Private You Just Walk In Like You Belong

[Kaile Vera]

​

E R A I D U
Castle on the Hill

The delicious scent of fresh caf went wafting through the small kitchen. This wasn't your standard roast, either. Oh no, Kaile had specifically bartered for this particular roast of caf beans. Took some extra hours working with Feng Bak, the local roving merchant providing provisions to the rural populations of Lommite miners. His protocol droid malfunctioned, and without its assistance, Feng could not process valuation for compensation and translation services. Anyone might suggest that bartering a few hours for a specific blend of caf beans would be rather silly, but Kaile knew that Asmus Janes would appreciate the particular blend. It was one of the few luxuries afforded to the pair ever since making that commitment on Rishi to go completely dark and leave behind everything that linked them to their past: the Alliance, SIS, the First Order, old contacts and family.

By all accounts, they were dead on filmsi, with no method of old contacts being able to reach out to them. This was a deliberate action. Neither could risk being tracked and after Asmus discovered Kaile on Rishi, the Lorrdian was even more determined to ensure their safety and security.

It wasn't just their lives they had to worry about, but their child. Kaile had already suffered the tragic loss of Quinn -- she was not willing to live through that again.

Outside the crashing roar of waves would dance along with the chirp of birds morning song. Already, the rosy yellow rays of sunrise would paint the horizon, a palette of awe-inspiring hues that would make anyone with as much of a chaotic past as Kaile appreciate the view.

She was the first one up, checking the holo-feed and underworld chatter along encrypted feeds. It was a morning ritual, a precaution. Call her paranoid but it was the least she could do to maintain some level of control over their lives. Sometimes the anxiety would overwhelm her, and it was at those times that Asmus had to pull the former SIS agent away from the feeds to for some much-needed rest and mental self-care.

This was their life now. Rather dull, no espionage, no undercover work. Just meals set together, a couple of beach picnics, and the everyday life that comes with ... just being together. Kaile had felt that once before with Kurt years ago. Now, that warm, fuzzy, and comforting feeling had bloomed under Asmus' watch and in finally feeling as if she belong. Kaile. Not an alias. Not play pretend. Something real.

A family. Home.

​

 

[Asmus Janes]

Her ritual search this morning would be interrupted not by a loving embrace and a kiss on the cheek, but by a startled yelp.

Asmus stood in the living room, eyes screwed shut, lips pursed. He swallowed the growl of pain.

He lifted his bare left foot and the small plastic toy that had been embedded there fell to the tiles.

"Bix. Where do your toys go at the end of the day."

She was stood a few feet to his right, hands clasped over her mouth. She pointed to the toy box on the far side of the room.

"You put them away now," she said.

Asmus slowly dropped to one knee and turned to face her. He couldn't keep the pain out of his eyes. Asmus picked up the small plastic landspeeder and held it up.

He gave her a look that let her now that he wasn't in the mood for having any boundaries pushed this morning. Recently she had been growing in confidence and also testing whether she could order her parents around.

"You're going to do a quick look around for any more toys and put them away before breakfast."

The small, raven haired girl considered this for a few moments before giving a sharp nod. If there was a parent she knew she could manipulate, it was Daddy.

"Good girl."

Asmus stood up, smiled and limped towards the kitchen.

 

[Kaile Vera]

Kaile had to bite her lower lip to hide the twitch of amusement at the not-so-subtle eyebrow quirks, and cheek ticks their daughter gave as a parting shot of sass that roughly translated kinetically - Daddy's tools messy too - as if Asmus's bad habit of leaving a hydrospanner or two out in the open after tinkering with his starfighter wasn't a known bad habit.

Ah, little ones always happen to watch and observe everything! There was nothing one could hide from them, they were like Mon-Cal sponges, soaking everything thing in and asking questions. All the questions. All day every day.

"Mmm... sounds like a great start to the day already, I see," Kaile shot over to Asmus, eyes dancing in humor. As if to soothe his wounds, she picked up the mug of caf on the table and offered it to him. He gave a slight hobble, that little boy grin curving up over his scruffy face through the long length of his dark hair. It was all sleep mused and finger combed. Kaile's mouth pursed into an appreciative curl. Oooo.

"You know, she picks it up from you, right?" she told him, chuckling as she took a step closer and gave him a morning kiss on the lips. Joy and contentment would radiate over her countenance.

Meanwhile, a tiny green feathered flash went crawling across the floor over to the little girl. With deft claws, Bobo went scampering up her leg, around her torso and up to her shoulder. The miniature Ysalimiri's beady black eyes shone wide with delight, Bobo's sticky tongue coming out to give a lick along the girl's cheek. Giggles ensued.

