Honey! I'm home!

[Will]

Huang trudged through the grasslands to the temple, still in his pitted, charred armour. He carried a pair of blades on his hip. His own, and, beneath it, the weapon of the Templar King. He had just stepped off from the ship carrying those who fought for the Tae. Huang planned to then set off to Ossus, to his home.

But he sensed something. He frowned, stopping. Pain lanced through his face as he drew his eyebrows together in the puzzled expression. He stopped immediately. His burns at the hands of the right hand of the Templar king had been only on his face, but had caused more than minor damage. Even with the force and Kolto, it would take weeks for his face to heal, and there would still be minor scars.

His pace picked up when he felt the two familiar presences. One far smaller, but more compacted, than the other, burning away like a little star. And the other, constantly flickering, flitting almost, on the winds.

Beautiful.

He opened the doors to the enclave, homing in on the presences that meant more to him that his own life.

He disappeared, contracting his force signature, becoming invisible to the eye and the mind. He crept up, nearing them...

''Hey'' He whispered, materialising behind her, a light smile on his face, enduring the pain.

 

[Sreeya]

Val had finished the healings necessary for the day. It was exhausting, especially since the Force wasn't something she was overly adept at. Her skills lay with the sabers and other means of combat, not being able to command the Force at will. She had run into Raphael earlier, happy to see him back. The encounter did not last long as she had to return to her duties. Val had finished and picked Raziel back up, prepared to leave the enclave for now. She was gathering up her sabers, humming to herself. All of a sudden, Raziel began shifting in her arms.

"Calm down, I'm going!"

She placed her saber hilt at her waist, whistling to herself. The baby did not quiet down, now attempting to squirm over to her shoulder. Val was about to say something when she heard a voice directly behind her. Out of pure instinct alone, she whipped around and slapped the individual, feeling her hand meet skin. She realized who it was a second later and jumped back. Naturally, Raziel burst into a fit of giggles. Val's jaw dropped as she took in all of Huang's injuries. Of course, her slap wouldn't have done anything to alleviate the pain.

"I'm..I'm so sorry...I thought you were that Shade representative person.."

Val shook her head.

"What happened?! You look awful. I was worried about you. And you know sneaking up on me is a bad idea!"

She immediately spotted the new blade he carried, one she did not recognize. Knowing he had a habit of collecting trophies from his battles, Val had to grin.

 

[Will]

Huang gasped in pain as her palm slapped a particularly sensitive area of his healing face. Raziel had given him away. That boy was certainly going to be trouble in the future. He smiled as the boy giggled through, taking him into his arms.

''I've heard they've been getting quite...persistent, yes.'' He said, making sure to not let his free hand stray to his face to rub the painful area. That would only make things worse.

''It may be a bad idea, but I still find it fun.''

He looked down at the new blade at his hip.

''The sword of the Taen Templar king himself. A little trophy from liberating the Taen people. It was a harsh battle. What those people did with the force... it was nauseating.'' His lip curled as he remembered the fell acts of the Taen disciples and Ragnarok, their leader, right hand of the Templar king.

''Tell me there's somewhere I can change my armour and get a robe. I'm starting to fester.''

As they walked along the coridoor, Huang's eyes flicked to Val.

''What have you been up to while I've been saving a people?''

 

[Sreeya]

Val was happy to let Raziel go to his father.

"Try not to get blood on him.."

She had to grin, walking down the corridor along with him. Val looked around to make sure they didn't have onlookers. Although it was not inappropriate for Jedi to have children, she had no idea how they would react to the sword master holding his own son. Thankfully, this section of the enclave remained empty for now. As he mentioned having to change, she had to laugh.

"I was given a room here while I helped the people from Ando Prime heal."

She had to raise an eyebrow at his almost cocky tone at 'saving a people'.

"I was here being a lowly Knight, if you must know."

The comment was emphasized with an elbow to his side, no doubt causing more pain to shoot up his body. Val had to grin, as she remembered how he had always used to refer to her just by rank. As she arrived at her own quarters, she opened the door, motioning for him to walk in. The room was set up for both her and Raziel, something she was grateful for. Val had to take a second look at the sword he had brought, always finding various weapons from other cultures to be fascinating.

"Taen King huh...? It may be nauseating, but I've actually thought of dabbling into the Art. It looks interesting...and painful."

