Connections

[Vulpesen]

Vulpesen's tail flicked behind him as he walked out towards the forested landing pad. While most planetary leaders wouldn't do this for anyone except those with the highest authority Vulpesen was more than happy to take a walk from his temple, enjoying the veradune wildlife one his way towards the initial meeting point. Only five days ago, he'd received an interesting message, another of his underworld contacts, this time with a sort of mission that might require not only him, but the vitae themselves.

"They should be landing any second now, sir." The words were barked from a rather large member of his species, a grey tailed zorren who was built less like their vulpine ancestors, but more like he was carved from stone to look like a wall of a wolf. As such, commander Forrek had earned the nickname, "The Wolf," as well as a rather common spot on the zorren welcoming committee, his imposing presence contrasting his leader's calm demeanor to help prevent any hostiles from getting too brave.

Vulpesen's ear, or what was left of it, flicked in acknowledgement. "Thank you commander. Just make sure that the security detail is tightly wrapped. We might not have reason to be suspicious of these folks, but equally, we've little reason to trust them just yet." A small smirk came across the smaller man's face. Vulpesen had always found the tedious command structure and military rituals to be a bit annoying, but somehow, it seemed to fit Forrek perfectly and in such a way, that the Valde could only admire his dedication.

[member="Yusanis Myrishi"]

 

[Yusanis Myrishi]

A Concorde-class shuttle skimmed Veradune's clear skies, descending in an elegant arc to approach the landing pad. It bore only a single passenger, the pilot, but given his identity that was marvel enough. Behind the controls sat Yusanis Myrishi, the elusive Director of SAINT in the very flesh, his fingers gliding over the instrument panels as he made minute course adjustments and finally set the craft down. It was exceptionally, exceptionally rare that Myrishi traveled anywhere in person. His enemies were many and powerful, and would take any opportunity to see him captured or killed. But he felt that a request of the magnitude he planned to make required a personal touch.

The boarding ramp descended, and the Echani smuggler strode confidently down and onto the landing pad. His eyes, one fierce blue and the other a golden cybernetic, swept across the security detail with polite interest before finally settling on the Jedi at the forefront. Bending at the waist, he offered a slight bow, rumpling his black leatheris jacket as he tucked his cybernetic arm behind his back. He was unarmed and unarmored, simply dressed, more vulnerable now in the open than he had been in months... if not years. It was a gesture of trust, and of respect for the protection his host provided. Still, it made him feel naked, and he had to fight to suppress his instincts.

"Master Jedi," Yusanis began, his baritone voice calm and assured, "thank you for agreeing to meet with me." He took a slow, unthreatening step forward, gently raising his organic hand for a firm shake. He had come to secure the vital second part of SAINT's refugee effort: a place to settle the people that his organization was already starting to evacuate from the occupied Core Worlds. Veradune was far enough away that it would at least take the Sith a while to get there, and under Jedi protection to boot. If Yusanis could manage to secure permission to bring persecuted beings here for refuge, it would be a major step forward, the completion of his first major project.

Of course, all of that remained up in the air until this very meeting was resolved...

[member="Vulpesen"]

 

[Vulpesen]

Vulpesen's eyes shone brightly as he watched the ship descend, the black furred tail behind him flicking a bit more in interest. "They certainly know how to travel in style." He arched a brow at Forrek who simply gave an amused grunt. "Oh come on, crack a smile, they are our guests after all." He returned his attention to the shuttle as its doors opened and [member="Yusanis Myrishi"] strode out. "My pleasure, Director Myrishi. I'm happy to speak with someone who intends to help the innocent in times like these." He took the man's hand, giving it a firm shake. It was an odd sensation as zorren culture was starting to embed itself in him, but not so much so that it would appear unnatural, he had after all, thought of himself as a human for most of his life(once he realized he wasn't a hairless amaran at least).

Despite his calm and joyful tone, a gruff word was spoken from his side. "Valde." There it was. That military regulation, combined with the unwavering pride of the zorrens with their culture. Forrek's eyes, golden like that of Vulpesen's looked at Forrek with a calculating gaze, though not all all threatening as he corrected the diplomat.

