Saga In absentia--the diary of an Imperial officer's wife--Updated 07/07--Qualified for Most Underrated

Your latest update was quite a blast, Ish!

So the author isn't impressed by the Empire's case:

As I suspected, the case which the Empire is presenting is highly speculative. There was a lot of grandstanding in the opening argument of the prosecutor and I wonder if anyone but myself was impressed with the defense attorney's more practical and calm approach.

Hmmmm. Nice to see that Alys and Tyla are showing signs of concern for others:

Alys and Tyla decided to make dinner for me tonight. It was nothing sophisticated, but it was appreciated.

Good for them! Then a nasty bit of the trial:

Riq testified today. Of all the witnesses, he is not the o nly one who showed remorse for the defendants, but he is the only one who cried. I do not believe that it was out of shame, but because he never expected this to happen. I imagine that he has been told that he did an admirable thing, but judging from today's proceedings, I am not sure that he has been convinced.

Poor Riq! The Empire's case doesn't look strong:

The defense began today. Both the prosecution and the defense are relying on the testimony of those who worked with Lari and Iric on a daily basis. The defense is using them for character witnesses, since not much else can be accomplished. The evidence against them is not circumstantial at times--there is enough evidence to convict if the statements of the witnesses are true. Even if they have an unsound case, I think the court would fear retaliation if they did not convict the prisoners.

At least Arilef seems pleasant:

Arilef accepted my invitation to dinner as a way of thanking him for the substitution that he has done for the last few days. He is passably conversational in GSSL and the girls entertained him by teaching him some of the more amusing signs.

Nice. The case appears to be drawing to a close:

The last of the witnesses will be called tomorrow and the closing arguments will be made then. However much longer the trial will last depends on the length of the deliberations, but this is what most newsfeeds are calling an open-and-shut case. I doubt that it will take more than a day or two. I am going to bed early tonight, since the girls are already in their rooms and I have an early morning tomorrow.

But suddenly something serious happens, which we don't find out about until the author has recovered enough to write a little:

A suicide bomber drove his speeder through the east wall of the courtroom during the closing arguments. Not sure how many dead. It took about eight hours to get me free of the rubble and I'm not the worst of the injuries. I broke my pelvis, my right thighbone, my left arm and four ribs and my jaw was broken by falling debris. They had to operate to stop some of the internal bleeding, but say I'll be fine eventually. There are only so many bacta tanks on Corellia and they're being used for the critical injuries.

Oh my! And how are Lari and Iric?

Iric is in the same state as me and Lari was killed. I wonder what this will do to the trial.

Who was behind the attack? I wouldn't put it past the Empire to carry it out and blame the Rebels. It would certainly deal with any questions of lack of sufficient evidence if the two accused were injured or killed. Palpatine could pardon any survivor or survivors as an act of 'clemency'.

Of course, the Rebels could be responsible. Will our author's views change as a result, I wonder?

Also, perhaps Edam could come home. Maybe an application for compassionate leave would be granted in these circumstances, due to a 'dastardly attack by Rebel terrorists'.

 

Wow. How intense! Things are getting very scary.

I had to keep my face impassive. With the prosecutor's attitude, I might be suspect just for showing compassion.

The thought police are out and busy. Ive needs to be very careful. Those girls depend on her.

 

SithGirl132--Thanks, Sithgirl. Yes, it is a little creepy at times. Im glad you like the characters and developing them has been quite interesting.

Kevin_Solo--That was a terrible pun, just for the record. No, she's not impressed by the case. She is definitely someone with Imperial loyalties who recognizes some fundamental flaws in the system. I enjoyed having Alys and Tyla be that way. I am definitely interested in the impact on the family that this whole thing is having for Riq and Tyla. The Empire's case is not particularly strong, but it does not have to be. Things are too volatile to let even the 'minor' things go unchecked. Yes, frustratiing. Arilef will be showing up a bit more. Writing the entire bombing experience from the point-of-view where it was forcibly limited was definitely difficult. Undoubtedly, it will be pinned on the Rebels for one reason or another. Yes, interesting perspective on the clemency issue. Good question. If he were not on comm silence, that might work.

divapilot--Thanks! I promise that not all of the story will be so dramatic. Yes, the thought police are definitely busy.
*****
2/10 23 AI

I'm going home tomorrow. It will be some time before I can be up and moving again, but I'll be coming in for physical therapy. They have put in bone-knitters, but some of the breaks were bad, so they don't want me exerting myself for some time. They said that I might even be able to schedule some time in bacta later.

Lisia and the girls came by tonight for Sweethearts' Day with food smuggled in from V'Dunals. It is horrible, greasy food that is going to go straight to my waistline, but it was a nice change from the pureed nerf that seems to be the staple ingredient in every single meal at the medcenter.

