Private Rokanan's World

[Eloise Dinn]

In the days since she had visited her mother in Azrael, Eloise had mulled over their conversation countless times. Thinking about Rhiannon made her downright furious at times, but it was an impotent and resigned sort of rage. At least now that she was in prison, Mom couldn’t do any of the things she had done while free.

Unfortunately, not even with her mother locked up could she escape her legacy—as Eloise would find out on a misty morning two weeks later. She was training with Amani when a messenger arrived to tell her she had a visitor. Someone claiming to be a relative of hers was at the front desk.

She turned to leave the dojo—then froze, remembering her master. She faced Amani, her expression unreadable. “Do I have permission to go?” she asked, waiting to be dismissed.

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

Given her position, and her connection to the case, it had been relatively simple for Amani to arrange a meeting between Eloise and her mother. She respected her wishes to a private meeting, and asked little about it unless her padawan had prompted it. After a time, its relevance gradually faded, until once more Dinn's past ties had found their way back to her.

They were just in the middle of training, when the request came through. Amani put away her things, and studying Eloise with a similar unreadable look. A relative? Here? "Go ahead," She responded after a few seconds, "Would you… like me to wait, or…?"

Eloise Dinn​

 

[Eloise Dinn]

Eloise paused to consider just who this "relative" might be. Her father probably would've come up with a cleverer way to visit her than simply showing up and asking the front desk to send her down (to say nothing of his Dark Side aura and the fact that his face might be recognized by Jedi who had fought him in the past). That left either her grandparents, her uncle, or her siblings. She couldn't really make an accurate guess based on the circumstances alone.

But she did have a strange feeling about the whole thing, and she knew better than to ignore a warning from the Force. "It would be nice to have some backup, just in case," she said. Not that she expected to be attacked, but you never know. With a sigh, she confirmed, "You can come with me."

Eloise left the dojo and walked to the front entrance of the Temple. The main lobby was a large, open room with a circular fountain at its center. No sooner had she stepped over the threshold, she knew at once who had come to visit her.

Her brother Starlin was sitting on the rim of the fountain, entertaining a pair of younglings by manipulating the water with the Force. He was nine years old, with red hair, green eyes, and a smattering of freckles across his face. He wore blue basketball shorts, a light blue t-shirt and blue and white sneakers, all of them brand new on top of being color-coordinated. It was a rather obvious disguise which was probably meant to help him blend in on Coruscant. The other kids whom he was impressing certainly seemed none the wiser.

Standing near him was the hulking satyr-like figure of a Shaal warrior—Rashal, his personal bodyguard. Star hadn't bothered to disguise Rashal, who stood out like a sore thumb with his war paint and scant clothing. His tense body language betrayed his unease in this strange "celestial" place. To his credit, he didn't gawk at the marvels around him, instead staying focused on protecting his young charge.

"Louise!" Starlin exclaimed, standing up and running over. He threw his arms around Eloise's waist. She was so surprised to see him that for a moment she didn't even react, not sure what to do or how to take this. Finally she hugged him back.

"I've been looking everywhere for you!" Marcus went on. "You've got to come home! Marcus has been kidnapped, Mom and Daddy are missing, and there are rebels about to attack the Holy City!"

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani was quietly relieved that Eloise asked for her to follow. She wasn't exactly comfortable just standing around, given the context of the visitors. Just in case, when it came to the Dinns. Together they made the jaunt to the temple entrance, where they were met by a young redheaded boy, and a strange alien companion.

Amani stood there awkwardly as Eloise embraced her apparent sibling. He was then quick to explain the situation, though it left plenty of questions in its wake, "…What's this about?" The mirialan asked broadly. Kidnappings, rebellions, holy cities. Much more was going on at Zaathru than she realized.

Eloise Dinn​

 

[Eloise Dinn]

"…What's this about?"

Eloise winced. Of course the one time she decided to let Amani follow her… “This is my brother Starlin,” she said. “Starlin, this is Amani.”

