{{ absolved - chapter 05
-- FOUNTAIN PALACE – MEDICAL BAY / HAPES
“You two should have seen it. It was seriously one of the funniest things I have ever seen in my entire life – and you know I am not one to laugh at just anything.”
Tahiri giggled at Tenel Ka’s statement, Zekk nodding and smiling as well. He remembered all the times Jacen had tried to get her to laugh with his jokes. Of course, those usually weren’t as humorous as Jacen thought they were. “Well,” he started. “Now Jacen knows how to actually make people laugh.”
“Yeah, just get him drunk.” Tahiri quieted down as she heard the medical bay doors slide open across the room behind them.
Tenel Ka looked in between her two companions from her place on the bed in the corner and saw Gadell shifting around the room and talking to medics before approaching the bed.
“Morning,” he smiled politely, peering around to Zekk and Tahiri – and then finally to Tenel Ka. “Nice to see you awake, Tenna. You look better.”
“I feel better.”
“When did you wake up?”
She could see Zekk and Tahiri standing on either side of Gadell, Tahiri biting her lip and Zekk trying to avoid looking at the Admiral. She had to keep a smile from her face. “Early this morning. I was alone and it was dark in here, the lights were dimmed, so I figured it was not morning yet and just took a short nap till the medics showed up.”
Gadell nodded, and then his face lit up like he remembered something, his gaze turning to Zekk and then to Tahiri. “I talked to the Court about the investigation. We can start it first thing this morning out in the gardens where it happened.”
“We’ll head on out there right now and you can come meet us when you’re ready,” Tahiri said. She patted Tenel Ka’s leg at the foot of the bed and smiled to her, “It’s good to see you awake.”
“Yeah,” Zekk smiled. “We’ll all have to catch up over dinner later.”
“Definitely,” Tenel Ka responded, nodding slowly. “And thank you both for coming here.”
“No problem.” They turned and headed out of the medical bay.
Gadell watched them exit before turning back to her and beaming at her, “Jacen’s in the communications wing talking to Master Skywalker, I think. I just wanted to stop by and see how you were doing. I’m going to go out now though, and start figuring out who did this. After I address the media of course, and tell them you’re alright. I think I’ve left them waiting for an official statement since it happened…”
“Anhaje took care of it last night.”
“Damn, she’s more reliable than I am.” With a mock scowl, Gadell growled before laughing softly, Tenel Ka chuckling slightly with him. He reached down and brushed a few locks of hair out of her eyes.
“Thank you, Gadell. I should be up and out of here soon, so I will come out and see how everything is going in a bit.”
Before he was able to pull his hand back, her fingers lashed out from under the covers and yanked his wrist back towards her, startling him slightly. She turned his palm upwards and reached under her pillow, pulling out a single tiny item and setting it in his hand.
A silver bead.
The Admiral groaned at the sight of it. “Are you serious?”
“About what?”
“That was real? You were there?”
“Of course,” she said. The smile on her face small, almost unnoticeable and slightly lopsided – but it was also contagious, as Gadell’s lips did the same thing. His even shifted into a chuckle.
“Whoops.”
“I think you are blushing, Vessau.”
“I would never.” He wrapped the bead up in his hand and slipped it into his uniform pocket, before heading out to the gardens.
Quickly covering her mouth as a yawn formed, Tenel Ka moved in her bed, shifting sideways and throwing her feet over the side. Her head felt heavy and she knew she would be quite lethargic for a bit, but she knew nothing would be done if she stayed in bed all day. She blinked a couple times, trying to get the sleep from her eyes and attempting to get her vision into full focus. Anhaje was approaching her at that point, a hint of a grin on her visage.
“Why hello there, dear.” She sat herself down by the Queen Mother, draping her right arm across her shoulders. “And how are you feeling this morning?”
“Better.” She looked over to the handmaiden. “So what happened exactly?”
“Pulse beam from a blaster rifle. Gadell could give you all the gritty details I gave him – I don’t want to think about it again.”