Alys is looking as tired as I feel. Lisia said that she's been having nightmares since the bombing and sleeping in Lisia's room while I'm gone. They announced the bombing at the Academy and no one thought to tell her whether or not I was all right until Naden picked her and Emali up from school. Apparently, Alys cried when she found out that I was alive enough to make the arrangements with Emali's family.

I have been having nightmares myself. Most of them involve the few moments of the bombing that I remember. The bomber detonated the charge well across the room, but the blast was literally ground-shaking. I am lucky that I was unconscious for most of the aftermath, but I can remember trying to call out for help and trying to move to see if anyone else had been hurt. I was in a kind of shock where pain seemed to be a secondary sensation.

My hearing has finally completely returned and there was never a real danger that it might not, but it was another one of the things that I had to worry about in the first days here.

No one has been able to speak to Edam yet. I do not know what he would do if he knew, but I feel badly that he will have to learn about this after the fact.

 

I did think it was a bad pun at the time.

A nice update. At least our author's well enough to return home:

I'm going home tomorrow. It will be some time before I can be up and moving again, but I'll be coming in for physical therapy. They have put in bone-knitters, but some of the breaks were bad, so they don't want me exerting myself for some time. They said that I might even be able to schedule some time in bacta later.

Good. Interesting to see that the GFFA has an equivalent of St. Valentine's Day, complete with its own things that are bad for you:

Lisia and the girls came by tonight for Sweethearts' Day with food smuggled in from V'Dunals. It is horrible, greasy food that is going to go straight to my waistline, but it was a nice change from the pureed nerf that seems to be the staple ingredient in every single meal at the medcenter.

Alys is, as the medical people say, doing as well (or as badly) as expected:

Alys is looking as tired as I feel. Lisia said that she's been having nightmares since the bombing and sleeping in Lisia's room while I'm gone. They announced the bombing at the Academy and no one thought to tell her whether or not I was all right until Naden picked her and Emali up from school. Apparently, Alys cried when she found out that I was alive enough to make the arrangements with Emali's family.

Nasty! And as for her mother:

I have been having nightmares myself. Most of them involve the few moments of the bombing that I remember. The bomber detonated the charge well across the room, but the blast was literally ground-shaking. I am lucky that I was unconscious for most of the aftermath, but I can remember trying to call out for help and trying to move to see if anyone else had been hurt. I was in a kind of shock where pain seemed to be a secondary sensation.

My hearing has finally completely returned and there was never a real danger that it might not, but it was another one of the things that I had to worry about in the first days here.

Let's hope that Edam finds out and is able to come home, after he finishes whatever dangerous mission he's on.

 

Yay, self-imposed deadline has passed, time to pick up some diaries!
Add me to the pm list of this one, it is great.
I love the way even the life of a 'normal' family is affected by the war. Can't wait to see what's happening next.

 

They announced the bombing at the Academy and no one thought to tell her whether or not I was all right until Naden picked her and Emali up from school. Apparently, Alys cried when she found out that I was alive enough to make the arrangements with Emali's family.

That's just cruel.

It seems to me that this society that calls itself so urbane and evolved is lacking a heart at least, and probably a soul. It exists simply to glorify itself. They have all the luxuries, but no compassion.

Fear and love are the strongest emotions here. When the Empire uses one to manipulate the other, they can control the people with precision.

Your writing is wonderful. Loving this story!

 

Kevin_Solo--LOL. Thanks. Yes, it's a good thing. The V-Day equivalent came from a fic by Limelight called The Not-Quite Love Letters. LOL, I had a cousin who, when I was in the hospital after a surgery, brought me McDonald's, movies and sugared candy oranges. That's where V'Dunals came from. Yes, there will be a great deal of aftermath for this. I've had experience with post-traumatic stress disorder and might use that for characterization. Very nasty stuff. You'll like this next post for Edam.

MsLanna--Self-imposed deadline? Yay! Glad you like this. It's interesting to watch the development of this and the upcoming events of the war.

divapilot--It's incredibly cruel. There is a definite lack of compassion or conscientiousness in this society, more focused on clear black-and-white lines of war. That works in combat, but not for civilians and they really don't know where to draw the line. You're spot on about the strongest emotions. Thanks!
*****
2/11 23 AI

I was moved home today. Lisia did a wonderful job of keeping things organized, but that is no surprise. Nor is it a surprise to find that tyla and Alys have moved into the same room. I do not know which of them is affected more by this, but they are banding together to suffer through it.

