Session export: Voidbreaker II Karaoke & Chill

Eleceos entered the recc deck and listened to the light music playing in the background. Today wasn’t a day to be the ships therapist, so the young Miraluka wanted to just enjoy himself. After his wallowing and self-pity on Atolli, he just wanted to try and have fun.

Through the Force, the Miraluka could see his friend Mune’s aura and outline, he’d recognize that feeling he got anywhere. Next to his Shista Far Sight friend, Ele noticed Carr, who he had previous interactions with. The night was sure to entertain.

“Mune, Carr, hope you’re both doing well.”

“If I’m going to advocate for taking time away from work do be with friends and family…practice what you preach, right?”

Ele leaned up next to the bar.

“You two seem to be doing well, I’m glad to see it. I figured I would try for some safe fun tonight. I haven’t gone out much since Rein left.”

The automated doors shunted open as a green-skinned Twi'lek walked through. She wore a forest green, loose-fitting, tank top and black light fatigues bloused over her combat boots. Her belt was cinched tight to accentuate her slim frame and was adorned with a buckle of Arcona’s symbol. A black leather holster was slung low on her right thigh with the chrome of her Westar-35 pistol pistol shining as if freshly polished.

“I heard there was a party?”

Turhaya was a tiny thing, wrapped in a pool diaper and secured inside an inflatable floating rainbow unicorn borrowed from his older cousin. Just a newborn, the dark skinned and haired baby didn’t splash, or do anything really except look around with his curious hazel eyes. Socorra pushed and pulled him gently over the water, lightly splashing for him. The woman was still losing the massive pregnancy weight she had gained and stretch marks were obvious, but for the most part she was back to normal.

Akua, the midnight black Cythraul matriarch, was completely soaked already and running around the deck with Fela as usual, getting into mischief like sisters in crime.

L’ara entered and Socks perked a little, waving from the pool’s edge.

“Mama Socorra!” the hint of a Twi'leki accent mixed with the Mandoa words, making a strange, but melodic mix. She jogged over with a wide smile on her face.

“How are you feeling?”

“Doing good,” socks said, peering up at her with a small smile and hands firmly - and perhaps overprotectively - gripping the inflatable as she did so.

The Twilek on the deck looked otherworldly with the dim lights twinkling and glancing off the pool and onto her. “Thank you for asking. How are you?”

“I agree, any suggestions for what I should do here?”

Ele was unsure what sort of fun he could get up to at this party, but wanted to support his friend.

“Very well!” She beamed, before shaking her head and massaging her ear cone. “A band of pirates nearby decided to branch into the slave trade, so my unit was dispatched to…negotiate with them to alter their business practices. My ears are still ringing a bit.” Her lekku twitched excitedly as she recalled the incendiary charges she’d placed in the woods in the shape of a heart around the pirate’s rough encampment. It had made their exfiltration that much more satisfying.

She dropped down to her knees by the pool, “And who is this little pushkit?” she held her hand up and gave a little wave to the tiny human. The lekku now danced with a different excitement

“…a party?”

“Yes, on the…” silver eyes fluttered, faraway a moment, “Voidbreaker.”

A muttered epitaph came from the Mirialan, whose exasperated expression immediately softened at her disenchanted look.

“I mean, yeah, ay, you can go. You don’t need my permission.” Not that they weren’t…behaving somewhat that way. Melissa wasn’t a child, but her knowledge of the modern world and the universe outside her forest hovel on her remote home planet bordered on childlike. She was relying on all of them to teach her, and had been following their cues, especially his, closely.

“But you are…upset?”

“Just…let’s say worried, ay. They can get pretty crazy, and just about any Arconan party is essentially waiting for something to explode. Besides, there’ll probably be booze, and I don’t know about you having that for the first time at a party.” He’d frowned hard out the window before deciding. “I’ll pick up something at the store, and you can try it here, supervised, where you’re safe. We’ll get you comfortable and have lots of water, put on the next holo or something.”

“Is ‘booze’ so troublesome?”

“Booze is a slang term…a nickname…” He never knew which phrases would make sense exactly. “Another word for alcohol. That’s what the worry is. Alcohol is called a lot of things by type…beer, wine, liquor, spirits, bunch of things. It’s a chemical. We can talk more about the how and what and stuff if you want but basically, when you drink it, it dulls your senses, inhibitions. Can make you dizzy, or sick, or sleepy, make the room spin or lose your balance, dehydrates you. All stuff like that. It feels warm but a lot of it actually makes you colder, and too much of it poisons you. But people drink it to have fun a lot, because of the….loosen up part.”

It was extremely hard to keep his face remotely neutral, or not let the disgust seep too much into his tone. That wouldn’t be fair to her.

. “Oh…that sounds like the mushrooms.”

A pause.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“The mushrooms in the forest. Things spinning, hot and cold, sleepy, seeing…things. I didn’t like it.”

“ₜₕₑ ₘᵤₛₕᵣₒₒₘₛ.”

“Your voice can go very high. Um. Was that rude?”

“You’re fine, you’re fine, ay… Just. Can we agree not to eat random mushrooms on planets, yeah?”

Her nose wrinkled. “Yes, it wasn’t. Good. I think I’ll not, on alcohol. But I want to go to the party. I want to try.”

Her silver eyes were teary again, like in the woods. Mourning her whole life. Determined to get it back. Excited.

“Then let’s go to a party.”

“So… whaddya think?”

Leda smiled over at Melissa, who hadn’t really stopped gaping since they got to Ol'Val, nevermind approached the Voidbreaker. Noga lagged back a bit, arms behind his head as they walked. Ruka had been in the lead, guiding them all through the hallways, though the teenagers, at least, had been onboard before. Or had that been the previous ship? Ashla, even thinking about that crash report gave him an ulcer.

Ruka had a plan. A simple one. Take Melissa to the party, bring the kids so they could have maybe some fun and also support Melissa, and pick a corner to stay in the whole time and go through the day’s batch of reports. He would not ruin this experience for her by being…himself. It would be fine.

And if and when something did explode, because kriffing Arconans, he’d deal with it.

But besides that. Water. Corner. Reading. Kids having good time.

Such was his plan, anyway, until he walked in the doors and saw Turi in the pool. Then his brain derailed a little bit and his face melted into a smile and he was walking at an unreasonably fast pace next to a pool in order to crouch down by the edge and reach out to give the tot one of his fingers, cooing.

“Hello, Turimi. How’s my cjasritio? Hello. Hello.”

Melissa was still staring round at the room. She of course had been on a few ships now, in the last week or so, but this one bit the biscuit. It was so big. They’d gone into a metal box, an elevator, just to get up to this floor.

There was water in a open box in the ground. It smelled odd, but many things did in the stars. It looked clean, even a baby floating in it that Ruka melted at. The change in his demeanour flitted through the Force and it was nice to feel him relax too. She took a few moments to respond to Leda, a grin crossing her face despite the rising anxiety that so many strangers across the room brought on. “It’s exciting. And soft. Those two don’t usually go together. It’s wonderful.”

The Echani was in simple clothes, new ones though at least. Clean and fresh just as she was now. Cora had managed to convince her to wear socks after the layer of mud had been removed, however she still walked without shoes. It was progress at least.

“We haven’t.” Melissa confirmed, looking the fluffy one over. He was very strange to her, but then maybe she was strange to him. She was quiet for an awkward beat after, before smiling and averting her eyes to the floor, shoulders hunching slightly in.

“Melissa. I’m.. new. It’s good to meet you.”

Melissa looked down to his feet and laughed softly, relaxing a little “Yeah! Shoes are so cramped, I can’t even feel the ground properly. The socks are nice though, especially with all the metal floors. The fur probably helps you with that though?”

Did he have toepads like that critters in the forest? Was it bad to assume that just because he was furred?

The short story brought a smirk. “A worthy sacrifice. I am gathering intel and wait to make move on slave ring. I put your name down when ready.”

Socks turned the floatie around and brought it to the edge with L’ara, and Ruka, who suddenly seemed to beeline right over.

“Mia little dragon, Turi. Turhaya Atticus Erinos Tyris. Or Tyris Erinos? Mando name tradition, but,” she shrugged, “Wyndell not Mando.”

Her eye itself smiled at Ruka’s reaction, and watched Turi’s whole hand grip his finger and latch on.

“I run better with my bare feet. How do you know where to go if you can’t feel where you’re going..” Melissa looked at the paw with fascination, blurting out, “What are you?”

Leda and Noga were quiet as Carr ran up and started chatting with Melissa, fairly used to his fast talking by now. The sister smiled at him fussing with his uniform – she’d just been smoothing her clothes too – and at his being sweet to Melissa. Noga just snorted at the talk of shoe-wearers.

“Carr ain’t so bad heself,” Leda returned, and then stuttered a bit, blushing slightly, eyes skittering over the university attire as they glanced away, “I mean– isn’t himself. He’ll be a really great friend for you, Melissa. He can explain tech stuff.”

Her brother just rolled his eyes at the compliment. He reached out and slapped Carr’s arm in a friendly hug-shake sort of thing. “Yo, Carr. Lookin’ fancy in here. You set the sound systems up?”

The Mirialan siblings were still relatively low on the technological totem pole, but Carr loved to talk about such things, and Melissa needed more help than they could provide.

Ruka, meanwhile, kept murmuring to his godson, making all sorts of noises about how strong the baby was and pretending to be in danger of falling into the pool by his grip.

Melissa had made a noise of confirmation at the name of the species. It didn’t help a whole lot, but a name was a good start!

She listened as he rambled about various electricky things. The Echani had no idea what half of the words he said meant, but it was related the pretty lights and music playing out of boxes so however he got to doing it all was pretty damn cool.

They seemed all good friends to have, although she couldn’t help a small tinge of.. something. She was an adult still, afterall. The trio would be great to hang out with, but there was more still.

At some point during Carr’s speech she started looking around at the other people attending the party. Pride from the mother of the baby Ruka was cooing over, excitement from the other woman cooing over him. Nerves from a strange man with his eyes covered. It was almost overwhelming, she’d pushed her abilities down the first time they landed somewhere. Selen. Thankfully this place wasn’t as busy.

Ruka was, maybe, a little distracted by Turi. He couldn’t help it; he adored children, and it had been a long time since Noga and Leda were this little, and this was his godchild anyway which was insane but wonderful and…

But he’d had a reason for coming here, right. Melissa.

Who he’d ditched at the door like a complete schutta.

The adult Mirialan winced, then leaned down to place a smiling kiss on Turi’s wet hair and soft dream-smelling head and then stood back up. He nodded to L'ara and then Socorra. “Holler if you guys need anything, ay? I’ll be around,” he waved to the pool chairs. “Just brought the kids and our newest recruit. Be nice to her, yeah? This is all new to her. Think, like, when you got off Socorro new.”

It was a strange reference to make, since Socorra had never told him about that time in her life. He just had the shape of those memories. Hers-now-his. But it would be good context.

Melissa focussed back on the conversation, taking a second to catch up. A Shista superhero?

She could work out what a superhero was, although if not wearing boots made someone super it felt like a low bar. Anyone could not wear boots. However she couldn’t work out what a comic was.

Thankfully the blank look of processing confusion occurred while Mune intervened, as she didn’t feel like asking another question quite so soon. Maybe one for Ruka later..

Language.

It was like a dog whistle. Ruka’s head turned, and he raised both brows in the quartet’s direction. Violet eyes narrowed at Carr.

His children, however, ignored him, Leda particularly sending a look right back over the top of Melissa’s head while Noga answered. “Yeah, saw that. Figure I’ll read later.” He turned a little towards Melissa, glancing down. “Comics is stories, with pictures and dialogue. Can show you when we’re home if you want,” he explained shortly, as the pair had been trying to do the last week or so. Leda’s effort at the concept of melted cheese had been…valiant. “Anything you wanna know about here?”

He flicked a hand out at the deck. Leda piped in.

“That’s the pool.” She pointed to where Ruka, Socorra, L'ara, and baby Turahya were. “It’s for swimming in, not bathing like the shower. Can’t drink it either. They keep it clean with a lot of chemicals that make your hair super stringy when it dries, so we gotta wash up when we’re home.”

Go, Siv, Zuza had said, Go and make friends, go have fun!

This was not fun.

The Chiss stood at the entrance into the area where the party/get together was being held and did a full sweep of all those in attendance. The pale-blue skinned woman was standing in a pure white dress made of a textured but breathable material, with sheer sleeves that billowed then bunched at her wrists. The fabric gathered at her waist, then fell to about shin height exposing her left leg. It was a gorgeous dress, simple but tasteful, and was in stark contrast to the look placed upon her features.

It screamed “I wanna go back to my room”.

Clasping her hands together about hip height, Sivall took a left and started heading towards the bar, trying her best to keep away from conversation. There were some slightly familiar faces here, namely Ruka, which was probably the only reason she hadn’t immediately turned tail and left. She was not a social person and found often more times than not, people-speak was not her thing. Perhaps a nice glass of wine would help loosen her up a little, let her do that “relaxation” thing people kept talking about. Thankfully, her strut to the bar was uneventful, and the medic found herself perched on a barstool with her datapad in her hand.

Now what reading material would one read at a party? Why an autopsy report of course– one of the many she nabbed off the net. Most of the super gory stuff and identifiers had been redacted as this particular case had been in a medical journal, but there were still details and gross anatomy that she hungrily absorbed.

Since becoming free, she found that she was much too far behind in regards to information. Sheltered, collared, and commanded– her owners had kept in check what she learned and what she couldn’t. And now that she had unfettered access to all sorts of knowledge, she found it nearly impossible to stop.

So here she was, reading medical journals at a party.

L'ara slowly reached a hand out to the infant, then hesitated. “May I?” Her delicate hand, normally so steady when handling all manner of explosives that could turn her to dust before she realized what happened, trembled ever so slightly.

Ruka exhaled out a breath through his nose, having been listening patiently, if with dancing eyebrows, through Carr’s approach. Mune’s addition had him smiling back and waving a hand.

“‘Course, Mune, y'know he’s welcome and he’ll be safe with us. He ain’t no trouble either.” Then his attention went back to Carr, and he offered the younger Shistavanen a hand. “And you. Carr, I know Cora has told you you’re welcome anytime, but lemme repeat it, since it seems like I’m comin’ off a little scary, ay? Our door’s open, okay? Noga and Leda like hanging out with you too, and you’re super awesome. You stick to some ground rules, ay, and you’re fine, yeah? Next time you’re over, we can add you to the biolock. Come in whenever. No need to slice the door. What’s ours is yours. Deal?”

“I thought it smelled weird in here.” Melissa commented, chuckling with some embarrassment. There was a lot that was common knowledge. While she had no way of knowing, it felt awkward to be in such a place where everyone else did.

They were lovely about it though.

“The pool was the main one, though thank you for filling me in on the comic.. thing.”

She saw Carr’s ears fall back but he shimmyed off to Ruka before she could try to explain.

So instead she commented to Leda, “He is really nice.”

Leda stared after him, watching him speak to her papi with a keen eye and then smiling when his tail began to wag.

“He really is. He talks really fast sometimes, ay, and I don’t know anything he talk about so I feel so stupid sometimes, yanno, but, he’s nice.”

“She says, staring at his ass,” Noga muttered in a whisper, and immediately got a half-snarl, half-screech out of his sister, who kicked one sandal off directly into his knee. “Ow, ay, hey.”

“Shut up, Noga, I was not it’s his tail that’s not the same thing!” she hissed back, quietly furious and face mulberry, though the dim lighting helped hide it. “You wanna talk about staring–”

Eyes darting to Melissa, Noga threw up his hands, low for discretion. “A'right, a'right, zcepi. Mela, you wanna go meet kriffin’ people? Let’s meet people. Yeah?”

“Noga.” Melissa did her best to cover for Leda.

She smiled.

She clasped her burn-scarred hands in front of her, watching Ruka play with Turi. Pride and tremendous trepidation emanated from her despite always concealing or shunting her emotions. Because she was a first- time mother, certainly, but paranoid as a rule. However, the Mirialan was so gentle with him and so good with him despite his kids being so old now and well past the age of having children of their own…on Socorro at least.

“Of course,” she nodded as Ruka stood to leave. The mention of new blood onboard sent the Seeker’s brain into overdrive and her mind flashed across the ship at lightspeed, searching for all newcomers and opening up to the flood of others’ millions of thoughts. It usually took immense concentration to wall them off but focusing on her child had made it easier and Wyn helped tremendously.

Socorra blinked as L’ara spoke and looked at the youth’s hands as they trembled. It didn’t take a telepath to hear or feel the nervousness. She nodded and gestured to the baby, tickling him a little bit to elicit a smile.

“Look, Marick said you were good with a ‘spanner so I said you could join engineering. What he should have told you was that I run engineering, and all engineering has to come to the parties I help organize. It’s ship-law,” a voice boomed from the far entrance to the pool deck.

The voice’s owner, one Zig Kaliska, came into view as she entered. The Zygerrian wore a tailored white sports jacket, buttoned just below above her navel to reveal her…chest. For pants she wore lightweight matching slacks with white-lace sandals that clanked across the plated floor.