 

[Will]

'Pff... too late.'' Raziel had slapped his hands on Huang's gorget, blood coating them as he mashed them into Huang's face, giggling. He was getting more and more precocious as he got older. But he loved his son.

While Huang had been taking life, she had been saving it. An interesting opposite. He was entertained by the thought for a second.

''A whole, room, knight Cross? I shall have to requisition it for swordsmaster needs.'' He gave the delivery deadpan, apparent seriousness always his forte. Many could never tell if he was joking or not in council meetings. He'd been trying it here and there recently.

Huang ducked through the door frame, looking around.

''Yes, it will do.''

He handed Raziel to Val, unbuckling his blades and his armour, keeping on the bodyglove to maintain his dignity.

''Trust me, the art is not something for a person like you. It twists you as you twist it. It takes from you, unlike the way of the Jedi, which gives. It is a dark, horrible thing.'' Huang said to her as he sat down.

His serious business face dropped slightly, as he looked up to her.

''So, what's for dinner?'' A smile played across his visage, his teeth seeming even whiter against the burnt skin of his face.

 

[Sreeya]

Val had to do a double take when he spoke as if he were in training. For a second, she truly felt like a padawan. Her eyes widened as she shook her head.

"You are disturbingly good at that.."

She took Raziel back, grimacing down at the blood on him. Val sighed.

"Another bath for you..."

As he ranted about how the Art was a perversion of the Force, Val had to roll her eyes.

"You are far too immersed in Jedi teachings, dear. There are so many other applications of the Force. While it's true that those you have faced were using it for their own twisted needs, it's not unlike the Bogan. There is good in the Art, just as there are Jedi. Magnificent things can be attained with the use of the Force in such a way. It only comes at a cost because the sheer power that comes with it."

Val was surprised at her own answer. Usually she would have offered a quick retort and nothing more. Perhaps it was a hint that she had truly grown as a person. She mulled over her thoughts and put Raziel in the crib, cleaning him up as best as she could. Val turned back to Huang as he asked what was for dinner. She grinned and walked over to him, taking a medpack along. Val closed the distance between them.

"From the smells of it...roasted Sephi."

She opened up the med pack, prepping to apply antiseptics and kolto to his wounds. Val knew the kind of pain he was in, as she had a large portion of her torso, along with her left arm, badly burnt. The scar remained, though she was not self conscious about it around Huang. As Val dabbed away at his wounds, she couldn't help but smile at him sadly.

"I almost wish you wouldn't heal so fast. That way you don't need to run off into battle all the time and stay here with us."

 

[Will]

''Tis a blessing and a curse.'' He looked down at the boy, revelling in the blood on his hands.

''He reminds me of a young me, like that.'' He grinned at Val.

''I guess you are right, Val. The acts of that 'Indigo' woman certainly make it seem there's a good side to the art. But still, there's something...wrong about it to me. But, everyone is different, neh?''

His thoughts on the diametric nature inherent in life were cut short as Val dabbed antiseptics onto his burnt skin.

''What're you doing, seasoning me, then?'' He asked, gasping at the stinging sensation. He could take a blade to his flesh, but the stinging of the antiseptics...

Damn, they hurt.

 

[Sreeya]

Val smiled as he gasped from the pain.

"Oh quit being a baby."

She grimaced at all the wounds on his body.

"You might need a dip in a kolto tank if this doesn't do it..."

It took only a matter of minutes to clean and dress the burns on his face, and she applied parts of the kolto that was in the med pack. The rest was used on any other cuts he had. After she was done, she stepped back to admire her handiwork, failing to hold back a laugh at the dressing and gauze on his face.

"You look ridiculous."

She leaned in to gingerly place a kiss on his lips, thankfully one of the few areas of his face not burnt. Val plopped down to sit next to him, taking a moment to watch Raziel in his crib. She gently took Huang's hand into hers, entwining their fingers. She was truly happy to have him back. Something was always missing when it was just her and Raziel. Val looked up at Huang and smiled.

"You should stay here for a few days."

 

[Will]

''I'll still never get used to the antiseptic...'' He gritted his teeth as she dressed the wounds on his face.

''A dip in a kolto tank would probably do me good. I could get a wash too...'' He smiled.

