The Morning After

[Inyos Aamoran]

It was such a Mandan thing to say: to take the simple terms that Inyos was so fond of, and point out that life, that the real world, was always almost far more complicated. He would have loved this: would have loved watching Inyos come to terms with being both a Master and a father; having both a daughter and a Padawan. Beneath it all, Inyos functioned in simple terms, needing to define and understand everything, craving neatness and order. Mandan had always simply shrugged, and pointed out that no matter what labels or analogies or definitions you tried to apply to things, they were just going to keep on being what they were in spite of you. Inyos had voiced his frustration at Mandan's stance to his Master once, but to his deepening annoyance Andor Tyree had essentially agreed. Reality was vast, he had said. There was room for infinite diversity, in infinite combinations. In matters such as this, every answer, every definition, every interpretation could be the right one.

For a quiet moment, he considered her analogy, trying to understand her viewpoint in her terms. It was distracting, not because of any wrongness or confusion on Sadie's part, but because of what the analogy reminded him of. An old reflex awoke, urging him to push them aside; but he stopped himself. Elira was not the source of discomfort she once had been, and if Saidra's infinite combination was to include both Padawan and daughter at once, perhaps he needed to stop compartmentalizing himself as a singularity as well.

"I do not know much about cards," he admitted; at first the words came out in sage terms, as if it were the start of some deep insight into the universe. He carefully unraveled his voice, seeking something more conversational. "I couldn't even play Pazaak until your mother taught me. She found it amusing, proof that I really was the sort of Jedi who didn't have time for fun and games. She said that learning to play would help me, that I needed to lighten up, and learn how to be a normal person more. So I learned. Or I tried. Your mother was -"

A faint breath of laughter escaped from Inyos. At the time he had not found it nearly so amusing, but nostalgia had cast a strange new hue over so many of his memories from those days.

"I think your mother was more interested in watching me lose over and over. She reveled in my frustration quite often."

A soft sigh escaped him, wistful more than frustrated. His eyes had strayed, staring off into space; he steered them back to Sadie, warming his expression with a smile.

"The rest of the crew would play Sabaac from time to time. I did not take part at first: Elira said it was because I thought I was better than them, but in truth it was because I felt -" He trailed off, searching for the right word. "- not unwelcome; out of place, perhaps? Mandan became one of them swiftly, but I always struggled, always felt like I did not belong among the laughter, and the fondness. One day though, your mother insisted. She said that everyone could choose not to be alone, if only they were brave enough. That was -"

Inyos trailed off, more a reaction to the unexpected swell of emotions that crept up on him, rather than a deliberate choice to spare his daughter from any elaboration on the circumstance of her conception. He frowned, a surprising amount of effort taken to compose himself.

"Regardless, I joined the crew for Sabaac, and I was singularly terrible. They taught me as we played, and I attempted to do as they explained, but every time I attempted to bluff to gain the upper hand, they saw through my efforts. Quin-Tain said that I had what he called a tell. He said that without meaning to, without wanting to, I somehow revealed to all of them what I was thinking. It was not something that occurred to me at the time, but perhaps your problem and my problem are the same: we need to learn how to control our tell, so others cannot know what cards we are holding."

[Sadie K'Vesh]

Sadie couldn't help but go and laugh a little at it. Not entirely at the whole thing of her mum picking on Inyos - though that was certainly a bit of it. More of them both having tells and folks knew damn well what they were. Was something understandable, on a basic damn level instead of a Force user one.

She'd gotten damn good at hiding stuff from folks, recent so more than anything else, but there were still some who could see right through her no matter how hard she tried. Okay, so the number of folks she was aware of that had that ability was a resounding two; and one of them she didn't mind so much if he knew things she was trying to not let on about but the other? Well, trying to keep her Uncle out of her affairs and mind was a learning process. Not that she ever wanted to completely shut him out but... well, would be nice to pick and choose what Atton was keen on.