Behind her, the First Mate of the Voidbreaker was dragging a pale Umbarran by a rope tied around his gray suit-jacket. He wore it open as well over a tucked in button down shirt with an exposed “v” to reveal his chest.

“Speaking of….” she continued, before raising her wrist to speak into her wrist-comm, which piped directly into the ships speaker system.

NATHAN MIDDLE-NAME BREEZE that means ALL of Engineering, and, no–I already recalibrated the hyperdrive and tested the backup systems, so you can’t use that as your excuse this time.

She broke off the comm just in time to approach the gathered Arconans. She smiled widely at the group and waved her free hand.

“Heeey everybody!” she smiled. “Who’s ready for some karay-oh-kay!?”

She made a dramatic gesture with one hand on her hip, the other up into the air.

This of course dropped the rope around Adem Bol'era. The rope honestly hadn’t been tied that tightly, as he wasn’t really resisting and seemed to pick up on the theater the Zygerrian was going for. So the rope simply dropped, letting him shrug and move sheepishly in behind the captain.

L'ara finished extending her hand to the baby. Thin fingers danced under his chin, then over his head. She smiled as she watched smart, curious eyes absorb every new thing he saw.

L'ara had many favorite sounds. A sequential explosive chain set to go off to the rhythm of her favorite pop songs. The sound of slavers triggering an incendiary mine she’d planted in their refresher. The humming whine of her speeder as she pushed the engine to the recline. But nothing quite seemed the same as the sound of an infant’s laughter echoing off the walls in this moment.

“He’s wonderful. Hold him tight and never let him go.” A veil of sadness passed over the Twi'lek’s face and went away just as quickly as it came.

She took a deep breath, “As much as I love our talks, I see new faces.”

“David..” Nathan mumbled to himself from the control panel of the backup systems. He sighed. Deeply.

And then Zig recieved a ping on her comms.

Ok

“L'ARA. OI.” Zig called out towards the green-skinned Twi'lek. “Didn’t tell me you were back, lady.”

Leda was rapidly progressing towards whatever was redder than mulberry under pale sage skin. With Melissa coming to the rescue, and the loud Zygerrian lady, she blurted, “Look, Zig,” and pushed Carr that direction before making a break for the pool.

Noga just huffed, glancing at Melissa as if to say, y tho.

“Ziggy! Yes! Turns out slavers change their ways real quick if you use enough napalm.” L'ara jogged toward the Zygerrian with a happy bounce that caused her lekku to swing from side to side.

Adem knew the way to divert attention from himself: staying near but not too near Zig was probably his best bet. Parties, he could handle. In very small doses. Kind of like neurotoxin. He closed a button on his shirt, then opened it again, still uncertain as to how wise it was to appear too relaxed.

Besides, she had a rope.

Zig’s cheerful demeanor might have slipped for just a second at the slavers comment. Barely. She knew her people’s reputation, despite having left home at a very young age and being more a child of the holonet/space than any planet or culture.

She quickly smiled, and held her arms out to embrace the Twi'lek. “Never enough Napalm for those kinds of folks, I always say.”

Ruka, meanwhile, stood and stared at…all of that. Burning people alive. Kaliska with a rope. Screeching about kareoke.

Something about his children staring at tail.

His face found its way into his hands to silently scream.

Do not. Be you. And ruin this. For Melissa.

He told himself it twice, then peeled his face back up and reached out to pull Leda’s hat off her head and catch her tossed sandals in a telekinetic grip before she dove into the water like a panicking duck. He might have steadied Turi’s floatie too, just in case of waves, though it didn’t move much, likely because Socorra was already doing it.

L'ara caught the slip in Zig’s mask. It was a subtle cringe. A twitch of the eyes. She continued toward her friend, embraced her, and whispered.

“Sorry, I spoke without thinking. You know I hold nothing against you, right?”

Siv’s eyes slowly trailed up from her datapad as Zig made an entrance into the party area. Her already pale skin became a few shades paler– Karaoke? No one had mentioned singing. The medic’s face scrunched into a slightly uncomfortable expression as she tried to hide behind the technology in her hands. Maybe if she hid well enough Zig wouldn’t see her?

She would not sing. The octaves she would reach would shatter all the glasses in attendance.

Sanguine eyes slowly turned to the bartender as if to say ‘If you say anything, I will absolutely through you face first to the wolves’. The bartender and her seemed to have somewhat of a silent accord. Neither of them would throw each other under the bus and to the mercy of the hostess.

Luckily for her, she didn’t seem to be the person having the worst time here. No, that would be poor Ruka who was square in the middle of all the chaos and looked about three seconds from imploding. She felt a soft ping of sympathy in her heart for the man. She would help if she wasn’t so desperately pleading to blend into the similarly colored bar top. If she cloaked now could she sneak out of here?

Ktah.

Melissa smiled back sheepishly at Noga, amused for a minute.

And then the noise on the sound system made her physically jump, looking around at the ceiling with wide eyes.

“What was that!”

Zig made a pfft noise and tried to wave it off, but then glanced down. “I know,” she said quietly. She hugged L'ara tightly then pulled back and by that time her smile was back and in full infectious form.

A familiar trill sounded from down the hall, putting the introverted Umbaran at some ease. Leave it to an exploration droid to like meeting new people. DT-3 bounced off a table and clamped onto Adem’s waiting arm. Around the little droid’s neck stalk was the grey tie he simply could not find only half an hour earlier. “Suits you better, buddy.” The droid nodded at a nearby table, giving off soothing beeps to encourage Adem to nurse a glass of carbonated water for the foreseeable future.

L'ara’s lekku twitched. There was someone in the room who did not wish to be perceived. If she were on deployment, her hand would be on her sidearm. But this was a safe place. Her violet eyes scanned the room.

Mirialan. Human. Shistavanen. Mirialan. Echani. Echani? Interesting. Mirialan. Another Shistavanen. Umbaran.

She narrowed her eyes,but returned her attention to Zig.

Noga’s hand came up to attempt a soothing gesture. “It’s the sound system. Or the comms…whatever. Someone talks into a microphone and the tech makes the noise louder, or sends it someplace else. Yeah?”

Oh.

She nodded, suspicious but letting her body relax into a less about-to-jump-on-the-roof manner.

“Sorry. Things.. aren’t usually that loud. Or.. well, weren’t. Are they usually that loud here?” She queried, looking at the new arrivals with curisoity. There was an aura of sullen displeasure coming from the corner now, and then the two or three with one of them being the loud lady. Maybe.. less curious about that one.

Melissa drew her eyes back to Noga, doing her best to not stare at all the strange people. One of them had tentacles? On her head?

Ele faced the stage, watching through the Force as Mune’s aura shimmering during their performance. It was breathtaking to watch and listen to. The Miraluka was stunned.

He ran after his friend, giving them space to get a drink before approaching them.

“Mune, that was beautiful. You should be really proud of yourself!”

“It varies a lot…” Nog had begun to explain, before commentary about tails and then traditionally singing first began. He went quiet for the performance, clapping at the end to be polite about it. When the stage was empty, he continued. “Depends. On the place, ay. Like the woods is quiet, yeah? But the cities get loud. Around ships too, and…fighting…”

His face grew grimmer at that, on thoughts of bad kark. He pushed them aside.

“Anyway, you wanna try? Or…?”

-

Meanwhile, still by the pool, Ruka had winced slightly at Mune’s mention of giving him headaches – really, don’t ruin this for Melissa, don’t be you – but his attention was more on the children and the room than the singing, give the Shistavanen some of it though he did. He noted the arrival of a certain Chiss who seemed to be doing her best to blend in with the wall, and though his brows rose, he didn’t call out to her; it wasn’t like he didn’t understand not wanting attention.

Leda came up from her dive to swim a bit and listen, the tight cap she word keeping her hair safe from the water. She stopped next to Turi’s floatie, smiling at him. “Hey, nianitomi.” My littlest brother. “Hi, Mrs. Erinos Tyris.”

Melissa listened to the music, happily swaying along after a minute of it. She applauded with everyone else too, a happy grin on her face.

As the song ended and Noga continued she looked round, tilting her head as she listened and then looking confused. Fighting? Who would they fight. Odd.

And then he asked her if he wanted to try.

She looked at the stage.

“Singing?”

Zig made a big showing of cheering and chanting Mune’s name and the appropriate amount of fangirl-at-a-concerting.

“Yeah. Or just using the mic I guess. So you can see what it’s like.” He shrugged.

“I..” Melissa looked up at the stage.

“No thank you. I.. don’t really know anyone. I don’t think it’d be the best first impression.” Her cheeks flushed, “Maybe another time.”

The Mirialan teen offered her a nudge and a grin. “Hey, s'cool. Not really my thing either, think Leds or Papi would die. Cora loves it though. Could always try with him next time.” He glanced around. “Wanna say hi to people?”

“I should.” Melissa answered, giving the room another look over. “Anyone you already know who is cool.”

She was starting to understand that cool generally meant ‘good’ when said by the teens.

“Uh,” Noga took a pause to consider. He didn’t really know most of the people here yet, like at all. Heard some names or seen some faces, but… “That’s Socorra,” he pointed at the Human with her baby. “She stayed with us for a bit like you is. Works with Papi, really…really intense. Kid’s awesome, though, his name’s Turi, and we family. And that’s Mune over there.” A gesture to the Shistavanen that had just been singing. “They’re Carr’s older brother…er, sibling, and they’re cool, and nice. Our parents are good friends with them and their husband Caleb. And I think that one is Zig? Don’t know the Twi'lek. That’s the pretty one with the head tails.”

Melissa looked around, noting the self correction when it came to Mune. It was odd but shrug. Not like she could tell the difference anyway.

“Oh Twi-Lek? I was wondering.” She commented lightly, “I might go get a drink for now, I’m.. not sure quite how to get started. I definitely will just.. not yet.”

“Ay, no rush. It’s a lot.” Noga smiled and started for the drinks with her where they could have a quiet minute. “Me and Leda only started kinda makin’ any friends recently and we been here like…years…”

“That’s.. reassuring to hear. I’d like to make friends though. It’s nice having people to talk to!” She smiled as she said it, following after Noga towards the bar and settling a seat down from the grumpy person who was avoiding being spotted.

She waved at them, but otherwise said nothing as she ordered a water.

Doon’s one eyed gaze inspected the decorations in the hallway as he approached the pool area. He was dressed in loose fitting shorts and shirt, enough to give his thick fur plenty of breathing room. He thought ahead, and made sure the shorts doubled as swim wear incase he felt like a dip.

Upon entering the room, his single golden eye took in the scene before him, recognizing a few people while spotting a few that weren’t that familiar to him. Upon seeing Mune, he nodded in their direction, tail swishing in a slow movement as he made his way to the bar, looking for an open seat.

A few drinks to warm up wouldn’t hurt.

“Perhaps I should take a turn on the stage…If you could do, I should be brave enough as well.”

As Ele spoke, he felt a familiar presence enter the area. He turned and saw Doon’s familiar aura moving towards the bar. When the Shistavanen came close, Ele gently touched his arm, the two had started spending time together, helping the Miraluka deal with his touch empathy. He smiled at Doon before welcoming him.

“Glad to have you here, Captain. I hope the night is fun for you.”

“I’m telling you! I spend a few credits now and Kat’ will be better than ever!”

“Let’s focus on moving out of the one-bedroom apartment we’ve had the last five years, hm?”

Qyreia huffed as the elevator doors opened to the main floor. “I’m more worried about the diapers. And when the scentless poops are less…”

“Scentless?” Keira chuckled.

“I was trying not to use the same word twice, but yes.”

The women stepped into the party room with some care, noting that some of the party had already started. Qyreia hadn’t dressed for any occasion, opting for her standard spacer fare given they took her ship over to Ol’val in the first place. She saw the karaoke stand and got a quiet yearning that she opted to suppress in favor of the lady next to her.

“So! You wanna make the rounds, or prefer to wallflower? Because I still feel weird not having Ileta attached to us at any given moment.”

Keira pursed her lips, thinking over her options before playful tapping Qyreia on the shoulder. “I saw that. I’ll be your wallflower while you go have fun with that microphone. Impress me.” The half-Firrerro let her eyebrows bounce a look of challenge at her wife.

“I’m… Maybe later. It’s still something I prefer keeping to myself. Between us and all.”

It was weird still being bashful about anything, but singing had always been a very personal thing for the Zeltron. Even if karaoke had been her thing back in her teenage years. Only a handful in Arcona had even witnessed it, and of them only those that were at the wedding.

“I see a bunch of Mirialans we know.” Including a big one I don’t want to punch as much anymore. “Wanna say hi to them?” Her comm chimed and she noticed the cucumber symbol for Ruka. “Aaand apparently someone named Melissa?”

Zig eyed the Captain as he entered. “Captain Doon-Doon, Sir!” she saluted lazily as he passed.

Keira smiled softly, tilting her head. She studied Qyreia for a moment. Green-blue eyes flit over her features before stealing a chance to kiss her cheek reassuringly. “Sure. Remeber, we’re here to have fun. A night off.”

A quick smack to the Zeltron’s bottom punctuated her point.

“Hello Leda,” Socorra replied with a small smile, turning herself and Turi in the water. The Mrs. title took her by surprise. The word itself was just so.. odd. “Feel free to call me Socks. Or Auntie or whatever your father might tell you. I’m ah.. still new to.. this.” She seemed very slightly sheepish, as if there were things that she ought to know already. But everything related to family was new and in many ways still didn’t feel real.

She lifted her finger with the baby’s hand coiled around it and waggled it at the youth. She gestured to his other, free hand. Go ahead.

Doon’s attention was grabbed by the gentle touch at his arm. He was slightly surprised by it, but was glad that Eleceos was getting more comfortable with physicality. He turned more to face the small white haired man and raised his paw. He took Eleceos’ small hand in his massive paw and held it gently, reassuring the touch.

“Happy to be here. I’m sure tonight will be quite fun, Eleceos. You’re welcome to join me for it.” his rumbly tone was quite pleasant, and his attention was only pulled away when Zig called and saluted him. With his free hand he offered an equally relaxed salut back.

“First mate Zig” he rumbled in acknowledgment before eyeing Eleceos again.

Noga side-eyed the hulking black grizzled Shistavanen, recalling glimpses of him. He relaxed back on the stool between the wolfman and the Miraluka guy and Melissa sipping her drink, doing her staring off thing. The Chiss woman on the other side was quiet too.

He couldn’t help but snort into his orange soda at what Zig said. “Doon Doon?” he muttered under his breath.

A slight eep! escaped her lips before giving her wife a wary, if devious glare. “Woman, you… are lucky I love you so much. And we’re in public.”

Keira adjusted her collar, pretending like she had done nothing. Her pale skin shifted under the light and with her emotions as she allowed a smirk. “I make my own luck, dear. Let’s say hi.”

Leda beamed at Socks and Turi, and took the other hand that was being offered, having waited patiently for his mother’s permission. “Auntie, sure. Tetika, we says. Ain’t had one of those before.” She leaned in to boop Turi’s nose with hers, giggling when he did. “Ayyyy, ninonitomi, you such a floaty potato! Look at you…he’s getting so big already. You’re doing great, Mrs– uh, Auntie. And we’s here if ya need help. S'what family is for, all raisin’.”

The lift doors opened, revealing nothing for the briefest of moments. Unruly strands of lavender hair revealed themselves along the far side as the burnt orange skin of a male Zeltron’s head slid out parallel to the ground, leaving only his eyes.

He slid back inside, all while quietly ‘bum…bum…bum bum bum'ing his own theme song. Nejj emerged quickly and completely pressed to the wall just as he got to the 'action beat’ of his theme. He glanced around—while plastered there—and pouted when he didn’t see Wyn.

“Aw…But baby,” he whined quietly. Perhaps he got there too quick?

She looked from Turi to Leda, her smile growing a little more. She moved her finger around so that the baby’s arm danced. “Thank you,” she said quietly. “He is is little potat. I think he looks like more like Wyn. Can you say Papa? Paa-pa?” Clearly the newborn wasn’t going to speak already, she did it anyway. Turi just made bubbles with his spit and smiled a little at Leda. “What about Buir? Like boooo-eer.”

“Tell m'legs that,” grumbled the teenager. It was driving him insane going through so many clothes, and his voice cracking. Stupid.

Doon’s non mangled ear flicks, as he catches the remark from Noga. He didn’t say anything, in fact he didn’t do much more than turn his head enough to eye the speaker. His bright golden eye burns into him, the other half closed and milky. Covered in scars from force lightning.

His gruff mug stares at the stranger for a few seconds, before a deep throat growl preludes a question. “And who, are you?”

Qyreia let the pale woman get forward by a step and took the opportunity for a swift pinch on one of the lower cheeks. Her coy smile as she came back alongside was rife with smugness.

“As I recall, I did a lot of the work for that luck.” She absentmindedly rubbed the tattoo on her forearm as she briefly went down memory lane. But they were almost right on top of their first target. “Hey there, salad bar! Who’s Melissa and why are we freaking out about her?”

Ele enjoyed the bristles of Doons fur, it felt safe. He turned to the large Shista and replied.

“Id be happy to keep you company here at the party. Im sure there will be many fun thungs to do. It’ll be nice to sirens the night around those I care about.”

