Beyond - Legends Legends of the Force, Book 2: "Cauldron-born", 26 Chapters (OCs)

Great update - I only now found it (alerts only show up for a while, and if too many show up, older ones seem to scroll off the alerts page never to be seen - by me anyway )

I'm looking forward to see what Sionnach decides, one fine day, for herself. But I fear until then her lot has been that others somehow feel compelled to decide for her (even when reluctantly and only by being baited into it, like Lucien) what she should be/do/want. Seesh Dealg 'I should have been a better father - oh, hey Sio, you are nice, go finish healing my son will you not, I do not have the patience and he screwed it up w/o me as a parent, maybe thanks to his fine mother too; OK, thnx, bye, gotto go hug a sun and bend some other mothers to be ' man, I suppose he's a bit better than EGO the living planet, but not sure it's by much!

It's really great reading these subtle, and sometimes startling and funny insights Sio has, really great way to show how she embodies the living force.

 

Because I can never resist my husband´s wishes, I take the remaining energy that I have and update:

@WarmNyota_SweetAyesha: There is a certain stubbornness that Jedi have. Especially those with pointed ears.

@SWpants: Miss your humour very much!

@earlybird-obi-wan: I am glad that you are glad.

@DarthUncle: LOL to "The Guardians of the Galaxy II" joke. Love you very, very much! And I hope you will see the next updates without any problems.


Okay, before I am asking too much of my body:


Chapter 9:

The turmoil inside my mind is difficult to handle, but my pity with him allows me to stay as tranquil as possible. “Creature?” I repeat. “This is all what You see in me?”

“I tolerate you being on my planet,” he bites out. “Reliable sources informed me about your unfortunate past. When I was made chef de la sécurité I swore myself to protect the weak and the righteous. You are an unbelievably weak girl, but your attachment to the unholy teachings of Cunabula does not make you righteous at all. I decided to keep you here despite what you are. Minou assured me that you do not stain the essence of her établissement.”

I should laugh at so much ignorance. But his insults hurt me more than they should. Slowly, I turn my back on him, hugging myself.

Vicomte Ankoù is blinded by his own prejudices. He truly comes from a race of proud and violent humanoids. I will never be like him, for basically, I am my own race. A clone.

“I also find you not tempting enough to get intimate with. Despite your motherhood you have the body of a young Elfin girl still. It is nothing but an empty façade though. You are the very essence of the dark side, even though you appear more alive than their unholy mummies. But basically you are the same.”

My cheeks are coloured, but at least I manage to keep my voice flat. “If you consider Draconis a place where the dark side lives and breathes in the very core of his world, then I suggest you should visit it in person.”

“I have no business there at all,” Vicomte Ankoù replies crisply.

“It was just a friendly suggestion. For it would humble you.”

At this I hear him breathing very hard, but I know better than to turn around and look at him directly.

“It is not the source of evil that you believe it to be, spawning threats to your people or to the rest of the galaxy,” I point out matter-of-factly.

There is no sense in trying to describe the peaceful atmosphere of the Western Plains to him. Even though Granny is long gone, I still have those cherished memories of her and the patch of land where I grew up in peace.

Certainty fills me.

I know how it feels to be alive. The son of the sky walker might have never had that privilege. I am willing to forgive him.

“Visit Draconis!” I suggest, turning around with a friendly smile. “You can find out all by yourself if the god queens of old still are whispering in their tombs.”

“Don't you dare to mock me!” he threatens me.

Éibhear wakes up and starts screaming with a high pitched voice. When I want to pick him up, the way is barred by almost two meters of solid annoyance.

“Since I invited you into my life, you cause me nothing but trouble,” Vicomte Ankoù snarls.

The aura readings that I get are not good at all. I have to get out of the room with my son somehow.

“My sister started to disobey me, Ruadhan Ahearne refused my offer to stay on and I was not able to judge the danger of the holocron right. Who tells me that you are not the reason for all my recent misery.”

Moon priestesses are outside, knocking at the door. “Sionnach, are you well? Or is there something amiss with Éibhear?”

“Leave us!” thunders the son of the sky walker. “I am on a mission in here!”

What mission?

But I cannot ponder on it for too long. For there is a short tremble in the Force and then a lot of furniture flies towards the door.

I am definitely trapped.

Outside, feet hurry away.

I hope that somebody will fetch the patron.

Éibhear has somehow rolled onto the floor, his face puffed. His wails tell me that he is unhurt, but very scared.

“I rather have you leave, milord,” I address him stiffly.

The son of the sky walker saunters closer, a black shadow with piercing blue eyes. His war masks sails on the floor. “I will finish what I have started.”

I try to escape, but his large hands reach out for my head. The leather of his black gloves feels cool against my cheeks. With a thin voice I plead, “Let me and my son go, before any one of us gets hurt!”

He leans down until his brow is touching mine.

Too late, I realize what he is really up to. It is an option that I have never considered.

********************************************************************

Vicomte Ankoù has trapped my wood leg between his thighs. His consciousness drills straight into my skull. Ever so slowly index-fingers settle down on my temples, while his thumbs lift my chin up. This way my jaw gets fixed so I am unable to scream out.

Éibhear decides to sound alarm for me. He wails at the top of his lungs.
His distress has no discernible influence on my attacker though.

There is only one way to react for me: walking straight into the fire.

I open the gates of my mind, giving him every detail of my life.

Anger and hate are necessary to embrace the dark side. Fear, too. Therefore I must not fear.

My memories bend like the ash trees and hazelnut bushes back home when a heavy storm sweeps the landscape. I will survive this vicious attack like all the others before. The more I give in, the less pain I feel inside my brain. I am as consistent as the happy watercourses which had run over our farm property.

Our balance shift a bit, when my memories get darker.

The son of the sky walker shivers noticeably, but he is not willing to break the physical contact between the two of us. Together, we relive it all.

The murder of Granny through Arcānā and her rancor.

My life at Dún Mór-Shiabh, including Mórag's visit.

The unusual kindness that a certain werewolf had offered me.

My stay at Draíocht's long-house.

The abduction through Jonc and Salopard.

Finally, Vicomte Ankoù gets confronted with his own abuse of my mind.

********************************************************************

Hysterical sobs cause my attacker to hide his face between his hands. “I... I...”

Free of his touch, I launch towards Éibhear as fast as I can.

As usual my wooden leg hinders me profoundly. My baby boy has wet himself and is husky from crying. “Shush, Amhantar. Shush!” I repeat over and over again.

Using his soul name has a deep impact on the child. His eyes brighten up and he smiles at me, babbling something.

“Mammy is fine,” I assure him.

While Vicomte Ankoù does a lot of crying, I secure Éibhear in front of my chest with a long silken scarf. Only them I start cleaning up the barricade.

********************************************************************

“Sionnach?” the patron's crisp voice calls from the outside.

I blink.

“Sionnach?” she repeats.

“There is nothing to worry,” I speak while I continue to haul the chaiselonge away. “I am alive.”

Madame Yeotenn starts crying with relief. “I have send for his parents.”

“Including Dealg?” I inquire while I move away some large satin pillows.

“The Wanderer has left the planet, Telenn told me.” The patron sounds somewhat embarrassed. “Perhaps for good.”

“Well, it cannot be helped,” I remark, while I pull the door open. “Just make sure that I never ever have to see Luçien again.”

There I said it. Luçien. His given name. After all the unwanted intimacy we shared I have every right to use that name. It gives me the power of distance.

********************************************************************

Mademoiselle Goañv is in her hunting outfit when she is led into the main tea room. The fact that she comes alone proves to me that she does not wish to concern her husband with the entire affair.

“I would like to offer apologies for my son, Princess Sionnach,” she slurs, her usually perfect face frozen in deep shock.

“How friendly of you to do so.” I am tired and weary, so I skip the etiquette. Even my friendliness has its limits. “Let me be frank! I do not want to hear any excuses right now. All that I long for is to sleep in my room. Alone. As long as His Lordship is in there it is not possible for me. Please take him with you!”

The half-blooded Lidérc looks annoyed. “You refuse my honest apologies?” she shrieks.

I yawn, not able to suppress it. “I accept them, but all I wish for is to be left alone by you and the rest of your family. Including Your son.”

“This is unacceptable after all what happened today.” Mademoiselle Goañv trudges towards me. “We have to make you a member of our family to save our honour.”

“No thank you.” I close my eyes, pressing Éibhear softly against me. “I am fine.”

Her offer reminds me too much of Dian and his proposal.

Honour is over-rated among nobility as it seems.

“Luçien will make you his maîtresse-en-titre, even if you refuse. You were alone with him in that room for far too long.”

I open one of my eyes. “Nothing happened between the two of us. We just exchanged... some thoughts.”

To explain a mental rape between two able telepaths is a bit to much for me at this point. I am not sure that she will even understand. The Force is with her, but very, very weakly. Perhaps she even does not know about it.

Madame Yeotenn, who has waited by the door, cannot hold herself back any longer. “Leave the child alone!” she rants, shaking her walking stick. “From this day onward I will rescind the invitation to you, Luçien and to any other member of the House Ankoù.”

I can tell that Mademoiselle Goañv is as shocked as I am. “You cannot do that.”

The elderly patron makes her back stiff. “I can and I will. This is a house of healing, tranquilité and peace. Sionnach has become part of this house. I will not have her reputation and life ruined any further! She is too dear to me.”

I sink back into my sofa pillows.

There has been too much drama these past hours.

The code of honour by which the Lidérc live is too complicated and twisted to understand for an outsider. Perhaps they do not even understand their rules themselves.

While Madame Yeotenn argues on my behalf, I fall asleep with my son in my arms.

********************************************************************

When I wake up, I am not in the main tea room any longer. I am not even at Ostal Blanc. Everything is so much more sophisticated.

Then the truth dawns on me.

“I am sorry,” Luçien mutters from a dark corner. “It was a face-saving act.”

I jump out of bed, his unquestionably, in no time. “Kidnapping me is a face-saving act?”

“There was no other way, believe me.” He has come closer but is barely looking at me. “In this culture bride kidnapping is common.”

His words take a while to sink in. Yet. I am missing a very important detail still. It matters more than the question whether I am married to him or not. “Where is my son?”

“With the other children in the serail.”

A lot of Force mantras go through my head all at once. None of them helps. “You will let us go!” I yell. “Now!”

“I cannot,” he answers quietly.

“I am an adept of the moon virgin Calme. You agreed on that with Mistress Yeotenn.”

He nods curtly. “And as thus you are welcomed into this humble household. Your healing skills are very much needed.”

His calmness enrages me even more. “I am not your plaything!”

Now he looks me straight in the eyes. “This is not the reason why I have brought you here at all.”

“Are you sure?” My own poisonous tone scares me.

He looks more than just hurt. “After all what I learned about you today, I want you to be the best Force healer of the universe. I owe you that.”

********************************************************************

Straight away a second bed is put into his chambers, followed by a large wooden paravent.

