An Echo of the Past

[Edric Vanyan]

Edric twisted at the pen in his hand, something he carried with him, even though its use off Kesh was negligible. Part of what he liked was being able to write with such instruments, but the greater galaxy rarely used the instrument so he found himself simply moving it between his fingers to keep his mind occupied. Atleast it burned through time as he sat waiting for his chance to speak with the ruler of this planet.

Where was he though?

Well, Edric had found himself drawn to a planet called Commenor, more so due to an interest in the rulers rather than the planet itself. Something about them touched at the back of his mind and the not so secret relation of the queen and her king was something that hit him too... or was it consort. Edric's shoulders simply shrugged as he thought about what the difference even was. He had been able to learn about about the woman from the holonet, but he had to admit it was nothing real substantial.

There was the mention that the woman who resided here was a fan of tea, something Edric didn't quite enjoy himself but he figured it was a decent gift to drink during a talk if the Queen ended up entertaining him.

He looked at the pot while waiting to find out that fact, reaching out and pouring himself a glass while he sat there and with his hand drew more heat around it, warming the liquid a bit more than it already had been. Atleast if he was going to drink this, it would be hot, not warm. Though, he would not mind waiting a bit longer while waiting with the tea in his hands now. Around him was a pretty nice scene, not as interesting as his home on Kesh but he would comment on that later if this woman was not so uptight or defensive about her status.

He really did hate those monarchs with sticks shoved up their backsides.

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

It wasn't usual that a boy would come to see her. Alone. Kay had welcomed plenty of guests and well-wishers as of late, mostly people trying to catch a glimpse of the newborn twins, but those two had only spend one day at the Palace since their birth. Other than that they have lived with their Father at their private Estate that was hidden away and not on any records. Kay spent most of her time there too. Yet for a couple of days in the week she'd end up at the Palace to go over things with the staff and Ministers. In normal times she wouldn't have to. But large battles were being fought to the south-east and there was worry that it could spread. Hopefully that wouldn't be the case, but they still prepared themselves. They'd be stupid not to.

Instead of getting her assistant Olivia to let [member="Edric Vanyan"] into her office, Kay opened the door herself, smiling at him. She wasn't in gown or dress like she normally was. Instead she was dressed in slacks and a blouse. The only jewelry was her wedding rings. "Hello there. Won't you please come in?" She stepped to the side of the door, already noting that the lad had a tea cup in hand. Either he had done his homework or he had a liking towards tea as well. His face looked somewhat familiar, but she couldn't quite place it as of yet.

"What brings you here today?"

 

[Edric Vanyan]

[member="Lady Kay"] soon appeared and Edric sat there for a second a tad confused and to be honest a bit in shock at seeing the queen appear rather than some assistant. He himself was rather relaxed about his position but even when he called for guests he knew, it was rare that Edric met them and brought them in himself. His place was behind a desk or on a throne looking as a king should which is why the woman appearing made him stop in his tracks as he was about to take a drink from the cup.

Edric soon waved that shock to the side though, and found himself clearing his throat so that he could speak.

"Of course your majesty..." He started, his body raising and with it he grabbed the second cup, already filled with tea and he began to warm it in his hand, careful not to be obvious about his use of the force.

While he was unsure of the woman infront of him, he did know that she had a few friends that were of the mystical persuasion and he preferred to not be caught himself unless it was someone he knew. The woman soon asked him what brought him here today and only offering up the second cup to her would he speak again, finding a place to relax and let his voice drift forward, far softer than most in both tone and volume.

"Its mostly concerning a business offer between my home and yours. I prefer to create trade relations with worlds personally and not let businesses take free reign of my home's resources. As such I offer those businesses benefits for using and prioritizing certain worlds that are trade partners. Kesh has seen a drop in such with the recent wars in nearby systems so I have found new interest in searching the Core for worlds that might be of interest." He drank from his cup before coughing a bit, realizing he hadn't even introduced himself.

"Oh, I must apologize. I forgot to give you my name. I am the current ruler of Kesh, Edric Vanyan. It is a pleasure to meet you your majesty."

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay gave [member="Edric Vanyan"] an amused expression as he looked quite shocked when she asked him to come in. For the moment she couldn't understand why. And instead of just one cup of tea, he had brought two. She took it in hand as he offered it, bowing her head in thanks before gesturing for him to have a seat in one of the comfy chairs.

As he began his proposal, she sat down on one of the chairs, tucking her feet underneath. Kay nodded as she listened. Having a trade contract with a singluar world wasn't all that uncommon. At least not in her experience anyways.

A brow was raised as Edric mentioned Kesh however. She had been there before, even lived there for a short time. But that was when Solan was in charge. Whatever happened to him, she didn't know. But now this young lad has introduced himself as Kesh's ruler. Could he be Solan's son? But his surname was different. No doubt there was a story in there.

Kay sipped her tea, if not to just give herself a moment to digest what she had heard. "The pleasure is all mine. Please call me, Kay." She sat back in her chair as she cradled the tea cup in one of her hands. "And yes, I'd entertain the idea of a trade agreement between our two worlds. But tell me, how is it that you took on the role of Kesh's ruler at such a young age?" No doubt he's fielded that question before.

