The Returning Knight: A Star Wars Story

Chapter 12: Homecoming

"Turn on the censor jammers." Sigil ordered. "How many?" Revan asked. "I want full concealment." He said. "How about visuals?" She asked. "You starped in?" He questioned back. "Yes." She replied, unsure what that had to do with anything. In response he turned off all shields on the ship. "Observe." He said, pulling the void dragon into a dive towards the planet's surface. "Ahh! Have you lost your marbles?!" She yelled as they descended the atmosphere. With no shields, the hull of the ship heated up making it look like a meteor more than a spaceship. He guided towards the middle of the Nubian ocean as to be away from prying eyes. At the last second, he turned the inertial compensators back on and pulled the ship up with full force bringing it to a gentle float above the water. "Son of a bantha! Laser brain, you pull this stunt one more time and i swear i will!" She threatened. "You were looking sleepy and this is an important occasion so i had to make sure you were alert." He said, raising his hands up. "Just warn me next time." She said brushing the hair out of her face. "I can't promise you that." He said with a cheeky grin. She gave him a playful glare before punching him in the shoulder. "I deserved that." He said. "Okay laser brain stay oncourse." She said. "Yes. Let us get back to the main objective." He said composing himself again. "A family reunion if you can call it so." She commented. "Let's just get this over with." He sighed.

Reaching behind the outer perimeter of the family estate, he guided the ship into a graceful landing. It was midday on this side of the planet so everybody will be awake. "5cn you are coming with us. Only if a blaster is drawn do you point yours." Sigil ordered. Once out he locked the ship. Walking around the hill and estate right up to the front gate, he a guard stopped him. "Who are you?" The man asked. "Members." Sigil replied. "Names." The guard ordered. "Sigil and Revan Trial." He told him. "Mam, i am sorry to interrupt but i have two people out here saying they are family." The guard said through his comlink. "Who?" A voice said on the other side. "Names are Sigil and Revan Trial." The guard spoke. "Not anymore." The voice replied. "You heard her now get ou-" he tried to say before sigil yanked on his outfit and slammed him into the durasteel gate while drawing out his blaster pistol. "I wasn't asking to be let in. Now call your pals so they can open up the gate." He threatened. "This is GU-079 requesting back up at the front." The guard said into his com channel. Not even ten seconds later, 4 guards popped out of the front door with their blasters pointed. "As i have told your friend, i request a meeting with senator Trail." He repeated. One of them nodded at two others as they came forth and opened the gate. After the gate was opened, Sigil slipped the guards pistol back into his holster as the three of them were escorted inside. 

The head of security, walked them through many halls while they looked unfazed by the condused faces and glares they were getting. stopped at the front of a grand archway off to their right before he walked in alone. Seconds later he came back and he signaled for the rest to come in. Once passing over to the next area, they saw a woman sitting on a marble throne staring right at them. She didn't utter a single word as they moved in closer until they were standing before her. Flanking each of her sides, were two guards in a largely feudal and knightly inspired set of armor. Gray painted and segmented full body armor with a bucket shaped helmet. vibro greatsword held up at the ready. Topped off by a white hood and cape. "Greetings senator." Sigil said, breaking the silence. "Why the formalities?" She questioned with a scowl. "You find yourself worthy of the title of mother?" He questioned coldly. "Like it or not it is a fact." She stated matter of factly. "And facts do not care about your feelings." She continued. "Neither does the legal system about yours." He replied. "What is the meaning of this?" She said, her frown growing larger. "Ever heard of being disowned?" He questioned as if talking to an idiot. "You dare!" She said getting up from her throne. "It was neither worth my time nor my effort." He said cool as ever. Composing herself she said "What brings two-" she began saying before being cut off. "Three." Revan corrected. She looked down at her with a scowl which Revan returned with a scowl of her own. "What brings you three here?" She asked again; this time finishing her sentence. "I don't have to explain visiting a family property." He clarified. "Now we are family?" She said with a grin. "You? No. Grandfather? Yes." He said. "My father does not seek an audience with you." She said. "Who made you his voice?" Revan questioned. "Know your place, child." Her mother threatened. "You hold no guardianship over her senator." Sigil reminded. "Now where is-" Revan said before being cut off. "I am here." An old voice said from behind the group. Turning around, they saw an old man walking up to them flanked by two guards like the ones next to the throne. "Hello Sigil. Hello Revan. And hello to you too." He said, addressing the group. "Hello grandfather." The siblings greeted. "Hello sir." D-5cn said. "Father." Their mother acknowledged. "Father, as you see these brats are back and want more from you." Their mother said, pointing at them. "Oh! taking our childhood from your clutches is considered theft?" Sigil mocked. Their grandfather shook his head. "Rona, your own children are back after all these years. Have some decency and as for you two, she still is your mother." He scolded. "You can't possibly take them back?" Rona asked nervously. "Family is family no matter what." He lectured. "This will be settled after dinner." He stated. "Guards! Escort them to their old quarters." He ordered before heading off. "Follow us." Two of the guards said before leading the way out of the throne room. "KG-9 and KG-10, you are wanted back at your old stations. Report for duty.". The man in front of Revan said into his com link. "Understood." A voice came from the other side of the holocom. Walking through the old halls, they avoided stares from servants and relatives. This house brought back memories that were nearly all but painful. Their good memories were made upon the streets and on the void dragon. Reaching the final hallway which their rooms were in, they saw a guard standing at each of their doors. Leading them to their doors, the estate guards left them. "It will be alright." He said mentally. "Ok." She replied through the force. "Master Sigil?" His guard said completely stunned. "No need for formalities Orlean. Come inside." He ordered. "Yes sir." He said following him inside his old quarters. Walking inside he saw his old quarters untouched even by dust. "It really is clean after close to a decade." He stated. "Your grandfather ordered for everything to be kept as it was." Orlean stated. "I see." He said. Looking over his own apartment inside the family estate, he saw all the things he studied as a child prodigy. Predominantly, engineering and architectural papers as well as history books containing history of galactic warfare. Looking over at a particular blueprint he drew up as a child, he saw it right there, a concept which he drew close to a decade ago was before him. The same repulsor powered mechanical wings. The ones from his vision. He stood there mouth agape. Shocked that he forgot his pet project before he and Revan ran away. "Tell me Orlean." He began. "Do you know what happened to these?" Sigil finished pointing to the blueprint with the angel wings. "Miss Rona ordered them scrapped but i kept them behind a tool box in the main hanger. "Thank you." He said, smiling. "Can you update me on what happened?" He asked. "Sure thing si- i mean Sigil. After your departure your mother wanted everything that belonged to you burned and scrapped while your grandfather put his foot down and ordered for everything to be preserved. Your aunts, uncles and cousins feuded over the new portion they could gain from your grandfather's will. Some were killed but again mister Trail put his foot down and said the new portion will be donated to charity." He explained. "New additions?" He inquired. "About 5 boys and 3 girls. With all this much wealth held by every family member i am baffled by how greedy they got but none dared do anything about him." He answered. "Greed is of human nature but what does everybody else think of me?" He asked. "Your disappearance was covered up to the public but your relatives view you as a mark of shame that needs to be silenced." He replied. "Their foolish attempts and image centerism doesn't scare me." He said, disregarding his extended family. "After all you did teach me much about combat." He thanked. "That nearly got me fired if i didn't cover up your training with the help of your grandfather." He replied. "For all his wisdom my grandfather has failed and continues to fail in seeing that family is a huge threat. Especially in noble ones. I mean nearly all the members of house Palpatine disappeared one night and nobody thought anything of it." He stated. "Sigil, you shouldn't get involved with politicians. They do anything for just a fistful of credits." He warned. "Do not worry Orlean." He said, waving his hand dismissively. "5cn stay here. Orlean, Take me to my old wing project." He ordered. "Right this way." He said.

