Blighted Skies

[Alkor Centaris]

Sunset over Cloud City burned a pale orange, which painted the still-sundered cityscape as workers finished the last part of their day. It had been a sudden attack by the Core Imperial Confederation and several rogue elements, from what Southern Systems Intelligence had to report on the situation. For his part, Alkor only cared enough to make sure it was no longer a warzone, not that it hadn't been one at all. He wasn't here to offer aid, nor had he come on business. Bespin boasted a quiet and remote place to be with his thoughts.

"Excuse me," he murmured as he moved through the safe areas of the concourse that weren't taped off. The clean up crew had cleared a small pathway, but enough of one that he could squeeze his way past them.

He remembered a time when the Alliance had struck Bespin, back when the First Order was in control. Back then, he was working as a Merc. Alkor had defended the city then, and the First Order had prospered for a good while after that. To hear it had fallen into disarray was...

...how did he feel about that? It was somewhat surprising, honestly. They seemed to be composed, and their methodical approach to rule had always stood out to him as efficient. "Everything ran better under Fortan," was the word on the street.

A cracked window reflected his disjointed image, and he stopped to consider how time had not been kind to this world. "Careful," a worker called over to him, "don't get too close to any of the buildings. We're still testing to make sure they're structurally sound."

Alkor caught himself leaning over the caution tape, perilously close to one of the aforementioned buildings. "Ah, my mistake," he apologized. He took a step back. "What's still safe to do around here?" he asked politely.

"Best part of the sunset's still a few minutes from now," the same worker called back to him, "if you hurry to the Plaza, you can get a nice seat and watch night fall."

That sounded nice enough.

[member="Samka Derith"]

 

[Samka Derith]

"Madlin wait! Wait for me!" Samka could hardly keep up with the older girl.

"And let you get there first? Not likely!" Madlin called back with a chuckle.

This wasn't fair. She wasn't trying to race her. They could order at the same time. The zeltron girl had to make everything a contest. Or a joke. Sam struggled to tell which.

The two had to break into a run, weaving through the crowds. Some smiled at the children, others looked irritated at their antics. None of them bothered Sam and Madlin who made it all the way across the plaza to their destination in rapid time.

"Can't keep up, can you?" Madlin huffed between gasps, a gloating smile on her red face.

Sam was more worn out than her friend and could only manage a groan and glare for the time being as they joined the line outside Karphain's. Karphain's was their favourite spot for snacks. It offered a jelly fruit cone made with something which only grew in a specific tropical region of a specific and obscure planet Sam couldn't yet name. Bem..agoth? The galaxy was too large to remember.

The girls had recovered a little by the time they reached the front of the line. Karphain, a middle aged human man with a kindly, round face shot them a cheeky smile. "Well, well, I see school is out," his voice a calming baritone. "I know what you're here for, just a moment."

"Mr Karphain, I was here first so I should get mine first!" Madlin proudly announced. Sam shot her friend a discontented glare.

"Sams younger, she's a growing girl," Karphain chuckled in response then handed the pair their treat each. "Your Daddy know you're here?"

He'd asked Sam a question and she froze. "Um well..."

"I thought not." Karphain sighed. "It's okay," he added seeing Sam's look of fear. "I won't tell nobody. That man needs to let you loose once in a while. Having you locked up all day and all night is bad for the soul."

Her fear broke into relief, "Thank you, Mr Karphain."

That was 12 years ago.​

​

Samka stood on the same spot of Calrissian plaza. Karphain's was gone. A blaster crater and shards of metal all that remained of it and the building it was a part of. Had Mr Karphain still been working there? Was he still alive? Perhaps Sam could check records later.

Being back on Cloud City was visiting a town of ghosts in more ways than one. Even with the sheltered childhood she had, sentimental connections to all sorts of people and places returned in ways she hadn't expected. These emotions were crushed. That part of her life dead and buried. Yet here she was. Imperials all over the galaxy fighting for bigger causes and all she could bring herself to care for was home. This tiny speck in a vast galaxy.