Trees are scarce on Sapuhru. So I guess that this particular furniture costs him a fortune.

The next item to arrive is a table with two huge satin pillows. It appears to me that Luçien does not want me to face the other members of the ducal household yet. So I suppose that we will have meals in his chamber from now on.

I sit on the low futon bed while he carries more stuff in. Clothing for me and my son. Even toys, linen nappies and a cradle.

Finally, I am given a lot of books, mostly about plants and medicine.

“How long will you keep me in here?” I wonder.

“As long as you do not want to cross the threshold.”

That sounds reasonable.

********************************************************************

The next evening, Luçien offers to show me the technique of Force light. “Sionnach, I want you to stop being a victim,” he says. “Look, by channelling the Force into withered blasts of light-side energy, the darkness can then be diminished or destroyed permanently.”

To this I shake my head. “I am not a victim unless I believe that I am. Things happened to me, true. The past cannot be undone. I learned from it though. All events made me the very person that I am. I am grateful for it.”

“You decline my offer? Only imagine what good such a skill could do to you.”

“Look deep inside you!” I reply. “Remember all what you have learned about me in so far. Then ask yourself that question again.”

Luçien stares ahead, obviously forcing himself not to lose his compassion in another outburst of anger. His eagerness not to hurt me again does him credit, but I have started to ask myself if he really has learned something from our close encounter yesterday. His own code of honour seems to block him from grasping the truth.

After what seems a little eternity he bites out, “No Force light then.”

“And please no other extra skills that you might think would benefit me,” I add helpfully.

His jaw muscles work. He seems agitated.

“Can we instead go on with learning about the lines of energy in the body?” I suggest.

Relief shows in his unmasked face. “Look at your palm!” he asks me. “Now spread your fingers as much as you comfortably can! Yes, just like that. I want you to reach outward in the Force now!”

I beam at Luçien.

“Follow the various directions that your fingers are pointing! Your fingers are like rays of light, coming directly from the centre of the sun. Even more, actually your hand is the sun. Feel the energy flow radiating outward from your palm!”

He can be a good teacher if he allows himself to be thus.

“Retain a relaxed posture! Perfect,” he praises me. “Your entire hand is an instrument of light and healing.”

In the past, this skill had come to me in moments of need or distress. Now the white light blazes up almost spontaneously, just because I make it happen.

“Good, very good, my young apprentice.” Luçien beams at me with genuine pride. “I want you to give yourself a few playful moments to get familiar with this! Release the stretch and restore it again! Just like this. Do it again several times!”

Eagerly I do his bidding, enlightened and fascinated by the flow of energy. The Midi-chlorians inside me purr like a choir of Lidérc.

“Give this exercise your undivided attention!” he suggests. “Be one with the flow of the Living Force!”

The Living Force? Not the Unifying one?

Whatever concept that is, I do not know. But I do not dare to ask my master. I am afraid he would regard me as stupid.

********************************************************************

After that lesson, we are more at ease in one another's company, only concentrating about the ways of the Force.

I had it in me to forgive Luçien the part that he had played in my kidnapping. His own mother had set him up to do it.

From all that I have learned about Mademoiselle Goañv in so far, she has not been a good influence in his life. Like a mater familias in an Ophidiae family clan she rules with an iron hand. A hand with manicured fingers that know how to kill off any kind of prey. She only seems to happy when she can get her fangs and claws into an unfortunate victim. I swear myself to not give her that satisfaction. Ever.

********************************************************************

As the hours pass by, I grow more relaxed with the weird circumstances under which I live. To accept things for what they are only benefit my training as a Force healer.

Whatever restraint or grudge I have felt at first, it dissolves into amusement and serenity, for the most part. My heart is not a poisoned dwell. Granny has made sure it never would be.

Obviously, nobody dares to question my position as a maîtresse-en-titre of Luçien or as his disciple, but I am not willing to leave his chambers.

The serail of the House Ankoù is a beautiful place, but I am aware of its true nature. Under its golden and silky skin intrigues lurk. It is full of gossip and mistrust. Too many females are housed together with their off-spring. That leads to a lot of stress.

The only way for a serail woman to go to different places is to hunt. Not everybody is an appointed huntress though. It is a privilege that only the main wives of the old comte possess. This is why the harem is filled with bored females. I do not choose to be one of them.

I miss Madame Yeotenn and her moon priestesses. They had never been vain or dishonest.

“I would appreciate very much if Éibhear would not be made to join your family as often as it happens now,” I tell Luçien the next evening, when we have a walk inside the lustrous serail garden.

The plants that grow in here so many miles away from the sun light can only do so because of the Force.

“They simply adore him.”

Luçien fails to see the obvious as usual.

“He gets spoiled by all those women in ways that I do not like.”

He towers behind me, brooding as usual when he is in one of his moods. “It can only be a temporary solution though. Once the boy starts walking and speaking he will need the company of other children. You cannot deprive him of that.”

“For now our new arrangement will suffice.” I incline my head to him.

The way to happiness is to be warm-hearted.

********************************************************************

Once more, I live for the moment, welcoming every day with open arms. The Ophidiae call it, “Carpe diem! Seize the day!”

Compassion gives me my inner strength back and so I achieve more self-control than Luçien ever could.

Two days later I start to communicate with the females in the serail more often. I change my attitude towards them.

From the core of my being I desire contentment for myself but also for my little son. I also care very much for his happiness.

Luçien has been right in one thing though. Éibhear needs the company of other children.

********************************************************************

Very soon, I am befriended with many females in the serail. My popularity among them has grown steadily the past days. Éibhear has helped a big deal. As a mother I have something to talk about with other mothers.

One evening Luçien asks me if I would like to play with the children on a more regular basis and teach them my language.

“Which one?”

“All languages that you consider to be fitting to the kittens.”

I am surprised to find so many eager students. Even among the grown-ups.



Sources:
Wookieepedia – The Star Wars Wiki
Jedipedia, a free German Star Wars-Enzyklopedia
Hidden quotes from SW movies and the SW universe

 

Intense as Lucien and Sionnach develop a new phase of their relationship/connection. She is very much intertwined with him and his extended family, even if involuntarily.
It is nice though that she has independent pursuits with healing and teaching the children.

 

Nice set up here, reminding us of their fundamentally different ways to lead their life and see the force. Budda / Ghandi are hard to understand for people focussed on action - can be frustrating 'why do you not fight back' ... well:

And so, she goes with the flow and picks up the things that are healthy, nurturing and help her interests, no need to fight (yet) to find a happyness, no need for anguish, good comes to her when she opens herself to it and find her own centre and will, even if evil threatens her. Yoda of ESB would probably be proud to see it executed so well.

Great update, thanks for finding energy to post it (though truth be told, you do seem a lot better than at the start of the week).

 

nice to see a very strong Sio

 

@WarmNyota_SweetAyesha: Its actually my pursuit in life, too.

@DarthUncle: You are always right about me and the core of a story of mine.

@earlybird-obi-wan: I rewrote Sionnach a lot, because teenage angst days are over for me that I have crossed the 40ies line.


And @Darth_Furio: Sorry forgetting to tag you! Too much strong antibiotics in my system!

 

And here we go with Chapter 10, @DarthUncle, @Kahara, @WarmNyota_SweetAyesha, @Darth_Furio, @earlybird-obi-wan & @Cowgirl Jedi 1701 :


Chapter 10:

“Care for getting another one?” Mademoiselle Goañv asks me one evening, staring straight over her café au lait into my eyes.

“No thank you,” I reply, holding her gaze. “One spiced chai tea per night is enough for me.”

The muscular Lidérc female rises from her chaiselonge and walks towards me with swinging hips. “I am not speaking about chai tea. I finally want my grandchild from you. What are you waiting for? It has been three months now.”

“I am a Force disciple of your son.” I put my mug away on a low side table while saying this. “He honours that, having regard for the common history that we have built so far. Neither he nor I wish to have a child together.”

The harem around us has fallen silent. It is hard for them not to be witness to our open disagreement.

“I want you to bear Luçien an heir!” Mademoiselle Goañv shouts. “Do not be so obstinate! This is the only reason that I had brought you here in the first place.”

I gather the Force around me like an armour. “I already have a son, milady. It was not my choice to have him, but I accepted him into my life. He cannot be blamed for his father's sins.”

“My son is without sin.”

“None of us really is.”

“That is blasphemy,” she shrieks. “He is the messie of our people.”

With that I get up too, feeling especially wobbly on my wooden leg. “I will have no more children.”

Marquise Fleur Ankoù flies straight into a tantrum.

I pick up Éibhear, who is resting next to me. My hands press against his pointed ears. I do not wish him to hear all the bad language that now fills the large hall with its marble columns.

********************************************************************

When Luçien strides into his chambers, he is already speaking, “...not sure what to say or what consolation I can offer you.”

I am sitting on my futon bed, which is placed opposite his own bed. “I am only sad for your mother. She might suffer from a phenomena known as 'granny lust'. With all the children around her it is only understandable.”

“She cannot conceive any longer. Now she looks to us in despair.” His breath becomes irregular. “Whatever, I can only assure you that I share your sentiment about us not becoming parents.”

I have to withstand my impulse to give him a hug. He is my master. It would not be right. Instead I suggest, “I will write you a letter. Bring it to Minou!”

“She denied me entrance to her homestead.” His face hardens. “Remember?”

“Place the letter in front of her door. She will receive it without you having shown disregard for her sentence on you.”

I have sworn to myself to stay chaste after Fort du Montages. It is not in the feline nature of Luçien to follow my example though. I know he suffers on a daily basis. Ostal Blanc is the only place where he can fulfil his needs. The members of this household are forbidden for him. That is hard on a sixteen year old, who just passed the frontier of manhood.

“What are you up to, Sionnach?” He grants me a tormented look.

“Some good mischief on your behalf!”

After some fumbling around I find the pergamentus that I need in his desk. Now I am fighting around with a large goose feather. The ink has dried up too much. With a little Force trick I make it liquid again.

“You do not need to do that for me!” he protests.

“You only live a half-life. That will drive you mad at one point.” The feather rushes over the paper. “I also miss Minou very much. So I am also doing it for myself. I want this conflict to be over. She will forgive you on my behalf.”

********************************************************************

My letter does not fail in its mission. Minou does not only welcome back Luçien like a prodigal son, but she asks for me as well.

My master makes no fuss about that. His services for his adoptive father, Comte Ankoù, have slightly suffered since he has started teaching me the ways of the Force. With the patron back in my life he will be able to share his responsibilities with a second mentor.

After my tearful reunion with the elderly Lidérc half-blood woman my nights in the serail start to have a new rhythm. Every fortnight Luçien escorts me to Ostal Blanc all by himself. We ride on the strange creatures called eopies. The people bow to us respectfully. I receive flowers and other gifts from complete strangers.

“Just accept them and pass them on later, if you do not wish to keep them. My step-mothers are greedy creatures,” my master advises me after I make my deep embarrassment known to him during one occasion.