Successful distraction from toy pick up is successful.

 

[Asmus Janes]

"From me?" he said, feigning shock and horror at such a suggestion.

It would have been followed up with an offer to tidy up the garage. Except that he couldn't, because she had made a point of doing that just two days ago.

Asmus took the mug. He brought it to his lips and hid his smile behind it. He was supposed to be acting the responsible one now. She was bright enough that if she sensed weakness - usually from him - she would be quick to see what she could get away with.

"I'd best not tread on something in there," he called out. He was in a good mood this morning, despite the sore foot.

The news had broken that an Alliance fleet had struck Exogol itself. The Maw and their sith acolytes had been scattered.

"Did you see the news?" he asked, knowing Kaile would probably have known before it went public. He stepped past her in a well rehearsed routine for breakfast, although this time it came with a passing, playful squeeze.

"Muja fruit or blueberries in your porridge?" Asmus called out.

"Neither!"

He regretted the day they had mixed a chocolate mix through it as a treat one day.

 

[Kaile Vera]

“Sure did,” Kaile would drawl out, a purse of contemplation tightening between her eyebrows at the news. They’d agreed to keep out of sight and out of mind; didn’t mean that meant they’d be completely blind to the happenings of the local sector and areas of interest. A new iteration of the Galactic Alliance made its way closer to home and then some. A while back Kurt had manage to give her some news at their designated drop point to catch up. While she couldn’t see him in person, seeing the encrypted missives and updates that he and his family were still okay allowed her some measure of peace.

“Odds are this could land a number of ways,” she mused, winding her fingers through her sable hair to push it off her heart shaped face. There were a few more laugh lines and crows feet at the corner of her eyes, a testament if she catching up to her. The strawberry blonde hair temporarily darkened a few shades to blend in. But the bright chocolate brown eyes were all hers.

“Either this won’t bring no change and we can continue on our merry way,” her hands went down, curving around the warm mug of caf, steam rising in gray white whirls.

“Or them acolytes will be doing their best to go under and hide - which may mean risking seein’ some of them folk too close for comfort.”

Kaile’s face twisted into a grimace, only to turn into amusement at the little girl starting to have a conversation about how fast the tiny landspeeder in her hand could take Bobo for a spin, caught right in the act of trying to put Bobo on top of the toy while Bobo gave a struggle.

“Gentle! “ Kaile reminded her, calling out. “ don’t be too rough now!”

 

[Asmus Janes]

She had a point. Whilst the Rimward Trade League looked after this swathe of space, if the sith decided to vanish they would head for the Outer Rim. They had fled to recover at Bastion before, on the far side of the Galaxy from where they were.

However, they were rumours of Sith out beyond Kathol space and Eriadu was something of a transit hub into those distant regions.

Asmus' face popped up to look towards his daughter. She was now very deliberately stroking Bobo down his back so gently that the lizard probably couldn't feel it.

"You think we should visit my parents again some time?" he asked.

They didn't even know they were on Eriadu. When they had visited to show off their daughter it had been unannounced and they had left no contact details.

 

[Kaile Vera]

Asmus Janes

Both of Kaile’s elbows sat on the counters table as she leaned forward, her gaze furrowing into deeper contemplation.

Part of her didn’t want to risk it. Another told her that if they didn’t take the opportunity now, and the chit hit the fan, the former intelligence agent didn’t know when they’d be able to see Asmus’ parents again. Weeks. Months. Years. After understanding how much family meant, it was important to consider all options while making reasonable risks.

“Aye, reckon so,” she answered, brown eyes darting over to Asmus with a quick nod. The unspoken ‘just in case’ went unsaid.

By now Bobo was visually frustrated that the light pets had no weight to them. Sure, he wasn’t so happy on the harsh baps but the little girl could be sweet with her caresses when she remembered to mind her strength. Bono’s head went perking up seeking the touch. He barely managed a graze before the little girl gave a whoop, startling the miniature ysalimiri and her parents

“Gigi! Visit Gigi!” She cheered. Clearly she had heard her father’s recommendation to visit her grandparents.

Now all efforts at picking up toys went out the window at her excitement. Visitó Gigi always meant presents!!!

 

[Asmus Janes]

Asmus pulled a knowing face towards Kaile. He knew why she was excited. His mother was still a board member of one of the largest shipping firms in the sector. A shopping firm that had been in his family since before the gulag plague.

His father had since retired from his position of chief bean counter. A job they had been grooming Asmus for before he escaped for a life of adventure.

