Of Loss and Broken Promises

[Troy Vortex]

This story takes place between seven and eight years after "Beginnings".

Kavin patiently waited his turn to use the public comm system. Others in line are decidedly less patient, and nerves were getting stepped on. As the tention mounted, Kavin stepped up on a table that happened to be beside him, and started singing "Starlight by Moonlight".

At first, others around him looked as if the jedi had gone mad. Others chuckled. Yet other's ignored him and continued their bickering. However, the ones who chuckled soon joined in. He smiled at them and made eye contact with the ones who were not quite sure what to do. He winked with a grin as he continued singing in his tenor voice and waved his arms in an invite for them to join in. Reluctantly, they did, and soon began enjoying themselves. The bickering few became quiet and looked around, looked at each other with slow smiles coming across their faces, and soon they joined in.

Kavin hopped down from the table, continuing to sing, and not only did the people let him back in line, they encouraged him to get in front of them so that he is next in line to use the comm. He blushed slightly, as that was not his intention, yet he was not fool enough to look a gift horse in the mouth.

The guards who were in charge of crowd control nodded to him in thanks. They had become tense, worried that a riot was going to ensue. This unexpected break in the tension was quite a welcome occurance.

Soon the occupant in the comm booth exited, and Kavin entered.

[Troy Vortex]

With the doors to the booth closed, Kavin could no longer hear the crowd singing the drinking song. He took a deep breath, then put in a call to Naboo.

"Hello?" A holographic image of Miri appeared on the console in front of him, and he smiled tenderly. "Oh, Kavin!" The image straightened it's hair.

"Milady." His voice broke.

She looks concerned. "What's wrong, honey?"

"I... miss you so much." He said quietly. "And the kids... and I won't be able to be home for I don't know how long."

"Why, what's happened?" Miri's hand touched her belly.

"The outbreak of tianbrian fever has mutated... they put a quarantine on the system until they can get a working vaccine or cure."

"Oh, Kavin! But the baby is due in less than two weeks! You're going to miss his birth!" She frowned looking sad.

"I'm sorry. I really want to be there."

She sighed. "I know you do."

"I can't talk too much longer, Miri. There are many others who need to talk to their families. But I promise, I'll get either Tiin or Qui-Gon to go to you. If I can't be there, at least they will be."

A tear came to her eyes. "That's not the same."

"I know. And I'm sorry! But I can't help it! I don't want you to be alone though." The dreams Kavin had had just before they were married had come back; the ones about Miri giving birth, and the third one dying. If the dreams came true, he didn't want her to be alone. "And since your family moved to another part of the mountains..."

"OK." Her voice was quiet and resigned and it broke Kavin's heart to see her so sad.

"I'm sorry, Miri."

"I know. I'm sorry too. I don't mean to make this harder on you. I know you want to be here." She gives him a shaky smile.

"I love you, Milady."

"And I you, my Knight. The Force be with you."

"And with you, my love."

After the connection is terminated, Kavin closed his eyes tight to keep the tears away and called the Jedi Temple on Corruscant to get in touch with Tiin.

It took a bit longer for the other knight to answer his comm. His image looked bleary eyed. "Kavin, do you know what time it is here?"

"O' twohundred in the morning, roughly. I'm sorry, Tiin, I wouldn't call if it weren't absolutely urgent!" Kavin spoke quickly.

Instantly, Tiin looked more alert. "What is it? Is Miri alright?"

"For being a couple weeks away from delivery, she's fine. The thing is, I'm stuck on a quarantined planet half the galaxy away. Tiin, could you please go to her? I don't want her to be alone... especially this time."

"Your dreams have returned?" Tiin guessed.

Kavin nodded.

"Unfortunately, I can't. I start a mission first thing in the morning."

[Troy Vortex]

When he saw Kavin's crestfallen look, Tiin felt really bad about lying to him. I can't very well tell him I can't go because I'm in love with his wife, now can I? "Qui-Gon is free, I believe."

"OK, thanks Tiin." Kavin smiled lopsidedly. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were trying to avoid us. So far you've had a mission everytime we've invited you to see our home."

Tiin forced a smile, and hoped it did not look forced. "Hopefully we can change that pattern in the future." I hope not.

"Yeah, well I'd better go ahead and let you go... I haven't much more time. I'm sorry to wake you, Tiin."

"That's alright Kavin. Everything will turn out alright. Don't worry."

"Thanks. I have to call Qui-Gon now. I'll talk to you later."

After hanging up with Tiin, Kavin quickly commed Qui-Gon.

"Kavin?" A bleary-eyed Qui-Gon answered his comm. "Do you have any idea what time it is here?"

"I know, sorry, but it's urgent. I'm in quarantine for I don't know how long, and I don't want Miri to be alone! Tiin is going on a mission in the morning, so he can't go."

"I'll be glad to go, Kavin, but what about her family?"

"Well, they moved... and well, she's not really comfortable with them except for maybe her cousin Mertel."

"I'll be there as soon as I can, Kavin."

