Cultured Reception

Posted on Mon Sep 24th, 2018 @ 8:30pm by Rusasha Djehuti-Lahan & Thane
Edited on on Mon Sep 24th, 2018 @ 8:30pm

3,274 words; about a 16 minute read

Chapter: Chapter V: Unbound
Location: Multi-mission craft Uzuki, Caanus Atmosphere
Timeline: Some days following "Closure and Purpose"
Tags: Caanus, Zaruul, Vuul, Archae, Wulhart, Thaavitha, Vlaand, Zeltron, skaal, Verus, Thranciss Saan, Moonsprite, Uzuki

"Life to me is a journey - you never know what may be your next destination." -- David Russell

---

OLD

Whilst there was a sad tinge to his voice, Sotah's words were otherwise filled with an obvious pride, but he spoke again before the reverie became too pronounced. "I wish for you to go to Caanus, to the birthplace and home of Thane. Under the guise of a Jedi diplomat or watchman, I would ask that you find your way into the holdings of his family, circulate with the locals and speak with the household. Learn what you can about what has befallen that faraway world. Perhaps then, you might gain greater insight into the mind of young Thane. But most importantly, and I cannot stress this enough," Sotah explained, his voice shifting in pitch, becoming slower and kinder, "help them."

"I will prepare to depart first thing in the morning," she said without skipping a beat. "But master, were I to take one of our ships, surely the Council would notice? They will ask questions, perhaps even try to stop me from leaving."

"Oh, I am still officially a ranking member of the Jedi High Council," Sotah said with a chuckle and a warming hand on Ru's shoulder as he steered them both towards entering the Temple, "I'm sure they can forgive an old Selkath sending a prize pupil on a few... minor errands to the edge of the galaxy, wouldn't you say?"

NEW

The Moonsprite-class multimission fighter craft, the Uzuki, dropped from its voyage through hyperspace and descended towards the luminous purple skies of the distant Outer Rim planet known as Caanus. Rusasha received her landing instructions from the planet's ground control, set the autopilot accordingly, and took a moment to close her eyes and extend her senses to get a general feel for the world as a whole through the lens of the Force. There was a drab sense of tolerance and contentment overall, noticeably more than the constant heavy tension and pockets of misery she often felt during her sojourns in the Coruscanti undercity.

As the Uzuki began to pierce Caanus' upper atmosphere, her feelings were distinctly drawn to her intended destination: the home of House Verus. She felt something worse than much of what she felt in most places her entire life; there was a level of despair that made her wince with discomfort as she touched upon its surface with the ethereal reach of her inner light. Her Jedi masters over the years occasionally lectured about "wounds" in the Force; places, and sometimes even people where there was great chaos and distortion in the fabric of the Force caused by deeply traumatic events such as a great loss of life in a short span of time. Perhaps it wasn't so serious for the denizens of House Verus, but something terrible happened there, and the lingering darkness of that event was oozing out across the surrounding lands, and spreading beyond like a slow-moving plague of locusts.

Beyond the precipitation-laden viewscreen, small droplets sliding rapidly to either side from the sheer speed of the vessel, the brilliant lavender clouds were finally splitting away to reveal the stunning coastal city of Thaavitha below. Whilst violet rain continued to hammer far down into the depths of the sprawling metropolis and its glistening nearby ocean, the radiant light of Caanus' sun lit the entire city up at every angle.

Great curved buildings of sleek metal reflected the golden-purple light brightly, their smoothed edges making way for the bustling traffic of sky-cars and automated rail systems. Nautical vehicles of all descriptions were slicing their way through the dark waves far below towards the various ports poking out from the land, a stark contrast to the many great and verdant gardens that were dotted about the cityscape beneath Ru's vessel.

Off to the side, a great and ancient bridge connected one side of the city to the other, separated as the two halves were by the crashing ocean between. The northern half of Thaavitha was in fact situated on a subcontinental island, whilst the southern half connected to the supercontinent that formed the majority of Caanus' landmass.