He could tell she was about to laugh. She always seemed on the brink of laughter with him. She had changed so much since they first met, as student and master. He bent up as she kissed him, the simple act a reminder of how much he missed her whenever he left for war.

''I should. And we should go out. You and me. I reckon someone can be found to look after Raziel...''

The little boy giggled and grinned wolfishly, as if realising there would be an outsider to play with, to frustrate.

* * *

She's late.

Huang sat at the table of the small, elite restaurant, looking around, as he had been now, for an hour.

He had dressed his face, that was markedly better for force healing and the use of Kolto. He'd had to put on a suit to get in. It was too constricting, compared to his robes. At least he didn't need a tie. The top pair of buttons were left open, exposing pale chest, criss-crossed with scars, overlayed with black tattoos.

He chewed on a piece of complementary bread, still waiting for her.
​

 

[Sreeya]

Val was quite pleased with herself for not managing to faceplant at every step she took. She couldn't remember the last time she wore heels. Val felt much taller, though she still felt tiny next to Huang. A pang of guilt shot through her as she checked the time.

"Damn it!"

She had agreed to meet him at the restaurant, not trusting herself to be ready on time. However, she had no idea she would be a full hour late. It had been difficult explaining why she needed to drop Raziel off with Jedi again, when her initial plan was to leave the planet. Val almost tripped again, walking up the stairs to the entrance that was out of plain sight. Thankfully, she was immediately pointed to the table he was at.

Val couldn't remember the last time she felt this nervous. She loved Huang, had a child by him, and yet she felt like a young teenager on her first date. She had gone all out on herself, curling her hair for a tousled look. She wore an elegant black dress that hugged her body from her chest down to her hips, ending above her knees. Most of her long legs were revealed, accented by the black matching heels. She had attempted to put her lightsaber hilts at her hips, but failed. In the end, a small purse did the trick.

Slightly self conscious about her appearance, especially as she had never revealed her burn scar in public, she approached Huang. She had to stop and gaze at his attire, a complete change from his usual robes and vest. She sat down across from him, grinning.

"I like this look on you. Almost didn't recognize you."

She looked down at the bread he had been chewing at, clearing her throat.

"Yeah..sorry about the delay...there was uh....traffic, yeah. And then I lost my shoe at some point and then... yeah.."

 

[Will]

Huang looked up as he sensed Val finally come through the door, ready to playfully admonish her.

But his words got stuck in his throat as she walked in. She looked truly stunning, the dress framing her figure. He looked her up and down quickly, trying not to be spotted. She'd obviously gone all out for this. He rose, taking her chair for her, kissing her as she came over to him.

''You look... Well. Beautiful.'' He said as he came away. He moved to his own chair, his eyes staring out at her from his dressed face. His suit felt demure by comparison.

''I hate these suits. Far too tight. Too many buttons. I must say, I feel like I've thrown this on by comparison.''

He took another bite of bread, eating it before smiling as Val babbled excuses.

''Ah-huh...I doubt that highly, somehow.''

 

[Sreeya]

Val had to grin as he pulled her chair out for her.

"So the sword master knows how to be a gentleman, eh?"

She smiled at his compliment, happily returning the kiss. Val was about to say something before he began to complain about his suit. She shook her head.

"You look handsome in it. And look, we even have matching burns to boot!"

Val sat down, the smile staying on her face. She found it difficult not to smile around him. It was strange how his mere presence could brighten her day and make her forget her worries. She was about to quip back at his comment when the waiter came.

"Ah, so she's finally here."

Val had to cough and look away, embarrassed that she had been so late. The waiter took no note of this and asked for their orders. He disappeared moments later, leaving her alone with Huang. She looked around, taking the time to admire the ambiance.

"You really outdid yourself this time... I still don't get how you know about all these spots."

She briefly thought back to his lodge in the mountains. Val glanced back to Huang, raising an eyebrow.

"If I were you, I'd have mindtricked my way into here."

 

[Will]

''I've had to learn to be nice around you. I don't want to be slapped more.''

He smiled again, the act bringing him far less pain that before. He rarely smiled before he met her, but when Val was around, he found himself smiling a lot more. Even his friend Hector had been saying he'd been smiling more... A lot more light-hearted nowadays, more than 'the sword master'.

''We do match in our affliction, but I think you rock the burn look more.''

