Meeting The Family

[Sreeya]

She didn't know what possessed her to take Adrian up on his offer of staying at a Bac residence. Her pride and ego had battled the thought, making her cringe at the idea of depending on anyone. However, a single glance at her son told her that she couldn't keep living in squalid conditions anymore. She had to think about Aiden before she thought about herself. After he had dropped her off, she made it clear to him that she needed some time to think. Qailan wanted to be away from him, wanted some time to reflect and process exactly what had happened on Corellia.

Qailan had been out, dressed in fresh new clothing for a change. Her eyes still had dark circles under them, but she looked more alive than she had for a while. The golden orbs shimmered in the sun, a stark contrast to the dull hue they possessed during her time on Corellia. It had only been a few days, and she already began to feel rejuvenated. She knew she would leave the penthouse soon, after finding her own place to stay. Though her ego refused to let her admit it, Qailan was thankful for this chance to rise up from the impoverished lifestyle she had grown accustomed to.

It took her a few minutes to make her way up to the penthouse. The expansive living quarters made her incredibly aware of her solitude. She had her son, but other than that she felt like an outsider in every way possible. The lingering possessions of the Bacs made her slightly uncomfortable, as if she were constantly trespassing. As a result, she had made up her mind to move out as soon as possible. For now, however, she had to put Aiden to bed. He had fallen asleep in her arms and she carried him up the stairs. Qailan arrived at the door, quickly turning the key and opening the door to enter.

 

[Ahdam]

Ahdam's heart stopped. Someone was coming into the house. Was it Adrian? Was it Analia? If it was her…

Someone was fiddling with the door—no! It was a key sliding into the lock and the door opening. This was bad. This was very bad. But he was a grown man. No matter what situation he was in, he would face it as such.

He turned, outfit and all.

Ahdam saw who she was and had no idea who she was. She was a complete stranger—and with a kid, a two for one deal in embarrassing ways for a Galactic Senator to make a horrible first impression on someone entering into his family's penthouse unannounced. He cringed at the thought of her inspecting what she was seeing. He hadn't looked in the mirror, but he could only imagine how ridiculous he looked.

Why oh why did he have to choose now of all times to wear his giant cat costume?

"I, um," he said, darting his eyes in both directions, trying to find the words in the midst of his complete and utter humiliation.

He wasn't a racist, but there were just some things human shouldn't do. Dressing up as a cat in order to pretend to be a Cathar was certainly one of them.

All Ahdam could hope was that she could be trusted, that she didn't have some sort of agenda. Considering how what he was doing was for the purposes of the impending investigation into Sector 13, he couldn't afford the public humiliation.

The costume didn't even look like a Cathar, that's how ridiculous it was. It was literally one giant suit of fur that he got from a deathstick dealer a few miles away, with a zipper running up the back and two fake pointed ears adorning the headpiece, which was also attached. They were glorified footy pajamas with a hood. He felt like an infant. A racist and mentally unstable infant.

"I was, um," he said again.

He stuttered, "You see…haha, it's a funny story really. I'm doing this…thing," he kept stammering, "and I need to talk to Jamall Mohatu. I'm trying to get into his frame of mind…and, I, um…"

He trailed off, not knowing what to say. So instead, he turned and walked away, because, well, **** it. He carried himself and his shame into a room on the far side of the penthouse, slamming the door behind him, leaving his guest, whoever she was, alone as he changed into real clothes.

When he finally changed into a more appropriate suit and tie, he walked back out, striding towards her as he tried—and failed—to hide his embarrassment.

He broke his silence, "If it seemed like there was just someone in here who looked kind of like me wearing this, well, furry type of outfit, then..."

The Senator trialed off again, not knowing where to take that line of thought. "Hi, I'm Ahdam. Who are you?"

 

[Sreeya]

Qailan had no idea how to react. Clowns had always terrified her, a fear that was established especially after Adrian had taken her to an amusement park. However, none of that compared to the sheer horror that gripped her at the sight of a fully grown man in a Cathar costume. Qailan froze at the door, her eyes widening. As he began to blabber pathetic explanations, she concluded that she had, in fact, just been witness to a man privately indulging in a peculiar fetish. Though she was curious about Adrian's family, this was not how she had imagined things to go. After he trailed off, Qailan mouthed a few words silently before forcing out a sentence.