“Hi.” His greeting was polite, but he clearly wasn’t very interested in the Jedi Knight. “Why are you in this place, Louise?”

“None of your business,” she snapped. When Star bristled at her response, she sighed. “I’ll tell you more later. I already know about Mom and Daddy. Mom’s in prison and Daddy’s lost in the Nether again, no doubt.”

“We should break her out of—”

“No,” Eloise cut him off. “We’re not doing that.” Again Star looked alarmed. “We have more important things to do first. Now, tell me about what’s happened to Marcus. And go slowly this time.”

“Okay.” Star licked his lips. “A goddess with black wings and horns flew through Marcus’ window in the middle of the night and took him. That’s all I know about it.”

Once again Eloise felt hyper-aware of Amani’s presence, along with anyone else who might be listening to their conversation. “How do you know she was a goddess?” she asked.

“Because she had feet like ours.” He held out one of his sneaker-clad feet. “And because she cast a spell on him so that he wouldn’t fight her.”

Well, she supposed that was pretty definitive. Both of the sentient races of Zaathru had hooves instead of feet, and being a Force User practically made one a god. “What about the rebels?”

“They think they can come in and take over now that Mom and Daddy are gone. They have a whole big army camped outside the Holy City.”

Eloise felt a stab of guilt. Her younger siblings had been left completely alone for Force knew how long, and she wasn’t even aware of it until now. “No one else in the Pantheon has offered to help?” she asked, though she already knew the answer.

Sure enough, Star shook his head. “They don’t care about us. Probably want us gone anyway.”

“Well, that settles it.” Eloise turned to face Amani. “I’ve got to go home and clean up the mess.” This time, she wasn’t asking for permission to leave.

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

"Starlin?" Amani quirked an eyebrow as she lazily waved the boy. She knew only one other Starlin in the galaxy.

Apparently some "goddess" flew in through the night and abducted their sibling. The boy's suggestion to break out their parents, while cut off, was picked up on by Amani, though she didn't say anything. And to top it off there were a bunch of rebels outside the city, ready to take over, "Pantheon?" Amani repeated. This Zaathru stuff was getting stranger with every sentence.

To Eloise it was settled. She was heading back to Zaathru to deal with this mess. Amani's expression furrowed, and she stood up a little straighter, "Very well. But you're not doing so by yourself." It would be irresponsible to let her padawan go off and deal with such matters solo. Besides, Amani needed to see this Zaathru business for herself.

Eloise Dinn​

 

[Eloise Dinn]

Eloise didn’t particularly want to have to explain the Pantheon and Zaathru to Amani, but once her master insisted on coming along, it was no longer something she could maybe avoid. With a sigh, she said, “Fine. Just… be careful.”

Force help her if Amani tried to conduct an intervention on her family. She didn’t even know what she would do if that happened. Sure, her siblings were on a violent planet with no parents, but the thought of her master calling up social services to seize and disperse them throughout foster care was in many ways more horrific to her than the alternative. The situation was complicated, to say the least, and she had serious doubts that the overbearing Amani would treat it with the delicacy it deserved.

Star jumped up and down with excitement. “Come on, let’s go!” he exclaimed. With the Force, he created a wall of water from the fountain. Clear as glass, it eventually resolved itself into a portal, through which Eloise could glimpse the familiar dunes of the Ámithosi Desert.

Zaathru, light years away, was just a step ahead. Eloise entered the portal without hesitation.

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

Even Amani found a bit of humor in her student telling her to be careful. But it wasn't entirely unwarranted either. This planet was still something of an anomaly, and Eloise had insider knowledge. She would heed the girl's advice on the matter.

Apparently, her brother was one of the most powerful Force users ever, given he could create a stable portal from one half of the galaxy to the other. Amani stared curiously at the magical aperture, before following Eloise and Marcus out into the desert. The change in temperature was discomforting, and she she silently thanked herself for not adorning in thick, heavy robes, "So— Where do we need to go?"

