Private A matter of time

[Silas Westgard]

Location: Azbrian
Objective: Catch up on emails
Tag: Colette
​

Under the shadow of dark clouds and steady rainfall, the front door of the Westgard homestead slammed shut. Silas had just come in from the barn, where he'd been taking his time repairing an old shovel on the workbench. Its handle had broken after years of hard graft, yet the resilient metal head remained as dependable as ever. There was something poetic about that, he thought, that what was strong enough to endure could always be rebuilt, restored, and returned to purpose.

If not for the weather, he might have finished the job before dusk. Instead, the tool would have to wait another day for its revival.

He dragged a hand through his rain-damp hair, shaking loose the lingering droplets, then hung his jacket on the hook by the door. The house felt cooler than usual. Moving into the living room, he knelt before the wood burner and reached for the first log.

A sharp ping cut through the quiet.

The sound came from his datapad resting on the table. He hadn't received a notification in over a month. Not because he was hiding, though many might assume so, but because he had withdrawn from most things after the fall of the Alliance. The young knight simply hadn't been active. Slowly, he rose and retrieved the device before settling onto the couch. With a flick of his thumb, he opened the message. His brow lifted almost immediately.

The sender read: quartermaster@order.

The High Republic had requested his presence, in person. No explanation. No details. Only that the matter was important. Urgent. The tone was firm, bordering on severe. His gaze drifted to the signature at the bottom...

Collete.

A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Quartermaster of the High Republic?" he murmured to himself. "Well done, Collete."

They had last parted on bitter terms, during the darkest stretch of his life, when grief and vengeance had driven him to hunt down the pirates responsible for his family's murder. He had not been the man he was proud of then. But time, relentless as it was, had dulled the sharpest edges of that pain. If there was ever a moment to mend what had broken between them, perhaps this was it.

Even if he still harbored doubts about the High Republic.

After a long breath, and only slight hesitation, Silas typed his reply. He would meet her. On her terms.

 

[Colette]

Silas Westgard

Being a quartermaster seemed to be a game of contacts. Colette's success so far was almost entirely based on the fact that she knew who to call to get certain things for the Order. Farmers with good relations, elites whose riches could be pressured without coercion, and others who joined simply because the cause was good. These individuals were far and few between, but that just made Colette's network all the more important.

One such individual had come to mind again recently. Silas and her hadn't exactly started off on great terms and they hadn't really improved since then either simply because there had been no way for them to meet.

Still, part of her had been surprised that he'd agree to visit. She doubted it was because he actually wanted to. Silas and her were both stubborn. It didn't help that authority had made Colette see the value of her own input.

She straightened the hems of her jumpsuit and fidgeted with its collars as the man's ship landed. Her boots clicked and clacked at a steady rhythm as she approached it. A hand was extended, courteous but still at least a little defensive for now.

"Silas," she said and gave him a nod. "It's good to see you."

 

[Silas Westgard]

Location: High Republic terrority
Objective: Meet with Colette
Tag: Colette
​

Once he broke into the atmosphere, Silas felt a familiar unease creep in. Their falling-out might have been behind them, but the scars it left hadn't simply vanished. Colette had always been stubborn, everyone knew that. Then again, so was he when it came to something he believed was right.

The difference this time was that Silas had been wrong. If anyone owed an apology for that whole mess, it was him.

As the launchpad came into view, the X-wing slowed to a hover before settling gently onto the durasteel surface. Silas glanced toward the approaching figure as he popped open the cockpit. He jumped down with practiced ease, brushing a hand over his jacket to straighten it.

When he finally looked up, his gaze met Colette's. She stood a few steps away, one hand already extended toward him. For a moment, Silas didn't move. Then a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He stepped forward and took her hand in a firm shake.

"Colette… it's been a while."

He released her hand, the tension between them still lingering in the air.

"How have you been?" he added, studying her for a moment. "From the looks of it, you're doing pretty well for yourself."

 

[Colette]

"Colette, it's been a while. How are you doing? From the looks of it you're doing pretty well for yourself."

She gave the man a nod. Her current situation was a step she hadn't expected to take, but it felt like the right one. Her eyes met his as he was studying her. Silas seemed calmer. Colette wasn't the only one who had grown since they'd last met.

The crisp air of the mountain could be felt on the landing pad. It was best if they moved indoors.

"It's hard work, but nothing I can't manage." She motioned with her arm for Silas to follow her towards the temple. "They operate a bit differently here than in the New Jedi Order, but that's expected."

"This order is a lot more separated from the government, for one." Colette raised her brows. "Although some still talk about some kind of 'Shiraya' thing that I struggle to understand. There's a lot of overlap between 'The Jedi Order' and the 'Order of Shiraya' here, so it makes sense."

"But that can wait," she said and turned her head to look at Silas again. "You look like you've been doing well too."