Private When the Bond Breaks....

[Caedyn Arenais]

It was good to see his Mom again, evidenced by the broad smile that lit up his expression upon meeting her with open arms. Hugging her tightly, it was an embrace that every child would forever recognize and feel immediate comfort from, the unconditional love of a Mother. "It's good to see you Mom" Caedyn said to NPC Treasury as he let go of the embrace; "I'm glad you've been on your best behavior" he added with a soft chuckle, finding humor in the reversed roles, faking as best a parental tone of voice as he could in the moment of jest and play.

"Things have been pretty intense with me lately" He added as he took a position by her side and looked out upon their surroundings whilst they awaited his Sister's arrival; "I reformed the Jedi Enclave in the Outer Rim like I said I would, but we came under a number of attacks from remnants of the First Order, as well as a Cultist group loyal to the Emperor" he explained. He was of course alive and well, so in that sense there weren't anything to complain about; however these were struggles fairly typical of a Jedi. The only problem is that they'd hit him on the home front.

"The Outer Rim needs a lot of work though, it's such a big area that's pretty much left to fend for itself. The Outer Planets Alliance move from sector to sector, but they can't be everywhere at once, so most worlds tend to have to deal with things on their own. Makes a lot of work for the Jedi, but I guess that means we're never shy of opportunity either".

Loreena Arenais-Valhoun | Curtis Learchin

 

[NPC Treasury]

Kay smiled as Caedyn Arenais regarded her with such warmth and humour. It was what she needed now, more than ever. And soon they would too.

At the mention of hearing that his Enclave had come under attack, Kay immediately began checking him over, like any doting mother would. "Are you okay? I mean really okay? Did you get any injuries? Had you seen a doctor? I have some tea that could help with anything that they missed. I hope that you don't constantly put yourself in danger. You'll only make me worry." But that was all part and parcel of being a Mom, wasn't it?

She sighed a little to herself, now looking towards the path for Lori to show up. "There will always be someone to fight...There will always be those that enjoy hurting others." Kay was naive to think otherwise. But much had happened to change her views on the Galaxy as a whole.

 

[Curtis Learchin]

Curtis followed behind Loreena Arenais-Valhoun , bearing no weapons. He knew this wasn't the place, that the likelihood of him being attacked was limited. But without them, he felt naked, he'd be drawing solely on the Force should combat fall upon them, and there was only so long he could keep that up before exhausting himself.

As they followed the path, Curtis began to feel a presence in the Force. It was bright, a light that seemed to echo through the area. In contrast, Curtis would seem like the void itself, swallowing the light. From what Lori had told her of Caedyn Arenais, he could guess that whoever was giving off the light, it was most definitely him.

Curtis would keep a respectable distance from the gathering, not wishing to intrude on the sombre occasion.

NPC Treasury

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori saw that Curtis Learchin was silent, even slowing his pace while both Caedyn Arenais and her Mom came into view. She gave him a reassuring smile, yet she understood his hesitation. He was trained in the Darkside, yet his loyalties were to her. Curtis had broken from the Sith to be with her not only as her bodyguard, but as her boyfriend as well. The two worked well together. Surely her family would see that too.

She smiled as she turned her attention onto her brother and Mom. "Hi! Are we late? Cute little place you got here, Mom. How've you both been? I've been good; and busy." Words just started spewing out, showcasing her anxiety both for the summons and in regards to Curtis. Still Lori approached them both, hugging her Mom tightly before gathering Caedyn in a hug too. "I've missed you."

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

Caedyn laughed abruptly as NPC Treasury began to make a fuss over him, his hands raising to gently swat her away in a playful manner as he professed his amusement, "Mom, Stop it!" he grinned broadly, "I'm fine, I promise" he chuckled further as she reluctantly gave him his space. Ever so reluctantly.

Reaching to take her left shoulder in his right hand, he gave it a gentle and reassuring squeeze as he smiled lovingly to her; "I've been taught well. I'm always careful, I swear" he hoped to discourage her from a panic attack or future fretting whilst he wouldn't be there to keep her calm further down the track.

"It really is great to see you though, you're looking better than last time" he complimented, clearly encouraged by the fact. Every Mother held a special place in the hearts of their Children, especially their boy's and Caedyn was no different. Despite the distance most often between them, he had missed her a great deal.

They would not be alone for long however, as they presence of his Sister soon reached him. Loreena Arenais-Valhoun coming into view shortly there-after followed by another, a male whom Caedyn could not recognize, yet noticed he seemed apprehensive...-On edge. This didn't deter him any from grinning from ear to ear, and taking his Mom's hand to lead her in meeting them half way, soon opening his arms to take his Twin into his embrace.

