Port Kasiya Taldryan Tower 40 ABY
Ellisyn didn’t like the Taldryan Tower.
Why would she? The big-wig within had at one point attacked her. Who cared if he was Darrio’s brother? Who cared if the hallways were immaculately cleaned, cared for, and pristine? Who cared if Perune loomed over Kasiya like a giant guardian angel ready to unleash its wrath.
Ellisyn certainly had some of that ready.
She was looking forward to a night with Darrio and Sulla. The only reason she agreed to this was for Darrio.
The doors to Appius’ office opened, and of course, he was there ready to greet her.
“Ellisyn! So glad you could make it! I do apologise about how short notice it is, but I needed to talk with you. Come in, come in!”
He gestured to a sofa area within his office, one less formal than his office space.
Ellisyn followed Appius over to the couch, her footsteps quiet even in the dressy shoes that accompanied her suit. She kept a hand over her messenger bag, ready to grab the brass knuckles within at a moments notice.
Instead of sitting, she sat in front of the couch, arms crossed and a crass look on her face.
“If this isn’t about my brother then you can shove it. I was planning on making Sulla’s favorite tonight and now she’s stuck with whatever Darrio can manage to make.”
“Oh god… now I really feel bad for her. Darrio is many things, but a good cook is not one of them,” Appius let out a chuckle, but quickly cleared his throat at the clearly unamused look Elly was giving him.
“Unfortunately, there’s no sign of Koda yet, but everyone is working around the clock to find him. What I needed to speak to you about, I suppose, involves my brother, and something I felt whilst we were on board the Superweapon.”
“Involves Darrio huh? Gonna tell me to leave him or something?” She half glared.
“No, no, no!” Appius waved his hands in front of her. “Quite the opposite, actually. You’re the best thing that’s happened to him in a long while.”
Elly scoffed, turning her head away from Appius. “I hope you didn’t bring me just to tell me what I already know.”
“First of all, of course not, I’m not here to waste your time. I’m a busy too, ya know. Second, curb it with the attitude. Believe it or not, I’m trying to help.”
“You have no place to tell me what to do. Not after what you did. Or have your recent injuries made you forget how I strung you up on Nar Shaddaa?”
“Or are you forgetting how I wasn’t fighting at full strength? I lf I wanted you dead, you wouldn’t be sitting here right now,” Appius took a deep breath a pinched the bridge of his nose. “Can we try to not be at each others throats for a few minutes, please? I’m trying here, Ellisyn. Just for a few minutes until I ask what I need too, OK? You know Darrio would appreciate it.”
“Darrio is getting more than he deserves with me even coming here.” She said, holding back saying more. She loved Darrio with all her heart but even this was pushing what he could ask of her. “Say what you need to say, Supreme Chancellor” she mocked
“Fine, your majesty,” he mocked her right back. “Tell me something, have you been feeling a little weird lately?”
“Yes. That tends to happen when your brother goes missing.” She uncrossed her arms and put a hand on her hip “Not like you’d understand that worry.”
“I understand better than you think. I thought he was dead at one point. Believe me, I understand what you are going through better than most,” Appius sighed. “OK, this next one is a bur personal, but I ask that you just… answer it? Please? Are you… you know… late?”
“I know you thought he was dead. He told me. That was the jab at you. It doesn’t hurt as much if I have to explain it now does it?” And then she sighed “Appius if anything I was early to this little meeting, not late.”
“That’s not what I meant…” Appius pointed downwards.
Elly looked from the man’s finger to where she assumed he was pointing. Looking down at herself she paused before realizing what he was saying and quickly glared at him “Why are you pointing at my vagina, Appius?” She very angrily said
“Ellisyn, for karks sake… dont make this more difficult than it has to be…” Appius pinched the bridge of his nose. “Are you late for your time of the month or not?”
“I- what’s it matter to you!?” She blushed a bright silver, crossing her arms defensively
“Because Ankira felt nearly the same when we found out she was pregnant!” Appius’ own cheeks at reddened, and to hide it, he took a gulp of the drink beside him.
The silence that followed was deafening. The pair just looked at each other, waiting for someone to say something. “Are you saying I’m…”
“I’m not saying you definitely are,” Appius took a deep breath. “I’m saying there’s a chance. It’s not exactly the same as Ankira’s was, but Rausu was also my child. I could be wrong, but I thought I needed to bring it up with you in private. Despite my mistakes, Ellisyn, I do care.”
