{{ simply being loved - chapter 25
Late afternoon settled over the Palace as Hapan Commander Gadell Vessau dressed himself in the dimming light of the medical bay. The head medic had briefed him on his screening, and what happened with the cube lodged in his back.
After she left, Gadell had sat on the floor, with his back against the bottom of the bacta table and let his thoughts drift through his head. It felt odd being back to normal. It felt different, being able to laugh and cry and make snide remarks like he did in the days before Ta'a Chume crossed his family. The Gadell that Jacen Solo had met was like the normal Commander, except multiplied negatively many times. Gadell Vessau was a good person, easy to get along with, who loved to make jokes at the slightest thing, but just out of fun; not spite or hatred like the poisoned Gadell had been doing.
He had gotten dressed into a dark navy blue casual flightsuit and pulled on a pair of tall black boots. His body was still a bit numb from the bacta treatment, but he was getting used to moving at his own accord again. He slid a pair of plain gloves over his hands and started out of the medical bay, vowing to set things right.
"What do you want?"
Gadell sat down crosslegged on the stone floor, in front of an old prison cell, setting a tray of food in his lap. The few new cells on the floors below them used layers of glass and force fields to keep prisoners in. The Hapans didn't think this prisoner deserved the luxury of a high-class cell; so they threw her into a damp, old cell on the prison's first floor. The walls were stone and the front was a set of beams that shot across from one side to the other. The beams were spaced closely together and any sort of material sticking through the beams would quickly begin to disintegrate. Nicknamed "blaster bolt" cells, these cells held the lowliest of prisoners.
"Ta'a Chume."
"What do you want?"
"I just wanted to bring you your dinner." Gadell nodded to the guard who flipped a switch, which shut off a few of the lower bolts so Gadell could slide the tray under. Ta'a Chume was seated cross-legged on the inside the cell, facing Gadell in a hauntingly identical way. Gadell picked the tray up off of his lap and slowly slid it to her, under the lit beams. After he retracted his hands, the guard flipped the switch again and the beams were instantly replaced. Gadell nodded to the guard again who then turned and exited the corridor, leaving Gadell and Ta'a Chume alone.
"Where is Tenel Ka?" The former Queen Mother sneered the question, as if she wanted to check whether Tenel Ka was alive or not.
Gadell thought of the red-headed royalty whom was quarantined in her quarters at the moment. She hadn't seen her or Jacen since before they all were immersed in their treatments. His oceanic eyes drilled holes into Ta'a Chume's tired orbs.
"I asked you a question, Vessau."
"And who ever said you deserved any kind of answer?" Gadell spoke calmly, sparks of airy cerulean dancing in his eyes. The former Queen Mother just watched him with narrowed eyes.
Gadell snickered, leaning his face in close to the bolts of light, shooting across the opening. He knew what he was about to say most likely was not true at all, but for some odd reason, he wanted to see Ta'a Chume get angry. He wanted her to lose herself in her own blind hatred.
"I'm sure by now Tenel Ka and General Jacen Solo are up in her quarters, professing their love to each other." A sly grin crossed his face as his voice lowered to a throaty whisper, "...maybe they're even in her bed together, making up for lost time. Jacen's running his hands all over her body; a lowly Solo boy touching your granddaughter, the Queen Mother of Hapes... and she's enjoying every second of it, drowning in his attention."
"Shut up."
"She loves him, Ta'a Chume. And no matter what you have ever said to her, that will not change. But then again... you wouldn't know about a silly little thing like love, would you? Mercilessly killing people for inane reasons, her mother, my mother, who knows how many others..."
Ta'a Chume stared up to him, from her place on the ground, her eyes boring into his. He paid no mind to her stony gaze, and continued.
"I hope Jacen and Tenel Ka are together right now, reveling in each others pleasure and love. If only for the fact that I know how mad it would make you." Gadell tilted his head to the side, the ends of his hair falling behind his shoulder.
"You are an idiot."
"Harsh words, Ta'a Chume."
"But true."
"So wait, I am an idiot, you say?"
"I did not stutter."
"Whatever you say. Just watch your tongue."
Ta'a Chume scowled and began shoveling the prison food gruel into her mouth as Gadell stood up and turned away from her cell, exiting the long corridor.
As he shut the corridor's door behind him, he spoke quietly to himself, his lips moving ever so slightly. His face, serious and still.
"Literally Ta'a Chume, watch your tongue."
Jacen stalked down one of the main corridors of the Palace, pulling the cuffs of his flightsuit up past his elbows. He was on his way back to his room for some reason he had forgotten the instant he turned the corner towards the guest chambers. A figure accidentally slammed into him and one glance upwards after regaining his balance; Jacen knew exactly who it was.
"General, I apoligize."
"Commander... call me Jacen."
"Only if you call me Gadell," a small smile formed on the pale face of the man standing in front of him.
Incredible.
"Gadell it is. Are you feeling better?" Jacen asked, trying to mask his awe at the visible difference in Gadell's mannerisms, healthy appearance and attitude.
"I am." Gadell opened his mouth to speak again after that and words escaped Jacen's lips at the same instant.
"Look Jacen, this..."
"Gadell, listen I..."
They chuckled, both laughs sounding a bit nervous.
"Go on." Jacen nodded.
"Jacen, I just wanted to apoligize." A shake of his head as his soft blue eyes trailed to the ground, "For everything."
"None of it was your fault."
"I know. But I still feel like it was. I am afraid it will always be like that."
Gadell was open to the Force and Jacen took advantage of that by prodding Gadell's sensitivity, sending him waves of pleasant calmness. It was a way of accepting his apology. The Commander smiled, a large genuine grin that held that glint of Corellian mischief.
"Gadell, it's all over. Everything is fine." Jacen continued, referring to Gadell's Force powers, "You and I have to talk later. But right now, my Uncle would like to speak to you. He's in the auxiliary dining hall, I believe. I have a... meeting to attend."
"Thank you, Gen--- Jacen."
Solo nodded, the lopsided grin crossing his face as he held his right hand out in front of him. Gadell took it in his own right hand and gave a few firm shakes. Jacen pulled him into a brotherly hug and spoke quietly. "Welcome back, Gadell."
"Thank you." Gadell returned the hug and then walked past Jacen, towards the dining hall, stopping for moment. "Wait..."
Jacen stopped his forward motion and turned his head back, "Yeah?"
"How's Tenel Ka?"
"She's fine." Jacen beamed. "Back to her normal self."
"Glad to hear it."
"You should go talk to her later. I'm sure she'd be happy to hear from you."
"I will." Gadell nodded. "And Jacen?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks again."
"You're welcome." Jacen watched him vanish down the hall and continued to stare in muted awe. He was a whole different person.
Drawing in a deep breath, Jacen turned back to the task at hand. Night had fallen. It was time to get to Tenel Ka. Guards were less present during the night hours, and Jacen knew he had to take advantage of this to speak to Tenel Ka.
I actually have a good feeling about this.
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