Home at Last

[Phoenix]

She was certainly no incompetent Sith, but then, most who had survived this long in the war were no fools. They'd (mostly) been killed off long ago. She moved like one who had been doing this for years. Her movement kept his saber from clipping her wrist and he didn't press the attack. His right saber had already been low to attack her ankle and her block there had prevented him following up to her shoulder so when she swung in from his right, he had but to flick his wrist to finish the rotation so that his saber blocked hers, though only narrowly.

He didn't expect to hear a gunshot ring out and it struck him notably by surprise, half expecting to find himself shot. That wasn't the case. Instead, Ciri was standing there, gun in hand, and Corvo's opponent was yelping in pain. He had no time to be either proud or angry. He watched in horror as his daughter was hit by a wave of energy before Corvo could stop it. His blades were already moving, vengeful in their path as they both plunged into the woman's back side by side, pinning her to the wall.

In one smooth movement, they ripped out in opposite directions, cutting her cleanly in half just below the rib cage. Deep burn marks seared into the wall where the sabers carved their path and the woman lay on the ground, slowly dying as her severed body failed her. Venator did nothing to quicken it. There was an almost beastly grunt as he watched her dead form fall and he spun to look for others. Seeing none, he rushed toward Ciri, sabers switching off as he arrived.

Are you okay? he asked, reaching out to her. Seeing his daughter there immediately allowed him to switch back to father mode in a way that few other things could. Are you hurt? You're safe now, he tried to reassure her, though that was only partially true. He wasn't going to let anyone hurt her, but as long as they were here, they weren't safe. We need to get you out of here, there's med equipment on the ship, he said, all but scooping her up to carry her out.

 

[Sreeya]

Ciri groaned in pain as she finally came to, momentarily knocked out from the blow. Her vision was blurred and her father slowly came into focus. She could only nod, pointing to the bleeding would on the side of her head, "Ouch...." She tilted her head to look at the....what was that on the floor? Her eyes widened in shock, "Daddy what happened to..." Her jaw dropped, but he quickly turned to obscure the line of sight, quickly carrying her away through the hallway. The pain in her head throbbed, her entire body hurting from the blow. However, her shame hurt her more than anything. How had she been so easily tossed aside? Was this how every battle was going to go? She had absolutely no chance against the woman.

On top of that, she couldn't deny being absolutely terrified. She was still physically shaking from the encounter, her little hands clutching fistfuls of the front of Corvo's attire. Chaz commed in that he was approached by authorities and being questioned, advising Corvo against showing up until he could send them away. It was clear that this operation had been an elaborate trap to lure Jedi in. It was impossible to tell if the woman was the only perpetrator or if there were others. Ciri wiped some of the blood off herself, grimacing, "I'm sorry daddy. I know you'll never take me on another mission again.." The realization of that hurt her more than any physical injury ever could.

 

[Phoenix]

For a moment Corvo forgot about the grisly scene behind him until she asked what it was. He moved so his body was in the way before scooping her up and carrying her away. He wasn't mad at her for what had happened. If anything he was mad at himself for putting her in such a dangerous situation and for so horribly failing to identify this as a trap earlier.

It's okay, angel, don't worry about next time, stay focused on the here and now, he admonished. Whatever happened next time, now was still a teaching opportunity and she would no doubt take away valuable information for the future. Whether she would be going on more missions - or what type those would be - was something for another time. Right now, they were still in the throes of danger.

He made it to the door downstairs, darting across the alley after receiving a call from Chaz not to come back. They needed somewhere to lay low. The entire situation actually reminded him of a certain mission that he and Shae had undertaken on Coruscant, but killing Kiffar and vomiting Chevin was out of the question right now. Instead, he made his way to the basement, cutting into one of the locks of a mostly-unused door and slipping into the lower level where he finally set Ciri down to take a look at her.

