Uncommon Trust

[Kay-Larr]

She had promised to make it up to him. [member="Macoda Haberon"] had felt as though Kay didn't trust him, using that as his excuse to explain why she didn't tell him about Veiere's turn to the Darker side of the Force. In truth there were plenty of reasons for it, but with how quickly everything fell apart, it caused her to draw inward and keep everything to herself. She loved her husband dearly. His acts on Deneba still threw her for a loop. In some ways she felt betrayed. It made her wonder if he felt the same way when she went Dark. But she was not herself then, having lost all of her good memories and suffering through months of unending torture. [member="Veiere Arenais"] had not gone through the same thing. Instead his turmoil was within.

So today she had prepared a little journey. One that could help all three of them. Kay stood at the door to Mac's quarters at the Palace and knocked. She wasn't wearing a gown or dress. Instead she was dressed less formally, in the light armour that Veiere had made for her. It contained a personal cloaking device, something that she had planned on using as she usually did when ventured to the destination that she had in mind. Secrecy was of the utmost importance, something that she hoped she could trust Mac could keep.

As he opened the door, she looked up at him. "I need to show you something. But can I come inside to explain before we go?" There were cameras in the halls and she didn't want her words to be recorded right now.

 

[Hadrian Bjormund]

Mac moved to open his chamber door after hearing a faint knock, wondering who it could be. He didn't get too many visitors to his personal chambers, and the only person who often did was [member="Lady Kay"] but they have been at odds for the past week or so. But lo and behold, there she was. Mac opened the heavy door to Kay dressed in rather expensive looking light armor, an unusual sight to say the least. He hadn't been expecting her to reach out like this considering the fight that they had recently. What Kay said as he opened the door just raised even more questions.

However Mac knew that this was not quite the time for questions. By her surprise visit, her quiet tone, her light armor and her lack of a proper greeting, Mac concluded that this was something rather serious. Mac looked down at her with curious concern. "Is everything alright Kay?" He opened the door and let her into his chambers, shutting the heavy door behind them.

Mac's room was rather bare, he didn't have many personal belongings. His large bed was made and his desk organized. The only things that indicated someone lived there was a painting of an alpine landscape hanging above his bead, a picture of his father sitting on his desk next to a necklace given to him by Isshara, and a small shrine to gods he no longer believed in. Mac stepped into his room behind Kay. "What's going on?"

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay only gave the room a sparing glance as she stepped inside. She didn't expect lavish decorations or trunks full of clothes like in her own chambers. He had the luxury of packing light, something that she used to do in her younger years. That was before politics took over.

She turned around, looking up at [member="Macoda Haberon"] as he expressed his concern. Given the way that she had arrived, Kay didn't really blame him for it. "Everything's fine and nothing's going on. I made you a promise weeks ago and I'm here to fulfill it. Where I plan to take you and show you, no one else knows where it is. Not even Veiere." That was partly a lie. Prazutis knew about it, but the Sith Lord never knew the significance of it, nor was it even his business to care. "Meet me at the hanger in 10 minutes and get on your swoop bike. I'll have my cloaking device activated, so you won't see me, but you'll hear me and feel me. There are cameras watching, so try to pretend that you're just out on your own. Once we're clear across the field, then I'll give you more direction. I can't risk us being followed or traced, so no electronics, no commlinks. Alright?" There was more purpose to this venture than just to show Mac a mysterious location. There was a chance that he would need to go on his own, and it was better if he knew the way.

 

[Hadrian Bjormund]

Mac raised an eyebrow of light skepticism, he still didn't fully understand what [member="Lady Kay"] was saying. In fact, he had completely forgotten about the promise that Kay made during their recent fight. But now was not the time for questions, he was eager to see this mysterious location for himself and he was glad that Kay was talking to him again, regardless of the serious circumstances. Mac unhooked the commlink from his belt and threw it on his bed he then turned back to Kay and tapped the axes that were holstered on his sides, making sure that they were there. Those were all he ever needed. "I am ready to go when you are!" It was the benefit of traveling light. Mac had a pair of phrik bracers and a force-imbued shotgun that he had received from the Black Tie Syndicate as part of his payment for various jobs in the past, but he typically equipped himself with those in the prospect of an immediate fight. Somehow he didn't think he would be needing them and they would probably raise the suspicion of the Royal Guard if he left on a swoop bike while fully geared to fight. Not that the guards would say anything, but it was best to just be careful. Lighter is simpler.

That, and Mac was really eager to embark on this surprise adventure. A location that even Veiere did not know about? Mac had no idea what that could be nor why it would have any significance. Then again, he wasn't exactly too knowledgeable about the planet of Commenor, despite making his residence here for the past year or so. Still, the true question remained as to why Kay wanted him to know in the first place and why she wanted to remain unseen.

