Private The Future in Every Footstep

[Jairdain Ismet-Thio]

The wind on Veradune always carried a particular weight—wild, alive, threaded with the scent of deep forests and the distant rumble of predators moving through undergrowth. Jairdain paused at the crest of the rise, letting the breeze play through her loose black hair while Sage trotted ahead, tail flicking with bright, curious energy.

Below her, the grove spread out in mottled light, sunbeams piercing through the massive canopy. It was a place untouched by the war-torn years she and Jax had survived, a place that breathed in a slower rhythm—a place where she could finally exhale.

Her hand drifted, almost unconsciously, to her abdomen. No more than a whisper of change lay beneath her palm—barely noticeable unless one already knew. And Jax always knew.

The soft footfalls behind her were unmistakable. She didn't turn immediately; she felt his presence through the Force, warm and familiar as a heartbeat remembered. When she did turn, her smile grew without effort.

"Jax."
His name was spoken like a return.

Jayna was with him, her steps quick and excited, eyes bright with the kind of boundless curiosity that only she could carry into every planet they touched. The girl's joy hit Jairdain first—bright, open, unshielded—and she opened her arms before Jayna even spoke.

The teenager practically flew into the embrace, Sage weaving around their feet in delighted circles.

"I've missed you both," Jairdain murmured, pressing a kiss to Jayna's temple before drawing back to look at her properly. "You've grown again. I swear, I leave for one mission and you gain another inch."

Jayna laughed, but her gaze slid down—subtle, perceptive, lingering on her mother's abdomen for just a moment. Jairdain brushed a hand gently across the girl's cheek, a silent acknowledgement.

Then her eyes lifted to Jax.

The Force didn't need to carry words between them; the look said enough. Relief. Love. A thousand unspoken things that Veradune would keep safe for them.

"I thought it was time we stole a quiet moment," she said softly. "Just us. Before the galaxy remembers we're useful again."

Her smile turned wry, warm.

"Walk with me? There's much to tell you both. And something I've… been waiting to share with you together."

Sage gave a soft chirp, as if seconding the invitation, before darting ahead into the grove's dappled path. Jairdain reached for Jax's hand—fingers brushing lightly, seeking the familiar grounding she had always found there—while Jayna hovered close, eager and attentive.

The three of them stepped forward, sunlight catching in their hair as the forest opened to welcome them home.

Jax Thio Jayna Ismet-Thio

 

[Jax Thio]

Location: Veradun
Equipment: Jedi Robes, Jax's Prosthetic Arm, Jax's Third Lightsaber, Marriage Ring to Jairdain
Tag: Jayna Ismet-Thio , Jairdain Ismet-Thio

It had been a long time since Jax had seen Jair.

He couldn't stop grinning the moment he saw his wife greeting he and Jayna. She would always worry that Jax would place Jayna in danger to which be fair, it wasn't far off. Jax had been training his daughter to be more entuned with the Force while also instilling values such as protecting the people of the Galaxy from outside forces like raiders. But even as Jax took Jayna to the edges of the Galaxy, he could not stop thinking about his wife and the baby that was growing inside of her tummy.

"What?" Jax smirked seeing Jair kiss Jayna on the head. "No kiss for me?"

Seeing Jair again brightened Jax's day, no matter where they were in the Galaxy, their love remained strong. "So what's this meeting about?" Jax asked. "It said it was urgent."

 

[Jayna Ismet-Thio]

Objective: Family Time
Location: Veradune
Outfit: Cute flowy dress
Tags: Jairdain Ismet-Thio | Jax Thio

It felt so good to be with both her parents, and to be on Veradune as well. This planet held a lot of stories that Jayna would be more than happy to learn. Her uncle Vulps was here, but right now none of that mattered. Right now, she only cared about her parents both being together with her. It didn't happen very often, and she wanted to take advantage of it.