The funeral for Lari and Iric was during my stay in the medcenter. Iric 'took a turn for the worse' in a quite suspicious way that leads me to believe that the vigilantes took the verdict and sentencing into their own hands while no one was looking. Lisia managed to get Tyla there, which she seemed to appreciate. It is difficult to tell, since her eyes are sunken and her posture has altered. More often than not this past week, she has claimed to be too sick to go to school.

I do not know how to deal with this particular challenge. I know how to be a mother and how to comfort, but I do not know how to stand in her mother's stead and this is not something that can be easily remedied. I would like to explore the option of having her see a trauma therapist.

Lisia has to leave soon--she used most of her leave time to come for Alys' birthday and there is only so much she can do from Corellia. She works in the Justice Department as a public defender and has just been assigned a prominent client. I am grateful that she was able to come at all. Emali's mother is a wonderful person, but has a newborn daughter as well as five other children to tend and I could not ask her to have devoted as much time as was needed to my girls.

2/12 23 AI

This house was really not built for someone in a repulsorchair and that frustrates me. I dislike that I have been unable to cook much of anything, much less eat. My jaw is on the mend, but the healing process is too slow for my tastes. Even if I were able to stand with my pelvis and thighbone in their current state, the brace that they have around my torso to help the ribs heal properly makes it difficult to stay upright comfortably.

I miss working. I spend most of the day in bed or preparing lesson plans for when the doctors give me the go-ahead to return to my duties. As I have mentioned before, we could do fine on Edam's salary alone, but it is more a matter of personal work ethic than anything. I have never been comfortable unless I was making a contribution.

The state, fortunately, is covering the bulk of my medical expenses. Technically, that should not have happened because I am not a federal employee, but someone in the CWS department petitioned for them to make an exception in light of the fact that I am raising a foster child, supporting both her and my daughter and because I rendered such 'faithful service to the Empire.' That makes it sound as though I had been killed in combat.

Alys' class is going on a trip this weekend, just after Lisia leaves. I had planned for this, but it means that I will be left at home for five days with a grieving orphan who draws most of her comfort from her roommate. I will have to ask Lisia if she has any recommendations.

2/13 23 AI

A

 

I arranged for a taxi to take myself and Tyla to the cemetery so she could visit her parents' graves. She seemed to appreciate both this and the fact that I let her sit there for over an hour, telling me stories. I now have a better idea of her family life and some traditions that we should respect.

How terribly hard for this little girl. She truly has lost everything that mattered to her. I hope that she isn't considered undesirable because of her connection to her parents. Ive is truly a loving, intelligent soul and an angel to this little girl.

Very fortunate that Edam is back -- but the Avenger took heavy damage? The war must be rougher than anyone thought it would be. It seems that there is a war being fought on both fronts, one overt and the other far more subtle.

 

We see that things are improving for Ive, but not for Tyla.

Ive's lucky that she has a caring sister like Lisia:

Lisia did a wonderful job of keeping things organized, but that is no surprise.
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Lisia has to leave soon--she used most of her leave time to come for Alys' birthday and there is only so much she can do from Corellia. She works in the Justice Department as a public defender and has just been assigned a prominent client. I am grateful that she was able to come at all.

Good for her! This was, sadly, quite expected:

Nor is it a surprise to find that Tyla and Alys have moved into the same room. I do not know which of them is affected more by this, but they are banding together to suffer through it.



Then something worse happens:

The funeral for Lari and Iric was during my stay in the medcenter. Iric 'took a turn for the worse' in a quite suspicious way that leads me to believe that the vigilantes took the verdict and sentencing into their own hands while no one was looking. Lisia managed to get Tyla there, which she seemed to appreciate. It is difficult to tell, since her eyes are sunken and her posture has altered. More often than not this past week, she has claimed to be too sick to go to school.

If anything would make a person miss school, the deaths of both parents in a short time would. Nice to see that Ive has an idea of what it means to look after Tyla:

I do not know how to deal with this particular challenge. I know how to be a mother and how to comfort, but I do not know how to stand in her mother's stead and this is not something that can be easily remedied. I would like to explore the option of having her see a trauma therapist.

Good for you, Ive! I liked the details of her dealing with these facts: her house is not suited for a repulsorchair; she is unable to cook or eat anything much; and she misses working. This bit was good:

The state, fortunately, is covering the bulk of my medical expenses. Technically, that should not have happened because I am not a federal employee, but someone in the CWS department petitioned for them to make an exception in light of the fact that I am raising a foster child, supporting both her and my daughter and because I rendered such 'faithful service to the Empire.' That makes it sound as though I had been killed in combat.

I figured this might happen. When I saw this I had a thought:

Alys' class is going on a trip this weekend, just after Lisia leaves. I had planned for this, but it means that I will be left at home for five days with a grieving orphan who draws most of her comfort from her roommate. I will have to ask Lisia if she has any recommendations.

