Private After the Storm

[Anashla Deshal]

The shuttle descended in silence, its hull reflecting the blues and greens of Naboo like nothing terrible had ever touched it. She had seen this sky burn during the cataclysm, when the alarm had first sounded, there had only been a token defensive force above Naboo patrol elements, light cruisers, system craft. Enough to deter pirates. Not enough to repel invasion. She had been elsewhere answering distress calls across scattered sectors when her fleet was ambushed. Multiple engagements. multiple vectors. coordinated and brutal. By the time she realized the pattern, she was already bleeding ships. By the time the transmission from Naboo reached her the alarm, the confirmation that something was descending upon the planet she was returning with a broken fleet.

The memory sharpened in her mind as the shuttle pierced atmosphere. Naboo's orbit had been chaos when she entered it, A pitched engagement already underway as the token defense had collapsed. She had ordered no ceremony. No reformation she had driven what remained of her ships directly into the fight. There had been no elegant maneuvering. No textbook formations. Just commitment. Her damaged cruisers taking fire they were never meant to absorb. Fighters launched despite depleted hangars. Flak patterns overlapping in desperation.

The battle had been costly.

Costly in ships.

Costly in lives.

Costly in pride.

But it had not been surrendered. The shuttle settled onto the landing platform at Theed with a soft mechanical exhale. As the ramp lowered, Anashla stepped onto Naboo's surface once more. White and muted gold garments framed her athletic silhouette, precise and restrained. Her dark brown hair moved lightly in the breeze, blue-green eyes lifting instinctively toward the sky she had once defended with a fractured armada.

Her psionic presence extended outward not searching for threat, only measuring the quiet. The sky felt stable. She could still remember the weight of that engagement. The pressure in the mental spectrum as pilots died. As captains made last transmissions. As fear rippled through civilian channels when debris began to fall like artificial meteor showers.

She had returned to Naboo then with a fleet already wounded.

Now she returned with no fleet at all.

Only herself.

​

 

[Dominique Vexx]

Dominique looked up from the report on her desk to the aide that had entered. Her golden eyes were particularly bright when viewed over the tops of her glareshades that diffused their glow. Word had arrived of a particular shuttle on approach. Someone with intent.

"I want security to keep the platform clear. Have the diffusers activated." With that her eyes fell back to the report before her. The acknowledgement was dimly heard. When one had an entire Republic to govern there was scarcely time for needlessly drawing out a conversation. As for the diffusers... well, Dominique didn't need a repeat of history. Not that it would do anything to stop being shot at point blank range, but there was only so much you could do in this world.

The diffusers were a form of shielding, but it appear as a solid shield as so often was the case in atmosphere. It was, as its name implied, a diffuse field of energy. It was meant to blunt or refract a projectile's impact or trajectory. An invisible protective mechanism for visitors to Naboo -- a peaceful world that had been plagued with far too many assassination attempts.

At the appointed time, Dominique stood from her desk and began to make her way to the platform. She had the path perfectly timed. Part of making an entrance was knowing where to be and when. Given the speed, location, and destination of the shuttle it hadn't been difficult to determine when she needed to begin moving to meet them. Were that any unwanted guests aware of her meticulous time keeping efforts to know when she was deliberately stringing them along.

Dressed in her white uniform that she'd taken to wearing as Chancellor in the face of a militarized galaxy, Dominique strode out from the seat of the High Republic toward the pad where the shuttle had touched down. Time to meet their latest... well, time would tell.

Anashla Deshal​

 

[Anashla Deshal]

The platform remained immaculate in its stillness, the faint shimmer of the diffusers barely perceptible against the Naboo light. Anashla had already stepped clear of the shuttle when Dominique emerged into view. She recognized her immediately. One of the Viceroyalty, presence had always carried a particular composure refined without fragility, luminous without ostentation. Even at a distance, Dominique's stride possessed that same calibrated control Anashla remembered from prior diplomatic assemblies before the galaxy fractured into war.

Anashla inclined her head in acknowledgment as Dominique approached.

"Forgive me, I recognize you as one of the Viceroyalty but your name escapes me. I did not have need to talk to the Viceroyalty back then.. Anashla Deshal, former High Marshal of Seswenna sector armada, formerly of the Confederacy of Independent Systems.."

