Private Tumble On Down | Dagon

[Auteme]

Dagon Kaze ​

Seven Corners hardly seemed as fraught as the rest of Denon. She'd heard it was a haven for crime -- and thus, probably Darkwire -- but despite the increase in security crackdowns, things seemed normal here. Normal as they could be, anyways; her 'normal' was closer to the DireX penthouses than this. Still, there was some comfort in the bustling marketplace she picked her way through.

Despite the safety she was careful not to show her face, keeping her mask up until she'd reached the little door that marked the entrance to Aerial Arts. Before she could open the door, someone pushed it open from the inside -- a few kids spilled out onto the street, talking excitedly. They smelled of sweat and exertion, but still seemed energetic. Dagon seemed to be doing his job.

One of them stopped a moment and looked at her. "Lady, you kind of look like Auteme," the boy said.

"What?"

"From TRAA?" He looked at his friends, then back to her. "Old people," he lamented.

Auteme was shattered by the comment, and had to take a few seconds to recover in the devastating wake of some twelve year-olds.

There were still a few kids filing out of the studio as she went in. Some still seemed ready to go -- she spotted one or two still running around, trying out the equipment, until a familiar voice called out to tell them it was time to go. There were a few older people, too; she passed a pair of women who were dressed for the exercise, but smelled more like perfume than sweat.

The walls had an amateurish tint, but it was welcoming. This was a nice place. Admittedly she was intimidated a touch by the vaulted ceiling and supremely athletic children -- a reminder of her own relative athletic weakness. Maybe she'd ask for a lesson.

Business first, though. Maybe.

"Hey, Dagon," she said, approaching. "How are you?"

 

[Dagon Kaze]

As the students skittered towards the exit, Dagon took to the usual post-training equipment checks. Most of the stuff was second-hand and needed to be checked as often as possible for any potential risks and malfunctions. He was testing a rope's strength, tugging it down, and feeling it out for a possible shake that'd mean the rope was loose.

Hearing steps approaching rather than growing distant, the Knight silently sighed and feigned being busier by tugging the rope harder. Last thing he wanted was to chat with yet another woman in his class who he suspected came here for more than just jumping on incline mats.

"Hey, Dagon,"

Huh? He froze before turning back blinking.

"How are you?"

"Auteme!" he grinned in both joy and surprise before the grin turned into a mischievous smirk, "... or rather Senator Denko-Durren, m'am."

"I'm sweaty as hell." he glanced down his damp tank top, then force pulled a towel from the rack at the other side of the hall, "You wearing a mask, huh?" he jerked his head at the mask pulled beneath her chin, "Guess you're here for business. Tsk, and here I thought it was a friend's visit." he kept his tone light-hearted but knew well she was here on serious matters.

Auteme

 

[Auteme]

Dagon Kaze ​

"Oh, uh-" she touched the mask, then shrugged. "I mean- I just put forward a bill that'll put pressure on the Corporate Authorities. I think I'd know how they'd react if they saw me running around one of Darkwire's usual hangout spots." To be fair, she didn't really know how great their presence was around here, given this was her first trip to this part of Denon.

"Doesn't, you know- strictly have to be business. I mean, I'm assuming you don't do this for free," she said, waving around at the gym. "But it still seems like you're having fun. How's it working out for you? Also, I like the name, but I think people will get the wrong idea when one of your students says, 'I have to go to AA tonight'." She laughed.

 

[Dagon Kaze]

"Good idea." Dagon said as he rubbed his damp hair with the towel. He'd heard about the ripples CAD's bloodied response to the riot had sent back to Coruscant. If CAD knew the bill's proponent had traveled to Denon without stopping first at their fancy offices, the corpos would have a field day with the new senator, and with the solid lobbying they had - the bill could be retracted the very next day. A slight frown materialized on his face - Auteme usually was far more calculated and careful than this.

The change of topic made him sheepishly chuckle, a hand scratching at the back of his head, "Well -- when you put it that way it does sound awful -- " he'd liked Aerial Arts so much, he'd never thought about the implications of the abbreviation. "Leave it to a politico to find the faults in anything." he retorted in jest then gestured her to follow him back to the makeshift officer he had in the back. "It's going well so far -- better than I expected for sure. Lots of kids wanna learn to fly, while others need to learn how to defend themselves. And then, of course, you got, uh, a few ladies -- some divorced, some not -- who, uh, I guess need a new hobby." he timidly concluded.

"I run this shindig on a symbolic price -- or a donation rather, I don't press anyone to pay. The ladies are my biggest financial benefactors, though. I throw an inviting smile once in a while and they keep the lights running." he shrugged with a smirk, then continued, "But it's beyond jumping from trapezes and throwing jabs, you know? It's about taking the right path, place to keep strays from going too astray. Kids on Denon run the corners when they hit ten, get three juvie stints by fourteen and take a murder rap for a shark when they're eighteen." Dag gloomily explained as they entered the room with nothing but a desk, a locker, and two chairs inside. Oh, and a coffee machine on the side.