Though she had spent most of her young life with her mother, Jayna had been spending a lot of time with Dad, learning. She still didn't have permission to build her lightsaber, but she wouldn't let that dampen her enthusiasm for the moment. She was happy to be held in her mother's arms with her father giving them just a little bit of space before he joined them.

"Missed you too Mom," Jayna mumbled through her exuberance. "I hope I'll stop growing soon though. I'm as tall as you are now Mom. The boys aren't going to want to date a hulk like me if I keep getting taller," there was a giggle to hide only the slightest bit of true concern on the matter. Jayna had interest in romance as a fantasy, but she didn't think of it as a real part of her life yet.

The daughter could tell there was something different about her mom. It seemed to be coming from her midsection. The truth was not something that occurred to Jayna very often. She thought perhaps Mom was sick. When Jairdain asked them to walk and discuss things, Jayna got a bit frightened. But she would be brave and nodded as her father joined them. "You guys kiss in private. I don't need to see that…Mom says we need to take a walk and talk. Then you can find time for your kissy faces."

 

[Jairdain Ismet-Thio]

Jairdain felt them before she heard them—two bright presences moving through Veradune's ever-alert forest, each familiar in its own way. The world around her was alive with predators and pulsing with danger, but none of that mattered when Jayna's arms wrapped around her with breathless force. Jairdain held her daughter close, breathing in the scent of sun-warm skin and forest air. Sage skittered happily around their feet, a flurry of small paws and soft fur, adding his own bouncing welcome.

Then came Jax—steady, strong, his presence always a little wild at the edges. Even without seeing him, she knew he was smiling.

"No kiss for me?" he teased.

She tilted her head toward his voice and smiled. "Patience, my love. You will be thoroughly kissed later. For now, let me greet our daughter properly."

Jayna's worried rambling about her height coaxed a soft laugh from Jairdain. She cupped the girl's face in gentle hands, tracing the lines she had memorized long ago.

"You are not a hulk," she said warmly. "You are tall, graceful, and beautiful. Anyone intimidated by you simply hasn't grown enough themselves."

Jayna giggled, trying to hide her concern, and Sage chirped in agreement by nudging her ankle.

Jax stepped closer then, reaching out, and Jairdain found his hand without hesitation, their fingers fitting together with the ease of years. She leaned into him, forehead brushing his shoulder for a quiet, grounding moment before straightening.

"What's this about? You said urgent," he asked.

Jairdain felt Jayna tense again at those words—fear tightening her aura in a sharp little knot. She squeezed her daughter's hand immediately.

"Nothing bad," she promised softly. "I would never summon you here in fear."

They walked together—Jax on one side, Jayna on the other—through Veradune's heavy underbrush. The forest around them breathed like a living creature: branches shifting overhead, distant beasts calling, thick humidity clinging to their skin. This world was wild, unforgiving, ancient. And it listened.

At a small clearing where the canopy opened just enough to let warm light trickle through, Jairdain stopped.

"This isn't about danger," she said gently. "It's about… change."

Jayna's nervous energy spiked. Jax's breath caught. Sage sat at her feet, tail curled neatly, waiting.

Jairdain placed her free hand over her abdomen.

"You were right to sense something, Jayna," she said softly. "But it wasn't illness."

She drew a slow, steady breath.

"It is life."

Silence sank into the clearing.

"I'm pregnant."

Jayna's uncertainty rippled beside her—shock, hope, confusion, awe. Jax's hand tightened in hers with raw emotion that needed no words. Sage pressed closer to her leg, as if sensing the new heartbeat she carried.

Jairdain turned toward Jayna, her voice filled with warmth.

"You are going to be a big sister."

Then she squeezed Jax's hand, leaning slightly into him.

"And I wanted to tell you both here, on Veradune, because this is where the Hand gathers now… this is where new paths begin. But this doesn't change our home."

She lifted her chin toward Jayna so her daughter felt the intention clearly.

"You and I will stay on Bastion. This is only a meeting. A moment for the Protectorate. But our life—our family—remains where we built it."