“A woman has given me golden earrings.”

“The citizens like you,” Luçien explains. “They want to please you as much as they seek to please me.”

“But they hardly know me,” I declare.

“You have a sweet and cheerful personality.”

“How would they know about it?”

“The servants that do the shopping for the homestead are full of praise for you. You healed many of them since you live at my side. And I allow the rumours to leave the serail.”

“How gracious of you,” I mumble, trying not to blush.

My master helps me off my eopie mare once we are inside the property. “You might find out that I am full of generosity.”

We are not alone in the inn-yard. The Comte himself waits for us. Luçien bends his knees in front of his sovereign.

“Papa.”

“It is hard to find you on your own, my son,” the old Lidérc full-blood says through his war mask.

My master keeps his head bent down. “I would like to apologize for that inconvenience.”

“I think it is time that I get fully introduced to your charming companion.”

The almond eyes of the Comte wander over me with deep interest.

Luçien gets up from his uncomfortable position. “Of course, papa.”

I cannot sense any danger from the Comte, yet I do wonder why he is so eager to finally get acquainted with me. He has not bothered to meet since I have started living under his roof. I also had made no advances to get anywhere near him. We simply have different lifestyles and different responsibilities.

He reaches out for my right hand. His smooth lips touch my skin. The kiss that he gives me is very light and, I have to admit, very pleasant. “Well met, madame.”

I watch him straighten himself to his full impressive height again.

“I will not hold the two of you up any longer than required, my son. Flor informed me that there is much teaching going on between the two of you. I will not occupy precious time that can be spent better and more productively.”

With that, he sweeps away again.

“What was all this about?” I whisper to Luçien once the Comte has vanished inside the homestead.

“I have no idea,” he bites back. “It seems that my mother likes you after all and wanted you to be officially recognized by him.”

“As what?” I mused.

“My protégé, of course.”

This does not seem as logical to me as it seems to my master. Nevertheless, I take his offered arm and let him lead me into the homestead.

When we walk through the serail, I had the feeling that Mademoiselle Goañv gives me a smile that is rotten through and through.

********************************************************************

It is not that I begin to fear my own shadow, but I am tense. Something is amiss, I just cannot tell what. Neither can my Midi-chlorians.

”You're focusing on the negative, Sionnach. Be mindful of your thoughts!” Luçien tells me one afternoon, when I had trouble getting up after a sleepless morning.

The night life of the Lidérc is still a problem for me. Even after all those months.

“Your mother is framing us somehow,” I complain.

My master shrugs off that defamation instantly. “We know what we are both up to. There is no way that she can force us to change our minds, is there?”

I watch him getting dressed layer by layer, feeling nothing but deep respect and friendship for him. His naked body does not tempt me. “I suppose that you are right.”

“That is not enough.” He looks sternly in my direction. “We are a team. I need to know that you are fully on my side.”

I give him a rueful smile. “Where else should I be than at your side, my master?”

He laughs about that. “Today you need to keep yourself happy. I have urgent business to arrange for papa.”

I frown. “Business that I would not approve of?”

He saunters towards my bed. “The less you know about it the better.”

“Luçien!” I wail so loud that I woke up Éibhear with a startled cry.

Very slowly, he kneels in front of me and leans his brow against mine. I cannot help but shiver. The only time that he has come so close to me, has not been a great success for either of us. His ice-blue eyes fill my entire vision.

“I let you be the person that you are, Sionnach. Please give me the same freedom! I did serve the glory of this family long before you were part of my life.”

Tears ran down my cheeks. “Please do not go off killing people!”

“I have to do what must be done,” he replies cool, yet not without tenderness. “There are holy laws that my people need to keep to. If they do not and I do nothing against it, we all might best fall straight to anarchy again.”

Luçien lets go of me again, stroking one of my cheeks before he left our chamber.

********************************************************************


Within the next days, Luçien and my ways part more often, leaving me in charge of the homestead as its beaton. There are the daily misfortunes of kittens, hurting themselves at their sometimes wild games. Or there are careless servants who have been in a hurry, pleasing others. The hunting accidents are more severe though. Womp rats can leave rather nasty bites. Their claws are infectious, too.

While I am giving health to everybody, I fear that my master is doing the opposite. We never speak about it openly though. It is useless and only leaves both of us exhausted. I only can double my attempts to bring light into lives. Even his. Just as his true father asked me to.

One evening, though, I cannot help but make a remark and Luçien storms out in blind anger, calling me an absolute inconvenience, leaving me annoyed and ill at ease.

It is Mademoiselle Goañv who pays me a visit later on. To have her standing in front of my door with a tray, two mugs and a pot with steaming-hot beverage is a novelty. If she would hold herself in a less proud manner, I could have mistaken her for one of the ducal servant women.

“A quarrel between lovers?” she tuts with played innocence.

“You know very well that your son is somewhere out there, being the dark angel of justice,” I reply as politely as I could.

“He is who he is.”

I feel slightly miffed. “He is what his obligations towards this family make him, including you. His true father...”

Before I can finish my sentence the half-blooded Lidérc pushes me inside the room.

Loudly, the door falls shut.

“I do not wish for you to discredit me in this outrageous manner!” she scolds me. “If it became officially known that he is not Alezan's, they would have to kill us both. And you would be killed too, most likely.”

“I did not mean to...” I cannot get the words out properly. It has never occurred to me that Luçien is as much in danger as his mother is.

The Lidérc half-blood stands in front of me, panting hard. The tray with its contents shivers dangerously. Then she has a grip on herself again. “You are forgiven, child. The rules to which we live up to still must seem a nuisance for you, are they not?”

“Er... yes,” I admit.

“Under the circumstances it would be only polite if you would offer me a seat.” Mademoiselle Goañv states matter-of-factly.

I take two pillows off the bed, checking that Éibhear is still sleeping. My boy indeed does. “To what do I owe the honour of this visit?” I address my visitor.

“Senator Agathos Aletheia, your uncle as I have come to understand, has send me a present for my wedding anniversary.”

She tries to make it sound as a reproach. Family lines are very important for her culture. I am bound to their lot by some strange twist of fate and DNA only.

“They have already six children together, Arcānā and her human husband. I bet it serves Isabeau right to be the nanny of the lot.” Mademoiselle Goañv reaches out for the tea pot. “That git was never found of children. Always making a face when she had to spend time with them.”

The only thing that I recall from the young Marquise she had been very distressed by all the open hatred that had been shown to her.

“May it be as it is, now and then something good comes of Draconian soil.”

Unasked, I am pulled a mug with dark beverage. It is neither fragrant tea nor the café that I detest so very much.

“This is xocolatl,” I am informed. “The 'bitter water' of the Ophidea. They make it from beans that they grind.”

Curiously, I look into my mug. My Midi-chlorians act like happy children inside my body. There seems to be nothing amiss with the beverage then.

I wait until my guest has finished her first mug, which takes her some time, because she is talking about the royal serpent-spawn with vivid gestures.

“Can you imagine getting seven children at once?”

I do not answer Mademoiselle Goañv.

The xocolatl teases my nose. It gives me forbidden promises of happiness and luck.

I reach out for my mug.

The first taste explodes on my tongue. “Delicious!” I cry out in pure joy.

My guest looks relieved. “I hoped that you would like it. It is from your home world after all.”

Dizzy with happiness, I finish my mug in silence.

“Care to have another one, Princess Sionnach?” I am asked.

“Oh, yes, please.”

********************************************************************

It turns out to be a perfect evening in many wonderful ways. Mademoiselle Goañv is pleased and my Midi-chlorians are at ease.

I finish one mug after another.

The more I drink, the lighter I feel.

The xocolatl tells me stories of its home-soil, which lies high in the misty mountains of the Mother Jungle.

Opening up to my vision, I start to listen to exotic birds flying by and feel the lukewarm rain on my skin. The Unifying Force is in balance up there.

The attack is so fast that I cannot react to it properly, distracted as I am by my drink.

********************************************************************

With a terrible headache, I wake up in a white, sunny room. There is a big panorama window that shows me a cloudless sky. Underneath, the dark blue ocean stretches out until it unites with the horizon.

“No.” I whisper in terror. “This cannot be. She did not.”

Yet I am facing the full effect of the betrayal that I have suffered through Flor.

I am off-world, presumably on the water planet of Amnion.

My guest of honour must have known exactly how to make me pass out. Perhaps Luçien taught her about energy lines in humanoid bodies, too.

I hear a sound that is rather unfamiliar to me.

A strange metal door has opened all by itself and a human man comes walking in. He wears a white coat and is middle aged. His happiness to see me is honest. I could get no negative aura readings from him.

“Ah, Lady Ankoù! You are awake.”

He hurries towards my bed, shaking my right hand enthusiastically. He has many laugh lines in his face. It is perhaps a compensation for the hair he is missing on top of his head.

“I am so proud to have royalty at our humble clinic,” the man goes on. His grey eyes are filled with delight and pleasure.

I give him a thoughtful look, frowning. “Clinic?”

Something is wrong, yet my Midi-chlorians are not alarmed in any possible way. They are just sleepy.

“Yes, the Priapos Clinic for Fertility.”

I feel like choking.

********************************************************************


“What a wonderful anniversary present your loving mother-in-law had in mind.” The doctor pats my cheek as if I am a little child. “So many years without a matrimonial blessing. It is a gift of heaven to have such a loving and understanding family member.”

With the honest man standing in front of me, it does not seem right to break out into tears. He misinterprets my shocked face.

“Do not worry! It will be a secret between this clinic, His Lordship, his honoured mother and you. I understand that the Lidérc do not approve of our technology. Which is a pity. No marriage needs to end up childless.”

Xocolatl is dangerous. It has made me too carefree, too unfocused. I will stay off it forever more.

“Is there anything that you wish to eat or drink?” the doctor asks.

The only thing that I wish was to undo what had been done to me. I decide to ask, “If I could have some water please? My throat feels dry.”

“Just water? But, my dear lady, You slept one day after the surgery. You better go for the continental breakfast.”

I am too stunned to answer.

The human speaks into a metal brooch that is attached to the collar of his white coat. “Nurse Eudaimonia, one continental, please! On the other hand, make it two. Her Ladyship needs some company, I think.”

The last thing that I need is another person sharing this moment of misery with me.

“As your personal doctor I advise that you nourish yourself decently. You will need to eat for more than one person from now on.” He winks. “I know I should not discuss such matters with you, but you seem to be of genuine Elfin origin. I could not help to notice your slanted eyes and those pointed ears of yours.”

I nod mechanically, because I do not wish to make my true origin to be known. At least my unborn child will have a real father. And won't be the product of some dead cell-samples either.

“The members of your race are even more jumpy about artificial insemination than the Lidérc are. Sometimes it is the only way. I am glad that your kind mother-in-law took this courageous step for you and your husband.”

I do not want to know how it has been possible for her to get from Luçien what she needed.