"Thank you Qui-Gon." Kavin sighed with relief. "I have to go now. My time's up."

"May the Force be with you, Kavin."

"And with you, Qui-Gon."

[Troy Vortex]

After signing off with Qui-Gon, Kavin left the comm booth. The crowd had finished singing the drinking song he'd started. Now they were quiet. While most looked bored, others toward the back looked rather restless.

As he was heading out of the building, one of the guards called out to him. "Hey, Jedi. If you know any more of those songs, it would help morale here if you could lead the crowd in some of them."

Kavin grinned. "Sounds like fun. My throat is rather dry though." He coughed slightly to clear his throat.

The guard chuckled as he nudged another guard and winked. "I think we can take care of that." He continued as the other guard left the large room through a small door. "We'll have something for you to drink soon enough."

"Fair enough." Kavin looked around. Instead of standing on the table he had in his impromptu performance, he decided to lead the singing from the stairs that lead up to the second level of the building. From there, he cleared his throat then called out to the crowd. "Do you want to sing another ditty with me?"

Newcomers to the building looked over at him puzzled and blinked when those who were there when he had them all singing cheered. He grinned and started in on a song, and the crowd cheered again before joining in.

By the end of the first song, the guard who had gone to get the drinks came up to him and handed him a bottle. Kavin smiled and thanked him, then took a sip before starting another song. After two more songs, some reporters showed up for the Galatic Holonews Network, who for a few minutes gave a live feed of the casual, unplanned concert. Kavin pretty much ignored the cameras, playing to the crowd.

When he finished the song, Colis Veren, GHN's reporter came up to him. "Sir, what's your name?"

"Kavin. Kavin Horn."

"You're a Jedi, right?"

"Yes, ma'am." He smiled as he took a sip of the water he'd been given.

"We weren't aware the Jedi were entertainers. How did this concert come about?"

Kavin chuckled. "Well, Miss Veren, it started out as an impromptu act on my part to try to relieve tension here. And afterwards, the guards asked me to continue." He shrugged. "The Jedi are here to serve in any way we can to help promote peace. Since the outbreak of the fever, things have gotten rather tense. I think we all needed something to lighten the mood."

The crowd cheered Kavin's sentiments, and Colis Veren ended the interview. "Thank you, Master Horn."

Kavin blushes. "Oh, I'm far from being a master," he speaks humbly. "I'm just a simple knight."

After the GHN crew left, Kavin resumed leading the crowd in well known songs. Fifteen minutes later though, there was a slight commotion at the entrance to the building. Soon four beings showed up carrying musical instruments.

"We saw the holonet broadcast of your impromptu concert, and thought we'd join ya!" A male Baselisk carrying a xantha came foreward and spoke jovially. The other three, a lavender Twilek female carrying a chidinkalu flute, a tall skinny human female with a double viole, and another Twilek female carrying a drumheller harp with centressar strings, followed behind the Baselisk.

[Troy Vortex]

Meanwhile, on Naboo...

Miri had just finished reading Caylib and Jakob a bedtime story and came down to watch the holo-news. She sat on the couch in the livingroom, rubbing her belly, when her eyes went wide in surprise as she saw Kavin.

"Here is a live feed of the impromptu concert lead by Jedi Knight, Kavin Horn who spoke earlier to correspondent Coris Voren, saying that this was a way to keep morale up for those who are stuck on the quarantined planet."

Miri quickly clicked a button on the remote to record the broadcast. She smiled as she watched Kavin perform, getting the people who stood in line waiting to use the public comm system to join in.

"My knight." She whispered proudly.

[Troy Vortex]

Kavin takes a big sip of water after a rather long, stirring renditon of "Tyrena Faire". Then came the lighthearted "The Hutt Two-Step.

In the middle of another song, Kavin started feeling rather queezy, and his face felt flush.

Suddenly, the room spun around him and he collapsed. The crowd gasped.

Back on Naboo, Miri gasped as well, and watched in shock as she watched the security guards keep the crowd away so medics could come to his aid.

"Oh, no, Kavin!" Miri's face paled as she closed her eyes.

[Troy Vortex]

The next morning, Miri struggles to her feet as she hears a knock at the front door. She holds her lower back as she goes to answer it. "Qui-Gon!"

"Kavin asked me to come because he was in quarantine."

"Oh, Qui-Gon!" Miri burst in tears and hugged Gui-Gon.

Qui-gon returned Miri's hug and gently rubbed her heaving shoulders. He frowned. He knew that pregnant women's hormones made them overly emotional sometimes, but... "Something else has happened?"

Miri pulls away and looks up at him, wiping her tears. "Come inside." As they go inside and sit in the living room, Miri tells him about Kavin's collapse and the news report that said he was suffering from a severe form of the tianbrian fever.

"Kavin is strong, Miri. He'll pull through." Qui-Gon said with certainty.

Miri nodded in agreement. She wearily pushed her hair back from her face.

"Are you alright?" He saw she looked pale and very tired.

"I'm just so tired. I haven't slept since I saw him collapse."