Eloise Dinn​

 

[Eloise Dinn]

The portal point was marked by an obelisk that hummed with strange energy. The group stepped through it and into another world far from Coruscant.

Eloise too was affected by the sudden heat—and humidity. The wind whipped at her hair as she turned her gaze upwards, where clouds were beginning to darken the sky. "A monsoon?" she murmured, glancing back at the others. Star had just come through the portal, following Amani and Rathal. It closed behind him.

"Yeah, I set up a storm before we left," Star said, grinning. "Gotta let them know the Rain God's still around somehow. Oh, by the way, I brought your pocket wardrobe." He handed Eloise a small leather pouch.

She opened it. Inside were several smooth pebbles, each one with its own distinct color and markings. She picked one out and held it up, rubbing her thumb over it, before shaking her head and putting it back. "I can do without a costume change for now," she said, tying the bag to her belt.

"So—Where do we need to go?"

Eloise's green eyes scanned the horizon as she turned all the way around, then finally lifted her finger to point at a city. "The Holy City is over there," she said. It wasn't far away; no more than a short hike from the obelisk.

"Rokanan said he'd meet us at the gates," Star said as they headed for the City. "He's really excited to see you, Louise."

Eloise grunted in acknowledgment, but her stomach had begun to twist itself into complicated knots at the mere mention of the name Rokanan. She kept walking, quickening her pace. “How are we going to explain Amani?” she asked.

“Oh, just say she’s a lesser goddess, I guess. Or an apsara.”

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani remained largely out of context. A monsoon was on its way, one Starlin had apparently "set up", whatever that meant here. Not to mention talk of pocket wardrobes, deities, and someone named Rokanan.

The city wasn't far, as Eloise pointed out. Amani followed the siblings on their short trek, perking up as soon as she was mentioned, "Mind explaining what any of this means?" She asked broadly.

Eloise Dinn​

 

[Eloise Dinn]

“You’ll have to be more specific,” Eloise replied.

Amani Serys

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani's brow flattened, "How does a kid 'set up' a storm?"

"What is a pocket wardrobe?"

"Who is Rokanan?"

"What do you mean goddess? Or 'aspara'?"

Eloise Dinn​

 

[Eloise Dinn]

Eloise’s response had been terse because she didn’t know where to even begin explaining any of this. The memory of Amani’s interrogation during their first meeting hadn’t faded. It had ripped open an old wound, one that would take more than a few training sessions to heal and gain the padawan’s trust.

"How does a kid 'set up' a storm?"

Eloise raised an eyebrow. Given that they were Force Users, she would’ve thought the answer to that question was self-evident. “With the Force—” she started to answer, only for Star to excitedly interrupt.

“I'm the Rain God! I use my powers to create lakes and rivers, clouds and storms!” The eight year old waved his arms for dramatic effect. Rathal bristled, his gaze flicking upward warily.

“He uses the Force to manipulate water molecules in the atmosphere and change the weather,” Eloise finished.

"What is a pocket wardrobe?"

“One of my father’s inventions. Each pebble in this pouch has a different outfit attached. You touch it, focus, and it will dress you in that outfit.” She shrugged. “I don’t fully understand how it works. Something to do with pocket dimensions in the Nether.”

“I have one too,” Star added, grinning up at Amani. He was missing a few baby teeth. “Wanna see my god costume?”

"Who is Rokanan?"

“Rokanan is…” Eloise hesitated. “He was my war mount. And my best friend.”

"What do you mean goddess? Or 'aspara'?"

“Apsara,” Eloise corrected under her breath. Here it comes. The moment of truth…

“You don’t know what a goddess is?” Star asked.

“She knows what it is,” Eloise said sharply. “She just doesn’t believe in any gods.”

“Well, I am a god,” Star said proudly. “And so is Louise. She’s one of the Moon G—”

“It’s just what the native people believe,” Eloise cut in. “They think all Force Users are gods or demigods. Apsara are their servants. They thought Alicio was a god too, and his bodyguard was an apsara. My parents took advantage of their beliefs.”

