She hisses softly in annoyance and shakes her head. "Well, that's better than the rumors, anyway."

"Rumours?" He pauses. "Oh, the baby thief ones, I bet." He keeps working, thinking hard on something.

"...I had three brothers. One of them was two. I think. The Jedi took him, too, and one of the older ones. Not the oldest, though. He was too old."

He was so mad. Alek remembers this brother's anger at their separation more strongly than anything else from before the Temple. 

"Yeah. I'd heard - literal infants. Sith - we don't get a choice any more than you did, but we do get a childhood. Thirteen, maybe fourteen - any younger than that and whoever picks 'em up will have the other Sith worried about 'em. Building a private army or something."

"Not so common to have that many Force-sensitive kids in one family, but we'd've kept you together, too, I expect. Depends on the master, but. That kind of bond can be a strength."

"Not infants, usually, but 2 or 3 year olds who express force sensitivity, they do take. They just... usually won't push too hard if the parents say no. Most parents don't - It's supposed to be a huge honour... and maybe there's some force manipulation there, too. I don't know, I was never involved with the Searchers. 

"They didn't keep us together, the ones they took. Different parts of the creche, far enough apart in age that we didn't have any initiate classes together. I can't remember the younger one's name. I think the older one is named Galen, though. I saw him sometimes, before he was chosen as a Padawan. We have the same family name.

"The Jedi see bonds like the ones between siblings as liabilities. It's attachment, see." 

She nods. "Sensing genetic relatedness isn't hard to pick up, if you want to try looking for them sometime. Not soon, obviously, but. There's hope, anyway."

His head whips up, "Yes, I want-" he pauses. "I want to find the oldest one, at least. Getting the other two away from the Jedi will be complicated, I think." They might not want to leave. 

"Well, if he's in Jedi space, even that might be tricky. But I should be able to give you an idea of where he is, at least, if someone's got a star chart."

Nodnod. "That would be... good," he says, quiet, tentative hope colouring his emotional aura. "Thank you." 

Scrub gathering. 

"'Welcome."

Scrub gathering. They'll need a lot, but soon they have enough to get started with, at least. Pradnakt piles it up and levitates the body on top, then steps back, looking to Alek.

Alek stares at the pyre for a few moments, at a loss for what to say.

Eventually, he shakes his head and steps forward, raising a hand and drawing on the Force to light a fire in his palm. He places it on Manoll's chest, catching his robes on fire, and then begins touching the pyre in various places, walking around it to get an even spread. He winds up behind the head, cleverly arranged to hide the lack of connection to the body, where he whispers a few words before he has to retreat from the growing heat of the flames. 

He feels... simultaneously relieved, and sad. 

Isk whistles sadly, wheeling over to settle next to Alek and watch. 

Pradnakt stays back, giving them their privacy, until Nine comes back around the side of the house; she speaks to him quietly, explaining what's going on, and then joins him in watching, standing a little apart from the other pair.

After a while, Alek steps back, turning to look at them. 

"...What now?" He asks quietly, expression a little lost. 

She steps forward too, reaching to touch his arm, gently. "There's nothing urgent, right now - can't do much until Daisy gets back, anyway. Longer term - you can stay a while, if you want. There's things I can teach you."

(He twitches, startled by the touch, but doesn't pull back, holding himself a little stiffly for a moment before carefully leaning just the slightest amount into her.)

It takes him a moment to answer the question. 

"...I'd like to learn," he tells her. "I should- stay in the ship, though." He's never hurt Isk, but he doesn't want to take any chances with Daisy or Nine if doesn't have to.

She nods. "There's not really room in the house, anyway. If you start feeling cramped we can put up another one, it only takes a couple days."

Shrug, "I've been living on the ship for most of a year, I'm used to it. Just being able to go out here is a big improvement to the usual." 

"All right. Don't bother the animals, listen to Daisy about the garden, stay off the roof, don't disturb me when I'm practicing with my 'saber, and bring water with you if you go for a walk, that's about all I've got in terms of rules. And check with me before you disturb any of the art, I guess. We should be able to feed you once Daisy's got the garden expanded - she'll let you teach her a recipe or two if there's anything you want her to make."

He nods - most of these seem entirely reasonable, though the roof thing seems a little weird? Still, it won't be hard to follow it. 

"...I play the harp," he mentions after a moment. "Mine... needs some repairs. But once I do that do you mind if I play out here?" 

"Sure. I meditate right after sunset, though, I'll want it quiet then. Usually about forty minutes, sometimes closer to an hour."

"I can avoid playing then," he agrees. 

He turns back to the pyre. At this rate it will burn all night. He doesn't intend to leave any time soon.

Pradnakt stays for a little longer, and then goes inside, coming back out to add more brush to the pyre when it starts to get low. Daisy comes back after a few hours and goes inside as well, bringing Alek a plate of finger food when the sun gets low before she goes out back with Nine to work on the garden and bring the animals in. Pradnakt comes out a little later, to go up on the roof and sit, not meditating yet. Overall it seems like they're going about their usual day, keeping Alek and the droids in mind but keeping a respectful distance.

Technically you're not supposed to eat while standing vigil, but Alek's just come out of a three-and-a-half-day kolto soak. He eats the finger food.

Eventually, the pyre completes its purpose, and they can leave it to burn itself out on the dry ground. Alek, tired, turns back towards the ship and house. If no one stops him he'll go straight to bed from here. 

Pradnakt is still on the roof, and leaves him be.

Daisy is waiting for Cue by his ship, though.