Private Albatross

[Miri Nimdok]

Inanna staggered, leaning against a nearby wall. If she’d still had the Star of Atrisia, this wound would’ve been nothing. But the powerful gem had been destroyed in the betrayal of an old friend, and its healing capabilities were now lost to her. She could still recover faster and with less damage than a human, but injuries were harder to shake off these days.

<Are you okay?>

Not wanting to worry him, but unwilling to deceive him either, the only response Alicio received from Inanna was a single word: <Hurry.>

The last remaining guard was bewildered at Captain Renault’s departure, but didn’t leave his post. Nor did he notice the intruder use the Force to get underneath the tent.

As luck would have it, Alicio landed almost at Giselle’s feet. Seated in a wooden chair, she stared down at him as he righted himself from his tactical roll. She did not look impressed either at his appearance or his voice in her head.

<I'm with the Alliance. Your presence is requested on Coruscant, and I'm here to escort you.>

“Why should I go with you?” she asked.

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

Inanna's response did worry him, despite her wishing for the opposite. He held onto the connection between their minds, hoping to sense if his friend falls unconscious, so he could go and help. He wanted to extract Giselle, wanted to strengthen Senator Laveaux's bill to the Senate... but not at the cost of Inanna's life.

His entrance to the tent went off without a hitch. He allowed himself a moment of thought- when he'd taken the role of senator from Queen Faith, all those years ago, he hadn't expected to become so proficient at sneaking around... but one played the hand they were dealt, and it turned out Alicio was pretty good at snooping about.

He didn't seem to impress Giselle with his stealth, but she didn't seem frightened either. He supposed that was good, even if he'd half-dreaded a cool reception such as this one. The Count didn't reveal his identity to her, not yet. His eyes were firmly placed on the entrance to the tent, his senses extended to the area around them.

If she didn't want to leave, than the operation could not succeed. A man would have died for nothing. They needed to move quickly... but Alicio had to understand the situation, first.

"Why should you stay?"

- Miri Nimdok -

 

[Miri Nimdok]

“You’re a stranger to me. I at least know what His Majesty’s intentions are. I don’t know what you really want, offworlder.” Giselle’s blue eyes studied Alicio. “Even if I take you at your word, and you bring me to Coruscant, what will become of me there? Am I to be used as a political pawn?”

Her eyebrows rose. “If I stay, nothing changes. I keep playing the game I’ve been taught to play my whole life. I’ve gotten quite good at it, you know. In fact, I’ve nearly won.” Even if this victory was bittersweet. "Tell me, what do I stand to gain from going with you?"

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

She was suspicious of him, which was... understandable. He still hadn't revealed himself, and honestly, had no intention to do so until she was well on her way to Coruscant. If she stayed, and revealed who he was to the king...

He didn't want to become the sole target of Ukatis' rage.

He just had to speak openly, and honestly, and hope Giselle could see the truth of his words. Now, at least, he understood what she wanted.

Even if that fact concerned him.

"You have a unique perspective. You could help support a bill fortifying the rights of millions of people across the Alliance." Alicio laid bare the truth. Of course, he knew Sycorax's intentions. That didn't mean they shared them. "Your voice is valuable."

"You could use that voice to force concessions, and gain some political clout for yourself. But if that is the sole reason you would have for coming with me... you should stay seated." Perhaps he spoke a little more honestly than was intelligent of him. Brutal. But if she was using apathy to cope with her current situation, he needed to shock her out of it. "If all you wish to do is win a game of chess, then I recommend you stay."

"But if you want to help people, and live your life, we need to go now."

- Miri Nimdok -

 

[Miri Nimdok]

"You could use that voice to force concessions, and gain some political clout for yourself. But if that is the sole reason you would have for coming with me... you should stay seated."

“Why, are you afraid of a woman with power?” she asked, a faint smirk on her lips. “If you intend to have me be the representative of the people of Ukatis, you had better listen to what we have to say, even if you don’t like it. Otherwise, you are no better than the men you claim you’ve come to save us from.”

His remark about chess caused her to close her eyes and breathe deeply through her nose—expressing her annoyance in the most ladylike way possible. Yes, she knew he was being intentionally obtuse. No doubt he had gone through a great deal of trouble to sneak inside her tent, and here she was resisting his gallant rescue.

“Helping people, I could give or take,” she said, rising from her chair. “But I do so want to live...”

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

“Why, are you afraid of a woman with power?”