“Do not despair, milady! It will be His Lordships child.”

That is exactly what I fear. We have worked so hard to build up a relationship of trust. Now everything that we have achieved as master and Force disciple is at stake.

“Here we are: one mug of goat milk for the lady and coffee for you doctor,” a new voice interrupts my thoughts.

The nurse, an equally olive skinned human, enters with two loaded trays. She has a smile that is even outshining the one of the doctor.

A tray is placed on my side table.

“Hard boiled eggs, some feta cheese and olive bread. You can also have some pastries with cheese fillings if you want,” the nurse tells me.

“No, thanks. I think if I can finish what I have here, I will explode into pieces by the time the plate is half empty.”

Laughing heartily, the woman leaves again, but not before giving the doctor his own tray.

I did wonder how he can stay so slim by starting a day with such an amount of food.

Before we could swallow our first bites, the nurse runs in again. “Doctor Kharis!” she shrieks. “It was just on the news channel.”



Sources:
Wookieepedia – The Star Wars Wiki
Jedipedia, a free German Star Wars-Encyclopaedia
Hidden quotes from SW movies and the SW universe

 

betrayal is the way of the grandmother

 

Lucien and Sio are getting along nicely and Sio is back to healing when... out of "granny lust", what a description leads to a wicked, wicked scheme! Perpetrated with one of the BEST things ever, chocolate!

 

I would have loved you to write "but not mine; I am not your people". But, that's okay, I inserted it in my mind

I sometimes forget he's still so young, and she's even a few years younger, isn't she?! And yet so thoughtful and attentive, yeah, that must be hard (huh) on him.

LOL, how very typical of the society.

"No way I can think of" ... but Lucien only thinks in honourable ways, unless it is about killing. His mother surely does not. Also, great to have him tell her about focussing on the negative.

heh, well, shows how good a judge of character she is, doesn't it? It does serve Isabeau just right

Uh-oh :-~

*other shoe drops* well, ***** That's higher level abuse, that.

Hehe, sure, tell yourself that, don't we all?! Though Sionnach might just have the character to pull through.

 

@earlybird-obi-wan: Unfortunately, you are right, dear bird!

@WarmNyota_SweetAyesha: I knew that the dark side of chocolate always wins folk over. Even you!

@DarthUncle: Great and reflective answers as usual. Let us have a pillow talk tonight if you are not too tired, darling.

Here is the next update anyway, @Darth_Furio:


Chapter 11:

“Yes, Nurse Eudaimonia?” the doctor drones in an amused manner, taking her in from head to toe.

“Senator Aletheia is going to be a father again. Imagine, his second serpent-spawn!” She clasps her hands together. “I know what many people say about the crown princess from Draconis, but if more local women where like her we would be out of work.”

“Indeed, indeed.” Doctor Kharis takes a deep gulp from his café. “But I think without our good Agathos that young alien never would have been so blessed in the first place. The Aletheia family always were good breeders.”

The nurse leaves giggling.

“What a happy coincidence! You and Her Majesty are pregnant at the same time, milady.”

Somehow that does not make me as cheerful as it makes him.

My royal cousins are constantly exposed to the threats of the dark side of the Force. Not only by the undead ancestors in the Holy Crypts. By their own mother.

********************************************************************

My master arrives around dinner time. His slanted cat eyes tell me how deeply sorry he is. Luckily, he has no travel company in tow. The sound of his voice is muffled by his war mask. “I wanted to come sooner, but first I had to settle a few things with Flor.” He pauses. “The next important thing was to find a place for Éibhear and me to stay.”

My baby boy is well and unharmed.

This makes me very, very happy.

I pat at the mattress, offering Luçien to sit down at the left side of my bed.

Reluctantly, he joins me and takes off his war mask. His face looks so fragile and young. “I do not know what to say to you.” Uncertainty laces his voice. “The entire situation seems unreal to me. Papa is beside himself with anger. Yet he begs me to leave that demon alive.”

I let out a relieved sigh. To have blood on my conscience is the last thing that I need right now.

The tears which I have held back since Doctor Kharis' visit smart out of my eyes.

My master pulls me to his chest so hard, that I let out a little yelp.

“Poor Sionnach! You somehow manage to end up in trouble all the time.”

Gently, he strokes through my hair.

“You are too sweet to be true. That seems to challenge fate a lot.”

His words undo me even more.

I cry until I have no tears left.

********************************************************************

“Are we okay?” I ask weakly from my place in Luçien's arms, when I am able to retrieve my voice.

In the meantime night has fallen over this region of Amnion. The stars shine into the hospital room.

My master snorts like an eopie, before reassuring me, “Of course we are okay.”

“What about the child?”

“Éibhear is in good hands right now.”

“This is not what I mean,” I give back somewhat flustered.

“We still have about nine months to think about that.” Luçien manages to laugh a bit. “Imagine, me becoming a father at just sixteen.”

There is a question that I meant to ask for ages. “How old am I? I lose track of time too easy.”

“Not now, Sionnach. We can talk about it another time.”

His calm reaction shows me that he knows exactly what my true age is.

We stay quiet for some time again. I feel the constant heartbeat of Luçien greeting me like a drum.

Finally, I manage to mumble, “I cannot stay in the serail after what your mother did.”

“Urgent matters require my presence here at the city state of Polysýndeton anyway.”

That is a novelty to me. “Urgent matters?”

“You can have my child, but you cannot have my secrets,” he jokes. “I am willing to share some facts though. There is no consul to represent the affairs of the House Ankoù on Amnion.”

“Consul? You?”

I peer up at him.


In the twilight, his ice blue eyes shine clearer than ever. There is determination in them.

********************************************************************

Being befriended with Senator Agathos Aletheia for many years open many doors for my master here at Polysýndeton. He manages to get us two offers from a real estate agent in no time.

One is a big apartment inside an elegant skyscraper. The other offer is a charming little house situated in the oldest part of the city. It is overgrown with vines and possesses a generous herb garden on top. I do not even need to push Luçien to go for the latter. He too has fallen in love with that green oasis on sight. The penthouse had been too posh and soulless.

“What did you do for the senator to deserve this?” I ask during our first night in the pretty yellow house.

“Giving him some time out from being a husband and father?” Luçien chuckles, while giving Éibhear a ride on one of his knees.

The boy hops up and down with glee.

“That would include...?” I move on curiously.

“Letting him win some chess games, discussing good books and serving him good café. Agathos is a man who can find joy in the little things in life.”

The reputation of my uncle within the city state is rather positive. I even overheard local people on the market square to speak respectfully about him. He is still very popular for all his efforts in the cultural sector. Due to his forward-looking planning the arts are thriving since decades and so are museums. With the board of education he once had achieved a good cooperation and his successor held on to that.

My master's reproachful look rests on me. “I did not need to kill anybody for this place, Sionnach. If that's what you think.”

Even after all we have been through together he fails to read me better.

I step closer to one of the colourful shutters. “That is not what I was thinking about. I just wondered how I could have overlooked your deep friendship with Agathos.”

He grants me a relieved smile. “I did not speak to you about it, because I did not want to stir old unpleasant memories in you. You lived in your aunt's mighty shadow long enough.”

“From all that I have heard about Agathos, he is a totally different type of character.” I look outside the window. “He does not seem to be the right partner for Arcānā.”

Luçien puts Éibhear on the floor where the toddler immediately starts to scramble off with great enthusiasm. “His love for the crown princess never fails to amaze me,” he admits. “Agathos could have gotten himself an older and, pardon me, much more sane wife, but he wanted her.”

“Perhaps he does her good,” I give to consider, thinking how lonely the dark side of the Force can make a person.

“It's certainly not the case on his side of the story. Agathos had to give up a lot for her. His books suffer from the jungle climate that he has to live in. Sailing is not easy on the Great River that surrounds the Holy Isle.” He shakes his head. “With this marriage he made a bad bargain, believe me.”

“Yet he loves her,” I insist, watching some seagulls flying by.

It occurs to me that I have never seen Arcānā in person. The day that Granny had been killed I had only felt my aunt's presence. And that from a considerably safe distance.

“It is a love that I do not understand.” My master stretches out on the chaiselonge like only a Lidérc can, very elegant and pompous at the same time. “But I need to respect his choices as his friend.”

********************************************************************

We settle in rather quickly. To see Luçien re-paint walls feels good. He has sent for all of our belongings from the homestead.

One morning even some crates with desert plants arrive, that he hopes will flourish in the local climate. He humbly asks if he is allowed to put them in the herb garden. I advise him to put them into the inner yard instead. There the air might be less humid down there than on the roof itself.

Soon, I plant a group of adenium. Those desert roses take well to neglect. If they have their way they reward their owner with a long season of bloom. The flowers can be either white, pink or red.

I give the ghaf tree a thoughtful look. The poor fellow might have a very short life with us. His roots will not be able to stabilize any sand dunes on-top of our roof. He might wane away, deprived of his life task.

********************************************************************

Within a few days I become very fond of both gardens. The local citizens actually boast with over five thousand and five hundred plants. Therefore their cuisine is known for the use of herbs such as sage, rosemary, thyme, lavender and oregano. Most of those plants possess leaves with an oily surface, helping to retain moisture without a large root-system.

“Are you opening your own soap factory?” Luçien asks me during a very sunny afternoon, which makes me wear a headscarf to protect myself.

“I could not resist trying out what Minou taught me.”

While saying so I am looking down at my self-made lavender soap. The pieces will need to dry another day before we can use them.

“What are you up to next, Sio?”

He crosses his arms behind the back, being amused and in high spirits.

I like his newly won easiness. Inside our house he prefers to take off his thick desert robes and the war mask. Usually, he just marches around in a pair of black leather breeches. Therefore he has made sure that none of our neighbours can have a peek through this plant barrier that he has erected. A lot of primroses, violets, peonies, tulips and anemones are protecting his decency now, together with some lemon trees, orange trees and olive trees. On the other hand, we are able to peek down on the street and the surrounding houses easily.

“So, what next?” he probes.

“We could have our own honey, you know.” My face glows with delight. “There are so many ways of healing a person with honey.”

“I hope our son will not get ill that often.”

First, I think that he is referring to the unborn child in my womb. But then I notice him gazing at Éibhear. My boy is playing with a mini shovel in a wooden box that contains a lot of dune sand from Sapuruh.

“I do not wish for anyone that I know to get ill,” I defend myself after a while.

“So you want strangers from the street crawling ill over our doorstep?” He is obviously in a teasing mood. It is refreshing and unnerving at the same time. “I could arrange that.”

“No!” I say a little bit too sharp.

Luçien walks over to me and puts his arms around me. “I am only going to hurt people that harm you on solemn purpose.”

“We had this discussion before,” I remark sternly.

“I am a bad learner.”

“You are supposed to be my master! My idol.”

He gives me a suspicious look. “I am actually not sure if you shifted the balance the other way around for your pleasure.”

I roll my eyes at him. “You are the bold one here.”