She had to start somewhere and why not the place she knew best? That was what she told herself, uncertain of the truth.

With a sigh, she turned her back on the mess that was once Karphain's. She needed somewhere to sit. Just for a moment.

[member="Alkor Centaris"]

 

[Alkor Centaris]

Wisps of cool, crisp air buffeted his face as he moved deeper into the plaza. With a multitude of the buildings that once framed it and shielded the open area from the elements largely displaced, the zone intended to be a cozy temperature felt more mild than anything. Alkor never minded that. Bespin was one of the few places in the Galaxy that felt close to home.

No matter the circumstances, a Corellian always longed for the skies of his homeworld. He watched as the patrol cars whispered past overhead, banking away from clouds just to feel the torque of their engine. His body remembered the feeling of flight, that sensation of being massless for a single moment as he took to the air and soared.

From where he stood, the sunset cast a crimson color over him. He took in the imagery of the clouds, fully sober in both mind and body. Knight Commander. Again, he had been charged with leading men. With their lives. He wanted to go home. He wanted to ask his mother about life, about all the things he should have known, and that he should have learned from her.

Alkor wanted to understand. Why him? All he had ever been was a killer. He knew how to take lives, not to lead them. Not how to protect them. But his mother was gone, and Corellia was dead to him. He was alone.

He sighed quietly and closed his eyes, opening his thoughts to the broken world around him. To someone versed in the Force, echoes of past events sometimes clung to places. For someone who had become keenly attuned to the fallen, sometimes their memories clung tightly. It was like they wanted to hold on, even if the Force took them away.

He listened for them, morbidly, and yearned to hear their stories. Some of them lived full lives. Did their thoughts have wisdom to impart? Some of them were untimely ripped away- what could he learn from them?

When he reopened his eyes, it was the plaza, a coterie of mangled shadows cast by the rubble, and himself-

His gaze wandered for a moment, until it rested on the other lone occupant of Calarissian Plaza. She was a fair distance away, and he hadn't noticed her. When she turned, he thought he knew her face.

Was he wrong? "Evening," he greeted, just loudly enough to get her attention.

[member="Samka Derith"]

 

[Samka Derith]

"Evening."

She'd sensed his presence but hadn't given the man her attention until then. He was radiating no malice and she would do nothing to risk expose her own abilities. It was always easier to fly under the radar without Force abilities.

Samka turned to face the voice, a pleasant enough smile on her face as she bowed her head in a polite greeting. "Good evening." It took her a moment but he seemed familiar. Her brow furrowed as she searched her memory. The dark hair. The 'sunny' disposition.

"Mercenary," Sam spoke slowly as it dawned on her. "Saved me twice then disappeared into the stars," The smile on her face grew more familiar. This was no stranger. "This might be the quietest place we've met."

She took a few carefree skips and jumps closer to the man. At the same time, she let a part of her aura seep through. He'd seen her fight already. He'd watched as she'd unleashed a barrage of Lightning on their foe. The mercenary already knew of her true nature. It cut through the air, biting like ice, in a contrast to the warm expression on her young face.

"Why would you come back here, I wonder?" She questioned.

[member="Alkor Centaris"]

 

[Alkor Centaris]

When she called him Mercenary, he took a moment to look over her. Her face was familiar, and so was her voice.

Grace. She danced across the plaza, like the wind, weaving a deadly current around the Karkarodon. He watched her skillful, precise blows and the way she moved, not wasting a single motion. In his mind, she was the personification of freedom. That was the woman he remembered.

"I don't recall anyone who needed saving," he replied honestly. "And I certainly don't recall saving anyone."

He watched her quietly for a moment as she moved closer, and he made no attempt to hide himself in the Force. She might have already felt it: somber and weighty, filled up with the nameless spirits of those he had felled. Alkor stank of death.