Did Tyla ask to sleep with Ive during that period, I wonder? What Ive did with her here was very nice:

I arranged for a taxi to take myself and Tyla to the cemetery so she could visit her parents' graves. She seemed to appreciate both this and the fact that I let her sit there for over an hour, telling me stories. I now have a better idea of her family life and some traditions that we should respect.

Good. This seemed to have some results here:

Tyla joined in the conversation this time, which seems to be a good sign, since she has been largely keeping her hands folded.

Nice to see that the dead are remembered by others as well:

The entire city is aware of the healing that needs to take place for all involved in the tragedy. When I passed the courthouse on the way home from the cemetery, I saw the impromptu memorials left for those who had fallen. It is a touching thing to witness.

I liked this bit about Lisia:

We took Lisia to the spaceport on the way to Alys' school. She was, as usual, giving orders up until the point that she boarded the shuttle home.

She did sound a little like the bossy t

 

2/17 23 AI

Edam grudgingly got out of bed this morning so he could make his daily report and take Tyla to school, but the moment that he was done, he returned to me. Unlike the last time that he was home, he did not attempt to do all the cooking. It is a pity, since I could do with a good laugh these days.

I think he recognized how stir-crazy I have been. He allowed me to make breakfast, but took me to the Garden for lunch. That is the restaurant built on a modified skyhook that does not allow children and requires formal dress. Of course, there are only so many things that I can wear over my braces, but I enjoyed letting him dress me, leaving his hands on my waist a little longer than necessary after adjusting the hang of the dress or pulling me tight against him so he could do up the buttons on the back of the dress. He is a formal man at times--his position requires it--but he is no stranger to affection.

Sometimes, I have feared that Edam would return from duty someday and we would find that we had nothing further to say to each other. I am beginning to think that it will never happen. He does not trivialize the war that he witnesses every day, but he speaks freely of his feelings on the matter. There is something beautiful in the way his eyes sparkle more than usual when he speaks of his duty. He is like a child who has just learned the value of a best friend.

I spoke to the Mekthamas and Sals when we picked up Tyla today. I believe I should be able to return to work next week. I have missed all of them, even the ridiculous Mrs. Sal. I simply want to have ample time with Edam and Alys for a few days before I focus myself on the work again.

2/18 23 AI

We went to the store today and Edam met everyone from Emali's mother to Chate. Edam insisted on buying enough food for an army and that was the first sign that I had that something was afoot. When I asked him about it, he somewhat sheepishly mentioned that Captain Needa was unable to go home during the repairs and he thought it might be courteous to invite him to dine with us one of these nights. It has been a while since I met the Captain and I agreed immediately on the condition that Edam learn to take orders in the kitchen.

When we returned home, he made the arrangements for tomorrow night. Alys will just have returned and I am sure that she will still be euphoric from her week away from her fretful mother, but I feel confident that she will actually comport herself well.

I wonder how Needa will respond to Tyla. He is aware that we are fostering the daughter of Rebel sympathizers, but I do not know what he thinks of the matter. It would not be important to me except I do not wish him to treat her as an outcast at our own dinner table.

 

Nice to read this update!

Good to see Edam knows what his priorities are as a husband and father:

Edam grudgingly got out of bed this morning so he could make his daily report and take Tyla to school, but the moment that he was done, he returned to me.



He also takes her out:

That is the restaurant built on a modified skyhook that does not allow children and requires formal dress. Of course, there are only so many things that I can wear over my braces, but I enjoyed letting him dress me, leaving his hands on my waist a little longer than necessary after adjusting the hang of the dress or pulling me tight against him so he could do up the buttons on the back of the dress. He is a formal man at times--his position requires it--but he is no stranger to affection.

Great to hear this! At least they can talk about things:

Sometimes, I have feared that Edam would return from duty someday and we would find that we had nothing further to say to each other. I am beginning to think that it will never happen. He does not trivialize the war that he witnesses every day, but he speaks freely of his feelings on the matter. There is something beautiful in the way his eyes sparkle more than usual when he speaks of his duty. He is like a child who has just learned the value of a best friend.

Good. So Captain Needa's coming to dinner, is he? That will be interesting. Regarding his attitude to Tyla, I'm sure he'll behave himself. After all, she is being properly fostered by a loyal military couple.

 

2/19 23 AI

Captain Needa has come and gone, though we managed to convince him to come visit a week from today. He is nothing if not courteous and I continuously am glad that Edam was assigned to his command.

He arrived a few minutes before the appointed hour with flowers from one of the local shops and a bottle of wine that cost more than a day's wages for me. It was the first time I had seen him in 'civvies,' since all my other encounters with the man have been on board his ship.