"..it...looks...convincing..."

She exhaled for the first time when he walked away. Qailan took this moment to abruptly jump out of the room, double and triple checking the number on the front to ensure that she hadn't walked into the wrong building. She also took the opportunity to put Aiden to bed. As she glanced up, she saw a picture that had the three Bacs in it. Unfortunately, Qailan couldn't simply hide out, though she wanted to. Mustering up her courage, she attempted to mentally suppress the god awful image of him in a furry suit and the hidden meanings behind it. She walked out just as he did. He once again began with an introduction, ending with his name. Qailan still had a hard time believing this was the Ahdam Bac Adrian always talked about. The man that had all the ladies, fame and fortune. Moments ago he was...Qailan shook her head.

"Um..I...I'm Qailan.."

She shifted uncomfortably.

"Adrian said I could stay here. I didn't mean to intrude on your..er..happy..time.."

Qailan coughed, looking down at the ground. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the awkwardness that heavily hung in the air.

 

[Ahdam]

"Now hey, hold on a second, Qai…lar…lan…whatever your name was!" Ahdam blabbered uncomfortably. He also shifted where he stood, trying to maintain some element of dignity. He was failing miserably.

He tired again, "I don't make a habit of playing dress up, especially for…," oh this was one of the worst moments of his life, and this was coming from the man who accidentally killed his father and was rewarded with being a Senator.

"I'll have you know that this was for legitimate research purposes," he finally managed to spit out. "That guy, that Chancellor…," he stammered again, "Well he's very hard to figure out, and I need to get inside his head. So, yeah. There."

He wanted to be anywhere but here. Any time. Any place. It didn't matter. He could kill himself right now, he could skin himself alive and it would be more enjoyable. He could crawl into the fetal position in the corner of the room and cry himself to death. This was horrifying.

Not to mention the woman was a knockout.

 

[Sreeya]

"Qai-lan."

Years of being a pretty boy that always smiled for the camera must have dulled him. As he began a whole new stream of excuses, Qailan held up a hand to interrupt.

"Look, Ahdam or whatever, I don't really care about your furry relations and..uh..experiments. I've just had lunch, thanks."

She had to bite back from letting an amused grin cross her features. At this point, it was simply comical to watch him get flustered.

"I've seen you on Holonet. You always gave the vibe of a jackass...no offense."

Qailan was surprised at her own boldness. Here she was in his penthouse, and right away she was insulting him. However, that was her personality returning to her, which was always a good thing. She wasn't the nicest of people. Hell, she was a former Bogan after all. However, if this Ahdam decided to get too antsy, she always had something she would never let him live down. Qailan crossed her arms over her chest, tilting her head.

"Adrian didn't tell me anyone would be here. Shouldn't you be off blowing your money on hookers or something?"

 

[Ahdam]

"Oh for crying out loud," he said, throwing up his arms. Who the hell was this woman and why did she think of him so badly. "Just who do you think I am, a Governor? I'm a Galactic Senator. I don't pay for my women."

His eyes shifted uncomfortably. He may have deflected the idea of shacking up with hookers but he obviously didn't do anything to endear himself to her.

"Let's back up to the part where Adrian said you could stay here," he said, moving the conversation onto her instead of his own extracurricular activities. "Who are you?" He looked around the room. "And didn't you have a kid five minutes ago?"

 

[Sreeya]

"Oh excuuuuse me, Senator. My apologies. I can't keep track of what celebrities do nowadays. One day you're just the snotty son of the Chancellor with no merit of his own and the next day you're a Senator. By tomorrow you're probably gonna go and adopt five random slave kids from the Tatooine deserts or something."

Qailan glared as he turned the topic to her. Oh, so he wanted to play this game did he? Obviously, he was covering something up. However, his questioning of her had thrown her off slightly. It was her turn to become a bit flustered. Qailan shifted uncomfortably for a bit.

"I..uh.. oh god damn it."

He had just revealed his fur fetish to her. It couldn't hurt for him to know a bit about her in return. Her voice was calmer this time.

"I..had a bit of a past with Adrian. He found me in a horrible situation where I was living in poverty with my son--in case you haven't figured it out, that's the kid you saw--and he told me I could stay here."

However, the instant the soft inflection had entered her speech, it was gone.