Are you all right? he asked, starting to look her over, checking for broken bones or injuries. He pulled out a small medpack from his belt, cleaning up the blood running down her head and putting a small dose of bacta on it and some clotting agents. The problem with head injuries was that they bled a lot so there would be no sneaking around incognito now, especially not with white and red gauze stuck to her head. He shined a light briefly in her eyes to check her pupils which reacted appropriately. You did good, Ciri, he finally said when he was content she wasn't going to die.

 

[Sreeya]

Ciri sat there grumpily as he patched her up, her head still in pain. She winced as he shined a light in her eyes, "Ugh what're you doing?" She felt her eyes begin to water, but there was nothing wrong outside of her annoyance. Ciri sighed and nodded that she was all right, sitting quietly for a moment before he mentioned that she did good. At that point she looked up, eyes wide, "Really? You're not just saying that?" She even managed a small smile. Ciri looked around in the area they were in, a musty smell hitting her nose, "Where are we?"

She went to put her saber away, but excruciating pain shot through her arm to where she cried out loud. Ciri glanced down at her arm and was horrified at the sight, the elbow protruding at an odd angle, "Uh... daddy... I don't think I'm all right.." She was mortified at the sight, the arm rapidly beginning to swell and turn different shades of colors, "What's wrong with it? It hurts a lot..." She had to bite down on her lip to keep from crying. Big girls didn't cry! She hadn't felt pain like this before even though she skinned her knees or bumped into things countless times.

Meanwhile, though there was commotion above, no one followed them down into this area specifically. Chaz commed in once more to warn that some locals were asking around about Corvo Vis being sighted and some undercover Sith potentially looking for him. If they left here, they would have to be very discreet.

 

[Phoenix]

It's making sure that cut on your head isn't anything more serious, he explained as he shined the light in her eyes, realizing that he was never very good at explaining the things he was doing when he was doing them. Really. You drew her attention away, he tried to reassure her.

When she mentioned not being ok, he finally caught sight of her arm, twisted into an unnatural position and beginning to swell. He was no doctor, but he could tell this was something they needed to get to the hospital or Edin or someone. He ran his fingers over it, looking for breaks in the skin and gently squeezed the ends of her fingers to watch if the color returned, trying to find out if she still had circulation.

I think it's broken, he said matter of factly, But nothing Edin can't fix, he said, as warmly as he could. You need to try not to move it, he said, looking around for anything he could use for a splint. He didn't see much, but ultimately settled on taking off her belt and cutting the handle off of a power box to wrap around the broken extremity.

He received the com message from Chaz and realized they were going to be in a lot of trouble. They had very few ways out and his mind was mulling over possible ways of escape. In Ciri's condition, she would stick out like a sore thumb, and he wasn't exactly very blend-able either. Do you think you can walk on your own? he asked. They needed to move up in the building and search some of the apartments for a way out or a disguise. He led her up the stairs, creeping slowly up to the first floor, mind reaching out to search for rooms that bore no signs of life currently in them. Stealing wasn't something he wanted to teach his daughter, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

He found a room that seemed rather empty and worked at the lock, slipping inside moments later. Look around for a stroller or something, like a big one. Something we can put you in and cover you up, he explained, unsure if they'd actually find anything. How had things gotten so away from him?

 

[Sreeya]

"Broken!?" Ciri gasped, but then a grin came to her face, "Awesome! I can't wait to show it off in class! Do you think I'll get a cast? And I could get people to sign it?" She was already getting carried away, entirely distracted from the fact that her arm was bent in an angle it wasn't supposed to be. She yelped slightly in pain as he made the makeshift splint for her, but she tried hard not to think about it for now. Ciri nodded as he asked if she could walk, slowly rising to her feet and wincing as pain coursed through her whole body. Was this what her parents went through during each battle? She couldn't imagine getting hurt this bad every time, and how many times before they learned not to get hurt?