Why would she tell me this?

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay nodded in thanks as [member="Macoda Haberon"] had agreed to go with her. She wanted to smile at the fact that he didn't refuse, but she wasn't entirely confident that the day wouldn't end in another argument. There was bound to be some anger from him and she knew it. But it was a sacrifice that she had to pay.

"See you in ten minutes. And thank you." She turned and headed out of his chambers, closing the door behind her. Once in the hallway, she went to her own office and up into her bedchambers. There were no cameras in there, so it was safe.

Activating her cloaking device, Kay disappeared from view and walked down one of the secret passageways that she knew so well. Minutes later she entered the hanger, stepping out from behind a stone pillar. Engineers and maintenance workers just kept on with their business, unable to see her or notice her soft footsteps on the concrete floor. The swoop bikes weren't far, and as she got onto the front of one of them, Mac had entered the hanger. She waited until he was close enough before whispering to him, "I'm here. On the front like before." With his strength he could easily knock her off without knowing. But she did her best to keep out of the way.

 

[Hadrian Bjormund]

As promised, ten minutes later, Mac entered the hanger and headed straight for the swoop bikes. None of the maintenance crew or engineers gave him much notice as he did so. A few of the guards nodded in his direction. Since Mac's initial ride with [member="Lady Kay"], he had taken the swoop bike out a few times by himself and so this trip was nothing out of the ordinary. He didn't realize how much he missed swoop biking from his childhood and took many opportunities to feel the wind through his hair again. However he did miss riding with Kay. Perhaps this trip could change that, although that would depend mostly on her.

As Mac approached the swoop bike, a voice whispered to him out of thin air. It was Kay. Mac replied with a grunt, acknowledging what she said without appearing to talk to himself. He gingerly got onto the swoop bike from behind, trying not to crush Kay. Mac allowed her a brief moment to get herself situated in the somewhat awkward and intimate position before starting up the engine and coasting out of the hangar onto the back field. As neither of them were wearing helmets, Mac hit the accelerator more slowly than he would have otherwise. Mac didn't normally wear a helmet anyways but since he was with Kay, he tried to be a little more careful.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay waited until [member="Macoda Haberon"] was seated before she maneuvered herself to be seated like before. It was the best that could be done given that the bike was built for one. Normally she walked this journey, but this was an easier ruse than for people to see him just go out for a walk by himself. And this was a bit faster.

Her hair whipped in the wind. She could feel it and was glad that aside from the tickling sensation, her cloaking device hid her hair from blocking his view.

Once they were across the field, Kay looked over her shoulder. "Head to the foot of the mountain. There'll be a line of three trees that look near identical. Park the bike there and we'll hide it." She had a tarp there, one with branches and the like sticking out of it so that it could conceal the bike. "There's a cave entrance near there. It's small, but you should manage. After we're in there I can show myself again."

Of course she couldn't tell him much about where they were going or why. There was still some distance to travel on foot.

 

[Hadrian Bjormund]

Upon hearing [member="Lady Kay"]'s instructions, Mac gently veered the bike towards the mountain. It wouldn't be a very far trip, and before long, Mac had managed to pick out the three identical trees from the forest line easier than he had expected. After pinpointing his destination, he gradually hit the accelerator on the swoop bike in order to close the distance faster. His curiosity was getting the better of him.

Upon arriving at the three identical trees, he slowed down and parked the swoop bike a little past the treeline to better conceal it from random passersby. Mac allowed Kay to get off the swoop bike first before he unsaddled himself. He then looked around and admired the environment around him as Kay went hunting for the tarp. He still had no idea what this trip was about nor had any idea on its significance. However he managed to restrain himself from addressing Kay directly. There would be plenty of time for explanations once they were both hidden from view.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay didn't have to worry about whispering, not when they were way out there. Still, she wanted to be hidden from view. However it might look funny for a tarp to cover a swoop bike seemingly by itself. [member="Macoda Haberon"] surveyed the area, leading Kay to smirk before speaking."Little help with the tarp, please. Remember, it's supposed to look like as though you're here by yourself." She started to unfold it a little bit, enough to let him know where she was.

After he secured it over the bike, she climbed over a set of boulders and then jumped down. The drop was a good ten feet. Given that Mac couldn't see her, nor anyone else for that matter, she turned off the cloaking device. "Mac, down here! Scale the rocks and jump down." She waited until she could see him and then proceeded to duck down through a narrow passageway. For her tall bodyguard, he may very well have to crawl through on his hands and knees. "This part isn't long. You'll be able to stand in about thirty feet." Glowing rocks giving an aqua green hue cut through the darkness, reflecting the uneven walls and ceiling of the small tunnel. It gave them enough light to not need a torch at least. Kay knew this route like the back of her hand. However Mac didn't. But hopefully he'd remember.

