Star Nomad Cast (starnomadnpc) wrote in starnomad, @ 2016-05-28 13:58:00 |
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Entry tags: | character: derek solo, character: lyric, character: rogan ardellian, date: [63.04], location: mon calamari (dac) |
Who: Rogan Ardellian, Lyric, and Derek Solo.
When: 63.04
Where: New Coral City, Dac (Mon Calamari)
What: Rogan comes over with news for Lyric.
Rating: Low
Status: COMPLETE.
"What has you so fussy today?" Lyric cooed gently at Derek as the boy whimpered in his arms. He wasn't expecting an answer. Even if Derek should be learning how to talk soon, the young boy remained quiet of anything relating to speech. But he did make up for it with motions and the occasional floating object in the force. Right now by Lyric's best guess Derek was feeling the effects of resisting his earlier scheduled nap, instead insistent on staying awake. It was as if something kept calling to the boy, keeping him alert instead of allowing him to rest. "Hush now." Lyric rocked Derek in his arms, small circles as the child clung to him. "You can hold onto daddy to sleep if you need to." The knock on the door was unexpected and jarred Lyric out of his soft soothing of his child. Derek's head perked up though, his cries quieting as he looked up at Lyric with big eyes that always seemed to know more than Lyric thought they should. Jacen's mother hadn't been the best teacher on just what to expect from a force sensitive infant, but then again Lyric had not done much to seek her out. "We're coming." Lyric singsonged as he walked to the door, his new visitor lighting a gentle light in his eyes. Rogan was here, his usual shy smile pushed aside. Instead Lyric's pilot looked worried, pensive, a look that Lyric didn't want and couldn't handle. Instead he leaned in, closing the gap and kissing Rogan with affection. He put a smile on, determined to ignore whatever terrible news Rogan was to tell him. "I thought you weren't going to be back till next week." his voice was light as he leaned in for another kiss. "You're a nice surprise." Rogan felt a lot like he did before he went up on a run into battle. There was the knowing what was coming, the determination to see it through to the other side, the dreading what could happen... but this was more complicated than all of that because there was more to this than just a mission, which might be life or death for him, but was emotionally fairly straight forward. This held a tight grasp on his heart even as he knew, knew that what he'd found out was something that Lyric needed to know and honestly, despite his own complicated emotions and the sense of loss that was running stronger with the light kiss Lyric offered him, Rogan knew how much Lyric had missed Jacen. It was evident in everything Lyric didn't say, as well as several that he had. "Change of assignments," he said simply, putting his hand gently on Lyric's shoulder and using it as a way to guide him over to the sofa. He felt as if it was probably a good idea if Lyric was sitting when he heard what Rogan had to say, particularly with him holding Derek as he currently was. This man was beautiful, and Rogan didn't want to lose him. He knew that what he was about to say was going to do exactly that. But Rogan also knew that it was going to happen regardless, and he couldn't have forgiven himself if he didn't come and say something and tell Lyric what he had uncovered almost by accident. He offered Lyric a warm smile, as he reached over to brush back Derek's still baby soft hair. "I was going to come by anyway, but then something came up that I thought you should know about." Rogan hadn't kissed him back. Instead he had reached out and led Lyric to sit down. Something had happened, something terrible and now Rogan was pulling away. The emptiness pulled at Lyric's stomach as he watched Rogan with quiet eyes. Whatever terrible things had happened in their time knowing each other, Rogan had always kissed him back. Now though Rogan's smile was tinged with something, sadness, regret? Each time Rogan went out on assignment there was a chance he wouldn't come back. Each time so far they had been lucky, Rogan came back to him and helped fill the void that had been torn out of his chest. But there were assignments people knew they wouldn't come back from and Lyric couldn't help but fear that this was going to be goodbye, that Rogan was going to walk out the door and be gone like everyone else. "Are you okay?" Lyric asked, quiet as he reached out to take Rogan's hand. "What is it?" "I'm fine," Rogan reassured him, although it was a flat lie. He really wasn't fine, but it wasn't bad news, and that was what Lyric was asking about. He threaded his fingers gently through Lyric's, knowing it would probably be the last time that he would. He'd told people worse news than this. This was good news, at least it was for Lyric. "It's good news, actually. I came in at the same time as a ship from Yuuzhan Vong space," he said simply. "There was enough buzz that it was impossible to not overhear some of what had happened." He moistened his lips and his fingers tightened gently on Lyric's for a moment. "Jacen was on that ship, Lyric. Jacen Solo. I heard it from the commanding base officer. They've got him in quarantine for the moment, but - he's all right, so far as anyone knows." While Rogan said he was fine, Lyric could feel the lie that was pulling at the fake smile on his lips. Whatever this was, Rogan was far from fine. But Lyric had never pressed Rogan to open up to him, much like Rogan had never pressured him. It worked for them, being there for the other even if they weren't entirely sure why. These visits had become a harbor for Lyric where he almost began to feel human again. When Rogan's confession finally came Lyric's fingers tightened reflexively over Rogan's as his eyes went wide. His heart stopped beating as a rush of blood flowed past his ears, drowning everything else out. He couldn't breathe, couldn't speak, and only managed to keep a grip on Derek because the small boy was clinging to him so tight. "Jacen." The name was a