Quaxo9
Neva Xolte
For what it was worth, she was proud of Trystan. He understood family so much better than many humans she'd met - Keela being the most recent example of fools who thought it was blood that made you family. Not that one look at the Mahrs here wouldn't have informed anyone of where they stood on that matter. She was glad that everyone seemed to be on the same page with regards to putting some distance between them and Coruscant.
"Well, I happen to know a pilot with a very nice ship who could facilitate. I've heard she's pretty reasonable." She grinned and winked at Siralai, though it was plain to see the woman would need more time to recover than the space of a few words. Still, she couldn't help but attempt levity.
"I will go add some extra crew pods to the hold and pick up some supplies. Bring what you like - there's plenty of space."
Neva ducked out into the garage to see to her ship. As she pulled the pods into place and stretched them into place, the Zabrak made a mental list of potential planets to visit. It made sense to try to pick one in the direction of Rash'lahn VI to save on fuel, but she didn't consider that a good enough reason to narrow her list. The most important thing was that it wasn't so Republic as to be under Senator Mahr's watch, nor so Imperial that the family would be at risk. They needed an effectively neutral plant - Neva's favourite type. She made herself busy adjusting the cargo to balance the ship and leave room for any extra gear or supplies the Mahrs or Jasper might want to bring along.
A Simple Supply Run
Re: A Simple Supply Run
Monkey Kitty
Siralai and Trystan Mahr
Siralai knew she had to collect herself. She had to start thinking logically. This wasn't the first time she'd called upon her Jedi training to calm her racing mind in a difficult situation. This one might be very personal - but she had to keep it together. She took a breath, and instructed her brain to calm. To focus. To feel the Force guiding her. She had to try to think strategically. She had to try to think like her sister.
"We should wait till morning to leave," Siralai said. The calm in her own voice surprised her. Good. "We were planning to leave then to deliver the rest of the supplies. If we go darting off in the middle of the night, it looks like we're running. If we stick to our flight plan, they can't use it to make us look guilty."
"That makes sense," Trystan agreed. "We don't want to look like we were sneaking off. Neva, you're welcome to sleep here tonight, we have accommodations for guests - though I understand if you would feel more comfortable returning to your ship."
"Hey, it's gonna be okay," Jasper added, clapping Trystan reassuringly on the shoulder and smiling at the others. "It'll be a fun holiday. Do us good. This whole mess will blow over soon. I'll go pack - and grab a couple of speeder bikes for good measure. Never know when it'll come in handy!"
"Thank you much for this, Neva," Siralai said. With these arrangements made, there was little to do but pack the basics they would need for the trip and then try to sleep.
Siralai didn't find it easy to relax. She stood in her nightgown, rubbing her arm and staring out the window at the traffic passing in the night sky - there was traffic at any hour on Coruscant. She liked the city - the bustle and life of it. Tonight, though, her thoughts were far away. Trystan stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.
"You okay, love?" he asked, concern plain in his voice.
"Yes, I guess I am. I just..." She sighed. "I can't help wondering how this could have happened. If it's true... wouldn't I have known?"
"I don't see how you would have," Trystan replied gently. "We'd decided on another baby, and then you were pregnant - there was nothing to question. Just the normal order of things."
"But shouldn't I have sensed it? Shouldn't I have felt something... alien? Wouldn't the Force have shown me?"
Trystan was in uncharted waters here. "I don't know." He said honestly. "You know I'm Force-blind; I have no idea what sensing something with the Force would feel like. But... it doesn't tell you everything, does it? Even the Jedi Council aren't omniscient. The Force gives you a leg up on sensing, but I don't think it's a guarantee..."
"Does that mean something is wrong with me? That I couldn't feel it?"
"No, love." He kissed her cheek and her neck. "Of course not. Don't beat yourself up. We're only human. You can't know everything."
"Should we... do we need to find out for sure?"
"I don't think so," Trystan said. "Not right now, at least. Maybe someday if Ebben has a medical problem or something, but right now... it can only harm us. Either way, it's not going to change anything. I'm in this no matter what. He's my son no matter what. It's not worth the risk. Let's just leave things as they are."
"You're okay with not knowing?"