"Took you long enough. We were almost about to send out a search party" he said in clear and playful jest. "Who's your friend?" he soon asked before Lori could retaliate with that all but infamous nickname she so loved to throw his way. Curtis Learchin 's presence was unmistakably that of a Force User, though unlike most Jedi of the Galaxy, Caedyn had been first trained as a Je'daii practitioner and so not only did he not fear the Darkside, he also knew how to practice it.

 

[NPC Treasury]

Kay felt a little better as Caedyn Arenais assured her about his well being and ability to look after himself. She smiled at his laughter, remembering the days of his youth when he was more of the quieter child. And now he was a young man; the head of the family.

She nodded in thanks to his compliment towards her. "I do feel a bit better about things here, however...well, you'll find out soon enough."

Kay smiled at Lori and hugged her back. It had been too long since the three of them were together. Hopefully there would be more times, other than ones being brought on by darkness. She kissed both of their foreheads before releasing them and looking to Curtis Learchin . Just like Caedyn, Kay was also curious about who Lori brought with her.

 

[Curtis Learchin]

Before Loreena Arenais-Valhoun could answer her brother's question, Curtis stepped forward. He offered his hand to Caedyn Arenais, and gave a smile to both him and NPC Treasury .

"Curtis Learchin, I'm Lori's companion" He spoke stoically, not wanting to add to the emotions that the three were feeling. In a way he felt out of place, but he was happy to be there for Lori. "I'll stay out of your way, I don't wish to intrude on your meeting". With that, he backed away slightly, watching Caedyn with curiosity. Now that he was closer, he could tell that there was something different about the man, something he wanted to know more about.

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori snickered at Caedyn Arenais ' remark on her arrival time. He beat her to the punch as she was about to give him a REALLY good comeback when he asked about Curtis Learchin . As her companion introduced himself, Lori's cheeks reddened slightly. So of course she hid that by giving her mom another hug. "He's part of my crew, a great chef and bodyguard. Plus he's been helping me out a great deal with some other stuff. Curtis is a great companion." Of course he was more than that to her, yet they hadn't yet progressed to second base.

Kay looked to him curiously as any mother would. And then bowed her head in greeting. "Lovely to meet you, Curtis. Now let's all go inside. I've got tea and refreshments prepared. The shoppe's closed so we won't be disturbed. Curtis, you may come inside as well." She led them all inside of the shoppe. Sure enough there were chairs set up near the fireplace with a table next to it. A tray with all the fixings for tea, fudge, biscuits and other treats were there too.

Lori followed her Mom, curious as to what was up, but getting a sense of foreboding all the same. She looked around the shopped, her eyes searching nlt for something, but for someone. It just wasn't a family reunion without the whole family there.

"Where's Dad?"

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

Curtis Learchin offered his hand and so Caedyn shook it, offering a wary smile in greeting; "Nice to meet you, Curtis" he replied politely, glancing sideways to his Sister for a moment to guage her reaction, searching for some sign of further insight that perhaps needn't be said but expressed through her body language instead; "Thanks for watching out for Lori" he added with a soft chuckle, turning back to look to the man; "I'm glad she's in good company". It wasn't as though Loreena Arenais-Valhoun couldn't look after herself, but as a Brother Caedyn still felt responsible in some form for watching out for her; Something that he could scarcely do these days since their lives had taken on different paths.

When Lori asked about their Father however, Caedyn turned to look back to NPC Treasury with a less than enthused look about him. Since their divorce, he hadn't seen either of their parents in the same place, so he hadn't expected to find Veiere here today. "He's probably still on Kashyyyk with the Silvers" Caedyn informed his Sister as they moved on indoors; "He did a lot of work for the Silver Assembly for a while, and then I think he stepped down, instead to focus on teaching and field work".

Their Mother's tea shoppe hadn't changed all that much since the last time he'd been there. With the exception of the incriminating evidence that they had burned in order to cover up his mothers involvement in the late scandal regarding Altiria. Had it not been for Caedyn, they might not have been meeting her like this.

"What's all this about, anyway?" he asked, hoping that she wasn't in trouble again.

 

[NPC Treasury]

Kay thought of Caedyn Arenais and his protectiveness of his sister. He even had it for herself. That was needed now. He was already taking his place as the head of the family, though he didn't know it yet.

That would all end very soon though.

She sat down on one of the chairs and took her Sapir tea in hand, having a large sip of it as Caedyn answered Lori's question. The tea provided some comfort, but not much. So neither of them knew. They didn't feel or see what she did. For the moment she evied them. Ignorance at times was...bliss.

