A solitude that asks nothing in return

[Aleidis Zrgaat]

@[member="Circe Savan"]

Things were coming together. Things bigger than herself, things that required support that one little Ghostling with a big mouth couldn't give. To deter a dragon, one needed to befriend dragons - and although Aleidis had some in her corner, there was one more who could be put to a good use for the first time in a long time. Not that Aleidis had any favors to invoke or that she was the sort to blackmail.

No, she was going to ask one of the more slippery women in the universe for a king's favor, banking on pure personality.

The Trayus Academy wasn't someplace Aleidis really relished the idea of visiting, but it was about as close as she could find to Circe Savan's more recent movements. As the unassuming young woman drew close to the building itself, she could smell the malleable, pungent and acrid stench of lingering Current use. Of the two other people in the Galaxy who could stand to teach her a thing or two about the White Current, Aleidis had always made a special note to Circe's oft-liberal applications.

While Je'Gan preferred to dictate the field of battle with his illusions and Aleidis supplemented her own person with false tools and decoys, Circe used the White Current like a child makes use of free candy - liberally, and at whim. Her pure stamina and tenacity when it came to illusions was, Aleidis suspected, without peer. At at least one point in memorable history, Circe's wardrobe had consisted entirely of imagined clothing - maintaining the illusion of decency day-in and day-out for what might have been weeks. Years.

But it wasn't her skills with the Current that'd brought Aleidis Ijet a tap-tap-tapping upon what she hoped to be the Hybrid plant-woman's chamber doors. No, what she needed was much larger-scale than even Circe's infamous resilience could provide, and considerably more expensive. Absently smoothing her white tunic, the Ghostling walked through Malachor's Sith Temple in search of green skinned, crepuscular ship magnates.

 

[Onrai]

Here at Malachor V, Circe still resided in the headmistress's office. She intended to utilize whatever she could on this planet in order to assist her goals. As she walked to Circe ms current place of residence, it was very likely that Aleidis would notice the machine consisting of two large crystals, a table, and some consoles nearby. This was the Reborn machine, a near-duplicate of those made during the Empire Reborn to turn those with sub-par Force ability into Reborn - artificially enhanced Force-Sensitive warriors.

Circe herself heard the knock at the door. In Darth Traya's robes, heavily repaired and refurbished since their drastic damaging at the hands of Rave Merrill, the Vinithi stood up, looking at the door behind which she knew was someone she had cared about for years, someone she wished had not left her after the outbreak of technobeasts on Zeltros. Smiling, she opened the door and, with a tear running down the corner of her eye, she moved forward, giving the Ghostling a hug. For the time being, she ignored the feel of the prosthetic as she leaned back a bit, Aleidis still in her arms.

"I missed you, dearheart..."

@[member="Aleidis Ijet"]

 

[Aleidis Zrgaat]

@[member="Circe Savan"]

Arms! Tight! Squeeze! Warm! "Urk~!"

Alei couldn't really move, thanks to the tightness of the hug, but that was alright. It was a hug, after all - and she wasn't exactly unused to Circe hugging her like a lost child finally come home. It didn't help that Circe was one of the very few people in the Galaxy Aleidis couldn't ambush to quickly gain social control of a situation with her usual cloak-and-dagger nonsense. "H-Hullo, Missus Savan." The Ghostling squeaked with an awkward grin, not making an effort to free her arms from the green woman's embrace.

Trying not to lose her confidence in the face of being treated her age for once, Aleidis refused the mild blush that threatened her cheeks and managed an awkward smile. "I'm afraid I can't stay too long - do you have a couple of minutes?" She asked hopefully, glancing up through her bangs. "I need to ask a favor."

 

[Onrai]

A soft smile creeped up Circe's face as she looked Aleidis over. "My gods... your arm... What happened to it?" With a sigh, she turned away for the moment, looking over Aleidis at a whole. "Alei, you and I have known each other for ages. I watched you, someone I consider close enough to be immediate family, grow up to become Chancellor. I still believe there was a bit of Jedi puppeteering going on with that - but you've proven to be as calm and collected as I assumed you'd be in these sort of times."

She paused. "And I'll do anything you need me to help you with. Just tell me what you need, and I'll give it to you. Or I'll find someone to give it to me, then give it to you." The love that Circe felt for her long-lost "daughter" gave her a reason to, for the time being, break her normally manipulative and deceitful attitude.

It was time to help her out freely.

@[member="Aleidis Ijet"]

 

[Aleidis Zrgaat]

@[member="Circe Savan"]

"It's just a prosthetic, Missus Savan. Nothing fancy - I got it mostly because I was sick of trying to do everything left-handed." Aleidis admitted sheepishly, offering a tiny smile to go along as she flexed the metal hand in demonstration. "That, and I think Codi woulda left me if I didn't get some kind of prosthetic. My arm being gone really weirded her out."