I knew that he has a daughter named Nore. I believe she is nearly three years old now, but he has not seen her much in the last year. That is not surprising--Edam was there for Alys' birth, but then returned home from a tour of duty to find that she was walking and knew how to say "Papa."

Still, I was relieved that he knew how to comport himself around children. He did not treat Tyla any different and I am not sure if it was a result of apathy or empathy. Like any good father, he knew a few games to keep the girls busy after dinner while we prepared dessert. The fact that he did not know GSSL at the slightest made this a slight challenge, but we all agreed to use our speaking voices before he arrived, so we all found ourselves lip-reading by habit, whether we were hearing-impaired or not.

In our family, it is tradition for dinner guests to tell a story to "earn" their supper as it were. He told the story of his first mission with Lord Vader and there was a macabre kind of humor to it as expected. Not many officers who started their careers under Lord Vader have chosen to remain with him. Captains Needa and Piett are two of them.

 

Nice to read this, Ish! When I heard that Captain Needa was going to come to dinner, I wondered what you would make of it, as I liked the character, and was not disappointed!

Good to hear that he's 'courteous'. I liked this bit:

He arrived a few minutes before the appointed hour with flowers from one of the local shops and a bottle of wine that cost more than a day's wages for me. It was the first time I had seen him in 'civvies,' since all my other encounters with the man have been on board his ship.

Nice. And he has a daughter as well. Of course, like Edam, he doesn't have the time to see her much:

I knew that he has a daughter named Nore. I believe she is nearly three years old now, but he has not seen her much in the last year. That is not surprising--Edam was there for Alys' birth, but then returned home from a tour of duty to find that she was walking and knew how to say "Papa."

Sad, but that happens in military families. Of course, the Rebels can be blamed for that, as well as for many other things. I did wonder what Needa was like as a father, which was answered to his credit:

Still, I was relieved that he knew how to comport himself around children. He did not treat Tyla any different and I am not sure if it was a result of apathy or empathy. Like any good father, he knew a few games to keep the girls busy after dinner while we prepared dessert. The fact that he did not know GSSL at the slightest made this a slight challenge, but we all agreed to use our speaking voices before he arrived, so we all found ourselves lip-reading by habit, whether we were hearing-impaired or not.

I liked this bit about telling a story:

In our family, it is tradition for dinner guests to tell a story to "earn" their supper as it were. He told the story of his first mission with Lord Vader and there was a macabre kind of humor to it as expected. Not many officers who started their careers under Lord Vader have chosen to remain with him. Captains Needa and Piett are two of them.

Sadly, we know what's going to happen to those two. Well written, Ish!

 

2/20 23 AI

I went to the medcenter today and am doing apparently well, though my body is not very convinced. I have an appointment with an orthopedist later this week and if he agrees that it would be to my benefit, I will be using some time in bacta next week. They are not sure it would be best for someone who has been healing the old-fashioned way to try bacta treatment, but even if it curtails the amount of time I have to spend in this chair, I will be happy.

Edam had to return to the ship today and will be gone overnight, but he promised to be back in the morning. I love having him home, but it will make it more difficult to readjust my lifestyle when he returns to active duty. It will be especially difficult if he has to leave before the bacta treatment, though the medics assured me that they would schedule the treatments around the girls' school schedules. Things are more simple when he is around.

2/21 23 AI

Tyla got into a fight today, which does not seem to be in-character for her. One of the other children was sending her messages on her pad that slandered both her and her unfortunate family. I was unable to intervene in time when I saw that she and one of the Sals' children were arguing. The boy's older sister was the one to break things up, but the need for therapy is more pressing than ever.

I have spoken to several of the therapists that the CWS worker recommended, but either they are unavailable for the next few months or they refuse to have anything to do with the daughter of convicted Rebels. One promising lead came from the former category, since one of the unavailable therapists recommended a woman in another city. When I mentioned her to the CWS worker, she said that the woman had no official affiliation with the CWS, but had the proper credentials. I left a message for her at her office today and hope to set a preliminary consultation soon.

Edam thinks that it might help her to have contact with her brother. He may be able to arrange things through his contacts on Imperial Center. For now, we are all simply trying to live between crises as best as we can.

2/22 23 AI

I spoke to the therapist, Enadr Hsumawy, today. She has agreed to meet with Tyla tomorrow after she leaves school. Edam will be retrieving Alys and taking her out for what he affectionately calls his "requisite daddy/daughter morale booster." I believe he intends to rot her teeth as much as possible before he leaves.