In stark contrast to the majority of descriptions attributed to Caanus' many cities and lands, this city was more modern and developed than the rest, perhaps owing to the stewardship of this region falling to the only non-Human noble house. Mixed in within the innumerable ships and shuttles scurrying to and from the city were several vessels of non-Caanan design. Some bore logos of companies and others of the Third Republic itself, but all appeared mercantile in design. In the further distance, the turquoise plains of Caanus wilder terrain could be seen, as could sharp mountains reaching high into the clouds, but that sight was slowing slipping away the closer Ru came to her designated landing pad.

Close to the coast and the entryway to the island-side of the great bridge, the Jedi vessel was ushered towards one of the docking stations of the region's capitol building. It was a modestly-sized construction, clearly one of the newest additions to the city, and it aped many of the design aesthetics of a modern government building on Coruscant itself. Of course, rather than views of an endless city, this location beheld a great churning ocean against the backdrop of a violet sky and the far-off points of distant, ancient mountains to the south.

Standing at the edge of the platform in company with three other figures, one of which held an umbrella-esque object over the main figure's head (which was a challenge, in light of the figure's advanced height), was a statuesque man garbed in a long regal crimson gown, embroidered from either shoulder downwards towards its base with gold lining and jewels of various colours and sizes. Even from within the cockpit at this distance, Ru could see his skin had a light pink tint to it, and a friendly, albeit mischievous smile, played across his lips, tucked beneath a neat pencil-thin moustache of oil-black hair.

It was clear to the young Cathar through her view from her Moonsprite-class' cockpit that her welcoming committee valued the importance of civilized appearances. She, too, knew the paramount importance of being well-dressed and immaculately groomed, exceeding the norms expected of most Jedi in her position. She emerged from the ship and casually approached her hosts dressed in her best royal purple and silver-patterned burgundy red robes, her long wavy auburn hair neat (though growing damp under the rain), her lipstick a muted colour to match her tawny facial features, and her lightsaber bared its unusual level of opulence through its ornamental golden electrum detailing. Compared to most of her Force-wielding contemporaries, she looked more akin to a Republic Senator than a Jedi Knight, but her etiquette training stressed that dressing for success could make the difference between open war, or the drafting of a peace treaty. With the wealth she inherited from the Djehuti clan of Cathar, she simply had the means to take that training just a bit beyond its common standards.

"Welcome to Caanus and to Thaavitha, Master Jedi," Zaruul replied warmly, stepping out from beneath his umbrella to clasp one of Ru's paws, kissing it delicately in a very Human show of bold greeting. "It is my pleasure to be your first host to this great and ancient world."

As she had practiced during her journey, Ru performed a proper Caanan noblewoman's curtsy in return for the gentleman's romantic greeting. She had never had her hand kissed like that by anyone before, but the feeling it gave her was most especially welcome. She could get used to such treatment. "You honour me, your grace," she greeted him with a warm smile. "I am Rusasha Lahan, Jedi Knight. It is kind of you, Lord Zaruul, to generously spare your valuable time to meet me here in this weather."

"Please," Zaruul gestured with an open palm, his flashy smile not waning (much to the bemusement of at least one of his attendants), "it is no bother. Thaavitha has long served as the gateway to Caanus for offworlders such as yourself. Indeed, in millennia past, my far-ancestor, the Zeltron Thranciss Saan was awarded these fine lands as reward for returning Archae Thane the First to his rightful throne - the one and only non-Human to become a Caanan skaal!"

The part-Zeltron, his comments having explained away the pigmentation of his skin, clearly took great pride in the story, and was now quick to gesture his Jedi visitor towards the entrance to the building. "House Saan has played host to many Jedi over the generations," Zaruul went on, snatching the umbrella from the attendant to hold it over himself and Rusasha as he began pacing, "although I admit, this has been a far less frequent occurrence in recent years. Not since the young son of Archae Wulhart was taken into the Order have we really had any involvement. A tragic story, to be sure. Indeed, you are the first Jedi Knight I have personally had the pleasure of hosting. And this weather is really quite temperate by Caanan standards; it is far more exciting to the mountains north of here, I assure you."