All of this meant that his parents had enough money to keep a spare room just for his daughter in case they visited. They would have accrued plenty of gifts and surprises for Bix since the last one.

"Put Bobo down now, gently, and go and wash your hands please," Asmus called out. Given that several toys had been in the dusty space behind the sofa it was necessary. He was glad she was old enough to follow such direction without getting distracted along the way.

With a cup of caf in both hands, Asmus leaned his backside against the counter and turned to face Kaile.

"She's happy here, isn't she?" he asked, likely surprising her with the question. There was a lot more to it and Kaile would probably read into that without prompting.

His daughter didn't have all the most expensive toys like he had growing up. There was the matter of school to think of and trying not to be too disruptive if they needed to move again. But most of all, he liked to check in that Kaile, too, was happy with where they had ended up.

 

[Kaile Vera]

Asmus Janes
A bemused expression would dance across Kaile's face at Asmus' question, the tiny nuances of concern and reflection shimmering over a twitch at the corner of her eyes.

"Of course she is," Kaile assured him, lifting her right hand from the perch of her caf mug to reach across and embrace the top of Asmus' hand. He reacted instinctively, turning his hand around until they could clasp together. Kaile gave him a reassuring squeeze.

"Ain't no reason not to." She told him, thinking back on everything they'd done to keep themselves safe while juggling trying to ensure stability. That might include several exciting bits of storytelling on why they had to visit a new city or world. Still, it was always greeted with the typical enthusiasm of a toddler or general acceptance. That is unless it involved leaving Gigi's place a little too early for comfort.

Well, maybe there was one area. Bix couldn't make friends easily as she'd like. This was due to trying to ensure her safety and the remoteness of their attempts at keeping a low profile.

"Reckon, maybe a consistent friend or two would be good for her." Kaile's expression darkened into somberness. In this aspect, the Lorrdian could empathize with her daughter.

But how to juggle Bix's safety with the need to form typical social connections throughout her milestones?

 

[Asmus Janes]

Asmus nodded slowly. He appreciated the gesture, turning his hand over and squeezed her hand back. He offered a small, one sided smile. That dimple was still exactly where it had been on that first day on the space station.

He thought he'd found someone after a drunken fumble, she'd been looking for a way out of a quarantine zone.

"You're right, I think that's a good idea," he said. "She's been happy playing with anyone she finds at the park but it's going to be school...or schooling at home and she'd be missing out."

The pair of them didn't exactly have a network of close friends with children the same age.

He knew deep down that Bix was perfectly happy. She had her small tantrums but she breezed through each day like the ocean wind. Once upon a time, Asmus had been the most happy-go-lucky smuggler. Now he had responsibilities and could get wrapped up in worrying about things.

This was something they did together and they leaned on one another when they needed to. Like a waltz.

"I guess we'll see how things go," Asmus said. It was code for I hope we can stay in one place this time.

He turned to grab down the cereal as Bix came padding back out of the refresher. Her little legs could move very quickly when she was hungry.

Bobo had, by this point, rushed back up onto the counter and made for the small nutrient branch in the corner of the room.

 

[Kaile Vera]

Asmus Janes

A wry twitch at the right corner of Kaile's mouth revealed wry thoughts, "I don't know. Reckon you'd be the best one to get on her schoolin'. If we are talking book learnin' then that's your expertise."

It was true. Compared to Kaile, Asmus had been classically trained in all the proper schools that a son from a family of means - new money or not due to trade - would ensure their one and only son would take.

A pause, then a cant of her head towards the Eriadian's direction, " Then again... if we go visit your momma, I reckon she'll have somethin' to say about Bix's schoolin'."

As grandparents were wont to do.

"Choco pancakes!" Bix would sing, and at that Kaile gave Asmus a knowing look as if to say, you had to offer cocoa chips the last go around.

"I'll leave that to you," Kaile chuckled, pushing off the counter as she slid her hand away from Asmus. Taking her cup of caf in hand, she extended the other towards Bobo.

"Come here you. That's enough distractions for now," she told him, to which the small lizard gave an expression of aghast.

 

[Asmus Janes]

" Then again... if we go visit your momma, I reckon she'll have somethin' to say about Bix's schoolin'."

"Eugh," he groaned.

His mother was still quite put out that he has snuck aboard Kairon's ship and spent years smuggling and flying.

"You know she wants me to go back to school and get a degree, I'm sure she will have plenty to say."

Annoyingly, he could see a little of her perspective now that he was a father. That was what annoyed him more than any advice. He wanted his own daughter to have a start in life that prepared her well for whatever path she chose.

