Private Through the Eyes of Another

[Ben Khal]

Meeting Room, Vonnuvi Jedi Enclave​

Ben sat in a chair at the large meeting table, waiting for the other delegates to arrive. His gaze kept wandering from the abstract art decorating the walls to the mysterious box which had been left on the table.

He was both excited and a little bit scared about the meeting. Excited, because he was going to finally meet Saria Rae, a young diplomat who was recommended by Shan Pavond . Scared, because he had never attended a diplomatic summit before—and this one promised to be quite the challenge.

The Medusans were an alien species from another galaxy. They had only established first contact recently, and appeared to be quite friendly and peaceful. But the explorers who first laid eyes on the Medusans had all suffered from psychosis afterwards—allegedly because of the aliens’ unfathomably hideous appearance. Despite this, the Medusans were still open to communication. They wanted to meet their neighbors, properly this time.

Ben wasn’t sure how it was going to work, but the box on the table provided some clues. He had taken a peek at its contents earlier, and saw what looked like dozens of pairs of sunglasses. He’d heard about a controversial new invention of visors that could change how the wearer saw the world around them. It looked like those visors were the key to success in this meeting with the Medusans, permitting them to be seen without incident. Though Ben couldn't help but grimly wonder what would happen if the visors failed to change their appearance into something more palatable to the human mind...

Saria Rae​

 

[Saria Rae]

Vonnuvi Jedi Enclave
Tags: Ben Khal

Finally, a diplomatic mission. Something right up her alley. Saria had grown rather bored of her studies, mostly due to the fact that they all tended to be of trivial difficulty. This, however, was exactly what she wanted to be doing. Some fieldwork was sure to get her out of her slump, so she was rather thrilled to be selected. Albeit, when she did finally get the details on the mission she was a tad bit concerned. Madness from only a glance? Certainly not a comforting thought.

Best hope the visors intended to be used did their job.

"Right then," Saria stated as she stepped into the meeting room, quick to offer a handshake to her fellow padawan. "Saria Rae. I assume you must be Padawan Khal. I'm a few years your senior and have been trained to specialize in diplomatic affairs, so I am fully willing to take point when we meet the delegates of the Medusans... hopefully with no mind complications."

The young woman turned to the box of visors, frowning slightly as she examined them. She was no good with tech.

"These visors must be effective then if the council has seen fit to make use of them," she muttered, stroking her chin. "Have... these ones been tested at all?"

 

[Ben Khal]

The door slid open, and in walked a young Mirialan woman. Ben rose to his feet and started to bow; it was Hapan custom for a man to show the superior sex the deference they were due. But before he could lower his head fully, she had thrust her green hand out in front of his face. He was quick, if a little awkward, to change tactics, reaching out to take her hand—but again, before he could bring it to his lips, she had given his wrist a firm shake and released her hold.

"Right then. Saria Rae. I assume you must be Padawan Khal."

Hiding his embarrassment, Ben let his arm drop. "Yes ma'am." That was all he had time to say before Saria moved on to the topic of today's meeting.

"I'm a few years your senior and have been trained to specialize in diplomatic affairs, so I am fully willing to take point when we meet the delegates of the Medusans... hopefully with no mind complications."

Ben could only nod in acknowledgement, determined to keep up with her brisk pace and businesslike demeanor. As Saria turned her attention to the box of visors, the door behind her opened again and an Ithorian quietly entered.

"These visors must be effective then if the Council has seen fit to make use of them. Have... these ones been tested at all?"

"They have been tested and found to be ninety-nine-point-nine percent effective in preventing Medusan psychosis," the Ithorian replied.

"What about the other point-one percent?" Ben asked.

"That is only to account for the scant possibility that the visor malfunctions—which did not happen at all during testing." The Ithorian bowed politely. "My name is Omow Batik. I am a technician from Cybot Galactica, here to help you with operating the visors." He plucked one of the pairs from the box, pressed a button on the side, then held it out to Saria. "The Medusan ship has docked. We have instructed them not to disembark from their vessel until everyone has donned their visors. Please try this one on to ensure it fits comfortably."