She followed after him, eyeing him suspiciously as he found a door to break into, "Daddy! Isn't this illegal?" She asked a bit loudly, but quickly clamped a hand over her mouth, realizing he probably intended to stay discreet. She followed him inside, almost feeling a rush of excitement to be getting into trouble with her dad. As he asked for her to look for a stroller, she kept looking around, unable to spot anything. At long last, she pointed out a repulsor-sled operated moving trolly. It was clear the tenants were still in the process of moving into this, and it was their best shot, "Will that work?" She walked over to it, plopping down on it and looking up, "Now what?"

 

[Phoenix]

She certainly was a trouper. She'd barely cried despite her broken arm and now she was thinking about getting a cast and having kids sign it. He might have reprimanded her except that it kept her distracted from the pain she was no doubt in. Maybe, but let's try to stay focused for now, he reminded her.

If it weren't such a dire moment, Corvo might have facepalmed when she asked if this was illegal. Of course, it was illegal but that wasn't his primary concern right now. He did illegal things all the time. He'd just cut someone in half in the other building! This was a time of war, and rules went out the window in war. This is different, honey. When your life is in danger, you don't always have to follow laws, but only when it's a life-threatening situation, he made sure to emphasize.

He was rummaging through these people's things until he heard Ciri calling for him, hurrying over to see what she'd found. He nodded, smile hidden behind his mask. That's perfect, he responded as she plopped down on the sled. He slipped his helmet off and put his hood down, trying to get his hair back into a normal position before handing the helmet to Ciri, Here, hold this.

He stacked boxes on each side of her before slinging a sheet over the top of the boxes and his daughter. Now try not to make any noise or move, he said, throwing one of the resident's ponchos over his clothes to cover up his gear and clothes. He pulled the sled back and maneuvered it toward the door, pushing out to the sidewalk and moving down toward their ship. At the least, it put distance between them and the site of the ambush. Chaz, are we clear? he muttered into his comm, though he had a sinking feeling that it wasn't.

 

[Sreeya]

Ciri took his helmet, marveling at it, "You keep this on your head all day? It's so heavy!" She gleefully popped it over her own head, "Oooooh this HUD is fantastic. Did you build it yourself? Oh wow I didn't know you were carrying so many explosives on you. Oh wow you can access your comms from here too...aww passworded..." She giggled as she stopped fiddling around with the helmet and took it off, putting it on her lap. She helped stack the boxes so she was hidden from sight, her small frame easy to miss. She helped as best she could with one arm, feeling rather useless without the use of her dominant hand.

As requested, she stayed completely still and quiet as he began to roll her out. Inside she was more than giddy at being able to participate in a mission like the ones she heard stories about. This was real life! It was really happening! She was absolutely ecstatic and made sure to keep quiet. After a few bumps here and there, she could sense they were outside. Chaz reported in a moment later that they could approach but only under disguise as people were still patrolling the perimeters.

Ciri played her part well, pretending to be cargo and not even breathing loudly. Instead, she put the helmet back on and scoped out the gear her father wore and got a spec readout of what kind of ammo he had on him. She figured he didn't intend for her to explore all this, but he was also not in a position to stop her. Thankfully he had remembered to passcode access to his comms or she would have gotten a full view of scandalous pictures of her mother. Something had to keep Corvo company while he was away, right?

 

[Phoenix]

He smiled uncomfortably as she fiddled through everything on his helmet. He didn't need her setting off a grenade or... oh dear. His messages. Ciri really didn't need to see those. Corvo's mind flashed back to a moment when he'd walked out of the restroom on the Fury at the end of a mission with civvie clothes and his helmet on. Chaz had asked why... Corvo had diverted the conversation with all the adeptness of an autistic man.

Yep, the HUD has a lot of uses that come in very handy. Yes, missy, passworded. You don't need to be poking around in all of that, he said with a chuckle.

They were making good progress through the streets when Chaz let them know they'd need disguises. He thought that what they had were going to have to do. His poncho and her hiding as a box. It was foolproof. He'd gone with worse disguises before, though. So he kept moving, pushing his box through the streets, past some grumpy men and women who didn't want him to take up so much space, but ultimately appeared harmless.