 

[Hadrian Bjormund]

Mac jumped a little in surprise as [member="Lady Kay"] spoke behind him, asking him to cover the swoop bike with the tarp. Mac turned around and let out a small smirk in spite of himself to the person who he couldn't yet see. "Farking hell, Kay." He softly chuckled as he covered the bike with the tarp. After the vehicle was secured safely out of sight, he heard Kay's voice call to him again, this time from a short distance away. Following her voice over a small outcropping of boulders, Mac peered down over the drop just in time to see Kay motioning him to follow and then duck into a small cave.

Trying to keep up with the surprisingly agile Lady Kay, Mac bounded after her, landing with a powerful thud as he jumped from the outcropping. However Mac quickly found out that following her wouldn't be as easy for the seven foot giant. At first, he ducked into the cave by bending completely over at the waist. However the gradually sloping roof of the cave eventually forced Mac to crawl on his hands and knees. Mac wasn't too claustrophobic, but this was by no means enjoyable. At least the cave was illuminated by the odd glowing rocks.

Eventually the tunnel gave way to an opening. "What is this place, Kay?" Mac wanted to know why Kay had dragged him all the way out here as he rose from the tunnel to his full height.

 

[Kay-Larr]

"An access point. One of only a few." Kay started to lead the way through the tunnel which was illuminated somewhat by small artificial lights. "I was first brought here when I was elected President, as all have been in the past. Though for the first visits, the elected officials are usually blindfolded until it was certain that they could be trusted." She glanced up at [member="Macoda Haberon"] , hoping that he understood at least part of the reason that she was bringing him here. "I trust that you'll use discretion whenever you come here. There's two other access points. One underneath a tea house in Chasin City, and the other is through one of the secret passageways from my office in the Palace."

Kay clasped her hands behind her as she walked, almost talking with the tone of one giving an educational tour, but these were important points that she needed to share. "To find your way, look for various forms of three. Just as you saw the identical trees, you'll see three symbols, three doors..." She stopped and gestured to another tunnel illuminated by three orbs. "...Three lights." Kay led the way. After twenty feet the tunnel opened up to a large chamber, one that was abandoned more than anything. "This was where I was supposed to live after the Elders died. I was to follow in their footsteps and live in hiding, ruling through elected officials and more or less just having the role of advisor. But I couldn't bear to do that. Maybe some day..." The whole place felt more like a tomb, rather fitting as it was where the Elders had died and were buried.

"This is where I keep my most precious possessions."

 

[Hadrian Bjormund]

[member="Lady Kay"] explanation only created lead to more questions than answers. Mac must admit that he was rather unfamiliar with the history of Commenor, and this was the first time hearing about the Elders or the web of politics behind them. Maybe it was common knowledge on Commenor or maybe it wasn't, but it was all above Mac. He followed behind Kay, absorbing everything that she had to say with a faint hint of awe. The two entered the ancient chamber of the Elders. It looked like a throne room more than anything else. Mac stepped into the middle of the chamber as Kay continued her lecture, admiring the old columns, vaulted ceilings, and mysterious stone statues. For the first time in a long time, Mac felt small, dwarfed by the significance of this room. He couldn't place his finger on it. It was as if this room had been here long before he was born and will continue to remain long after he's gone, and the cold judgmental statues knew it.

He had so many questions but there would be plenty of time to talk about this. He figured that Kay wouldn't have brought him here if she wasn't prepared to do some explaining. Mac couldn't help himself any longer, and out poured a string of questions. "Who are these Elders? How did they die? What are these possessions?" However one question pulled at Mac harder than the others. "Wh-Why are you showing me this? Why me?" He paused to let the question sink in. Mac felt like a trespasser in this room, like he was meddling in something far larger and more important than himself. Why would Kay trust him with this information all of the sudden? What was his purpose in all of this?

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay had expected [member="Macoda Haberon"] to have questions. It was normal. She had them as well when she was first brought in, and more than likely there'd be plenty of others that had them too.

She gestured to the three thrones at the top of the steps. "The Elders. The Three Brothers. No one knows how old they were, but they built Chasin City at some point after Palpatine fell and the Empire had collapsed. It is through their efforts that Commenor survived the One Sith's occupation. It was through their gift of remaining hidden that the One Sith couldn't rule over Commenor completely. Our flag, the symbol of the bird stands for our freedom. It has four parts, three to symbolize the Elders and the fourth to symbolize the elected leader that rests on their shoulders. Commenor Survives. That is our motto that they had penned and as long as we stay true to our ideals, our laws and our culture, it remains true."