Setting the cup down, Kay took hold of her children's hands. Maybe by now they could see the sadness in her eyes. "Your Dad isn't on Kashyyyk. I brought you here to let you both know.." She paused as she swallowed a lump in her throat, taking a moment to draw on some of the strength that she used to have when she was a politician. "...Your Dad was slain in battle. Through our Force Bond, I got to bear witness...I'm sorry.." Kay missed him. Divorced or not, she always felt him. And now there was nothing. She felt empty...

Curtis Learchin

 

[Curtis Learchin]

Curtis entered the shoppe behind the trio, pleased that he wasn't a disturbance to their meeting. When NPC Treasury sat down, he followed suit, sitting slightly away from them. His eyes moved across the room, looking at the cosy interior.

When she said that their father had died, Curtis' head snapped to Lori. More than anything, he wanted to go to her, to comfort her, but he knew that now wasn't the time. Breaking his gaze,his eyes traced over the features of Caedyn Arenais and his mother, his heart sunken for them. He knew what that grief was like, the hurt it could cause. It fuelled his power when he was a part of The Sith Empire, and even still it kept him going.

Waiting silently, his eyes conveyed sadness for them, more than words could.

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

"Your Dad isn't on Kashyyyk. I brought you here to let you both know..
...Your Dad was slain in battle. Through our Force Bond, I got to bear witness...I'm sorry..".
​

Caedyn turned to glare back at his Mother in alarm and utter shock, his mouth opening to speak out in some form of response and the desire to argue what he hoped was utter nonsense, yet no words came to mind nor left him in the moment. Could his Father truly have been defeated?

Of course Caedyn and Veiere had both known the reality of their positions, their decisions to follow the path of the Jedi and to stand in the face of oppression, readily confronting the darker forces in the Galaxy so that others wouldn't have to carry such a burden...-But Veiere had been so powerful a Jedi, and while Caedyn knew this could happen, he hadn't believed that it truly would. Atleast, not yet...-Not now when there was still so much needing to be done.

His brows furrowed and met in frown, a wealth of emotion suddenly brewing within him that Caedyn had to will himself to look passed them, using that Jedi training of his to distance himself from the want to break down in defeat or to shout angrily at the Galaxy for how unfair and brutal it could be. Yet again, no words nor sound left him, instead just standing there silent.

The Jedi believed that once someone had passed on, that they would return to the Force and know true calm within the greatest state of harmony and natural peace. However, this was not a view that was shared by NPC Treasury nor Loreena Arenais-Valhoun . In this, he was most glad that Lori had Curtis Learchin there.

The male seemed to be reluctant, or perhaps treading politely in letting Lori mourne with her family, however Caedyn looked to Curtis and gave him a slight nod, glancing then to his Sister and back in suggestive manner. A sign of approval if ever there was one for the spur of the moment.

"When and how...?" Caedyn asked, the only words to escape him, wanting to know more, to understand why they had lost the strongest of their family.

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

And there it was. The reason for her sense of foreboding. Her Dad was...dead.

Instantly Lori felt a number of emotions, disbelief, anger, grief, but also regret. There was a time when she was her Dad's student, yet she couldn't conform to the rules and restrictions of Academy life. Maybe if she had stayed, things might of been different. Maybe she could have saved him....

She squeezed her Mom's hand, yet unlike Caedyn Arenais , Lori just let her tears fall. They were silent tears, however. She didn't see Caedyn's nod of approval towards Curtis Learchin . Instead she just stared at her Mom. "Are you....okay?" For once she was nearly speechless. Both twins took to the shock in their own ways. It was a scenario neither of them had imagined.

 

[Curtis Learchin]

At the sight of Caedyn Arenais' approval, Curtis gave a sad smile before standing from his chair. He walked over slowly, dropping to one knee and placing his hand on Loreena Arenais-Valhoun ' shoulder. He thought on the words NPC Treasury had spoken, focusing on the Force Bond the two had shared before the death. If such a thing existed between Lori and he... then his or her death would cause the other such pain. It made Curtis wince slightly at the thought.

"Should I leave you three alone?" Curtis asked Caedyn without looking up, feeling that the man was the least consumed by grief. From Lori and her mother, he felt a mix of unhappy emotions, and couldn't help but feel that he was intruding on a very personal matter.

The death of a father and husband was not a rare thing, but it hurt all the same.

 

[NPC Treasury]

Kay watched the mixture of grief, shock and anger come across the faces of both of her children. Whereas Lori let her tears fall, Caedyn Arenais took the more aloof approach. It was all part and parcel of the life he chose, much like that of his Father. It was those quiet moments with Veiere that she missed the most.