That got a smirk from him. Which she couldn't see, but perhaps she would see the loosening of his shoulders, or the slight chuckle bounce his chest. "I'm afraid of someone taking a path to power, and forgetting the purpose." Enough games were played in the Senate as is. "You do that, and you are no better than the men that try so desperately to keep their boot on your neck."

The noblewoman stood, and Alicio had to fight back a wide smile. Instead, the Count nodded her direction, and stared into the middle distance. <Hey, still okay?> he sent towards Inanna. He wanted to make sure the coast was clear, but he also wanted to make sure she was still lucid. <What does it look like out there?>

With practiced movements, Alicio doffed his disguise, holding his cloak in his hands. He still wore the cloth around his face, covering his nose, but his wise grey eyes were now free to see. He offered it to Giselle. "Let's get on our way."

- Miri Nimdok -

 

[Inanna Harth]

Inanna was sitting in the shade of a tree when Alicio’s telepathic inquiry reached her, her hand still pressed to her neck. The wound had stopped bleeding, but any movement she made risked tearing it open again. She had already lost a lot of blood, and was not interested in losing any more.

<Hey, still okay?>

<I'll live. Did you get her?>

<What does it look like out there?>

<Chaotic.> Her roving eyes caught glimpses of soldiers running around trying to secure the area, but she had moved away from the hub of the action to avoid being spotted. <Sycorax is being escorted out. They might try to detain her for questioning.>

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

<I'll live. Did you get her?>

<Theoretically,> the Count returned, a bloom of relief washing over the connection at sensing her thoughts. He refined the link between them, now acutely aware of the feeling of a mystic's cold gaze, and avoiding it like the plague. The idea that it was chaos out there was... good. It would be exactly what they needed to get out quickly.

Alicio waited a moment at the entrance flap of the tent, and held out his arm for Giselle to take. He'd given her his cloak to hide her identity, and hoped she'd don it. "Shall we, mi'lady?" Then, letting his gaze wander into the future, the Count chose his timing, and stepped out.

As Inanna had described, it was chaos. Ukatians rushed to and fro, either searching for answers, or for safety. There were guards, too, but as long as the von Ascania had his cloak on, she was inconspicuous enough. Panic was easy enough to influence, turning heads away from them when they got too close, but Alicio used his powers sparingly.

No doubt, there were more court magicians around.

Alicio found Inanna underneath a tree, a ways away from the action. He knelt down, and with a beat of hesitation, he let his fingers graze along her neck. The Force began to stitch up her wound, and inject her with a bit of vitality, to make up for lost fluids. He wasn't as good at Force Healing as Amani, but the Chief Healer's husband knew a thing or two about the technique. "Glad to see you're still with us. I have an unmarked shuttle in the southern field," he started, standing up rigidly.

"Are you taking her, or am I?" Whoever stayed behind would be helping Sycorax extract herself.

Both paths had risks. He trusted Inanna with either.

- Inanna Harth -

 

[Inanna Harth]

Giselle wrapped the cloak around her and took his arm, but her expression when she looked at him was curious. Surely he didn’t intend for them to simply stroll out of there without getting caught?...

As a matter of fact, he did. No one paid them any mind as they left the tent and the camp proper. Eventually they reached a tree. A figure familiar to Giselle sat under the branches, apparently injured. “Master Myrddin? Are you a part of all this?”

Strengthened by Alicio’s healing, Inanna staggered to her feet. “I… I’m not who you think I am, lady,” she eventually replied, her tone subdued. Her hand was still red with the real Master Myrddin’s blood.

Giselle’s brow furrowed in confusion and disbelief. “Who are you, then?”

Inanna was having a hard time meeting the girl’s gaze. “A friend.”

“Master Myrddin is a friend of mine,” Giselle said. “I see now that you are not him, even though you look and sound alike. How are you able to disguise yourself so well?”

“Wonders of technology.” Inanna cast a wary glance toward Alicio before muttering, “I mean you no harm.”

"Are you taking her, or am I?"

Inanna gave him another look, this time weary. “I need a better patch-up than you can give. I’ll take her to the shuttle, you get Sycorax.”

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

“Master Myrddin? Are you a part of all this?”

Alicio was already feeling guilty for his plan causing the death of anyone. Yes, technically he hadn't struck the blow, and technically, the man was trying to kill Inanna first, but he was doing so in defense of an apparent threat. Now he knew the man's name. His friendship with their target.

What we're doing is worth the price, he had to tell himself. But that pill was bitter, and he nearly spat it back out.

All that showed on his face was a tightening at the corners of the dark-haired Count's mouth, covered by the cloth around his face.