Ele cocked his head at the mention of the teleprompter by Mune. He’d never don’t karaoke before, so way unsure what was being referenced.

“I do have a song in mind…but what is a teleprompter?”

Ruka looked up from his general chaperonge-y but trying not to observations to see his friend and her wife approaching, and visibly did a bit of a double take. He glanced between his comm and them suspiciously, as if thinking one had conjured the other, before refocusing on what she’d said.

“Oi. Salad bar? I thought we were pretendin’ nobody on the summit was callin’ us that…”

Qyreia simply rolled her eyes. It was difficult not to say that the joke would have been more poignant a year ago. Back when things were debatably better between them. Just be friendly, Q ol’ girl.

“Frack ‘em. I’m sure they say worse when we’re out of earshot. Now. Melissa?”

“I’ll be singing a song from.my homework I think, no need to read words, they are passed down to us.”

Ele gave a slight bow to his friends before moving over to the side of the stage he could see Carr’s outline. He gave the name of the song to the young Shistavanen.

The Mirialan Proconsul pointed across the pool deck to the bar where Noga looked to be playing wall for the introverted women that had recently come into their care. “That’s Melissa. That trip I told you I had to take, cause of the visions I was having? Lead to her. She’s…not a kid, ay, but like. Kinda near thing. Found her living by herself in the woods, apparently for the last decade, save some townsfolk giving food. We’re kinda taking her in.” He rubbed at his temple. “She heard there was a party and wanted to come. Annnnd. You’ve met me. I am not party fun times.”

The teen stared back at that one milky eye, not entirely sure he should be looking at it but ehh. “Noga Tenbriss Ya-ir. Sup?”

The Zeltron looked and sort of sagged. “Hooboy. Want me and Kay here to run interference? Or maybe just be a calmer set of personalities for her to socialize with?” She shot a glance at Keira, mentally challenging her, If you think you can keep your hands to yourself that is. Don’t make me abuse their changing rooms.

“We can do calm,” Keira intoned, still a glint in her eyes. “For now. I was promised a party and I’d like one before exhaustion claims me.”

The woman tried to pump up the dramatic presentation for that last bit, but it was no less true. A full night’s sleep is not part of parenthood. At least not yet.

Lift Descending

“Ok, droid, I don’t like you, and you don’t like me. But you’re supposed to be good at recording videos and what not. This time, make sure you get the baby in the picture. Not the floor. You will capture every moment.”

I am a Brotherhood-issued Envoy Corps shadow, not a floating holorecorder. My programming allows me to-

“Record. The. Baby.” Wyn repeated sternly at the floating droid.

The droid made a sigh-like noise, and bobbed it’s polyhedral chasis.

Wyn tapped his foot impatiently. Why had Socks gone ahead without him? Did she have everything she needed with her? He wore swim trunks, a faded graphic-logo t-shirt of some esoteric holonet character, and of course sunglasses. Around his waist was a fanny pack, flanked by his sets of fresh, nerf-wool towels.

The doors finally opened. He saw…way too many people. What was going on. Too many people to track. Usually that was fine but, where was Turi? Was he safe? Did they trust everyone here? What if there was a spy or an assassin…

Oh my god, is this what Marick feels like twenty-four-seven? No wonder he’s always grumpy.

Wyndell Tyris used that as fuel to take in his surroundings, and noted a familiar Zeltron he honestly hadn’t expected to actually show up.

Showtime.

“Oi, Nejj! Ya’ done finally showed up! Have you met Turi yet!? He’s a little legend…”

He scoped out Socorra and Turi in the pool and then narrowed his eyes at his droid. The Envoy Shadow puttered off, floating to get a good view of the toddler in his floaty.

Ruka didn’t need telepathy to guess that particular bit. He knew from experience.

“Sleep a thing of the past with Snickerdoodle around, ay, yeah?” He smiled at them both, and nodded at the pool chairs. “Honestly, if you two wanna konk out for a nap too while you’re here, I wouldn’t blame ya. Maybe just…if you see me getting, y'know. Party-pooping. Throw something at me. And some interference might not be bad. She’s pretty overwhelmed all the time. This is probably the most people she’s ever been around at once, period, already, and Force knows in an Arconan crowd–”

And then, as if speaking of the devil.

A Zeltron man he didn’t recognize crawling out of the elevator singing to himself, making Ruka absolutely sure for a second it was Wyndell Tyris in a disguise. Right to until Tyris himself came out of the elevator. And they seemed to know each other.

“Jesus fucking Christ. Who…is that.”

And why was there an Envoy droid floating over by his daughter and godson.

Nejj grabbed Wyn by the shoulders and got real close. He wasn’t disregarding personal space so much as he literally did not know it existed. “I. Want. To. See. The. Baby,” the Zeltron said with wide, golden eyes.

“For reasons beyond my comprehension and frankly outrageous if ever proven true beyond their present alleged state, my sisters haven’t let me see any of their spawn.”

Wyn clutched the pearls he was not wearing. “How could they!?” He did not seem to react to his personal space being encroached. “And of course, you have'ta see him. Hon?!” he called out.

He guided Nejj over towards the pool where Socorra was in the pool. The second he saw Turi splashing around his entire face lit up. “My boy!”

In the pool with Socorra and Turi, Leda looked up sharply at the sudden shadow bobbing in the air and blocking the fairy lights. She frowned at it and immedately moved to bodily put herself between Turi and it, shielding him not the easiest prospect in the water, but she still tried. “Ay! Who’s droid is they?”

“Who’s droid is it?” Wyn asked. “Why, mine of course. Don’t mind him, he’s helping make sure we get all the best footage of Turi’s first weeks…days…months…you know, priceless memories and stuff that normal…families do…”

“Your boy!” Nejj exclaimed and quite literally squeed. He immediately dropped to the deck and tried to get as low as possible to be eye level with the pool-bound child.

“I want one. Everyone would find their golden path with one.”

Qyreia noted the latest Zeltron arrival in the room with some interest, if only for the novelty of not being the only one for once. The mystique quickly died though, and she was even less surprised when she saw him cavorting with Wynn in much the same manner. “Well there’s a thing I saw today. But anyway, okay. Melissa interference, party for my lady, and probably a drink somewhere in there for me.” Because frack me am I gonna need it.

Ele listened as music from his home began to play. It had been some time since he even heard these songs, longer still since he had sung them. He could feel eyes on him as he began to sing.

The words of his people fell from his tongue with ease. He remebered when his cousin would sing to him, and he tried to envoke the same music and emotion into this performance. His ears could tell, though, that he was…off.

Anxiety stepped in, which didn’t help his performance, but he pushed through, determined to not let anyone see his shortcoming. He used to love to sing. Perhaps it was something he needed to do again.

As the song faded out, Ele gave slight bow, and thanked everyone for listening before stepping off the stage.

Doon watches the teen for a few moments before slowly looking away, growling in his native tongue. “Spoilt Cabbage…”

His attention was taken by Eleceos on stage, surrounded by music. Suddenly Doon remember what was going on, and furrowed his eyebrows. He wasn’t sure how Eleceos was going to do, nor was he sure if anyone was going to make him try to sing.

So many people were gathering, so many new faces. If the Human had hackles they’d be raising now and Akua.. was definitely not in the room. Wyn caught her eye and Socks breathed some relief but still gripped the unicorn floatie with strained knuckles. Nejj dropped to the deck and she suddenly scowled death at him, turning Turi away and behind her and protecting Leda as well. The Sith’s aura of fear was beginning to flare and her hand stretched toward her bag nearby on the deck chair as if about to summon it.

“Who the kark… Come any closer and I will paint the wall with you!”

“Akua, to me!”

Feeling the flaring aura, Nejj rolled back and flipped up to a standing position. He struck a variety of combat pose and glanced around defensively. “The ancient masters tell us fear is the mind killer,” he murmured. “But it cannot kill what is already dead.”

“Yeah, yeah, if it bleeds, we can kill it. In this case, it’s ‘don’t take sudden actions near the babeh around the moma bear.’ Socorra- Nejj is a friend. He’s with me.”

He held his hands up, like a gun was pointed at him, and wiggled his fingers.

Leda had relaxed marginally at Mister Wyndell saying it was his droid. Holos and vids– that was nice. That was a thing Papi loved to do of them. She started to get out of the way, really really not wanting to be in said pictures of someone else or get her picture taken when she couldn’t look at them all and delete most of them. But then Socorra was acting defensive and calling for her cythraul over the weirdo Zeltron guy, and…

She wasn’t too sure what was going on anymore, so she just waited, treading water there with Turi hugged close by the floatie and Socorra’s hair floating in the water between them like a silvery black carpet.

Noga had no idea what the Shistavanen said, none of the curses Carr had taught them so far, but he was pretty sure it was rude.

So, he flipped three fingers at the Doon Doon and kept sipping his soda.

She raised a brow, her one arctic eye bouncing between both men. The mannerisms of them both… “He’s with you.. I actually believe it.” The woman slightly released Leda from the protective hug-hold and slowly turned the baby around. Hazel eyes curiously looked upward and spit bubbled down his fat chin. He suddenly giggled at Nejj’s finger waggle, popping an even bigger bubble.

Unheard above the party din, a large pair of paws smacked the deck repeatedly and a midnight black Cythraul came bounding across the floor. Socorra felt her companion’s presence before she heard it and both eyebrows raised.

Osik. “No! Akua no!”

Like a runaway freighter the massive space wolf leaped into the air over the party-goers and soared over the edge of the pool, slamming belly-first into the water and causing massive waves and splashes over the deck. Not to be outdone, the smaller, whiter form of Fela followed suit, a graceful acrobatic dive into the pool next to her big sister.

"FELA YES!" the white Cythraul proclaimed to herself.

“Not grumpy..” Melissa hummed distantly, as if shed only just heard the question, sipping on her drink and swinging her legs. “You won’t be someday too.”

Noise. So much karking noise. How was there something worse than the bar on Sundari Station? Siv adjusted uncomfortably on her stool as eyes passed over her, waiting for someone to see, someone to– The Chiss’s eyes caught on the silver woman who sat near her, giving her space but acknowledging her presence with a little wave. Sivall responded with her own little wave, the severe look of overstimulation on her face softening slightly. It was nice… nice that the conversation wasn’t forced upon her.

Siv wasn’t used to this. She wasn’t used to people and parties and laughing and merry-making. She spent most of her life alone and secluded, only herself and the air to talk to. Her owners hardly talked to her after a certain age and never let her outside of the estate. Alex had told her that she would get used to it, that it wouldn’t always be this hard, but she wasn’t sure of that. She wanted to enjoy it, to be normal, to be liked and welcomed and loved… but she wasn’t normal.

Soon she was joined by others who broke into a small conversation. Hesitating for a second once she found what she thought was an opening for a conversation, the blue-skinned woman reached out and touched Melissa’s arm, her fingers cool– the unspoken “curse” of all medical professionals. “A-Ah, you’re Melissa, yes?”

Sivall withdrew her hand before she continued, settling it back in her lap while her other hand held her datapad. “I-I heard Ruka talking to you earlier. I’m Sivall– new like you. It’s nice to meet you.” The medic offered a soft smile, her eyes only flicking to the commotion by the pool for a second before returning to focus on the Echani.

If there was anyone she should befriend here it would be the other new recruit, right?

“Furry vengeance!” Nejj exclaimed as not one but two Cythrauls found their way unceremoniously into the pool.

The Zeltron was not spared their liquid wrath as water dripped from his hair and down his tight, sleeveless grey top. He blinked for a few moments before trying—unsuccessfully—to blow a few twirling strands out of his face. “I don’t think I deserved that,” he stated flatly before running a hand through his hair. The lavender mop found itself slicked back as Nejj sighed, the quick inhale beforehand accentuating his sharp features.

“Okay, my cute battery is charged. Baby totally takes after the mom, there’s not an ugly gene in the thing, can’t have much Wyn there.”

“Just wait until he gets motor control of those digits. He’ll be finger-gunning in no time,” Wyn countered, flicking a pair of finger guns at the baby.

Nejj also finger gunned. It was the natural response…wasn’t it?

Leda, who’d been dunked by a wave that Turi’s floatie thankfully kept him above, came back up spitting water. When she saw the cythrauls paddling around, she laughed.

“Oh, no, Fela, ayyy!” she exclaimed, remembering the adorable little one from another party. She didn’t look like a toasted marshmallow puffball now, though. “Aw, cutie, it’s like a mynock!”

Or a drowning rat. Poor thing. She had no idea what to do with a dog though, swimming or otherwise, and so stuck to the tried and true tact of avoiding the droid’s camera lense and doting on the baby who was being fawned over and finger-gunned at.

Socks coughed and tried wiping pool water from her eye, having taken the full brunt of the splash for the baby. She looked over and sighed at the still-playful Akua paddling nearby.

Meanwhile, Turhaya made a small handful of noises, drool, and bubbles at the laughing Leda, clearly amused as well. His free hands balled and unballed into fat little fists and arms slightly swung up and down excitedly before he suddenly stopped and looked up at the animated adults. “Gweh,” he seemed to say, his hands unraveling and a tiny finger ever so slightly pointing up before quickly clenching again.

Wyn almost cried. But no matter what, he was a performer and an artist first and foremost. So instead his smile widened. “That’s my little dude!” He laughed and stood up slowly.

“Alright, so, what’s this about karaoke I heard? Nejj, you thinking what I’m thinking?”

Not far away, watching all this while they chatted about Melissa, Ruka just plain started crying, cupping a hand over his mouth as he looked at the baby.

“His little hand,” he whisper-cooed to the ladies beside him, flapping the other hand. “Oh, he and Illetaeze aren’t gonna be that little for long…”

A drink, something light. Maybe a delicate wine or something. This wasn’t a thrashpunk show.

If it were it would be series of Tatooine Tequila shots then hitting the moshpit to prove to everyone why she was queen of the pit.

L'ara wandered over to the bar, ordered her drink, then made her way to find a comfortable spot to spectate the karaoke singers. She wondered if she would find herself onstage. All she knew was some Twi'leki lullabies Jax had helped her relearn, some Mandoa battle hymns that really didn’t translate into basic very well, and…was this the right crowd for thrashpunk? Not a lot of Mohawks, piercings, and spice in the crowd, but maybe she was wrong. Everyone enjoyed something a little heavy, right?

“You never close your eyes anymore?” Nejj asked, both a question and answer to Wyn. “Anything to enhance the calm around here!”

Noga hummed to Melissa’s words, pretty sure she wasn’t talking to him by now. Maybe not even to anyone present. Papi and Dad had explained, that she saw things like Papi did, and they’d seen him trance out before. Melissa did it more frequently, and commented way, way more than Papi did, but still.

The Chiss woman speaking up drew his attention, if more at mention of his papi’s name than anything else. He didn’t turn though, not wanting to be a dick and hang in their conversation. Instead he focused on not eavesdropping, angling more to face the rest of the room and low-key watch out for his charge(s?) with Growly right next to them and all the new people showing up. By his estimate, this kind of crowd would’ve been getting Leda freaking out not long ago, so Melissa was probably worse off.

Melissa blinked a few times, taking her attention away from the growly shista and to the Blue woman beside her.

She smiled, “I am Melissa. Its good to meet you as well. We don’t have to talk if you don’t want to, I can tell this isn’t really your favourite place to be.”

She smiled knowingly, a tad unnervingly so.

“No I…” Siv trailed off for a second as her brain stuttered to put together a coherent thought. The silvery woman definitely caught her off guard. Clearing her throat, the Chiss continued. “No it’s okay, I need to do this. Need to learn this.” It was unclear even to Sivall if she was telling Melissa this or herself. The woman gently put down her datapad, dusting her hand off on her dress.

“I appreciate the sentiment, however.” What did normal people talk about? What was it that Alex or Ruka had said the first time they met her? Or literally anyone else for that matter? Ktah. “How’d you end up with Arcona, Melissa?” Sivall inquired finally, settling on a conversation starter she was happy with. It would be an easy one, or at least she hoped.

She was doing the thing. Conversing. Mingling.

“Yeah, well, so long as Atyiru doesn’t try to marry her off or anything, I’m okay with growing.” She nudged Keira’s arm playfully. “I’m looking forward to talking and having to watch my language around the house.”

Melissa nodded, speaking softly “I’m doing quite similar. Its been a while for me, its nervewracking. In a good way.”

She paused for a moment, contemplating the question that was actually asked.

“In short, Ruka brought me here after finding me. Id been alone for a while, and was expecting him. As things go, I’m quite glad he did show up. What about yourself?”

Keira heard the intrusive thoughts in response to Ruka’s comments, and not for the first time. What if their child inherited the accelerated aging genes from her? And if so, what if they spontaneously activated and they would have no way of stopping it?

The thought horrified her for the briefest of moments before she managed to shake it off. Happy beeps and all that. Better to focus on the brief respite here. Better to laugh.

“Q, your creative use of Basic is so ingrained you might as well be attempting to unlearn how to breath.”

“I don’t hear you complaining when I do it in Shyriiwook either.” The Zeltron offered a tongue-vibrating growl-purr for emphasis before returning her attention to Ruka, who most certainly was complaining inwardly if not outwardly soon enough. “So. I can run ‘interference’ if needed but…” She looked off in the indicated direction toward the young woman. “…she seems to be doing fine. Not sure she actually needs help. But I’d rather not just pop in and inject myself where I’m not wanted either, so however you wanna handle that?”

