Private A Lonely Mountain

[Iandre Athlea]

For the past year or so, since Iandre had been woken up, her life had changed dramatically from where she had been. A former Jedi from the Clone Wars era was brought forward to the present. Luckily, she had some great people supporting her. Two of them were at her side as they were travelling through hyperspace.

Getting the two of them away from Bastion for any length of time was a miracle, and Iandre wasn't about to waste this opportunity. She and Rellik had been planning a vacation, and this year it was the Festival of the Ancestors on Pasaana. Figuring this was going to be a good time to get her Master to relax, she'd invited him along as well.

Glancing between the two of them, she was pretty happy with where the Force had taken her.

"Have you been to one of these before, Laphisto?"

He was the only one who could have. Both Iandre and Rellik were too young or hadn't been aware of it before this year. Looking out the viewport as they returned to regular space, the dusty world lay in front of them. Turning her attention to Laphisto, she waited for his answer with a relaxed smile.

In a way, she was an entirely different person than she had been nine centuries ago. Parts of that woman remained. Mostly the warrior and leader. The rest she had discarded or altered. With the help of her friends. Feeling there was nothing that could that could go wrong, she placed her hands behind her back as they waited for landing clearance.

Connel Vanagor Diarch Rellik Laphisto

 

[Connel Vanagor]

I SMELL BAD BREATH
PASAANA
FESTIVAL

Michael, Gabriel, Azrael, Sariel, Raphael, Jeremiel, Connel, Raguel
[Any text in brackets signifies comm-link usage and not face to face conversation]

Pasaana

The Festival of the Ancestors…

Why were they here?

Simple. They needed to find a contact that could help get information, and “supplies” in and out of the Core. It was so strange to be doing this, but this was life now. The entire team was in the area, all well covered, all well camouflaged. It was a waiting game.

This scumbag did not travel alone, or unarmed.

He didn’t know they were here, thus the covert nature.

Just a lot of friggin waiting.

That is when he could sense something in the Force, and slowly faded out his own aura, working to mask his presence from them. One… he did not know but there was “similarity” to how Mother and Father’s auras are (or were in Father’s case), the other one he didn’t know was old and that was meant to be respectful.

The third? He recognized it… “Stank breath”... heh… couldn’t remember his name. They last saw each other on Odessen. The friend Connel thought he had was this dude’s employee.

Things were about to get fun.

[Force Sensitive Tangos approaching. Do not engage.]

[I have eyes on… Facial Recognition match one of them…]

[I blow up.]

[Cut the chatter…]

Iandre Athlea • Diarch Rellik • Laphisto​

 

[Diarch Rellik]

"I can't believe we actually got him off Aurora station to look at something besides Ship designs."

Rellik leaned against the bulkhead near the viewport. His face already had a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. He was leaning casually against the side of the viewport, arms crossed, watching as the golden dunes of Pasaana grew larger with every second. Standing up he walked closer and gave Laphisto a pat on the back.

"Another time we leave Bastion for five minutes, and suddenly there's singing, fire dancing, and something called ancestral smoke and liquor."

The starship shuddered slightly as it adjusted course, angling toward the landing fields. Below, swirls of colored smoke and bright fabric banners marked the edges of the celebration. Even from altitude, the festival pulsed with movement dancers in the sand, vehicles in long processions, and music faintly echoing through the ship's hull.

Rellik's eyes followed it all, but his voice stayed close. "Yet that was no vacation. It was a diplomatic one. This will be good. I am very excited." He glanced sidelong at Iandre, his grin turning genuine. "And I could not ask for better company."

Iandre Athlea Laphisto Connel Vanagor

 

[Laphisto]

Laphisto stood at the viewport with his arms folded, watching the blue-white stream of hyperspace collapse back into stars. He'd tried to leave Aurora Station behindreports half-finished, ship designs still sketching themselves in his headbut they clung like static. Iandre's question drew his gaze for a heartbeat before he looked out again at the sand-colored world swelling in the glass.

"No," he said. "During my Jedi years I stayed around the Tion Cluster. Never made it this far. After that, I was turned into a weapon, and there was always another mission. Festivals weren't on the docket i wasnt exactly allowed to do anything else." He let the words settle, quieter than they sounded. "So this will be a first."