“Speaking about me...” Suddenly, he sounds very business like. “Next week we must start our official mission here. It will not include producing hand-made soap or getting our own honey bees, I am afraid.”

********************************************************************

Luçien wants to be a respectable consul for his home world. There is a small community of Lidérc within the city state of Polysýndeton. The majority of them are honourable spice traders and merchants.

We invite one family after the other.

At first only the men, who will gather purposefully in Luçien's office room for café en mass and smoking the water pipe.

After some invitations, the wives or, in most cases, their courtesans are brought along, too. There is a reason for that. Not all young Lidérc are able to afford several wives. In this environment it is also not necessary to entertain an entire harem of skilled huntresses. Food gets into a stomach way easier.

My role as a maîtresse-en-titre is mostly a social one. I have recognized that by now. It comes in handy that Granny has made sure that I am as sweet as an apple pie, but on top of all natural and honest.

Thus, it becomes known in our neighbourhood and also in the local senate that Luçien and I were wonderful hosts.

Soon, we have more and more visitors. Some even turn out to be valuable acquaintances.

Éibhear likes to be the centre of attention from females who want to give him a hug, mess around with his carrot coloured hair or have him sit on their laps. I am concerned that this might have a bad influence on his character, but Luçien roars with laughter when I try to speak with him about that.

“There is nothing wrong with being admired, Sio. And our son is a gorgeous lad.”

But I keep watching the boy anyway. Just in case.

********************************************************************

Luçien and I had a wonderful first season at Polysýndeton. Now and then I even find time producing my own soap, mending the roof garden and keeping the bees that I wanted so badly. Plus I had insisted that we keep no servants, for I like doing things myself.

Yet the more my pregnancy progresses, the more difficult it gets for me running the household smoothly.

My hormones are not in unity with my Midi-chlorians. I start crying about little things going wrong such as a burned omelette. Or a broken jug.

When I burn myself one morning while doing pancakes, Luçien reaches out for me and makes me sit on his lap. “Shush now, my busy bee. Or I put you back into your hive!”

I lean against one of his shoulders, making it wet with my tears.

He is not in his desert robes, yet. Therefore his hands are without his spooky leather gloves. He places his fingers on top of the huge bulk that I am carrying around.

His laughter startles me.

“Just as I thought. You are with twins,” he says.

“I am what?” I sniff.

“This happens with in vitro fertilization at times.” A shadow appears on his face. “This is no coincidence. Oh, Flor! You are a heinous woman.”

I blink some tears away. “You mean she did order twins for us?”

His lips form a bitter smile. “A scheme within a scheme. This is always how it works for her. You can be sure she has a backup of some kind.”

Not much later I agree to my master's proposal to find several moments per day to meditate together.

I needed to stabilize again after the ambulatory surgery Flor has forced me to undergo. The children that I carry in me had come there in unnatural ways. I badly need to tune the three of us into more harmonious ways.

********************************************************************

About two weeks after Luçien's discovery we are about to host an exclusive lunch in our home.

No Lidérc will be present. The invitations have only gone to senate members.

I brace myself.

Most politicians are dull and talkative, yet they have charming wives. Some of these women even are real people with their own personality. The rest of them is like the local vanilla pudding though. Too sweet and too artificial.

Luçien has done all the cooking himself, but he has ordered staff from a party service to serve our guests.

“It is not that you look like a sperm whale, Sio,” he tells me when the door bell rings, “But I must say you move like a whale.”

I make a face at his comment, but let him dip my nose cheekily with a finger of his before he zooms off.

“Leave everything to me. Just enjoy yourself.”

********************************************************************

It turns out to be a pleasant event. Luçien is good in taking care of matters. Even wrapped in his midnight blue robes he is an elegant man and the centre of attention.

While my master moves around, spreading his unmatchable charme, I sit on a chaiselonge with a tea mug. The afternoon sun strokes my face, while the constant sea breeze plays with my red locks. Luçien had insisted on doing my hair and I must admit that he has done a great job. I wear a complicated pinned up-do with local flowers. He also has chosen me in ruby-coloured garments. A bindu is sticking to my forehead, hinting at the fact that I am an adept of the moon virgin. I also have agreed to wear some Ankoù family jewels. Even though they are a bit heavy and not really my style.

“I do not know how you manage to look like a blooming flower each time that I see you, child,” the lady next to me says. We have met many times before, but right now I cannot recall her name. She is an elderly matron with a big heart, but an ill choice for clothing. Today she reminds me of a kidney on a porcelain plate.

“Kallos, Her Ladyship cannot help being a beauty,” another senator wife throws in. “That comes with being an Elf, I suppose. Those are all ethereal beings.”

The speaker is a haggard human woman with greying temples. Her nose is very peaky as if nature wants to punish her for her curiosity. I like her anyway for she appears to be direct and honest in the things that she has to say.

“Aeon, look!” Kallos is almost pushing her friend off the chaiselonge, that all of us share. “The wife of Senator Agave. Poor thing. He should not force her to sit in the sun like this.”

I turn around as much as my body allows me to. From the corner of my eyes I can see a slender and frail woman. First, I think it is the sunlight playing tricks on me, but then it dawns on me that she does not possess a human aura.

“There are rumours about Angina.” Aeon has lowered her voice to a whisper. “She is supposed to be one of them.”

Kallos shakes her head in denial. “Hadron would never have married her if she were such a daimon. He is the chairman of the Human League.”

“Be quiet!”

“It is an open secret. Everybody knows about the nightly gatherings in his house and about the hooded cloaks they put on. They go around looking for people who seem different and torture them in unbelievable ways.”

With a protective hand spread over my belly, I go on listening to the gossip. But I cannot help continuing to gaze at the woman in question.

Aeon is not defeated so easily. “I think this is why Hadron has married the poor creature in the first place. He wants to make her life a living nightmare.”

“Nonsense.”

“Since we arrived he has been taking every drink out of her hand and claiming it for himself. This is already torture. Being who she is she will dry out in no time.”

“My dear Kallos, if she truly is what you claim her to be, where are her pointed ears? The gills? She does not even have webbed hands.”

I leave the arguing human women behind.

Walking is difficult. I am six months pregnant now, but it feels like much more.

********************************************************************

Senator Gluteus, a middle aged man, sees me coming at once. “Ah, our honoured hostess.”

His bow is wrong, his voice, too. I see nothing but contempt in his eyes.

“My dear senator, what a lovely day, is it not?” I beam.

“You brighten it even more.”

The truth is that Senator Gluteus wants me to be carried straight into a high pressure chamber and to be dissembled right away. His burning eyes tell me all about it.

As the woman at Luçien's side I am acquainted with the crimes the Human League commits. Especially against the true natives of this planet. The Scatel, Sea Elves, hide in plain sight among the human invaders.

The senator's wife stares at me with very big and frightened eyes. No beauty surgery could have changed them. Her Elfin soul lies in them.

“You are a scoundrel, senator,” I speak teasingly. “Would I have known that You had such a charming wife, I would have befriended her much earlier.”

Before Senator Gluteus could answer in any way, a familiar dark shade came to my aid. “Enjoying yourself, ma chérie?”

“I do, Luçien. But now I fear that I must retire for a bit.” Before he can take my arm and lead me away I add, “I would hate to deprive our dearest guests from their host. Madame, would you do me the honour of your company? It is a matter between ladies.”

Confusion turns into surprise and further on into relief. “You are too kind, milady,” the senator's wife lets out with a shaky voice.

Like somebody who had awoken from a nightmare, the Sea Elf reaches out for my right elbow. She flinches a bit when we make skin contact.

My master, not unaware of the situation at hand, provides us with rear cover. “Senator, this gives us the chance to speak about some important matters that would have been too boring for the ladies,” he says.

“Er, yes.” Senator Gluteus is steaming with anger. At last his aura shows that to me. His voice stays as smooth as a fish swarm in the ocean.

While we walked inside the house, my protégé manages to say, “What are you?”

“Very pleased to finally make your acquaintance,” I whisper back.


Sources:
Wookieepedia – The Star Wars Wiki
Jedipedia, a free German Star Wars-Encyclopaedia
Hidden quotes from SW movies and the SW universe

 

Sionnach is a wonderful hostess. She is kind to those who deserve it and forthright with the rest.

 

That's smooth. Me likey.

 

“There are rumours about Angina.” Aeon has lowered her voice to a whisper. “She is supposed to be one of them.”

I love you diverse characters and descriptions of them Azure. It adds a lot of depth to your stories.

 

Well, that didn't happen on account of me being ill for the day, but maybe tonight?

Glad to see Lucien put his best effort into being a good partner and parent for the kid(s), and happy to read about their new abode - seems a great little place for Sionnach, and Lucien too, taking him away from his home has seemingly eased him; though who knows what he does at night, and with that Human League present, I wouldn't be surprised if he regularly interferes in a rather lethal way. Still, a bit of respite for them is good.

Eww. I do like oxenblood-red with cream as a combination, but not that plastic, I think.

Oh, boy, some of these guys are real nasty pieces of work aren't they? Sad that it current events IRL make this seem like a reaction, when in actual fact this bit is from years ago, being present in the core of the original epic that started taking shape when you were only a teenager. Great way to deal with it though by Sionnach.

 

love those names for the various nasty characters

 

@earlybird-obi-wan: Research, research, research. That counts for all my names in various languages.

I only had Latin, English & French at grammar school. Did not go for Greek. Irish Gaelic & some lumps of Swedish were just for the fun. Polish & Russians are two languages I never went for, due to my mother´s traumatizing WW2 experiences.

And as you may know I went for Dutch at a point in my life.

@WarmNyota_SweetAyesha: Sio cannot help being a princess. It´s in her DNA.

@Cowgirl Jedi 1701: Well, being around Luc one learns that automatically.

@Darth_Furio: My characters come to life due to RL being a strange place at times. This is like fuel for my fics. Thanks for the compliment!

@DarthUncle: Could write a lot now, but I rather bring you a mug with hot tea into your ice-cold office where the central heating does not work since yesterday. (A pity that it will take our landlady two further days to get that fixed!) I hope the FRESENIUS PD dialysis bags won´t freeze together with you.

Okay, here my belated weekend update, made possible by Ny as usual who worked hard ahead:


Chapter 12:

I lead Mistress Gluteus straight into our deleterious bathroom, locking the door behind us. She lets out a relieved sigh.

I send water streaming into the bathtub for her. “Why did you marry such a cruel man?” I voice, while adding a large amount of ocean salt with a spoon. I happen to keep it in a big jar among other cosmetic articles.

Her hysteria breaks out in heartbreaking sobs. “Th-th-there... wa-wa-was a… a… a... r-r-raid... o-o-one year ago. I-i-in... the o-o-old ci-ci-city.”

“Tell me when you are up to it.” I reach out for her pointy face. “Have a bath first.”