Checking over the specific tool box, he saw his project untouched. "I see nobody cared to clean this." He said with an unimpressed yet thankful look on his face. "Yeah the mechanics couldn't give two damns about this section of the hanger." Orlean commented. Retrieving them, he made his way back to the workshop, while avoiding the stares from the workers and family members alike. There was no mistaking his ocean blue eyes and long golden blonde curls even in a large family. Reaching the old storage room that he turned into a workshop he sat down and began from scratch. Building the new ones to fit his size. Orlean just watched from close by while completely silent. After multiple minutes he fazed out and was left to his thoughts. By the time dinner came he had assembled the frame of the new wings. Working efficiently and quickly to set the groundwork for his revisited project.

To say that dinner with the larger family was awkward, would be a severe understatement. They were bombarded with questions and insults were subtly and oftentimes not so subtly thrown at them. While their grandfather would have shut it down, he was much too old to be dining with them. Sigil had to stop both Revan and Nox from lashing out at everybody and commit mass murder or hurt everybody greatly. Keeping a former Sith lord and a young teen who wanted to prove herself was no easy feat. He was surprised that he himself hadn't thrown his saber in a dicapitating move. Beheading every man, woman and taller child. It was infuriating. Through the event he started to feel hotter and hotter. Heat coming from both inside and outside of his body. "Focus on the force Revan. Recenter yourself. As satisfying as mass murder would be right now, it isn't what the force commands. Your eyes will turn yellow and attract unwanted attention." He cautioned mentally. "I will keep my eye color in check. For now that is." She said with frustration. "You can't possibly let them insult you like this." Nox said, clearly shocked. "As much as the Sith way would be nice in this situation, i need my grandfather's support. And for that i need evidence. As much as he favors me and Revan, he won't ditch us for the rest. Not yet at least. I suspect they are trying to do away with him." He explained. "Don't get caught in the wrong places Sigil. Politicians are more dangerous than Sith." She cautioned. The conclusion of that dinner was a saving grace of the three of them. The pressure inside of him was threatening to explode. Unleashing his inner fury upon these fools. After dinner, they met up with '

Vaorios, their grandfather. "Grandfather?" Sigil knocked. "Oh Sigil! Come in!" He exclaimed. Entering the room, they saw him sitting on a chair in his balcony. Sitting next to him, Revan was the first to speak up "Hello." They both said in unison earning a chuckle from him. "Grandfather, how come you didn't join us?" Revan asked, saddened. "Oh little Rev!" He sighed. "I am getting old. Much too old to do much on my own. I'm gonna end up in a room with a nurse sometime later. When i can't do much on my own. Forgotten." He said in a sad tone. "Over my corpse!" Revan declared. "Still as energetic as ever." He said with a smile returning to his face. "This is erostocracy for you." He stated. "Aristocrats and politicians are easy to threaten, however. I'm sure a mercenary will keep them in line." Sigil stated matter of factly. "Don't go around doing that again!" Vaorios said, throwing his hands in the air. "You knew?!" He exclaimed. "Yes. Tall slender man although i see you have buffed up a bit. Old skull mask from your uncle's collection and a sliver of long golden blonde hair? I knew it was you." He explained, kind of proud of himself for figuring it out. They both looked at him shocked. "Oh what?! Just because i'm old doesn't make me dumb!" He stated. "Since when exactly?" Sigil asked. "Since maybe 4 years ago." He said with a shrug. "Wait, you two aren't going back out? Are you?" He asked in concern. "No. This is our home and the rest could suck it up if they don't like it!" Revan exclaimed, earning a laugh from Vaorios.