The Alliance

[Aela Talith]

[member="Adder"]

Flying in smaller ships had always made Aela rather uneasy.

Not because she felt they were naturally unsafe, but mostly because if there was an emergency she was utterly and completely useless. The only member of the Talith family that could actually fly was her youngest Sister, Kaili. She had had a pendant made for her by their father that allowed her to surpass the odd curse that hung around them. In a way, Aela was jealous of that. She would never really experience the sensation of being able to fly a starship.

Then again, her sister would likely never ride a Drexl.

That was simply the odd twist of the force that had danced around them, but it was one that Aela often thought about as she descended from the stars above to planets below.

This time it was no different, and as Aela sat in the small transport shuttle she found herself once again thinking of her younger sister. This time her clothes were a tad more fancy then when Adder had last seen her. Instead of combat clothes she wore long flowing robes cut with slashes of orange and black. Her hair was loose and half wild while her features had softened slightly. She had made herself presentable, though for what, she hadn't quite yet said.

As the ship dropped from the Rising Tide Aela felt the same pit in her stomach rise, the odd sensation that trickled through oneself as gravity pulled them down.

Within moments the ship was cutting through Sullust's dense and dusky atmosphere, slicing through the toxic air and heading straight towards the underground cities.

 

[Adder]

Unlike the Jedi, Adder instinctively drifted towards the viewports lining the sides of the transport, nearly gluing herself to the glass in an effort to observe the blurry landscape that passed them by. It was mostly red and yellow of the craggy, rocky surface, but here and there, the woman could spy pockets of different colors. Maybe some sort of toxic seas? [member="Aela Talith"] had mentioned that it was impossible to live above ground because of the poisonous gasses in the atmosphere; perhaos that was the source?

Still, it was only for so long that she could stare out the window until she got bored, and when that moment eventually arrived, Adder spun on her heel to face the Jedi sitting a few paces away. Unlike on their little escapade in the space around the slaver station, the redhead could actually observe the blonde this time around instead of being busy performing breakneck maneouvres to keep them both alive, and she noted with a keen eye that the younger woman looked distinctly… ill.

Or maybe unsettled would be the better word.

Either way, she didn't look like she was enjoying the ride all that much. Adder quirked an eyebrow at the sight, but managed to bite back the question. Surely the Jedi had her reasons to dislike flight, but that was neither here nor there.

"What's going to happen once we land?" she asked, finally, and took a few steps closer to the other woman so they wouldn't have to shout over the din of the roaring engines.

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Adder"]

Aela eyed the viewport for half a moment more, then shifted her gaze to Adder.

The Alliance was, for lack of a better term, still assembling. Things were coming together, yes, but most of the planetary governments were still signing the constitution and gathering together. Aela wasn't exactly sure what would happen, though she did know that they would be meeting with Master Rhen before anything else. That meeting she supposed would decide what the next step was. "I'll be meeting with Master Rhen, the head of the New Jedi Order."

Aela realized that rather left Adder out in the cold.

"You're welcome to join me." Master Rhen had enough trust in Aela to bring her associates to meetings. "After, you can figure out if you want to stay."

She didn't expect Adder to immediately take to the Alliance, she didn't expect anyone to do so. Things were getting more complex as time went on, and as the government came together Aela knew that things would look less and less like a golden ray of sunshine. She was naive, but she wasn't stupid.

 

[Adder]

[SIZE=10.5pt]She shook her head slowly, stuffing her hands into her pockets as she approached the younger woman.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]"And what use will the Jedi Grand Master have for me? I'm just a failed cop." Adder gave a half-hearted shrug before glancing back at the rocks around them. By the looks of it, they'd descended into a canyon of some sort; probably where the entrance into the underground cities was located.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]"I… guess I could help around in some of the towns, if you people need peacekeepers. Just not… here. I'm not big on undercities." She didn't like to think about where that particular discomfort originated, and so she brushed over the topic as quickly as possible.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]"Smaller planet a bit removed from things. You have to have one of those." Please have one of those. There was no way she was going to stick around if the only options were sprawling metropoleis leagues under the surface.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]"Could do some good in a place like that." A small, rueful smile crossed her face, but it vanished as quickly as it had appeared.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=10.5pt][member="Aela Talith"][/SIZE]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Adder"]

Aela shook her head, though not as a denial. "I don't know."

She didn't.

The Alliance was coming together, yes, but Aela wasn't exactly privy to every single piece of information regarding that formation. She already knew that she was to be made a Marshall within the New Jedi Order, already knew what that would entail, and it wasn't politics. She was sure there would be something for Adder on one of the many worlds that they would have, was sure that if there wasn't they could find someplace where she could at least be comfortable. She shifted slightly, taking a step closer to Adder.

"Don't worry." Aela reached out and touched the womans arm in a comforting gesture. "After the meeting I'll ask Master Rhen."

Though the Jedi were not to be involved too heavily in politics, she knew that Master Rhen was to be one of the triumvirate that controlled the Alliance. If he didn't know, then at the very least he could find out. It would be a favor, but a small one.

Adder had helped Aela save hundreds of lives, she had worked together with her and performed admirably. The woman was worth keeping around, worth giving some comfort at the very least. Aela knew the value of people, the value of steadfastness and what it meant to have someone you could trust. "We'll find somewhere for you."

 

[Adder]

She drew her arms more tightly around her chest, one of them cool from the gentle draft pulling through a nearby vent; metal would do that. It wasn't from cold that Adder pulled in, though, it was a sudden, deep-seated wave of tiredness that swept over her form. She'd gotten plenty of sleep during their flight here, and the food was good, but Force knew she wanted nothing more than to lay her head down and close her eyes once more.

"Thank you," she replied, quietly, and continued watching the blurred scenery outside as dark, mottled brown hues gradually replaced the vivid reds and oranges of the surface. It would seem they were descending into a tunnel that would take them underground, and towards what would be her new home, if only for a brief spell.

How that particular attempt turned out remained to be seen, but if nothing else, Adder would try. The Alliance seemed to be a final effort for the people, by the people, and even if it failed… well, at least she could say she did her best. Better than skulking around dive bars trying to prevent back-alley tragedies, that was for sure.

[member="Aela Talith"]​