Doon’s ear flicked again as he noticed something at the edge of his perception. He turned to eye Melissa, watching her speak intently. He heard the words leaving her mouth with a strange echo, as if there was another of her far away speaking at the same time. The effect was strange, and required a few moments of concentration before he realized he was sensing something off about her. Almost like watching a ship on autopilot, while the pilot was nowhere to be seen in the cockpit.

Doon wasn’t sure how to engage with that feeling, nor what could be the source behind it. The Shistavanen frowned, though it was not much of a change from his normal expression. His attention was brought back to wider reality by Mune’s pat, and whatever strange effect Melissa had faded for the moment.

Wyn made his way towards the stage. He waved, winked, and greeted everyone he passed. Even though most of them were ignoring him. He did see a few new faces, shelved the knowledge for later and gestured for Nejj.

He padded over to the machine and flipped through some songs on the data pad. He grinned when he found what he was looking for and entered it in.

He grabbed a mic and prepared a second for Nejj. He did a quick check check, for showmanship, because obviously the mic was working.

“Ladies, Gentlemen, fur-folk. and everything in between…” Wyn started. Just as the opening cords were struck.

Nejj slid up and began to—attempt to—carry a tune. “This is the moment you’ve been waiting for,” he cracked out. Meeting Wyn’s gaze, he nodded and handed off the lead entirely. It would be for the best. Back-up and booty shaking were on deck for the Zeltron.

Wyn took his queue with all the weight of the years of experience he’d dedicated to his trade. He did not need a hat for this, though he imagined a circus ringleaders atop his head like a crown. His body shifted into that image, the lithe grace of a showman. He dropped his voice to a lower octave, more breathy and from the lower part of his diaphragm.

“Been searching in the dark, your sweat soaking through the floor….”

“Whoa-oh-oh-ah-oh”, Nejj sung low but tried to incorporate anyone in the audience that was familiar with the song and holodrama it was from. Wyn completed the first verse, and then built up towards the first chorus.

“There’s something breaking at the brick of every wall, it’s holding… All that you know… So tell me, do you wanna GO!?

He let his voice climb and shifted pitch, closing his eyes and not needing to look at the words on the screen.

"Where it’s covered in all the colored lights Where the runaways are running the night Impossible comes true, it’s taking over you "Oh, this is the greatest show! We light it up, we won’t come down And the sun can’t stop us now Watching it come true, it’s taking over you Oh, this is the greatest show”

While he might have been labeled as “annoying’, "a lot”, or “that idiot”, on the stage, Wyn was free to simply embrace and be himself. (Which of course was much easier than be‘ing a have, since no one had yet to define what a have was…)

And for those few minutes where the stage was his, Wyn shone, and his light absorbed Nejj’s charisma and incorporated it as the two paced back and forth, exchanged places, gestured towards the gathered “audience”, and rocked their socks off.

Through it, Wyn kept trying to make eye contact with Socorra, almost to ask “is he listening? Does he like Dad’s singing??”

Qyreia briefly broke off her conversation with Ruka to listen to the music, hips swaying slightly, occasionally bumping her wife’s as she hummed along. As Wyn’s performance reached its crescendos, she offered a whoop and whistles of encouragement. Karaoke was her happy space a long time ago; some things stuck no matter how long it had been.

As the song finished, Wyn made a little curtsey. Then raised his hand for a high five from Nejj.

That high five came with a healthy dose of enthusiasm. “It’s good to see you on your Golden Path, my friend!” Nejj remarked.

Wyn made a gesture of pressing both palms together, and bowed his head slightly in agreement. “This is a way”.

He hopped off the stage and looked around. “Who’s next?” while making his way back over towards the pool and his babeh.

She looked round at Doon as she awaited Sivalls response, intrigued by the layers of emotions coming from the furred one.

There was the grumpy exterior but it was easy to see past that with the aid of the Force. It was an exterior, to protect. Sadly it hid a lot. A lot she couldn’t see but she could tell was there. It was interesting. He was like her, but he didn’t like it.

It was almost a momentary glance, a reach through the unfathomable, before withdrawing back to her conversation. That would be an interesting thing for later.

Ruka, Leda, and Noga all applauded from their various positions as well. Leda took the time as Socorra made Turi float to swim over and get out of the pool, looking around for towels or a station as she dripped on the edge. Predictably, one floated over to her, and she glanced to her papi with a smile as it wrapped over and around her snug like a hug. Her smile grew at seeing Qyreia and Kiera.

“Hey, ay!” the girl called as she padded carefully over, mindful not to slip. Ruka leaned down just the few inches to kiss her forehead and offer her her sandals back, which she stuck wet feet into. “Oh wow, it’s weird to see you guys without little Chunkers. Qyreia, are you gonna sing?”

–

Meanwhile, Noga was quiet at the bar, narrowing eyes at Doon when the wolf man turned to stare at Melissa, and mostly pretending he couldn’t hear the ladies on his other side. He was a little curious though.

The Zeltron narrowly avoided awkwardly pressing her lips together at the second suggestion of her singing in, it seemed, as many minutes. Somewhere in the back of her head, she was giving Keira a minor glare.

“Heya Leda! Maybe later. Hard to follow an act like that.” She gave the Mirialan a light hug, accepting some dampness for the sake of affection. “You look like you’re having fun.”

Leda squeezed back, glad to hug.

“Ehehe, yeeeeah,” her voice cracked a little, because she totally hadn’t dove in the pool in the first place just to avoid Carr blatantly asking about tail staring. “Turiio is super cute. Ain’t worry, Cookie still cuter, ay. But cute.” She looked between the two and blew out a breath. “Glad you’re here! Somebody else we know. Was gonna try to help Mela make some friends but, like, ain’t seen half these peoples. You?”

“I… am just trying to follow along with half those things you just said.” She looked at Ruka, then leaned low to Leda’s ear. “So what’s the latest? Are you still messaging that boy on Zeltros, or are you looking at something more local these days?”

Ruka made a exhale through his nose and pointedly looked away as if hearing and knowing nothing. Leda blushed brilliantly and stammered.

“I– uh– psssh, no, not. Pssssssssh,” came several noises from the teen, spotting Carr waving and squeaking, as if being caught Zeltron-handed with something. Mainly because of the Zeltron right next to her.

Leda just whined and covered her face with both hands, too embarrassed.

Nejj was still pumped from his performance alongside Wyn, even though the other man carried the majority of the effort. Such an event required celebration! Celebration required drinks! Drinks required alcohol!

These drinks did not require alcohol!

Nejj’s mind was changed for him as he eloquently requested a fizzy ‘drank’ with a shot of something hard. While ice was certainly hard, it was decidedly not what he had in mind.

Alas.

He could work with it however! Rolling with it was what Nejj did. A basic survival trait. You know, just keep talking and it’ll all sort itself out! Maybe.

“Wyn! Celebratory drank for the successful genetic propagation,” Ithurinos declared as he found his way back, offering both a glass and his arm to lock elbows for a drink.

Between her whispering apparently being far too actively impugned upon, and Leda’s growing exasperation, Qyreia opted to simply back off from the effort, giving her wife a more poignant stare. She’s a kid. Behave.

“Well, since we’re not feeling talkative, Imma go collect an adult beverage. Leda, honey, feel free to come find me if you want to chat without the peanut gallery chiming in.” She looked at Ruka. “As for you, where do they keep said beverages? The Void ain’t exactly my ship.”

The rapid back-and-forth from Leda to Qyreia and back again stumped the Zeltron somewhat, but given the smaller furry being wasn’t ringing any doorbells for her, she opted to simply nod and wave herself off from the group.

“I’ll just go find it myself.”

“M'fine,” Leda squeak-mumbled out, and only cracked her fingers because to not take the glass would be rude.

“By the other kid,” Ruka called helpfully to her retreating form, belated to answer the question with Carr talking fast.

‘The other kid,’ observing the room at a distance, lifted the Zeltron and her wife a two-finger salute to the forehead much like Ruka would, tipping it in a lazy wave. Noga sipped the last of his soda, already anticipating Qyreia’s soon to be disappointment.

“Noggers,” the Zeltron called as she drew up to what at least looked like a bar. Her eyes looked him over, particularly at the level of his coiffure. “I keep forgetting you’re this goddamn tall now.”

Keira quickly excused herself and skip-stepped after her wife in an attempt to keep up. She idly slipped her fingers under her sleeve and rubbed the tattoo there, specifically the one that represented Qyreia. “They got anything new?” she asked, knowing the Zeltron would understand the unsaid “new to me”.

Sometimes, the way she couldn’t get a word in before six topics had come and gone was…annoying. Other times, when it felt like she couldn’t say a word, it didn’t seem so bad. Sort of like now. As it was, she just held her water in both hands and smiled at Carr, nodding and *mhm*ing to him.

“Maybe, yeah,” was all she added, and, “good job with the stage stuff.”

Noga snickered. “You and me both, ay. You know how much I hit my head now? It’s stupid.” He looked over to Kiera, who was more an often unseen extension of Qyreia in his mind than a full person. “Uh, new?”

Qyreia wrapped an arm around her lady’s waist. “Well, I came came over for drinks, so we maybe figured this yacht has a mixologist behind the bar. Because if it doesn’t, I may have to question subsidizing it in my budget meetings.” She shot her Proconsul a look. “Your dad hates those.”

“I think they have a droid?” He wracked his brain for the last time they’d been here. “Or that Wyn guy dressed up as one sometimes. Or one of the furry ones…” His gaze flashed briefly to the black Shistavanen one seat over. “Uh, no offense.”

Looking back, he waved his empty soda bottle to the adults. “Orange is good. They says to them there that ain’t doing booze yet? Ask Mune, I ‘unno.”

The captain of said Yacht gave a weary glance towards Qyreia at that comment. His gaze was once more drawn down to Noga, where his snout twitched into a wrinkle. “Droid serves.” He stated simply, wondering when he might be able to snag a good drink for himself.

The Zeltron looked to Doon appreciatively. “That’s better. Was starting to think I’d have to go back to my ship and come back with a bottle or two.”

Leda’s smile softened somewhat. She took one hand off the glass to reach up and smoothed back pale fluffy ears briefly, as if telling them it was okay too.

“M'fine, chicjiko. Not bothered. Go do yo thing.”

“Yo, bar-bot. Two Tattoo Sunrises on the rocks. Little umbrellas if you got ‘em, but I won’t be picky.” She shot Keira a wink. “Don’t worry, one of them is for you.”

The droid behind the bar came full into view. ”Our apologies, but alcohol is prohibited until later. May I interest you in a virgin version of your drink?”

Qyreia shot a sidelong glance at Doon then back at the droid. “The kark is this, a Chugg-A-Chizz? No, not virgin. Rum. In a glass. With mixers. Don’t make me come back there.”

Noga snorted. Yup. There it was.

Zig folded her arms and huffed, moving over towards the bar. “The droid can make any mixture of drinks, probably more accurately than most folk. I programmed Mr. Butlertron myself.”

This area was starting to get packed pretty tight. Noga glanced over at Melissa, trying to gauge if she was still doing okay with the influx of people.

Qyreia smirked, looking to the Zygerrian amiably. “Drinks ain’t about accuracy. There’s as much art as there is science to it.” Her gaze went back to the droid. “So, what’s it gonna be? Are you gonna serve the drinks, or do I need to do it myself?”

Melissa had been listening for Sival’s response but as Noga looked over to her she looked back to him as well.

She noted the two women who had joined them and waved, “I believe Mune said that they wanted to keep things dry until later. Maybe they’d make an exception.”

The Mirialan teen took that as a cue to do his job of rubbing elbows. “Mela, this is Qyreia and Kiera. She’s like, the Clan leader,” a wave at the Zeltron, then her partner, “and her wife. Guys, this is Melissa. Sure you’ll see each other over for dinner, ay.”

“About to get. Whether or not it comes from behind this bar or I walk back to my ship for it remains to be seen.” The Zeltron acknowledged Noga’s introduction, giving Melissa a polite nod and wave, but she was a woman on a mission.

“I could explain the droid-leaening module I created, using data from the Citadel’s archived history of Arconan social events. Buuuut it’s probably suuuper boring…”

“I heard that, bucket-head. Don’t think I don’t know ‘beep-boop’ much as I know drinks.” She picked up her glass and handed Keira hers before turning to Zig. “And I honestly mean no disrespect, Ziggles. We just haven’t traded life stories yet, and I spent close to a decade working the cantina scene. That included bartending.”

Noga tipped his empty bottle towards Zig in a salute. “Ziggles. Doon Doon. Noggers.”

“Speaking of. Who’s the fuzzball with the data pad? S’he just short for his species, or did you all actually let a child run your operation here?”

Zig saluted back. Then waved Qyreia off. “All good M'lady.”

Zig slinked over and put her arm around Carr, leaning slightly. “This fuzzball helped in the defense of Blindshot hangar. He’s also a rising star for the Voidbreaker engineering team.”

“So did a lot of other people, Zig.” Qyreia’s tone sobered somewhat. “A lot of people.”

The teenage Mirialan toasted Carr too, sensing a possibly grim turn and hoping to steer out of it. “Welcome t'the club, ay. You’re kiddo to Qek no matter what you do until you’re…” he paused his remark. “Well, I dunno, something. Older I guess.”

“At least eighteen,” the Zeltron said, her smile returning somewhat. “Sorry not sorry, Noggers.”

Seemingly out of nowhere, Nejj appeared as a pair of eyeballs peering over the counter. He had managed to sneak over with surprising alacrity and stealth.

“I sense the liquor is flowing,” the Zeltron stated ominously. He disappeared below the counter before popping up behind the serving droid. “The ancient masters tell us it is customary to toast new births and baboo’s first finger guns. I demand your finest concoction!”

Melissa jolted slightly in her seat at the sudden appearance Nejj.

She looked round with wide eyes, before chuckling softly. This alcohol stuff was… certainly popular. Why would so many people try it if it was like the mushrooms?

She was curious, but also not.

“Mune… bigger Shistavanen? ‘Bout my height? Yeah, I’m at least familiar on a dossier level.” Her gaze went to the other Zeltron in the room, now practically across from her at the bar. “And you are one helluva ball of karking energy.”

“Well that’s no good! Energy is best shared with others and not horded. Like a pandemic!” Nejj paused for a moment as his brain caught up to his mouth with a confused expression. His almost absolute cocksurety gave way as wiser thoughts took over. “Only…not…bad?”

Qyreia nodded after the smaller Shistavanen and offered a con split pat for the Zeltron on the bar top, not quite ready to share in the stranger’s ‘pandemic’ quite yet. With things calming down slightly, she nuzzled Keira briefly before regarding Melissa over her drink, still un-drunk.

“So. Melissa. I’m sorry about earlier with the introductions and all. S’good to meet you.”

There was a lot ongoing.

But the Echani smiled, nodding in return to the Consul’s greeting. Ruka had made sure she knew that much. “It’s good to meet you as well, I appreciate you allowing me to join the clan. I understand it’s.. odd circumstances.”

“If it’s any consolation, I didn’t know about you until about five minute ago when I walked in.” She chuckled. “So yeah. Bit odd, but pretty par for the course around here. What’s your, how do I phrase this… specialty? Force user? Gunslinger? Just please don’t say Mando.”

Oh. That was even odder than she thought. She looked round toward Ruka instinctively, and then back to Qyeria.

“I can use the Force.” She confirmed, “Not.. really good at any kind of fighting. But I can throw objects without lifting a finger. See visions of things that haven’t and might not happen, heal a little. Can feel a lot too, how other people are feeling. There’s a lot of variation in here.”

It was almost overwhelming to tap into it now more people had appeared.

“Know that last one a little too well myself.” She half-leaned in for a faux whisper. “Gets bad when they all start drinking and getting frisky. Hooboy.”

“Oh.. I’ll.. uhm look out for that? I suppose.” Melissa was visibly confused. By what specifically in the statement was hard to discern.

Catching Melissa’s look from over by the poolside, Ruka smiled and offered two thumbs up to the girl, as if to say, you’re doing great sweetie!

Oh boy. May have over-stepped. Ruka, what did you get me into?

“Sorry. That… might’ve been a little strong for first-time conversation.”

This was nice, Melissa ( <@432543120635461643> ) was nice. Sivall took a second to think about how she wanted to word how she got to the brotherhood, the last time she tried she got Alex in trouble. The Chiss bit on her lip, looking down towards the floor for a moment as she formulated how to respond. A few memories flashed in her head– cowering behind a dumpster as blaster fire echoed nearby, a kind man with kinder eyes helping her stand, the trip to Sundari Station. How would someone even begin to combine all that happened to her into an introduction?

Looking back up, Sivall opened her mouth to speak only to… not. It seemed she had gotten lost in her head again, and Melissa had started another conversation. ( <@244242409678962689> ) Should she interrupt? Was it too late? The blue woman tried to think back on the self-help holos she had read…

Siv’s face fell a little bit, but she didn’t speak up. She would wait. Yes, she would wait and perhaps the conversation would pick up again. So patiently wait she did, trying to put on a neutral but pleasant expression.