He turned towards Bix, leaning on the counter.

"You can have a little chocolate sauce on pancakes if you have fruit slices whilst I make them or you can have a teaspoon of chocolate sauce in the porridge if you eat the berries in it too," he said. It was too early in the morning for taking a hard line.

"No fruit," she said.

"Fruit or no breakfast," he replied.

"Nooo-ooo breakfast."

Asmus breathed in through his nose slowly. He was not winning this battle.

"No breakfast and back to your room young lady if..."

"Fruit!" she interrupted. "Pancakes."

Asmus gave a firm nod, quickly setting about slicing some fruit and setting it on a plastic table for her.

"They want me to pick up some more hours at work," Asmus said as he reached for the pancake mix. "I've told them not this year."

Whilst he often voiced his worries for Bix, in some respects he was very grateful for what they had. He was able to spend lots of time with Bix and to see her grow. Now that she was able to get up out of bed in the night and pad very quietly around the house at night they just had to be a little more careful the other thing they liked to do with their time.

 

[Kaile Vera]

Now that they were underground, Kaile and Asmus were picky about what sort of jobs to do for credits. It wasn't like they could withdraw funds from their former identities; Asmus was dead on the books, and Kaile depended on Alliance or SIS payroll. Now that both of those bridges were burned, it meant that most of their income came from bartering their skills. Asmus, with his piloting and navigating, and Kaile, with her mechanical and slicing abilities.

They made sure to take on jobs that would be relatively easy and low risk. They had Bix's safety to worry about-- Not that Jay, their reprogrammed KX-series security droid, would let anything happen to her.

Speak of the devil.

[ Pancakes and fruit with chocolate drizzle. ] Jay said, hearing the droid's commentary before seeing his towering, dark build walk into the kitchen. He had to duck his head under the threshold before straightening, his optic sensors panning over to land on Bix.

"That does not sound like a recommendation, Jay," Kaile gave a chuckle, finishing her cup of caf with a few gulps.

[ It is not. ] The security droid replied, striding over to Bix to gently pick her up. He was the most attentive of nanny droids.

"Degree or not, I'll let you reign in your mother for your education recommendations. I ain't gettin' in between that." There were battles she was willing to tackle. This was not one of them. Truth be told, she still felt a bit out of place with Asmus's family. Although, the years managed to ease over some of the tension of Asmus' not marrying as expected with Bix's birth.

"What job do they have you doing next?" Kaile asked, moving to pour herself another fresh pot, making a motion of offering to Asmus should he want a top off as well.

 

[Asmus Janes]

Asmus watched Jay set Bix at the small table next to the kitchen counter. He had watched the droid carrying proton bombs with those arms. He trusted them implicitly with his child.

Asmus hadn't always respected droid sentience. Seeing the change in Jay when he felt he had a genuine purpose and a home had made a difference in Asmus.

He took a top up of caf and then walked over and placed the plastic plate with sliced fruit in front of Bix. Jay went to heat some porridge whilst he sat down and made certain that she fulfilled her end of the bargain.

Asmus rolled his eyes at the question. His job was mostly safe. He just liked to complain about it.

"I swear that girl is going to find a way to make the ship just drop out of the sky," Asmus said.

He gave private lessons from a small space dock a few miles in land. Generally it was rich families who wanted their teenagers to become space worthy.

Ashlay was his least favourite student and Kaile would immediately know who he was talking about.

"Her parents won't send her to do sim time so I have a few hours of hovering over the secondary controls with high blood pressure again.

 

[Kaile Vera]

Kaile didn't even try to hide the snort of amusement she gave, but at least she followed up with an expression of sympathy.

"Well... I reckon if you can teach her how to fly, you will be telling the truth this time that you can teach anyone how to fly," a silver lining but an attempt at humor.

However, a thought came to mind. "If they won't send her to sim time, does she enjoy SIM games?"

Setting the caf pot down, she followed up with her thought, "Because you can likely get away with SIM time if you can get her to engage in piloting games. Not as realistic, but something." a pause.

"I could possibly rig it to make it more lifelike."

Oh, that would be an interesting fix.

 

[Asmus Janes]

"I can teach anyone how to fly," Asmus insisted. "It's just a case of whether my nerves and sanity remain for the duration."

Whilst Asmus was talking, Jay sat down the porridge with an aesthetically pleasing chocolate swirl through it. Asmus looked down to realise Bix had started on it before getting half way through the slices of fruit.

"You'll be finishing those after young lady," he said. Too late for the fight, he decided.

