Life Day, Tan'ya had discovered, was a traditional Wookiee holiday from Kashyyyk. It's exact origins weren't clear, but it was an annual affair that happened at a fixed date every year based on the shyriiwook calendar of three hundred and eighty one days.
The best theory Tan'ya had read on the subject was that it was originally intended to mark the start of the Wookiee mating season, but because the Wookiee calendar wasn't perfectly aligned with kashyyyk's annual rotation around its star, Life Day had drifted to a different date over the course of tens of thousands of years.
That only raised the question of why anyone who wasn't a Wookiee or at least living on Kashyyyk would ever celebrate it?
Well, despite being relatively backwards technologically, and not too prominent economically, Kashyyyk was an incredibly popular holiday destination, with its spectacular tree cities and beautiful tropical beaches.
The Life Day festival with its colorful, lively celebrations and ceremonial gift giving became a particularly popular draw for offworld tourists. Eventually the galaxy's mega corporations seized on it and pushed it into the wider public eye mostly as a marketing ploy. Often romance and family were a big theme in advertising for the now annual event.
The whole thing reminded Tan'ya of Christmas celebrations in Japan. Were the Japanese Christian? Not really. Did they like family, romance and gift giving? Yes. Did it drive up sales? Yes. Then that was all the excuse some people needed.
Tan'ya herself wouldn't have even minded celebrating it this year, it was just this was literally the first time anyone had ever mentioned the holiday to her.
Stepping out the door of her father's droid driven car, Tan'ya paused to affix her cape over her shoulders and redo the silver chain that held it together. "Father? Can I ask a question?"
"'Why are we celebrating Life Day?'" Dooku glanced down at her, fiddling his own chain into place having just stepped out behind her.
"...Why are we celebrating Life Day for the first time?"
He breathed out through his nose. "Your Mother does this occasionally. She'll pick up a new hobby or interest for a while, then get bored of it and move on. This year she has decided Life Day will be a new family tradition."
"...I see." Tan'ya frowned. "So will we celebrate this next year?"
"I have my doubts." Dooku answered. "Now, tell me what you want as a gift."
"I thought it was supposed to be a surprise?"
He just looked at her.
"...What's a suitable price range?" Tan'ya eventually asked, feeling him out.
"Tan'ya." He said in a warning tone.
Right, they weren't supposed to mention money in public. Apparently even thinking of what something might cost implied the family finances might be in jeopardy, which was completely unacceptable among the noble houses of the Outer Rim. That didn't mean Tan'ya could ask for anything, though.
The biggest thing she wanted was a dockyard to construct ships with, but there was no way that would be an acceptable gift.
"Could I have my own spaceship?"
"No."
"...Piloting lessons?"
He considered for a moment, before nodding once. "I will arrange it."
A wide smile split Tan'ya face. It had been too long since she'd been able to fly! Her second life had been her worst life by far, but the one good thing about it had been flying. Everything else had been miserable; and unbroken string of battlefields, each as repugnantly wasteful as the last. Now that she was away from it, Tan'ya wondered what on Earth she'd been thinking to stick around for so long.
Loyalty to a country was one thing, but serving that same country after it was engaged in a multifront war with several other much larger powers was madness! And it was madness, the Type 95 had seen to that. In practically every conceivable way, life number three was a complete upgrade over life number two.
So Tan'ya had no idea why she occasionally felt nostalgic about the 203rd. It was one thing to miss flying, but another to miss the coffee and the company. Those were without a doubt, bar none, the worst years of her life. It would be crazy of her to want to see everyone again.
In particular Tan'ya had had strange recurring dreams of talking to Visha, sometimes in a cave, sometimes in a tent, and even out under unfamiliar stars or wearing armor like a teutonic knight of old. Obviously they weren't real, probably just meaning Tan'ya missed the one friend she may have made in that awful war.
The building they were approaching was surprisingly small and out of the way. It was a two story building with a peaked tiled roof and slightly squashed look to it, the middle slightly wider than the roof or the foundation.
It was made from an off white cement looking substance, and raised up on a pyramidal set of steps with channels for running water carved into it. It was apparently a pretty common look for old buildings, being considered rain resistant and fashionable once upon a time. It was located away off of any major roads and paved with actual cobblestone.
Definitely not the sort of place Tan'ya had been expecting to visit with her father today. Normally if he wanted to speak to an artisan or someone from the city they would come to see him, but apparently Mother had insisted his Life Day gift be a surprise, so Father had been forced to leave the palace to acquire it.
Ilenntia was the capital city of the planet, and easily its wealthiest population. None of the people walking the streets were amputees or hunchbacks, injured in the dangerous lumber yards, but middle class professionals and servants of the baronial houses that administered the planet. None of Serenno's countless battered lumberjacks lived here, instead Ilenntia was where the people who owned the lumber yards came to spend their money.
Unlike the rest of the world, where the primary language was not even Outer Rim basic but native Serennoan, the people of the capital spoke Galactic Standard, though with an accent that occasionally stressed the 'n' sound a little too much.
"I will choose your gift for me, so you just have to get one for your mother." Her father told her.
"You don't trust me to shop for you?"
"I would instruct you on what to get for your mother, but she insisted I not give you any ideas."
"What are you getting for her?"
"A painting. Your mother is a fan of local handcrafted works, so I thought she would appreciate a portrait of us both."
Luckily the two of them weren't expected to model for too long. The position chosen by Dooku had them both seated, with Tan'ya in her father's lap. It was awkward and uncomfortable for someone who was once a grown adult, but also totally socially acceptable. The gray haired old man who was sketching them made almost no conversation as he worked, except occasionally asking the 'Honored Count of Serenno' or his 'Princess' to turn their head up or down slightly to change the lighting.
Eventually the artist asked, "Princess, would you like to go to the next room? I've captured enough of you for now." He looked up at the Count, explaining. "I thought it would be best if I sketched the little girl first, so she can go play sooner. Hard for the children to sit for long."
Tan'ya clenched her teeth in frustration at the condescension. "I'm fine."
"Get up, Tan'ya." Dooku ordered, ignoring her protest. "You've grown too large to sit on my lap for long."
Fuming, and slightly miffed that maybe her father had been implying that she was too heavy, Tan'ya hopped up and went to the next room. She paused only briefly to look at herself in a mirror, confirming for herself that no she wasn't chubby. Master Sifo had been certain to include exercise and stretching in her training, particularly focused on memorizing and moving between various lightsaber forms with a wooden sword as a prop. It was natural for her to get heavier as she grew older, and her father was getting advanced in his age.
Feeling a bit more reassured, Tan'ya looked about the room and saw it was full of childrens' toys and picture books fit someone her age, but not her maturity.
Rolling her eyes, Tan'ya found a seat and dug out her com-pad, before starting to review the notes on the next chapter Master Sifo wanted to work on. Volume 1 had been entirely focused on the origins of the Republic, now Volume 2 was going to cover a much larger period of almost eighteen thousand years of peace and growth for the Republic.
Obviously it wasn't all smooth sailing, but the historical record was incredibly spotty and short on details of any major conflicts. It would be a long time until the Hundred Years Darkness really threatened the Republic and a narrative that could be more easily followed would emerge.
It was just as Tan'ya was scrolling that she glanced at the big picture book in the corner of her vision, and was struck with an idea for a gift that her Mother would appreciate, and Master Dyas as well…
...
if you want to read ahead of the public release you can join my patreon :
patreon.com/Rimanovi