"Now, seeing you in a fur suit is going to give me nightmares for sure. If you're going to stay here, there's no telling what kinds of horrors I'll come across every time I turn a corner or walk in through the door. I'll gather up our things and leave as soon as possible. Sorry for trespassing, your highness."

 

[Ahdam]

Really? REALLY? This is what it was coming to? He was never going to live that goddamn costume down with her if it was the last thing he ever tried to do. The one time he cosplays, for research purposes, and this is what it came to. Slander, accusations left and right, and now she was afraid to be in his presence. Smooth, Ahdam, real smooth, he thought to himself. On the upside she was gorgeous, and not once did he try to sleep with her. Yet. Perhaps he was growing up after all.

"Wait," he said. He rubbed his hands across his eyelids, muttering to himself, "I'm going to regret this…"

He looked back at her, "You can stay. Any friend of Adrian's is a…whatever, you can stay. Trust me, I've been on the HoloNet before. I've heard about these stupid fetishes. I'm not into that. You don't have to worry about anything weird, and I'll be sure to keep my whores and slave children somewhere else."

He let himself show a light-hearted laugh, trying to cut the awkward tension with the biggest knife in the known universe. Now that he was genuinely being himself, not the jackass on the HoloNet, he could save some face around here.

 

[Sreeya]

Thanks to Qailan's refusal to use the Force, she was spared the details of his brief, lewd thoughts concerning her. She had begun to walk back towards where Aiden was before Ahdam began to speak again. Qailan turned and was surprised at his words. She simply blinked at him for a moment, especially as he mentioned that he would 'take his whores and slave children somewhere else'. For a moment, she simply gawked at him. However, a second later, a grin spread across her face. And before she knew it, she was laughing along with him, mostly at the absurdity of the situation. It took her a while to catch her breath, and she was surprised at her own actions. She shook her head, looking away, regaining a more serious expression.

"It's strange, you know..being here."

She began walking towards the giant windows that overlooked the entire city below. Qailan placed a hand on the glass, suddenly reminded of all the times she had effortlessly jumped from rooftop to rooftop, back when she still used the Force. She didn't know whether she was talking to herself or Ahdam. Perhaps it was the days of solitude, or perhaps because she did not know him, it made it easier to talk without worrying about repercussions.

"Only weeks ago I was a waitress in Corellia. At this scuzzy cantina. Now I'm here..in this snazzy penthouse like I'm some sort of big deal. It's almost intoxicating. I know if I lived here for too long and embraced this lifestyle, it'd consume me."

She tilted her head to look at him, grinning.

"I suppose you could have done worse."

 

[Ahdam]

He walked over to the window as she spoke, ultimately standing next to her. He didn't notice he was standing beside her, really. He was becoming absorbed in her story, making him think of his own. The humiliation from a mere few minutes ago was beginning to seem like an afterthought. The sprawling vista only echoed his thoughts even louder, making him think, as he had many times over the last few years, just how undeservedly lucky he was.

"You want to know a secret?" he asked her once she finished talking. "I think about a lot of what I've done with my life, and when I look out this window and into this ridiculous metropolis I know that I should have done worse."

He turned to look her in the eye, "I mean really, why do I deserve to live here, in one of the tallest buildings in the city, when you had to work in some sleezebag cantina in order to take care of your son? The only thing I ever did to get here was being born."

He turned away again, back towards the city. He could see the Galactic Senate rotunda from here, as it was only a few kilometers away. He'd have to go back there tomorrow, back to his office, in order to try and protect the Chancellor from accusations that were completely true. It was one of the reasons Hisako wanted him in the Senate, in order to help squash agency-related problems, but that's not why Ahdam agreed to the job. After what he did to his father, he reflected. He saw who and what he was and what he could do there.

"You can think of me as the caricature you see on the HoloNet," he said with an audible degree of remorse, "but I didn't go to the Senate to meet women. I went there to atone for my mistakes, to take the silver spoon out of my mouth, and try to do some good. It's the least I can do."

 

[Sreeya]

To say that Qailan was surprised by his words was an understatement. She glanced at him. It didn't take tapping into the Force to realize that he was being honest. Still, though, she wasn't entirely convinced. She looked ahead, marveling at the silence that existed within the penthouse despite the noisy metropolis that stretched out just on the other side of the glass. The air was clear here, above the thick smog that always loomed over the planet.