“Why would you drag me all the way into your stupid tower to tell me that I might be pregnant!? You don’t even know for sure??”
“Would you have preferred I do it in public?‘ Appius put on a show. ”People of Kasiya! My brother’s girlfriend is potentially having a kid! Look. Like I said, literally a second ago, I don’t know for sure. You need to take a test and find out. If you are, I can help.“
“And how could you possibly help in this situation? Don’t tell me you bought a test to give me.”
“No, of course not,” Appius reclined in his seat. “But, I was the one who gave Darrio his apartment. I know how big it is, or rather, how small it is. Its perfect for you, Darrio, and Sulla, but it’ll start getting cramped with a baby. Trust me, I know.”
Appius allowed himself a small chuckle.
“Anyways, if you are pregnant, I can sort out a bigger place for you all to live. Somewhere quiet for the baby, but not far away from all the amenities you need.”
“No.” Elly didn’t know if Darrio had ever told Appius how much she hates that they live in an apartment Appius gave them, but she really does. “If I’m pregnant and we need a bigger place, I’ll find one and I’ll find a way to make it work. I don’t need your handouts.”
Appius’ gaze intensified. “You can call it a handout all you want, but I prefer calling it helping my family. We are Mandalorian, that’s what we do, and whether you like it or not, if you are pregnant, the child will be related to me too. I want to help where I can. If you want to search for a place on your own? Fine, I won’t stop you, but feel free to use me as a reference if you need it. How about that?”
Elly flops down onto the couch and puts her head in her hands, half groaning half screaming into them. “Frakk!” She cried out, her composure finally cracking and her emotions flooding through. “Frakk frakk frakk!”
Appius went wide-eyed. What should he do? Ellisyn was very different from Ankira. His attempts to comfort her could be misinterpreted. Ellisyn already didn’t like him.
He waved his hands, using the Force for a mundane task of filling a glass with water and bringing it to his hand. He patted Ellisyn gently on the back and offered her the drink. “Here.”
Elly took the glass and very violently threw it at one of the large windows framing Appius’s’s office. “I’m 23 Appius! 23! I’m not ready for this!” She stood, trying so hard to practice any of the self control lessons Thea had imparted to her. But she was very obviously failing.
Appius gave her a soft smile. “Yes, you are 23, but from what I’ve seen, your the most level-headed 23 year old I’ve ever met. Not anyone can walk into my brother’s life and have the impact you’ve made on him. Not everyone can help look after a child, especially one that isn’t biologically theirs. It’s part of our Creed as Mandalorians to do so for a reason, Ellisyn. You saw someone who needed you and you did so without a second thought. When I legally transferred parentage of Sulla to you, I did so for those reasons. I didn’t doubt you then, and for whatever it’s worth, I don’t doubt you now.”
“Level headed?” She laughs, a lil maniacally “Level headed!? I go out every night and beat bad guys within an inch of their lives because if i don’t I’ll snap! I love Darrio and I love Sulla and they are more than enough for me.” She started to pace a bit, hoping, praying for something to take out her emotions on.
“I’ve noticed,” Appius gave a nod of his head, and then laughed at the surprised look on Ellisyn’s face. “What? You think I don’t know what’s going on in my city?”
“If you didn’t know I’d say you were unfit for your position since I’ve literally worn my armor out on missions with you and Darrio.” She snapped. “But that’s besides the point. What the hell am I going to do!? What am I gonna tell Darrio? He didn’t even want one kid, let alone two!”
Appius shrugged and stood up, standing by a nearby window. “Tell him the truth? We often don’t ask for a lot of things that happen to us in our lives, trust me, again, I know! But…” Appius gave her a big smile. “Having a family has given me something to fight for again. Maybe it can do the same for him?”
“I- have you really not been able to grasp what the Crusaders are? It’s one big family, all protecting each other. And I will have you know this child inside me will be a Crusader first. Not Taldryan, not Klars. They will be a Kendis.” She sighed, ceasing her pacing and standing in place. “I already have a family that I fight for. And I had a brother too, one that I couldn’t protect. I can barely protect Darrio and Sulla, and now I’ll be powerless to do anything for nine months and then I’ll be responsible for yet another life.” She sighed and, in a fit of weakness, sat next to Appius. “Your Taldryan is stupid. A brotherhood within a brotherhood isn’t a family. It’s a glorified cult. But. I can respect your actual family.” She put her head in her hands “He’s gonna be so scared…”
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Appius paused for a moment. Then took a seat back on the sofa. He gestured for Ellisyn to sit beside him.
