Heart of the Alliance

Posted on Fri Mar 27th, 2020 @ 9:41am by Reave & Kalen "Rex" Vickers & Thane & Bomoor Thort & Amare & Mentis
Edited on on Tue Sep 8th, 2020 @ 10:41pm

2,454 words; about a 12 minute read

Chapter: Chapter VI: The Last Bastion
Location: Spaceport, Alba (capital city), Outer Rim Alliance
Timeline: End of Week Four, some days after "Telos"

NEW

Stretching out from the foot of the Elsgate Spaceport steps was a large square constructed of creamy stone bricks. The wide space was transected by several small channels of water that carved an ornate, angular pattern into the stone so that it looked like some ancient rune when observed, at first glance, from those newly arriving into the historic city of learning.

The network of water flowed out into a larger canal adjacent to the square where classical-styled watercrafts were either moored up or drifted along the causeway in a relaxed fashion. The people of the city existed with that same sense of calm, collectedness with the wind carrying the sound of light and gentle discussion. The masses were occupied and busy with their daily lives but somehow not projecting the same disarray and stress that would never be found for long on most other capital cities in the galaxy.

Looking out further, across the terra cotta roofs, the Grand Alban Library stretched up above the city, set into the face of the great cliff edge that bordered the main district of the great and ancient city. Looking down from the cliff's peak, practically atop the library was the parliament building, which had also become the central parliament building for the entire Outer Rim Alliance during the time of the conflicts and, since then, managing what devolved power the Third Republic granted it over the Alliance planets.

The crew of the Raptor descended the steps towards the square, not sharing quite the same harmonious energy as the people of the city, but still maintaining some sense of unity. They slowed at the base of the steps and Bomoor strolled a few paces onwards, moving his gaze about the place as if looking for something in particular. He turned back to the group and gave an affirming nod.

“So, we have all agreed what we are going to do,” he stated, making sure it was not a question in anyone’s minds, “Thane and I will meet with Theon alone while Rex and Amare, you use this time to start working on the mystery of the unusual droid from Korriban as well as seeking out some more lightsaber components. This is a planet of extensive learning: you’ll find an expert in practically any field here, no matter how narrow.”

Bomoor recalled hearing some ridiculous anecdote about the Alban scholar who specialised in study of the feeding patterns of a parasite-like creature that was only found on the backs of a rare non-sentient reptilian species that lived only on the third moon of Kothlis and whom hibernated for about thirty cycles at a time. Needless to say, if you wanted to know about a speciality of a speciality, then find an Alban scholar.

“Apologies,” came the curious voice of Mentis, who had been somewhat detached from the recent developments, having missed out on the initial drama of Theon’s message and much of the subsequent planning, “But I don’t think I got assigned a task. I am happy to do the droid thing, although machines are not my speciality.”

Rex and Reave had followed shortly behind Mentis, along with the ramshackle droid the smuggler insisted on calling Brick, although they did not say anything yet. Reave seemed almost uncomfortable with their surroundings, whilst Rex let out a brief whistle of appreciation. Apparently, he had not been to the planet before, or not in any more formal capacity.

"If you cannot amuse yourself, then the 'droid thing' will be quite suitable," Thane said to Mentis, although he did not look at the man. Instead, content for the moment to not pay much heed to his companions from the ship, having not even really spoken with Bomoor since the fallout with his own apprentice, he looked to the distance, at the Grand Library and the Alliance Caucus above it.

During his years serving the Reborn Jedi Order, he, like the majority of his former comrades, did not have leave to ever enter Alliance space. The closest they came to an Alliance planet was the likes of Onderon, or other worlds that had supported the ORA during the conflict, even though they had not been formal members. They had bucked that trend just a short while after resigning their positions as Jedi Knights, but this was the absolute closest they had ever come to the heart of the Outer Rim Alliance.

With his piercing gaze moving from the Caucus building to the other remarkable landmarks and picturesque features of this impressive city, he marvelled at the beauty and artisanal style of the Third Republic's so-called enemies. Like most others, Thane had been largely informed that the backbone of the ORA had been agriculture and industry, but seeing the spectacle that was Alba's capital city gave a very different impression: this was a centre for art, culture and learning. It was the opposite of Coruscant.

Behind him, Amare had averted her eyes from Bomoor whilst he spoke, arms crossed against her chest, and still feeling a touch raw and guarded about her previous row with him on the ship. She was feeling embarrassed by having snapped at him without provocation, and preferred it best to just keep her distance from him in case he hadn't forgiven her. She turned to leave with Rex, keeping her vision to the ground, partly out of shame, and a touch fearful of the prospect of him saying something to her.

That fear was realised, however, when a long-fingered arm rested itself upon her shoulder. She turned to see the Ithorian giving her a look that was hard to read, but certainly not the same look of rage his eyes had shot at her during their heated debate aboard the ship.

"Can I have a quick word before you go, Amare?" Bomoor stated, beckoning her slightly away from the group. The others were aware but did not make any attempt to interfere as the pair moved away.

Amare half-expected Bomoor to say something to her at some point, but not so soon after her brazen outburst in his face on the ship. She froze her walking pace, her shoulders slumped slightly, and she bit her lower lip with a quick sigh before turning to gradually raise her gaze from the Ithorian's broad legs up to his eye stalks. Mentally, she was bracing herself for a heavy verbal lashing whilst her muscles were tensing up in case Bomoor decided to follow Thane's example and try his own dip into the physical abuse realm. The difference this time, however, was that Amare was armed and had a slightly better chance to fight back.

"Listen," Bomoor began, rubbing his hump in the fashion that usually indicated awkwardness, "I wanted to apologise for how I snapped at you before. I am sure you felt some tension brewing for some time and I guess I thought you were... well..."