Wyn scooped up Turi and cradled him in his arm, bopping his nose with a finger. “Don’t worry, son. One day, I will teach you the secret art of Karay-oh-kay,” he murmured to the infant.

“Uhm. Maybe?” Melissa rubbed the back of her neck, chuckling although it was purely nerves. In the corner of her eye she saw Sivall perk up and then retreat down again. A twinge of guilt shot through her.

“It’s okay, although I think I should return to my conversation with Sivall here. I think I got a little swept up in things.”

She looked back to the Chiss and tilted her head toward the seats beside the pool, as an offer to get away from the sudden chaos that surrounded the bar. And if Ruka’s assessment of people and alcohol, the following bigger chaos of people on alcohol.

Sivall couldn’t help the smile that filled her features as Melissa turned to talk to her once more. On her own accord, no less! She felt… almost wanted. When a fur-covered being joined the group at the bar and suggested they could go somewhere quieter, Siv looked back at Melissa. “That sounds nice. What do you say, shall we go?”

I’ll take any escape from this place, even momentarily…

“That sounds wonderful Mune.” Melissa smiled, features relaxing with the knowledge there was a dedicated quiet spot. She got up from her seat, glancing to the Consul and her wife, “We can talk again later, it was great to meet you.” And then with another body gesture towards where Mune directed the Echani started to lead the way.

L'ara cleared her throat and took a breath. Just like singing along at a concert

“No slaves below! No masters above! Our raised fist is gonna wear you like a glove! You grew fat on Ryloth’s bones, Making us toil like worker drones! You sat assured in a golden seat! But a mighty force swept out your feet! We’ll kick you in the dirty like a mangy mutt! Make you rattle out your breath like a choking Hutt!”

The entire performance was complete with headbanging and whipping Lekku. Her voice cracked a few times and she hadn’t taken the time to warm up her voice, but she felt that she’d done enough justice to her favorite band, Ky-Wreck-ius.

With neon-red hair flinging around her head, the pink Zeltron Xi'ana shimmered into existence out of thin air, bodily thrashing around in the audience in front of the stage. She may very well be the only one but clearly that didn’t matter: L'ara suddenly had a new number one fan.

L'ara was painfully aware of her own voice. It had cracked. She was underprepared. But when she looked out to the audience and saw the single Zeltron doing the the work of an entire mosh pit, her heart leapt into her throat and her lekku flittered behind her back. As the song ended she hopped off the stage and approached the woman with a friendly fist extended.

“Thrash all day, thrash all night, find a slaver, fight fight fight, eh? I’m L'ara. Erinos.”

Siv slid off her stool, grabbing her datapad and paying for her drink before following Melissa. She waved goodbye to the two people the woman had been talking to with a sheepish half-smile. Goodbyeeee crowded bar. She mumbled internally.

Qyreia offered the well-dressed Chiss a return wave, curious as to her identity but acutely aware the duo were trying to avoid overbearing social contact. And it wasn’t lost on her that she had been part and parcel to that presence. Great idea, Ru. Maybe bad timing.

In the midst of the movements, she listened to the Twi’lek on stage, offering some supportive applause. The genre wasn’t quite her style, but one always at least recognized the one at the mic. Not that she knew the Twi’lek particularly, nor the new Zeltron that appeared before the stage. If one more shows up, I might have to call home to make sure nothing bad’s happened to cause a migration.. This far into the galactic fringes, two of the red-skinned peoples was an interesting chance; three or more was just weird.

But the becalmed social needs finally allowed her to sip at her drink. The sweet flavors mixed nicely with the liquor. “Could use another shot though. What do you think, Kay?”

Not quite sure whether Mune’s suggestion included him or not or whether Melissa and her new friend Sivall wanted to be alone, Noga just sort of stayed in his seat for a moment, watching them go, foot having been jiggling along to the oddly…roaring?… music.

Either way, the bar was crowded, and he wasn’t exactly looking to just sit around with a bunch of older strangers getting drunk. Qyreia and Kiera were friends, but everyone, pass.

Decided, the teen stood up, stretching – and enjoying the glory of height next to their family friends, for a moment, when no hanging lights or doorways were involved – before he ambled after the seer and Chiss. “That’s my cue, back later,” he threw over his shoulder.

Their path took them by Ruka and Leda both, and to his sister and papi he gave a shrug. Leda, having calmed down as she was left without teasing or questions, trotted over to join him, pulling her wrap back on and towel around her waist like an extra skirt.

“Cold?”

“Kinda. I’m dryin’ off tho. Whassit?”

“They goin’ to some controversy. Mune says they fairy lights up in there and it quiet.

Leda’s face looked suddenly intrigued.

With escape achieved, the pair headed over to the softly lit conservatory area. With it being between songs the soothing music Carr had playing as background noise was a lot more audible here than anywhere else. Not that Melissa knew about everywhere else, but with how noisy the bar had become it was a breath of fresh air.

She had smiled back to Noga, not sure if he’d want to come but making sure the glance back was visible so the teen knew he was welcome if he did.

Keira acknowledged Qyreia’s question at the edge of her periphery. Well, mostly. Her focus was solidly upon the drink she had been served. As she analyzed its visual qualities, she took a deep inhale and a sip.

The liquid played upon Keira’s tongue before she finally swallowed. Already, a plethora of detailed analysis threatened to spill past her lips before she managed to suppress it. Instead, she offered Q a smirk. “Quick answer or obsessive foody answer, dear?”

“Either or. You’ve been pretty quiet so far tonight, so dealer’s choice.”

“I’m not trying to be quiet,” Keira admitted, placing a hand on Q’s arm. “There’s just…a lot going on. At home I mean. Our daughter. My thoughts are everywhere.”

Another sip helped to center her. “Definitely needs more kick. The flavors get to play, but don’t linger.”

“Yeah. Was thinking a dash of lime over the top to bring out the sweet, and… well, we already both said it needs more oomph.”

Flushed from the sudden exercise - not that it could be seen on a pink skinned face - Xee stopped on the balls of her feet and tippy-tapped in place, her arms going up in front of her in excitement. “That. was. ahMAZING!!”

She fist-bumped but used the extension to grab both of L'ara’s wrists and jump up and down and headbang, chin-length neon hair flicking up and down in the air.

Walking into the conservatory, Sivall’s sanguine eyes widened in awe— the chiss’s jaw even dropped slightly. There was… so much green. Green and light and serenity. It felt like she was in a fairytale. Siv drew in a soft gasp, looking around at the flora surrounding them. “*** Rin'vt***… i-it’s beautiful…”

A pale blue hand gently reached out to a nearby flower, only allowing her fingertips to graze the petals. The chiss woman was absolutely enraptured. The flowers her owners had kept were plastic and eternal, meant only for posterity sake, not to mention covered in the kind of dust that collects on objects when they weren’t appreciated. No, these were full of life. She could feel it.

“I didn’t know there could be this many plants…” She mumbled softly.

( <@432543120635461643>, <@244244163002892288>, <@114916641581563913> )

Noga and Leda both glanced at each other at that, though they were smiling for the woman. She seemed genuinely happy.

“Yeah, ay, been there,” Noga chimed in, a little more easily. “Where we grew up, was they slums in the city ships. Plants were for rich people.” A dash of bitterness leaked into his tone, one reinforced by the presence of a garden on a freaking yacht, even if it was one they were actually welcome in now. “You should come to Selen. It’s real nice. Ocean everywhere, lotta green.”

“And beaches,” Leda chimed in, softer. “They’re, um, really nice.”

“It.. looks like home. It isn’t but..” Melissa trailed off, smiling widely and then in a sudden rush of movement getting her socks on. It required some hopping from foot to foot to retrieve them but before long had passed the Echani was barefoot to the dirt.

She pocketed the socks and started walking further into the conservatory, looking around. It was odd, she’d finally escaped the isolation of her home but even now it was still to be found. But instead of suffocating, the trees brought new breath into those around.

“Plants aren’t for anybody. They just exist for the sake of existing. Grow to just.. grow. It’s quite a freeing mindset I think.” She commented idly in response to the teens.

Speaking of free plants!

Tight forest green curls pulled back into a thick bush of a ponytail as nimble fingers tied it back and the lift doors once more. Finished, red tinted sunglasses were removed from where they dangled and slid back up on the faux-Zelosian’s head. Ocean green eyes scanned the familiar pool deck, noting quite a number of familiar faces and some new. Diyrian fixed her light tan jacket she wore over an orange and green geometric cropped top and matching swim shorts, and shifted farther into the room.

She only took a few steps before halting, gaze falling on a pale figure that she had a feeling she’s met before. Been quite a few years since Zuji ran around as ‘Jeanie’, back when Diy met her, but a white arse man about that height, definitely saw him with her a couple times then. She didn’t remember a name, hell probably wasn’t his actual name but intrigued she was now.

Throwing up her signature grin that lifted the golden Kiffar tattoo inked across her cheeks and nose, Diy approached and waved her hand that she offered to shake afterwards. “Heya! Look what the nexu dragged in! I’m Diyrian, call me Diy. Never got the chance to really meet, but I remember ya ‘n’ Zujenia,” it felt weird to say her name fully, “doin’ work together. Wasn’t part of all this kark myself yet back then. How are ya now, uh…?” <@350064387937140738>

“Adem, thanks.”

He placed his ever-flattening drink on the table and smiled to shake Diy’s hand in return. “Your reputation precedes you, Miss Diy, Zujenia had a lot to say. It’s nice to be back.”

He briefly considered chatting about his recent deployment with the Exarchs, the nagging curiosity he still had about the droids that he encountered there…

No, it’s rather tacky to discuss work here, isn’t it?

DT-3 chirped and offered his clamped foot for Diy to shake as well. “Have you met my partner in crime, Deetee? He’s a fan.”

L'ara laughed and blushed. No one had ever called her singing amazing. Even if the Zeltron was just being polite, it was nice to hear.

“Give me a minute and a few shots and I’ll sing ‘Rebel Girl’ by Utini Kill.”

Socorra finally climbed out of the pool, leaving the rainbow unicorn to bob and drift in gentle waves. She was thankful that they could borrow Kirra’s water things now that she was well past infancy. But they would need to get their own soon once little Weyne arrived.

She stole one of the man’s plethora of towels and wiped down the little one a bit as his father held him. “You should get drank with your friend. He seem happy to hang.” She nodded towards Nejj. “I have Turi, you go. Shoo.”

“Are you kidding?! Why wait? The party could be over!”

Xee let go of one wrist and started dragging L’ara with the other back to the stage, gesturing to the DJ. “Oh, by the way, I’m Xee!” she said to the Twilek and grabbed a microphone as the song started. The Zeltron was not a natural but the song choice didn’t really need it.

That girl thinks she’s the queen of the neighborhood She’s got the hottest trike in town That girl, she holds her head up so high I think I wanna be her BEST FRIEND, YEAH!

She leaned over to L’ara, looking her in the eyes with the biggest, goofiest smile ever at the refrain.

Rebel girlll, rebel girlll Rebel girl you are the queen of my world Rebel girllll, rebel girllll I think I wanna take you home I wanna try on your clothes, uh!

It was L’ara’s turn and Xi’ana nodded, trying to give her the confidence to just go nuts and have fun.

L'ara pulled back for half a second then laughed and followed Xee onstage.

She kept laughing as the Zeltron sang to…her? The “audience”? It didn’t matter. This chick was badass and this was fun.

The Twi'lek took the microphone and sang, no longer caring if it was good

*When she walks, the revolution’s comin’ In her hips, there’s revolution When she talks, I hear the revolution In her kiss, I taste the revolution!

Rebel girllll, rebel girllll Rebel girl you are the queen of my world Rebel girllll, rebel girllll I know I wanna take you home I wanna try on your clothes, uh!*

Xi’ana headbanged, thrashed and spun on stage while L’ara sang the solo part and pulled the mic back to her face for the verse.

That girl thinks she’s the queen of the neighborhood! I got news for you, SHE IS! They say she’s a slut, but I know She is my BEST FRIEND YEAH!

She leaned back over to L’ara to duet.

Rebel girlll, rebel girlll Rebel girl you are the queen of my world Rebel girllll, rebel girllll I think I wanna take you home I wanna try on your clothes, uh!

Dancing in place Xee sang the last bit with her.

Love you like a sister always Soul sister, rebel girl Come and be my best friend Will you, rebel girl? I really like you! I really wanna be your best friend! Be my rebel girllllllll…

She held the mic out in front of her, waiting for L'ara to mic drop at the same time and strut the kark off the stage.

L'ara laughed uncontrollably with her new…friend? Definitely friend. Best friend? Not impossible.

She felt like a bad schutta as they walked offstage. The same walk she did as she set off a perfectly timed sequence of charges to maximize both damage and drama.

“There’s more?!” Siv exclaimed turning to the green tinted teens, her eyes wide again but this time in disbelief. Suddenly it was like she was a kid again, that child-like excitement filling her. She stared at the flower again for a moment. “I’ve gotta get to Selen then…”

Her eyes turned to Melissa as the Echani took off into the foliage, barefoot of all things. Wouldn’t that hurt? What if she stepped on a rock? Siv was originally worried, but after a few seconds of watching her, that worry faded. Melissa’s gray agains the green and the brown… fit. Like she was meant to be there.

“Melissa, your home was like this? It must have been wonderful…”

“It still is. And.. yes. It is a wonderful place. It gets a little.. repetitive.. lonely even after a while but it’s still beautiful.”

She smiled, “Maybe we should go to Selen together. An adventure of sorts for you. I live there, although in one of the cities. We’d have to get a ship to further out.”

“We can go whenever,” Leda offered. “Papi has his ship, like we took here, or just take a speeder. It’s not far to get outside the city.” She lifted one hand, measuring an inch between thumb and forefinger. “Juuuust a bit, ay, and you hittin’ trees and beaches.”

“Y'know, if you want,” Noga added, hands migrating to slink casually into pockets but finding his swim trunks had none. He turned it into a stretch instead. “Don’t gotta tag along.”

“Well,” Qyreia mused as she continued to sip her drink, “seems those two made friends quick.” She elbowed her wife gently. “Think I’ll peruse the song list. If nothing else, it’ll let me know what the next thing folks’ll be screaming next.”

Given the earlier strictness over alcohol, she might’ve expected only work-appropriate songs or things suitable for teenagers. But with the lyrics from the duo on the stage, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad after all. Up at the monitor, her finger swiped over the genres, artists, and songs, idly perusing the fare just as deliberately as she nursed her drink. Not bad, not bad. Wonder if this is Zig’s work too. Seems thorough enough. Ooh, that’s a good one.

“Ha, hopefully good things, no doubt!” Diyrian winked as she retracted her hand, for once not immediately feeling out with a quick lick of the Force to tap a memory off a sleeve or ring. She turned her attention to the BD-unit and stifled a laugh. He was incredibly cute with that tie about him.

“No, haven’t the pleasure. Nice ta meet a fan.” The faux-Zelosian took the claw foot gently in a slow shake. She couldn’t help but tap into the memories of the metal, a glimpse of the small droid taking the tie and skittering off with it. Her grin cracked a bit more. “Yer very handsome, Deetee.”

A thundering roll of drums and guitar started as she straightened up, and her gaze shifted to the Twi'lek and Zeltron on stage. Diy listened to them banging out a song and gave a two-finger whistle after. The tune hummed on her lips for a second after, spacer punk not usually what she listens to but still good, can’t hate the message. She turned back to Adem and arced a dark eyebrow as she leaned back with mock evaluating.

“I’m gonna go out on a leap and say Karaoke isn’t yer scene?” Diyrian smiled.

“Depends on the genre,” Adem mused, taking a long, bubbly sip. Sure, it’s just water, but like many social things, it was more about the appearance. “And the company. If people are in the mood to class it up a little.” He smiled. “Otherwise I got dressed up for nothing, right?” DT-3 trilled affirmatively, glad to be in good company.

The droid projected a clip from a music video, a downbeat tune and perhaps a bit melodramatic. The Umbaran found himself humming along before realizing what Deetee was getting at.

“Ah, no, buddy, you think they really want to hear that one at a party like this? It’ll bring the whole mood down.”

“Yeah dude,” Zig cut in, somehow having acquired a beer in hand. “Read the room,” she said to the cute lil’ droid. “Diy: how are ya’ now? Adem: good job making a new friend.”

She took a sip from the bottle and looked around to see did a quick survey of the room, but seemed content to interject herself. Then she took a half step away, pulled out her datapad, and sent a quick message to Zuza. It was private, but had a few different emoji icons that she hoped her girlfriend had learned to translate by now.

Within a few minutes, Zig had a response. Hi to you to, happy the.. nerds? Are getting along. Dont snip peoplle tho, or stop them from sniping. Ruka only haz so many fusess to blow.

L'ara’s lekku twitched. All her time of making the rounds of house shows, warehouse festivals, the odd secret show in the ducts of Ol'val had honed her senses. The time for bottles was approaching. And like any good punk, she would never turn down a free drink.

She turned to her new friend, “I’m thirsty. Do you wanna grab a drink?”

She thought for a moment, then her lekku stiffened in panic, “That wasn’t me flirting with you! Unless… I mean… drink?”