"Help yourself with the caf, if you want." He opened the locker and sprayed himself with deodorant, then swapped the tank top with a clean shirt. Shower could wait for him when he was home. "Senate life been treating you well?"

Auteme ​

 

[Auteme]

Dagon Kaze
​

Auteme laughed, commenting, "Don't worry, I like the name." Aside from that she kept quiet, listening to how Dagon was running the place, and occasionally giving a small chuckle. He reminded her of Ryv, in a way -- unsurprising, given how close they'd been. Taking care of people was the most Jedi thing one could do. But...

"It's okay," she said, sliding into the one of the chairs. She glanced at the caf machine. "A lot to get used to, and a lot of smart people who don't like me -- or at least, who are willing to throw me under the bus to get what they want.

"Not all bad, though. Some of them are kind of dumb." She smiled. A joke, mostly. Another glance to the caf machine, and she decided she might as well; she rose from her seat and went over.

"Sounds like a good thing you've got going here- exhibiting yourself to single moms," she joked. "But this kind of thing is great, especially for kids."

She turned to the caf machine, finding a mug nearby that seemed clean. "Definitely, ah, good work," she said, pouring herself some caf, "but something tells me this isn't the only thing you do around here."

Her mug filled, she turned slowly to face him, leaning against the counter where the machine sat. He was like Ryv in more ways than one.

 

[Dagon Kaze]

Dagon snorted at her remark of some senators being dumb. Last thing he'd expected her to say to describe her colleagues was labeling them as dense. Auteme -- or at least the Auteme he remembered -- was one far more timid and reserved in her words and manners, but ever since her 'departure' from the Jedi he'd learned she'd grown some thorns on her tongue. Adapting to your surroundings, he guessed. The Knight pushed back the memory of her last day with the Order. It brimmed with sorrow and anguish.

"...exhibiting yourself to single moms,"
"Yeah, avoid telling Yula that part." Dag murmured jokingly.

"...but something tells me this isn't the only thing you do around here."

The Jedi abruptly ceased packing clothes in and out of the backpack. His eyes met the domino mask staring back at him from inside the sack. Secret identity, nom de guerre, plausible deniability -- the empty, white-orbed glare back sewed his lips shut. Since the day he learned the Silver Jedi had allied with the Sith, Dagon's innate trustfulness had begun to erode. The winds of betrayal, loss, and failure over the years during the Stygian Campaign and (especially) after had gnawed at the rock that was his open heart until he'd started throwing glances behind his back every once in a while.

But Auteme personified a dream. One that always found its way during the sleepless nights and longest days. A dream of the past, an impossible return to a time long gone, a forlorn hope of turning the clock back to the innocent days of yore - before everything had changed. A time when they would chase each other through the temple, finding new applications of the Force -- often mischievous -- and calling it a day at the local Huttaburger. A time when being a hero came with all the boons and none of the curses; none of the sacrifices. A time before the war that was supposed to end all wars; a war so few left for and even fewer returned. A time when he didn't feel as the last of a generation, plagued by a survivor's guilt.

A time he could never return to.

His eyes shut close for a moment as a long-drawn sigh escaped his nostrils before Dagon picked the domino mask from within and with a degree of reluctance turned around to show it to Auteme.

"You're right -- it isn't." the raven-haired Jedi admitted, glaring at the mask in his hand. It threw a thousand curses at him, a thousand reminders of the possible ramifications for the New Jedi Order should he divulge the secret. A failsafe against another scenario that had led to the Sacking of Coruscant.

"I play dress up and bust bad guys at night." he tried brightening his tone with some attempt at humor but his words came out as solemn as a funeral. He hoped she understood the reasons behind it - shedding away all the limitations of the written law and its possible consequences in favor of justice. That was one unorthodox way of fulfilling his role as a Jedi Watchman of Denon.

But when were the New Jedi ever known for being orthodox?

He put the mask back into the rucksack and asked, "What are you looking to find coming here?"

Auteme

 

[Auteme]

Dagon Kaze
​

"Oh. Wow, I wasn't expecting that, I mean..." She was familiar with that 'mythology' of the vigilantes, surprisingly. Another gift from Ryv. "Er- uh, I guess I was- wondering what kind of bad guys you, um, dress up to... bust.

"And if I could, maybe, get you to keep an eye on the bigger bad guys."

 

[Dagon Kaze]

A huff of laughter burst through his nostrils at Auteme's reaction to the revelation, "Yeah?" he zipped the rucksack, "CAD, huh? I've been on them since day one -- issue is they're elusive as hell. At least the big dogs."

"What've you got in mind?"

Auteme

 

[Auteme]

Dagon Kaze
​

"Oh, great, then." She went over, taking a sip of her caf before sitting down.