And Elly begrudgingly sat beside him, putting her head back into her hands “You had power when you started your family, didn’t you…?”
Appius couldn’t stop himself from laughing. “Oh, Ellisyn. Power doesn’t mean kark when it comes to having kids. Whoever said you can prepare for having kids is a fracking liar and deserves to be shot. Ankira and I went from finding Shi'Kar to discovering she was pregnant in the same day. We had a Foundling, and another child on the way.”
“Appius power matters when it helps you protect the ones you love. So I’m gonna ask you again. You had power, didn’t you?”
“Power comes in many forms, not just brute strength,” Appius recited the words of his father. That had been such a long time ago…
“If you want to be pedantic, then yes, I had power. And I have so much more now not because I’m the Supreme Chancellor, but because I have someone, something worth fighting for more than myself.”
“We both know I have more brute strength than you ever will” she chuckled “Thank you for managing to answer the question.” She chuckled
“You’re telling me. I think I still have the bruises,” Appius rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.
“I bet you do. Did the place I stabbed you end up scarring over?”
“Yeah. It adds nice to my collection,” Appius waved it off like it was nothing. “How about you? You heal up OK after our fight?”
“I was fine by the time I got back to Kasiya.” She chuckled
Appius nodded his head. “Good.”
“Benifiet of being a Firrerreo” she chuckled “Makes everything much easier.”
“Oh yeah. Healing factor. Wish I’d thought of that…” Appius grinned. “Then again, It wasn’t like I was going full pelt… I’m… not nice when that happens. But I’m getting off-topic. What are you planning to do?”
“Probably gonna jump out that window” she pointed
Appius snorted. “Am I going to have to stop you falling? I don’t think Darrio would appreciate it if I let you fall.”
“No this is just really stressful. Because this means that literally my whole lifestyle is in jeopardy”
“It changes your life, and I’m not going to lie to you. It’s hard,” Appius chuckled. “It’s really damn, fracking hard, but it gave me something to fight for again. I work as Supreme Chancellor for them, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“Thank you Appius.” She took a deep breath and sighed “This was helpful. I hope you’re ready to be an uncle” she chuckled
“Well, we don’t know if I’m right, yet!” Appius smiled at her, his jovial tone infectious. “But… my offer still stands. I know you want to find your own place if you are, and I respect that. If you change your mind and want any help, let me know.”
He gave her a thumbs up.
“If…” she grumbled “If I let you buy us a new apartment and let you meet the kid once it’s born… you have to forget the Crusaders ever existed.”
Appius paused for a moment, mulling over her request. His mouth twisted from one side to the other in thought. “I… can not do that just yet. There’s one last thing we need to settle first. After that, I’m willing to pretend you hit me around the back of the head really, really hard or something like that… we need to work together to find Koda.”
“I hate to say it but that’s not up to either of us Appius. That’s up to my mother on whether or not she wants to cooperate with you in the search. To her, you’re the man who took Koda, beat the hell out of him, and let him get captured. You’re the man who tried to kill her daughter. She has no reason to want to work with you.”
“I… get that, but… I do have more resources at my disposal, and you all have more personal knowledge of him that we can maybe use to determine his actions. If we pool our resources together, we might be able to do something more than we are right now. Would you mind asking her, at least? I’m open to just talking if she wants.”
“Talking to her?” She chuckled “I’m pretty sure if she was in a room with you she’d kill you.”
“Well, she can join the long queue of people that have tried,” Appius shrugged and grinned.
“You ever fight the mother of someone you tried to kill?”
“Oh, she’s a war survivor too? Neat! See? We already have stuff in common. We’ll get on like a frigate on fire!”
Elly just chuckled “Its your funeral”
“We’ll see. Anyways, I think I’ve kept you here long enough. I’ll walk you out. Just… think about what I’ve said here. All of it, OK?”
“I will.” She stood on up with Appius and followed him to the door of his office “I still hate you.”
“Buuuuuut,” Appius held up one finger. “We aren’t shouting at each other. That’s progress, right?”
“I suppose I hate you a little less” she chuckled
Appius grinned. “You know what? I’ll take it.”
“Good. Because it’s all youre getting.”