Zig checked her comm. She snorted quietly to herself, then sighed, then texted back something simple.

“Go together…” Sivall looked down, a soft smile still on her face. Is this what it felt like to be wanted? Part of her didn’t want to trust it. “That sounds nice… but maybe after the party? As much as I don’t like social events, I should probably try to go back after a while…”

“Let me know if you find anything good. Maybe I can commit the next crime against auditory organs,” Keira replied with a chuckle. At the same time, she pulled up a datapad with a holonet page for various cocktail mixes listed. Her blue-green eyes were shining and it wasn’t just the gold starburst at their core. This was her happy place: trying new things and sharing them with her wife.

Qyreia nodded as she flicked through the song listings with one hand, working her way through her drink with the other. “Hmm, you feeling anything in particular? Genre or tempo? I’ve got… I Flew All Night by See’lin Deyonne, Zombay from the Raspberries… ooh, Ive No More Fracks to Give. Horrible karaoke, but it’s funny and right up my profane alley.”

“We both know your fracks are far from runneth dry, dear,” Keira responded with a lackadaisical flair. Her finger was still sliding across the datapad before she perked up. “I’ll take two Flying Solo!”

The ingredients stood out to her compared to the others. Of course, she’d had a variety of agave spirits, but the zinfandel wine was new to her. Keira was already curious how it would pair with the lemon juice and nectar.

“Oh.. yeah of course. It’d be rude to leave now, and it might be late afterwards… We will have to set it up for another day.”

What a novel idea. Melissa suddenly smiled widely, giggling to herself and wandering deeper into the conservatory. It was nice to feel dirt after days of cold metal being underfoot.

Zig finished her beer and placed the empty bottle down. Then shuffled over to Carr and whispered something into his pointed ear.

She pulled back, grinned at him, and sauntered up to the stage to take one of the microphones.

“What upppp Voidbreaker!!!” she declared, in hopes of drawing attention.

She tried to catch L'ara’s eye so she could smile at her.

L'ara turned from the bar, “Whooooooooo! Go Zigggy!!”

She considered pulling her blaster and firing a stun round into the air, but thought better of it. She settled for a shout and a raised bottle.

Zig waited for the track to start, the drum kicking in almost immediately, but she’d listened to this song so many times growing up, and into her adult life. It was a song about defying the odds and shooting for the stars to achieve your dreams. And…somehow, some what, she’d found that. Here, in Arcona, on the Voidbreaker. Her home. Her people.

No time to think. Just feel it. The drum kicked an so did Zig with a sandaled leg.

“SHOW ME how to lie, you’re getting better all the time And turning all against the one is an art that’s hard to teach Another clever word sets off an unsuspecting herd And as you step back into line, a mob jumps to their feet”

She grinned and glanced at Carr, seeing he was nervous, so she tried to pull more of the attention to herself. She stepped away from him, to the side of the stage and pointed in the general direction of the folks gathered.

“Now Dance schutta’s-dance! she winked at L'ara. And no one even knew, it was really only you”

She slowed slightly to the cadence of the song.

And now you steal away… “Take him out today…” Nice work you did

She turned and gestured at Carr, just for a moment and smirked at him.

You’re gonna go far, kid!

She then snapped attention back to her with the chorus, letting Carr handle the backup parts.

“With a thousand lies and a good disguise! Hit ‘em right between the eyes! Hit 'em right between the eyes!”

Zig wasn’t a talented singer by any means. She also was not much of a performer. Most would often suggest she stick to her day job, or what she was good at. But in this instance, she knew drinking and doing popular songs at karaoke in a pub of cantina. So, at least she had the confidence. Her voice didn’t have that best or perfect range but she knew the words by heart and could improvise with her 'swagger’.

Zig tried to do a power-balad-esque high note and completely…missed the note.

The microphone made a squeak then produced feedback that would make anyone with ears to hear wince or cringe.

“Squeak…sorry ya’ll…” Zig scratched at the back of her head and tried to smile innocently.

“Dirty dangles boys, I’m going to need a drink…”

She made her way towards the bar.

Noga and Leda just shared another look and settled down on a bench, content to the scenery while Melissa enjoyed frolicking and Sivall the same. The girl took out her comm and tapped out a message to their papi.

across hall at plant place with Mela + Chis. b.b.s.

Ruka meanwhile heard the familiar chime and left off clapping for the performers between rounds in order to check his own messages. He sent on back, then returned to his people watching, chiefly consisting of making faces at Turi and playing peek-a-boo.

Zig ruffled the young Shistaven’s hair. “Nah, you did good kid–Carr”.

Keira took a deep gulp of her latest drink. She understood her wife’s hesitance to sing. Perhaps, though, there was something she could do to even it out. Brimming with liquid courage, Keira’s eyes narrowed and she gave Qyreia a tap on the shoulder to indicate she’d be back.

The half-Firrerreo hopped onto stage and queued up a song after only moments of idly scrolling on the terminal. Unfortunately for her, she had forgotten it was a duet song. Guess she was playing both parts.

At first she was a little stiff, keeping the mic in close and elbows tight. As she prepped for the female vocals, Keira kept her voice light and withdrawn.

“Everyone’s damaged A little depressed Every now and then we get that feeling in our chest Some days I’m a loser, brush my teeth in the dark Head above water in a swimming pool of sharks.”

After the first verse she was getting a bit looser, more confident in her vocal control. Keira’s eyes closed and she sailed through the second verse. It wasn’t until the chorus that she began to sway back and forth with the rhythm and really get into it.

“When the world is on your shoulders And the weight of your own heart is too much to bear Well, I know that you’re afraid things will always be this way It’s just a bad day, not a bad life.”

And then she came to the male portion of the song. Her entire body language opened up as she was finally fully invested. She put some vocal rasp into her singing at that point.

“Everything’s backwards and I’m hanging on No matter how hard I try I always come undone Backed in a corner, uncomfortably numb Watching myself become a shadow of someone.”

The alcohol was burning strong in her cheeks now and Keira’s foot started to tap. For the second half of the male verse, things got more intense in the original and so too did her cover. Now she allowed the vocal rasp to fully form into a husky growl at the edge of her words. All in all, she ramped it up to her personal 11.

“Oh, it’s hard to find a place to hide When you’re running from what’s inside No matter where you go, there you are So tonight I’ll go to war with me ‘Cause I’m my own worst enemy and I don’t wanna fight anymore.”

At last, with that out of the way, she finished the final chorus and did her own personal victory dance, blowing a kiss and a wink at Qyreia.

As soon as the tap hit her shoulder, Qyreia’s attention was pulled from the song list and onto her wife. She was oddly proud of the Force user’s gusto and excitement as she mounted the stage. And while the song was only a fringe one in her musical knowledge, the Zeltron was wholly absorbed in the show. It wasn’t as if Keira’s singing was necessary rare; but in public, much less with a microphone, was definitely something new.

As Keira delved deeper into the lyrics and the melody, the mercenary’s attention slowly translated to physical motion. Gentle foot-tapping became hip swaying, and she soon enough found herself leaning on the stage to look up at the pale woman. As she finished with the kiss and the wink, Qyreia couldn’t help but briefly hide her face between her arms, a strong mix of pride and loving sheepishness manifesting in a fantastic blush across her face.

“You,” she said as she looked up again, “are awesome. You know that?”

“I do, but I never tire of reminders,” Keira answered with a chuckle. The woman stepped from the stage and allowed herself to fall the rest of the way onto her other foot, a controlled fall as opposed to a hop.

Qyreia offered a hand, however useless a gesture it was when trying to ‘catch’ a Force user. As soon as Keira’s feet were solidly on the floor, she moved in to walk body-to-body with her, offering a kiss on the cheek as additional incentive for the proximity.

“Well then, might I say, you were karking great up there.”

“You know, I wasn’t sure at first,” she admitted. “But once you let yourself just feel it, it’s so much fun!”

“Isn’t it? Just getting into the music and letting it go.” She trailed off into a wistful sigh, squeezing a little closer, if that was even possible. “I could stand to see that more often.”

Keira laid a hand gently on Qyreia and laughed, then stared into middle distance. “Can’t give her shaken baby syndrome, though…”

Clearly, her thoughts had turned to her home life and full time job with their daughter.

“Nah. But she likes listening to us. So long as we watch the volume, she’d probably just clap along in her bouncer thing.” Qyreia was quickly reminded of how cramped their little apartment was getting. “I need to look at bigger lodging. Maybe there’s a place in the Citadel no one told me about yet…”

Sivall watched Melissa as the Echani enjoyed the surroundings. She looked so natural amongst the leaves and dirt. She was content to just sit here, listening to the calming music. The chiss woman lowered herself to her knees and sat, watching silver disappear into forest green before turning to Leda and Noga.

“You two are related to Ruka, yes? I don’t think I ever had the chance to introduce myself to either of you.”

“Yu*p,”* Noga replied easily with a little salute, popping the peth. Leda elbowed him lightly, and he groaned at her before standing up briefly from their seat along with her. “I mean, yeah, yes. I’m Noga. Noga Tenbriss Ya-ir. And this is my sister, Leda.”

Smiling, the teen girl made a properly courtly curtsey out of her swimsuit skirt, revealing the thick shorts underneath before the fabric flopped back down. Noga added his own quarter bow, then sat again, just to make it not awkwardly formal.

“Papi’s our– ay, Ruka is one of our dads. Nice t'meet you…uh…Siva?”

“Nice to meet you,” Leda echoed, sitting back down herself, but this time in the grass on the Chiss’ level, knocking against her brother’s long legs.

“One of your dads?” Sivall’s head cocked to the side inquisitively. They had more than one dad? Siv didn’t think she had heard of anyone having more than one dad, but she surely didn’t know everything. Could some species reproduce like that? She would have to do some research.

Was she that far behind in her knowledge?

Lost in her mind, she realized that she had hesitated for a second too long, so she hurried to follow up with another question. “Is your other dad as nice as Ruka? He’s been very kind to me since I joined,” she commented softly. That comment brought a slight smile to her face.

Both teenagers broke into smiles too at that comment, Leda giggling while Noga outright snorted.

“Yeah, ay, he’s nice,” the young man chortled, rolling his eyes slightly. “Waaay nice.”

“He’ll be really happy to meet you,” Leda enthused. “Uh, his name’s Cora. He’s great, and yeah, so’s Papi. He wanted to come today but he’s got this meeting with some people up north. You’ll probably see ‘im though if you come to see Selen. We could give you guys a tour!”

It had been a while since Zig called him out, but the engineering deck was quite far away from the party space. And he’d been dirty from the vents. And had to choose something at least not stained to wear.

So it was only now that Nathan, the half Pantoran half Human, finally stepped into the room. He looked around, noticing the dispersed spread of people across the room. What do people.. do. There was a few at the bar, with drinks. A drink was a good way to stand around and do nothing without looking like he was doing nothing right?

The young man made his way to the corner, standing a few stools down from Qyeria and her wife, shoulders hunching upon realising that yes it was the consul right very there just a few feet away.

He waited for the droid to notice him, waving slightly when they did, and made an order, “Da- Tantooine. No, uh, Tatooine grasshopper? If you have it-”

Nathan stopped talking as the bot zipped off to make the drink and the engineer panicked. Was Tatooine or Dantooine the alcohol-free version???

Oh dear.

“Cora.” Another name added to her memory, another connection to remember. This name was softer— Cohr-ah —a good match to the more solid name of Ruka. While the humor of her comment was lost on her, she understood it was a good kind of humor. Ruka had been far nicer to her than most, perhaps other than Alex or her nanny when she was small.

“I’d love to meet him.” She replied, her hands in her lap busying themself by twining her fingers together, “And I’d be honored if you two would give me a tour.”

Siv felt a warmth… belonging maybe? Did she deserve that feeling? The chiss felt her pleasant expression faltering so she looked back at the flora, trying to push those thoughts away.

She could unpack her emotional baggage once she arrived on Selen, where she could collapse under the weight of the last 16 years. But not here. Here was not safe. Despite the tranquil ambiance and the smell of earth, here was not a place to fall apart.

Pale fingers tightened on one another in her lap.

Perhaps it was because they were partially busy looking for wherever Melissa had gotten off too from their vantage point – sure, there was some greenery here, but it wasn’t a forest or even a park, how did a bright silver lady disappear? – but neither of the normally observant teenagers seemed to catch Sivall’s falter. Leda even seemed embarrassed herself.

“Psh, honored, ay, s'not that big a deal…” she mumbled, twisting her own fingers together in an unknowing mirror of the Chiss’ gesture, given both women were looking away from each other.

Noga, at least, was a little more keen on Siv going from open to muted, likely because of being used to watching out for as much in his sister when her anxiety got the better of her. His navy eyes narrowed on her, trying to gauge, debating what best to do with someone he didn’t really know at all in such a situation. How would Cora cheer someone up? How would Qyreia?

“Uhhh…”

Kriffspit.

“Hmm?” Leda turned to look up at him. He flicked his gaze meaningfully at the Chiss, raising brows, half shrugging. A tap at the inside of his wrist. Leda tilted her head, glancing over and frowning and then trying to look like she wasn’t, looking back at him like, oh no, what did I say? He shrugged again, pointed with his eyes harder, and she silently threw up her hands.

“But we’d, like, really love to, hahahayyyy…um.” She looked down. Well, they were sitting in grass. Hopefully nobody would mind if she picked it. “Hey, wanna make friendship bracelets? I can show you.”

The Chiss woman looked at Mirialan teen, her blank expression as she blinked ghosts of her past from her vision quickly being replaced with previously inquisitive look. Siv scooted closer, interested now.

“Friendship bracelets? What are those?” She knew what bracelets were of course, but friendship bracelets? She had never heard of those before.

Leda shrugged, plucking up some of the grass strands and starting to braid them quickly.

“What theys sound like, ay? Bracelets…or rings, or necklaces, whatever I guess, but you make ‘em for your friends. Because they’re friends, and you want to. It’s a dumb little gift yanno?” She wove quickly and deftly, glancing at Sivall once, then changing her weave. The chevrons she’d made for Avery the once wouldn’t fit here. “When we was growin’ up, we was real poor. We’s from the ghettos, yeah? On this planet called Kiast. It’s got nobles and stuff. The Empress. So it’s really. Um. What’s that word?”

She looked up at her brother, who made a face.

“What word?”

“The word, for the thing. Levels.”

“Uh, levels?”

“Ay, zka'ta,” she muttered at him, and he rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Lots of peoples is really really REALLY poor and then there’s the rich royal ones over everything, right? Anyway, we didn’t have no money, and stuffs was different then, so I didn’t have none of my own jewelry, but I liked trying on the lady’s that lived with us. Cora saw me one time, and then next time he came over, he got me this.”

She paused her work to reach into her bathing suit, pulling up the chain that dangled under it. The metal was shiny in places but dull in others, as if played with a lot, and the charm’s clasp looked like it had been bent back on with pliers more than once. What wobbled on it was a warped brown and silver half-circle.

“He said it was a friendship necklace. And we could both wear one. In case I was…scared of wearing one…as a boy.” Her voice grew very soft then, and she cleared her throat, dropping the necklace and going back to her grass-knit. “Cora wore jewelry all the time, ‘course, but it was like. Importanter. And he was saying we was friends. Like, I knew that, but still, it was special. Cause we didn’t really have friends then. Just Papi and each other. And then Papi and Cora, but he was like…like another big brother. And then another dad.”

-

“But we’re also friends,” she concluded. “And he showed me these and explained em too how they’s nice. We made ones with string. I got good at it. So. Here.”

Reaching the end of the ribbon, she tied it off carefully, and then held out the green strand to Sivall.

“Grass ain’t gonna last long but we can make better ones when you come over, yeah? I put a pvjeh in the middle. That means wings, like a bird. In Mirialan, the shape is like…being brave. Trying new things. How birds fly free, ay? I want to get some for my next tattoo…when I earn ‘em. I’m not so good at it yet but I wanna be b-better.”

Noga scoffed behind her, knocking his knee into her shoulder.

“Ow, hey!”

“You’re kriffin’ brave, shut up.”

“You shut up.”

“You shut up.”

Melissa had been gone for several minutes. It was easy to get distracted in such a busy environment, and even more so when it was quiet afterwards.

But then she saw the perfect base for an idea.

-

The Echani returned, cracking a twig here and there as she carried a.. make shift hat.

Twigs formed a brim and secured the centre, with leaves layered well enough between them to make it at least look the part.

The initial excitement left her expression as Noga and Leda began bickering, looking between them before tilting her head and asking with curiosity, “So who’s shuts up?”

The two siblings ceased their tiny back-and-forth as Melissa reappeared seemingly out of nowhere. Maybe because she was partially camouflaged as a tree.

Brows lifted. “Nice hat,” Noga commented, while Leda’s arm still hung outstretched towards Sivall.

Thin fingers gently reached out and took the grass bracelet from Leda, careful, as if she would break it. Sanguine eyes stared at it for a moment as Leda and Noga bickered. It started as a tremble in her fingers first, then a burn in her chest that wouldn’t go away. “No gift is dumb.” She mumbled softly, the last sylable wavering– like her walls.