"Least you can do? Why now? After all these years.."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Seems to me like you're doing this for yourself..to find forgiveness within yourself for your past. Wonder what triggered it. People don't just wake up one morning and think, 'I'm going to find a way to make the galaxy a better place today'. Unless, of course, you're a Jedi.."

Qailan had to chuckle.

"The rich sure have an odd way of handling situations regarding those less fortunate. Either out of pity or to better themselves. Ultimately, though, it's still them in a position exalted high above the masses, still in a place of power where they overlook everything."

She turned to him again, a quizzical look on her face.

"Have you ever walked through the impoverished districts of Coruscant? Have you walked through the alleys where beggars litter the streets? Have you smelled the stench of squalor and felt the thick, almost diseased air cling to your skin? If you want to take the silver spoon out of your mouth, you have to get off your high horse and truly take a plunge into the reality that truly exists underneath this cushy paradise of comfort."

Qailan knew he was used to a life of luxury, where he got everything he wanted. He never felt hunger, never felt sleep deprived, never had been in a position where wants did not exist, but only necessities. She briefly visualized him in a position like that, even for one night, and had to bite back from laughing.

 

[Ahdam]

It was hard to prove true intentions or to prove who a person really was. Ahdam knew that. The events of the last few years had taught him that. Had he been in the Senate before his father's death, he probably would've been angry at her for saying what she said, but he knew that he had done nothing to deserve her believing what he was saying. All he could do was try.

"I won't lie to you and pretend this didn't start from wanting to find forgiveness," Ahdam said, "but I wasn't looking for anyone else's forgiveness for things I'd done. I was looking for my own. And when I realized I was never going to forgive myself, I knew that my place was in the Senate as a representative of people who needed representation. It wasn't about me anymore."

He dropped his head. His eyes were becoming moist, and there was a lump in his throat now. He looked back out across the sprawling vista and gently laid a hand on the window, looking out into the distance, far away towards the spot where his father died.

He turned back to face her, "But I don't pity you, Qailan. I would never insult you or anyone else by thinking you needed the pity of someone like me. If anything, I deserve your pity.

"Now have I walked the streets you have," he asked, "and smelled the stench of the disease-ridden air like you have? Yes. I've never lived it, but I've been there. I've seen suffering and injustice…," his mind turned to his time as Agent 1. "More than you know."

Now he turned away again, finding it hard to look at her. He knew almost nothing about her and yet felt like he had to prove something now, even though he knew he didn't.

"That doesn't mean my intentions are anything less than sincere," he said.

 

[Sreeya]

He sounded suspicious. Qailan picked up on it instantly. Her cat-like eyes looked for any subtle hints, or changes in expression. When he turned away from her, it only confirmed that there was something very off about him.

"Forgive yourself for what? What have you done that was so damaging that you need to pay for it somehow? Surely it's not just about you being born into a lap of luxury, as that in itself is no crime."

She wondered if she was overstepping her boundaries. She did not know him, but her curiosity was almost overwhelming. Qailan decided to see exactly how much she could push this.

"Ahdam Bac wouldn't just stroll through the poor districts of Coruscant. It seems like you're hiding a large part of yourself and trying to deny your identity."

She had to smile at her words.

"..I suppose I'm doing the same."

Qailan briefly thought back to her days as a Bogan, before suppressing the memories again. This was surely not something Adrian had warned her about. He had painted Ahdam to be the epitome of a snotty rich boy that had lived without a care in the world. However, Qailan was slowly realizing that couldn't be further from the truth.

 

[Ahdam]

"If I told you, I'd have to kill you."

Ahdam couldn't help but chuckle. It was probably—no, definitely true. Not just about Alcor, that was only the terrible icing on the proverbial cake. He regretted ever agreeing to his father's suggestion that Ahdam be the first agent of Sector 13, a regret that formed thanks in no small part to Alcor's death, the final culmination of a career as a covert assassin. No one else could ever know. There were only two people other than him who knew, and that was two too many.

"But you're right," he said as he turned back to her, "Ahdam Bac wouldn't just stroll through the slums, but that's the Ahdam Bac you see on the HoloNet. That man is a character, someone I started playing because the tabloids wanted it when I was still a kid."

