Private A Rising Sun

[Zinayn]

Zinayn's heart sank slightly as he heard the captain's response. He'd expected not to simply be handed the Padawan and allowed to leave, but the anticipation didn't make the reality any better. "Very well. Her wellbeing is indeed our first priority. If you'll excuse me then, I'll head into the pod and examine it," he said, excusing himself. The Chiss left Anura's side and squeezed into the pod. He could see Iandre Athlea being helped onto a stretcher, and Padawan Gem-in-Trash reassuring her. He nodded towards them both and moved out of the way.

Once they were out of the pod, Zinayn swept his gaze around it. Everything looked to be in pristine condition, despite the time it had spent underground. He chuckled to himself. The Republic back then must have boasted about the quality of their products. If only they could see the outcome now. After investigating the interior for a minute or two, he stepped out again, approaching Captain Anura.

"Captain, I didn't find much within the pod. I agree with you; it is best if you study it on the go. I wouldn't want to bring my people into this danger zone. Will you be taking her aboard your ship now to give her medical attention?"

 

[Gem-in-Trash]

Anchat nodded to Zinayn and gestured to the Medic, "We'll get her to the Gault Rennow soon. Our own excavators should be getting ready soon."

"The Jedi rules? Well they have a lot of them, that's for sure. I got yelled at by the Grandmaster recently for riding my Skimboard inside the temple at Coruscant. I expect that rule's been around as long as there have been Skimboards, so I expect some of them are the same," Gem said, hoping the joke would keep Iandre Athlea in high spirits. The Cathar girl was clearly excitable and happy to chatter on in detail, but clearly focused on keeping Iandre healthy and ready, "I know a lot of them have changed. Knights sometimes get married, have children. Padawans start at a later age, and Younglings are usually raised by their families. I'm actually a bit of a weird one because I grew up at the temple, but so did my mom? It's a weird situations. Actually, you'll get to meet us on the Gault, she came with us. She's an archaeologist, but she'll only ask you a million questions if you're okay with it."

"Let's get you on the stretcher," the Medic said, helping Iandre over onto a repulsor gurney. As the Medic brought the Padawan out of time to the rope, Gem looked to Anchat.

"Go with her, me and the Chiss will coordinate getting the pod up to the ship," he instructed, and Gem nodded. The gurney just needed to be attached to the rope, and slowly climbed its way to the surface. A third shuttle, manned by the medics, was waiting for them there, while a team with excavation equipment was getting set up to dig out the pod and its contents.

"Mum! This is Iandre. We found her in the pod," Gem chirped when another Cathar approached. She was taller, and a spitting image of her daughter. Where Gem's hair was let loose to grow in whatever curly direction it chose, her mother's was kept in dreadlocks, wrapped up in a ponytail. Gem's mother scratched her daughter's head, but kept her focus on Iandre.

"Hi Gem. Hello, Iandre. I'm Digs-the-Sands. Before we start digging out your pod, we're going to empty it out. Are there any personal effects in there you'd like us to retrieve, before we send you up to the ship? Do you have your Lightsaber on you?"

The archaeologists fulfilled Iandre's request for whatever was of interest in the pod - it was a redundant request anyway, since the archaeologists removed all loose items from the pod before opening up the crevasse. Once the pod had been emptied, the shuttle with the medics, Iandre, and Gem returned to the ship. Digs and her assistants took pictures of the crevasse before it was dug out to get an idea of the geology of the landing site. After covering the pod to protect it from debris, the crevasse was emptied of all people and equipment, before the excavators widened the entrance to the crevasse. The pod was dug out, the debris removed, and then finally the pod was attached to a winch and removed from the crevasse, brought to the shuttle that Anchat and Gem had initially arrived in, and a small team was left to further study the landing zone, as well as fencing it off and putting warning signs so that no locals would find the crevasse and fall in. The whole process took the rest of the night and most of the next day to fully study the landing site to Digs' satisfaction. Well before then, however, both Iandre and the pod had been taken to the Alliance corvette, where Zinayn had been permitted to join them, after Iandre had gotten the chance to get some rest.