"Obviously, I mean -- I don't trust any corporate overlords, but with the way CAD have reacted to the protest is a pretty clear red flag. Denon is a lightning rod for, like, the anti-corpo coalition, all the feelings built up since Tithe stepped up. Of course, you know, I want the people of Denon to be safe and all, but," she raised her hands, "cynical politician moment, if the Corporate Authorities keep screwing up, it's just more ammunition to drop the corporatists, no matter the actual situation on the ground.

"We're working on buffing the marshals and SIA, and they've already been empowered to help out here, but I want someone close to the situation who can keep me up to date. And, you know -- if there was, say, some damning evidence about to come out about the CAD, and you gave me a tip a little before, then I could, you know, conveniently turn around and say, 'oh, look, I have this great bill right here that's perfect for this situation'." She shrugged.

 

[Dagon Kaze]

He mulled over her words for a few moments before he spoke up, "I'd be wearing a Marshal badge if it could've solved anything." he asserted but didn't expand further. Turning vigilante broke a thousand barriers between the law and justice and he was sure Auteme knew that.

It wasn't hyperspace science.

"...but it does keep CAD busy, more prone to mistakes--" he admitted regarding her bill. She weaved her words like a politician now. The chessboard she played on now was a completely different one than the one Jedi did. There was a hint of regret over that fact which flashed faintly across his eyes.

"Look, corporatists, anti-corporatists and whatever new bloc name they come up with on Coruscant to ride an electoral fad doesn't concern me. You want me to feed you ammo fighting CAD's wrongs? Fine, you've got it. Goes without saying but Auteme--" the nostalgia trip from a moment earlier had all but evaporated, a stone-cold glare replacing the former naivety, "--if Denon merely becomes a tool to further someone's agenda and nothing more..." he left the hefty silence complete the meaning of his words. He'd given her his complete trust, revealing the face beneath the mask.

She held the cards.

Auteme ​

 

[Auteme]

Dagon Kaze
​

Auteme's expression sobered as she looked at him. "Yeah."

She could no longer simply be outraged at injustice, righteously calling for the 'correct' action. No matter how she said it, in the end, she'd still be using the suffering of others to make political gains. She still thought she was right, of course. Just left an odd taste.

"It's- a balance to strike," she said. "But honestly... I can't forget a single person." She clasped her hands together.

"Anyways, um, is there anything you know about the CAD, like, right now?"

 

[Dagon Kaze]

Whatever the moral -- or even existential -- tribulation arose within Auteme, faintly drawing questioning fractures across the lines of her face, Dagon said nothing of it. He tended to stray away from debates and discource on politics. He'd seen their divide clearly when the New Jedi had -- justified no less -- gone to the Silvers Assembly to ask questions about their... allegiance with the Sith during the Imperial Civil War. The sour taste since then had never truly left his mouth but spitting it out then -- it solved nothing.

All his energy he would rather spend on doing, taking action. Doing what's right.

"Beyond the usual public secrets?" he tilted his head, "Yeah... somewhat. There's links with the Maw. Don't know yet if the whole CAD's got its fingers in the pie but Denon's definitely part of an abhorrently large network the Maw -- the Final Dawn specifically -- has been building within Alliance space. Same network's responsible for enabling the Sacking to happen." he said and continued, "Beyond serving as a financing hub for their operations in the Alliance, there's also clues to production facilities on Denon experimenting with... drugs? Chem stuff that turns sentients into... you know ... what we've faced on the battlefield. Monsters."

"...but the evidence's flaky so far." he admitted with a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose before looking back up at his friend, "I'll look more into it, Auteme -- oh! -- there's one more thing. That Silk Road initiative or whatever it's called -- keep tabs on that; there's been an uptick of arms illegally shipped to the Southern Systems. Faces linked up with that haven't been shy from dealing with Marlon Sularen , and with the Maw by extension."

Auteme ​

 

[Auteme]

Dagon Kaze
​

"Wow. Okay, that's a lot." Connections with the Maw? That was horrifying -- and excellent. Auteme paused a moment, considering where she could take it. To be fair, it was no surprise that the galaxy's worst would flourish under the thumb of unbridled corporate greed. It'd also potentially serve as grounds for greater intervention on Denon. A government following the Corporate Authorities would have quite a lot of work to do, but she could see it, if the Alliance made their response measured and skilled.

Southern systems, arms deals, Marlon Sularen... doubtless chaos would flourish there, and given the size of the Confederacy's military-industrial complex, it wasn't a surprise that there were corporations willing to sell to just about anyone. "A lot to think about," she murmured.

"Okay. Well, um- I suppose that's covered, then. I'll leave you a way to get in touch easily when I go. Uh- aside from that...

"Is there anything you need from me? I can do a lot now, I mean. I like to, ah- hear from people a little closer to the ground, before I push policy."

 

[Dagon Kaze]

"Just do the right thing, Auteme. Always." Dagon threw the rucksack over his shoulders and headed towards the room's door, "Even if it's the least practical choice -- it's what we do that defines us."

A pause before adding, "If I need anything from you -- I know how to reach you." uh, veiled threats or? "... I mean like your comms sequence and whatnot." a stupid grin crossed his face.

Auteme