Till Death Do Us Part (Lady Kay)

[WolfMortum]

To say that his livelihood had declined was not at all difficult to see strewn upon the face of Veiere Arenais, he of whom had eyes sunken into his face, sagged skin draping in bags for which resembled all the sleep that had been so astray in his nights. Depression had taken the light of his days and while it had broken him down and pulled him away from his disillusion of grandeur and self entitlement and proclaimed sense of righteousness that had been his adherence to the Jedi Order, a long since dead husk for which resembled nothing of what he remembered in his former days and now doubted that he hadn't orchestrated his own failure towards the end, attempting the impossible spurred on by false ideals and admiration for the deceased; vision of clarity had come to him against all the trauma, the guilt and resentment that he found in his recluse away from the rest of Commenor; the fact that what they were doing, he and his wife, simply wasn't good enough if they wished to survive.

The [member="Lady Kay"] had always been more intelligent than he, from his perspective. A Born natural in the game of politics though that was a feat questionable in whether pride should accompany the fact or they remain disavowed towards the treacherous dealings of men and women and power with little to no consequence of the rules and peoples they resided over...Their world, one of millions within the Galaxy had come to hold the common factor of being so very bleak within his gaze, pessimism doing his interactions with others no favors in the beginning and his former denial had turned to self loathing and only now was his anger beginning to shift into ambition and the intent to put things into action. Once upon a time, he had stood aboard the legendary Chimaera Star Destroyer of which carried the infamous 501st stormtrooper legion, a dominant and influential military force for which had seen countless battles and others recognized to be intimidating and demanded respect...

Upon Commenor, was the 191st CloneTrooper Infantry along with the Armored Division that stood mostly untested. Trained yet having not had the real combatant experience that came with their expected service to the Systems Alliance. To take up the rifle and compete in the blood sport of war for ones life and loyalty to the throne for which he and his beloved had claimed. Kay wasn't the type to go down this path of thought, though Veiere suspected she had come to realize where his doubts had led him and she'd obviously seen the changes in him over the recent weeks...His share lack of interest in portrayed affections as opposed to the ever so present decay that was his lasting impression of the Galaxy and any chance for true peace without resorting to violence themselves had become his unavoidable focus...

...Standing out upon the verander over looking the plains of Commenor while the sun set in the hills ahead of him, Veiere wondered how he might reach his wife without leading her to fear the place he had come to both in himself and as a supposed leader over their people.

 

[Kay-Larr]

So much had changed in recent years, and yet so much had stayed the same. Their family was growing, yet changing in that Caedyn was gone to learn what [member="Veiere Arenais"] had thought best for him. Reluctantly Kay had agreed. Her husband had been her bodyguard and advisor long before they even fell in love, so she trusted his wisdom. Still, as a mother, she was worried.

And she was worried about Veiere. Lately she had busied herself with work and affairs of the state, travelling to different worlds and gaining more contracts to help their people. While he, on the other hand, had shuttered himself away, working either in his shop or somewhere else. He was more distant than what was normal. Was his love for her fading? No. But something else was.

Kay arrived back at their estate, wearing the light suit that her husband had so lovingly created for her. She had just been down to Chasin City to visit with an old friend, and now she had something important to talk to her husband about in relation to their daughter. Among other things.

She spotted her husband the moment that she shut off her speederbike, giving him a small wave before she dismounted. Different thoughts and feelings were swirling around him, she could feel them. His pose, the look in his sunken eyes, all of it was different from the man that she had married. Kay smiled at him anways as she walked up the steps to greet him, planting a loving kiss on his cheek. "Evening my dear. I have something to ask you. Shall we step inside? Or would you rather we stay out here? Either way is fine with me." There was worry already in her eyes, yet she wanted to be sure that he didn't feel as though he was being dragged into a discussion that he didn't want. Wherever he felt more comfortable was where she wanted to be.