fractured whimper from Lyric's throat, a dream that couldn't exist because it had already been shattered. What Rogan was telling him was impossible. He had watched Jacen disappear from view, the pallor of Anakin's face as he had died in the force. "Jacen's dead." But his voice wavered, hesitant as he tried not to let himself hope that Rogan was telling him the truth, that this wasn't somehow a final cruelty to prove to him there was no point in hoping. "Apparently not," Rogan said kindly, his hands steady on Lyric's, keeping his own heart-beat and sense steady only by sheer practice, steely nerves being something that X-wing pilots had in spades. If he hadn't been certain of what he was saying he would have kept it to himself, but he was positive. It had been verified after he'd started asking around. By people who knew - people like Wedge Antilles. "Look, I wouldn't come here if I wasn't certain, Lyric. I wouldn't do that to you. I checked and double checked several times over. It's him. And I think the other Solo boy too. There were four total, but I didn't catch the other names." He reached over with his other hand to take Derek's hand in his and watched Lyric. "Do you want me to take you down there?" "He's alive?" Lyric could feel the heat around his eyes, water blurring his vision as this finally clicked into place. Jacen Solo was alive. His heart couldn't beat, his lungs didn't work, and the entire room felt like it might be spinning. For a moment he thought he might get sick, looking away from Rogan as he forced himself to take a quick gulp of air. Rogan's hand was tight in his, an anchor to reality. And reality was that Jacen had come back, alive. Just like he'd promised. "I need to see him." Lyric begged, turning back to Rogan in desperation. "Please. I need- Please." Rogan kept his hand on Lyric's. But the look on Lyric's face was enough to tell him why he had come. Lyric had missed Jacen, and Rogan had known it, even as he'd tried to pretend that it was possible that Lyric might learn to love him, and perhaps in time he would have, but this - was everything Lyric had hoped for but had never said to Rogan. "I'll take you down," he said calmly. "I don't know when they'll let him out, but you'll be the first he'll see then when they do. What do you need for Derek? Is there someone you can call for him, or should I get his bag?" "There's just Elix." Lyric tried to run through who he might trust with the small boy. But everyone who was left would be there, waiting for Jacen. And Lyric would wait for Jacen as long as it took, even if it was just for a moment to see him with his own eyes instead of hearing that his heart was waiting for him elsewhere on this planet. "I'll grab his bag." Lyric stood up, looking at Derek and the young boy staring back at him. "We're going to see papa." he whispered to Derek, his voice shaking with rapidly disappearing disbelief. He looked back at Rogan, letting go of his hand to reach up and cup his cheek. This man had given them so much and Lyric really had no way of repaying him, of repaying this moment. "Thank you." The smile that blossomed on Rogan's face was real, despite the equally real sense of loss that was threatening to well up inside of him. He would worry with that later, for right now the hope on Lyric's face was repayment enough. He stood and reached for Derek to take him while Lyric went to grab the bag. "It is better news than I usually get to give people," he said softly. "I'll do everything I can to make certain you see him as soon as possible." There were limits to what he was going to be able to do, but he knew that he'd do everything that he could to help speed this up for Lyric and make certain that he could see Jacen soon. And surely - well, the Solos knew what Lyric meant to Jacen. They'd be there, at least Rogan was reasonably certain they would be. And surely they wouldn't object... That smile was beautiful, despite the sadness that was plainly hidden behind it. Lyric reached in for a moment as Derek switched hands. Rogan had given Lyric so much, been at times the only piece holding him together when he thought that it might be worth it to simply give up. And now he had brought news of Jacen back, helping piece Lyric back together into someone resembling a whole person. And so he leaned in, pressing their lips together in a sad, firm kiss. It was everything he wasn't able to say, not sure he could even articulate. The kiss was a thank you and a goodbye all at once. And then it was a spell broken, Lyric pulling away to grab Derek's bag. There was the soft buzz of his communicator, the same old thing that Jacen had put together for him. His frozen heart leapt to his throat as he answered. "This is Lyric." His voice wavered and a strange swell of hope blossomed in his chest that he might hear Jacen's voice. The kiss pulled his heart up, swelling it larger than it had any right to do when the man in front of him wasn't his to keep. He lifted a hand gently to place it along Lyric's cheek with love and warmth before he pulled back. There really was nothing to say, and the emotions that had been building would be swallowed and pushed away, probably in a really good bottle of Corellian Ale before the night was over. In the meantime, Lyric would be reunited with the man that he loved. The commlink stopped him, and he was silent for a moment as Lyric responded. "Lyric, this is Leia Organa," her voice wavered. "I've got news, but it would be better told in person. Can you come down to the military base? Have them call my commlink direct when you get here?" "Of course." Lyric kept his voice steady as his eyes closed. Organa was contacting him. That meant whatever word Rogan had checked and double checked had to be true. Jacen was really here, on the base. It was barely any space between them at all in the scope of things, the scope of thinking Jacen was lost forever. Only now he was waiting, maybe even waiting for him. "I'll be there soon." Lyric answered as the communicator clicked off. He stepped closer to Rogan, looking up at him as he took another breath. "Lead the way." |