Kay stepped forward now, giving him an indication to follow her as she began towards the steps. She completely skipped over Mac's question of how the Elders died on purpose and instead addressed one of his other questions. "Since no one knows about this place besides...well, the two of us, I thought it was perfect to hide what I wished. Most would think that I'd hide things at the Palace or at the Estate, but to a thief, that'd be too easy and obvious. So I brought them here." She reached the top of the steps and moved towards the back of the thrones, in particular the one to the right. Kay crouched down and encouraged him to do the same before bringing out a small dagger and using it's tip to remove a stone block from underneath. Inside she brought out a few bundles. "This is my hiding spot. I have here the King's crown, Veiere's Jedi Robes and his Holocron. Of all the things here, his Holocron is the most valuable to me." Kay handed it over to him so that he could see. "As a last resort I will use it to try to get my husband back. There would be many that would try to destroy it, including himself. If ever I ask you to bring it for me; this is where it is. As my Head of Security, my bodyguard and my friend...I ask that you keep this secret and above all, keep this safe....Please."

 

[Hadrian Bjormund]

A flood of information came pouring out from [member="Lady Kay"], but all of Mac's attention was diverted once Kay pulled out the Holocron. Mac wasn't too interested in the history of Commenor to begin with, at least not compared to what was in Kay's hand. The ornate cube illuminated a soft blue glow as it was pulled out from Kay's hiding spot. The sight of it alone gave Mac goosebumps and stood the hair on the back of his neck. He had never heard of a Holocron before nor did he even know of its purpose, but Mac knew that this was more important than anything else in this room. This was what he sensed when he first stepped into the derelict throne room. It radiated a sense of magnitude that was eerily similar to Kaine Zambrano's aura on Fornow. However this feeling of magnitude, of immense significance and obvious power, was not overwhelming with dread as Zambrano's aura was. Instead, it was less malicious and more composed, almost soothingly so. However what ever the sensation was, it shot through Mac to his core. The feeling was different to be sure, but the weight of it was similar to what he had felt on Fornow, and that was enough to unnerve him.

Silenced by awe, Mac crept slowly towards Kay as she explained her reason for bringing him here while reaching out to offer the Holocron to him. With a shaky hand, he took the Holocron and held it gingerly in the palm of his hand, staring at its blue core. Kay was trusting him with this? He tried hard to search for words but this whole trip proved to be far more than he had bargained for: the secret throne room, the Holocron, Kay trusting him with both, everything. A rush of relief washed over Mac as he realized the implication of this request from Kay, though it did not shake the unnerving presence of the Holocron. Kay trusted him after all, and that meant more to Mac than anything else.

Mac tore his eyes away from the Holocron once Kay had concluded speaking, locking eyes with her to show his sincerity. "Always". And Mac meant what he said. Despite their wills colliding sometimes, Mac would always be there for Kay, probably in more ways than what she'd feel comfortable with. However, his attention was soon drawn back to the power of the Holocron. After a long pause of Mac staring intensely into the cube, trying to process what he sensed, he broke the silence with a shaky voice, "I can feel this Kay." There was obviously disbelief in his tone, however there was no other way to put it and Mac certainly didn't know what was happening.

 

[Kay-Larr]

The holocron looked smaller in his hands than it did in hers. [member="Macoda Haberon"] was much taller than she was, so his hands were of course quite larger. It made the holocron almost look like a toy. Yet it was quite the opposite. It was her most precious possession. And there were many that would wsnt to get their hands on it, maybe even destroy it. [member="Veiere"] himself could even want to destroy it himself, for it was a part of him that he chose to dismiss. Ever since Veiere had given it to her, instructed her to keep it safe, Kay knew that there would come a time when she'd be nearly obsessed with it. Especially if he died before she did.

Mac commented on the power of it. She nodded, understanding full well of what he felt. "I know...It's what I feel every day. It's the strength of the bond that we share." Kay brushed her fingers across the top of it and then wrapped it with the cloth, being sure to put it back into the hiding spot first. She then followed that with Veiere's robes and crown, before replacing the heavy stone, concealing it all from view. "Dark days are ahead, the first of which will be the hardest. I'm not sure if I have the strength for it, but I will do my best to pull through." She got to her feet. "Commenor survives because of those that lived here and the choices that they made. Queen or not, I haven't earned the right to sit in these chairs."

Kay started down the steps, glancing back at Mac and his look of unease. "We can go back now. Unless you had any other questions...I'm all ears." No one else was listening. It was one of a few places that she knew that she could speak freely.