“Mmm, I think that is all I need to know.”
“I just wanted to check up on you and let you know the medics said you’re good to go, but no strenuous activity for the next couple days, they want to check up on you twice a day and if you feel anything out of the ordinary you need to get back here right away. Think you can deal with that?”
Tenel Ka nodded, her eyes drifting out to the bay and all the equipment.
“Good. And let me know if you need anything.” She squeezed Tenel Ka’s shoulder and pulled her arm away, standing up. She was prepared to walk off when she froze and turned around. “One more thing.” Leaning down slightly, she lowered her voice. “I saw Jacen this morning and he seemed pretty distraught. I think it was the fact that he couldn’t come see you and had to go talk to Master Skywalker.”
“Maybe I will find him then and surprise him.”
Anhaje grinned. “I don’t even think he knows you’re awake.”
“Oh…” Tenel Ka raised her eyebrows. “He might.”
With the grin still apparent, Anhaje pointed back to the changing screen near the beds. “I left some clothes back there for you. The medics said to just leave the robe hanging over the screen.”
“Thank you.”
“Anytime, Your Majesty.”
Pulling herself out of bed and trying not to wince at the little needles of pain that still lingered in her system, Tenel Ka stretched and stepped over to the changing screen, slipping behind it and pulling the white gown off over her head. She yawned again, listening to the low conversations of the medics and the humming of the equipment around her as she unfolded the dress Anhaje had left for her. It was a pale brown, almost tan linen gown; simple and elegant at the same time -- a fact which caused Tenel Ka to smile inwardly. Anhaje knew her too well.
Slipping it on over her head, she then slid her feet into the sandals Anhaje had left on the floor and emerged from behind the screen, saying a few words and thanks to the medics on the way out of the bay. She headed for the communications center of the Palace, stopping and exchanging conversation and hugs with her father on the way, and waving and nodding at people in the halls. They seemed to be pleasantly surprised at how fast she was up and moving around. She still had a slight limp apparent, which of course, she tried to hide but she figured she wasn’t doing a very good job when people kept giving her good wishes for a speedy recovery.
Once she arrived at the communications center, she inquired to the guard about which chamber Jacen Solo had gone into. The guard pointed down the hall and told her it was the last one on the left – and then told her she was happy the Queen was alright. Smiling and thanking the soldier, Tenel Ka wandered down the hall and punched in the code to enter the chamber, slipping into the darkness.
She could see the back of Jacen’s head, peeking over the cushy leather chair and she could see the top of a holoscreen – with Master Skywalker’s forehead on it. The gray-streaked dark blonde hair was easily recognizable as was the voice she heard echoing in the chamber.
“What about the people who did it?”
“Zekk and Tahiri are helping Gadell with an investigation sometime today, I believe.”
“Alright, that sounds good. You’ll let me know if anything happens?”
“Of course, Uncle Luke.”
“Have you talked to your parents?”
“I commed them earlier this morning.”
“Good, they’ve been worried. I guess I’ll talk to you later then. And give Tenel Ka my best wishes.”
Tenel Ka snuck up behind the chair and moved to the left of it, staying out of range of the holorecorder’s pickup and sticking to the shadows along the wall.
“I will.”
“And Mara’s too.”
“And mine!” A shrill voice sounded from out of view.
“Ben’s too.” Luke added, grinning.
Jacen laughed, “Of course.”
The Queen Mother revealed herself at this point, stepping up beside the large holoscreen and leaning against the edge of it, right hand on her hip and eyebrow arched.
“Stay safe, Jacen.”
His voice cracked as he spotted her, responding excitedly to his Uncle. “You too, Uncle Luke! Talk to you later! Bye!” Flipping the switch on the chair to cut the feed, the holoscreen went off and dim lights around the chair came to life, bathing the room in a soft golden glow. “You’re awake!”
“You knew that already.”