In return, when she relinquished her hold over her Force presence, a chill washed over him like the first freeze of Winter. Darkness, unabashed yet tame. He understood that. He respected that. It was the same kind of darkness he had walked in the presence of for much of his life. This woman was powerful, though her demeanor and her appearance hid it well.

Why would you come back here, I wonder?

Peace? No, that would have been a lie. It was quiet, and in the night, it was calmer than many places he could go. The truth was, he felt closer to the sky. Alkor thought he saw the first twinkle of a star as violet stretched across the top of the horizon, and night slowly began to swallow daylight.

"To reflect on myself," he answered. "It is a beautiful world, Bespin."

He chewed on his lip, largely because Alkor was not a social creature. These types of encounters usually became awkward, and he spent much of them in silence. Then, he remembered- she only knew him as Mercenary.

"Alkor," he added after a moment. "My name is Alkor. And I hope you found my assistance satisfactory at the time, ma'am."

[member="Samka Derith"]

 

[Samka Derith]

"Mr Alkor, you were more than satisfactory," Sam curtsied holding her dress with a deep bow of the head. "A pleasure to formally make your acquaintance."

"Sam," she held out her wrist to the mercenary. It was strange to give her real name out to people but now she was a registered citizen here. Besides, Alkor may be dependable contact for the future.

His aura. Similar to hers yet not fully embraced perhaps? She sensed... regret? Something of that nature.

"You don't seem like a tourist exactly, Mr Alkor," she smiled mischievously. "Although I can direct you towards some attractions if you so wish."

"Come now!" She twirled around on the spot, "The sun sets and I know the most scenic spot to watch it!"

There was a bench not far from them. It looked out over the artificial lake and the artificial forest beyond it.


[member="Alkor Centaris"]

 

[Alkor Centaris]

He managed an appreciative smile at her words. He rarely got the chance to receive more than payment in credits when he was a Mercenary, so genuine thanks made him feel that he'd done someone a true service. It was a foreign notion, but not unwelcome.

She introduced herself and reached out toward him, and he was reminded of the proper etiquette. He rarely, if ever, greeted anyone in such a way- she was decidedly a proper, high class personality. He lifted his arm so that his fingers brushed against hers, not roughly, and lifted her hand to his lips. A gentle kiss, not firm, not lengthy, to show respect- not predation, as Eversio had warned him many women would be wary of many years ago.

Alkor let his hand slowly fall a moment later and added, "the pleasure is mine, Miss Sam." His gaze shifted to the horizon as she spoke again. He wondered often how he felt about his own life, and the many decisions he had made. Mistakes? Perhaps.

You don't seem like a tourist exactly.

"No, I suppose not," he murmured. "But I do appreciate your willingness to help me." She turned quickly, seemingly effortless, to face away and then- The sun sets, and I know the most scenic spot to watch it!

"I'll follow your lead," he fell into step beside her as they moved toward the bench and the view crafted to make Bespin seem almost like it maintained true nature. The water reflected a pastel scrawled sky, broken here and there by ripples from non-indigenous fish that jumped and flopped, splashing softly.

He appreciated that view for all the sweet, fleeting solace it held.

"Do you ever wonder why life turns out the way it does?" he asked. It was strange, and absolutely atypical for Alkor to ask such things. She seemed kind enough, so perhaps she had some insight.

[member="Samka Derith"]

 

[Samka Derith]

Samka made a show of settling into the bench with childish wiggling of her hips as the mercenary settled next to her and began to whistle a jovial tune. Whether this behaviour was an act or not, Sam herself was no longer sure of. So used to wearing a guise of youth to hide her more sinister nature was she that the behaviour came without thought. Did that now make it part of her true nature? If the behaviour was normal to her now? The question used to bother her until she simply decided not to care.

"Do you ever wonder why life turns out the way it does?"

Sam raised a single brow in surprise as she looked at the man next to her. Was she to be his therapist now? They'd barely established names.