Had she ever recieved a gift? Not from her biological parents, surely. Not from her owners, either. There was Fia but…. Fia was a lesson, not a gift. There was the shirt that Alexandyr had left her in, but she fully intended on giving that back now that it had been laundered, and he more or so abandoned it than gave it to her. Her supplies from the Brotherhood were from her employment, and the belongings she had now she had bought on her own.

No. Not once in her twenty years of breathing had she once been given a gift.

Sivall pulled the bracelet closer to her, begging the burning in her chest to go away, begging the burning in her eyes to go away. She had not cried when Conner had killed Fia, she had not cried when the Grants abanonded her in the slums of Coruscant. She did not cry when Alexandyr left her as quickly as he came. She did not cry when the Arconians told her it would be a while before they returned to Selen because they had other things to tend to. She would not cry now.

“K-Kiast sounds like Coruscant… I’m from Coruscant… W-Well not really, I don’t know where I’m truly from… I-I…” Siv faltered, then trailed off, eyes still locked on the bracelet as a single tear rolled down her right cheek. Immediately a slender blue hand flew up to wipe it away. “Ktah, I-I’m sorry… I-I’ve just never gotten a gift before…”

The teens’ attention was arrested from Melissa’s delightful craftsmanship by the stuttering sound of someone about to cry, nevermind her words themselves. Faces softened in sympathy and a mix of heartbreak on Leda’s part and a sudden anger on Noga’s.

“Ay, don’t say sorry for feeling. That’s what we do. You’re right, no gift dumb…ain’t dumb getting a first one either,” the brother asserted, while Leda bit her lip and scooted a little closer.

“…Miss Sivall, do you…want a hug? They help me feel better when I’m upset.”

“Never..” Melissa’s eyes widened at the remark. Never recieved a gift? Her eyes flickered to Leda as she knelt down with the trio. The teen seemed to have a better idea of what to do so she didn’t say anything more.

She simply placed the hat, as temporary of a thing it would be, in front of Sivall.

Siv finally raised her gaze from the bracelet to look at Leda and Noga, guilt filling her. This was a party and now she had worried and possibly even irritated some of her first friends. She shouldn’t be crying, no one cried in parties in the holos she had read. Parties were for laughter and drinks and celebrations, and she was sitting here trembling like a little baby.

Shaking her head, a few spare raven pieces coming loose from their chignon, Sivall turned down the hug. Leda and Noga were younger than her after all, they shouldn’t have to comfort her. She had no doubt that they weren’t emotionally mature or anything, Leda had mentioned that they had grown up in tough conditions just moments ago, but…

“No, I’m okay. My situation before this just wasn’t the best-”

The Chiss’s eyes caught movement as Melissa relinquished her twig hat to her, placing it on the ground in front of her. Her breath caught in her chest, like someone had punched her in the sternum. Two gifts? As meaningless or temporary as they might have seemed to anyone else, they meant the world to her. Not only were they gifts, but handmade ones– Gods, what had she done to deserve two gifts?

Her indigo bottom lip trembled, tears pooling in both of her eyes now. Fight it, Sivall, She commanded of herself, the voice in her head not her own but an echo of her “Father”, Sith don’t cry. You don’t cry. Don’t you ever dare cry. Crying shows weakness. But the burning in her throat felt like it was going to choke her. A decade of a flood of tears held behind mental walls.

Curling forward, Siv gently collected her second gift as a few tears splattered onto the makeshift hat’s surface. A soft sob escaped her, more habit than anything. She didn’t know how to cry in any other way but quietly. Now that they had started it seemed like the tears wouldn’t stop. More and more of them rolled down her cheeks in heavy waves.

Leda and Noga exchanged glances, looking to Melissa too, then back again. Leda’s face was pinched with helplessness, and her body leaned forward as though she wanted very much to hug the woman, but Sivall had shaken her head and said no.

So instead, she just scooted a bit closer, mindful still not to touch, while Noga slipped off the bench and did the same on the other side, keeping company. And they just started talking like their Papi would.

“Hey, ay, it’s okay, you’re okay, go on, let it out. We’re here, you’re safe. We got you, we got you. Shhh, it’s okay, Siva…shh shh, we got you, let it out, just breathe, ay? Breathe with me. In, one, two, three four…”

A pause, and then Noga, “–and out, one, two, three, four. Good job, ay, that’s great! You’re great. In, one, two, three, four…”

“…and out, one, two, three, four…yeah, see? Safe, breathing. S'okay to cry. I cry, like, all the time. Yeah, you’re okay…”

Nathan received his drink. It smelled nice enough at least?

The young man hesitated, glancing around. It would be fine. Just the Shadow Lord, her wife. The proconul. Several other leaders he could embarrass himself in front of.

All in the same room.

Cheeks already turning a shade of lavender Nathan downed the delicate glass of unknown contents.

And then knew the contents.

He swallowed it before the burn of alcohol hit, having the momentnof relief before coughing and spluttering. He curled over himself slightly, aiming off away from other people with his arm covering his mouth in an attempt to help the situation.

It took a minute tk recover, and when he finally mostly unfurled he looked up and immediately spotted the Consul.

He laughed to himself, nerves breaking through as he hid his face in his hands, cheeks deepening from the already lavender shade to a darker hue.

never again

The giggling, to say nothing for how it had come after the bluish man had looked her way, caught Qyreia’s attention. Given he’d also just slammed back a drink, she had a guess as to what was going on.

“You okay there, bud?”

Melissa knew Sivall didn’t want a hug.

But she couldn’t just sit there.

She shuffled closer, leaned forward and then placed her hand on the other woman’s shoulder. There were no words to say. Sometimes you just needed somebody.

Melissa knew that as well as anyone..

oh god she had noticed. Of course she noticed dumbass. Kriff. Kriff. Kriff.

He drew his face from his hands, locking his fingers together and keeping his on the bar top, “Y-yeah. Sorry-” he chuckled, and then stopped himself. “Got the wrong drink. Dantooine, tattooine. Hard to remember which is which sometimes.”

“The… what? What were you trying to order?” Tugging gently at Keira to signal her change in direction, the Zeltron sidled up alongside the… Pantoran? The skin and lack of red eyes said so. Looks vaguely familiar. Where do I know this guy.

“T-the non-alcoholic version of Grasshopper.”

He laughed again, nerves going the wrong way in his opinion. Alas, it was happening. And she was right there now. At least she was nice.

Did that make it worse?

“Apparently dantooine grasshopper. Tatooine had the alcohol.” Clearing his throat, he made the effort to sheepishly meet her eyes, “I’m good now. Just.. didn’t expect the burn.”

Siv felt like a child, a baby. She didn’t like to cry in front of others, the Grants had despised it. She wanted to badly to stop crying. She followed Noga and Leda’s coaching, forcing herself to breathe in through her nose and out through her mouth with their counting. She knew this, knew how to calm herself down even without the force to help her bury her emotions, knew the steps to ground oneself. It was in the text she read, the holos she watched, the medical journals she began to hoard. It was something she learned.

Everything seemed to go to karking shit when it was your own emotional turmoil.

Straightening up, sanguine eyes cast upwards at the conservatory ceiling, Siv took one last deep breath. How embarrassing… The guilt filled her more now, hearing the tones of the two teens and Melissa. They didn’t need to worry about her, she had survived far worse– but she had, if only because they were good people worried about a practical stranger breaking down in front of them.

The chiss woman finally looked back down at the three persons surrounding her as she found her center again, carefully cradling both very fragile and very short lived presents to her chest.

“Thank you, and I offer my apologies again… That’s… not like me.” You’ve ruined their night, she mumbled mentally as an afterthought, “I didn’t mean for you three to comfort me, at a party of all things. These gifts are wonderful, and I’ll cherish them.”

“Pssh, d'yanno how many times I end up getting comforted at parties? It’s a lot,” Leda groaned empathically, smiling for the Chiss with less concern in her eyes as the woman’s breathing calmed again. “I’m so bad at ‘em. Dad says it’s okay 'cause it’s stressful and I’m figuring that out…”

“Yeah,” Noga agreed, thinking of all the emotional rollercoasters involved anytime they seemed to go to anything with their parents and the other Arconans. It was hard not to feel stupid or unfit, and it was hard not to get angry about those things too, especially when his sister got scared or upset. Qyreia knew the half of it. “You’re just havin’ a…a moment, yeah? That’s what Cora calls it. Still a party goin’ on next door. We’re all still here. We’re good. World’s not over.”

“It’s a really cool hat, too, Mela,” the girl added, so as to disperse some of the attention. “I’ve never made a hat!Maybe we can all make matching bracelets and hats together sometime, ay? If we show each other how.”

Qyreia smiled, a gentle knowing expression as the truth was revealed. “You wanna know a trick? Ask for the drink to be a ‘virgin’ or just say ‘non-alcoholic’. Any bartender worth their salt won’t fault you for not knowing the specific name variant. It’s a big galaxy. Some names even change between different systems.”

Almost out of earshot, but clearly not enough so, Zig giggled to herself which came out as a snicker.

Hehe, virgin

“Oh- I.. that makes sense.”

Blatantly obvious sense.

“Thank you. And- uhm, I’m sorry for disturbing you both. Especially for something.. silly.”

“No worries… I’m sorry, I swear I know your name, but my brain is utterly fried these days.” She held out her hand. “Qyreia.”

“We meant to comfort you. No one chooses to be sad or not. But Leda is right, there’s still plenty going on in the other room. And adventures to be had making things! I’ve never made a bracelet, not a friendship one especially.”

The Echani shuffled backwards, and got to her feet with a smile.

Nathan short circuited.

After a moment, he reached out and shook the Consul"‘s hand, “T-thats fine. I usually stay in engineering. I’m Nathan.”

“Engineering…? Oh, on the Voidbreaker. Well, if it’s any consolation, I think this maybe my… second? third time being on this ship?” She turned to the pale Force user next to her. “And this is my wife Keira. She too hides in dark and gloomy places, but that’s mostly my fault.”

“I didn’t expect you to know me at all, no consolation needed.” He commented, withdrawing his hand and nodding with a still nervous smile to Keira.

“Its good to meet you both. Me being out of the gloomy places is Zig’s fault, though shed say its opportunities or something.” He glanced over toward where the Zygerrian had recently snickered from, “Its probably a good thing.”

Zig nodded eagerly and flashed two excited thumbs up at Nathan. Like a proud mother watching her youngling bravely venture into their first day of school.

Qyreia glanced over her shoulder, just catching the Zygerrian’s thumbs-up and offering a curious smirk in reply before turning back to her conversation partner. “Just be careful what parties you go to. Arconans have a habit of either fighting or fracking at these things. Sometimes both. This one has… honestly been one of the tamest I’ve seen.”

Zig noticed the Consuls glance, then balled both her hands into fists and tapped them against each other suggestively.

Doon had been relaxing at the bar, leaned back against it so he faced the room. His eye was closed and he seemed to be in a sort of meditative state, focusing on trying to sense the others around him. That was, until a comment from Qyreia drew a rumble that resembled a chuckle from him. “Very tame.. Very unusual. Not unwelcome. Might be my first.” The words slowly rumbled from the Shistavanen’s recently groomed snout.

The Zeltron nodded knowingly. “They’re nice when they happen. They’re just. so. rare.” She peeked at the bartender droid. “Speaking of. Hey barbot, lemme get a virgin grasshopper for Nathan here, and a Kessel Run for me.”

The droid gave an affirmative reaction and mixed up the drinks. First, the creamy green mint drink for Nathan. The second one took somewhat longer, and Qyreia watched with amused curiosity, as if judging the droid’s performance. Eventually, what was produced was a pitch black tumbler, rimmed with white sugar and swirling with glitter that made them look like stars against the black liquid.

“Oooh yez. Come to mama.” She took the tiniest sip and inhaled sharply. “Yup. Yup, that is not bad, my robotic friend.”

Doon’s eye cracked open to observe the taste testing, considering if it would be wise to have a drink of his own or not. After dwelling on it for a minute he turned to face the bar and made his own order. “Whyren’s Reserve. Warm.” His paws rested infront of him, taking up two dinner plates of space as he began rolling his neck.

All this captain business could use a nice soothing drink

“Yeah the last couple have been… woo. The first one I got taken to was the spring festival. That was… something.” Nathan trailed off. He saw a lot of things that day.

He was albeit a tad cautious of the drink, but after a sip of the refreshing mocktail that drained away. He looked over to Doon, trying tk accept the easing of nerves at realising that his captain was not only here but right there.

“That festival was definitely something.” Memories of the scant robes and body paint worked into her head, and for a brief moment she looked back at Ruka, mixed emotions bubbling beneath the memories before she turned back to her drink and the conversation. “It was fun though. Got to spend a lot of times with the kids.”

As if sensing the look, Ruka, who had taken up an idle position floating toys around Turi’s head in a makeshift mobile as the young baby crash-napped from his floatie and finger gun time, looked over himself. Though the Zeltron had already turned away, his amethyst gaze softened a little looking at her profile, seemingly just enjoying herself for once, over there at the bar with her wife and a drink and some people to talk to, untroubled.

His dancing fingers curled inwards slightly, hand drooping. He felt…a lot farther away than he was, just then.

The Mirialan shook his head at himself, chalking the lonely pang up to just– being himself, at a party. Not fun and. Well, he was chaperoning. Sort of. Just here to make sure Melissa had a good time. Off wherever she was in the conservatory, with the kids. Who…also were doing fine and their own thing and didn’t need him so much anymore. Which, just like Qyreia being happier and healing and all the way over there, was a good thing.

“You’re being stupid…” he muttered to himself, and with a nod to Socorra and Wyn, settled the toys back down in a neat pile by their things.

Maybe now would be a good time to go through those latest reports from Tunca, or something. If he got through them all and summarized them, then his Zeltron wouldn’t have as much to do later. Not that she’d accept not having her own eyes on it, but knowing he’d already done a pass might ease somewhat.

“You all can have at it. I’m all for cultural appreciation, but a fertility festival on Selen is a beast beyond my ken.” Hehe. That rhymed.

“Oh,” Ruka turned to see Carr beside him and smiled for the kid, taking the glass. “Thanks, Carr. Bein’ a great host, hydrating people. I appreciate it. And yeah, water’s fine. I don’t drink.” The emphasis was placed with a nod to the now-serving bar, gaze lingering again before turning back. “Seems like everybody’s liking your sound work.”

The first half of the drink had been pleasant. She was wrapped up in quiet conversation, Keira at her hip, and reminiscing about good times. Better times. It was a nice atmosphere for sipping on her strong licorice drink.

So when she took her second one, it was as she mulled over Ruka standing off on his lonesome. And the Zeltron might have tipped the glass back a little too quickly, letting too much down at once for the two-livered woman to not feel it. At least there’s a chaser, she mused, running her tongue slowly along the edge to collect the sugar and let it settle the burning left in the wake of the absinthe.

Qyreia stared at the bottom of the empty vessel thoughtfully, her face betraying the deep emotions being considered in that moment.

Ruka kept his eyes focused on Carr and nodded along, listening despite not having a clue what the young man was saying about three sentences in. His understanding of acoustics were about limited to the body of his old acoustic guitar and not much else. But it was always important to listen, especially to absolutely anything a kid wanted to tell you. That was priceless, precious.

“Nah, s'okay, his parents got him. I’m just being a hanger-on getting my baby fix.” He looked back to the indicated bar and his Zeltron there. His lips turned down. Qyreia was staring at her glass with that face, her expression when she was thinking a lot or feeling a lot, or thinking about what lot she was feeling. Was the booze making her morose? He hoped not. She deserved to smile more.

The Mirialan swiveled his gaze back to Turi, then to Qyreia and company, then to the stage, considering.

He doubted he knew a damn thing on that machine, no matter how many songs Carr had loaded onto it. And most of the songs he did know weren’t exactly for this crowd, even if he liked Baby Porg, thanks, he knew the ear worm could be cruel.

On the one hand…might get a snort out of her at least.

Maybe something Mirialan? It’d have to be without the strings, but oh well.

He ended up staring as he pondered.

“Hm?” The Mirialan blinked back to attention. “Ayy…maybe, I’m thinking about it.”

He hadn’t participated in the kareoke at the Viru Arronen wedding, even if watching Qyreia belt out like a holostar queen was had been a treat, once he got over the shock. Cora absolutely loved it too, which was just another bonus. But a stage wasn’t really his thing, and he’d been perfectly happy with the thin excuse of camping firmly in the booth to keep their seats warm.

“I don’t know nothin’ popular though anybody listens to,” he flapped a hand, “these days.”

‘Search it up,’ Ruka mouthed silently, trying not to let too much of his confusion show before it clicked that Carr meant to access whatever he asked about on the holonet. Would it actually have any song? “Uh…I dunno. I. Guess. Ya don’t actually have instruments here, right?”

Who knew what was on this ship anymore. He’d literally lost an actual moment of time when he saw the expense report that went to maintaining the garden the next room over. Only having gone to a medical droid assured him he didn’t actually stroke out.

Nathan grimaced.

“I’m with Qyeria. As.. fun as it was. Too much… boob.” He blinked a few times. And then frowned to himself before sipping the drink again to try and act less weird. Was that weird to say?

“I’m not sure we’re in agreement then,” Qyreia said, managing a chuckle despite her thoughtful trance moments before. “No such thing.”