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

"And he's how old?" Amani looked at the child again. Creating full storms was no small feat. Marcus seemed properly sold on the idea that he was in fact some kind of deity. He also offered to show her his 'god costume, to which Amani shrugged, "Um— Sure, if you want."

“He was my war mount. And my best friend.”

"Both?" Not the most commonly paired relationships. Whatever else was doing on, Eloise didn't go into detail. But she did clarify the nature of their divinity. A belief of the indigenous population, exploited by the Dinns for their own gain. Amani grimaced, "Evidently."

"How long have they been in power?"

Eloise Dinn​

 

[Eloise Dinn]

"I'm eight!" Star exclaimed, unaware of Amani's assessment of him.

Eloise was more perceptive. "He is gifted, but also very reliant on my parents' inventions," she said. "My father used his knowledge of the Netherworld to create portal points here on Zaathru, which Star knows how to tap into, and my mother made him a crown that allows him to control the weather."

"I'm learning how to do it without the crown," Star insisted. Once Amani gave the go-ahead, he thrust his freckled hand into the leather pouch at his belt, rummaged around in it, and finally came up with a smooth white stone. "Here it comes!"

The Force rippled around the stone. Mist encircled Star's form, obscuring him from view. When it cleared, his sporty clothes were gone, replaced by a magnificent pale blue tunic with fringe dangling from the sleeves and hem. A crown of silver set with clear teardrop-shaped glass beads sat on his head. "Ta-da!" He spun around to show off his costume.

Eloise watched him with amusement, trying not to think about Rokanan. "About ten years," she answered Amani's other question. "Although there were others who laid the groundwork before then." Spotting a mass of shapes on the eastern horizon, she frowned. "Is that the rebel army?"

"Yeah," Star said. "Rebels and their allies. They claimed to have a hundred thousand men, but we counted only about twenty thousand."

Twenty thousand was still a lot. "Who are their allies?" she asked, eyes fixed on the army.

"Foreigners, slavers. Maybe a merchant guild or two. But now that you're here, we'll kick their butts!" Star suddenly jumped up, waving his arms over his head. "There's Rokanan! Hey, Rokanan! I got her!"

Which one was Rokanan, Amani would have a hard time telling. An entire legion of Zaathri was gathered at the gates of the Holy City, the great stone walls of which loomed before them. As they drew near, the soldiers heralded their arrival with exclamations and exultations in their whistling language that landed like blasting horns on the ear. Star broke into a jubilant run, closely followed by the loyal Rathal, while Eloise sped up to keep stride with them.

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

The inventions were almost as impressive as any innate power, but they did explain how Marcus was able to do the things he did. The boy eagerly procured a stone from a pouch, and after a bit of show, he was suddenly draped in sartorial flair befitting a prince. Despite the oddity of it all, Amani couldn't help but smirk at Marcus's presentation.

The Dinns as a whole had been operating here for about a decade, Eloise confirmed. Amani fell right back into pensive contemplation. Twenty thousand ebels were entrenched around the fringes of the city, leaving the two armies in a standstill. Marcus sped up to reach Rokanan, who was at the entrance, with Amani and Eloise just behind, "You're not planning on actually fighting them, are you?" She spoke in hushed tone, sounding less like an actual question and more like a statement against any such thing.

Eloise Dinn​

 

[Eloise Dinn]

Rokanan stood at the head of the legion. A young male Zaathri, to the untrained eye he was visually indistinguishable from the other soldiers around him, clad in pieces of leather armor at his vulnerable flank and bracers around his forearms. But when Eloise drew near, his mood fur turned quite a different color from the others. Where they wore triumphant shades of yellow and orange, he was a deep purple. “You came back,” he said. He couldn't speak Basic; Eloise and her family used the Force to understand and be understood by the Zaathri.