"Completely okay with it," Trystan assured her. "Let's just focus on keeping our kids safe. All four of them."
Siralai didn't sleep easily that night. She didn't think Trystan did either - he was restless, tossing and turning. But he was there. He was with her. Having him lying next to her helped more than she could say. She felt deeply violated. Even though another man hadn't laid his hands on her. Even though - if Keela was telling the truth about the whole scenario - it had been entirely clinical. She had planned to conceive a baby with Trystan. To carry her husband's child. Not some stranger's. It didn't change her love for Ebben... but it still made her feel dirty and degraded.
By morning, though, the Mahrs were dressed and wearing brave faces. They showed up at Neva's ship prepared for their next adventure.
Siralai and Trystan Mahr
Siralai knew she had to collect herself. She had to start thinking logically. This wasn't the first time she'd called upon her Jedi training to calm her racing mind in a difficult situation. This one might be very personal - but she had to keep it together. She took a breath, and instructed her brain to calm. To focus. To feel the Force guiding her. She had to try to think strategically. She had to try to think like her sister.
"We should wait till morning to leave," Siralai said. The calm in her own voice surprised her. Good. "We were planning to leave then to deliver the rest of the supplies. If we go darting off in the middle of the night, it looks like we're running. If we stick to our flight plan, they can't use it to make us look guilty."
"That makes sense," Trystan agreed. "We don't want to look like we were sneaking off. Neva, you're welcome to sleep here tonight, we have accommodations for guests - though I understand if you would feel more comfortable returning to your ship."
"Hey, it's gonna be okay," Jasper added, clapping Trystan reassuringly on the shoulder and smiling at the others. "It'll be a fun holiday. Do us good. This whole mess will blow over soon. I'll go pack - and grab a couple of speeder bikes for good measure. Never know when it'll come in handy!"
"Thank you much for this, Neva," Siralai said. With these arrangements made, there was little to do but pack the basics they would need for the trip and then try to sleep.
Siralai didn't find it easy to relax. She stood in her nightgown, rubbing her arm and staring out the window at the traffic passing in the night sky - there was traffic at any hour on Coruscant. She liked the city - the bustle and life of it. Tonight, though, her thoughts were far away. Trystan stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.
"You okay, love?" he asked, concern plain in his voice.
"Yes, I guess I am. I just..." She sighed. "I can't help wondering how this could have happened. If it's true... wouldn't I have known?"
"I don't see how you would have," Trystan replied gently. "We'd decided on another baby, and then you were pregnant - there was nothing to question. Just the normal order of things."
"But shouldn't I have sensed it? Shouldn't I have felt something... alien? Wouldn't the Force have shown me?"
Trystan was in uncharted waters here. "I don't know." He said honestly. "You know I'm Force-blind; I have no idea what sensing something with the Force would feel like. But... it doesn't tell you everything, does it? Even the Jedi Council aren't omniscient. The Force gives you a leg up on sensing, but I don't think it's a guarantee..."
"Does that mean something is wrong with me? That I couldn't feel it?"
"No, love." He kissed her cheek and her neck. "Of course not. Don't beat yourself up. We're only human. You can't know everything."
"Should we... do we need to find out for sure?"
"I don't think so," Trystan said. "Not right now, at least. Maybe someday if Ebben has a medical problem or something, but right now... it can only harm us. Either way, it's not going to change anything. I'm in this no matter what. He's my son no matter what. It's not worth the risk. Let's just leave things as they are."
"You're okay with not knowing?"
"Completely okay with it," Trystan assured her. "Let's just focus on keeping our kids safe. All four of them."
Siralai didn't sleep easily that night. She didn't think Trystan did either - he was restless, tossing and turning. But he was there. He was with her. Having him lying next to her helped more than she could say. She felt deeply violated. Even though another man hadn't laid his hands on her. Even though - if Keela was telling the truth about the whole scenario - it had been entirely clinical. She had planned to conceive a baby with Trystan. To carry her husband's child. Not some stranger's. It didn't change her love for Ebben... but it still made her feel dirty and degraded.
By morning, though, the Mahrs were dressed and wearing brave faces. They showed up at Neva's ship prepared for their next adventure.