Not that what she was learning now was gonna help on that front. Not entirely, at least; though Sadie was starting to see how the verse was setting this all up. Cracking the code of fate in a way.

Alright enough of that sort of over drama thinking for now, Sadie had to get back to the task at hand. Baby steps or one gorram thin' at'a time after all.

"Okay, right." She half mumbled to herself to refocus.

Time to take everything and put it together. Encript her thoughts, get rid of the tells, create a song that only certain folks knew the impact of the lyrics. Yeah, easier said than frakkin' done but she'd managed to shut Inyos out, now to just go and figure out how to let him back in.

So Sadie set about letting that tune run through her again, absorbing herself with it and then shifting it so it was only there for her. She'd gone and closed her eyes for part of the process as she'd focused. Felt like the proper thing to do after all, but once everything was supposed to be silent again she cracked one eye open then the next. The small nod she got from Inyos let her know she was on track. Good, so now to reopen the doors, to give her dad the key to the code she was making.

Back to the cards metaphor - kill the tell but signal your partner 'bout your plan, let 'em know your hand without letting other folks in on the deal.

It wasn't happening.

So no, that weren't it. It was something else. It was... trust.

Trust to let Inyos hear the melody that was so close to her, trust that he wasn't gonna take it away or muck it up or think anything of it instead of just her.

And that was the truth too. Sadie was new to this whole real honest trust thing but Inyos was one of the few who had it in spades when it came to her. Wasn't just a Force thing or a teacher thing or a Dad thing but it was all of it and none of it and was as hard to describe as if she was going and trying to tell a blind person what colors were. But it was still there and that was what she focused on now. That feeling, that knowledge. Maybe it wouldn't go and work, but it was another one of them things that just made sense to her and so far it hadn't quite steered her wrong.

[Inyos Aamoran]

People often described consciousness in the strangest way. Their mind was an open book. Their eyes were windows to the soul. People were closed minded. Open minded. Always something mechanical, something physical, something that could transform from one to the other with a simple process.

With the way the Force allowed Inyos to perceive the world, the minds of others were no such thing. Just as with everything else that had been discussed and considered between the Jedi and his daughter, it was a hard thing to put into words; but given their current location, in a metallic construct high in the skies of Bespin, perhaps the analogy that worked best for now was that of a sun, and clouds. To Inyos, Saidra's mind had been bright and radiant, beaming out like the noonday sun. Thoughts and emotions conflicted across it's surface, like flares, or heat haze, or whisps of cloud; but it was always there, warm and comforting, bringing light into a life that otherwise been empty and cold for far too long. Even when she travelled, departing Bespin for distant worlds alongside her hunter, he could still feel her like a star in the distance - or perhaps he couldn't; perhaps it was wishful thinking; but if so, it was a self-deception he was more than happy to indulge.

That changed, though. As Inyos sat, and watched without watching, he felt that radiance dim, a storm of heavy cloud collecting between them to block out the sun. Part of him was proud, buoyed by Sadie's obvious success at the first part of her efforts; but another part of him felt the cold chill of absense began to creep across his skin, the warmth and colour of the world around him stripped away as Sadie's mind isolated itself from the Force. But then it shifted, a gentle gust coaxing a handful of cloud aside, a prismatic beam of rainbow light lancing out in his direction, carrying with it a graceful, gentle melody that Inyos had never heard before, and yet recognised deep within his soul.

His eyes opened, and he watched his daughter, brow furrowed, eyes crinkling periodically with concentration. Since he had learned of her existance, and of their connection, it had been hard to avoid wondering about the moments he had missed. He had wondered how it would have felt to hold her for the first time as a newborn, to wrestle with the terror of holding something so frail and yet capable of instilling such powerful emotions within you. He had wondered how it would have felt to watch her as an infant, eagerly struggling to make her first unsteady steps in his direction. He had wondered if over the course of her life, the novelty of being described as her father would have faded; or would it have grown, more intense and valuable in parallel with his increasing pride of who she became? If this current moment was any indication, it seemed that it would be the latter; though how his pride and adoration could exceed it's current limits, he did not know.

