When we dropped out of hyperspace, I couldn't help but let out a deep breath, because we were back... at Iskandor. The orbital shipyard filled the viewport the moment the blue hyperspace tunnel had collapsed back to starlight, and I felt it immediately... I couldn't help it, really, it was... Just something that came onto me, that old, rigid pressure in my chest that I usually felt while I lived here. I hated it.
"The shipyards around the planet kind of look like iron ribs." Sareh muttered, sitting behind me in the cockpit of our vessel, "Mhm, modular construction platforms with escort destroyers hiding between... Well defended. Very nice!"
"After the Yuuzhan Vong War, they adapted new strategies to have layered defenses," I answered as we began our approach, Vila transmitting our ID on a specific frequency.
"I see." She hummed, crossing her arms, "I wasn't alive back then, so I have no idea how it was."
I was about to reply, but then I was scanned and hailed with an Imperial Remnant encryption.
"Kael?" Vila looked at me, and without thinking, and on a whim, I punched in my old clearance... and it worked.
That… surprised me. They never erased me from the registry? Or... They just reassigned my codes after our last visit? Probably the latter, if it was my father's doing.
"Kael." This time, it wasn't Vila who spoke my name, but my father's voice, coming through the comms. "I guessed it would be you."
"We did send a message ahead of time that we would be coming," I answered, keeping my voice as neutral as possible.
"Without names, but that was as good as telling me that it was you who was coming home. We will send over the coordinates, land on the surface."
"Oh?" I exhaled, holding back a sarcastic snort, "I'm being let back down to the planet? I hadn't expected that."
"You are a Jedi diplomat now," he answered, matching my tone perfectly, "And we will play the host's role."
And with that, communication was cut off, and we began receiving our vectors and coordinates, leading us to the family palace below.
"Bad blood?" Sareh asked, and it was HK who answered, sitting in his own spot.
[Statement: Meatbag Kael's family status is not for outsiders to speculate on.]
"I'm sorry," Sareh chuckled, not taking offense to it, while I perceived how Vila was about to laugh out, stopping herself in the last moment. I couldn't help but be surprised that HK spoke up like that for me... But... It made me feel good, especially because I didn't want to really go into a long explanation about my family matters... it was... complicated.
Focusing on putting the ship down on the planet, we were soon flying over Velcaris, the capital city where I was born and raised. Looking at the off-white buildings, the landscape hadn't changed much. As we glided forward, I could name all the noble estates we flew over, their green preserves, their sizes showing their owners' wealth and influence. In the distance, I could see the skybridges between administrative towers, where the main military academies were also located, raising the next generation of pilots and captains, painting the planet to look like... Paradise.
It looked prim, pristine... beautiful. Ordered... The latter may have been the perfect word for it, because order was demanded here, everywhere, reminding me of why the old Jedi failed too. Although the Dark Side is often lumped together with chaos, order itself can turn dark, just as well.
"There," Vila spoke up, and I could see the landing pad in the family estate as I flew towards it, slowly putting the ship down and setting the drives into standby, refusing to power down everything.
Just in case.
Vila stayed close to me as we descended the landing ramp, while Sareh observed everything she could, her eyes cataloging all that she could catch, acting like a guest, trying to disappear behind us. As for HK, he muttered something about being back in the meatgrinder and that hopefully, there would be another chance to fight, because this time, he was complete and ready for anything.
"Who is that?" Vila asked suddenly, because when we walked down from the platform, the one who was there, waiting for us... a young man, younger than we were.
"My younger brother... I think." I answered, a bit unsure, seeing the similarities in his and my father's face.
"You think?" Sareh asked, surprised, receiving a glare from Vila. "What? I'm just asking."
"I left when I was young and... well, he wasn't born... yet. I just found out days before I left that there's a possible Adrian who may be my newest brother." I answered absentmindedly, trying to remember, but by then, I hadn't paid any attention to family matters.
But I knew he was that Adrian, because the moment I swept over him with the Force, I could feel it, the similarity and bond between us, something that is only shared between family members. My younger brother looked and felt… right. Unlike my older brothers, I couldn't sense the same type of... How do I say this... He felt much more balanced. Proud, yes, but... not in an aggressive or haughty way.
That was the first thought that crossed my mind, anyway. As for how he looked, we were similar looking, only that he wore the Valtherion crest, and his posture was perfect, suggesting he was already at the naval academy, being refined, most likely being trained as a fleet officer.
"Was he your replacement?" Sareh asked, and her question was like a perfect knife, right into the heart. He could have been... He probably was, now that I thought about it. Vila was about to spew fire at Sareh, but my never-before-seen brother greeted us before she could turn around.
"You must be Kael," he said, putting a hand on his chest, bowing just slightly.
"And you must be Adrian," I answered, nodding my head.
"That's me," he said, his eyes flicking briefly to Vila, then to Sareh, measuring them both, with a light smile, "Ladies." Then his eyes moved to HK, "Droid."
[Sarcastic Greeting: Meatbag.]
"I heard about him," He answered with a chuckle, glancing at me. "Well, please, do follow me. Father is on his way, and until then, I was tasked to entertain you all."
As we walked into the villa, we passed mostly droids, caretakers of the place, and a few familiar faces from my childhood. None of them even looked at me... haah, no matter. After we entered my father's study, Sareh suddenly broke the silence, before I could.
"Honestly, no questions? From either of you?"
"My brother is no longer part of the family." Adrian said calmly, one eye moving towards me, looking for a change in my expression, "With the blunder of our Eldest Brother and the changes that happened after, I have been informed of most things, and I was told what the family's future is looking like. So... There is not much to discuss, really."