Saria Rae​

 

[Saria Rae]

Vonnuvi Jedi Enclave
Tags: Ben Khal

"That is only to account for the scant possibility that the visor malfunctions—which did not happen at all during testing."

"That's... certainly comforting," Saria "Yes, splendid results. Good."

Internally, however, the cogs in her logic machine were spinning rather quickly. Statistically speaking, a product should be tested until an error is encountered. One good wave of tests wasn't enough to determine if they would malfucntion in the field. The odds were not in their favor in regards to something cropping up. Then again, Saria was often irrationally paranoid. No, they shouldn't overthink things. It would only make the mission more stressful.

She'd try not to linger on it further.

"Right then," the young woman continued, picking up a pair of visors and slipping them on. "Let's be ready then. I'm sure we have an eventful day of ahead of us. No sense to keep our esteemed guests waiting."

 

[Ben Khal]

Even as she moved on from the topic of the visors’ safety, Ben detected some uncertainty in Saria. It mirrored his own reservations, though he supposed it was good that the company was honest about how effective their product truly was.

She put her visor on first, then Ben followed suit. The HUD came alive, scanning the room they were in. Ben watched as Omow’s appearance was covered by a white shimmer. When it faded away, the Ithorian’s outward appearance was changed into that of a young man who wouldn’t have looked too out of place on the boy’s homeworld of Hapes.

“This is a quick test to ascertain that your visors are working properly,” Omow said. “Each visor can be programmed according to the wearer’s preferences, but otherwise it will attempt to translate appearances as accurately as possible according to the standards of whatever species it is viewing. We’re still working on tracking gestures and emotion, but it will keep you from going insane.”

“This is amazing,” Ben said, unable to keep from grinning. He lowered the visor, blinking at the sight of Omow’s true form, then put it back on to see him as a human again. “I had no idea you were so handsome, sir.”

The Ithorian chuckled. There was a slight delay in his human avatar’s reaction, and it didn’t totally sync up. “That is a common sentiment among those who use the visor. It allows people to see the galaxy through a new perspective and challenge their assumptions.”

"Let's be ready then. I'm sure we have an eventful day of ahead of us. No sense to keep our esteemed guests waiting."

"As you wish."

While a message was dispatched to summon the Medusans, Ben turned to look at Saria. At first, she looked no different, then the shimmer eclipsed her as well. It made her look like a baseline Human, altering her skin and eye color. The change was superficial, yet Ben found that his enthusiasm about the gadget was somewhat dampened. It was... weird, seeing her look like that. Like himself.

Before he could ask Omow about it, the door opened. Two security guards entered, carrying a large box between them. Ben watched as they set the box down on the floor of the room, then quickly departed, sealing the door behind them. The lid of the box slowly lifted, and something inside it moved, beginning to rise from the container...

Saria Rae​

 

[Saria Rae]

Vonnuvi Jedi Enclave
Tags: Ben Khal

“Each visor can be programmed according to the wearer’s preferences, but otherwise it will attempt to translate appearances as accurately as possible according to the standards of whatever species it is viewing. We’re still working on tracking gestures and emotion, but it will keep you from going insane.”

"How... ingenuitive..." Saria muttered.

She could certainly see the effects of the warping of sight based upon the preferences of the user taking course. It worked well. Too well. They were better off sending a Miriluka to perform this mission if this was the sort of thing she'd have to contend with. Did everyone have to suddenly be so... conventionally attractive? No, it wasn't conventional at all. Everyone around her was suddenly sculpted perfectly, as though they were chiseled from marble.

The adverse effects of her latest foray into Lady Velvet's Corazona von Ascania new novels was starting to display itself to her rather clearly.