 

[WolfMortum]

His beloved wife carried a certain caution and wariness in her care to approach him, the bond in the Force that they shared betrayed her want for he to remain ignorant to her concerns while he felt clearly her want to reach out to him and sooth his chaotic emotions and halt his decline. Even in her greeting and the way she spoke to him seemed to come off as sheltering, questioning him for where he would prefer like some awkward child whom knew not the layout of the establishment he stood within. Veiere knew this to be natural given her position and his admittance for making her feel such a way, such an uncertainty around him was yet another testament to his shame and confusion of self for where he found his path having come upon a dead stop with no further steps in sight, walking off the beaten track so to speak.

"Hello, love..." He turned to face her in greeting and welcomed her to him in open arms, wrapping around the back of her shoulders as she came in to close on their distance and he took her into his embrace for which he hoped she would recognize the love that he still held for her no matter where his faith in everything else had befallen. Placing a kiss upon her lips, he would have her silence her queries that they two might act as though they knew one another the way they always had, his left hand taking to hers and soon parting their brush of intimacy in order to lead her on inside in answer of her questioning.

"I'm having to assume this is something of a serious matter..." He asked, his voice lifting a little in partial concern and intrigue of his own right while soon moving for the open Kitchen that peered off from their open living suite, seeking to find comfort in the golden drop of one of Commenor's home branded spirits. Lately the warring states around them had been on both of their minds and discussed often while Veiere had informed her recently of his intention to visit First Order space in the hope of gaining some insight as to what aided to their strength of province. Forever hating politics, he favored strength of character over the silver tongue and lined pockets of the galaxies supposed most promising peoples. Lies and deceit; Honesty was Veiere's preference and in his actions he sought to always show people where they stood with him, no beating around the bush nor judging them by their peers but their own actions and character, there integrity or lack there of...

Not everything could be passed off so easily however and nothing was so black and white that he could any longer find ease in deciphering the calling of the Force for which he had always believed would guide him. Not lead him into the abyss.

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

There it was. That spark that revealed itself during that first kiss during a training session. Kay let herself be wrapped in his embrace, letting herself be enveloped in the feeling of safety. Despite their disagreements on ocassion, she knew that [member="Veiere Arenais"] would always protect her and always love her. She'd do the same for him, and their children. That would never change.

She interlocked their fingers as he held her hand, turning to lead her into the estate. A small smile appeared as he brought her to the kitchen. He knew exactly what she'd want; tea to give her comfort in what could be an uncomfortable discussion. Of course all of her fears and worries could be all for nought. They could be just her own imaginings. Yet ever since he had tracked her down when a bounty hunter had caught her and [member="Darth Abyss"] had entered his mind, Veiere hadn't really been the same. It was like a low tide that was slowly trickling in, the kind that one wouldn't notice until they became trapped.

Kay nodded in response to his question as she broke from him to prepare herself some tea while she spoke. "I ran into [member="Jaster of Clan Awaud"] today. He's an old friend, having rescued me from some Imperials a long time ago when a transport that I was in had crashed near a military exercise for some secret technology. But anways, he was giving me some insight as to what is going on north of our borders. He doesn't approve of Ra or his Crusades, nor of what the majority of the Mandalorians have become. He was startled to know that I was adopted into a Clan, but pleased. We got to talking about it more, and of what Mandalorians were like in the past. He pointed out that our children are half Mandalorian, and I don't want that to be a slight against them like how I feel it is to me. So I asked him if he'd like to train Lori, so that she could protect herself far better than I could and be able to handle herself better if she becomes a target because of us. It's a decision that we'll both have to make together." Jaster wouldn't have it any other way. And he was right to hold that stance.

 

[WolfMortum]

"You stood by my decision to send Caedyn away into the care of [member="Asha Hex"] and the Je'daii Order despite your discomfort with it..." Veiere responded, his voice hushed though in the privacy of their empty home and beholden only to their company together he needn't speak with any real strength; frankly that which was missing. "I don't know enough about your People to understand their ways and you know I generally dislike our galaxies apparent zeal in political revenue yet if this helps our baby girl to become strong and to learn to live for herself, to not become a victim of the reality that surrounds us then you have my approval...".