"I suppose so. From time to time," she said as she gave the question further thought. "I believe some people have a destiny to fulfil. They must work tirelessly to be worthy of it but once they are, those people change the galaxy and the Force guides them towards it, whether the individual is sensitive to the Force or not, it guides them to a final goal. Not everyone has a destiny. The criminals and desolates for instance. But anyone can be chosen for it if they're worthy enough. So I suppose I think the Force chooses our course once we're worthy. The Dark or the Light."

She paused to brush a lock of hair from her fringe and examine Alkor further. "If I were to be harsh, I would say that too much introspective is dangerous. Accept who and what you are and your path becomes clear. What is your path, Mr Alkor?"

Apparently she was willing to entertain playing therapist.

[member="Alkor Centaris"]

 

[Alkor Centaris]

Hearing her answer told him a great deal of things. Alkor had found people who had no formal opinion on him could be less judgmental, and so, it made sense to see what someone saw through eyes unclouded by hate or fear. Sam had no reason to harbor those types of animosity. He smirked slightly. The very idea of fate, of predestination- he hated it. It was a form of slavery: shackles that held down those who subscribed to it.

Alkor had longed for freedom all his life, and never once found it. He couldn't hold that against, Sam, though. He didn't. Her words were honest, and he'd asked for them after only knowing her properly for several seconds. He glanced sidelong at her as she looked him over. "I appreciate your willingness to entertain the question," he told her before anything else. "And also your straightforward answer."

Alkor sat with his torso hunched forward with his arms resting on his thighs. What was his path, she asked? That was the Crux of it all, wasn't it?

"All my life," he replied carefully. "I've taken. I've broken things, I've stolen, I've caused tragedy." She could probably glean his meaning without much effort, but there was no reason to be overly generous with words. "My question has become, can I protect anything, or am I wasting my time trying to be something I'm not?"

He thought in becoming part of the Confederacy he would liberate himself from acceptance of the monster he was.

Alkor had been wrong many times before. He nodded slowly, certain that she was correct. Too much introspection was dangerous.

"I was right, I believe," he said after a moment, eyes fixed on her face. "You are a fascinating person, Miss Sam. Thank you for humoring me."

[member="Samka Derith"]

 

[Samka Derith]

"Aren't I just?" She sweetly beamed up at the man.

It hadn't been the answer he'd wanted to hear, perhaps, his reaction was telling. A small smile, gratitude for her thoughts. No acknowledgement that she was right, It wasn't surprising, these mercenary types were often drifters longing for some perceived freedom. Totally in denial that too much freedom is very bad for one's health.

"Well as for your question," Sam responded thoughtfully, "I would say that protection of something might be the only worthwhile cause there is. When those who seek only to destroy or to make personal gain arise, they are scorned. Galactic civilisation depends on our ability to safeguard it. Those who fail their duties to protect what is dear to them are either weak or cowardly. The weak may be excused for circumstances beyond them. The cowardly may not."

"Besides," she continued after a small pause, now once more wearing her most charming smile. "I think you've been capable of that for a lot longer than you realise. You've leapt to protect me on more than one occasion without promise of a reward."

[member="Alkor Centaris"]

 

[Alkor Centaris]

The way she looked at him caught his attention and kept it for a moment. He turned his gaze the full way to meet hers and tilted his head slightly. She seemed extremely used to these social situations. Her girlish charm seemed out of place against the aura that resonated from her, perhaps, but Alkor had experienced stranger things. He didn't question it.

Her words rang true, however. Alkor was used to being hated, cast aside by civil society in favor of more favorable persons. He had met a vast number of people who advocated for it, and Sam had been a First Imperial citizen when they first encountered one another. It stood to reason she staunchly believed in order.

Alkor believed in a different kind of order. It didn't mean hers was necessarily wrong, but it had never worked in his favor. Corellia had seen him exiled, and everywhere he went thereafter, fear kept the weak at arm's length. The strong ate the weak. That was the natural order of the Galaxy as Alkor saw it.