Her blue-green eyes studied the white uniform briefly, registering the subtle shift in presentation. Militarized lines. A different cut. The galaxy had clearly continued evolving while she had been absent in the Shiraya Expanse but she did not immediately remark upon it.

Her psionic awareness brushed gently at the perimeter of the diffusers not probing, not testing merely observing the way the field refracted ambient energy. Thoughtful security. Necessary.

"It seems Naboo has earned its peace. And learned from history."

Only then did she return her full attention to Dominique, posture relaxed but unmistakably sovereign in its poise.

"I have been in the Shiraya Expanse for some time," she added, candid but not apologetic. "News travels slowly where I have been."


TAG: Dominique Vexx
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[Dominique Vexx]

Dominique stopped a short distance from Naboo's latest guest. Head high, shoulders squared, the Chancellor was anything but unaccustomed to presentation. Her golden eyes peered across at the military officer from behind her lilac glareshades.

"I am High Chancellor Dominique Vexx of the High Republic. Though you probably better knew me as royalty of Denon." The Confederacy? Their reach had been vast, but Denon hadn't truly been in their sphere of influence. Druckenwell and Geonosis had been more remarkable economic members back then. Not that Denon was ever anything but an industrial giant, of course. Just different and fluid borders back in those times. "You are welcome here, Miss Deshal."

A soft, quiet laugh followed Anashla's remarks of peace. "Naboo has been a veritable garden of peace and beauty for nearly as long as Denon has been of industry and progress. But it is not as insulated from galactic troubles as we all might wish." It would take some time to explain. Even recent events spoke of misquiet and alarm for a world their guest mistook for having 'earned' peace. Though it certainly had paid its price were certain parties of sound mind enough to leave things be.

"I would care to say much has changed while you have been away. As they say, however, the more they change..." Dominique turned slightly to gesture back the way she'd come. "Would you care to join me? There is a terrace we could occupy outdoors, given time to speak of the past and the future alike. I am taken with interest where your steps will carry you between the stars."

A former High Marshal of a sector armada from the Confederacy would be quite the addition to the High Republic navy. If she were inclined. With the woman coming here of all places, Dominique had to imagine the thought had crossed Anashla Deshal 's mind as well.

 

[Anashla Deshal]

Anashla received the correction of title without visible surprise, though her eyes sharpened slightly with recalibration.

"High Chancellor" she replied with smooth precision, inclining her head in renewed acknowledgment. "Then I stand corrected, and I offer my congratulations. "

There was no discomfort in admitting her outdated knowledge. The Shiraya Expanse had a way of distorting proximity to galactic politics.

At Dominique's quiet laugh and observation about change, Anashla allowed the faintest trace of agreement to surface in her expression.

"Peace has always been most beautiful when it is defended," she said. "Naboo has never lacked beauty. It has lacked only distance from the ambitions of others."

Her gaze lifted briefly toward the open sky, serene and unmarred.

When Dominique gestured toward the terrace, Anashla turned with her, falling naturally into step beside rather than behind. The movement was unforced, respectful but not deferential. Sovereignty recognized sovereignty.

"Open air suits me" she said. "Too many days on ships, it's nice to enjoy the fresh air."

As they walked, her psionic awareness extended lightly across the surrounding space, careful not to intrude upon the Chancellor's protective field. Naboo felt vibrant, layered, alive in a way that stirred something both familiar and distant within her.

"I have been beyond the usual corridors of power" she explained, answering the unspoken question of her absence. "The Shiraya Expanse required attention. Phenomena that do not behave predictably have a tendency to become threats if ignored."

Planeshift lingered behind the words, unspoken but present.

"Tell me Chancellor, the Vicelord for the longest time had all records about me sealed. I suspect those are likely in your possession now. Assuming if he left them at all. In either case, I am happy to tell you anything you wish to know."

TAG: Dominique Vexx
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[Dominique Vexx]

Dominique smiled with the golds of her eyes just barely visible over the tops of her glareshades. Naboo certainly never lacked for ambitious people to trouble its shores. In truth, however, avoidance was never going to work. No, she had an altogether different strategy in mind to ensure the garden world's longevity in spite of its nobles best efforts.

As they turned to stride back along the walkway, the Chancellor made no meaningful look at the woman's position at her side. This wasn't a hostile negotiation where the parties were trying to establish the hierarchy to vie for control. If it turned out Deshal had other plans, Dominique would adapt. This was, after all, the Chancellor's home advantage.