A stray thought twisted the sentiment, realising that this feeling, this love and attachment that had formed out of nowhere, was explicitly forbidden by the Jedi Order he had once served. They branded it as evil, something to be avoided at all costs; and worse, Inyos had once agreed with that mentality, believed that love's potential to wound and corrupt was dangerous enough that the risk outweighed the benefits of letting the Jedi feel what he felt. He supposed that over the course of his life, he had witnessed first hand the damage that love could cause. Loving Elira as he had caused them both such pain. Loving Mandan like a brother had led to their mutual downfall. Loving Lúka as an apprentice had torn a hole in his heart. And yet, was the harm and hurt not a paltry price to pay for how much better a person he was when surrounded by those he cared for? Was Saidra's mere existance not a resounding counterpoint to any justification the Jedi Order could muster? It wasn't anger that he felt, it was something more impotent than that: a desire to challenge and contest the teachings of the old Order, twisted into frustration by the realisation that they no longer existed. Their teachings had faded not because they had been overturned by wiser minds, but because those who felt beholden to them had all since died. Though, Inyos supposed, was that not always the way with beliefs?

He sat in silence, wondering what beliefs Sadie might choose to adhere to. He had been so quick, so willing and eager to make the heartfelt gesture of inviting her to become his Padawan, but he had never stopped to consider whether the path of the Jedi was one she desired to pursue. From what he could tell, his daughter was not someone who strove to be defined by labels: she carved her own path, and fashioned a bespoke identity for herself; and such individuality was likely a far cry from the beliefs of any order that might seek to claim the Jedi name. If she was to be something other than a Jedi, then where did that leave him? There was no choice, no contest, if Inyos was required to choose between the Order and his family; but if he did so, where would that leave him? What would that make him? Who and what was Inyos Aamoran, if not a Jedi?

That sombre thought descended on him, dark clouds now gathering around his thoughts rather than Sadie's. He ignored them, offering his daughter a smile instead.

"Excellent," he said gently. "Exactly like that."

[Sadie K'Vesh]

Rather than feeling that comfy sense of accomplishment, Sadie felt something were, well, not right. Weren't coming from her though, she felt for a wonderfully amazing change that everything was honestly good with her just then. Things had fallen in place and she'd sussed them out and puzzle pieces had fit and all that. No, it was something else. Someone else, if she was being honest with herself. Given the level of trust it'd taken to achieve what all she'd gone and done, well, felt like there was some necessary give and take needing to happen.

"Everythin' a'right over there?" The question was the sort she knew the answer to already, but felt obliged to go and ask. Weren't proper to notice a body suffering and not make an attempt towards at least acknowledging that.

"Y' don't have t' say, if y' don't wanna." Bit of comfort offered again, best she felt she could do really. "But y'know I'm here, right?"

Okay, best weren't quite true. There were steps further. Just a bit of a lean forward from where they were sitting across from each other let Sadie reach out physical like and place a hand on one of Inyos'. Were the sort of thing she'd seen folks do and yet knew it weren't just some banthadren show but actual real help even if it was just slight.

"This whole thing ain't some one way lane, savy? I get you're the teach an' all an' yeah, things have been all kins'a sideways fer me an' suck, but I get they ain't all been sunshine an' flowers for you, neither. What with..." She struggled to say mom, struggled more with the woman's actual name. "Folks you knew but never expected to see again croppin' up."

Sadie forced a half smile, not the greatest she could manage but it'd do right there and then. "I ain't alone no more. The same goes for you, kay? We can talk or not talk 'bout what's eatin' at ya."