Setting about to provide his Wife with a fresh cup of her favorite Tea, he was never as gifted in the drinks make as she was though he knew that [member="Lady Kay"] appreciated the gesture all the same. Their family together had grown and their little World of Commenor stood at the heart of their House, yet it was time to let go. Not only of their Children but in Veiere's mind too, their illusions that suggested the two were able to change the minds of countless billions purely on the grounds of morality, such generosities and compassion, feelings of mutual respect and understanding that the Jedi Code had convinced him once, was an aspect of Society worth protecting, yet had truthfully ceased to exist in the Galaxy around them long before his leave of Alzoc Three.

"We have done all that we can to give them the foundation of integrity and moral character that we can hope the two grow up to become comfortable in their lives. You trust this man as I do the young Master whom resides over our Son's training...-We've done everything we can to pretend the Galaxy is a welcoming one but it's time they learned the truth and are able to prepare to protect themselves from it all...".

At-least there would be some hope for their Children, innocent and not yet plagued by the battle of light and darkness, concepts and perceptions of peoples that for a millennia had battled one another purely on the consensus that while one sides ideals were bred, the other could not be justified or possibly proven. Man's irrational self destructive behavior, the denial of other peoples beliefs due to their conflicting against their own. Wars were started because society lacked the decency to respect their peers origins, to agree to disagree yet remain amicable. It had always bothered Veiere, but only lately had he come to realize that his faith lost in the Jedi had evolved to finding himself within a great depression, no longer able to believe in the good of anyone, no longer relying on fairy-tales where life bred such overbearing and indisputable evidence to the contrary.

"You should know that I have put forward my resignation of leadership over the Systems Alliance...".

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay closed her eyes and let out a frustrated sigh as [member="Veiere Arenais"] spoke of the Mandalorians being 'her people', assuming in some way that she knew everything that there was to know about them when she didn't. She knew as little as he did. In truth there were times when she felt ashamed of it all, given the Crusades and the war and fear mongering that they produce. She wanted no part of that. And Lori could be trained by someone outside of that. The Mandalorians were no more her people than the Sith were, in her opinion. But she was entrusting their daughter's care with one of her friends. And that was what was needed.

She took the tea that Veiere had made, cradling the cup in her hands as she took a sip. History was repeating itself. Although she had more time with Lori and Caedyn, they were still being sent away, just as [member="Bradshaw Ku"] and [member="Rae-Anna Ku"] were. It brought tears to her eyes, though she didn't let them fall as she looked to her husband, seeing how far he had fallen already, growing ever darker like her first husband did before his untimely murder. Was the same thing going to happen again? Would she lose her husband through sacrifice? She certainly hoped not. To go through that twice was just too much to bear.

To his final statement, she gave him a tiny nod. "I know....Olivia told me..." She just didn't know what else to say at the moment, except "Just do whatever you need to do. I'm not going to tie you down." There was much that she had to arrange. But given that Veiere wasn't deep in the political circles, it wouldn't be as much of a hassle as it could be.

This Estate was going to be quite an empty place.

 

[WolfMortum]

Veiere chose to pour himself a second glass of whiskey as he listened to his wife's tone of resignation, accepting his own on the spot as if there was nothing to the situation that she could control nor influence in him. The way that she responded, the lack of a fight and argument over why he should remain there in leadership alongside her left the two of them standing not as husband and wife but as associates in business that was being concluded.

He had told her the one thing he had been reluctant to disclose to his wife for the sole reason of her comfort and presumed feelings on the matter. Veiere had expected concern, a panic or at the very least some sort of interrogation as to why he had come to this decision and yet the feeling, the sense of the situation that he felt coming from her through their bond in the force was not one of uncertainty but loss and her apparent acceptance of it.

"You do not seem all that concerned...", he muttered softly, his eyes lifting from the glass to cross and seek out her own. He could read her presence through the Force as easily as she could read his when they were not seeking to restrict one another from their connection, [member="Lady Kay"] would find she had full access to his mind and his heart were she only to reach out to him; "Do you want me to go?" he questioned further in response to her remark about doing whatever it was he felt he needed to or that she would not tie him down at all.