Gratefully, the Scatel woman begins to undress, revealing physical marks of severe domestic violence. Too well, I know about injuries like that. Jonc and Salopard had not spared the rod while I had been their unwilling prisoner.

She sinks into the cold water, shivering with delight and pain alike. “Thank you, milady.”

“Just call me Sionnach. Or even better: Sio.”

“Angina, but you know that already.”

For now I restrain myself from reaching out with the Force. Only if the Scatel woman will give me the allowance to use my healing gifts I will do so. I am not my master. Usually, he has trouble being patient.

Not all injured and all ill want healing. Sometimes it takes them time to make a decision. In most cases it is the first decision that they make on their own for ages.

********************************************************************

I do not recall how long I sit at the edge of the bathtub. In between, I hear the slamming of the front door.

Senator Gluteus, no doubt.

I will not be able to stop Luçien from following him later on.


And for the first time in my life I am not sure if I really want to hold him back.

“Philiki Politai did go unpunished by now,” I state. “Officials turn a blind eye to them. The senate does not bother. But there is change in the air.”

I am aware that my master has his icy gaze on the secret society and their activities for a while now. Perhaps he even has taken precautions against them earlier on. It's what he always does. Fighting for those who cannot.

Then I ask the most essential question of them all. “Why did you marry him, Angina?”

The Scatel woman looks at me with big eyes. “Hadron told me he would leave my clan alive and unharmed if I would.”

I suppose that Senator Gluteus has not lived up to that generous promise of his. A man like him has no honour.

The majority of Sea Elves always ends up in high pressure chambers. Once trapped in there they turn into fish food within heartbeats. It is a more generous fate than becoming a test object for science though.

“You do not need to return to him,” I tell my protégé.

“But he...”

“You do not need to return to him.” I repeat. “It will be taken care of.”

Luçien will be efficient and discrete as usual. I have learned about his ways by now. Nobody will trace it back to him. Even rumours will drift away like a sea breeze.

“What will become of me?”

I look at Angina very tenderly, suddenly thinking of Marquise Riwalan in her exile on far away Draconis. “Have you ever considered being a nanny?”

********************************************************************

The Scatel woman is an asset to our family household. After a recovery process of just a week, she laughs a lot and is very playful with Éibhear, who simply adores her.

My master makes sure we do not leave the house unprotected for daily errants.
Bit by bit, I begin to realize that most of the honourable merchants, that Luçien is befriended with, are part of a secret private army. I have to accept things for what they are.

When Angina and I get attacked on the market place a day later, one of my master's shadow guards reveals himself.

Our attacker gets pierced straight into his own throat by the knife he wanted to throw at Angina.

While the market crowd goes berserk, a Lidérc in turquoise desert robes steps between us and them. “To threaten the life of innocent women and children is a bit much, don't you all think?”

Nobody answers him.

“Your god Parhelion has his twelve commandments. One of them is, as I recall it, 'Smite the wicked!', is it not? And I just did.” He kneels down on the cobble stones. “Well then, who wants to throw the first stone? Just to prove I am wicked as well.”

The crowd dissolves in no time.

An elderly man even pats the back of the Lidérc. “Well done, mate! This will show those alien haters. Bad for business, ey?”

********************************************************************

“Thanks, that you hold your hand above us generously,” I tell Luçien when he enters Éibhear's room not much later.

Our saviour, Monsieur Kervarker, has already left the premises again. With the promise to visit again another time, of course.

I briefly kiss my master on the cheek, happy that he has picked up the habit to leave his war mask in the entrance hall.

“I am not a statue of Parhelion,” he huffs. “Just saying that before you try to wind flower garlands around me.”

This remark makes me laugh. “The one and only god of the humans of Amnion has not much in common with you.”

There is a smirk. “We are actually half-brothers.”

“Do I really want to know the whole story?”

Luçien strips off his robes, revealing a lot from his muscular body. “Just let us say that Dealg was wild in his younger days. Perhaps I inherited my love for the Elfin race from him.”

“Why would Parhelion not protect his kin?”

“Because he is a self-righteous and idle...” My master stops at the sight of my index finger resting on my lips. “Right, the twins. No swear words around them.”

I nod. “And no bad feelings.”

“Well, Parhelion is what he is. Selfish. His high age has not made him any wiser. He likes humans much better. They help him to find a purpose for his existence. He exploits the monotheistic faith that they brought with them from Terra. A very ugly charade.” Luçien sits down on Éibhear's bed, taking off his leather boots. “Where is our boy, by the way?”

“Having a bath. Angina assists him.”

“She will turn him into a Sea Elf as well if she continues this way,” he dryly jokes.

“There is no danger of that,” I give to consider. “He wants to be a farmer. And water algae do not interest him.”

“It there even a market for algae?”

I nod. “In the outskirts of the city they eat raw fish, wrapped up in algae and rice.”

“Yuck.” He considers his reaction. “Well, one must honour and respect the way of other races and cultures, I suppose. But raw fish?”

“And raw lobster.”

“This is barbaric.”

********************************************************************

When I lie down in my own bed much later, my master turns off the electric light by a short ripple in the Force.

“Can you make sure that I never have to meet him?” I say into the sudden darkness that fills the room.

“Whom?”

“Your half-brother.”

“I already did. And he did not seem very interested in meeting you.”

“Oh?”

“I am sure he was not even pleased to have me around.” A short silence follows. “As long as Parhelion and I keep out of each other's way we are fine.”

********************************************************************

To have a red faced archbishop in front of one's door step is a bit much for me. The man is a giant, more than two heads bigger than my master. Amber coloured hair frames his haggard, yet elegant face. He looks like a human man in his fifties. His eyes are large and oval. The pupils in them are brown and freckled with tiny spots of gold.

“Parhelion,” I breeze, very much under the impression of the aura reading that I am getting in.

“Is your husband at home, woman?”

“No, he is in the senate. I do not expect him back until dinner. He had urgent business with the senator for health and recreation questions.”

The powerful Force user is over our threshold in no time, slamming the door into the face of his minions. He grabs me by the chin. “Listen well, zombie! When good Gluteus was found dead in the gutter and lacking his wallet, I was silent. But to strike down a faithful servant of mine at daylight cannot be tolerated.”

His presence is hurting the twins a lot. I need all my inner strength to calm their voiceless wails.

“If you refer to the attack on my nanny yesterday morning, you are right to be outraged. I am just glad an acquaintance of my master was around to prevent the worst.”

“If Luçien ever dares a stunt like this again, it will be war between the two of us.”

My master appears out of nowhere. “If she is losing our twins due to your lack of temper, I will kill you.”

“Try, little kitten! Try!” sneers Parhelion, pushing me into his sibling's arms. “I am much older and more powerful than you can ever imagine.”

“Gentlemen!” Angina comes running in, holding a scared Éibhear in her arms. “I beg you, restrain yourselves. In Parhelion's holy name.”

Our guest bursts out in mad laughter. “So you are a religious woman, servant?”

The Scatel declined her head to him in respect. “I was indeed brought up by my parents to believe in the god of peace. When they were slaughtered by Philiki Politai, I ran the danger of losing my religion forever.” She pauses, taking him in. “The hot pokers of my belated husband also tried to burn my belief out of me.”

He pales and I pale along, too. But for different reasons.

Angina wraps her speech up. “Seeing your friendly face in this house, my dear archbishop, makes me believe that decency is still left in this universe of ours. May I have the honour to kiss your holy hand? I would like very much to feel the divine glory of Parhelion and his mercy with one of his lowest followers.”

“No, child. I must kiss thine.” Beaming, Parhelion strides over to the Scatel and presses a chaste kiss on her hands. “I never knew that your people were so fond of... the true light.”

Then the unthinkable happens. He bends his knees before Angina. But I cannot enjoy that scene very much. My amniotic fluid breaks one month too early.

“I hate to interrupt this moment of religious insight,” scowls Luçien. “But we have a situation here.”

********************************************************************

It is a heavy birth. I am in much pain. If my master had been less annoyed with Parhelion, then he would have stabilized me better.

The dark side, very much present in our bedroom, is not known for its excellent healing skills and I am too battered to help myself.

“What a fragile shell she has!” the powerful Force user exclaims. “Is this why you sent her to the fertility clinic in the first place? Too afraid to devour her with your animal needs?”

“Brother!” Luçien shouts at the top of his voice, while trying to help the first twin to exit my body.

“Perhaps you like your meat rotten and tainted,” Parhelion moves on, while I give my best not to die on everybody. Especially not the twins. “I need to learn to live with the fact that my little half-brother is a desert beast with delicate needs.”

I lose consciousness at a point, being too exhausted.

The unlike half-brothers can manage their differences without me.

********************************************************************

I wake up with a fright, feeling hollow and empty. There is a large body on the mattress right next to me.

“He is gone,” Luçien states. “Before he left though, my dear brother insisted on having the baptism in his temple. I fear we have to agree to that.”

I cry with relief.

Of course the twins survived their ordeal.

“Do I still sense some disbelief, my very young disciple?”

“No, no!” I assure him.

“Good. Neither the twins nor you were in danger at any time.”

My master says more to me, but I am already gone by then.

********************************************************************

There is no privacy for the twins. Parhelion has invited everybody of means or importance to the baptism. That includes people that I have only vaguely heard of and even some that I do not know at all.

Luçien provides me with a short briefing during our breakfast. “Just do what you are good at.”

Expectantly, I gaze at him.

“Look sweet and devoted to the task,” he suggests smartly. “The rest will come naturally.”

“Sweet? Devoted? Not one of the best Force healers you ever came upon?”

The way he beheads his breakfast egg makes me think of him using his scimitar for murder. “You are a very honest disciple, Sionnach. False pride does not suit you. I fully trust you and believe in you. Without feeling the need to praise you from dusk until dawn.”

He really is more tense than me. “Will you help me if I forget any of the words of the blessing?” I ask.

His spoon penetrates the egg yolk. “I believed it to be five minutes. Sacré bleu!” he curses. “Holy blue! We might as well drink them. Why did I bother cooking them at all? We need a digital clock.”

“You focus too much on the negative,” I joke for his indignation is too funny.

“I wished things could be different, Sio.” His chest heaves up and down heavily. “It is a small price to pay for the safety of an entire race. Parhelion has promised the Scatel amnesty and protection from now on. But there is a price.”

After he tells me, I am trapped between laughter and irritation. “You mean it,” I say.

“I am afraid we have to accept this.”

********************************************************************

The actual ceremony is not so bad, but it consists of a lot of talking. I lose track of what is said.

“Concentrate!” my master mouths softly, when it is obviously my turn to say some ceremonial words.

Parhelion gives me a frown and repeats his liturgical question. “Vicomte Luçien Ankoù and Mademoiselle Sionnach O'Conghaile, do you desire your children to be baptised?”

“We do!” we blurt out together.

In order not to upset us both too much, for we are foreigners to his church, Parhelion has altered the entire liturgy.