"Aye, Forrek is right. I stopped being a jedi quite some time ago, I go by the title of Valde now, leader of a different order." He smirked a bit. "Still, nice to know you did study into me a bit." He couldn't blame the man. After all, the Vitae, and their force order, the Tenevi were a very little known group, whose practices were just now being administered as Veradune recovered from its time under conquest. And as for titles, Vulpesen had disappeared from the face of the galaxy for at least two years. It wouldn't be unlikely that some sources would still list him as a current jedi. "Commander, have your men check the ship, and assuming there's no problems, you're relieved." With a quick Salute, the Wolf rounded up his men and started their inspection, though as far as Vulpesen was concerned, he could sense no hostility from this newcomer, and thus he doubted they'd find anything dangerous, at least not anything that would seem to be meant for them.

[member="Yusanis Myrishi"]

 

[Yusanis Myrishi]

"My apologies, Valde," Yusanis replied with a nod and a slight smile. He knew very little about the Force or the dizzying array of traditions that called on it, though he hoped that he had not too gravely insulted his host by referring to him as Jedi. The Director stood aside as the security team moved to sweep the ship, his face impassive. He was adept at hiding things, and wagered he could probably get a full crate of thermal detonators past these men if necessary, but he had no reason to try. There was nothing on the shuttle he would want to hide; there were no passengers or cargo besides himself, and no weapons at all. It was his gesture of complete trust.

Withdrawing his hand, the Echani fell into step beside Vulpesen, prepared to walk to whatever sort of conference room he had set aside for the meeting; despite the other man's apparent suspicion of his ship, Yusanis somehow doubted he would demand that they talk on the landing pad. "It is a beautiful world that you protect," he said, gazing out at the lush forests that surrounded the complex. But would the not-Jedi be willing to share it? That was the true question of the day. "I find," he continued, "that the galaxy has lost a great deal of beauty in the last few years. And a great deal of innocence, as you mentioned. But perhaps not forever. One can hope."

Yusanis turned to glance at Vulpesen with his organic eye, his cybernetic eye eerily staring in a completely different direction as he continued to half-contemplate the forested vistas. "It is a beautiful world," he repeated, "and not so different from several I have watched the Sith burn to ash from orbit. Kaltes, Togoria, Ragoon VI... their beauty is gone. But some of their people remain, and they still long for that kind of beauty." He watched the other man, appraising him, wondering at his goals in even agreeing to this meeting. Was it altruism that motivated him? Would it be a deep enough empathy to care for beings from halfway across a war-torn galaxy, beings with targets on their backs?

[member="Vulpesen"]

 

[Vulpesen]

Vulpesen's twitched as he walked, his ears picking up the names of various fallen planets. "I was on Togoria during the first purge. Managed to save a fairly large group of them, too. But aye, too much beauty and innocence lost, especially the latter." That was something he knew all too well. He himself had once been a bright eyed jedi, filled with hope for this wondrous galaxy, but now, now he'd seen the atrocities that were possible for an evil heart and it had left its scars on him. "As for my world, yes it is beautiful. It is also dangerous." He fixed the echani with a grin while his hand lifted up, causing a stone to hurl itself at a nearby tree, the trunk of which was quite strange, having a set of long bulges that travelled around its sides. As the stone hit the plant, the bulges came out as an arrow of wooden spiked arms while a mess of tendrils flowed out from beneath its base. "You can rest assured that anyone who takes shelter on our planet, will have no problem with their safety from possible invaders. Now, I think the rest of our conversation would be best for indoors. No sense in being a the mercy of the weather." He motioned for a nearby speeder before heading to to vehicle.

[member="Yusanis Myrishi"]

 

[Yusanis Myrishi]

Yusanis seldom showed emotion. His brutal life had drained away most of his capacity to feel as surely as blood from an opened vein. When anger or grief pushed through the walls of discipline he set around his mind, it was powerful enough to send him into a messy tailspin he had never allowed anyone to see; it was a condition he heavily self-medicated in ways that would probably stop his heart one day, but not even his closest confidants knew that. Still, at the sudden transformation of the tree Vulpesen had struck from serene to raging, he allowed a little surprise to break through his cold facade, his eyebrows raising sharply in a way that stretched the scars of his face.

Based on the ex-Jedi's demeanor and comments so far, the Director remained optimistic that the two of them could work out some sort of safe haven here. It was clear that they both keenly felt the burden of remembering what had been lost, and that was a strong commonality. As his host motioned to the speeder, Yusanis nodded. "Agreed. That would be more comfortable." He followed Vulpesen to the speeder, forcing his hyper-alert senses to relax, his tense muscles to uncoil. He was as safe here as anywhere he could be outside of his own hidden refuges, and he had no intention of insulting his host by appearing to question that.

[member="Vulpesen"]