“I had no idea!” He was standing in front of the chair, arms out to his sides and hands up, like he wanted to run over and grab her and hug the life out of her, but he just stood there awkwardly, trying to pick apart what she had said. He would’ve known she was awake if he had felt her out through their bond, but he had been too busy talking to Uncle Luke… And no one had come to tell him she was awake because he would’ve rem---
Beads. In his hand. She had moved forward and sprinkled them there, one of her copper eyebrows still arched.
“No.”
“Oh yes. Definitely.”
“That didn’t really happen,” Jacen gaped, staring at the beads. “I mean, I remember we had a couple drinks and… and…”
“And I woke up and felt out everyone in the Force, figuring you would all be asleep. I was surprised to find out you two were still awake. So, to stretch my limbs, I took a short walk. And you two ‘had a vision’…”
“No,” he repeated, slapping his face with his free hand. He could feel himself blushing. He had woken up that morning curled up on the floor, in a fetal position, beads spread around him and his lightsaber hanging above him. Jacen hoped at that instant he hadn’t done anything too stupid when Tenel Ka was in the room. Trying to push the redness from his face, he pocketed the beads and peered to her in the dim light. “So I take it you’re here to tell me I’m not good enough material for the Queen Mother anymore, yeah?”
He thought he saw the hint of a grin on her face as she moved over to him and leaned up, planting a lingering kiss at the corner of his lips. “I would never tell you that.”
“Are you sure? I mean, I think I hung my lightsaber from the ceiling so I could turn it on when I needed light in my room.”
“That was probably Gadell’s idea.”
Jacen beamed, wrapping his arms around her waist. He froze instantly when he felt her flinch. “What?”
“No, it is alright. I still ache a bit here and there, that is all.”
“Sorry,” he whispered, softly cradling her against him. “You know, I saw it happen live, on the holonews. I thought I had lost you.”
“No, Solo. You are still stuck with me.”
He chuckled, “Good. You scared me to death.”
They stood in the dark communications chamber, the dim light snaking up their embraced forms, and Jacen shifted his right hand into Tenel Ka’s hair, letting his fingers sift through the copper waves. He leaned down and pressed his lips to her forehead. “What do you say we go find out how the others are doing in the investigation?”
The Queen Mother nodded, and gently pulled away from him, heading towards the door. He was on her heels in seconds – Jacen wasn’t planning on letting her out of his sight.
-- FOUNTAIN PALACE – GARDENS / HAPES
“It was here,” Gadell was standing in the spot Tenel Ka had been in when she was shot, squinting his eyes against the afternoon sun. “And it came from over there, up over that wall.” He had shed his Admiral’s jacket and traded it for a simple sleeveless tunic, his gloves also absent. It was warm outside and he knew an investigation wasn’t a public thing, therefore he didn’t have to look his best.
“Did you see anything up there?” Zekk had followed the man’s finger to a tall wall surrounding the perimeter of the grounds.
“Arms. I saw arms.”
“Arms?” Tahiri was seated on the edge of one of the gardens many fountains, arms crossed over her chest and blonde hair pulled back into a thick ponytail. She, like Gadell, had decided it was too hot outside for Jedi robes and stuck to a simple pair of tan pants and a matching tank top, her feet bare as always.
“Yes.” He turned his attention to her, his eyes still narrowed from the sunlight and beads of sweat standing out on his forehead. “Whoever had shot her watched for a moment before bolting off.”
"Did you feel anything from them?"
He shook his head in her direction, his eyes glazing over momentarily as he thought back to the incident. "Not anything extremely telling. I felt malice and spite, but nothing specific concerning who they were or what they were here for besides your standard old angry and greedy assassination attempt."
“How many did you say there were?” Zekk asked.
“Four. They all had masks on. Knocked out most of the guards chasing them and got away.”
“Most of them?”
“They… They killed a couple too.”
Zekk grimaced, the words putting a damper on the bright afternoon.