His grin turned to a knowing, playful smile.

''What's to say I didn't?''

Before he met Val, he would simply bluster in with the use of his title. But now, he did things differently. Some said it could be a construed as misuse of the force. Huang saw it as using natural advantages.

The waiter came back, a tray of drinks balanced perfectly on spread fingertips. For Huang, a herbal alcohol, carbonated, fizzing in the large glass. For Val, an odd cocktail Huang did not want to fathom.

''The starters should be arriving shortly, sir.'' The waiter drawled as he placed the drinks on the cloth.

Huang stopped the waiter with the force. The waiter, previously straight backed and imperious, now seeming to shrivel with fear, turned. Huang waved his hand.

''You shan't be rude to the owners of this establishment.''

''I shan't be rude to the owners of this establishment, sir.''

''Drinks and the starter are on the house.''

''Drinks and starter are on the house, sir.''

The waiter wheeled, walking toward the kitchen. Huang sat back in his chair.

''That'll teach him to be rude to you.''

 

[Sreeya]

Val's jaw dropped at his display of abusing the Force. She had to shake her head.

"Darling, I am a terrible influence on you."

She couldn't help but laugh at the situation, thinking back to when he had patronized her for using lightning to light a fireplace. Almost immediately, their salads and more drinks were brought over. Val took a sip of the wine brought over, surprised when she could practically taste how expensive it was. She had to whistle in disbelief, looking up at Huang.

"You are always full of surprises, I swear."

Val dug into her salad, not too thrilled at the portions.

"These expensive restaurants..I always feel like I could use a fast food burger afterwards."

She couldn't help but look at Huang. Even with his dressings, he looked gorgeous. The tattoos that peaked out on his chest only added to his beauty, something she always found to be almost ethereal. The fact that he was not a human was always obvious to her. Val almost felt lesser in comparison, especially having been on Thustra. The Sephi were some of the most stunning species she had ever seen. Val realized she had drifted off into her own thoughts, quickly jumping back to reality.

"Have you ever been to Thustra? You just seem so entwined with Jedi, I always wonder if you have any ties linking back to the Sephi home planet."

 

[Will]

Huang grinned at her reaction. It was as if their roles had reversed, for that split moment.

''And I love it.''

He took a sip of his drink, enjoying the mix of herbs and spices in the beverage. He began eating the salad, feeling like a grazing animal, glad for the little bits of curried seafood in with the leaves. He could see Val wan't thrilled by salad either.

''Wait for the main course. I ordered it when I got in. Takes a while to cook.''

He finished his salad as Val complained about portion sizes.

''If needs be, we can get takeaway later. They'll love us dressed up like this.''

He just couldn't stop looking at Val, marvelling at her. To have ended up falling for someone like this. And for it to be reciprocated... Sometimes, it still shocked him.

Thustra... and odd qustion. Yes, Huang was Sephi, and, the birthplace of his people was Thustra, but he had been born on Corellia. He had heard Loki and other Sephi from Thustra talking about it. Sometimes, he had the desire to go, explore his heritage, his culture. But the order came first.

''I have no ties there. I cut off my family once I joined the order. I'd like to go, though. Their new royalty has done some great work. Apparently, we're on good terms with them too, master diplomat?''

The waiters took their salad plates, replacing them with the main course.

''Pan roasted Ysalamari slices, rare, on a bed of fried tubers, with a herb garnish.''

They placed a large animal at the centre of the table, the meat still sizzling, the beast was cooked whole.

''A fully cooked Karkan. You simply cut off the meat as you see fit with the knives provided. There are a host of dressing sauces in the pots provided. Enjoy.'' The waiter wheedled as a second, larger plate was placed beside the sliced Ysalamari.

Huang looked at Val across the table, smiling.

''Think this'll fill you up enough?''

He picked up a knife, cutting off a hunk of meat. He took the dark red flesh on his fork, and ate a small piece. It was cooked perfectly. This was the Restaurant's signature dish. It had to be perfect.

 

[Sreeya]

Val smelled their food coming long before it got there. She could only gape as the dish was placed before her. In fact, judging by the way the other customers kept glancing over, it had to be the most expensive thing on the menu. Val simply looked over all the food, picking up a knife.

"I...don't even know where to start."