Saria wouldn't let it get the better of her. No, they had a mission to complete. She certainly wasn't going to allow some false image of reality made by some stupid goggles distract her from seeing the diplomatic meeting through. She could do this.

Two security guards entered, carrying a large box between them. Ben watched as they set the box down on the floor of the room, then quickly departed, sealing the door behind them. The lid of the box slowly lifted, and something inside it moved, beginning to rise from the container...

"Right... Greetings," the young Jedi diplomat began, clearing her throat. "I am Saria of the New Jedi Order. On behalf of the Galactic Alliance, I'd like to offer you all a warm welcome. One... I hope is far more positive for you as well after the circumstances of our initial contact."

Or at least she hoped. They had yet to emerge and reveal if the goggles were actually working. Blind faith was such a terrible thing, Saria thought. She liked to find comfort in statistical assurances, yet the worm in the back of her mind remained ever present. She just had to trust that the tests were conducted thoroughly and with user safety in mind first and foremost...

A tall order for a large corporation.

 

[Ben Khal]

Ben stared at the box. Already the light had engulfed the swirling mass within as the visor began to make sense of what they were viewing. It took noticeably longer to interpret the Medusans compared to other species...

"Right... Greetings," the young Jedi diplomat began, clearing her throat. "I am Saria of the New Jedi Order. On behalf of the Galactic Alliance, I'd like to offer you all a warm welcome. One... I hope is far more positive for you as well after the circumstances of our initial contact."

At last, the first Medusan emerged. To Ben, the alien appeared as a woman, slender and lithe and, even by Hapan standards, too beautiful to be real. She stood outside the container, clothed in shimmering white garments.

"Your probes were unable to process the full range of visual stimuli," the Medusan said. There was no preamble, just a statement of fact. Ben sensed no ill will from the being—perhaps it was not their custom to begin a conversation with greetings or other rituals of etiquette. "The devices you are using now are sufficient to prevent further incident." There was a pause, and then the Medusan abruptly asked, "What do you want?"

Ben's brow furrowed. "Shouldn't it be the other way around?" he asked Saria in a whisper. After all, the Medusans were the ones who had come all this way just to meet with them. Moreover, he was under the impression this was just a simple meet-and-greet. "Perhaps there has been some mistake," he said. "We do not require anything of you."

The Medusan waved a willowy arm in a vague gesture. "You must want something," she insisted. "We must grant your wish."

Saria Rae​

 

[Saria Rae]

Vonnuvi Jedi Enclave
Tags: Ben Khal

"You must want something," she insisted. "We must grant your wish."

"I... see." Saria frowned.

That seemed... strange. Like a genie in a bottle, or a box rather. They seemed to want to grant a wish. This was not typical, but given the circumstances she was willing to run with it to establish some sort of peaceful tie to the Alliance. How should she spin it though...

"Well," the young woman began, "Our wish is for your people to be able to engage with our community in a safe and beneficial way. Is... there a way to wish for a good way for this to occur? I'm sure that would be healthy for both of our peoples..."

Hopefully.

 

[Ben Khal]

More Medusans began to emerge from the box. Ben's eyebrows rose as three more human-esque figures appeared from the shimmering light, taking the forms of fair and hale men and women. To him, they looked, dressed, and even acted somewhat like Hapans. The visor continued to impress.

As for their desire to fulfill a wish, Saria tried to spin it back at them, wishing for safe and beneficial communication between species. This didn't seem to go over well with the Medusans. Their humanoid faces were largely expressionless, but their gesturing became more agitated.

"That is not a true wish," the first female said. "We have already found a way to engage safely. It remains to benefit."

There seemed to be some sort of misunderstanding. Ben glanced sheepishly at Saria, wanting to say something but unsure how to do so without undermining her authority.