After a bit longer, the ship appeared in sight and Corvo wanted to breathe a sigh of relief but stopped himself. Often, this was the most dangerous part of the mission when people let their guard down. They didn't have anything to worry about, though, as he pushed her little sled up the ramp of the ship which closed safely behind them. He pulled off the sheet, exposing his daughter to the light once more. Chaz, let's get out of here! he shouted through the ship which was already practically taking off.

Let's get you to the med bay, sweetie, he said, trusting the med droid could do a better job with her arm than Corvo could. How's it feeling? How's your head? he asked, taking another look at it. Blood still covered half her face, but she was better off than she could have been. Everything could have gone much worse.

 

[Sreeya]

As they finally made it back to the ship, Ciri heaved a sigh of relief, handing the helmet back to her dad. She was still in a lot of pain, now getting a fever. Her skin was burning hot and she began to sweat, "Daddy I don't feel good..." She grumbled quietly, leaning against him. The events had been traumatic and jarring for her, and she didn't know yet that it was only the first of many. She always imagined her first battle, but to experience it directly was far different than anything she could have imagined. Ciri could barely move, exhaustion taking over her.

Chaz was waiting for them when they rolled in and he came down to see what was wrong. He saw the state Ciri was in and looked at Corvo, "What the hell happened to her?! WHAT HAPPENED?!" It was the most emotion he'd shown in their years together, and there were traces of outright anger directed at Corvo, something he most likely had never experienced from his friend before. Chaz looked at Ciri in horror, remembering that they needed to get out, "Take care of her!" He barked at Corvo angrily, rushing back towards the cockpit.

By now, Sith began to follow the trail towards the ship. Chaz plopped down into his seat and quickly revved up the engine, the entire ship haphazardly lifting and taking off. It was a bumpy experience, but within moments they were up and moving, well out of Sith range. By then, Ciri was in too much pain to stay awake and closed her eyes, leaning against Corvo still.

 

[Phoenix]

By the time they got back to the ship, Ciri was in ever-declining condition. It had Corvo more than worried and clearly Chaz as well. Chaz came out yelling and it took restraint not to yell back, knowing it wouldn't help the situation. Just get us out of here, he growled back, though Chaz already knew that staying around here would get them all killed.

Hold on, angel. We're going to get you fixed up, he said, carrying her to the medbay and setting her on the table. She felt hot and he could see she was fading away. Fix her up, he barked at the droid who appeared completely unfazed as it began its work. As Ciri began to fade away, the droid injected her with a sedative and painkiller.

He set to work unbinding his makeshift splint and put on a real one. Hold on, sweetie, he muttered quietly. He reached out to the Force, closing his eyes and running his hands over her arm. He wasn't even close to a healer, but he poured his love for her in the Force, envisioning her body healing. When he opened his eyes, he couldn't tell if anything was different, frustration at his own shortcomings rolling over. Kriff, Corvo, why are you only good at destroying... he growled at himself under his breath, furious at his inability to help his own daughter.

The trip to Dantooine shouldn't take long but every minute seemed like hours. He opened a com channel to Edin, Edin, Ciri's been hurt, I'm bringing her in to you. I need your help. It was moments like these that Corvo was incredibly jealous of Edin's gifts.

 

[Sreeya]

---​

It was hours later when Ciri awoke in a medical bay. She glanced down to see a shiny new cast with Edin already having written a message on it. She wiped the sleep from her eyes, looking around for Corvo. She was distracted when Edin came in, immediately bringing her a bag of candy. Ciri lit up at once, leaning in to awkwardly hug him while taking one of her favorites from the stash. Edin walked over towards Corvo with a grin, "You do remember that I'm technically an obstetrician, right?" He nodded to the cast on Ciri's arm, "You're lucky I also happen to be good at everything else."