Following his lead, she cut off a portion of the Karkan, while also taking a slice of Ysalamiri. She had never tried either dishes before, though she knew well the feeling of a Ysalamiri bubble. She took the first bite and had to pause at the explosion of flavors in her mouth.

"This is amazing! Even though I don't think I can finish even a quarter of this.."

She remembered back to his answer about Thustra, surprised. She had expected him to have been there at least once. The fact that she had been there before him struck her as odd. Val had to smile.

"We could go there for a vacation. My diplomatic ties are sure to get us special treatment. Raziel was an honored guest, after all."

As time passed, she felt more and more comfortable in the setting. Her initial nervousness at being dressed up for a date night had melted away. For now, she was just with Huang, someone she could completely be herself with no matter what. Val had finished half of her meal when she abruptly looked up. She met Huang's eyes, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she felt an all too familiar feeling creep up the back of her neck. Her knife and fork audibly cluttered to her plate.

BOOOOM!

Val glanced to the side immediately, an apartment complex a distance down the street they were on abruptly having caught on fire. She could only groan, patrons around her standing up in alarm, though some still remained unaware. Val turned to Huang, scowling. Her voice carried over the yelling around them.

"Do we have to? We're having such a nice evening and the local fire department probably needs to get off its ass once in a while...right?"

 

[Will]

''At the begining, perhaps?'' Huang cut off another piece of meat, placing it on his fork with the fried tuber.

The idea of a holiday sounded appealing. He could spin it as recovery time...

Yes...

''Well then let's go. I'm sure he'll love the royal treatment. I'd like to finally see where my family came from. Why they left.''

His mood darkened for a second as he recalled his early years, before being found by the order. But only for a second. He pushed that all away. It wasn't something to bring up here, in such a nice place.

The table juddered. Huang rose, placing his cutlery on the plate. He saw Val look at him in that way she always did when he saved things.

''There's people in there, Val. Relax, I've got this.''

He took off his suit jacket, running out into the debris and confusion. He rushed for the building, quickly turning into a towering inferno

 

[Sreeya]

"Buzzkill..."

Val muttered under her breath as he ran off. She cast a sad glance over the remaining food that they wouldn't get to enjoy. She grabbed her glass of wine and downed it and turned to follow Huang. Val was not at all happy to be running in heels, though the heat of the moment allowed her to ignore it and be confident in her stride. She shoved past the patrons that were congesting the exit, finally spotting Huang already headed towards the building.

Within moments, she could feel the heat of the fire. It strongly reminded her of the Force Blast she suffered from, a memory she wished would never resurface again. Val looked around at all the crowded tenants on the ground, all screaming and pointing up at the building at various windows. She began to ask who was where, but no one was in the right mind to answer questions. Val rolled her eyes and remembered she was a Jedi, something she often forgot. Tapping into the Force allowed her to hone in on the life energy high up in the building, the unit closest to her. She immediately began to take off her heels, turning to Huang.

"Hold my things."

She shoved her purse and heels into his chest and immediately took off. Applying her teachings of Ataru, she knew she would have no problem scaling the building. Taking a running start, she jumped onto a nearby speeder, using the elevation to jump onto a ledge on the building and continue climbing up. Her motions were surprisingly graceful, despite her being in a perilous situation. She even had the opportunity to use Force Push to topple over a teenage boy that had been gawking up her dress while she climbed. Val finally reached the window, using the Force to shatter it and hop into the apartment.

She was immediately hit with a wave of thick smoke, causing her to cough. Using the Force to neutralize the air immediately around her, she called out for anyone inside. She coughed a few times, making her way from the bedroom window to the living room. She immediately found a middle aged woman slamming away at her door. The woman turned to Val, expecting to see a fireman. Upon seeing a slender young woman in a black cocktail dress, she promptly screamed in frustration and returned to pounding away at her door, crying for help.

"M'am I'm here to help! Come with me!"

The woman gave her an incredulous look. Val did not wait for her to speak, promptly grabbing her wrist and guiding her over to the window. On the way, parts of the wall gave away, a flaming mass landing right before them. The woman screamed and attempted to run away. Val sighed. Why did people that needed to be rescued always insist on running to their deaths? She kept a firm grip on the woman, assuring her time and time again that she would be all right. She began sobbing hysterically and her odor of mothballs made Val cough more than the smoke did.