[Inyos Aamoran]

A memory flashed through Inyos' mind, both vivid and painful. For a moment, the pain of Lúka's death was a fresh and open wound again; the next, a touch of a hand on his offered a blissful instant of respite. Then though, it had been Elira who'd been responsible, and while her affection came from a very different place, the compassion and desire to comfort was the same. Inyos didn't move, for fear of dislodging it. He almost took her up on the invitation to remain silent; but what would that gain? What sorrow was lessened by secrecy? What pain didn't fester and worsen if hidden and untreated? Yet, the words were difficult to find, the notion difficult to explain.

"It is selfish."

That much he was sure of. Despite Sadie's words to the contrary, on this front at least his own woes paled in comparison to yours. That Inyos had missed out on her life thus far was a situation of his own making, at least in part; but Sadie's lot in life had been inflicted upon her, the result of decisions made by parents who until now had been without names or faces. To even entertain sadness or grief at his absense of her life was absurd: had he not chosen to leave, all their lives would have been very different, most likely for the better.

"But while it is a joy to grow to know you now, at times I am sad to have missed so much of who you were before. I wish that -"

He stopped himself. No. That wasn't write at all.

"I would not presume to change our past, because that is what has led us to here, and nothing is worth the risk of losing that. Even so, I find myself wishing that I could have been there, to do better by you than what you suffered."

A single note of a hollow laugh escaped from him as a breath.

"I know I have said this before, but I will do so many, many times more. I am sorry for what you endured without me, Sadie; and I do not yet know how to properly atone."

[Sadie K'Vesh]

"Y'already are, ain't ya?"

Felt like a bit of a paltry offering, that; but the way Sadie saw it it weren't a lie either. The fact that Inyos wanted to make right by her and was trying to seemed a whole heck of a lot like the step he was wanting to make. Maybe it really weren't all as simple as that, but that was the best way to keep things weren't it?

"No more of that what-if an' might-have-been, dr-" She caught herself and uncharacteristically swapped a word. "Stuff. Okay? I mean, look at this way, I ain't even reached half of m' supposed life expectancy so y' got plenty of time left, right?"

Always the joke, but far from a lie neither. When every day was one you were thankful to just wake up without a splitting headache, you tried to make the best of it all and that included making up for lost time and lost lives and anything else lost. So what if Inyos and her had just realized a big reason as to why it was The Force kept trying to shove them towards one another. They didn't get it the times before but they sure as frak could now.

"This is gonna sound all kinds a' stupid but, yeah... Y're here now, with the knowledge y' got. Y' didn't run off when things got more complicated s' y' already got one up on me there. Already are bein' the sort of example a dad should, I think."

She moved then, just a subtle shift so she could fully sit back down and keep the rips of her fingers against his hand. A bit of that same goofball smile worked it's way back to her, just enough to prep for another round of teasing.

"As long as y' don't go threatenin' Vitt, I think you're doin' just fine."

[Inyos Aamoran]

You already are.

There were times, weighed down by all his regret and brooding, that Inyos could not fathom the way that his daughter saw the world. There were differences of course, discrepencies, disconnects between what she said, what she thought and felt, and what projected in her eyes without intention; but she saw things in a way that he did not. She made it sound so simple, and as she did the complicated knot in Inyos' mind untangled into comprehensible strands. He was here, she was here, and the Force was responsible for that. Inyos stopped himself before he allowed that notion of Force culpability to grow into a full excuse; but regardless, there was future ahead of them, just like she said - more for her perhaps than for him, but still - and that was where his focus needed to be, not wallowing in the darkness that both of them had left behind.

He smiled, both at the sentiment, and at Sadie's efforts to censor herself. Inyos would not have minded in the slightest if every second word she spoke was a profanity - he knew her mother, for Force sakes; it would hardly have been unexpected - but there was something touching, warming about the way she felt the need to. Inyos couldn't bring himself to decide whether it was respect, or protocol, or something else; but he was her father, and that was why. He hoped the little reminders like that would never stop, and would never cease to tug at the corner of his mouth.