He sighed and made an effort to look at the young woman. He had given Thane and Coda some distance when they first began training in the dark side and now he wondered if he had made a mistake. He felt that any advice he offered would be contrary to the teachings of the Sith and so resigned to simply have no part in her training, particularly after she so quickly rejected his method of constructing a lightsaber: something he had considered basic and universal to a Force-user. He also could sense the growing friction in his Force bond with Thane, which he knew was partly down to his inability to connect with the woman, now newly baptised as Amare.

"What I mean to say is, I know that all three of us are walking a path that is new and strange to us. The Dark side is a path to many techniques, but we can easily lose our way and I think I reached my first snag on the journey when I used my anger unnecessarily. It was not helpful; I can see how sudden contact from Theon would be considered a threat to you and I dismissed that too readily. You are not ignorant and you are certainly not a child. In fact, I think you have a lot that you can teach me. Perhaps you would be open to a discussion every now and then so we can learn from each other, even if we don't always completely agree."

Please don't do that, Bomoor, Amare thought with deep embarrassment in the presence of the Ithorian's graceful display of maturity and humility. The search for truth in Bomoor's eyes was as easy as spotting unblemished nuggets of gold floating atop a cauldron of crude oil. She took a few careful steps closer to him, but still a good six feet away from him to maintain suitable social distancing between frienemies.

"Do you remember what I said to you on Yavin?" Amare asked softly after a short, though perilously awkward pause between them. "Those words I whispered to you when we embraced? I meant every syllable; still do. No matter what you think of yourself now, my eyes look upon a noble Jedi, but more than that, I think. There is a tapestry of goodness written all over you, and yet, you seem to wear it like it was stolen and doesn't belong to you. You have no idea how sad for you that makes me, and how much worse it feels knowing I'll never know what it's like to have been a hero like you, a Knight with a shining sword of light who bravely protects the people. I never wanted to be the villain, but here I am."

She took another step closer to him and added with a shake of her head, "Bomoor Thort...the dark side doesn't deserve you, and I don't deserve your apology. You were verbally attacked by a Sith, and you defended yourself in kind as a Jedi should. We are what we are because fate made it so, but...I think we can learn to transcend fate. We can write our own destinies. If not each other, then we'll always have the Force. We'll always be a part of that...right?" She tried to muster a short smile for him, that part of Coda buried deep inside that wanted so much to hug the Ithorian again. She would never forget that embrace they shared on the legendary Yavin moon; one of the simplest, and yet happiest moments of her life, even if Bomoor himself didn't know it. For Amare, that embrace was akin to a farewell gesture, a futile showing of humiliating affection in an attempt to pretend nothing had changed. Killing those Rift Jedi had been a baptism of blood, and the initiation of a cowardly and manipulative Sith seeking revenge, but gradually realising she wanted more...and more.

"Right," Bomoor agreed, choosing to sample the positive in what Amare had said to him, "But don't think of me as a Jedi any more. For now, I am just Bomoor and I am still finding my own place in all this, along with helping Mentis find his place too."

A flash of remembrance shot through his eyes and he rustled around in the pocket of the long, nondescript grey jacket he had purchased for wearing in places where their presence was not to be advertised, "Here," he hummed, producing a small metallic component constructed of two metal disks separated by a short distance of tightly coiled wire, "I found an old emitter matrix a while back. That should be one less component to find out there."

He tossed the rare component casually towards the woman, who caught it aptly.

The Nautolan who had called Bomoor a 'self-serving coward' only a few days earlier was now the recipient of what she realized was truly a most valuable gift for a Force user, and a tremendous gesture of good will. Recalling the sample lightsaber schematics her mother, Zenarrah, left behind, Amare recognized how critical a good emitter matrix was. The quality of it which Bomoor gifted her closely matched what Thane's original lightsaber had. She gazed up from the part resting in her palm and mustered a genuine, though not wide smile for the gracious Ithorian.

"Thank you, master," she said with a bow of her head. Their relationship had indeed grown quite complex, more than she wished it had been, but her use of the title was her attempt at showing Bomoor the respect he deserved. She knew that if there was a selfish coward between the two of them, it was most definitely her.

Bomoor nodded before ushering her back towards Rex, Reave and Mentis, who were preparing to head out, before making his own way towards Thane.

He shared a look with Thane that spoke a wordless apology and a hope that he had made a suitable effort to rectify his lapse in character.

"So, Theon," the Ithorian spoke the name that spoke of their shared past that seemed so distant now, it was like a different life, "Ready to see what he has to say?"

"As you said; for him to have done this, it must be imperative to him to have risked it being us," Thane said, his tone still not yet as cordial as it was normally with Bomoor. He gave one last parting look to Amare before turning back towards the main parade that led up through the centre of Alba's ornate capital city. "Still," he went on, now admiring the carefully-crafted water pools that seemed to line much of the parade, "it is nice to be somewhere civilised and to not feel such need to conceal our identities."

"We live in dangerous times but it won't be for ever, Thane," Bomoor said as the two paced over to the edge of the canal so they could hear the gentle bumping of boats moored against the side, "Not everywhere falls within the reach of the Jedi or the Republic and we have seen, you and I, how their power fades, particularly the further from the core you go.”

A greyish-brown gull-like bird cawed as it swooped down to capture something invisible on the water’s surface and the pair watched as it flew away with its catch towards one of several waterfalls that swept over the endlessly-wide cliffs.

With growing warmth in his tone, Bomoor continued, “This place is a reminder of something that people have always shielded from us, despite it being the most obvious thing in the galaxy: there is life without the Republic.”

Then adding, “And isn’t it quite grand?”

TBC

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