She drew them both closer in an embrace shaped by love, new beginnings, and the fierce strength that tied them together.

"We face this change as we always have," she whispered. "Together."

Jax Thio Jayna Ismet-Thio

 

[Jax Thio]

Location: Veradun
Equipment: Jedi Robes, Jax's Prosthetic Arm, Jax's Third Lightsaber, Marriage Ring to Jairdain
Tag: Jairdain Ismet-Thio Jayna Ismet-Thio

Jair was one of the founders of the Hand and the faction has been active for decades. While Jax participated in some of the meetings and missions, he stayed away from his wife’s affairs focusing on his factions. But with the unexpected fall of the Alliance, Jax once again was without a faction to serve. Jair on the other hand was insistent in bringing he and Jayna to the Hand. Jax suspected it was so he could be closer to her especially now that she’s pregnant.

“You’re going to be a big sister Jayna,” Jax said ruffling her hair. “I’m going to have to double my efforts in teaching you how to defend yourself. Your mother definitely needs more protecting.”

He chuckled as he moved to kiss Jair on the cheek. “Im ready this time,” Jax whispered placing his hand on Jair’s stomach. “But what is this meeting about?”

 

[Jayna Ismet-Thio]

Objective: Family Time
Location: Veradune
Outfit: Cute flowy dress
Tags: Jairdain Ismet-Thio | Jax Thio

Jayna's mother complimented Jayna and contradicted the view that Jayna stated was how the boys her age saw her. Their thoughts really weren't a big deal at the moment. But there was very little concern about the future. If Jayna grew to over six feet, what sort of partner might she attract? Being taller wasn't something that concerned Jayna, but some of the boys she had run across were petty and mean already. Jayna guessed that was not the type of partner she would want in the future, but if they never grew out of that it would make a smaller potential pool when she might actually care.

The praise of her mother for her physical form made Jayna blush. She wasn't really looking for that. She was concerned about sticking out and giving a reason for ridicule and perhaps exclusion, but she wasn't looking for any self esteem boost. Jayna didn't really care if people thought she was pretty or not. She didn't even make that assessment of herself because it just plain didn't matter. Plus the fact that her Mom saw her only through the Force suggested that others might not see Jayna the same way.

Jayna's focus on her physical features however was short lived as her father stepped closer and Mom announced what exactly Jayna had felt that was "different" about her mother. Mom wasn't sick, she was pregnant. Jayna's mouth hung open for a moment, not really sure if she believed what her mom said. Her father was quick to confirm the statement, not that he would know better than Mom would. The statement Jayna had made about them not kissing seemed to have flown out the window now. When did they have time? Jayna shook her head at the thought. She didn't even want to know the answer to that.

The mention of being a big sister was a bit bittersweet for Jayna. She smiled, because she knew that she had a close relationship with both her parents and wasn't old enough to set out on her own. Unless she wanted to join one of the Force orders and take on a master other than her Father. Jayna would have every opportunity to be a big sister. But that thought reminded her that she had missed out a lot on being a little sister. Jayna's siblings weren't all a lot older than what Jayna was now. But they only shared one parent. And Jayna couldn't be sure what those relationships were when she was really little. She hoped that the galaxy wouldn't get in the way of her and her new sibling being close.

Jayna felt relieved when Mom said that home would still be on Bastion. Despite the fact that the new "Hand" forming on the beautiful home planet of her mother's people. And knowledge of the fact that her father was still bound to be a nomad most of the time and want Jayna to come with him some of the time. Having a true home would be important. It made Jayna feel secure she would always have someplace to go with family. "I'll be the best big sister!" Jayna blurted out before nuzzling closer to her mother.

Her father's statement that he would have to increase the effort to teach her combat made Jayna laugh. "A lightsaber would go a long way in defending myself, Mom and the baby," she said with an awkward grin. "People in the Lilaste Order can help too you know. I think Bastion will be quite safe though."