The smile threatened to broaden, and he fought against it, instead insisting that his brow furrow into a frown, head tilting slightly to the side in innocent curiosity.

"What reason would I have to threaten Captain Montegue?"

[Sadie K'Vesh]

Now she couldn't help but go and laugh outright. Not for long, and not in any mocking sort of way but it was still one of them hard to grasp things that her parent knew less 'bout the verse and random tropes than she did.

"It's a... A thing that happens in books an' films an' th' like. Overprotective dad syndrome, I guess. I can only kinda guess at it, bein' not a parent an' all an' guessin' it has somethin' t' do with dads havin' once been boys datin' girls and so they kinda get what a guy might be after. Though sometimes it's jus' kinda in the shape of, 'break her heart and I break your face' and..."

She had to stop herself as a bad case of the chuckles was working it's way back up upon her and it weren't real nice or fair to go laughing at someone who was well, innocent to that sort of silliness. Sadie half considered pointing out that Atton probably had covered that whole overprotective nonsense conversation thing, but it didn't seem kind to state that someone else may have taken a job that should have maybe been Inyos' to do at some point. And if Inyos wanted to go and do it to make himself feel more like a Dad, well then, she was sure Vitt would humor him. Maybe.

It kinda baffled her, being the one who had to teach someone these sort of things. Hells, there was a whole heap of stuff she didn't get thanks to not really growing up a holonet kid like a lot of folks her age.

"Just kinda a bad joke, really. Like a lot of things."

A deep breath came and went, leaving Sadie with one of them epiphany type deals.

"Thanks, by the way. F'r just... this? I really like learnin' stuff but it's nice t' know we can jus' kinda shoot th' skag too."

[Inyos Aamoran]

Inyos remained silent as Sadie spoke, carefully contemplating her words. As her gratitude was stated however, he found himself unable to focus on it, distracted again by the deepening frown on his brow.

"You and Captain Montegue are... dating?"

He tried to recall if he had been aware of that. Certainly, it was not something he had the wherewithal to discern for himself - Mandan had always been the one who understood people, and Inyos had distinctly been not. When he had been introduced to the Captain, it had been as Sadie's rescuer, protector, and partner. Inyos had understood those words simply at face value; but with this new information, suddenly the strange inflection and expression that had graced Atton's delivery of partner unravelled with new meaning. Perhaps he was supposed to have known then. Perhaps on some level he had been, and and was remaining willfully oblivious to it out of respect for his Padawan's privacy. Not that his daughter deserved any less respect from such things, yet at the same time she deserved to have a father who was interested in her state and wellbeing.

Inyos shuffled a little, finding that his thoughts had strayed into a territory he was unfamiliar with. Yet, if things were to change in his life, in their lives, in the state of their family, then perhaps it was something he needed to become familiar with. He was unsure what the future held for himself in regards to Sadie's mother; but Elira and Sadie both deserved for him to be prepared for whatever might transpire.

"Is it..."

He fumbled for the words a little.

"...going well?"

[Sadie K'Vesh]

"Urhm,"

Okay so part of having a dad was apparently some right proper embarrassing moments, yeah? Inyos kinda intrinsically had that right and really, who was she to deny him that? Even if it weren't done purposeful like.

"Yeah, I... I guess so? I dunno, ain't properly had anyone like this b'fore."

Welldamn that weren't even more awkward to admit than anything else so far. That was the downright problem. Yeah, okay, so her and Vittore were a thing. But it was defining that thing that were all kinds of problematic. Sadie weren't a shy kind of person, hells it'd take a damn bit to reallytruly count the number of guys she'd gotten close to on the physical plane but if she were downright honest the number of them that'd gotten into the emotional barrier was a slight number. Two, three maybe if she was generous? Vitt was at the top of the list though and that was weird. Weird enough to herself to admit without having to try and explain to someone else; her father at that.

"It's... Diff'rent, y'know? Guessin' y' do on account of Elira makin' y' change you're Jedi mind on stuff but... Yeah, it's... Good. Real good."