“Nurturing a child is not only the duty of the parents, but is also the responsibility of grandparents, aunts, uncles, and the larger extended family. As a godfather of these children I agree to offer the parents and these precious children my unqualified love and care, and to share responsibility for the physical and spiritual nurture.”

A murmur goes through the church and I can swear that some of the dedicated members of Philiki Politai flinch.

As his alter-ego – the archbishop of Polysýndeton – Parhelion had just told the entire human community of Amnion that our family is off-limits. There will be no assassination attempts nor any other assaults on us. Not even verbally.

“Godparents fill a special role in the life of a child. In accepting the role, I promise to participate in the life of the twins, doing everything in my power to assist their parents in the spiritual matters. Together with Angina Ōon, a daughter of the native Scatel.”

Another wave of murmuring goes through the gathered crowd.

“We will act as the Godparents of the twins, promise to share responsibility for these precious children, to pray for them and walk with them through life. Even swim with them as we must.”

This is a declaration of war against all who try to question what has promised in today's ceremony.

Luçien squeezes my hand in silence.

I just need to live with the names that Parhelion has picked for the twins. We can give them nicknames still, and even secret soul names for home use only.

“What name have you given your son?”

Luçien grants his half-brother a dirty look that Parhelion answers with an even friendlier smile.

I am glad that Angina hands over our first born. His father would have dropped him in frustration.

“Phren Phainomai Ankoù,” we speak together, I actually louder than Luçien.

“I baptise you Phren Phainomai Ankoù, little lording.”

Luçien rolls his eyes as if to question what possibly can follow a name like 'frantic phenomena'.

“What name have you given your daughter?” Parhelion purrs.

“Tāchys Trophē Ankoù,” I boom alone through the temple.

“Swift food,” complains Luçien so softly that only those directly at the baptismal font can hear him. Including me.

“I baptise you Tāchys Trophē Ankoù, little lady.”

For a second time, water dabbles pleasantly.

Parhelion turns to the guests. “I present to you Phren Phainomai Ankoù and Tāchys Trophē Ankoù and ask you to welcome them into this community of faith.”

“Are we finished yet?” Luçien growls behind his war mask.

Parhelion moves on preaching for another hour and a half.

********************************************************************

Among the people congratulating us is Senator Aletheia. Not my uncle though, but Kairos his younger brother. I have seen him in the media. We have never been introduced in person before. He has the thin figure of a wandering druid. There seems to be no gram of fat on him.

“I am pleased to see, my dear Vicomte, that you have chosen for a baptism ceremony.”

He ignores me completely, but I don't mind that. I am not very found of his either.

“You are a man of value and clearly have a very open mind to other religions. How very good of you.”

As if Luçien needs such a praise at all.

“My sister-in-law would not hear about it. That snake broke my mother's heart when her first eggs hatched.”

He is not very well informed about Ophidiae.

“We were not invited for the occasion. Imagine that!” the politician shakes his curly hair in dismay. “Did you know that Arcānā actually crawled deep into a cave and gave birth into a hole? While naked priestesses danced around her?”

“You could ask Agathos if you can be present during the next ceremony,” my master suggests.

“Actually today is the day,” Senator Aletheia replies. “This is why I am on my own. My mother is at home crying her eyes out. Once more she is deprived of the right of taking part in her grand-children's life.”

I am more than uncomfortable with the ongoing exchange of words. So shortly after my own pregnancy I am still full of hormones and contradicting feelings. Talking about the birth rituals of Cunabula does not help to ease me.

I have never seen the actual birth cave from the inside. No mother's loving womb has carried me out.

Luçien notices that my eyes are full of tears. “I beg your pardon, senator, but the health of my maîtresse-en-titre is not fully restored yet. We had better return home. Angina.”

The Scatel woman is at my side in no time. The twins rest in her arms and Éibhear tugs at her skirts.

“It is always a pleasure talking to you, milord.” The politician bows respectfully. “Give my regards to Agathos. I somehow have the feeling that you will talk to him sooner than I will.”



Sources:
Wookieepedia – The Star Wars Wiki
Jedipedia, a free German Star Wars-Enzyklopedia
Hidden quotes from SW movies and the SW universe

 

Great to welcome the twins! Fascinating exchange of wit and words with the Senator. Angina is a wonderful addition to the family, taking care of the younglings.

 

More twins in Star Wars, imagine that.

"It is a heavy birth. I am in much pain. If my master had been less annoyed with Parhelion, then he would have stabilized me better.

The dark side, very much present in our bedroom, is not known for its excellent healing skills and I am too battered to help myself.

“What a fragile shell she has!” the powerful Force user exclaims. “Is this why you sent her to the fertility clinic in the first place? Too afraid to devour her with your animal needs?”

“Brother!” Luçien shouts at the top of his voice, while trying to help the first twin to exit my body.

“Perhaps you like your meat rotten and tainted,” Parhelion moves on, while I give my best not to die on everybody. Especially not the twins. “I need to learn to live with the fact that my little half-brother is a desert beast with delicate needs.”

I lose consciousness at a point, being too exhausted.

The unlike half-brothers can manage their differences without me."

This is way too much drama for a delivery room.

 

twins with names like that after a heavy delivery and a nice nanny

 

And such is the lure of the easy way, of the dark side

oh, or maybe not so much

Eh, lol. Well, both seem to have inherited an aura of being a religious figure (and didn't their half sister do the same? Sheesh Dealg, what are you playing at?)

Eh, right. Humor is a thing. Maybe a thing Sionnach doesn't get when she's focused!

The later is, indeed. Raw fish, when fresh, hmm. But, you now know that (did you when you first wrote this?).

Hm, I wonder ...

And then he barges in, like his brother would. A picture of good manners and gentility, much like his brother can be in his most fearsome moments. They do clearly have a lot in common. I guess that Dealg comes over so holy bc. he overcame most of this and forgot he needed to deal with his kids inheriting that too (can you tell I am a fan?).

Eh. Soo, Parhelion bc. he needed that bc. empathy didn't tell him what was the trouble for these elves, I think. And Sionnach? Not bc. of the brutality I am sure, bc. she knew about that, and can handle it.

Oh. Another type of brutal life changing event then.

Aww. Again, those Dealgikids, meh.

Hmm?

LOL. I bet he will be a self-important, but very sweet godparent.

Great interactions, and characters. Those kids names really help illustrate Parhelion's character. But man, there are a lot of bad seeds in this city. No wonder Agathos loves a somewhat evil (but possibly in nature good?) person. And jay for him not being part of this particular snake-pit any more.

 

@WarmNyota_SweetAyesha: Politics can be interesting at times & propaganda disturbing.

@Darth_Furio: Sorry, I wanted some drama once in a while.

@earlybird-obi-wan: Life is indeed not fair at times, dear bird.

@DarthUncle: This asks for a nice pillow talk, so I try to be in bed early, hon!


And here the update:

Chapter 13:

Over the next three years, the twins – half Lidérc and half Daoine Side – flourish into wonderful beings. Both have inherited my fiery hair, but they definitely possess the feline wildness of their father. Éibhear complains a lot about it, but in the end he is proud of being a big brother.

Angina does not only help me take care of the children. She also makes sure that I have some quality time on my own. My master encourages that by all means. This way I am able to continue my herbal studies and produced some health articles that benefited our household. I do not wish to use the Unifying Force for every little bruise or cold.

Luçien does not agree with that when we discuss that matter at the dinner table one evening. It is one of the few occasions that we are on our own completely. Angina already has brought the children to bed and there are no guests to entertain.

“Sionnach, why would I not use the Force when my body is the very essence of it?” Even though he sounds amiable there was a sharp edge in his voice.

“Because you can be better than that.”

“I respect you for the woman you have turned into,” he toasts to me with his wine glass. “But do not expect me to turn my back on my heritage.”

“Each gift needs to be used carefully and with consideration,” I argued against it. “The Force is all around us, weaving her essence into every flower and every sun beam.”

“It is, but it is also a tool to be used and not something to leave idle and go wasted.”

“Have you ever imagined what would happen in a world without the Force?”

“Recently, you have developed strange ideas.” Unwilling to hurt me, Luçien changes the subject. “Agathos and his family will arrive on Amnion tomorrow.”

********************************************************************

I pull myself some white wine after that incredible news. “She is really coming here?”

“Arcānā will not bother you at all. She will be too busy blending in.” Luçien smirks. “She and old Techné never got on very well. The death of Princess Aréte about three years ago made it worse.”

I had heard about the assassination of the girl by a group of Elfin terrorists. It is the nightmare of each loving parent to lose a child like that.

“Why is my aunt visiting now? She never bothered before,” I want to know.

“Kairos and Calothrix will have their first child soon,” Luçien reminds me. “I suppose they come for the baptism.”

I nod.

“It will only be a brief visit. Arcānā gets jumpy when being away from Draconis for too long. You will not be forced to meet her.”



About this I am very glad, even though it pains me not to get to know my royal cousins any better.

********************************************************************

I am able to withstand the temptation to watch the daily holonet news over the off-world visitors. The twins keep me busy as usual and Éibhear also wanted his share of attention.

To be honest, I am also not really sure if I should even have a peek at my aunt. The past has to rest. Granny is one with the Unifying Force and at peace. Since my exodus I have built up my own life. Revenge is not in my nature.

It is a very warm summer with little rain. The plants of our roof garden need tending as much as I need to sunbathe. I hardly have to leave our property. All that I need is around me.

During one especially hot afternoon, while I am hanging up the laundry, Angina keeps to the shadows, drinking a lot of fluid.

“I envy you,” the Scatel woman announces out of the blue. “Despite your red hair you do not get a sunburn. The heat does not affect you.”

“Angina, my friend, I never did ask before, but did it hurt getting altered? From a sea creature into a human, I mean?”

Her aura flickers in red and orange colours. She never asked me or my master to help her.

“Pain is the essence of life.” Her eyes are glassy. “My people are no shape-shifters like other Elfin races. To escape persecution, the majority of us gets surgery as babies. The webs between our fingers are removed and the pointed ears get changed. To close the gills is more dangerous though. Some cannot breathe without them.”

I start to imagine babies turning blue in front of their helpless parents, suffocating bit by bit. “But you survived,” I conclude.

“Yes, but it hurts with every breath that I take.” Her mouth trembles. “The worst is missing the depths of the ocean. It is a totally different world down there.”

With the humans having all that technological equipment the Scatel had not been able to stay in their realm.

I reach out for her hands in deep sympathy. “I know how it feels to lead a life of hide and seek.”

Angina grants me a smile. “You were the first clone from Draconis that I ever saw and in the beginning you felt so wrong. But when you approached me directly, I saw the honesty in your eyes. Such a beautiful soul, such an amazing heart.”

The crying of Phren breaks our tranquilité. His twin sister Tāchys has given him a good mannered blow on the head, underestimating her physical strength as usual. It takes some time to sooth him. The lad has inherited the dramatic ways of his father.

Tāchys is already committing herself to other pleasures, jumping up and down the mosaic patterns of the stone floor.