"Get some rest. I'll take care of the boys." He looks around. "Where are the boys?"

"I took Caylib to school, and Jaykob is at a friend's. I haven't told them about their father yet."

"Then get some rest."

"I can't sleep."

Qui-Gon went to kneel in front of Miri. He spoke softly yet firmly as he put his fingers gently against her temples. "Rest." He gave a slight nudge with the Force.

"I ca...." She slumped forward, and Qui-Gon caught her in his arms. He lifted her and carried her to her bedroom.

After making sure she was comfortable, he left the room and went downstairs. He noticed there was a holorecording on, but no sound came from it. He recognised Kavin, and turned up the volume. He smiled as he watched his friend performing bar songs with a backup band. "Kavin, if you decide to leave the Order, you've found your second calling." He frowned as the recording ended with Kavin collapsing and the medics taking him away, then it looped back to start with Kavin singing again. She watched that all night I'd wager.

[Troy Vortex]

Kavin lay sleeping on a cot, his fever having finally broken after five harrowing days. Tiin sat in a chair next to him, weary and wor like the other healers who had been sent to help in the crises. Though he was not a healer, his healing powers were almost on a par with them. When he had volunteered to go on the mission with the ten healers, he was gladly welcomed. Now he sat making out a report on a data pad by Kavin's side.

"When you're finished with that, why don't you go get some rest, healer? You more than earned it, and I think we've finally got the outbreak under control."

Tiin looked up to see one of the doctors who had worked long hours beside the jedi. He didn't bother correcting her error in his title. "I will soon. I think my friend will be waking soon. I'd like to speak to him before leaving. You should get some rest yourself, Doctor."

Nodding, the doctor replied. "I will as soon as my relief gets here." He waves and goes to finish his rounds.

Just as Tiin finished the report, Kavin stirred . Tiin put the datapad on the table and sat up. "Kavin, I'm here."

Slowly, Kavin opens his eyes, blinks, and looks over at Tiin. "Tiin?" His voice is hoarse.

Tiin smiled. "Yes, Kav, I'm here."

Seeing Tiin's unusually rumpled appearance and rough five-day beard, Kavin grinned. "You look awful."

Tiin laughed so hard, tears came to his eyes. "You think that's bad, you haven't looked in the mirror."

He poured some water from a pitcher into a cup. "Here, I know you're thirsty." He stood to help Kavin sit up, and helped him by holding the cup while he sipped.

Kavin tried raising his hand to take the cup, but barely got it three inches off the bed. After swallowing the water, he frowned. "What happened? Why am I so weak?"

[Troy Vortex]

"You contracted the severest form of tianbrian fever. You are severely dehydrated in spite of the IV hookup." Tiin indicated the intravenous lines in his left arm as he gently lowered Kavin back down onto the pillow.

"That would explain..." He stopped as he realized that usually the fever lasts a couple weeks, that is if the patient lasts that long. "Miri! Has she had the baby? Is he alright?" He asked anxiously, his voice weak.

"As far as I know, she's alright. It's only been five days since your collapse. She has a few more days to go."

Kavin tried to sit up, but his head barely got off the pillow when it seemed the room spun around him real quick. "Oooh!" His eyes widened as he felt like he was going to empty the contents of his stomach.

Tiin quickly helped him roll over on his side, away from himself just in case something actually came out. Since nothing but the water Kavin just sipped had gone into him for the last five days, only a little water came out. "Now don't try getting up on your own! You're not ready for that."

"I have to get back to Miri!" His voice was still weak.

"No," Tiin said firmly, "you have to get your strength up. Or else you'll be dead by the time you reach Naboo and you'd be no good to her as a corpse! Besides, the quarantine is still in effect."

Kavin's eyes started to close, but he fought to keep them open. "I need to talk to her, Tiin." His voice was a soft whisper. "Please, I just need to talk to her!"

"Rest. I'll get a comm unit in here after you wake up."

"Thankyou, Tiin, my brother." His voice faded as he drifted off to sleep.

[Troy Vortex]

The next day, Kavin sat propped up as a rather ugly nurse droid with the designation of NU1VK2 fed him foul tasting broth. His face lit up when he saw Tiin come in the room with a comm unit. He pushed the droid's arm away from his mouth so he could speak.

"You are a life saver! This droid is trying to poison me." He said as he made a comical face of disgust at the wretched food.

"Sir, you must be getting a relapse." Another arm came out with a device to read Kavin's temperature. "If you will please lie on your stomach, I shall take your temperature to determine if your fever has returned."

"That won't be necessary, Nuone." Tiin's voice held amusement as he came by Kavin's bedside. "I'll finish feeding him, you may leave the broth on the table. Thank you."

"Very well, but I shall inform the doctor of the patient's possible relapse, just in case."

"You do that." Tiin rolled his eyes and shook his head as he watched the nursing unit leave the room. "Uppity droids think they know everything."

Kavin laughed at Tiin's exasperated tone. "So, are you going to give me that comm and let me speak to Miri, or am I going to have to suffer more of that noxious potion they call broth before I have that pleasure?"