"Daddy," Ciri muttered quietly and sadly, looking dejectedly down at her arm, "I'm sorry..." She recalled the incident back on...Slytherin or whatever. She thought she was helping, but she only managed to worry her father sick. Despite what he said, she wasn't convinced he was thrilled with her at that moment. It had taken so long to convince him to let her come on a mission and she managed to muck it up. Ciri sighed as she plopped back down on her back, staring up at the ceiling. Even the candies didn't make her feel better then.

Edin could only shake his head, "You couldn't train her to not want to go into battle, could you?" He glanced at Corvo with a grin, "Could have become a healer like Uncle Edin!"

 

[Phoenix]

Corvo hadn't hardly left Ciri's bedside the entire trip back and until she awoke in the enclave. He was glad to have someone skilled in healing who he actually trusted to handle his daughter's care. Edin had assured him that she would be fine and it did a little to ease his concern. He scoffed at Edin's comment, You went to... healer school, or whatever it's called in the Jedi. I have every faith in your ability, obstetrician or not, he said with a nervous smile.

It's okay, honey, there's nothing to apologize for. It was my fault, he said, though he stopped short of telling her that he shouldn't have taken her out there. He didn't know why he had been so foolish.... actually, he knew exactly why. It was those big, green Shae-eyes she had. It was his kryptonite. You helped me... stop the bad woman. Are you feeling okay? he asked before hearing Edin again.

I wish. She's got too much of her mother and I in her, he said, knowing she would never be one to be anywhere but the front lines. The thought that she could have died out there today terrified him and had only really begun to strike him after the fighting was over.

He took a seat on the end of her bed, looking down at the cast on her arm. You're a true Vis, he said with a sad smile. She was destined for the life of danger that he and Shae had embraced, and at an even younger age than he had been. Think of all the people you can show this off to. A real battle scar. While he didn't want to promote her getting hurt, he couldn't deny that he was proud of her. Terrified that she had gotten hurt and not eager to let her go out again for several years, but proud nonetheless.

 

[Sreeya]

Ciri heard Corvo talk to Edin and explain that she had too much of him and her mother in her. The comment brought a smile to her face and she peered down instead of gloomily staring at the ceiling. As he sat down at the edge of the bed, she rose to sit up. She offered some of her candy to him, "I know you don't eat this stuff, but I just broke my arm, so please eat some candy with me," She shoved some of them into his hand. Normally her father balked at the sight of candy and it was her and Shae that often threw back the sweets. Unfortunately, mommy wasn't around to share candies with her. As he told her she was a true Vis, Ciri lit up once more, "Yay! I've always wanted to be like you guys!"

"Why? Both your parents are troublemakers," Edin grinned, "Did they ever tell you the story of the day you were born and how your parents met me?" Ciri looked from him to Corvo. In truth, she had never been told about it or that there was a story attached to it. Edin simply scoffed, waving off Corvo if he attempted to stop him, "All right well... you were very ready to come into this world and mommy could barely move. This was in the Lothal temple. The temple came under attack from the Sith," He looked over at Corvo with a smile, "Daddy, would you like to explain your grand entry into this story?"

Ciri listened eagerly, shoving more and more candy into her mouth, "Yes! Tell me! What happened! There was an attack the day I was born?!"

 

[Phoenix]

Corvo's face twisted up a bit as she offered him candy. That had always been something he'd pushed off on Shae, but since she wasn't here.... He tentatively took a single piece and unwrapped it, popping it into his mouth. But only because you're hurt, he said. He smiled as she rejoiced over being like her parents. In some ways he wished she were less like them.

That we are. Don't be like us, we get into too much trouble, he said with a chuckle. No, she doesn't need to... but he was cut off by Edin who was having none of it. Corvo rolled his eyes and let out a sigh, never really realizing that Ciri had not heard this story before. Finally, Corvo relented, sighing and deciding to tell it as matter of factly as he could.