[Inyos Aamoran]

Silence followed, and Inyos found himself offering the slightest series of nods, as if he was wordlessly agreeing with the information that had been presented before him. He knew that on some level, he had an obligation as a father here. Sadie had implied as much. He was supposed to be protective of his daughter, to the point of violence if her chosen man did anything untoward. That made sense. That was consistent with how he had seen others act towards their children. And yet, Sadie had acted as if it were a joke she had made. Were he not supposed to do that, then? Was it some archaic tradition or gender role that was no longer valid?

It was still his first day of fatherhood, and if there was some sort of instruction manual it had not yet been delivered. There were questions he could never have thought to ask; and really, who would be the recipient of such questions? Elira knew no more about parenthood than he did, and she did not strike him as the sort of person who might have had a relationship with her father worth emulating. Atton was no better; what little he knew about the half-siblings' history together consisted of Atton and Elira explaining that they shared a mother, and that both of their fathers were assbutts. He knew little of Nen Lev'i, or of Emelie Shadowstar; but he was not hopeful: and to confide in Vittore Montegue would have been foolish in light of this new information, Vittore's vocal condemnations of his now-deceased father not withstanding. Perhaps Amaros Koine? Inyos knew that he was a patriarch of his Mandalorian clan, and believed there had been some mention of a son; perhaps he would have some useful insight to offer. For now however, it was unavailable.

Inyos sought his mind for options, for insight he could offer, or advice that he could give. There was very little, particularly since things were going real good. He wasn't entirely sure what that meant, but in his experience, most incomprehensible euphamisms meant only one thing.

"I trust that -"

His brow furrowed, and he shifted a little, uncomfortably, suddenly aware of every single atom and undulation in the unforgivingly firm deckplates beneath him.

"Some surprises are pleasant ones, but that is not always true. There are things that I didn't, that the Temple didn't -"

The temperature of the room began to rise rapidly, something that Inyos found counterintuative given the structure's size and low powered state. He forced the last few words out between awkward glances that refused to remain focused on Sadie for long.

"You are being careful, yes?"

[Sadie K'Vesh]

If she'd had a drink in her mouth at that point, Sadie would have gone and choked. Day one of Inyos being a dad and he had that awkward, making you feel all kinds of embarrassed dren down pat. Okay, fair enough there was a sort of innocent naive sort of thing about it that made it hard to shout at him and storm off, but that wasn't exactly Sadie's style anyway. As it were, she barely held back a snort, an honest to gorram snort that could only have been described as a laugh that weren't let fully form. Shiny; more embarrassment.

"What?" She managed, like she didn't damned well know what Inyos was going and referring to.

Calm just about recovered, Sadie's mind went and tumbled forward to remind her of just how weird the question was. Being careful implied that her and Vitt had gone and done... well, anything. Okay so not anything, but something specific which two folks of their nature should have gone and gotten well on with a ton of times already. But her and Vitt? It weren't that they were taking things slow, that sounded stupid. But it was complicated. Sadly a whole heap of that complication came from her. Weren't a bad thing, but it was... well, hard to discuss and put into words and maybe that was why she actually found herself wanting to talk rather than just brushing it off with some sort of silly banthadren comment.

"Ain't... Really anythin' t' be careful 'bout. Not yet anyhow. 'M still..." Nono, didn't seem right making it sound like blame or fault was on her. "We just ain't there."

[Inyos Aamoran]

The moment Sadie began to reply, Inyos understood his mistake. He understood that he had strayed into a subject that he should not have, and worse, could feel the weight of how much Sadie did not say.