"Truly. Director Ayumi Pallopides thinks as you do. Even now she's tirelessly working on bringing fresher air to some of the deepest reaches of Denon." If Deshal knew anything of the industrious world she knew the lower you went the less social standing and comforts one had -- including clean air and pure water. Not all change was a viscous cycle that ended where it began.

After a moment her guest spoke of her venture into the unknown. Dominique calmly turned to regard her for a moment. "All too true. Prudent of you to investigate. In fact, just recently the High Republic sent out an expedition to chart the countless changes that have occurred. There are high hopes they will find new resources, hyperlane candidates, and perhaps even lost or new worlds with people to establish relations."

Their progress would carry them up a flight of stairs to a balcony that overlooked the scenery beyond the city limits. A table sat in wait for them. For her part, Dominique glanced at Anashla before she pulled out the chair for the other woman with a smile. Few got lavish treatment, but Dominique felt this was the manner to be the gracious host under the circumstances. An officer like Deshal didn't look the type to be impressed by expensive wine.

After Dominique took her own seat, she looked across at the other woman. "The Vicelord. As I heard it, there was a great deal of chaos in the end caused by some manner of Force artifact. The Kingdom of Naboo, later the Royal Naboo Republic that formed in its wake under Queen Kalantha no doubt obtained many records from its time as the capital of the Confederacy." There was a pause as she smiled and gazed into Anashla's eyes. "What records say pale in comparison to the reality of the world around us. I rather hear it from you. Most notably, how you and those that ventured with you are doing, and where you envision where you are headed."

There was perhaps much of history the woman was unaware. Dominique didn't want to overload her with details. Many of them weren't particularly germane to the conversation anyway. The current geopolitical landscape and technological achievements would probably be of greater use to Deshal to know. In time. As for her past... Dominique would see if there was anything that Anashla felt warranted discussion.

Anashla Deshal​

 

[Anashla Deshal]

It wasn't a terribly long walk from the landing pad with the Chancellor to the balcony, but there was no hurry in her steps. Instead she listened as Dominique spoke, paying careful detail to what she said.

"I was rather detached from a lot of politics of the Confederacy, so while I know little about the troubles of places like Denon. I can sympathize as that was one of the concerns on my home world was over-industrialization."

When Dominique pulled out the chair for her she gave a simple nod and slid into it comfortably, her posture was not the disciplined posture of an officer but the posture of a somebody who carried authority well above her age.

She listened intently as she spoke of hyperlanes and missing worlds, the crux of what brought her back coreward. "You touch on what brings me here even without knowing. In order to get to that however. Let us begin with the unknown."

"First off I was born on a world largely removed from the galaxy. One might at one point had called that world primitive in comparison and largely that would be accurate. Thaloran, is a verdant world largely untouched by industry. It was located in the Shiraya Expanse, that was home."

She looked away from Dominique for a moment, the distant look and the way she said was told more of the story than she could ever convey. her eyes wandered to the distant skyline. "House Deshal, my house has ruled Thaloran for generations. Following the fall of the Confederacy I returned home to take the throne. Much of the old guard of the Confederacy found safe harbor in a neighboring system. I speak of my home in past tense, because of the planeshift. I was offworld when it happened, and when I returned home the coordinates were correct. But no planet." she turned her eyes back to Dominique finally.

"On my own, my resources are limited. I have come seeking allies to find my home."


TAG: Dominique Vexx
​

[/div]

 

[Dominique Vexx]

Dominique smiled with her hands loosely clasped atop the table.

Did Anashla speak of the Ascendancy? Admittedly, she didn't know as much of when various elements of the Confederacy relocated from Naboo. It had been far enough away, well outside the needs for a Senator, that paying close attention hadn't been necessary. More importantly, they were within reach of this... Princess? Queen? ruler's world. One in exile by circumstance, as it turned out.

A slight nod followed the conclusion of her tale with her attention turned back to the Chancellor. "Some were misplaced. Others lost. The Republic weathered the turbulent fallout the best any could, but that hardly helps those left behind." Denon had been fortunate enough to escape the brunt of it. Partners had been lost. Trade disrupted. Certainly not an unfelt shift in the galaxy, but none of the hyperlanes had completely collapsed nor Denon's position relocated.