 

[Jairdain Ismet-Thio]

The warmth of Jax's presence brushed her awareness even before his lips touched her cheek, familiar as the shift of a breeze in a place she had walked a thousand times. She turned toward him instinctively, a soft smile blooming despite the weight of everything that had brought them here.

He had always been a wanderer of factions and banners, pulled by purpose, duty, or the fires of conflict. She, by contrast, had rooted herself in the Hand decades ago—one of its first voices, one of the architects of its earliest ideals. Their paths had aligned and diverged and aligned again so many times that the rhythm of it had become part of their marriage. She knew what it meant for him to stand here now. With her. With Jayna. With another child growing quietly inside her.

She lifted her hand and placed it over his as he rested it against her abdomen, letting him feel the subtle warmth and pulse of new life beneath her robes.

"I'm glad you're here this time," she murmured, voice low and threaded with affection. "Not as an outsider… not as someone passing through. But as my partner. As Jayna's father. As part of this future the Hand is building."

Her thumb brushed softly across his knuckles.

"And the meeting? It's about reconstruction, unity, and what the new Hand will stand for. We are no longer the old organization, nor the Empire's shadow. We are shaping something different. And I want the two of you to be part of the foundation of it."

Jayna's bright flare of emotion drew her attention next—excitement and worry and curiosity swirling together like a storm of warm color in the Force. Jairdain let her daughter nuzzle close, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pressing a kiss into the crown of her head.

"You will be a wonderful big sister, Jayna," she murmured, her voice thick with certainty. "Not because of height or strength or any of the things you fret about… but because you care. You care deeply, instinctively, and fiercely. That is what protects a family—not size, not blades."

Jayna's comment about lightsabers made her chuckle softly, a sound that lifted the tension from her chest.

"Yes, a lightsaber would help," she conceded with quiet humor. "And you're nearly ready. But that is a conversation for when we return to Bastion. Not because I doubt you—but because I want your path to begin in the right place, at the right pace. With guidance, not pressure."

She brushed Jayna's hair back—something she still did by instinct, even though she had never seen its color.

"As for Bastion," she continued, tone warm and steady, "it will be safe. Between the Lilaste Order, the Diarchy, and the allies still loyal to us, it is a world protected by more than walls. And you will always have a home there—even when the galaxy pulls us in different directions."

Her hand drifted to her stomach again, subconsciously protective.

"This little one will have a home too," she said softly. "A place all of us return to, no matter how far we travel."

She felt Jax's shifting concern, Jayna's excitement, the land itself humming with wild, living energy beneath their feet.

Veradune had always been a place of transformation.

She turned slightly toward the path leading deeper into its forests, where the Hand had gathered and the future waited with its usual mixture of danger and promise.

"Come," she said gently. "Let's not be late. Today marks the beginning of something new—for the faction, and for us."

She reached out—one hand for Jax, one for Jayna—and began walking toward the next chapter of their family's story.

Jax Thio Jayna Ismet-Thio

 

[Jax Thio]

Location: Verudan
Equipment: Jedi Robes, Jax's Prosthetic Arm, Jax's Third Lightsaber, Marriage Ring to Jairdain
Tag: Jairdain Ismet-Thio , Jayna Ismet-Thio

A warm smile slowly spread across Jax's lips. When he first met Jair all those years ago, she was distraught having been left a widow while Jax was still reeling from nearly having his first Padawan killed during the battle of Korriban. The two bonded over their trauma becoming stronger for it. Master Oda was right in that love was the most powerful force of them all. It was a neverending stream of compassion and companionship that could snuff out the dark entities plaguing a person's soul.

He didn't need to see Jair's happiness he could feel it in her bones and their child was growing inside of her which meant that their family would be adding another happy child. "The future huh?" Jax raised an eyebrow. "Does this have to do with the Galactic Alliance falling? I've heard there were pockets of rebellion forming across the core..... but they're scattered and probably need a Jedi or two to assist."