Mommy and I had been in hiding from the Sith, but we came here because we wanted you to be a Jedi. But I hadn't come because of my history. Anyway, mommy commed me that the temple was under attack, so Uncle Chaz flew me out here and dropped me off amidst the raging battle. I fought the Dark Lord in the datavaults and then found mommy and we got to Uncle Edin. That night, we met you for the first time while the battle still raged on in the background, he explained, mind wandering back to that day.

It had been a terrifying day, not knowing if his family was alive amidst the chaos of the battle or knowing his fate after the battle or if he'd be killed by a Jedi during the battle. But we all ended up being safe, he said with a smile, And Uncle Edin hasn't been able to get rid of us since, he smirked at Edin.

 

[Sreeya]

"Fought the Dark Lord to save me and mommy?!" Ciri's eyes got huge, imagining this story as he told it. She was too fascinated to be angry at her parents for never sharing this gem. She had only been told that she was born on Lothal, but she never knew there was a story attached to it. She had seen her father fight first hand, and she imagined him going through hall after hall of a temple, cutting down Sith to get to her mom, "Wow! Was mommy scared? Were you scared?" She couldn't imagine her father ever afraid of anything. Ciri often tried watching scary movies with him and that was quite possibly the only time she saw him happily doze off, while being alert at all other times. As a result, imagining her father afraid was a foreign concept.

"Did mommy fight with me still in her belly??" Ciri stared at Corvo in wonder. She knew her mom well enough to know she would be too stubborn not to fight despite any condition. The image of a pregnant Shae swinging a saber around was ridiculous, but also very likely.

"Your mommy wanted to fight all right," Edin answered in exasperation before Corvo could, "Probably the most feisty woman I've ever met. Your dad has a tremendous amount of patience, all right. But..." He smiled warmly at Ciri, "Bringing you into this world was what made me decide this was what I wanted to do as a career. Even with all the explosions going on," He chuckled at the thought now, grinning at Corvo, "You still owe me some lessons."

Ciri was absolutely loving this, all thoughts of her injuries long forgotten. She saw Uncle Edin a few times, but she had never been old enough for him to talk frankly around her. Within moments, she was done finishing all the candy, her face slightly smeared with chocolate that she didn't even notice.

 

[Phoenix]

Corvo nodded slightly. I was scared that you or mommy had been hurt. I walked into the battle without really knowing what to expect, but once I saw mommy, everything was better. She's a fierce woman and fully of spunk, he said, that slight smile on his face that he got whenever he talked about her, of course she wanted to fight, he agreed with Edin, knowing he would expect nothing less from her. She was far too stubborn not to want to go in, sabers whirling.

Corvo shook his head at Edin in mock disappointment. Of all the careers to choose, and you went OB/GYN, he said, finally cracking a smile. Waiting on you to cash those in, he said with a chuckle. It had become a long-standing joke that he would teach Edin to fight, though Corvo got the feeling he was perfectly happy with focusing on his healing.

Corvo was glad to see that all the stories were making Ciri perk right up. Add to that the fact that she was still stuffing her face with candy, and she seemed none the worse for wear. You've got some on your cheek, he said, chuckling and pointing at the smudges of chocolate that had managed to get not only on her lips, but one spot all the way over on her cheek. It was an impressive feat to be sure.

Mommy and I have been fighting together - and against each other - for a long time, he told Ciri. We first met on the battlefield fifteen years ago, did you know that? He wasn't sure to what extent he wanted to tell her about their first visit, but then there wasn't anything particularly harmful in it either. We didn't see each other long, but we kept running into one another after that.[/color ]

 

[Sreeya]

Ciri wiped off her face, giggling as she realized she had chocolate face. She was still very much enthralled by the story, "Fighting mommy? Did you hate her at first because she was Jedi and you were Sith?" The concept seemed preposterous. The love between her parents was one that could be in a Holomovie, and she could tell Corvo absolutely adored Shae. She couldn't picture them ever fighting against one another, "How did you two become friends?" By now even Edin was listening eagerly, gawking at Corvo for the story. He had come into their lives later on, and he had very little knowledge of Corvo as a person before he came to the Jedi. Everyone knew he used to be the Supreme Leader, but no one knew about his personality.