"I can make no guarantee," Dominique confessed, "but the High Republic does seek to chart the shape of things once more. And not just in our part of the galaxy."

She regarded Anashla for a moment. The way she sat comfortably, yet with a certain poise. "Our fleet is in need of experienced commanders. Of late, we have greatly bolstered the number of ships and personnel to crew them, but experience only comes in time." There were, in truth, things money could not always buy on demand. "And our borders are extensive with any number of factions that seek to intrude upon them. Were a capable woman such as yourself to join us, you would personally have opportunity to oversee surveys of regions in addition to those conducted elsewhere."

The Chancellor could promise to survey the galaxy for Thaloran, but would Anashla be content to be stationed on some planet in wait? Could she just a government she'd just been reintroduced to? Of course, Dominique could assign the woman to areas unlikely to have her planet in them, but to what end? It seemed an equitable deal. Anashla provided her command skill in return for -- between pressing assignments -- having the opportunity to join in the search personally.

Anashla Deshal​

 

[Anashla Deshal]

Anashla listened without interruption, her posture composed, hands resting lightly against the edge of the terrace table as Naboo’s breeze moved through the open space around them. The lake country beyond shimmered under the afternoon light, serene in a way that made the galaxy’s fractures feel almost distant.

“The displaced rarely find comfort in statistics” she said quietly at Dominique’s acknowledgment of those left behind.

When the Chancellor spoke of charting the shape of things once more, Anashla’s gaze sharpened slightly. Exploration was not a luxury now. It was necessity. Planeshift had proven that the map of the galaxy was not fixed.

“The Republic seeks to look outward again” she observed. “That is a sound instinct.”

At the mention of the fleet’s expansion, she did not smile, but something in her bearing settled into familiarity. Ships. Personnel. Borders under pressure. These were languages she spoke fluently. “You have hulls” she said evenly. “You are building crews. What you lack is institutional memory forged under real threat. That cannot be accelerated through funding.”

Her blue-green eyes met Dominique’s golden ones without hesitation. She considered the offer in silence for several breaths, not as one tempted, but as one calculating alignment.

“I would not accept a ceremonial post” she said at last. “If I lend my command to the Republic, it will be in full capacity.” She paused, then clarified with measured candor. “My world is missing. Until it is found, I remain… unmoored.” Her gaze drifted briefly across the Naboo skyline before returning.

“I will lend my ability to the Republic until such time as Thaloran is located or its fate is conclusively determined. During that period, my loyalty will be to the Republic’s stability and defense.”

“In return” she continued, “I will require access to navigational intelligence, deep-range survey data, and cooperation from your exploratory branches when opportunities intersect with anomalous regions.”

There was no demand in the request. Only balance. “I will not abandon my search. But I will not allow that search to weaken my service.” A faint shift of her shoulders eased some invisible weight.

“If the Republic is prepared to accept a commander who serves with both purpose and personal stake, then I will accept your proposal, Chancellor. I do not know how long my world will remain lost. But until it is found, my strength is yours to direct.”

TAG: Dominique Vexx
​

 

[Dominique Vexx]

The Chancellor smiled with a slight nod and tilt of her head with Anashla's assessment. "As you said." Even Clones received training. Some of it genetic memory, true, but largely simulation and field exercise. Were people droids perhaps it would be easier, but Dominique was not one to humor such thoughts. Cybernetics were a joy, which Denon manufactured in volume, but they were an... accentuation and enhancement, not a replacement. Human Replacement Droids (HRDs) and Biots were a nebulous field in that regard, but Dominique still lacked a desire to replace Humans with them. Too prone to... tampering.

Anashla then laid out her terms.

"In return, and in addition to the obvious, I only ask that you provide me forewarning should you find your world and decide to leave the service of the Republic. Not to dissuade you from leaving. Only to ensure the smooth transition of command." Dominique trusted Anashla would understand the need for stability in leadership. If she were merely a starfighter pilot less disruption would result, but if she commanded capital ships -- and a fleet of them -- a sudden departure would throw them into chaos.

Well, and perhaps if the circumstances were right Dominique might strive to maintain some connection to Anashla even if she departed. She was the High Chancellor, after all. It would be a dereliction of duty not to consider evaluating whether Thaloran might be suited to becoming part of the Republic. Or to hold open Anashla's position should fortunes not turn out as... hopeful as they might seem from afar.