The three sat in silence for a few minutes, Tahiri’s green eyes locked on the top edge of the perimeter wall, tracing it slowly as she stood and wandered along it. Zekk was meandering around near the front of the maze of hedges, gaze traveling along the ground and up and down the greenery. Gadell, on the other hand, was standing still in the middle of the stone walkway, arms crossed and head down, deep in thought.
“You look busy.”
Blue eyes snapped up to a set of brandy-browns and then over to tired stone orbs as Gadell watched Jacen Solo descend the steps in front of him with the Queen Mother at his side, down into the gardens.
“I was thinking,” Vessau feigned a whine.
“Hard for you?” Jacen tilted his head, amusedly.
“Oh, good to have you back, Solo.” Gadell smirked to the Jedi before slipping to the other side of Tenel Ka. “And how are we feeling this fine afternoon, Your Majesty?”
“Nnngh.” Tenel Ka mumbled something weakly as she peered around the gardens, trying to ignore the dull pain in her side.
“How articulate! Good to have you back too.” He placed his hand on her back and shot Jacen a glance before gently herding her towards the edge of the fountain. And helping her to sit in the spot Tahiri had vacated, he made sure that she was completely bathed in the shade of the hedges behind her. “There we go. Now you can relax and watch us work our magic.”
Gadell smiled inwardly as Tenel Ka just arched an obvious eyebrow of disbelief in response. She was definitely feeling better. A little, at least.
Backing away from her, Gadell turned to Jacen and placed a hand on his shoulder, leading him over to where Zekk and Tahiri were still poking around the greenery. He filled Jacen in on what had happened, the other two Jedi listening to his recollection once more, trying to pick up things they might’ve missed. Tenel Ka stared at the small group with glazed eyes, her skin still feeling clammy. She hadn’t had the chance to get cleaned up since the incident, so she tried to ignore the stale taste in her mouth and what felt like a layer of dirt covering her body.
“You alright?”
Tenel Ka snapped out of her trance and looked up from her slouched position on the fountain ledge. She saw Tahiri hovering over her, a spark of worry in her gaze. “Yes, I was just thinking.” She twisted her lips in a faint sense of amusement. “I am just now realizing how… unclean… I have become while lying in the medical bay. I have not had the chance to take a shower or anything.”
A short burst of giggles passed Tahiri’s lips as she planted herself beside the Queen Mother, their shoulders touching. The younger woman leaned in slightly and motioned to the Palace. “S’not like anyone cares. You’re the Queen. You can go in there as dirty as a womprat and stroll about and you’d still have subjects on your heels and suitors at your feet. Plus, come on, we’ve been on missions where we haven’t showered for days.” She drove home the last point with her fingers pinched over her nose.
“Fact.”
Another chuckle came from Tahiri as she looked from Tenel Ka back to the group of men over by the hedge maze, the three of them batting at each other’s hands and pointing past each other. Tenel Ka finally followed her gaze, a tired smile breaking her lips. The men’s voices were trying to raise over one another as they argued cordially and motioned spastically about whatever they were speaking of. Tenel Ka had to hold back a snicker. Tahiri, though, she just began laughing.
“Huh?” Gadell stopped instantly, as did Zekk and Jacen, and looked over towards the sound. “What’s so funny?”
“You guys aren’t gonna get anything done.” Tahiri shook her head.
“Not my fault,” Jacen’s lips thinned as he crossed his arms over his chest, both of the other men smacking him, Gadell on his shoulder and Zekk on the back of his head. “Heeeeey.”
Tenel Ka and Tahiri went back to their conversation, leaving the boys back in their argument, which Zekk and Gadell promptly continued, albeit a bit more subdued. Jacen stayed out of the fray at this point, his eyes still locked between Zekk and Gadell – on the two women sitting on the fountain.
Tahiri Veila had grown into a strong young woman since the war with the Yuuzhan Vong. She had been an important asset on the mission to The Urbania and Jacen couldn’t help but feel proud of her. Losing Anakin and going through what she had with the Yuuzhan Vong had left permanent damage on her mind, but she never showed it. The pain never got to her, she never let it – and Jacen admired her for that. He was also fiercely overprotective of her – she had become like a little sister to he and Jaina, filling in some of the space Anakin had left. Normally, that idea would seem harsh and wrong, but Jacen had a feeling that Anakin wouldn’t have minded Tahiri filling in for him after he had died.