"The features of your world are certainly far more stimulating than the endless veldt of Cathar," Ru opined to sprinkle a little flattery towards a possible friendship. "If it is no trouble, may I learn more about Thaavitha? Has there been any...difficulties concerning this beautiful city that I may be of assistance with while I'm here?"

"All worlds have their own beauty, and it often takes being dragged long from one's home to truly appreciate it," Zaruul said kindly as the small group entered a lift. "But to answer your question more directly; no, House Saan has no pressing need for your services, Master Jedi, lest you wish to pledge yourself into my service? I am sure I could find a great many uses for one of your talents and, well," the lord looked the Cathar up an down appreciatively, making no effort to conceal the fact, "and fine standing. I don't suppose a mere lordling such as I could lure you from your Jedi bondage?"

Again, one of Zaruul's procession, his skin the porcelain white more indicative of Caanan blood, gave his lord a disapproving scowl.

It wasn't the first time she faced lewd insinuations and propositions laced with euphemisms. She brushed it off with a gentle smile and an unperturbed tone in her reply, "Mere lordling, your grace? Your standing exceeds your modesty. To be considered for employ in your household is...quite unexpected, but it is always an honour to be valued by an upstanding gentleman such as yourself. That said, I fear time, and that 'bondage', as you say, demand that I must decline."

"A pity," he replied, with a genuine hint of sadness intermingled with his charmed words. Despite outward appearances and humour, their was no malice being exuded from Zaruul through the Force. "But I suppose one must remain true to their duties, whatever they may be. I am sure my lady wife will thank you for your loyalty to your people." He gave a little chuckle, just as the lift window cleared a section of building to reveal the sight of the Caanan ocean beyond once more, the weather showing no immediate signs of relenting. "No, I received the communique from your Master Sotah well ahead of your arrival. I understand you are to head to Vlaand, at the heart of the Verus lands. Does that not remain so?"

"That remains my goal, yes," Ru affirmed. "But I am curious in regards to how they may receive my arrival. Would you say the people there might be affable to the presence of a Jedi diplomat, or should I have reason to be concerned?"

Zaruul paused. It was a punctuated pause, one that had seemingly taken the nobleman off-guard in some way, as the previously-eloquent Caanan appeared to struggle with an explanation for the Jedi. His kinsmen were offering similar glances, as the lift reached its destination and revealed a wide and open foyer on the ground floor.

Large glass doors were located far in front of them, and the hammering of the violet rain could be heard loudly travelling across the large and richly-decorated room. Plants of varying shades of green, in such bright and luminous colours they almost challenged the eye to believe they were natural, were dotted on either side, positioned beneath wide gold-lined paintings, variably of great landscapes or odd surrealist images of quite macabre imagery - a stark contrast to one another.

Guards clad in the same dominant colours of Zaruul stood at the doorway ahead of them, elongated staff-rifles holding their patterned capes to either side of their arms. They showed no signs of acknowledgement to the approaching figures, barring an incline of their heads to their lord.

As they reached the open doorway, the scent of petrichor assaulting them as they stood, Zaruul nodded to his followers and to the guards, who uneasily stepped away to leave the pair with a modicum of privacy, taking new positions some further feet away.

"News from Vaarthul and the Verus holds is either grim or false of late," he warned Ru in a hushed tone, the humour having all but left his voice now. "Archae Wulhart has long since withdrawn from public life, electing instead to permit his council and the other skaal to take leadership of most Caanan affairs. Gone are the glory days, it seems, of the mighty Caanus. Since the tragedy twenty standard years ago, Wulhart has hardly been seen by any of his vassals. If rumour is to be believed, much of his own household have not seen him, either; Vaarthul and House Verus have fallen under dark spells, if one goes in for those things."

Zaruul paused again, looking out of the doorway to the distant landscape, as if examining for the place he was considering, sighing before he spoke once more. "Whilst House Saan honours its obligations to the Verus and maintains these ports to the wider galaxy, there is both dissent and disinterest from the other great families, and even lesser, ambitious skaal murmur of shifting powers, but the same name dances on hushed tones in those halls, according to my own spies. Vuul."

