Private Daylight Fading

[Alicio Organa]

SANCTUARY CITY, ALDERAAN
THRANTA PARK, EARLY EVENING
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There is nothing more beautiful in all the galaxy than an Alderaanian sunset.

Well, perhaps there were, but to Alicio, nothing could compare to the golden glow of sunlight over the glimmering white buildings of Sanctuary City. It was the time that the city's residents, a scarred people fleeing from war-torn worlds, began flicking on their cozy lights inside their houses and apartments, and the star Alderaan similarly began to cool as it barely grazed the horizon, as if it were dipping into the sea off the coast.

Alone, staring into that splendid sunset, stood a dark figure, gaunt and grim against the ember-cast city. He wore the simple clothes of nobility, a fine, form-fitting dark shirt under a long coat with silver buttons. His hands, gloved with black velvet, were in his pockets, his deep grey eyes reflecting the colors of the evening, dark in expression. If Queen Faith knew what he was doing here, or Rianna, or Ike, they would surely try to talk him out of it.

Alicio was just too darn curious.

He had chosen a lovely marble fountain in Thranta Park for his meeting today. Not for it's namesake, although thranta could sometimes be seen in the distance over the waters. No, it was because of the view this time of day. That, and the lovely ramen shop along the way, if dinner was required.

Ishani Dinn had been kind enough to arrange this meeting with the mysterious Arcturus Dinn , although whether she would be in attendance, he did not know. Alicio thought she might be, as her and Arc were close. He would appreciate the familiar face, at any rate.

All there was to do now was wait for the Sith, and hope for the best. He had so many questions.

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

The plans he'd had on Loronar were cut short by a call from Ishani, and in the wake of such he'd immediately returned to Leviathan and altered their course for Alderaan. He wasn't entirely sure what to make of it all in truth. Someone out there looking for guidance... Why oh why Ishani had thought he'd be best suited to that he didn't know, as much as he'd made progress with Tamiko there were times he felt as though he was merely fumbling through it all.​

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Still, she'd asked and he'd agreed to at least look into it. So here he was...​

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If nothing else, at least Tamiko Sabo would be able to explore the City. Stretch her legs after so long amidst the stars, and enjoy the pleasant surroundings and lapping waters. It was a damn sight better than the likes of Coruscant and Nar Shaddaa, after all.​

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Coming upon the park, Arcturus was dressed in a semi-casual fashion. Black trousers, white shirt, and a comfortable brown leather jacket. He certainly didn't look the part of a Sith, there were no robes, no armour, he'd easily be mistaken for just another face in the crowd.​

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That was until he approached the specific fountain in question, and paused to regard the dark haired man stood before it staring out toward the water.​

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Arcturus dipped his head into a light bow of greeting. Ishani hadn't even given him a name; maybe he should have asked for a name.​

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"Are you Ishani's contact?" he asked, opting for vagueness on the off-chance he was wrong.​

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Alicio Organa ​

 

[Alicio Organa]

The fountain itself was quite the spectacle

The base was white marble, etched with natural black and grey veins stitched across it's form. Copper thrantas, long-winged ray-like statues sculpted in the act of play, had already begun to tarnish and turn green. The water sprayed out in graceful arcs, catching the dying light.

Despite the sight, Alicio turned at just the right time to spot a figure approaching. His coat caught a bit of sea breeze, billowing near his waist, as he observed someone approach, no older than the Count himself.

"Are you Ishani's contact?"

Alicio smiled warmly, if a bit nervously. "That's me," he said, his voice lilting and soft. "You must be Arcturus."

He gave his visitor a well-practiced bow. "Ishani speaks very highly of you," he murmured, letting his smile turn impish. "She said if I needed help with understanding the Force, you had a unique perspective, and could help. And... I need help."

His brow furrowed. "A lot of help."

Then, realizing he hadn't introduced himself, he floundered a bit, wringing his hands in front of him, and grimacing apologetically. "Uh, my name is Alicio. Count Organa. Count Alicio... Organa." An awkward pause.

"A lot of help," he reiterated.