“Hm.” The Mirialan looked once again to his pensive Zeltron, then stood up, hands going to his hips briefly like he was about to roll about his hoodie sleeves too. “Okay. I’ll just do without. Song I’m thinkin’ of his pretty local.”

Ruka walked towards the little stage, wiping damp palms on his pantlegs and breathing in and out. It wasn’t really that big of a deal if he didn’t think too hard about being watched. While there was a bar, they weren’t in a bar. It was just the pool on the Voidbreaker, and even if he wasn’t close to most of these people, they weren’t strangers. Some were even family.

And besides, nothing felt stupid when you were doing it to make someone you loved happier. He’d gotten plenty of stares when playing around with the kids when they were still kids and never cared at all.

Rather than standing up there, he only got up long enough to grab the mic and sit down on the edge. He was used to singing sitting down, between usually having his guitar and it usually being lullabies. Standing felt…weirder.

“Yo,” he croaked into the device, hearing his voice much louder than he ever had before and cringing at it. Oh, Ashla and Bogan, was that his voice? Oh gods. Ew. Oh no. Corazon was a lying liar who lied why did he like hearing him talk? “Ruka here. Uh. Ay. Sorry, no music. Just kinda this. It’s a song from Mirial. Thanks. Yeah.”

His hand started to shake, and his knee bounced. He clapped one down on the other, took a breath, looked at Turi and then fixed his gaze on Qyreia like an anchor point, and started singing lowly in his native tongue.

It wasn’t likely anyone would understand the Mirialan. But they were heartfelt words.

- “Remember me, though I have to say goodbye Remember me, don’t let it make you cry For even if I’m far away, I hold you in my heart I sing a secret song to you each night we are apart Remember me, though I have to travel far Remember me each time you hear a sad guitar Know that I’m with you the only way that I can be Until you’re in my arms again, remember me.”

He only went on for a few more lines, repeating, before he stopped in his own silence, cleared his throat again, and then got up to put the mic back. And only stumbled once.

He glanced over at her and hummed a little to himeslf, sipping the drink again.

Doon was gingerly sipping the rest of his drink as Nathan spoke. Something about the young man’s expression made him swallow quickly, then clear his throat.

Mune easily stole his attention back as he was bumped. “Suppose so, yes. It’s nice to block out time to relax like this.” He set the empty glass down, using a claw to tap the rim for another “How about you?”

The Zeltron watched Ruka and his performance, attention completely stolen from the conversation at hand. She didn’t know Mirialan in any traditional sense — a few words or phrases here and there from hanging out with Ruka and his family — but she knew when a word had a feeling behind it. And Qyreia wasn’t sure she’d ever heard Ruka sing. He’s not bad for a nervous wreck. The thought came unbidden and she couldn’t help but crack a little under the surface as he finished up and slowly made his way off the stage.

…Kark it.

Taking a little space, she peeled out of her leather jacket and pressed close to Keira for a quick but intense kiss. “Hold this for me, love? I need to do something.”

The Force user readily obliged, squeezing Qyreia’s hand before the Zeltron pulled away and made for the stage, pulling the tie from her hair and letting the ponytail cascade down to her shoulders with a shake of her head. She met Ruka at the base of the stairs by the song selector and put a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“Don’t go anywhere.”

The black Shista watched the Droid pour and warm his drink before gingerly plucking it up between his claws. “Good to hear. Sounds like these Public displays of affection Are a real Nuisance.” The wolf’s flat tone didn’t hint at it, but Mune was familiar enough to pick up on Sulvir’s teasing mannerisms

“Uh, okay,” Ruka replied, unsure but stilling anyway since she said so. Did she mean to sing? That would be great. Unless she meant for them to sing together. “Knegizcesami, I'ma just dr-drag ya down if you mean for a duet.”

Doon laps at his drink, eye bouncing between a few others. “Terrible indeed. What horrendous examples those people could make.”

Qyreia typed in the song selection, letting the quiet opening instrumental queue up while she went through her own rituals, not wholly dissimilar from Ruka’s. Hands wiped at her pants, and she mentally prepared. You can do this. It’ll be fine. She looked out, seeing Keira and Ruka. You can do it, Q ol’ girl.

Her voice started shaky, cracked and quiet even with the microphone.

“Just when you think.. hope is lost and givin’ up.. is all you got.. blue turns black Confidence is cracked. Seems no turning back from here.”

Her hand shook on the mic as she swallowed back the nerves.

“Sometimes there isn’t an obvious explanation While the holiest hearts can feel the strongest palpitations”

Breathe.

“That’s when you can build a bridge of light That’s what turns the wrongs all right That’s when you can’t give up the fight

“That’s when love turns nighttime into day That’s when loneliness goes away That’s why you gotta be strong tonight. Only love can build us a bridge of light.”

Her eyes closed, the crack in her voice smoothing as she breathed and the lyrics she knew were coming brought a glimmer to the corners of her eyes.

“When your feet.. are made of stone And you’re convinced that you’re all alone Look at the stars instead of the dark You’ll find your heart shines like the sun.”

She looked at Ruka.

“Let’s not let our anger get us lost. When the need to be right comes at way too high a cost.”

Emotion flowed through her as she dipped into the final chorus, and the earlier hesitance and nerves melted into the heartfelt notes with each and every word.

“Deep breath. Take it on the chin. But don’t forget to let love back in!

“That’s when love can build a bridge of light ! That’s what turns the wrongs all right! That’s when you can’t give up the fight! That’s when love turns nighttime into day! That’s when loneliness goes away! That’s why you gotta be strong tonight. Only love can build us a bridge of li~ght.”

As the music petered off from the speakers, Qyreia dismounted the stage in a single hop off the front. She tossed Ruka a look and a wink while her blue hair swayed around her face with the movements. “We can duet once I get another drink.”

She wiped away the tears at the corners of her eyes as she turned back toward the bar. Goddamn I need one.

Keira all but glomped onto Qyreia as she returned, hugging her wife tightly. Well, not too tightly. “I’m proud of you, love,” she whispered.

The Zeltron squeezed back, all but letting herself get lost in the warmth and comforting pressure. “Shuddup,” she whispered back. “But… thanks.”

Let’s not let our anger get us lost.

Deep breath.

Don’t forget to let love back in.

His eyes welled too, and something suspiciously hopeful was rising in his chest. Maybe like forgiveness. It was hard, despite his attempts, hers, even Cora and Kiera’s, not to feel like they weren’t going to really be okay again. What she’d said, holding Ileta, that time…it haunted him if he let it.

But maybe they were getting somewhere new, even if it wouldn’t be how it was. And maybe that somewhere was good too. Bridges of light.

Ruka shook himself and followed after Qyreia, wanting to attach to her back in a hug too but not wanting to interrupt the wives. He stood just aside instead, close but in the bubble now of the bar.

“C’mere assbutt,” Qyreia said through a pained chuckle, detaching an arm to wave him in. “I know you’re there.”

“Ass butt,” the Mirialan chuffed, but complied, squeezing in to squish in a group hug.

A rumbling grunt of a laugh came from Doon, his eye watching the display from Qyreia. “I’m keeping my eye out for any misdoers, Don’t you worry. Think you’ve seen any yet?” His black tail slowly swishes through the air under the bar against Mune’s in teasing fashion.

A sharp exhale, almost like a laugh left Doon. “Am I going up there to sing?” He watches as Ruka, Qyreia and Keira all hug next to them.

Once more for the night, Doon seems to have trouble while sipping his Whiskey. He coughs gently into a fist as he eyes the stage and considers his next move.

The amount of growling right next to them got a little extra notable (just the Shistavanen language, really, but to untrained ears…) As the heavily emotional trio pulled apart from their display, Ruka pulled a few napkins over with barely a telekinetic thought – his water left behind by his former seat, too – and used them to blot at his eyes. Offered ones to the ladies that were turned down on Qyreia’s part as her and Kiera resettled. Ruka nodded to Doon, Mune, and the others very much present: a Nathan Breeze, if he recalled the roster right, Eleceos.

Now that he was over here, he was probably due to make conversation, or something.

“Thanks, Mune,” he tried abruptly, mindful the Shistavanen and Carr had been kind enough to clap for him. “Sulvir. Enjoying yourselves?”

“Yeah…” Sivall replied softly, looking back at the door the the conservatory. Carefully pocketing the grass bracelet, the blue woman rose to her feet. The hem of her white dress had now become softly stained in green, but the Chiss didn’t seem to care. Siv dusted herself off and looked at Melissa and the Mirialans. “Should we rejoin the party? I would hate to worry anyone with how long we’ve been gone.” or how long I’ve kept two teenagers from the party.

The black wolf cleared his throat once more, then nodded at Ruka. “Yes. I am. This, is nice. Relaxation and meditation , they have been important tools” He distracts himself for the moment from Munes teasing.

Two sets of suspicious eyes in two green faces assessed her before relenting. Noga shrugged and said, “Sure.” And that was that. He stood up too, suddenly taller than all of them again, stretching and offering his sister a hand. Leda took it and rose herself.

“Sure,” she echoed, smiling.

Together the quartet headed back across the hall to the pool, newly accessoried.

Melissa had nodded and followed along. She noticed the dark shista, the one poking out with his own powers.

She smiled to the others before wandering toward the wolfman at the bar, curious. There were many with the power here but he was odd to her. Maybe it was the fur.

“Oh, yeah? Ay uh…” This was probably the part where he was expected to join in on the hyping, but that wasn’t the priority– Doon’s security was. “Whatever you comfortable with, ay, yeah, Su– Doon.”

As he spoke, he noted, like it was natural as breathing, the return of his son and daughter out the corner of his eye. Leda threw him a small wave and thumbs up, so he smiled back and looked towards Melissa approaching.

“Before you do, though… Not sure if you guys got introduced. Melissa,” he waved her nearer. “This is Mune…” he belated recalled how Cora usually did this, “Mune Cinteroph, and Doon Sulvir, current captain of this ship. Also, Qyreia and Kiera Viru Arronen. Folks, this is Melissa Luxor, my new apprentice.”

It was still odd to say, despite several masterships now, but it was also the easiest way to put the whole thing. Though, Mune at least would understand, we’d been seeing each other in visions for months.

“Apprentice.. Intriguing.” His golden eye stuck to the young woman, nodding at her as they were introduced. Something was strange about here indeed, he wondered if Ruka saw what he noticed..

Back in the main room, Sivall stayed off to the side of the group but closer than she was before, and less actively trying to blend into the walls. Despite the ache in her chest, she felt somewhat lighter. A minuscule amount of the burden she had been carrying had been lifted. For now she would watch the conversation between Ruka and the others, a passive but comfortable bystander. Slender pale fingers played idly with the edge of her left sleeve.

Melissa nodded, smiling and giving a small nod to them all as she was introduced.

“I have visions too! It’s.. odd to have met so many like myself in such a short space of time.” Her eyes flittered from Mune over to the black Shistavanen.

Well, if there was ever an in. “That’s how we met. She was having visions of me, and me of her. I just followed them.” He dipped his head to Mune. “The Force seems to think I should have them, but I’m not a master of them like Mune is. Might be good for us to cross-train sometime, ay.”

Doon listened to the conversation, but his eye was drawn back to Melissa who was seemingly giving him the same sort of look. He glanced between her and Ruka, not sure if it was his place to say anything about what he may have picked up on.

“I was small as well. I.. think i could do with refining it. I get them a lot but they rarely mean much. When they do, it’s important though.” She glanced to Ruka and smiled, but there was sadness in the young woman’s gaze. “This is better than my last super important prediction though. That.. well.”

She trailed off, silvery eyes gazing into more than the distance before she blinked again and came back. “I’d love to join you in your meditation, if it wouldn’t be imposing.”

“I talk about every vision and dream I have, basically,” Ruka offered. “Better have more heads on it than me, I figure.”

Catching Doon’s many looks, he arched brows at the captain.

“Something to say, Sulvir?”

Qyreia slunk back from the conversation, generally satisfied with the after effects of her song. So while the others busied themselves with talking about visions and space magic, she quietly turned back to the bar, keeping herself as close to Keira as near-humanly possible.

“Another Kessel run. I’ll take a licorice straw too, if you got any.”

It was a vain hope. She sat in on so many of the funds allocation panels, the Voidbreaker crew probably didn’t even notice how their selection had improved beneath the bar top. If she was going to attend these parties, might as well have some nice drinks to go with it.

Doon considered what to say, or if it was even worth it. “I.. noticed. Something. Curious. I’m sure you’ve seen it too. I’m not.. experienced with.. all this.” The usually blunt captain seemed to be hesitant in his speaking. He even dropped his volume a bit, hoping less people would overhear him.

Qyreia offered her own gentle applause as her drink arrived and she settled her back against the bar for some good old fashioned people-watching.

Noga and Leda, having watched the performance, clapped uproariously for their friend. With Melissa and Sivall both having left them, they rushed over to Carr and enthused, having been able to clearly see his shyness in the bend of his ears.

“That was great, ay!”

“Yeah, I could never!” Leda smiled and reached for those ears again, patting. “Great job!”

Ruka had paused to applaud Carr, shooting him a thumbs up, before he turned back to Doon and Mune. He nodded at the Captain’s description. “Doesn’t always get easier just cause you got experience, ay? Depends what you good at, what you practice…my senses ain’t so hot, and telepathy gives me migraines. I can’t heal at all…not good for much but fighting, really.” His tone took a turn for the glum at that, and he shrugged it off, focusing on Sulvir. “What ya noticed? Maybe talking it through might help. Melissa’s learning too, ain’t no one gonna shame you here.”

“Well you did it,” the girl cheered him on, glad to see his tail wag. She was pretty sure if she had one, based on Carr’s body language, it’d curl between her legs literally all the time. “What’s that song from?”

Noga patted him on the back, making interested noises too.

Meanwhile, Ruka had merely given a permissive look back to Mune’s first question, before his eyes dropped away at the second comment. His boot scuffed at the flooring, arms crossing.

“Yeah, well…I mean. That’s good. Yeah. I’m glad I can protect anybody. Just don’t like that I’m good at hurting, y'know?”

The Mirialan Proconsul still seemed put off, but he didn’t argue with the sentiments; it wasn’t as though others hadn’t voiced similar ones. He just nodded, and looked to his apprentice, wondering whatever it was she and Doon were thinking.

The siblings continued to chat with Carr while there weren’t any other kareoke singers.

“Cool,” Noga commented, and then, gauging the crowded bar and other options, it being a pool and all, “you wanna swim, or you busy with the thing?” He waved at the stage.

Melissa blinked, and then nodded with a smile.

“Sure.”

It had been an interesting conversation to listen to.

It felt odd, knowing someone was staring at her through the Force. But she stayed put, hands clasping in front of herself as she waited.

She blinked a few times at the question, before nodding, “I know the difference now, but I used to struggle sometimes. The.. visions, though they’re barely a moment, they come and go as they want to. Is.. that unusual?”

That all sounded pretty smart and right, to Ruka’s ear(s), anyway. The Mirialan nodded along. “It’s not like I control mine either. I’ve only really started trying to actively seek out a vision a handful of times, maybe, now I’ve practiced. When they started it was just dreams I knew were different. Too intense, or repeating the same things, things that would kinda happen, and then…” He shrugged. “But the stuff I’m really good at…that’s like breathing. Natural, like Mune says. I been doing that, now that I know what to look for, since I was little.”

“It is. Itd be odd if I couldn’t see things, really.”

The idea of anchoring herself down was admittedly a little.. scary? She didn’t want to cut herself off, even if this wasn’t the meaning of it.

“Its not really dreams for me. Its moments. When I was really little I couldn’t always tell but I.. had it kind of worked out when I was a little older…” she trailed off, the river. The vision of that day stood brighter in her mind than the day itself.

Melissa nodded, fiddling with the hem of shirt but understanding.

“That makes sense. Id.. be worried that if I wasn’t able to see, well. I wouldn’t want to miss anything important, yknow?”

She smiled a little, shoulders relaxing, “Thats true too.”

Doon watched the back and forth, the ideas and fears they shared were concerning to say the least. “Training. Training is necessary, though I’m sure you know that.” His eye raised to Ruka, addressing him now. “I’m sure you’ll see her well cared for.” The lingering twinge of distrust in the force pulled on something inside him. But he had no reason to distrust Ruka.

Brief memories clawed at his brain, Ruka struggling with Doon’s maw around his throat. Then, a spear.

He blinked through it, glancing at Socks across the room before returning to listening.

“I’m damn well gonna try,” Ruka returned, both to Doon’s comment and Mune’s praises. He turned sharp eyes back to Sulvir, softeninf his tone in case the question came across too demandingly, awkwardly aware of their subordinate and superior positions. “Have you sought out any teaching, yet? If you’re sensing things.” His head titled, recalling their very first meeting. How the Shistavanen had snarled at their small group in a booth and frightened Eilen, only because of using telekinesis to fetch some glasses or something like that. Now here the man was captain. “Do you even want to? Just cause a lotta folks here do train their powers don’t mean you gotta. No different than if you wanna go up there and sing. It’s your choice. Might make life a little more manageable though if you get just enough to learn to filter your senses. That part can be pretty overwhelming.”