Gem had not once left her side the entire time, even curling up on a neighboring bed in the medical bay to stay with her, answering whatever questions Iandre had when the Padawan had the energy to ask.

After Iandre had gotten the chance to rest and eat what she was able, only then did Anchat acquiesce to a full conversation. He was standing on the shoulder of his Droid from before, but not piloting it.

"I'm sure plenty of folk have said it to you by now, but welcome to the Gault Rennow. I'm sure you have many questions for us, Padawan. We're prepared to answer your questions, if you feel you're able enough to ask them," Anchat said, "Allow me to give you the real introduction you deserve. I am Captain Anchat Anura, of the Galactic Alliance Defense Force. You can think of the Galactic Alliance as the successor to the Galactic Republic. It's been a hectic few centuries since you've been gone. Gem-in-Trash here is from the New Jedi Order. It was created after the same events we believe you endured. The Galaxy is not exactly as you left it, but much in the same rhythm. Needless to say, we're ready to bring you back to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, where you'll receive all the medical attention you will require, and the Jedi Order will be happy to get you reintegrated.

"This Chiss here is Zinayn, he is from another organization that responded to your distress call at the same time. He deserves as much credit for your rescue as we do. I'll allow him to introduce himself further, and I believe he has his own offer."

 

[Iandre Athlea]

As she was being taken out of the pod and carried on the stretcher, she would try to reach out her hand to touch Zinayn lightly.

"Thank you for coming. I would like to meet more with you."

Even if her hand did not connect with him, Iandre hoped her message was clear. Lowering her hand as he stepped out of the way, she oddly felt a connection and honestly wanted to chat with him more. She knew the current incarnation of the Republic would like to take her. She might use these three to help her integrate back into society.

Turning her attention back to Gem when the young Padawan started answering her question, she did cock a smile for the first one.

"Maybe you can teach me how to skimboard. We could use the Force to ensure we fall on pillows of air and nothing gets hurt or broken. As for the rest, I'll have to learn how things have changed. It seems that quite a lot has."

Thankfully, getting moved didn't really cause Iandre any pain. Her muscles were very stiff, but as she moved more, they became easier to move. The IV probably helped the most, and she would need more of the solution soon. All Iandre needed to do right now was sit back, relax, and let her rescuers get her to the surface and aboard their ship. Closing her eyes felt like for only a minute, she was out of the pod and on the ground above it.

Stretching, she noticed the older Cather approaching and knew it could only be the mother of Gem. Giving her a nod when she introduced herself, Iandre was able to lift her arm to offer a handshake. Looking on in thought, she didn't think there was anything in the pod.

"Perhaps a cloak, but I don't recall having one. Yes, I have my lightsaber."

With a gentle nudge of her fingers, the plain hilt was revealed, clipped to her side. Once things were arranged, she silently looked at what she had been held in for over 900 years and wondered what would become of her in the future. Soon enough, she found herself on the Gault Rennow and was getting an official welcome and introduction from Anchat. She had quietly expressed her interest in chatting with Zinayn more before, but she did listen intently to what was first offered.

Gem-in-Trash Zinayn

 

[Zinayn]

Zinayn responded to Iandre Athlea 's touch with a nod and smile. "You would be most welcome. Needless to say, I am also interested in speaking more with you. For now though, focus on your recovery." He watched the medics take her out of the crevasse, silently wishing her a speedy recovery. Then his neutral expression returned to his face, and he began to help Captain Anura direct work on the pod.

He had never participated in archaeology before, so he wasn't much help. Besides, it wasn't like the Alliance excavators were overly excited to listen to some Chiss from the Diarchy. So he stood about for hours, pretending to make himself useful, when in reality his mind was counting down the time until he would make his pitch to the Padawan. When he first laid eyes on the woman and saw she was of the Jedi, he had lost hope for bringing her to the Diarchy. After all, the two Diarchs were aligned with the dark side. But her interest in him brought some optimism back. Maybe she would actually listen to his offer past the point in the conversation where he admitted the Diarchs' alignment.