Alys began reading "Shadow of Fear" today. The class will be reading it for the next month and the teacher sent home a list of discussion questions for each chapter. I have to wonder what she will think of it when she has seen the best and worst of Imperial justice at such a young age. I will try my best to keep the conversation on the proscribed questions, but I am somewhat afraid of saying the wrong thing if she starts to ask questions of her own.

2/23 23 AI

I was not allowed into the office when Tyla had her appointment because of patient/doctor confidentiality, but Enadr spoke with me first in order to get a good feel of why we are bringing her there. She is, of course, familiar with the circumstances of the trial. She is also interested in speaking to Alys in order to see if she can do anything to help with the distress caused by having her mother nearly killed.

I feel somewhat ashamed because it occurred to me first to bring Tyla here. Alys seems to be improving, so I concentrated on the child with visible symptoms. I understand that there is only so much I can do unless Alys communicates with me about the matter, but I worry that I am not doing enough.

Edam received word from Captain Needa tonight. He will be returning to the Avenger tomorrow night after the Captain comes for dinner. The ship is expected to leave the yards the morning after and they need to prepare for the departure.

Tyla has another appointment on the 28th. Alys has one on the 26th. My appointment with the orthopedist is tomorrow. I hope I will be able to be treated with b

 

Oops. Seems I missed loads of this.
I'm just too easily side track - oooh, shiny.

Anyway, this is a great story.
It's so full of life almost as we know it. Love all those little problems and solutions.
So Edam has come and gone. He seems like a nice guy.. IMO, Imperials need more protraial like this.

 

A nice update, full of scenes of everyday life!

1. Good to see that the author's getting better.

2. Sad to see that Tyla was bullied by another child because of her parents, though it's no surprise.

3. Alys is reading Shadow of Fear, I see. No wonder her mother's apprehensive:

I have to wonder what she will think of it when she has seen the best and worst of Imperial justice at such a young age. I will try my best to keep the conversation on the proscribed questions, but I am somewhat afraid of saying the wrong thing if she starts to ask questions of her own.

4. And Edam has to leave, after his wife and daughter got used to having him around. I've really got to like the man. Does he survive the war, I wonder?

 

2/24 23 AI

Edam stayed just long enough to take me to the orthopedist, let the girls help him cook dinner and schedule my bacta treatment with the Fleet medcenter that will be covering the service. We managed to spend some alone time between appointments, but it was predictably difficult to let him go again.

He insisted on reloading his holocube with a few of the images that I have been saving for him since he last left. One of them is of Tyla and Alys and I'm glad that he is consciously making a place for the unfortunate girl in our lives. I certainly have.

I will be treated on the 27th and again on the 32nd of this month. After that, they wish to monitor my progress and then decide whether or not to let me finish healing the old-fashioned way. I am simply looking forward to leaving this blasted chair behind.

2/25 23 AI

One of the clerks at Employee Resources for the judicial system commed me today. The court officials are still interested in my certifying as a court interpreter. I promised to review the information that they will be sending me tonight.

Alys' appointment is tomorrow and I feel worried that she may feel unable to communicate with the therapist. I hope that she will be able to say something that will eventually let me know how to best help her.

I am administering the "midterms" tomorrow. It is hard to believe that I have nearly been here for two months, but fairly soon, the snows will stop falling and we will be able to see some of the legendary Corellian gardens. I will trust Tyla to teach us where to go.

 

Another nice update. Good to see Edam continuing to do the right things as a husband and a father, and now also as a foster father:

Edam stayed just long enough to take me to the orthopedist, let the girls help him cook dinner and schedule my bacta treatment with the Fleet medcenter that will be covering the service. We managed to spend some alone time between appointments, but it was predictably difficult to let him go again.

He insisted on reloading his holocube with a few of the images that I have been saving for him since he last left. One of them is of Tyla and Alys and I'm glad that he is consciously making a place for the unfortunate girl in our lives. I certainly have.

As I asked before, does he survive the war?

Nice to see that the author's continuing to get better:

I will be treated on the 27th and again on the 32nd of this month. After that, they wish to monitor my progress and then decide whether or not to let me finish healing the old-fashioned way. I am simply looking forward to leaving this blasted chair behind.

Also nice to see that she might be interested in becoming a court interpreter, and that Alys will be seeing the therapist tomorrow. I hope that they can see the Corellian gardens soon.

 

Ish?
Please?

 

Kevin_solo--Thanks. I still love Edam as a character in my own process of writing. You'll see if he survives the war. Glad you liked the idea of being a court interpreter. I'm a huge fan of gardens, so that seeps in a bit.
*****
2/26 23 AI

Alys met with the doctor. He will not give me any details, but he wants her to meet with him on the same day as Tyla once a week for a while. This made me feel relieved that she is speaking to someone, but guilty that I let it get this far. He also wants me to start seeing someone. He made several recommendations. One of the referred therapists is a woman that I met during the trial and I think that I will consult with her.