But, he admired her stance. The other Confederates might even agree with her words. It was worth hearing, and it offered him insight into a world that had never been his. It had been good fortune to happen upon this woman.

"It seems to have left an impression that I confess, I hadn't expected," he told her honestly, "nor one that I really thought anything of when I'd done it." She seemed genuinely glad for his help. It was the second time she had mentioned it. "Regardless, I am glad that you're alive."

He smiled softly at her.

"I've never been fond of society, or civilisation, or the opinions of the many," he admitted, "but, I think you're right about protecting what's important. The only difference to me is, failure in that is final. Regardless of weakness or fear, what is lost is gone."

[member="Samka Derith"]

 

[Samka Derith]

Samka smirked then batted her lashes in a clearly exaggerated gesture. "But whatever would I have done when that large Alliance soldier accosted poor little me on a Zeltros nightclub?" The facade broke into a small giggle. "Regardless, you showed an instinct to protect. I really could have been some poor innocent soul."

The sun was beginning to set now. The orange glow reflected off of the shimmering lake in front of them. Sam turned her head to watch it, still listening to the man beside her nodding along softly.

"What is lost might well be forever gone but there is always something which remains worth protecting." That was literally what the Ren was doing here, was it not? "Your entire civilisation may burn but perhaps the skills you acquired could save the next one. Although I rather doubt talking in terms of grand civilisations sways you the way it might me. In a rather more personal light, family or friends may die but they in turn would have family, friends or something precious which survived that you can protect in their name. I wouldn't really know, I've never found much long term use for those."

[member="Alkor Centaris"]

 

[Alkor Centaris]

Alkor listened again, and was reminded of a time when he had stepped between her and a soldier. He had even gone so far as to take her for a dance. Why had that been? It wasn't because she seemed defenseless. She giggled, and his expression hardened a bit.

Contemplation.

There had been nothing to tell him of an underlying strength, and no reason to anticipate that this woman had any type of power at that time. Did he truly have that inherent desire to protect she described? Was there no ulterior motive?

More questions than answers.

He turned his own gaze toward the scene unfolding ahead of them and his shoulders relaxed slightly. Something worth protecting. Was that what Isley called "love?" "Family?" All of these ideas were still new, still fresh- he was still that boy who murdered dozens on Corellia. He was still that street rat who came from nothing after you stripped away his martial prowess.

She hit those thoughts dead on the nose. "I understand that," he admitted. "I've never been one for close attachments or precious things, either."

He reached over absently and took his right arm in his left hand, cradling it to his waist. It was going to be a chilly evening, if a beautiful one. "It's... nice," he spoke more quietly now. Thoughtfully. "Talking to you is nice," he finished the thought. "I remember still, the way you fought. So precise, quick, measured, nothing wasted. I remember thinking how truly free you looked. I remember that it made me want to speak with you. I'm glad I had this chance."

[member="Samka Derith"]

 

[Samka Derith]

"Talking to me is nice, I'm an insightful person," Sam smirked. "I'm also a skilled dancer and fencer. I like rapid, precise movement in a duel, it's not made to be a spectacle but I'm glad it is. You sound entranced." There was a smug look about the girl now.

But she could tell the man's mind was still troubled. "So shall we stop being coy? You have no true desire to serve any Government or ideology. You also have no close attachments so that torpedoes friends or family as motivation. What are you trying to protect exactly? Only so I can understand the situation better, of course."

[member="Alkor Centaris"]

 

[Alkor Centaris]

He paused when she quickly shifted gears. She took those words in stride, even enjoyed them, but quickly dispensed with them in favor of something that interested her more. "I want something..."

What were the words, exactly? He seized them as they came and spoke them, and was genuinely surprised by what he found. "I want something that matters to me. Something I care about." He glanced over the brilliant, red orange orb three fourths gone. "I don't know that I've ever had that."