- Arcturus Dinn -

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

Arcturus nodded in response to being addressed, and remained quiet as the boy explained his situation. The way in which he seemed to fumble through his words became something of a surprise when his title was eventually revealed. Count... Organa, no less. No doubt he'd been raised to speak with crowds, yet here he was tripping over his own introduction.​

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"I see" came his immediate, short reply, accompanied by a small smile of his own. Less sheepish than Alicio seemed to be, for the most part Arcturus was figuring out the best course forward. Certainly there was a look of consideration in his eyes.​

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"And what do you know of the Force already, Alicio?"​

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Perhaps he should have kept to formalities, addressed him with his title, but theirs wasn't going to be that sort of relationship. If indeed it evolved into one at all. Time would only tell, no?​

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Alicio Organa ​

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio didn't blush easily, but if he were the type, it was obvious he'd be more red than a Sanctuary City-grown tomato. His stuttering introduction left his arms crossed in front of him defensively, eyes turned down, and the touch of a grimace on his fine features.

Great going, Alicio. Already botched it.

But the nobleman felt a bit of confidence lift him up again as Arcturus returned the smile. Not completely botched yet, then. Just a little botched.

If he was at all bothered by the dropping of the formalities, Alicio didn't show it as he moved to answer Arcturus' question. He stared pensively at the cooling sun. "I've asked a few people about it, but haven't gotten many straight answers."

"The Mystics of the Potentium on Chaldea call it a disease, although I doubt that's correct." There was something too right about it to be anything but natural. "I've heard others describe it as a Gift. What that gift is, I have no idea." Yet, It felt too wrong to be completely benign.

"Ishani told me you were Sith." He said the word hesitantly, as if it were a swear. House Organa had a poor history with Sith, both in recent and pre-Darkness times. But he was willing to overlook it, if it meant he'd be learning a new point of view.

"What's your perspective?"

- Arcturus Dinn -

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

Alright... So he was fresh faced, then. Didn't have any real clue what it was, only the vague impressions others had tried to impart upon him.​

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"How did you learn that you're Sensitive?" he inquired, moving to lean against the base of the statue. "Have you drawn upon it by accident? Done things you can't explain? Sensed things others didn't seem to notice? Or were you simply told by someone that you were?"​

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He could of course sense the boy's presence in the Force, it shone with wild unpredictability but it was definitely bright enough to speak to Sensitivity.​

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As for his own perspective?​

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"The Force is a binding life force present in all things. It connects us, from the smallest blade of grass or individual microbe to entire planets. It can be felt and perceived, and can be utilized to varying degrees by those who possess the ability to touch upon it. Small microscopic lifeforms coexist within us, they're known as midi-chlorians, and they form the foundation of life itself. It's through these that we make use of the Force. The more we have coexisting within us, the stronger our connection."​

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A cut and dry, scientific approach to explaining what it was. No metaphysical mumbo jumbo, no sect-specific theology, just the clear cut observable truth.​

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"Many people will attribute other aspects to it, they'll claim it should only be used in certain ways, religions and sects have formed around it, but inherently... This is what the Force is. And how you choose to use it going forward? Well, that largely depends on what you're hoping to achieve. Know, though, that certain paths will lead to corruption. It's inevitable. The Force is life, and utilizing it to perverse such, or to eradicate it, will affect you both mentally and physically."​

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A small pause, as he tried to gauge the boy's response. Then he splayed his hands out before him in a gesture of good will. "I can help you understand it, draw upon it, if that's what you'd like. But I won't lead you down either extreme... Universal only. It's not my call to make where you end up - that's on you."​

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Alicio Organa ​

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio crossed his arms over his chest, tearing his eyes away from the sunset to look back at Arcturus. "There was an accident on a farm." He thought back to the moment, mouth twisting in concentration. "I caught a piece of shrapnel. With my bare hand. There were more incidents before that. Hearing things before they happen, guessing what people are thinking. But that was the big one."

Alicio appreciated the empirical analysis of the Force greatly. He found flowery language useful, even thought of his own sensitivity in abstract, but having raw facts laid out before him seemed more honest.

He supposed it was his own job to add poetry to the science. No one else could do it for him.

Arcturus' warnings about how the Force could be used worried the boy a little. There was certainly a degree of wariness to Alicio's face as Arc looked, but overwhelming it was determination.

"That is what I would like," Alicio said, fire in his eyes, showing off steel that had evaded him thus far. "I want to use everything I have to help as many people as I can. If you think you can help me do that, I'd welcome the assistance."

Alicio devoted his life to his family, his city, his planet, his galaxy. Anything he could do to make it a better place, even if that meant exploring something potentially dangerous like the Force, he would do.

- Arcturus Dinn -