"As someone that cherishes their homeworld, I understand your commitment to finding your own. You will have our support in this." Within their capability to do so. Data was easily shared. Resources would have to be weighed against other priorities, but Dominique would do what she could.

Not to turn the conversation away, but of an immediate concern, Dominique asked, "While a commission is assigned, could I offer you a place to stay here on Naboo?" Perhaps Anashla had somewhere already in mind, but in case she did not... something steadier than a single, rented room would provide firm ground for the woman to stand on. Until her feet left its soil for the stars.

Anashla Deshal​

 

[Anashla Deshal]

Anashla listened without interruption, the calm steadiness of her posture betraying little beyond careful attention. The Chancellor's request was reasonable, almost expected, and she inclined her head in quiet agreement before Dominique had fully finished speaking.

"You will have that courtesy," Anashla replied. "If the day comes that Thaloran is found and I must depart, you will not hear it secondhand or in the wake of my absence. Command deserves continuity, and the officers beneath it deserve time to adjust to that change."

Her tone carried neither reluctance nor eagerness. It was simply the acknowledgement of a professional understanding between leaders who both valued stability. When Dominique spoke of supporting the search for her world, something softened slightly in Anashla's expression, though it remained restrained.

"That alone is more than I arrived expecting," she said. "I have spent long enough navigating the edges of the galaxy to know that assistance offered without conditions is rare."

She did not elaborate further. Gratitude, for her, was not something performed loudly. The offer of lodging, however, gave her pause. For the first time since stepping from the shuttle, there was the faintest trace of candid reality in her voice.

"I would accept that, Chancellor."

She folded her hands lightly before her on the terrace table as she continued.

"I arrived with little more than the shuttle that carried me here, and that vessel was chartered rather than owned. Whatever titles I once held have little practical weight without a world behind them."

There was no shame in the admission, only matter-of-fact clarity. Her gaze drifted briefly across the lake country stretching beyond the terrace. The quiet beauty of Naboo seemed almost surreal compared to the fractured map of the galaxy she had left behind.

Her eyes returned to Dominique, steady once more.

"If the High Republic is willing to extend both trust and shelter, then I will repay that faith with service worthy of it."

A faint breath of wind moved through the terrace, stirring the dark strands of her hair as she spoke her final words with calm certainty.

"For now, Naboo will serve as my ground beneath the stars. And until Thaloran is found, my strength will belong to the Republic."

TAG: Dominique Vexx

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[Dominique Vexx]

A soft chuckle rose from the Chancellor behind closed lips. Well, there was a condition, but it wasn't one the woman was opposed toward. Would Dominique have supported her with nearly so many resources had Anashla merely been a passive participant? That was a question for another life. For people forced to grapple with the matter in the heat of the moment rather than in hindsight as a curiosity.

There was, of course, a risk that in finding Thaloran they might find little of value. That all the expenditure and time would be for naughty -- assuming they found the world at all. It was a risk. One both of them were willing to take. They couldn't avoid the possibilities, but that didn't mean they made the choice challenging. Dominique did hope for the best in this case.

Anashla was surprisingly pragmatic in her approach to things. Humble even. She spoke of her titles not carrying weight without a world behind them, which was as fair a statement would could make. Most other people could have choked on their own tongue rather than admit it. A few of them lived on Naboo.

Dominique had decided she liked Anashla. Smart, capable, dependable -- admittedly a trait to be verified soon enough -- and not prone to overly bombastic behavior or outlandish statements. A level headed, even tempered woman. Were that more governments in possession of such qualities they would get so much more work completed.

"I'll admit my schedule is not always mine to keep, but should you ever have need of anything -- or simply wish to talk -- you know where to find me. I would welcome any thoughts you have concerning the fleet as well. Considerable funds have been spent commissioning vessels and arranging for training. I, myself, am no Admiral, however; I rely on the feedback of people like yourself to give me an honest appraisal."

A smile broke her thoughts before she added, "We could, as your tour allows, even explore some worlds of the Republic together. It helps to know what one is fighting for." Especially in Anashla's case where she had been removed from matters for some time. It was one thing to feel duty bound, another to feel appreciative of assistance, but quite another to grow to care for the worlds under your charge as more than names on a datapad.

Anashla Deshal​