 

[Edric Vanyan]

[member="Lady Kay"]

Edric was happy when she had given him his reply. Usually talks like this required him to offer the other person something he really did not have the time or mind of thinking on so they ended with Edric promising something just for them to hear him out. It was the next part of her question that did catch him off guard. It wasn't that he hadn't heard it before but he had expected the woman to overlook his age considering the location. A great deal of core leaders and head officials had been young, Alderaan having many influential and young leaders from it.

But he was not opposed to answering her question, figuring it would build a better relation and perhaps the woman might feel some sympathy for his position. He didn't need her to, but it did give him a tad of an advantage in talks and his father had told him before that the game of politics looks for any advantage.

"A sad story, but I inherited it from my father a some years ago, after he had saved my sister. I'm not exactly related by blood, but that did not matter to him and I would be lying if I said I do not owe him everything. I retained my name that I was given, while my sister took my father's name as a way to remember what he did for us, since she was unable to remember her own name or past. He died doing what he believed in though, saving people and killing degenerates." He turned the cup in his hand as he thought about the man that gave him a new life.

"Ill have to say, before I met him I had never expected to be in situations like this." Edric continued, his voice becoming softer. He hadn't intended to say that much already and was at this point just talking to someone for once. "I apologize for saying so much, I realize that you probably did not want to hear about my old man's story. Not many people knew him, and those that did rarely liked him. Though, that was more of his fault considering he associated with less than reputable scum a great deal of the time."

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay's expression slowly dropped as [member="Edric Vanyan"] told his tale. She sipped her tea, not entirely looking at the boy, but looking straight ahead, lost in her own little world as she envisioned what happened to Solan. She recalled seeing him in her Palace once, taunting and toying with her when she....wasn't quite herself. It was almost something of a dream and now she wasn't certain if he was alive in that moment at all. Maybe he wasn't. Maybe he was just a ghost, a memory giving her a goodbye in his own way.

"I remember him. He saved my life a few times. I even lived on Kesh for a short while...But after he betrayed the Republic, I wasn't so sure if I could trust him anymore. I wasn't sure if he would hand me over to the enemy, hold me histage, or take me out of harm's way. It's...rather an unusual feeling to have with someone that was a friend. But...." Her eyes focused on Edric. "...I wouldn't of harmed him. He made mistakes, we all do. But he meant well behind them. It's a sad thing to learn of his passing in such a way."

Kay cleared her throat a little as she composed herself a bit better. "I don't think that anyone prepares to be in every situation that they are in. I had never expected to be where I am. I wasn't born into this role, just as you weren't. He chose you to succeed him for good reason, though. So take heart in that."

 

[Edric Vanyan]

[member="Lady Kay"]

Edric found himself listening to her quite intensely, even though he knew how this story ends. He had seen Solan's end coming from the end of a blade for a long time, as the man had become ever more self distructive with both his actions and his use of the force. Charr had only seen the man as a savior and a father, blinded to the effects that the man's actions had had on her and Edric knew well what those effects had led to.

"Im certain that he meant good, but his head was not in the right place those final years. After losing his daughter he had spiraled further and further out of control. In the end he was less man and more of a monster considering the fact of how much damage the force had done to his body. He was sick most of the time, his body deteriorating and or scarred from the most recent operation that he tried to further hide with the force.He certainly made mistakes and that was true in many cases."

His hand came up and scratched at his neck, thinking about the man now a bit more carefully.

"If he did visit you near the end, you likely saw him correcting his past mistakes as best he could. Which means you were likely on a similar path to him, and he cared enough not to see you end your time like he had with your mind tearing itself apart because of your actions. Even in his harshest moments, he still did consider his friends and family of more importance."

 

[Kay-Larr]

"Losing a loved one is a very difficult thing. I know for I have gone through it myself. You feel lost...terrified...and guilty." Kay took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, forcing her mind to shift from her past to thinking about her twins. She didn't want to relive the hurt. Now just wasn't the time for it. She had put it all behind her and moved on.

Her brows furrowed as [member="Edric Vanyan"] suggested that Solan's final visit was to steer her in the right direction. Could that really be it? From what she could remember, he was just toying with her, teasing her, almost as though he was baiting her to attack him. Yet she didn't. She had held back. It was unlike what she was taught to do, yet she did so all the same. "Whether or not that was his purpose, I hope that he knows that I went back to my old self again. Although I'm sure that like so many others, he'd probably give me a lecture on my government's neutral stance and the fact that we haven't jumped into the conflicts that plague other sectors of the Galaxy. Something that I've had to explain time and time again. But there are no regrets in that choice. We are doing well because of it." And they have survived for this long because of it, whereas others have faded away or were destroyed. Her methids may be different or viewed as wrong, but they work.

 

[Edric Vanyan]

[member="Lady Kay"]

At first Edric found himself agreeing to her words, atleast until she got to the point about Solan lecturing someone on being neutral in galactic affairs. There is no one more annoying in his stance than his father, the man having switched who he was helping on the flip of a dime, who stole from others and took ships to feed his own fleet, and the man who had many different factions feeding his home business and people. Edric couldn't stop the smile and eventual laughter at the thought of the man lecturing someone on being neutral in galactic affairs.