He threw up his arms, as if to say 'I don't know.' He really didn't have the answers to her questions. He could answer why he kept up that act for so long, but he also couldn't. There were questions he simply could not answer.

"Look at you, though," he said. "At least you're actually taking care of something tangible, your son. I'm just hoping for the best in what I do. Besides, whatever happened in your past, it can't be that bad."

 

[Sreeya]

---​

"Welcome to Coruscant."

Qailan smiled triumphantly. It was night, the air so thick and clingy that perspiration coated her skin immediately. The foul stench of vomit assailed her nose, and she had to fight to keep from gagging. She and Ahdam were standing in front of a long stretch of road that was a prime example of the disgusting underbelly of the planet. Seedy bars and clubs were lined on both sides, and there were drunken patrons stumbling out, shamelessly vomiting on the streets. Qailan turned and grinned at Ahdam.

"This is the more wealthy part, you see. Where people can still afford to drink and buy wh-"

"Heeeeeyyy there handsome."

A woman with half her teeth missing strutted up to Ahdam. She was entirely too thin, her ribs jutting out. Her tight fitting clothing, which was apparently meant to be appealing, was falling off her bones and smelled as if they hadn't been washed in months. However, that didn't stop her from attempting to throw herself all over the first clean cut man she saw. Qailan took a moment to watch, conveniently taking a few steps back to marvel at the entertainment that was unfolding already.

 

[Ahdam]

Ahdam hadn't been too thrilled when Qailan suggested that they head down to the streets. He had been there before, of course, albeit not in the way that she had, but now he was more concerned about their own safety. After the Marine Corps Commandant revealed the existence of Sector 13 and Ahdam agreed to chair the investigation committee about the claims, he could only imagine he was on someone's hit list.

Being the son of a former Supreme Chancellor, and after the outbursts of his colleagues accusing him of bias, would likely make some people expect him to try and brush off the claims and sweep the scandal under the rug. Whether or not they were right would only be seen during the committee hearings, but he didn't want Qailan, a mother, to get into any trouble because of him.

He listened to her talk about the area, how this was apparently the wealthy part just because someone could drown themselves in their booze. He hadn't been to this particular area before, but things were just as he remembered them from other areas of the city and on other worlds. Hooker motels, sleezebag clubs, and patrons throwing up their insides all lined the streets.

"Heeeeeyyy there handsome."

What the? Who the? Huh?

That's all he could think as the grotesque woman came up to him, throwing her arms around him. Ahdam was about to say something to Qailan as he saw her step away, gleefully watching as he contended with the anorexic bag of smells who was in need of a good dentist more than anything else.

His old self almost came through. He wanted to throw her off of him and scold her for more or less assaulting—not to mention visually raping—the Senator of Alderaan, but he kept that in check. That didn't mean he still wanted her to be there, of course. He thought for a few moments, trying to find the right thing to say to get her to leave. Then it hit him.

"I dress up like a cat," Ahdam said, slightly fibbing about his one-time cosplaying. "I'm a little too weird for you."

 

[Sreeya]

Qailan had to bite back from laughing out loud, watching Ahdam completely out of his element. He looked astonished, not sure what to make of the situation. Qailan was half tempted to step in, until he said something that made her jaw drop. The prostitute stopped immediately, as if preparing to back off. However, she suddenly brought up a lone finger and slowly traced an elongated nail down the front of his chest. Her voice was low and husky.

"Ain't nothin' wrong with a little fur, lover boy. I like 'em feisty."

By now, she decided that Ahdam was more or less doomed. Thankfully, the prostitute was completely unaware of Qailan's presence, having focused entirely on him. After a small debate within her mind, Qailan decided that she should probably do something about this. Out of the blue, she stepped forth and harshly pushed the woman off him, her eyes flashing with anger.

"Bitch! Get your filthy hands off my man!"

The prostitute looked astonished. Qailan moved to step between her and Ahdam, scowling intently. The much smaller and weaker woman gave her a hateful glare and turned to walk off, muttering various insults about Qailan. Qailan simply watched her slip back into what was labeled as a 'massage parlor'. She turned to Ahdam, the angry look on her face replaced with a grin. She pointed a finger at him.

"You owe me for that one."

She then turned and began to walk away, urging him to follow.