As Circe leaned back, so did Aleidis. "I'm going to try and stop the Republic's warmongering." She admitted plainly. "I've got people helping me, but not enough. What I wanted to ask you was, if it comes down to preventing another war, would you be willing to fund the Republic's opposition? Preferably with medical supplies, maybe with ships." Aleidis explained. "Our intention is to make it so any target the Republic finds is one too strong to take easily. We're watching their movements, limiting their resources, and now funding their victims. If you're on board, that is. What do you think?"

 

[Onrai]

She paused, hearing about the prosthetic. "I can do you one better. The prosthetic that you have now has several issues - namely its vulnerability electromagnetic pulses and its incompatibility with your body. Considering my... previous experiences with Siobhan's prosthetics, I know from experience that biofiber ones are superior... would you please let me get you one I have pre-made for you?"

Yes, Circe had kept one around in the event that someone needed it. It was a prosthetic covered in the cloned skin of Ashin Varanin, originally a substitute for the laminanium arm she had previously. Unused, it was preserved in a bacta tank - and with a bit of alterations, it could be fitted for Aleidis, an almost exact duplicate of her original arm now long missing. If she had time, new skin could be grown for it as well, in order to replace Ashin's skin and allow for her 'glow' to be whole.

"Provide opposition to the rebellion with non-lethal and lethal accoutrements... I'm flattered. I'll gladly provide vessels to your opposition at little or no cost, considering Subach still has a significant supply of them stored at Serpena. They should perform quite nicely. If push comes to shove, I suppose I'll be able to assist in any mans you require." Smiling, she looked the Ghostling over, a soft chuckle crossing her lips as she looked deep into Alei's eyes.

@[member="Aleidis Ijet"]

 

[Aleidis Zrgaat]

@[member="Circe Savan"]

Aleidis - having regained the use of her arms thanks to a somewhat less tight hug - waved her hands in front of herself and smiled awkwardly. "Don't get me wrong, Missus Savan, I'm not heading up a Rebellion or anything like that." She promised vehemently. "Just trying to check and curtail the Republic's expansion. I've got guys telling me where and when they move, what numbers and how fast. I've got people ready to drop on 'em if they start launching crusades again. What I need from you - and I hope I won't really need it - is if the Republic sets it's sights on somebody, for you to make sure that somebody has the ships and medicine to defend themselves." The Ghostling explained more clearly. "Hopefully in such a way that it cannot be traced back to you."

No ma'am, no rebellion here. Not at all. Nope.

"As much as I'd appreciate that, Missus Savan - the arm, I mean - I don't think I have the time." She apologized reluctantly. "I'm on my way to Coruscant to issue a warning, and the sooner I get there the better. I don't know how long my 'errand' will take; they may see fit to try and imprison me or something stupid like that." Aleidis explained with a mournful smile. "There'll be trouble if they do, and I wouldn't put it past them to cause trouble. I'd just as soon not bring that trouble down on your head, y'know?"

 

[Onrai]

"Oh Aleidis... I wish I could believe that you weren't forming an armed insurrectionist movement meant to deal with the Republic in the event that this whole thing is going out of control. But dearheart - what you don't understand is that I've been planning for this too." A soft smile crossed her face. "Most of the hypermatter, antimatter, supplies, parts, etcetera located in the Serpena yards is from the salvaged ships and whatnot. I still have a modest supply of Subach-owned starships there, waiting to be sold to a private organization or group. If you have the money, I can supply you with everything you'll need, from starfighters to Star Destroyers."

Pausing, she looked over Alei. "You'll... look more presentable with the prosthetic I intend to give you. It was intended for a very special friend of mine... Well, before she passed on and no longer needed it. I doubt the Jedi will try to imprison you - rumor amongst the Republic is that the Jedi and Republic leadership are beginning to struggle over the current warmongering situation. With Grandmaster Halcyon having grown isolated, no one'll try to incarcerate you because if they do, the conflict will be exposed to the populace and drastic action will be taken. As for bringing trouble down on my head..." She chuckled, her fingers briefly growing into long leafy vines before returning to their original shapes.

"I'd say I can handle anything you choose to toss me, dearheart."

@[member="Aleidis Ijet"]

 

[Aleidis Zrgaat]

@[member="Circe Savan"]

"I'm sure you can handle all kinds of things, missus Savan. I just don't want anybody getting hurt who's just trying to help me." Aleidis explained with a wan smile. "Then I'd be responsible, and I've got more than enough of that stuff to last me ten lifetimes."

Aleidis sighed and rubbed her mechanical shoulder. "...and as much as I appreciate the offer, I will have to pass. Codi insisted I get this prosthetic, and while it's been tons of helpful, I didn't want a prosthetic in the first place." She explained bleakly. "It's complicated. But again, thank you."