Now that he thought about it, the Medusans' stilted way of speaking didn't sound right. Something was off. He reached up to touch his headphones, which were supposed to translate what was said, and it occurred to him that they might not even be communicating verbally, or at least not completely. The gesturing could be filling in gaps his 'phones couldn't. Hell, the visor itself might be blotting it out, laying a human-friendly filter over their appearances which obscured what they were actually saying. Yet without that filter, there could be no communication at all. Only madness.

They would just have to make the best with what they had. Ben decided to take a wild guess, knowing that they also had a form of technology acting as translator. "Apologies—does the word 'gift' have the same meaning as 'wish' to you?" he asked.

There was a pause. "There is no difference between these," the Medusan replied.

He glanced at Saria, hoping she would put two and two together.

Saria Rae​

 

[Saria Rae]

Vonnuvi Jedi Enclave
Tags: Ben Khal

Wasn't this a predicament.

They needed a wish, and a proper one. Was this the caveat for peaceful interaction? They seemed upset when her's was simply to look for a loophole around needing the goggles. Perhaps there was something more pressing that could be asked for, given the current state of the galaxy. The war certainly gave such a thing more necessity...

The war...

"May I ask, before I make a new request..." Saria began, "Is... there a limit to what it is that your people can fulfill? I wouldn't want to be unreasonable, as I've begun to consider something of... grander designs."

Much grander. It was, perhaps, a little insane she was even considering such a thing.

 

[Ben Khal]

Ben side-eyed Saria. The way she was talking only increased his anxiety, but he didn’t dare question or defy the female.

“We are without limit,” came the translated reply from the Medusans. “What is your wish?”

Saria Rae​

 

[Saria Rae]

Vonnuvi
Tags: Ben Khal

"My people are amidst a crisis," Saria explained. "We're surrounded on all sides by hostile peoples who seek to spread death and destruction. If your capabilities are as great as you say, I wish for the creation of something that will turn the tide of our war."

Was it right to ask for something like that? It certainly felt wrong. Jedi weren't meant to be warriors by any means. Not generals, not soldiers, not anything else of the like. Yet, even still, Saria couldn't ignore what this presented in regards to possibilities. If this could save further lives the responsible thing to do was be pragmatic. After all, prosperous ends justified most means.

Most.

"I want blueprints for a station," she stated, making her decision. "Something near indestructible. A shield that might fend off all manner of attack from our assailants. Stop any invading momentum in it's track and our resources may be rerouted to focus on ending the war..."

Surely a weapon wouldn't be sanctioned given the regulations on such things. The best she could hope for was decreasing the need for security at home in order to increase front-line efforts.

Hopefully to end all of this.

 

[Ben Khal]

Ben couldn't help but gawk at Saria's request. Of all the things he expected her to ask for, somehow a superweapon wasn't on the list. Still, he could see the merit in it. It wasn't a selfish request, and it would no doubt benefit the GA in the long run.

The Medusans communed with each other for a moment or two before giving their verdict: "We will fulfill this wish. Now will you answer ours?"

"Does 'answer' mean the same thing as 'fulfill'?" Ben once again asked for clarification.

"Our wish is a question. You must answer." The Medusan held them in suspense another moment longer... "What is 'McYoda'?"

Saria Rae​

 

[Saria Rae]

Vonnuvi
Tags: Ben Khal

"McYoda's?" Saria reacted, slightly taken aback. "Ah. Well, you see, it's rather complicated. A long time ago a powerful man named Yoda lived. He was a Jedi unlike any other, a hero from a bygone era. A... corporate entity decided to use his likeness to create a fast-food restaurant chain. They make burgers. Not particularly good burgers mind you."

Saria sighed.

"They're not awful," she admitted. "My father loves McYoda's. He used to take me often when I was a little girl. There's a charm to consistently mediocre food."

Her father... The herglic courier who had adopted her as a child was a very important figure in her life. Her sense of duty and love for the Alliance came from growing up seeing the unseen heroes of the GA fulfilling their civil duties. She desperately needed a home visit...

Perhaps sometime later.