"When did you two say I love you?" Ciri giggled at that, her own face turning bright red. It felt awkward asking him these questions, but she doubt she'd easily catch him in a chatty mood again. Though Ciri was angry with her mother at the time, she couldn't help but be fascinated by stories of her parents. When she was at the academy, she often heard about their exploits, but it was seldom about them being genuine, kind human beings.

 

[Phoenix]

Corvo couldn't quite believe he was getting into all this, but then, if it helped Ciri take her mind off the pain, it was a small price to pay. Yeah, mommy and I didn't get along when we first met. Fought a couple of times years ago, he explained, trying to figure out how to explain the next part of the story without highlighting the wanton destruction they had both caused. But then, they were both notorious for it and Ciri would have no doubt heard many stories by this point.

Mommy eventually came over to the Sith with me, he told her, she... helped me fight the Jedi for a while while I was still Supreme Leader, he said, wincing a bit at being in a Jedi temple talking about all the Jedi they - and specifically Shae - had killed in that bombing. Notorious indeed. We went on missions together for a long time, and eventually we took a trip to Moraband, one of the Sith fortress worlds, and... he paused, searching for the right words for what had happened in that cave on Moraband ...I realized I needed mommy. We went back to the ship and mommy came to my room and we had lots of passionate and scandalous... moments and I told her that I loved her, and she did too. Just the memory of that night was practically enough to make him glow in a way that was very uncharacteristic of such a brooding man.

He continued with a smile. Since then, your mother and I have been... he was going to say inseparable, but that was clearly not true anymore ...well, we've been madly in love. Then we had you, and our lives got even sweeter. We both couldn't be more proud of you, he said, smile once more returning to his lips. Ciri was without a doubt the greatest thing they ever had - or would - produce. He still remembered that day when he first felt her inside her mother, free of the dark taint that haunted them both even then. So how's that for a story? he asked with a smile. We knew we couldn't raise you in the Sith, so we brought you here where you can be surrounded by people that care and heal, like Uncle Edin, here, he said, nodding toward Edin who seemed to be hanging on every word of the story just as Ciri was.

 

[Sreeya]

She saw the various changes in her father's expression as he told the story. Edin coughed a few times to cover up a laugh, especially at the part where Shae came to Corvo's room. Of course, this flew right over Ciri's head and she ignored it entirely. By the end of the story, she was grinning widely. She had, for better or worse, heard about the Sith portion of the story already. Often times there were grumblings within the order on whether or not her parents should have been allowed back at all. A few people even suspected Ciri to be in cahoots with Sith and her parents still being the bad guys. Where these comments used to bug her constantly, she grew more and more immune to them from the repetitiveness. However, hearing it from a different angle like this was enlightening and made her once again proud of her parents.

"I hope mommy needs us too..." Ciri sighed, looking dejected for a moment. Edin looked at Corvo in sympathy, having heard the gist of what happened. Corvo wasn't the type to share in his misery, and he had bottled up his feelings on Shae being gone since it happened. It took someone perceptive like Edin to pry out even the fact that she was gone, let alone any feelings associated with it. In the end, Ciri moved on from the subject, leaning in to give her father a one armed hug, "I'm glad you came here. I don't think I would have liked growing up with the Sith. Plus I wouldn't have met uncle Valin or uncle Edin!"

She swung her legs over the edge of the bed, hopping down. Ciri walked over to give Edin a hug, the man entirely too happy to return the gesture. He had seen her grow up from the very day she was born, and she had a special place in his heart as a result. Ciri smiled as she turned back to Corvo, "Let's go home. I think that's enough adventure for a day..."