 

[Onrai]

"Alei." She gently placed her hands on the shoulder of the young girl who had been thrust into this position. "I've lived for thirty-five years. In that time I've been killed, stabbed, sliced, mutilated, abused, tortured, mentally violated, physically raped, scarred, amputated, and suffered more than anyone should suffer in those same ten lifetimes. Hell, with this plant body, I likely will live ten lifetimes. So please, never, ever worry about me getting hurt because I chose to help you. It's of my choice, and if I've borne this suffering for as long as I've lived now, I'm damn sure I can bear it for another thirty-five years."

Pausing, she felt the mechanical shoulder of the Ghostling. "I understand you don't want a prosthetic, and that you're only doing it because Codi insisted, but I'm merely suggesting that you be fitted with one that, unlike your current one, actually looks and feels like a real arm. Not a mechanical augment. But it's your wish."

@[member="Aleidis Ijet"]

 

[Aleidis Zrgaat]

@[member="Circe Savan"]

The Aleidis Ijet who'd wandered into Circe's parlor had been a young, bright eyed, optimistic and ultimately naive girl. The smile Aleidis today gave bore little resemblance to that young woman - it was grim and dry, narrow and smacking of repressed spite. "I want them to notice it." She promised gravelly. "I want them to see the price I paid for their safety. I want them to look me in the eyes, ragged clothes and cheap prosthetic and all, and face the fact that twice they left me to hang for their safety."

"My words communicate anger and resentment, I know. And these are not the Jedi ways - but I'm not a Jedi. I handed my saber off to Ben Watts when he asked me to sacrifice myself for the Republic." Aleidis pointed out, staring down at her awkward prosthetic and it's clumsy fingers. "I gave them my dreams and childhood, and asked nothing in return. I gave them peace, and they rejected my gift. But soon, it won't be a gift - it will be a mandate. Because if they can't lead themselves nobly, I'll ensure that they reform - or perish."

 

[Onrai]

"You want them to see how vengeful you've become. How much you've grown to hate the very thing you love because of its betrayal of you." She smiled. "Congratulations. You now know exactly how I felt when I chose to kill my master. I hated him, and yet I loved the feeling of pseudo-safety he offered me. But in the end, I knew what I needed to do." Pausing, she stepped over next to Alei, gently taking the woman's prosthetic hand in her own. "I'm very proud of you, dearheart. You've always been like a daughter to me. When you came to power, I couldn't help but smile. Though I found it admittedly shocking that a seventeen year old girl had become chancellor of the Republic, I still felt nothing but pride for your accomplishments."

Stepping over to Alei, Circe sighed, raising an eyebrow. "Those are delectable words, I have to say. Vengeance, fire and brimstone... It's something I wish I could've dipped into a lot more often." She chuckled. "So, how's your relationship with Codi going?"

@[member="Aleidis Ijet"]

 

[Aleidis Zrgaat]

@[member="Circe Savan"]

"I don't hate them. Or the Republic." Alei insisted, removing her hand from Circe's carefully. "They aren't doing what needs to be done, so I'm forcing them to confront reality. And I am a part of that reality." She explained carefully.

"Codi and I are fine. We're traveling together when we can, but I've got all kinds of projects and stuff that it'd be dangerous for her to be involved in." Alei explained with a mild frown. "But that's life."

 

[Onrai]

Circe sighed. "Alei, I just want to spend a little time with you. It's all I ask. I care about you a lot. I'm sorry for assuming that your frustration with the Repubic equated to hatred. I just need to help you in whatever your plans are here." Pausing, she moved forward, giving the Ghostling a motherly embrace, a frown on her face as she did so.

"Why do you refuse yourself even the basic comfort of family?"

@[member="Aleidis Ijet"]

 

[Aleidis Zrgaat]

@[member="Circe Savan"]

"I don't have time for comforts, missus Savan." Aleidis pointed out mildly, enduring the hug with good grace. Even if she'd begun making a habit of wearing the inertia belt, Alei wasn't used to such an incredible amount of physical contact from anyone. Most of her childhood had been spent desperately avoiding such things, after all. "There's so much I need to do, I can't allow myself to slow down for things I don't need. Not anymore."

 

[Onrai]

"Yes you can." Circe said solemnly. "If I can do it, the woman who's been killed, manhunted five times, been stripped of all she cared about, then I'm damn sure you can do it too. You just need to realize that life, having family, even as cover, is vitally important to your social well-being. If you don't have them to be with, you'll turn up just as cold and soulless as a Sith Lord."

She sighed, still continuing to embrace Aleidis, a bit more gently this time.

@[member="Aleidis Ijet"]