"I like that idea," he said. "Her parents can definitely afford a high end stick and pedals for the house. Yeah, please."

He looked towards the window to see the ocean gently rolling in and out. He would do his daily checks on this ship after breakfast. It felt routine now, rather than the necessity it had been. He checked over their small Haulcraft and made sure everything was in perfect condition for a sudden flight. A flight that might involve pushing the modified engines beyond normal tolerance.

Asmus had started to let the fear of discovery go, but he kept the routine anyway.

 

[Kaile Vera]

Asmus Janes

Kaile's lips went curving upward on the right corner of her mouth, both brows rising up as she added," Did you want to give her the idea? I doubt the parents will want to spend the money if they believe it is another way of doing a sim." a pause, "Unless you think they would rather spend the money on a gaming system than the sim itself?"

There were a few oddballs with those with credits. Some of them acted as if they couldn't bother spending the credits on what they would need, often more miserly than the worst credit-pincher.

Kaile needed help understanding that. Then again, she spent more than a few hours stretching every credit and coupon discount as much as possible. Much like when she was with Kurt, they didn't have the luxury of being able to spend money as they liked. They had to scrimp and save and, if possible, barter for what they needed.

That wasn't to say that Asmus' mother didn't try to tell them that it would be much easier and better for Bix to live with her.

That was not a direction Kaile was willing to take. Asmus had his own reasons, but at least they agreed on that.

"How long will your training session take today?" she asked, musing on how to go about and plan their day and week if the decision was to visit Asmus' mother. It required some preplanning to ensure they mitigated any risks.

 

[Asmus Janes]

Asmus briefly considered the question. He was at the point where - for his own sanity - he was willing to push the issue. She had managed to stall a shuttle whilst the repulsors were active. Asmus would have found the manoeuvre impressive, had it been deliberate.

"I can teach anyone," he confirmed, "but that girl might be the singularly least talented pilot I've ever worked with. I'll recommend an off-the-shelf sim I know for gaming and maybe we can look at slicing in some parameters to make it feel like what we're flying. Something she can play at home in her room."

It wouldn't be a full sim unit, but if she could spend some time crashing a virtual shuttle into mountains it was less time sending his pulse into orbit. He was certain they could have afforded to rent or even outright buy a simulator, but they saw paying for him as a more extravagant way of learning.

He watched Bix eating her breakfast. He knew the moment where she tried to skitter away without finishing her fruit was coming. He would need to be quick.

"Mid-afternoon?" he offered up. "I'd like to get a second client in."

The work was good for leaving him a little free time, but it was also irregular. A few clients stopped and he didn't earn much in a week. In a few years, if it still seemed safe, they would consider letting his parents offer some finance to get them set up with a more permanent house. Right now, they still weren't ready for the risk of a paper trail.

"Where are you two - hey you have your fruit to finish younglady - going this morning?"

 

[Kaile Vera]

Asmus Janes

“Tell me if you need any help,” Kaile offered, only to laugh at Bix’s antics with her father. Jay was of no help, merely picking up the plate as if to clean it up, fruit still intact.

“Jay, pasa the plate to Bix, she should eat those berries,” she told him, prompting the droid to spin and amble stiffly towards the little girl. Bix’s response was to laugh and run a circle around Jay instead.

“Well I was considerin’ a spin round the speeder to go check in town for any packages or deliveries, but if someone won’t eat them there fruit, I just might change my mind.” The enunciated drawl would be directed towards their daughter, who absolutely loved being able to go into town. It was one of the few places she could see other people and perhaps get a fuzzy pop if she behaved.

Going to town shouldn’t be an issue, and it at least allows Bix to let out some energy. Of course hearing that prompted the little girl to stop and grab at the plate Jay held with both hands to stuff her face with the fruit.

Juice dribbled down her chin and gave her sticky fingers.

“Well at least she ate them,” kaile snorted, trying to hid her smirk but failing.

 

[Asmus Janes]

Jay turned both receptors down towards the plate. He managed to look surprised without having a muscle on his face to form an expression.

"Go and wash hands please," Asmus said. "Once you've finished chewing," he added smartly.

He didn't want her rushing for the bathroom only to end up coughing up pulp all over the floor. Because Kaile snorted, Asmus was able to keep more of a straight face.

"I'm going to walk down the beach to the Palila," he said.

It was routine, she already knew he would be doing that after he eat.

"You two want to join me?" Asmus asked.

Even if they didn't need to run, he liked to have Bix used to the ship. That way she would adjust more easily if they wanted to fly for a few days to go away for a holiday.