"Relax, it'll be fine. Just hold on."

Val grimaced, inwardly wishing she weren't a damn Jedi and lacked that inside voice that always told her to save people. She approached the windowsill, the woman still protesting and resisting the whole way. She looked out the window and screamed.

"THERE ARE NO FIREMEN WAITING THERE! WHERE ARE YOU TAKING ME!"

"Just TRUST ME, LADY!"

The woman was persistent, absolutely refusing to budge. Val paused to reason with her. As she began, another small explosion rattled the apartment, signalling that this portion of the room was about to blow. Val gritted her teeth and grabbed the woman by her waist and dashed right towards the window. As the woman let out a bloodcurdling scream, Val flew out the window, taking a graceful swan dive from high above. The woman practically tore off her dress, screaming her head off while Val soared through the air. On the way down, she expertly caught onto a ledge and landed on her feet, setting the woman on the ground. The tenant was still clutching to her for a few seconds before realizing she was no longer in the air. She looked up at Val, her eyes wide.

"How did you.."

Val couldn't help but smile sheepishly.

"Well, you know.."

"MR. JINGLES AND FLUFFY ARE STILL UP THERE!"

The infuriating woman shoved Val out of the way, running up to take a closer look.

"MY BABIES!!"

Val had to gawk at the woman, shaking her head. She immediately turned to Huang, grinning.

"You got this!"

 

[Will]

Just as he was preparing himself, Val rushed up, shoving things into his arms, bidding him to hold them. He felt emasculated, relegated to holder of things.

He watched as Val scaled the building, her dress fluttering in the wind, becoming far more revealing...

But, thankfully, quickly enough, she was in. It was a tense few moments as the building began to collapse. What would he do if she died? He would have to care for Raziel on his own...

His small moment of doubt was quashed as she jumped out through the window, a middle-aged lady in her arms.

As they touched down, she began screaming about some absurdly-named 'babies'. Naturally, the only one left would be a cat lady.

He frowned as he handed Val her shoes and purse.

''Typical. Relegated to cat duty.''

He leapt, scurrying up the building, moving over the stonework fluidly, slipping into the window. He pushed in through the heat, eventually seeing a pair of balls of fur curled in the corner, hissing and spitting at him.

''Mr. Jingles and Fluffy, I presume.'' He mumbled, coughing slightly on the smoke. He bent down to grab them.

They swiped at his arms, clawing him. He continued, used to such pain. The cats, realising their warning shots had not worked, leapt for Huang's face. Huang stumbled back, pulling the cats off his face as they raked his face and chest, throwing them off him.

Out the window.

''Bugger.''

He leapt out of the window, diving after the screaming felines. He managed to grab them, pulling them to him slightly with the force, before flipping, landing feet first softly, pushing up with the force to cushion his landing.

''Your cats, madam.'' He said, handing the cats to the woman, blood coating his arms and facial dressings.

 

[Sreeya]

"Relax, he's on it."

"ARE YOU SURE? DOES HE KNOW WHERE-"

The screeching cats above caused them both to glance up. The woman let out another scream, realizing her cats were in mid air. Val was not too surprised. Huang had little patience with certain things. She sighed and prepared to catch the tiny furballs of doom when he leaped out the window, snatching them out of the air. Val stepped back, allowing him to land and hand the cats over to the woman.

"Oh thank you, thank you, bless you both."

She didn't even look up at her rescuers. Val shook her head, grimacing at all the scratches Huang had on top of his burn wounds.

"You can never catch a break."

Just then, a news channel crew pulled up, much to her displeasure. They began recording, attempting to interview and take pictures. Some even recognized Huang from the Ando Prime incident. Val growled in frustration and grabbed his hand, pulling him away from the mob surrounding him.

"See? This is why I wanted to let the fire department handle it!"

As the emergency vehicles finally showed up, it was apparent the situation was under control. The news crew, however, was more interested in the two Jedi than the fire itself. Val turned away and abruptly leaped above their heads, hoping Huang would follow. Force Speed aided her movements as she quickly made her way towards the end of the street, ducking into an alley. Once she was sure no one was around, she heaved a sigh of relief.

"It's like we're those superheroes you see in holomovies."

She grinned at Huang, promptly getting to work healing the cuts on his face.

"I usually suck at healing, but you've been giving me great practice lately."