"Do you not care to know why?".

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay furrowed her brows as she looked to [member="Veiere Arenais"] in disbelief. "Of course I'm concerned, of course I'm worried. But this isn't the first time that you've left to pursue your own path. You did it with the Dominion and then the Jedi Order. And now...." She set her tea cup down on the counter, not exactly trusting herself to being able to keep it in her grip. "...I have never wanted you to leave, yet I don't want to force you to stay and become more reclusive. All that has done is to help you lose who you are."

Her eyes dropped from his. "I shouldn't of let you have Lord Abyss get into your head. I should have put my foot down and paid the price myself." Guilt was ever present within her. Guilt for all the times that she had been captured, leaving Veiere to try to track her down and get her to safety. Guilt for being in the position that she was in, as a ruler of so many worlds and of pushing him into a life of politics that he had never wanted but chose to do so out of his love for her.

Love. Hope. That was what her dear husband represented to her. But now that he was losing himself, she felt the pull of it slipping away, the darkness tugging at her again. She didn't want to be trapped alone in the dark again. And she didn't want Veiere to do so either.

Kay closed the gap between them and placed her hand on his cheek, stroking it with her thumb as she once again lifted her eyes to his. "I love you always. And I want to help you. I'll take some time off, whatever it takes..." Just don't fall too far. Don't go where I can't follow.

That's what her heart said, almost pleading to him to change his mind.

 

[WolfMortum]

"Pfah!" Veiere scoffed in annoyance, "Lord Abyss...-He is far from a Lord of any sort" he responded all rather confident on the fact. Veiere hadn't considered that Abyss might be in any way connected to his decline to the Dark Side of the Force; he was trained well enough as a Jedi to recognize the descent of which his darker emotions were taking precedence in his life and yet the apparition that she called Lord had all but fled from the light that Veiere had been ready to unleash upon him, if not for the sake of the criminal empire that had their weapons trained upon he, his wife [member="Lady Kay"] and [member="Ghorua the Shark"]; "And if he comes near you again I will have his head..." Veiere added in conclusion not at all favoring their last interaction with the Sith Lord whom had acted like less of a warrior and more of a mercenary relying upon his thugs around him.

That she had noticed his fall was by no means a surprise though he had failed to notice it until she had made it so blatantly apparent; his head lifted in a half nod, his voice faltering for a moment as he sought to consider how best to explain himself on the subject. Kay had mentioned the Jedi Order and so Veiere figured that was the best place to start. "Do you remember the concerns I shared with you during my trips back and fourth from Deneba and here, love?", he had resided within the Jedi Enclave there and yet Commenor had and always would remain his home; "Being excluded and discouraged from our own people on the simple basis that our opinions did not always see eye to eye with their own...-The Jedi Code teaching to respect life in all forms, to embrace collaboration with all peoples and to bring the Galaxy together in harmony where all that I saw was prejudice and aggression, their need to enter into conflict with others because of their differences. The hypocrisy and blind arrogance..." as well as the fact that the closer he came to these people, the harder he tried to encourage the best of their former culture and traditions, the more he felt as though he were becoming guilty of the same crimes against the galaxy as well as his faith and adherence to the Force itself. After all, one cannot point the finger without being guilty of judging others, himself. "I dedicated thirty years of my life to liars and warmongers and you think that one hour in the presence of Darth Abyss is what corrupted me..." Veiere laughed at the thought, soon shaking his head slowly.

"I've been having doubts for some time, Kay..." Veiere continued though this time his voice was soft and sincere within her close proximity, his arms taking to wrap around her shoulders and pull her in against his front while his eyes sought to meet with hers, "Part of me must have always known how futile it was to try to bring the Order back. Naturally they do not wish to change, they've become rich in their politics and intimidating in their love for war. They're too blind to know that their justifications for violence are no different than those of the First Order's and the Galactic Empire...", only recently had he spoken with [member="Samka Derith"] whom had tried to convince him that their actions were pre-emptive strikes out of retaliation against the Galactic Alliance's previous attacks as well as their need to defend their people.