Placing her hand over Lori's she nodded a little to her daughter's question. "Time heals most wounds. So I'm taking it one day at a time."

As Curtis Learchin approached Lori, Kay turned her attention to her son. She felt a little reluctant to answer his questions, out of fear that he may seek out revenge. But...he needed to know. She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly before speaking. "It happened the day before I reached out to you two. I was out on the porch there when I saw it...He was locked in battle with Prazutis. I don't know how long they fought but it didn't look like a quick duel by any means. Your Dad...never surrendered, he never gave up. Both of them fell...Then the connection broke. The Force Bond was severed...He's gone." Her own tears fell again as she recalled it. Kay picked up her tea and had another sip. Tea always helped to keep her more composed.

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

They Father had never given up, dedicated to the Jedi Path right up until the very end. Caedyn knew the name Prazutis well, their Mother had suffered by his hand and their Father had encountered the Sith Lord in battle many times since. He was a significant threat to all Jedi from within the Sith Empire, and part of the House Zambrano whom had put out bounties on House Arenais following the siege and occupation of Commenor.

He remained silent, averting his gaze from making eye sight with any of them now as he tried to process the loss of Veiere, looking to the ground a few meters in front of him. For someone as powerful as their Father had been, it would have taken a fierce warrior to defeat him, and the news that the fight had been long fought wasn't much of a surprise considering.

What did this mean for their family however? Their Mom had been away in isolation herself, hiding from those that hunted her and otherwise seeking to do some good from a distance, out of contact with the Twins for the most part, regardless. He was gone, the finality in those words was almost deafening...

NPC Treasury | Loreena Arenais-Valhoun | Curtis Learchin​

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

The question that Curtis Learchin posed fell silent on her ears. Instead she just felt as Caedyn Arenais did; in shock over what had happened, taking in what little details their Mom had given them.

She knew of Prazutis and that their family was huge. But had she ever run acriss them? No, and thankfully so. For if she had she was sure that it'd be hard for her to not lash out at them for revenge. They all needed to die. The Galaxy would be much better off. But they were immortal it seemed, unable to die and ugly as anything.

Maybe that was why she kept to her ship mostly and didn't delve into their space. Why run the risk of running into them? Why run the risk of their family suffering more because of them? It was better justto stay away. And besides, she had a rebel movement to look after against one of her Mom's other enemies.

"So now what do we do? What do you need?"

 

[Curtis Learchin]

In reality, Curtis knew that nothing he could do or say would help soften the grief. He returned to his feet and moved away, feeling that giving the three mourners space was the best option. He went to the window, gazing out of it at the landscape that surrounded them.

Maybe he was in too deep, he wasn't sure how to comfort or help any of them. The only thing he could think of was vengeance on their behalf. But Caedyn Arenais would never allow it, and he doubted that Loreena Arenais-Valhoun would either. Severing contact with The Sith Empire seemed like less of a good idea right now, if he was still a part of it, he could look into the tragedy without raising suspicion.

For now, he'd have to wait, and be there for Lori when she needed him.

NPC Treasury

 

[NPC Treasury]

Kay watched Caedyn Arenais as he fell silent. She knew what he was going through. In a way she envied her children for having parents that cared for them so much. It was something that she never had herself. They were lucky.

Lori's questions drew her from her thoughts and she glanced over at Curtis Learchin while he stepped away, before turning her attention to her daughter. "I just need to know that you two are taken care of. That's all. And with the family fortune...you should be okay in that regard. But don't let this disrupt your lives. Live them to the fullest. He'd want that." Let her be the one to wallow in grief. She had lived her life and done just about everything she could before it all came crashing down around her. Veiere's death was just another thing taken from her. Hopefully she wouldn't outlive her children too.

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

"When did you last talk to him?" Caedyn asked, speaking up a little suddenly. His question wasn't being spoken in any judgement or resentment, Caedyn was merely curious as it had been a long time since he himself had spent any real time with his Father, and their parents had divorced quite some time ago now. It was difficult to imagine they'd kept in touch all that regularly, especially in their vastly different lifestyles over the last few years.

"I didn't make it much of a secret that I blamed him for a lot of what happened between you two. Ever since the whole Deneba thing, I found it difficult to trust him...-And all I heard about him on Kashyyyk was how great a Jedi he was" Caedyn said further, though it would be difficult to know if he was speaking out of sadness or anger towards their Father now. There were a plethora of mix feelings when it came to Veiere Arenais. Their relationship as Father and Son was a far cry from anything resembling a happy family.

NPC Treasury | Loreena Arenais-Valhoun | Curtis Learchin​