The midterms are finally over and I have a great deal of work to do this weekend. Tyla and Alys have been invited to go to Miri's birthday party tomorrow. Miri is the first of them to have a sleepover for her party and I agreed to let them stay the night, mostly because it will give me time alone to grade some exams.

2/27 23 AI

I had another treatment today and was able to walk a few steps without any supports. The orthopedist thinks that after the treatment on the 32nd, I should be able to start walking more frequently. He assures me that if I can just take a few days off, I can make a full recovery. He obviously has no children.

I contacted the court and enrolled in the certification program. They will be paying my tuition and I will have to go through a credentialing process and exams once I have finished the coursework, but it should allow me to turn this into a supplemental income.

I dropped the girls off at Miri's and I think that neither of them will miss me much. I have been cranky at times recently and they have been patient, but I have to wonder what they tell the doctor about what life at home is like.

2/28 23 AI

I received a call from Miri's mother in the middle of the night. I immediately thought that one of the girls was sick, but was not prepared for what she said.

Tyla left. They do not know when and none of the girls saw her leave. No one remembers her giving an indication that she wanted to slip out or that she did not like it there. Miri's family does not live in one of the districts covered by surveillance. We spent four hours looking in the surrounding area for her and looking in her favorite places. The snow at the cemetery was fresh enough tonight that we could see her footprints in front of her parents' graves, but there was someone there with her.

I do not know what to think. Maybe she ran away because of something said at the party. Maybe she has been planning to escape for weeks and simply waited until the party when I would not be there to stop her. Maybe she was lured to her parents' graves by one of the rebels and abducted by someone with a familiar face. Maybe she went there out of loneliness and someone who was waiting for a child to be vulnerable and alone...

Oh, gods, I cannot even contemplate that. I spent the afternoon giving descriptions to the constabulary and putting in calls to friends of the family. I have been instructed to wait by the comm and to keep Alys with me in case this was not an isolated event. Constable Sal suggested that I make a list of our enemies and any people at the school or at work who have spoken out against my taking Tyla in.

I have not prayed in years, but I remembered how tonight.

 

Nice to see this new update! I say this, even though it has a lot of sad stuff.

Things seem to be relatively normal when this happens:

I received a call from Miri's mother in the middle of the night. I immediately thought that one of the girls was sick, but was not prepared for what she said.

Tyla left. They do not know when and none of the girls saw her leave. No one remembers her giving an indication that she wanted to slip out or that she did not like it there. Miri's family does not live in one of the districts covered by surveillance. We spent four hours looking in the surrounding area for her and looking in her favorite places. The snow at the cemetery was fresh enough tonight that we could see her footprints in front of her parents' graves, but there was someone there with her.

I do not know what to think. Maybe she ran away because of something said at the party. Maybe she has been planning to escape for weeks and simply waited until the party when I would not be there to stop her. Maybe she was lured to her parents' graves by one of the rebels and abducted by someone with a familiar face. Maybe she went there out of loneliness and someone who was waiting for a child to be vulnerable and alone...

Very sad! No wonder she prayed:

I have not prayed in years, but I remembered how tonight.

I was thinking that, though this is a bad situation, it could have been worse. The author could be married to Palpatine!

 

You just made me snigger really loudly in a library, for the record. Bad Kevin!

 

2/29 23 AI

The constabulary had their questions in abundance last night, but today, the Corellia office of the ISB sent agents over. They all but accused us of 'aiding and abetting' because we had the audacity to care for a war orphan and then somehow let her slip away. I can tell that none of the agents are parents. They would have different questions if they understood what we were going through, but this is the Imperial Security Bureau.

Of most concern to them is the fact that we did not immediately report her disappearance. We did not want to involve the constabulary when she might just have gotten lost or gone to her parents' graves. As a result, it was morning before we actually made a police report. The ISB agents are convinced that we did this intentionally in order to let a dangerous juvenile insurgent flee the planet. For stars' sake, she's eight years old. She is neither dangerous nor insurgent.

We are not under house arrest or even under formal investigation, but if things continue to go in this direction, it may be only a matter of time. The ISB investigates on a baseline principle of conspiracy theory and there is no knowing what evidence they might come up with.

Edam is not answering his comm. According to what I overheard, one of the ISB agents on the Avenger is keeping an eye on him. I want to contact him, to talk to him about what has happened and ask his advice or at least assure him that I did not mean for this to happen. I wonder if they have even told him that his wife and daughter are under suspicion.

 

2/30 23 AI

More questions, more investigations. The Mekthamas commed this morning to say that they would be looking for another, more loyal tutor for their children. The others have not pulled out yet, but I have to wonder how long that will last. It is a dangerous thing to even allow the appearance of evil and I have apparently gone even further than that.