It was more than just the nature of what Sadie withheld that Inyos understood. He might not quite have grasped the specifics - as this entire situation reminded, the intricacies of how sentient beings interacted with each other were something that he found elusive and hard to follow, riddled with rules and protocols that he did not understand, or that failed to apply even when he did - but he was intimately familiar with that feeling, that certainty that things were complicated and the sincere belief that the blame rested with you. An entire universe of alternate possibilities existed for each and every shortfall that Inyos perceived in himself, universes that were better, where friends lived and families were whole, purely because he had not in some way failed them. Consciously, he understood that such logics were fallacies, tiny cracks in rational thought that allowed the dark side to seep in and begin to take its toll.

Such sentiments within Inyos had existed for decades, slowly growing with each tragedy that influenced part of his life. At their worst, Inyos had faced them alone, trapped in literal darkness with nothing but his thoughts. That was a fate he refused to see repeated in Sadie.

Gently, the Force lifted Inyos from the deck plates, just enough for his crossed legs to unfurl, and for him to coast a few inches closer to his daughter. The Force lowered him back down onto one knee, and Inyos reached out, a hand carefully placed on Sadie's shoulder. That was almost the extent of it, but a subconscious impulse came like a gentle gust of courage, and he leaned forward, bowing his head to rest against hers. He cloud have offered his feelings from an arm's reach away, but now they flowed directly from his mind to hers, empathy and gentle sentiments escaping him like a breath. The hand on her shoulder squeezed the tiniest bit tighter, every iota of reassurance he could muster conveyed with more clarity and purity than words could ever offer.

That left his voice free for one final measure; words that sounded more like Elira's than his own, and yet from what he had experienced of Sadie thus far, he suspected the faint attempt at humour might be welcome.

"That is probably for the best," he offered quietly. "I do not think I am ready for you to run the risk of making me a grandfather as well."

[Sadie K'Vesh]

Sadie went and laughed. Nothing that'd be considered a proper bout, but enough to crack a much needed smile and lighten the moment on all heaps of levels. She probably should have been all kinds of aware that the mix of feelings she was struggling through would have been felt by Inyos given that he'd been spending the better part of their session well within her emotions and the like. It weren't the most encouraging thing he could have gone and said, but it was certainly the right thing.

"That's for damn sure,"she teased, but certainly didn't feel a word of it.

As far as Sadie were concerned, Inyos was well damn on his way to being a right damn proud example of a father. Not that she had any grand example of what exactly that meant, but Inyos seemed to have that right amount of assurance and wisdom and all that he was well on his way to making up for all kinds of lost time. She certainly weren't ready to take on the role of mom, but Inyos probably could go and transition to Granddad without too much of a hiccup. He'd have to wait though, a whole hells load of time if she were concerned, unless he had some other unknown kid running about and while Sadie wouldn't put it past the frakked up Galaxy they all found themselves in, finding she had some sibling somewhere would have just tipped the scales from I can do this to Frak my entire life a million times over.

"B'sides, I don't exactly feel like goin' and fightin' some kid for y're attention. Y' got way too much t' teach me still."

[Inyos Aamoran]

"As if there would be a contest."

A gentle smile settled into place on Inyos' features as he pulled away, and from nowhere an urge took hold, a hand gently adjusting the way Sadie's hair fell, brushing a loose strand away from her face. He could see it, now that he actually looked: Elira in the shape of her jaw, himself in the arc of her brow, Elira's tentative smile, his eyes looking back at him from Sadie's face. It both overjoyed and troubled him, to see himself reflected so undeserved in her features, as if to this point he was anything more than a donor of randomly selected genes. He knew that for some, such a resemblance was a point of pride, for both parent and child. Part of him wondered how Sadie might feel the first time someone told her she had her father's eyes. Would she be pleased to know that such a similarity existed, or had she been without a father for too long for such a fact to actually matter?

He pushed those thoughts aside, dwelling on the smile that Sadie's words had provoked.

"You have, and always shall have my undivided attention. If there ever comes a time when another enters our lives to encroach upon that?"

He trailed off, a slight shrug tugging at his shoulders.

"The Force is capable of allowing a great many things. I will simply have to learn how to harness it to be in two places at once."