"The only thing that my restraint and consideration for others has earned me is the resentment of my own people. Refusing to fight has seen me less favor than choosing a side in their battles would have brought me and at the end of the day, it's become startling clear to me that nothing will change in this Galaxy until those that manipulate it all and do so much wrong, are killed. Politics can be bought, freedom will always remain in the hands of those who have the credits for it; the only true justice in our society is death to those who have earned it".

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay sighed a little. She only called Abyss by the title of Lord out of politeness. Yet here was her husband scoffing at her for even saying it.

And then there it was. [member="Veiere Arenais"] made a bold statement of fact that he would kill the Sith Lord that wasn't even alive. He just wanted to protect her and she knew that, but the way in which he said it gave her pause.

Her brows furrowed while he continued, her eyes studying him as he spoke of the Jedi Order and what he had tried to accomplish there. What he had said was true. There were plenty of Jedi out there that thrived on war. She knew of them well and of how blurred their perception was between what was good and what was evil. But still, it didn't mean that he had to give up. It didn't mean that he had to delve into madness. And that's what this appeared to be. A touch of insanity that was a clear sign of someone that was on the verge of breaking.

Kay rested her arms on his shoulders, interlocking her fingers against the back of his neck. "And what of us here? People don't buy their way in, don't buy their freedom. War is kept from our borders because we don't interfere. Choosing a side that isn't our own will only result in putting targets on our backs. Will it be that way forever? No, of course not. But I'm determined to keep it that way for as long as I can. People have told me that it's futile for a long time, and yet the peace here persists in a near defiance of their dire warnings. Don't you want to prove them all wrong? Or are you just going to go out there and kill anyone that you suspect of being a threat, which is exactly what they do..."

 

[WolfMortum]

"The Systems Alliance has established a safety net for refugees coming from other pockets of the Galaxy" Veiere answered [member="Lady Kay"] in partial agreement, a nod of reassurance to suggest that he wasn't ignorant to her point of view yet had more to say for the rest of the Galaxy around the pocket they'd carved out of the chaos for themselves; "As a member of the Jedi Order, you supported my wish to protect others outside of the CSA; to look beyond the wall that we have built against the maelstrom of violence bordering our territory..." he first sought to remind his beloved before continuing to elaborate on his reasons.

"My being removed of any position of authority over the Systems Alliance will lessen the chance that my future actions will impact upon our people in any way negatively. There are others out there who need assistance and don't have the strength to demand it. There are people out there who would look not beyond themselves, killing and enslaving good citizens of the galaxy in their bid for power and wealth...-Our Galaxy has not changed, nor has my refusal to sit complacently and allow others to get hurt where I could possibly do something about it" his motivations were sound, his intentions were genuine and yet his practices would prove to have changed in the time that had passed since the establishment of Deneba. His new Order would see too the retribution of his past mistakes, no longer waiting on fate to bring him the life he dreamed he was destined for but taking actions into his own hands and finally commanding the Force upon his will and no one else's.

"I will always love you, Kay" Veiere's words softened and slowed as he took a moment to pull away from his explanations to focus purely upon the two of them and their relationship, "I realize I've been distant. I've needed to rediscover my direction in life. My path was not what I believed it to be..." He considered going into more detail around his beliefs on the Jedi Order and why he felt so betrayed, yet now was the time for themselves, Husband and Wife, till death brought their marriage to an end. "You know that I'm a man of action, words are not enough to silence my desire to help others...-I can't stand and talk like you can, honor politics without being suspicious of those I'm working with. I don't trust the image that men and women portray in their self representation within the senate or any form of congress, it's actions that show the true virtue of those around me that makes a person reliable...".