"Tell me more about 'Vuul'."

"They are a vassal house, directly sworn to the Verus as 'Stewards of the Arch'," Zaruul answered, still keeping his voice quiet, even as his party began glancing over with frustrated expressions. "Their exact history eludes me, but I believe them to have been the masters of the gates to the Verus fortress in generations past. Now, the forked-tongue skaal of that little house is the senator for our world, and de facto regent, if what I am told holds true. Long has their game been deception and hollow words. So too does the livery of a lord's castle become that of their people." With that final comment, Zaruul's smile returned. "I suppose it is not so different here, after all, from the Coruscanti power plays of your Order's home?"

"Your question is its own answer, your grace," Ru noted. "The intrigue in the Senate is...confounding to say the least. Though Coruscant is only as good as the worlds that send representation there. If Caanus is troubled, it carries subtle consequences that could affect much of the Republic. That is why I am here. I seek to discover a solution to the trouble, and to accomplish this, I must speak with Archae Wulhart himself. Do you believe it is possible to arrange an audience with him?"

"Through me?" Zaruul asked rhetorically, gesturing to himself with a smile. "Would that I could, my fair Jedi maiden. No, I would only find myself directed towards his court or Senator Vuul himself." The Caanan called over his entourage, who quickly strode back to join the pair, apparently keen to be included in whatever collusion may be taking place. "I have taken the liberty of preparing one of my own personal transports for you to travel to Vlaand, however. They are not so used to foreigners there and the community itself is somewhat more, well, more traditional in appearance."

Zaruul then placed a palm-sized device in the Cathar's hand, presumably for use of the transport. "My aide here will escort you and show you the basics, as you'll have to forgive me; I have pressing matters of my own court to attend to here. It has been an absolute pleasure meeting you, Master Jedi, but I would still leave you with a small kernel of knowledge I have acquired for your travels to the heart of Caanus. Be mindful of what you say to Haavan Vuul; his ambition is only outstripped by his cunning - and," the part-Zeltron added with a slightly knowing glance, "his fascination with all things Force. Farewell, Rusasha Lahan, Jedi Knight, and good luck."

With a quick bow, Zaruul Saan did not wait for any acknowledgement from his brief guest and quickly turned on his heel, his billowing cloak catching around his ankles as he marched out into the rain. One of his followers had to jog in an unseemly fashion with the umbrella to catch up before his master became too rain-sodden in the relentless downpour.

Ru looked down at the device she was given which resembled a silver metal crest that denoted it as a reusable transit token from the city of Thaavitha. She now had her ticket to Vlaand, but she looked up to see Zaruul walking further away, and wondered if his generosity had ulterior motives. Nothing was ever free, not even a simple transit pass, and she couldn't help but wonder if interfering in Vlaand would tip the political balance in Zaruul's favour somehow and make things on Caanus even worse. Or, perhaps, a consular's touch was exactly what the planet needed.

She felt a slight familiar ache on her left side just above the hip bone, and pressed a paw on it to soothe away the irritation. It was the old wound, a blaster burn that grazed her side during her first year as a padawan. It was a nagging reminder of her mortality every time she was afraid. She reminded herself of what her master at the time had told her after the incident: "Courage isn't just a matter of not being frightened, you know. It's being afraid and doing what you have to do anyway." That was Rusasha's personal mantra now, and it was at the core of her whole being as a Jedi. It was what pressed her to battle through her Knighthood trials even when she felt unprepared, it was what spurred her to grow restless with being stuck in the Jedi Temple and accept Sotah's quest in spite of her stray feelings of self-doubt, and it was precisely what got her this far to this moment in time on Caanus, all alone with a strange little emblem in hand from one of the most peculiar of gentlemen who ever crossed paths with her. There was no turning back now.

She made haste through the rain to the transit station using a posted holomap as a guide, steeling her mind and tempering her fear to head out further into the unknown of this strange purple world...

TBC

 

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