“Yes, and what a mess you’ve all gotten yourselves into without me,” Eloise replied. Her eyes were drawn to the gold chain around his neck, tracing it down to his chest. Nestled among the violet fur there hung a songsteel ring glittering with tiny gems. Eloise’s brow furrowed, her expression briefly drawn and sad, before she tore her gaze away. “This is Amani,” she said, introducing her master to the legion. Claiming Amani was yet another divine being suddenly seemed like a betrayal, a walkback of all the progress she had made towards rejecting her role as goddess. So Eloise didn’t call her such. "She is… under my protection."

"You're not planning on actually fighting them, are you?"

Eloise turned to face her, mouth agape as though the very notion of not fighting was inexplicable to her. “What else am I supposed to do?” she asked. “Let them attack the city? If they breach the gates, they’ll burn down everything, slaughter and enslave the people inside!”

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

Eloise began to speak to some of the Zaathri, leaving her master stuck watching the proceedings with little ability to interact. She forced a flat, professional smile and nod towards the natives, careful not to overstep any possible boundaries. She didn't know the people, or how they would view her. But the comment she made to Eloise got a rise out of the padawan.

"You'd be perpetuating the lie your parents have built up for their own gain. Reinforcing their grip over the people of Zaathru," Amani replied sternly, "Perhaps the city should be evacuated. Or some kind of diplomatic solution reached. But I have no interest in fighting a war for a Sith lord's domain."

Eloise Dinn​

 

[Eloise Dinn]

“What, so that they can die in the desert?” Eloise spread her arms incredulously. “We’re a long way from Alliance space, Amani. You can’t just pick up the comm and call for evac.” Even if she did, they wouldn’t arrive in time to save these people.

She felt Starlin’s gaze upon her, and turned to face him. His expression remained hopeful, but there was a line of confusion between his brows. He didn’t understand what they were arguing about, not completely anyway. But the look in his blue eyes gave Eloise pause. Was she perpetuating her parents’ lies even now?

If she was, she didn’t care. There was more at stake here than the Dinns’ divine LARP. Lives and livelihoods hung in the balance.

“My father built this city,” she said, her voice tremulous with emotion, more than matching Amani’s sternness with her passion. “But he isn’t here now to fight for it, damn him. The people living behind these walls are innocent. Families, children, thousands of them. The rebels have allied themselves with slavers. They’re not exactly the good guys in this scenario either.”

In fact there were no “good guys”, really. Only predators and prey. Did Amani realize that? Did she believe it, this woman who was used to fighting the sort of foes that were so easy to demonize and depersonalize? Or was she just so adverse to the idea of playing along with the ruse, even temporarily, that she would abandon them all to their fate?

“I doubt they would agree to any diplomatic solution, but I’m willing to try if it means you'll help me. Otherwise, you can go back to the Temple and meditate or whatever.” She jabbed her thumb against her chest. “I’m not leaving these people to die or be enslaved.”

Your people, a voice in the shadows of her mind whispered. They will worship you as their savior, goddess.

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

Eloise remained steadfast in her desire to help the people of the city. Refusing to back down in response to her master's criticisms. Part of Amani respected that, even if the padawan's constant urge to challenge her on every little thing tested the young teacher's patience. But Eloise was right, not just morally but pragmatically. These people may have been subjected to the twisted truths of the Dinns, but it didn't make them complicit in their own deception. And abandoning them would ultimately be no better than abandoning any other innocent peoples on the edge of subjugation.

And of course the rebels had decided it in their best interest to ally with slavers. Amani's deeper reaction was that of usual abhorrence, but on the surface it struck her almost as a mere annoyance. Black and white was so much easier to work with. But just as she had no interest in propping up the regime of a Sith dynasty, she also had no interest in allowing slavers to pillage the bystanders stuck in the middle.

Which meant the only option was to stay, and do what they could to stop the bloodshed. Amani shut her eyes for a few seconds, and exhaled wearily, "We need to at least try and reach some kind of accord," She stated calmly, and tilted her head back towards the people in the city, "Their lives aren't ours to sacrifice." For them to fight and die for a falsehood, without being given at least a chance to end the day free of conflict, would be a wrongdoing all its own.

Eloise Dinn​