Time passed slowly, but it passed indeed, and he found himself aboard the Gault Rennow. He had never been aboard an Alliance ship before, but there wasn't much special about it. It was a warship, and that was that. Captain Anura guided him to the medbay, an organized room with plenty of beds lined up side by side, with medical droids standing at the ready, and a faint smell of cleansing alcohol in the air. He spotted Gem-in-Trash on a bed next to Iandre and waved. After the captain introduced himself, Zinayn stepped forward.

"Hello, Padawan Athlea. I am Zinayn, and I come from a group known as the Diarchy. Specifically, the Lilaste Order. The Order is a Force-neutral group, allowing members to practice both the light and dark sides of the Force, if you so wish. We are headed by High Commander Laphisto , who has been around even longer than you. The Lilaste Order is sort of a subfaction to the Diarchy, which is led by Diarchs Reign and Rellik. I do not seek to deceive you or hide information from you, and I will tell you that these two individuals are aligned with the dark side of the Force. However, they are not chaos-causers and murderers like the Sith of the Sith Order. It's difficult to explain in words, but if you meet them I'm sure you'll see what I'm saying."

He took a breath before continuing his long 'sales pitch'. "The Diarchy has a group within it called the Brotherhood, which (I do not lie) I find to be a tad ... cultish. But the Brotherhood is where Force-sensitives go to be trained and integrated into the ranks of the military. The Lilaste Order has something similar, although it doesn't exactly have a name. It's basically the Brotherhood but without all the lessons about loyalty to the Diarchs."

Clearing his throat, he requested a glass of water from one of the droids standing at attention by the door. "As for why you should think about joining the Diarchy over the New Jedi Order...I'm not quite sure. It's really up to what you want to do with your life, I suppose. What is that?" he asked, his head tilted slightly.

The droid came back with a glass of water, and Zinayn downed it in one gulp, refreshing his parched throat. He'd never spoken so much in his life.

 

[Gem-in-Trash]

Gem remained curled up on the bed next to Iandre Athlea 's, letting Zinayn speak and have his peace. She appreciated his frankness as he described their situation and the Diarchy. She didn't know much about them, and she wasn't about to ring in with whatever rumors and half-truths she thought she knew. She was just going to have to trust Iandre to make the choice that was right for herself.

"Naturally, whatever you decide, we'll accommodate you, Iandre," said Captain Anura, "It may be small consolation, but the pod and everything in it is yours. Nothing can give you the time you've lost back, but where you go, it will, too. I'm sure the Jedi Order will welcome you back with open arms. It's the same amount of travel either way, although we still have work to do here on Chiron."

 

[Iandre Athlea]

Iandre lay and rested while Gem fussed with her slightly. Any belongings she had were brought up with her, and soon enough, she was in a medical bay. It was similar to the kind she had with the Republic, just extensively updated. To her eyes, at least. These people must be used to the new technology, and Iandre would have to familiarize herself with it all.

She turned her attention to both Anchat and Zinayn as they approached her bed. When they had first rescued her, she had anticipated returning to the Republic and the Jedi. Then the conversation she'd had with Gem started to change her mind. What she wanted and needed was a place where she could rest, recover, and learn about the current Galaxy. It wasn't anything the girl and Iandre appreciated the truths she was told.

Listening to what Zinayn said did interest her. The opportunity to meet another person from a different time period caught her attention. Lowering her eyes for a moment as he spoke of the leaders using the Dark Side was concerning. To her, it was like an addiction. The more a person used it, the more they wanted to. Shoving that stray thought to the side, she nodded in thanks when he finished.

"Do you also use the Dark Side?"

He asked what she wanted to do with her life, and she couldn't easily provide him with an answer. Instead, she asked her question and thought of an answer for him.

"When I was growing up, I was trained to be a peacekeeper. So if that is still an option now, I think that is what I want to do."

Was it cliche? Likely. It was all she could think of, though. Turning her head to look at Gem when she spoke, Iandre nodded again.

"I don't think I can face my brothers and sisters in the Order yet, Gem. Once I've recovered, I'll look you up and you can show me around. Deal? I am pretty interested in Zinayn and Laphisto and just how they make the Light and Dark work together."

Gem-in-Trash Zinayn