Was it instinct?

The way she spoke, it seemed like that might be the case. He did things he could not explain, for reasons he could not wholly comprehend. His body moved on its own. But, did he need to have a reason?

"I want to find some meaning in this life that has always felt meaningless."

He could be no more honest than that.

Alkor rested his cheek on his hand lazily. Normally he turned to drinks when his thoughts became so heavy. He felt no need for that at the moment. "Tell me about you," he said after the short silence. "There's no all that much more to say about me."

[member="Samka Derith"]

 

[Samka Derith]

"Hmmm..." She paused thoughtfully, mulling over his words. "I might be able to find you some work if you so wanted. Perhaps there's not much more to say but there's plenty more to see, I'm sure. As for me..."

Sam sighed and reached up to twirl a lock of hair between her slender fingers. "Secrecy has been my trade for a long time. It's less important now but it's still not something I give up so easily. You have a name and a planet to tie me with, that's more than most get. If you want more... I think we'll have to exchange favours, hm?"

She turned back to the mercenary, a happy, and slightly smug, smile on her face.

[member="Alkor Centaris"]

 

[Alkor Centaris]

He listened to her proposal of work, and he closed his eyes. Soon enough, there would be no shortage of that for him. Still, it was kind of her to offer and he would not discount that with abject denial. When she said there might be more to see, he nodded. There was always more, it seemed.

To him, and of course, to her.

"I can respect a desire for secrecy," he replied in earnest. How much of his life was behind black tape, now? "Alright, Miss Sam, I'll play along. His own expression was less a smile than a smirk. "Quid pro quo, is it?"

He locked eyes with her and waited for a response.

[member="Samka Derith"]

 

[Samka Derith]

"Precisely," she offered the man a sweetly smirk to match his own but far more childish. "It's hardly like you've been incredibly transparent in this exchange but here," she pulled out a holopad from her breast pocket. "I think we could benefit from exchanging contact details this time around. I could have used you around recently in the last mess that occurred to this world. But there's always more work to be done and the treasury is deep if credits are the desire. If not I could repay it in other ways, my skills are envied by Sith Lords and Jedi Masters, you know."

Samka abruptly hopped to her feet and stretched, satisfied as the sun began to disappear. She held her hands on her hips and sighed before turning back to Alkor. "The galaxy is ever changing and I hope we can both keep up. So how about it? I would be interested in a partnership of sorts."

[member="Alkor Centaris"]

 

[Alkor Centaris]

"I think we can come to an agreement of some sort," he replied honestly as he retrieved his own datapad from a hip pocket. He thumed in a few commands and retrieved the contact information from one of the many folders, and he flicked it across the screen toward her. Wireless communication had made data transfer faster and much more simple than ever before, even outside of Confederate space. It would appear as a small file on her end and open up to reveal his contact ID on the datapad, calling information in Golbah City should she be in the area of Geonosis, and his title and given name.

"Just let me know how I can help and we can work something out," he told her. "I am certain you can find some way to even the score between us." As he spoke, he turned to watch the last vestiges of sunlight die. Lights flickered to life in the plaza around them, illuminating their shadowed forms in the darkness.

"A partnership..." he nodded. Standing up, he let both arms rest at his sides and rolled out both shoulders. "Alright. Now you can get ahold of me any time. I'll make an effort to get back with you as quickly as possible whenever you do call."

[member="Samka Derith"]

 

[Samka Derith]

A small girlish giggle, a wiggle and a clap was her response.

"Excellent!" She skimmed the information passed to her briefly. Geonosis. Was he associated with the CIS, perhaps? Had he always been? Disappointing if so since she remembered cutting down hordes of battle droids attempting to help the Galactic Alliance on her beloved Dagobah. She didn't let any of that show on the surface though and continued smiling.

Instead she extended an arm, looking up at the man expectantly.

[member="Alkor Centaris"]