Rellik's pat landed between shoulder and pauldron. Laphisto cut him a sidelong look, then nodded toward the drifting plumes of color below. "I can already see the ancestral smoke from here. Keep that poison to yourself, old friend." A quick, dry grin. He tipped his chin toward Iandre. "Make sure your boyfriend behaves. No chasing visions into the dunes this time."


Iandre Athlea Diarch Rellik Connel Vanagor

 

[Xian Xiao]

Xian had not done as much travelling in her life as she would have liked. Then again, maybe she wanted to be in a place that was familiar to her. Having gone from Castell to Coruscant, then Kashyyyk, only to find her way back to Castell...it was there that her master found her. He had invited her to Bastion, and who was she to refuse? Only somebody without brain cells would have done that, and Xian didn't think she was stupid.

However, getting trapped on a small spaceship with Laphisto had driven the teen into hiding. It didn't matter to her that he hadn't ever done anything wrong or bad to her. She was scared of him, and it would take a long while for her to get over that fear.

When she felt the ship return to regular space, she felt comfortable enough to come out of her cabin. Maybe she should give him the chance to redeem himself in her mind, but she wasn't ready. Iandre had plotted this and invited her along. If she had known Laphisto was going to be along as well, she might have avoided coming. With her master present, she was sure everything would be fine.

Gulping a little, she breathed in and out before joining the three of them. She still wasn't entirely sure what to make of Iandre, but wasn't going to be as judgmental as she was of the woman's master.

Iandre Athlea Diarch Rellik Laphisto

 

[Iandre Athlea]

"You and me both."

Turning her head to look at Rellik as he spoke. This was a story she wanted to know about, but she didn't press the issue right now. She would ask another time.

Looking out of the viewport, the smoke was rising and bringing some dust with it. It was clear where the celebration was. Grinning at Rellik when she noticed his smile, she didn't bother to try or snuff her happiness. She was among people she trusted entirely.

"I am too. Sounds like it'll be a first for all of us."

The life Laphisto had led had been tough. Iandre needed to remember that.

"Do you think we can get him into something other than his armor? I've only seen him in clothes once. Otherwise...it's just...That."

Making a flapping motion at her master, her message would be clear. She also wasn't talking to Laphisto and appeared to be leaving him no choice in the matter. Again, looking between the two of them, she didn't ask what he meant, but would make sure to keep an eye on Rellik.

The motion of Xian approaching was noticed, and she moved enough to give her enough room to stand with them if she wanted to.

"How long do you think it'll be before we're on the ground?"

Diarch Rellik Laphisto Xian Xiao

 

[Diarch Rellik]

"Oh, I absolutely think we can," Rellik said, his tone full of conviction, as if this were some grand operation they were preparing to launch. "Something light. Breathable. Local. Nothing too scandalous… just enough to make a few ladies stop and take a second look." He gave his old friend a wink as he said the words. Last time, he'd tried to set the man up with a Ho'Din from Moltok. No luck.

The smirk lingered just a second longer, then faded as the door behind them slid open with a soft hiss.

He turned and brightened immediately. Xian. She'd made it out of her cabin.

"Oh! I am so glad you decided to join us"

Leaning forward with visible excitement, like a schoolboy trying not to bounce, he nearly loomed over her despite their similar height. His fists were half-curled to his chest in a cheer he didn't quite let loose.

"I wasn't sure you'd come out to join us, but I'm really happy you did."

His tone wasn't condescending. It wasn't coaxing. Just sincere, an open-armed kind of welcome that told her, plainly, she belonged here.

From the viewport, a streak of red smoke cut across the sky with festival color. Music hummed faintly through the hull now, louder than before. Below them, the world looked alive.

At Iandre's question, Rellik stepped toward the nearest panel and skimmed the readings.

"Five minutes," he said.

He gave the viewport a light rap with his knuckle and shifted his stance slightly as the desert rushed closer.

And then to Laphisto, with a grin: "I can't make any promises. But if I vanish, I give you permission to leave me behind and take my spot as Diarch" - With his last words he gave a hardy laugh. Not dismissive, just honest and reveling in the fun. Laphisto was his candidate for replacement if anything happened to him.

The dunes outside took clearer shape with every second. Banners fluttered. Caravans moved. Drums beat.

Rellik rolled his shoulders once, easy and content.

"I am quite looking forward to a bit of Rest and Relaxation."

Xian Xiao Iandre Athlea Laphisto