everything else is theirs. They don’t tread on my land without my permission. I don’t tread on theirs without invite. That’s been the rule for centuries. I’m not Shamalain,” Jake looked at Amorella,
“So they don’t hold any allegiance to me. The only reason they don’t kill me for being an of fworlder is because I am the Apprentice to their fallen Mal’ary’ush.”
Even if someone didn’t have a full appreciation for architecture or design, everyone had to acknowledge the care that went into rebuilding the Manor. Wood floors in particular were known to squeak. Not a sound was heard as Amorella and Jake walked about. The freshness of Mahogany still on the air meant Jake took great care of the home overall. His tone was relaxed, his demeanor even more so. They finished the downstairs tour with a visit to a second but small sitting room which led into the kitchen forming a complete circle.
Now it was time to
head upstairs. Most people whom gave tours of homes would have stopped to see if a guest had a question. Jake didn’t bother. One of the things he picked up from Amorella was she was light on words. She spoke just enough to get her point across; not a syllable more. That was like
his Lady Reticea. Jake was a chatter box and that was currently on full display. Pointing out here and there what woods could be saved from the original house, how he finished all of the exposed wood with sealant to protect it, while also adding his own little touch her and there, the joy was evident on Jakes mind.
Afterall a happy Jake was a sane Jake. Nothing made Jake happier than family and this home symbolized everything he ever wanted, everything he once had, and everything he wish he could get again. When it was time to come to the second floor, the duo made their way upstairs.
“The only other floor above this one is the attic. It’s small and actually empty at the moment. I don’t have much in the way of excess personal belongings.” He gave a glance down the hallway. “
There are five bedrooms on this floor.” He led Amorella to the farthest of them,
“These two are simply decorated guest bedrooms. Not much to them. Whenever we had family visit, which wasn’t often, they slept here.”
Jake quietly closed both doors then came to the third and fourth bedrooms,
“This one is Romanos.” He pointed to the third door,
“This one Lysanders.” He pointed to the fourth directly across from it. When they were opened both rooms displayed the personality of the children. Though the beds and dressers were similar, there were subtle differences. The color of the bed linens, the paintings of the walls, it symbolized the nuances of both children. Jake didn’t enter either. He simply pressed his back to the wall and allowed Amorella the rooms to herself.
His expression said everything. That surprising jovial Jake Daniels? Yeah he, for the moment, vanished.
“I can play house all I want.” Jake mumbled beneath a shaky voice,
“I can talk about how I wanted my children and my wife and my Master back. How I just wanted normalcy again. Each time I see their rooms I am reminded of their voices and it stings, even now.”
When Amorella finished, Jake led her not to
his Lady Reticea’s study but instead to
his bedroom. The man quietly opened the door and entered, stepping aside so Amorella could get a full view. The difference between this room and the others? The aura of his Master which radiated from a small Noghri dagger that rested on his dresser. It was here that Jake pointed out several objects. Walking over to the dresser Jake lifted the dagger and brought it to Amorella,
“This is the only thing I possess that holds any piece of my Master. It's what helps to keep my old head from going completely over the edge. The Noghri Elders in the nearest Village use it for ceremonies they hold. So long as I care for it, they let me keep it."
Jakes attention turned towards a picture frame on the wall. Instead of simply using the force to pull it from him, the man quietly walked over and removed it gently from the nail it hung by,
"This tarot card used to allow my Master and I to communicate across the farthest of distances." A small smile emerged,
"If I ever needed her... she would hear me." His voice cracked,
"The last time I used this was during the plague while out searching for a cure. Now? I don't feel her anymore." Jake's smile had vanished,
"I don't know why I expected to feel anything when I found this again... nothing survived that karking plague."
Jake set the picture frame back on the wall. He grabbed a second picture frame off the bed,
"This is the only photo I have of my family. I framed it when it began to tear from me constantly just taking it around. This is what your ancestors looked like. Me with my Lady Silencia, my Lady Reticea, Romano, and Lysander." As he took the Knife back from Amorella, he handed her the frame. Gently setting the aged weapon back where it had been, Daniels fetched his two lightsabers from his nightstand. The first being the one he had taken to Byblos; the one he built after his marriage to his Lady Reticea. The second was significant in its own right.
"This one," Jake said holding up the blade,
"is the lightsaber of my Lady Silencia. I had it hidden away. She used it when she was not more than a Knight. It's served me well my entire life. I had hoped one of my children would have inherited it." He set both weapons near the Noghri Blade on the dresser.
"There's one more room left to see." Jake said. He allowed Amorella to hold onto the photo while he closed the door behind them,
"I don't have much when it comes to my family but I will die to protect what I do keep and this home." That wasn't a warning to Amorella. It was a statement. Jake may have been viewed as nothing more than a nuisance; a man forever to be nothing more than a cast away Sith Knight but there was more depth to him. There was a vast ocean beneath the otherwise dry and plain surface. The made their way to the opposite end of the home and Jake quietly opened a door.
"This is my Lady Reticea's study. I view it as the most sacred spot in the home. Feel free to go in. I'm not Shamalain. I only enter when I have found something she once owned. Otherwise it's off limits to me." Jake explained. He peeked into the sea of various books and artifacts. The most unique aspect of the room wasn't the piano off to the side, nor the growing collection, but the fact it was two stories itself.
"While almost everything else in this is house is newer furniture and possessions I've been collecting to try and bring back a sense of the past, this room is the past. Every book and relic are the exact ones my Lady Reticea owned. Many came from the Sith Archives. Some had been in Museums in the core worlds. Others from private collections. I took them all back."
Jake let out a sigh as he vanished from view. He pressed his back against a wall in the hallway but continued to talk,
"I wasn't as smart as her. I was a blunt object to be used to hurt people. She had the smarts. I couldn't understand even a quarter of the knowledge in there. I wasn't a complete fool though. I know everything she had owned in that room. I memorized it all. If any of the missing items are still in the galaxy I'll eventually find them. They'll be brought back home." Even though Jake had been married to a Shamalain, the man still viewed himself as second class. In many ways it sounded as though Jake didn't believe even he deserved to be here. What a unique paradox.
"You speak like she did. My Lady Reticea and you would have gotten along quite nicely."
[member="Amorella Shamalain"]