"What he said." I nodded, making Sareh look between us with a shrug.
"That's some Jedi bullshit..."
"Or it's not for outsiders to see or hear." Vila scoffed, making Adrian smile, agreeing with her assessment, while I just shrugged again.
Adrian, at least, was honest. He had curiosity towards me, yes, but... that was all. He didn't look at me as either a threat or a sibling. And for sure, he wasn't angry or suspicious, because he had a sure belief in himself and his own achievements within the family. It was then that my father walked in, holding a handheld projector, examining a half-assembled destroyer hull suspended in the dock's gravity frame, and watching as work crews moved along its spine like disciplined insects.
"We will return to the topic after I finish here." He ended the conversation just then, extingushing the feed and looking at me as the door closed behind him.
"You are back again," he said simply, and suddenly, I answered as I did most of the time in the past.
"Yes, sir."
While wincing in the way I spoke, I couldn't help but notice that the failure of my eldest brother had thinned him considerably, but I wouldn't dare to imagine that it had also weakened him. His gaze was as sharp as ever as his eyes settled on my prosthetic arm for half a second, but then again, he said nothing about it and just moved on, examining the rest of the group.
"I assume you didn't travel across the Mid Rim for pleasantries," he continued, "And I hope this has nothing to do with another Jedi investigation."
"No, not exactly." I answered, "It is a joint investigation between multiple parties."
"Even worse..." He inclined his head slightly as Adrian stepped up to him, took his coat, and led him to the main seat, "Well... Permission to proceed." He stated calmly as he sat down in his chair.
"I need a ship."
That made him pause for a moment, but Adrian, standing to the side of his chair, didn't react outwardly, but I felt his attention sharpen.
"What kind of ship?" my father asked. "Because there has to be a reason that you came to me... Your new family has to have their own, after all."
[Statement: Our mission requires us to blend in with Imperial designs.]
"What he said." Vila snorted, rolling her eyes, probably trying to make my father watch his tongue, but it fell on deaf ears, as he kept looking at me and ignoring everyone else.
I knew that look; he wanted to know the technical details.
"Small crew requirement." I began, straight to the point, just as he liked it, "We have four occupants, eight at maximum. What would be preferable is one with high automation and a reliable, strong hyperdrive. Something that is perfect for long-range jumps and extended stay in unhabited systems."
"Then you will also need," Adrian spoke up suddenly, "Independent life-support systems with ample redundancy, a workshop space, and cargo capacity that is sufficient for... recovery or equipment transport."
"Maybe." I nodded, looking at him, and was surprised that my father kept himself silent. It was enough to inform me that Adrian was being raised as the next head... or a possible choice for it, now that my eldest brother was gone.
"You intend to operate outside established lanes," Adrian said again, "That is apparent... yes?"
"Yes."
"Against who?" Father asked the next question, and I stayed silent for a moment.
"Against a possible threat."
Adrian's brow tightened slightly because it was a non-answer, but my father didn't blink.
"You are asking for a strike-capable, long-range reconnaissance platform," Father stated calmly, then shook his head. "You left to avoid becoming part of the fleet, and now you want a ship from that fleet. Unbelievable... But... Jedi-like."
"I left because of you and the rules," I stated openly, and finally, the air between us tightened a bit. "Look, I am not asking for an Imperial asset or one of your top-notch new variants. I am asking for a ship that can move around the Galaxy for an extended period of time, without the need to dock or get repairs."
"There is a prototype currently in evaluation," Adrian said suddenly, finally making my father look at him sternly, but he just continued as if not even registering his presence. "An assault reconnaissance variant. It would fit... It is highly automated, and we designed it for deep penetration behind enemy lines."
"That's enough." Father raised his voice, but Adrian stepped forward, not even hearing his order.
"Father, the Vindicator-class Adaptive Assault Corvette is perfect for this mission," he said, still smiling, going against his wishes without flinching, "We were looking to test it for years now, but without a proper opportunity... Now it had come."
"Vindicator?" I asked, thinking of the specific star destroyer type, but... looking back and forth between them, I could tell this was not that... and Adrian was already sharing more than my father was comfortable with.
"It was designed for penetrating the Unknown Regions and intelligence retrieval." He smiled proudly, "Its crew requirement is just a minimum of three personnel. Of course, for an optimal run, six would be better... But, it has automated gunnery, and the best computer-assisted navigation. Not to mention, its modular internal compartments allow us to modify and equip it as needed, and it has a two-tier hyperdrive, a primary military-grade for sticky situations, and a secondary civilian for fallback or leisurely travel."
"Why not give them the ship already?" Father snorted, his eye twitching.
"I plan to." Adrian nodded, "It's my design, after all, so I know it best, and I can tell when it can be tested to its fullest capabilities... And that is now."
As he was saying that, Vila shifted beside me, clearly impressed, while Sareh said nothing, but her eyes were logging everything. Just like HK.
"It is not yet officially commissioned," Adrian continued, "Performance data is incomplete, we can't miss this opportunity. The prototype lacks long-term deep-field measurements, Father. It requires exposure to unpredictable environments!"
"..."
"Father, you know I'm right. How many times did I make a mistake...?" Adrian asked, and I could feel the pride in him, keeping himself smiling even when my father's presence settled on him like a hungry rancor.
"None..." Father muttered, and his answer shocked me. I never heard say it like that... or buckle against one of his own sons?! What the... "It's on you, Adrian." He added, looking at my younger brother, "If this will be your first mistake... then it will be the biggest one of your life. So... Don't ruin it."
"Don't worry, Father," Adrian smiled, looking at me once again, "I don't make mistakes."