“May I interrupt, ladies?” Luçien comes along the path, carrying a big fruit basket from the market. It contains white grapes and oranges.

Like three hungry sea gulls the three children circle around the tall Lidérc they all call father.



“Fruuuuuuiiiiiit!” Éibhear beams.

“I want you all to be well fed for the next few days.” He gives me a thoughtful look. “Business calls me away.”

I shield my head against the sun, while looking up at him. “Will you be off-planet?”

“Actually just next door in the city state of Chelonia. It is not such a pressing matter, so I will take a boat.”

To imagine a son of the dune sea on a boat makes me grin. I could not be more surprised. “You are taking a clipper?”

“Why not?” He bends down to our daughter to give her a tender hug. “I always wanted to try it out. Now is the right time.”

I am sure that my master is not telling me the entire truth. The visit of the royal family is taking a toll on him. Especially having his step-sister Isabeau around. He longs to talk to her, but he restrains himself from even meeting her.

Now he has to sail away with an unnecessary errand for the local senate. He must be very desperate to take on such an assignment.

“When can we expect to see you back?” I ask, being on the practical side.

“Three days, maybe four,” Luçien muses. “If the wind does not blow me to the other side of the planet that is.”

“We can go with you, if you need company,” I suggest hopeful.

He looks at me pain stricken. “I must do this alone.”

“If you really must, then go for it.”

Luçien gives Phren and Éibhear a pat on their heads. “Keep watch on the ladies for me, will you?”

The boys inflate themselves with pride.

“Angina, Sionnach, have a good time. Enjoy yourselves and...”, he hesitates briefly, “Stay away from the temple area!”

“Why?”

“It will be overcrowded with people for the baptism tomorrow. You would not like it. Too much security will be around for Arcānā.”

I get his point. “Thanks for your advice.”

Satisfied, Luçien leaves the roof garden, but not without waving at the children. They wave back cheerfully.

********************************************************************

On the actual day of the baptism ceremony for the new born son of Senator Aletheia I cannot control my curiosity any longer. I want to see my famous Tjiehenet aunt just one time.

At first we all sit in front of the holonet screen. It is the usual scenario: senators, influential merchant families, industrials and other celebrities.

Then the twins leave the room again, bored.

Stante pede Angina follows them cautiously, for which I am grateful. I have a sleepy Éibhear on my lap.

The baptism of the newest member of the Aletheia family is a parade of wealth and fashion.

Originally, we had been invited to it, but Luçien had graciously declined. He had even lowered himself to explain to Kairos that there were severe family differences between him and his step-sister. Having met Isabeau in person, the human fully had understood this sentiment.

My heart stands still when Arcānā gets out of her vehicle. Her cold beauty is stunning. She is a very tall woman. A giantess really. I cannot take my eyes off her.

The freshly anointed god queen is about twenty-five years old. Her blond hair is done in the style of a tribal jungle woman. It was braided in hundreds of little plaids. She wore a local tunic, but it had the royal colour: emerald green. Her only jewellery was a plain wooden amulet that she wore around her neck.

I blended out everybody else for the rest of the live broadcast.

********************************************************************

By the time the ceremony inside the city temple is over Éibhear is still asleep and therefore very heavy. I can hardly move.

“Care for some self-made mint tea?” Angina calls from upstairs. “Phren and Tāchys helped me.”

I watch the guests blending outside the temple. Many already step into their waiting speed-gliders rather purposefully.

“It is over now! I am there with you soon. No need to bring me the tea!” I call.

Éibhear stirred in his sleep. Even though it is rather difficult with my wooden leg I carry the boy into his chamber.

********************************************************************

When I return into Luçien's office room in order to switch off the instrument, I do not believe my eyes.

A laser beam cuts through the head of a boy, obviously one of the Draconian princes.

“Angina! You must come down to see this!” I shriek, staring wide eyed at my dead cousin.

“We are busy up here.”

A girl, obviously one of his sisters, presses the lifeless body against her own. Her inhuman yell sounds like that of a rancor.

I have a terrible déjà vu.

Goosebumps are all over my skin.

And just like this the dark side of the Force unleashes in its terrible beauty.

I remain in front of the screen, while my cousin's iris turns yellow. Force lightning made her hair static.

“Angina!” I call.

“We wanted to bring you the tea already!” my nanny answered, slightly puzzled about my persistence.

The anchorman points to a burning body that falls from the sky.

“No!” I whimper.

Inanimate things on the market place develop a life of their own, attacking people. Including the live reporter.

Panic sets loose.

Humans try to escape.

The laser guns of security guards get a life on their own, too, firing at will.

“We just cut some lemons to go with the mint, Sionnach.”

Randomly, people are lifted in to the air, shaken around like leaves in the wind.

“Please come down NOW!” I yell.

The Force storm wins in strength.

The first buildings are drenched in violet fire.

“Get away from the roof!” I beg through tears.

“The temple area is on fire!” Angina wails the very moment the broadcast collapses. “What is happening? Do the news show the same?”

I turn around and run, despite my wooden leg hindering me a lot.

My Midi-chlorians might suffer from shell-shock, but my body still functions.

********************************************************************

I am already at the bottom of the stairs, when fate struck.

The licking blue flames have reached our house, which is located only two blocks away from the temple.

The twins and Angina suddenly cried out in terror.

An instant later the roof collapses on top of me.

********************************************************************

Every bone in my body feels broken, when I gain consciousness again. Debris and dirt make breathing almost impossible.

Coughing sends more pain waves through my damaged nerve system.

It will help nobody if I give in to a panic attack right now. I need to find my children and check on Angina as well. Serenity needs to be achieved first.

In my hurting head I recite every Force mantra that I have ever learned.

After I am calm enough again, I gather all the strength that is left in me.

I activate my Force healing skills.

A painful eternity passes before I am able to move my arms and legs properly again. I start digging myself out with my bare hands, using the Force as a helpful tool.

********************************************************************

When I finally break through to the surface, a horrific sight greet me. All the houses in the neighbourhood are gone, erased by the Force storm.

Fighting down my panic, I begin reaching out for life signs.

There are some weak auras around me, but they are not the ones I am looking for.

Shameful as it is: my priority lies in saving my own family. Every heartbeat of mine counts. It is their time running out.

“Sionnach?” Parhelion himself comes running over the rubble heaps, still adorned in his expensive bishop robes. “You are alive!”

He drags me out of my escape tunnel.

“Thank you!” I croak. My eyes blink uncontrollably, trying to press out the dirt.

“I came as quick as I could.”

He starts cleaning my face with his robes. To my astonishment they are wet and smell of the ocean. Has the fire brigade used salt water?

“This dreadful child daimon. It destroyed all in its path.” Parhelion is hardly able to control his rage. “We should never have allowed the Tjiehenet family to come here.”

“Why did you not stop her?” I ask with great difficulties.

“My useless baby brother was drowning in the ocean,” he mutters. “Too eager to get here when the first ripple in the Force appeared. His skill with apparition is still quite poor.”

I am not able to understand a word he is saying to me. Perhaps my head injuries are more severe than I think.

“There he comes, our wet kitten.”

Luçien moves over the ruined landscape like a drunkard. When he is right in front of me I can see that he has been crying.

“Why did you not listen to me, woman!” he shouts with no warning. “I implored you more than once to learn the light shield. But no, you would not!”

Before he can choke me with his bare hands, Parhelion stops him. “Come to your senses, Luçien! She could never have hold up a Force storm like this on her own. You should be grateful that she is alive.”

“The children,” I mumble. “We must find the children.”

Luçien stares at me as if I have lost my wits completely. I wish he would stop doing that.

“She is right, brother.” Parhelion places me down on the ground. “We still can save Éibhear.”

“And Phren and Tāchys and Angina!” I insist.

Luçien strokes over my left cheek. “You could not feel it, could you?”

“Feel what?”

He does not answer.

********************************************************************

Not much later, Parhelion manages to find Éibhear and breathe more life essence into him. Together with my son I am brought towards the archiepiscopal residence.

The city is full of smoke and chaos.

Nobody bothers us on our way.

We stay away from the temple area, but the living quarters that we pass look very bad, too.

I wish that we would hurry less. Angina and the twins will have trouble finding us.

Concerned, I gaze over Luçien's left shoulder non-stop, hoping they would show up soon. In the common havoc people might not be willing to tell them directions nicely.

“I should have killed the dauphine before she was able to set my city on fire.” Parhelion is white with fury. “Why were you out there anyway, talking to whales?”

“I underestimated my powers.”

“Father would have never forgiven me if I would have let you drown. I hope, little brother, you esteem what I did for you today.”

“This is all my fault!” claims Luçien.

“Nonsense. None of us could know that somebody would be so stupid as to pull a laser gun on that daimon.”

*******************************************************************************

When we all get inside of the residence we are greeted by priests. “Your Holiness, we were worried about you,” one of them said. “Nobody could find you. We feared the worst.”

“Call me a selfish man, but I had to find my godchildren first.”

I stretch in Luçien's arms. “But you hardly tried. Nor did you leave them a notice in the kitchen where we are. How are they suppose to find us?”

Everybody looks at me.

“Sionnach!” cries Luçien. “Be reasonable!”

I find myself more reasonable than the men right now.

Parhelion steps very close to us. “Look at her eyes! She is still under shock still. Poor thing.”

“I am fine,” I defend myself fiercely. “All I want is to go home and be with the children.”

********************************************************************

A couple of sun weeks later, a ceremony is held on the roughly restored market place. It all feels unreal to me. I beg Luçien to go home, even during the many prayers and speeches that Parhelion holds. But his only answer is to strengthen his embrace around me. He almost throttles me.

Éibhear has stayed behind at the archiepiscopal residence. For some reason he is crying a lot. Especially my remark that he soon will be at home again with his siblings has made his fits worse. I am concerned for the boy.

“Can we go home right now? They will wonder where we are,” I complain again, while the final prayer is spoken.

Luçien gazes at me, wide-eyed. Then he tucks my arm right under his. “Come!”

********************************************************************

To my annoyance we end up at the space port. “They will never find us here,” I call out in despair.

He gave me no reply, but turns to a masked Lidérc. “Prepare my shuttle! I will return in half an hour.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Where do you want to fly to?” I ask taken aback. “Are the children coming with us?”

“Let us start with getting Éibhear first.” Luçien sounds somewhat hollow.

I must say that his manners are not the best of late.



Sources:
Wookieepedia – The Star Wars Wiki
Jedipedia, a free German Star Wars-Enzyklopedia
Hidden quotes from SW movies and the SW universe

 

Shocking events! A devastating loss that Sio is not aware of, yet.

 

@WarmNyota_SweetAyesha: Also real life holds some shocking events for me due to being a very bad letter writer when it comes to legal stuff. I am in big trouble now. So this story pauses for a while. Even if @DarthUncle asks nicely for more.

 

Devastating events happening. Reflecting real life?