"It's actually interesting how many people from the wealthier districts of Coruscant come down here. You even have big time corporate officials coming here for a good time. No one recognizes you, no one cares, and it's all very surreal. I hear they have some of the best deathsticks down here.."

Qailan turned to him and laughed.

"Oops, won't have me turned over to authorities for saying that, will you, mister Senator?"

 

[Ahdam]

He froze. What was he seeing? He couldn't believe Qailan stepped in, especially considering how she stepped in. He figured that she'd been thinking how amusing it would be if some tabloid reporter scouring the streets for a scandal saw Senator Ahdam Bac down in the streets, leisurely walking around with a gorgeous woman. The tabloids would have a field day, throwing all manner of accusations out about who the woman was—thus identifying her as any manner of horrible things.

Ahdam wasn't about to say that out loud, of course. Nor would he say what he would've said as the prostitute walked away in any other situation. By the end of the night you would want to pay me! he might have shouted were circumstances different, but he had no idea how low of an opinion Qailan had of him. He wasn't about to make it worse.

"The way I see it," he said after her death stick crack, "if someone wants to fry their brain doing drugs, that's their call. I'll try to keep them off the streets, but I won't delude myself into thinking that people won't get their hands on them."

He thought about all the other politicians, bureaucrats, and wealthier types who would spend their time here. They weren't like him, at least he hoped he wasn't like them. Ahdam thought of himself as someone who managed to hold onto some shred of dignity, attempting to be as honorable as possible.

"This isn't my scene, though," he said. "I know you know that I've done my fair share of partying over the years, but not like this. The wealthy come down here, the basement of their kingdom, to exploit people. They're so pathetic that they can't get anyone from their world, so they come down here and take what they can get."

 

[Sreeya]

Qailan simply rolled her eyes as he almost condescendingly remarked on the effects of deathsticks. What a self righteous prick! He probably used them left and right on his own free time. She couldn't think of what else he could have done back when he did nothing useful with his time. Qailan simply shrugged at his latter comment.

"Doesn't matter if they're paying for some high class whore or Toothy McGee over there, end result is the same. It's to fill a void, one which the last slivers of humanity have escaped from."

As they continued walking through the alley, the sounds of various drug lords arguing over money became quite evident. It was quieter here, but it was uncomfortable. The sirens of ambulances resounded in the distance, a constant reminder of the danger that lurked all around them. The rest of the journey was more silent, and Qailan quickly found exactly what she was looking for. She turned around a corner and spotted the homeless on the ground. There was a large dumpster from which various people were digging out their meals for the night.

"Ah, looks like we've arrived just in time for dinner."

This area was more open space, with a small fire crackling in the middle. There were women and children asleep on the ground, some looking as if they would never wake up again. Two men were squabbling and fighting over a banana peel. The smell was unbelievable. Qailan looked over at Ahdam.

"This is where you're staying. Make yourself comfortable."

 

[Ahdam]

Ahdam told her earlier that he didn't think he should feel pity for anyone like her or worse off, but rather they should feel pity for him and the things he had done and the person he was, but he was beginning to realize that it was easier said than done. Looking around, seeing the children shivering on the ground, looking like they were dead rather than asleep, he couldn't help but feel sorry for the hand that fate had dealt them.

It wasn't right. It wasn't fair. It just was and probably always would be. Ahdam could only hope to alleviate suffering and poverty, but he knew that eliminating it was a pipe dream. It was certainly a noble one to aspire to, but a naive one to believe would ever come to pass. Maybe he was wrong. He hoped he was wrong, but deep down he knew he wasn't.

That's why he didn't object when she, only somewhat surprisingly, pointed to where he was 'staying.' He half-suspected she would coerce him into staying the night on the streets. He didn't particularly want to, but he knew that, at the very least, it would be a learning experience.

"Yes ma'am," he said, walking over to a clearer area against a wall.

As he walked away, a group of thugs approached Qailan from behind. The lead thug, well over two meters tall, grabbed her on the shoulder and spun her around. He smiled a wide open grin, showing black and yellow teeth and emanating breath that smelled like a house full of dead bodies. He hadn't showered in weeks, maybe even longer, and he and his men each had knives in their hands.

"Well hallo der purty lady," he said, his Galactic Basic poor and his manners even worse, "I's Vard. "How bout yuu come back over ta mah en' of da street?"