The laugh lasted for about ten seconds, leaving Edric more embarrassed that he couldn't stop it than actually laughing in the first place.

"Im sorry, but what you said humored me too much. While I agree he would be happy as to you returning to your path, the man is the farthest person from giving anyone a lesson on neutrality. I can comfortably say that he would not do so with you. And if he did, he would be a massive hypocrite... which is possible but I would hope he would have learned after a while. his very deal of Neutrality was pretty clear in that matter when it came to Kesh."

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay raised a brow slightly as [member="Edric Vanyan"] laughed at her remarks. She sipped her tea, listening to him while he spoke. She was just so used to people giving her lectures over her way of doing things, that it was to be expected. Not many understood.

"Solan's neutrality was different than mine. Whereas he'd jump into war to fight along any side that suited him, we stay out of the fight. There have been quite a few governments that had wanted me to promise my forces to them. But how can I do so when I need to protect my own borders? Each of the super powers are as bad as the others. It's impossible to choose. And I have no faith in them that they'd return the favour. None of them helped to look for me when I was abducted for months. And they only reach out when they feel as though they'll lose in war. Every other time we're left alone." She sipped her tea. "It's alright though. We've prospered while others have fallen. We're a safe haven in many ways. It's why some have chosen to invest in us, to which we've invested in them." The CSA didn't just sell goods afterall, they bought them as well. It helped kept their economy flowing.

 

[Edric Vanyan]

[member="Lady Kay"]

Edric listened intently, his eyes focused on her as she spoke and found himself understanding and agreeing. Edric had dropped the pretenses of neutrality with his world. While his world was neutral in most affairs and did not side with nations, he had and his own services were extended to those nations. Such ones were the ORC and CIS, which is why he now looked out to those that conflict was beyond the thoughts of the nations in question. He admitted to himself he had chosen Commenor over other worlds to try and form a relationship with the woman's nation, but he did not intend on asking of the woman that.

Edric's hand closed on the cup again, drinking from it and finding the tea gone as he finished off his cup.

"Perhaps I am wrong anyways, who knows what that man would have said when hes as strange as they come. He certainly was not the shining beacon of sanity nor a cool head, so I doubt he would be able to really say anything on the issue."

He thought about her last statement.

"And that much is true, you have found your place in this galaxy among vanishing giants."

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay nodded. It was difficult to suggest what Solan would say or how he would've reacted. All of that was gone now, and trying to puzzle over it was just a waste of time.

She had another sip of her tea, having not drunk it as quickly as [member="Edric Vanyan"] did. She nodded to his remark on the vanishing giants. "They vanish because they fight too much. Their violent ways had led them to their destruction. Protecting one's home is fine and warranted, but when one turns to the offensive and destroys innocent lives while avoiding the consequences, then such actions turn potential allies and aid away from them. My place is small here and my voice unnoticed. That is why we survive. We are nothing but background noise to the governments that matter." Kay had been to more than enough meetings to know it to be true. Most tried to bully her or guilt her into fighting for their causes, but she did not relent. Instead she remained stubborn.

 

[Edric Vanyan]

[member="Lady Kay"]

"Nothing wrong with a good fight if you do not mind my saying..." He began, turning his head to look away from the woman and think on the matter.

"Fighting can get the blood going, create a feeling of euphoria that is not easily matched. I know it may sound cold, but fighting is also necessary. One cannot expect the galaxy's woes to be solved through peace after all, something that, sadly, my father and many others take to an extreme and seek conflict to further their goals, rather than dealing with necessary conflicts and finding peace when it is also necessary. But like I said, there is nothing wrong with a good fight."

He rambled on a bit, knowing what he said sounded cold but it was a simple thing to say for him. He had grown up fighting and killing, so it was just something to move past and find a bit of worth in the actions. Call it rationalizing, or repenting for his past actions, but that was what he believed, and he would not hesitate to defend it.

"But, lets move on from this grim subject, I am sure my father has talked enough about this to me in the past to fill a collection of novels. Last thing I need to do is continue on with filling those pages. Instead, how about we talk about your home and your alliance of yours?" He looked at her, curiosity in his eyes as he added a bit, so to avoid her thinking he was tricking her.

"If you so require, I can inform you about my own affiliated... alliance. Though I assume one would be more comfortable with calling it a Confederation."

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay smirked a little. Some fighting was worth it. [member="Edric Vanyan"] was right in some way. Fighting to defend ones' people and home were right. But she wasn't going to go on the offensive. A war over an assumption over what she thought someone might do was not justified. It was not her way. It was not the Commenori way.

She sipped her tea, raising an eyebrow as he switched the subject to her own home and government. "Well...what is it that you'd like to know? Some people have called us an Empire, though we built ourselves on trade as opposed to military might like all the rest. We have no enemies to speak of as we have trade agreements with most of the governments out there." Kay just didn't know what else Edric would care about. He was young and politics was boring to most people.

"How are things in your own Confederation?"