Hoth: Blood and Ice

[Nudimsu]

3635 BBY

It was a long few days. Kodurasu was being cranky along the way here to Pantora. Been so busy with the war that he couldn’t possibly make his way over here until now. Which is fine, others did well without him. Just did what he could to keep his people safe. It was a strange visit to Verash . All they did was talked about Durasay and some of the memories we had of him together. Never really spoke all that much when he was alive, so it was strange that they had formed one after he died. Grief makes strange bedfellows. Still, she was a lot more pleasant that he had expected. She even cried a little beforehand while his kids just played alone to the side. Kodurasu was too young to really be affected by any of this. Nudimsu just stood there and looked at her heat, as he always did; at least she was able to express how she truly felt about all of this. Although she seemed personally touched when he explained Kodurasu’s name.

Family name of a human. Pantoran personal name. Maybe she’ll grow up not to be a Suzzao; would not wish that on anyone, really. She has no connection to the Ascendancy beyond himself now, and maybe that was for the best; his life was here now, with all the happiness and heartbreak that it brought. She was so small, beautiful red irises in white sclera. Apparently, Lana’s eyes changed as she dealt with more of the Dark Side of the Force, so who knows what her original color was. Never bothered to ask her, and it hardly mattered.

He always focused on the unimportant things; the most important thing was in his arms, though.

They walked together to the statue’s ceremony. Probably one of the many around. Verash gave a speech about Durasay’s life and what she had meant to him; she had asked Nudimsu to say a few words, but he didn’t think it right to do so. It was better to give it to a few of his Marauders were survivors, and they deserved to speak. He was just some Chiss he had hired for a job and ended up becoming family.

No…wanting them to speak just was an excuse. He couldn’t…he was barely holding himself together.

Had to took Kodurasu and step away from the proceedings. Closest place was park; just needed to breath a little.

Hacha was dead, Durasay was dead, Pipka had become some half-robot thing and never was really the same after that. He left after the war ended to do something or another with his goats and the droid brain and wrote books or something. He was not really sure about it, really. All he really had left here was Lana and Kodurasu, though Lana was busy helping rebuild the Empire. Just needed to get away…from everything So, he found a quiet place to sit, his daughter in his lap as he bounced her up and down. It was just himself here for the moment, and in that moment, he had finally had a chance to let it out.

He wept for his old family, long since gone from him and remaining on Csilla. He wept for the new one had made after his exile, for they were also gone. He had no choice now but to start again, as he always did. Upon the foundation of Lana and Kodurasu, even Jolene. he would have to rebuild a new family once again. At least this time he had learnt from his mistakes of the previous two. Water flowed from his eyes and his body began to. His breathing labored. But he kept holding her tightly to keep her stable. They were at peace now, and peace was the time for a Chiss to let out their emotions. He would soon recover himself and return to his usual neutral form. He would then return to ship and visit “Auntie Riss”, as she so demanded to be called by his daughter (another strange human custom).

Even further still, another job would need to be complete, a new crew for the Turtle, and new challenges in a slowly recovering galaxy. He and Lana would be busy for years to come with that and their daughter and however many other children.

In this moment, though, he could simply focus on himself. He had earnt the right to do that. He...he needed to do that.

Kodurasu’s eyes were not focused on Nudimsu, however. Her eyes gazed upon the other man sitting next to him which her father did not seem to notice. His white hair and muscular form standing next to him, and his hand on his shoulder, as it often was long ago, giving comfort to his friend. It was comfort Nudimsu could not feel nor could he see.

She cooed at the sight of the ghost's smile.