Alys is beside herself. I had to keep her home from school today because she was threatened. The administrators have taken appropriate steps, but until we have more answers on what happened to Tyla, I am not sure I want to keep her out of arm's reach. Her instructors have sent home a week's worth of assignments and lessons.

The ISB came by again. They have been through our comm records, have reviewed the mail that we have in the house and I suspect that they have tapped into our comm lines in case I have the urge to call some of my Rebel friends. Today, their task was to question Alys. Because none of them had an interpreter on hand, I had to fill that role as usual. They recorded it and will probably have someone in the ISB make sure that I am not mistranslating them or sharing secrets with my hands.

There is still no news from Edam. My access to the fleet database has been cut off until the investigation is over.

It has been three days and I still do not know who is out there, looking for Tyla. Maybe none of them are--she is a war orphan and I am a potential traitor. I have had no response from the constabulary and the ISB will tell me nothing. I want to comm Lisia and find out if she can even look informally in on Tyla's brother. That would fall under the category of suspect behavior, however.

I wish they would understand that I hae nothing to hide. I have no intentions of doing harm and I have nothing but loyalty to the Empire. Apparently, they think that my origins on Alderaan are motivation for me to turn against my government.

2/31 23 AI

Today, I went to the grocer's with Alys. There is not much else that I can do, since they will not let me go to work and Alys is still out of school. I am hoping that some of this madness will end soon.

I cannot help but wonder where Tyla is, but a more pressing concern is what has happened to her. She only has two sets of clothing with her and, as far as I know, no pocket money. She could not have gotten far without help and I am not sure what form that 'help' would take. Did she conspire to meet with some of her parents' old 'friends?'

Gods, I am starting to sound like an ISB officer. She is eight years old. She is unlikely to conspire about anything but what game to play next. If she has met up with the Rebels, it is because she is young and naive. I cannot bring myself to think that she is old enough to turn on us.

That is what I tell myself when I do not want to cry. I think that she is with people who cared about her parents and, by extension, feel an obligation to keep her safe. I cannot bring myself to contemplate the possibility that she is in the hands of her enemies.

I had nearly forgotten the threat that Alys received when Tyla first started living with us, but I remembered today that the boy who had attacked her had threatened to bring the ISB down on us. I have to wonder if this is related in any way.

2/32 23 AI

There is still no word on Tyla's whereabouts. I do not think I've eaten in two days. Alys barely speaks to me. I am not sure if she blames me for this or if she thinks that I blame her. I have tried to reassure her repeatedly that she is not at fault.

The ISB contacted me today. I will be allowed to return to work tomorrow. Either they are waiting for me to do something foolish and traitorous or they have finally realized that they cannot find a single thing to convict me of rebel tendencies.

I contacted Alys' school about her coming back and they said that they would allow her to return on the first day of the coming week. For now, I will help her with her lessons and take her to work with me.

I am going to com

 

The ISB are now involved? Nasty! Unlike normal cops, they would arrive at this interpretation:

Of most concern to them is the fact that we did not immediately report her disappearance. We did not want to involve the constabulary when she might just have gotten lost or gone to her parents' graves. As a result, it was morning before we actually made a police report. The ISB agents are convinced that we did this intentionally in order to let a dangerous juvenile insurgent flee the planet. For stars' sake, she's eight years old. She is neither dangerous nor insurgent.

We are not under house arrest or even under formal investigation, but if things continue to go in this direction, it may be only a matter of time. The ISB investigates on a baseline principle of conspiracy theory and there is no knowing what evidence they might come up with.

Sad! And poor Alys!! The author admits she is sounding like the ISB here:

I cannot help but wonder where Tyla is, but a more pressing concern is what has happened to her. She only has two sets of clothing with her and, as far as I know, no pocket money. She could not have gotten far without help and I am not sure what form that 'help' would take. Did she conspire to meet with some of her parents' old 'friends?'

Gods, I am starting to sound like an ISB officer. She is eight years old. She is unlikely to conspire about anything but what game to play next. If she has met up with the Rebels, it is because she is young and naive. I cannot bring myself to think that she is old enough to turn on us.

Sadly, there are enough non-Rebel dangers around. I hope the author's right here:

That is what I tell myself when I do not want to cry. I think that she is with people who cared about her parents and, by extension, feel an obligation to keep her safe. I cannot bring myself to contemplate the possibility that she is in the hands of her enemies.

And we end on this sad note:

My own birthday is on the 35th. I hope that I will hear from either Tyla or Edam for my gift. If I could just know that she is safe, I might be able to sleep at night again.