"I'm going to bring about a new Order...-One that will become strong enough to do what is right. To protect those who deserve it and to bring justice upon those who seek to oppress the innocent. All the while, I trust you to remain here, to provide a sanctuary where those people that we do help, might seek safety and a higher standard of living under the protection of the Government that you and I have built...", no one else would hear of this, his intent for the Systems Alliance was to remain strictly between Kay and himself. The Dark Jedi Order would become independant, outside of the Systems Alliance's affiliation, yet Veiere knew that he could always rely upon his beloved wife to provide a place of true peace and security here from the heart of their Nation, the world of Commenor and his home.

 

[Kay-Larr]

"But Veiere... Kay sighed a little. "...Handing back your crown doesn't dissolve any links that you have to us. You are my husband, forever and always. That alone would be enough for some to question whether or not we fully support your actions. But...given that we are not well know, that could provide less of a chance of us being targeted." That wouldn't be enough for some however, like the Silvers or the Galactic Alliance. But for others it could be. It made her glad that Commenor's voice was relatively unheard.

She looked away a little as[member="Veiere Arenais"] spoke of sitting back while others suffer. Kay had heard that argument before from others. It was a damned if they did do something and damned if they didn't scenario. Yet the best one for their people right now was to not interfere. Sending in aid and helping refugees, that was alright. But most of the conflicts involved allies fighting allies. And she didn't want to choose sides too soon. There were pros and cons for each.

Her gaze was drawn to him again when he said that he will always love her. There was a finality to it, a goodbye as though they would never see eachother again. She hoped that that wasn't true. She needed him, especially if war came to them. "I will do as you ask and stay here whenever possible....But please be careful, my dear. Don't just jump into things. Think it through. Weigh your options. And if you need our help, we will be there as soon as we can. I have many contacts all over and can pull some strings if I need to."

Kay tried to not sound desperate or overly worried. But she loved him too much to just let him go without letting him know that she was there for him. "I love you Veiere. Please come home to me some time..."

 

[WolfMortum]

"Our personal relationship together is not justification enough to bring war upon millions of innocents within the Systems Alliance territories" Veiere responded, shaking his head slightly in his disagreement. He understood that his wife sought to keep him there with her yet the Galaxy was calling to him and this time he would stand to take hold of his destiny, to control his life rather than being led by dreams and clouded shadows of unrealistic ideals. "I'm going to be heading south of the Galactic Empire to the Instrop Sector, it's not widely known to many, the Planet Rannon where I'm going to form this new Force Order...I will be seeking support from some of our current allies and in turn they will recieve mine but I'm not going to leave any connection between myself and the CSA. I will not take that risk and endanger you all...".

"Within a years time I have put into practice plans to have organized and established a size-able fleet to protect the Order's interests, I will of course visit you and seek to spend as much time as we can together my love. You will never go long without contact from me whether through holo-transmissions or my reaching Commenor. Naturally I will also be making certain that Caedyn and Lori are given a size-able inheritance should anything happen to either of us...-But let's not think too much on that".

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay sighed a little. She knew [member="Veiere Arenais"] was wrong. For some, their marriage would be enough. Wars were caused from silly misunderstandings before. Even the Mandalorians had threatened to attack their system over the makings of a promise to treat prisoners of war well and to not attack civilians and their pockets of refuge including schools and hospitals. She knew that to the wrong people, to the war hungry, they would look for any reason. It made her think of the possibilities of their family being hunted down, held hostage in a bid to hurt Veiere. Given the amount of times that she's had bounties, as well as the current political climate, such a notion wasn't very far fetched.

She listened to him explain his plans. Fleets, helping their allies. Now she learned which ones he had meant. The Imperial ones. Would this be enough of a favour to pay off [member="Tanomas Graf"] for the blueprints to some of their ships? She still owed him for that. Yet in accepting that, it wouldn't disconnect Veiere from the CSA, the opposite of what he was wanting to achieve.

"You've...really been busy..." Suddenly she wished that their lives were more simple, that they'd of had more time together than this. "How long before you go?..." He was planning on living so far away. Visiting wouldn't be easy. Would he allow her to drop by? Or would he prefer her to stay at home? She wasn't sure of how long she could be kept apart from him.