As his eyes trailed down from her blonde hair, past the scars on her forehead, to her bright green eyes, Jacen let himself grin – a sort of mirror to the smile she had pasted on her face now as she laughed at the conversation she was having. She was going to make somebody very happy someday and part of Jacen wished it could still be Anakin, but he knew Anakin would want her to move on and be content with her life.
“Jacen,” Zekk said.
“Hmmm?” Finally looking away from the women, he peered to Zekk, his eyebrows rising in a questioning manner.
Gadell spoke up, relaying the information he and Zekk had been speaking of. “Tenel Ka needs to leave.”
“What?”
“What if they come back? They know she lives here,” he motioned with a quick wave to the Palace, “obviously. And there’s a whole galaxy out there where they wouldn’t know where to look.”
Jacen’s eyes shifted between the two men, both of them looking back at him with worried gazes. They were right, as much as he hated admitting she shouldn’t stay at the Palace, he knew it was the best option. “Then what do we do?”
“You go with her.” The Admiral placed a hand on his shoulder. “You two can leave and the three of us can finish this investigation and get down to the bottom of who did this. Once we find out, we can neutralize the threat, take care of them and she can come back.”
“Plus,” Zekk added, with the hint of a smile on his face. “It’ll give you time for you two to catch up, right?”
Jacen tried to curb the red that was seeping into his cheeks, and opening his mouth to respond, he was cut off by another voice.
“What are you talking about over there?” Tahiri called out from the fountain, her barefeet lazily slapping on the stone below her in a rhythmic pattern.
“Come on,” Gadell said, under his breath. He shifted out of their loose circle and paced towards the fountain, Zekk and Jacen on his heels. Once he stopped in front of the women, he shifted slightly to the left so that a group of tall hedges were standing between him and the sun. “We were thinking maybe Tenel Ka should leave.”
She had looked weak still, since she had gotten out of bed that morning, and this was the first time she had stiffened visibly, her face growing hard. “What?”
“If they come back, you won’t be here. Nothing happened to this place while we were gone last time.” Gadell didn’t want to say The Urbania, and he figured she knew what he was speaking of. “Everything was handled fine.”
“So you are saying Anhaje should act as me again? And what if they come back and attempt to kill her?”
“We just won’t put her in the public eye,” he paused. “At all.” His eyes trailed from Tenel Ka’s to Tahiri’s and around the group to Jacen and Zekk. “It’ll be like you’re still here. But we won’t schedule any public appearances or anything – you are supposed to be recovering, after all. You’ll just stay “locked up in your quarters”, while the investigation gets taken care of.”
Tenel Ka seemed to nod a bit at this, soaking in all the information. “Where do I go?” She asked suddenly.
“You’ll go with Jacen.”
“Where?”
Gadell waved his hands around in front of him, hesitating. “Somewhere. We’ll figure something out.” He finally reached down to help her stand. “You should get back inside, it’s too hot for you to be milling around out here in your condition.”
“I am fine.”
Gadell and Jacen both arched eyebrows at her, Zekk and Tahiri exchanging an amused glance.
“What?”
“You’re pretty much sweating a waterfall off of your forehead,” Zekk motioned with a pointer finger to her face.
Bringing her hand up to her head, she felt prominent beads of sweat standing out above her eyes, shifting as she ran her fingertips across them. Once she put her mind to it, she did feel a little warm. A bit dizzy as well.
“Come on,” Jacen placed a hand at the small of her back, his palm splaying out across the tan dress, which was also damp with sweat. “I’ll drop you off at your quarters and you get cleaned up.” He nodded to the two Jedi and the Admiral, and then gently herded the Queen Mother back towards the stairs back up into the Fountain Palace.
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