Alicio nodded at the Shi'ido, content with letting her escort the representative to safety. "Don't wait for me." He wasn't going to bust her out, like he had Giselle.

Instead, it was time to flex his other skills.

Alicio quietly returned to the tent where he, Inanna, and Sycorax had met up, discarded his facial covering, waited a minute or two, then put a hand on his communicator. "Laveaux, I've finished my rounds. Have you finished speaking to the king? I heard a commotion around camp, are you safe?" He wasn't a co-conspirator. He was just... a concerned colleague, helping a senate ally with her relief efforts.

In case her device had been taken, of course. But he thought she'd get the message clearly enough.

- Inanna Harth -

 

[Sycorax Laveaux]

"Laveaux, I've finished my rounds. Have you finished speaking to the king? I heard a commotion around camp, are you safe?"

Sycorax’s eyebrows rose, but she otherwise showed no reaction to the sound of the Count’s voice in her ear. He’d been silent for so long, she hadn’t known what to think.

“Confirmed,” she replied. “I think they’ll be letting me leave soon, captain. Just a few questions to clear up. Why don’t you wait for me at the shuttle?”

She wouldn't even take a chance on potentially incriminating the Senator of Alderaan. He stood to lose much more if they were able to connect him to this affair. As far as the Ukatians knew, Alicio Organa was never there.

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

IN SPACE
EN ROUTE TO CORUSCANT
​

This had been a bitter victory.

With Sycorax not needing his involvement to evade custody, Alicio had been able to return to his own shuttle before it left. With his return, they were able to make a quiet, unassuming departure, while the camp was alight with activity. If they'd stayed another hour, perhaps they would've gotten their act together to stop the unmarked shuttle, but with so much traffic above the camp, it was a simple thing to slip away.

Hyperspace gave him time to tend to Inanna's wound proper, with the simple on-board first aid kid. His hands were steady, but he barely talked at all, obviously lost in thought, a million lightyears away. He was thinking about Master Myrddin.

Once it was done, Alicio nodded and tried to find a smile. "We're lucky it wasn't any worse," he said, though he had to stop his face when his mouth couldn't push past a thin line. "You really should stop risking your life while I'm around. I'm getting grey hairs."

The Count stood from his seated position, and left to find their guest. When he found her, wherever she would be on the shuttle, Alicio paused, either out of reverence or uncertainty.

"You'll be offered more... freedom, on Coruscant than your previous arrangements, but expect to be watched closely for a while. At least, until we can be ensure your safety."

"Do you have any questions for me? About... any of this?" Of course, she did. The who's, the why's, the where's, the how's. Alicio would answer as honestly as he could. But... he knew he couldn't say everything. Wouldn't.

- Miri Nimdok -

 

[Miri Nimdok]

Inanna permitted Alicio to tend to her wound. She had shed the skin of Master Myrddin out of respect for the dead, slipping back into the guise of the Ukatian nobleman. There could be no revealing her true identity to Giselle, at least not yet.

"We're lucky it wasn't any worse. You really should stop risking your life while I'm around. I'm getting grey hairs."

“I haven’t gotten used to being without my little life-saving trinket yet,” she said. The Star of Atrisia had been destroyed some time earlier, by an old friend’s betrayal. Without it she was more durable than a Human, but much less than she used to be. Shrugging off injuries like this was no longer an option.

After he finished dressing the wound, Alicio left her sitting at the table. Inanna watched as he approached Giselle, who was sitting a few feet away in a recreational area full of scattered chairs and couches. Under the harsher lighting of the ship, the girl was painted in much starker hues. She looked to be about sixteen years old, plump and doll-like. Her big blue eyes were full of quick-witted intelligence and her elegant poise projected confidence, but Alicio would be able to sense that she was nervous, maybe even a little scared. While her decision to come with them had been willing, she now had less control over her situation, surrounded by strangers who belonged to a very different culture than what she knew.

He gave her a rundown of what to expect. “But I am not a prisoner,” she said, phrasing it as a statement of fact rather than a question. Her gaze flicked toward Inanna. “Your changeling friend—it is a she, isn’t it? Though it looks like a man. I can tell by the way you treat her. Men are not so gentle with other men.”

Should Alicio happen to glance Inanna’s way, she would give him a bewildered shrug. Here she thought it was the way she moved that gave her away…

"Do you have any questions for me? About... any of this?"

“I was hoping you would give a presentation answering everything and spare me the burden of coming up with all the right questions.” She took a deep breath. “Very well. Who are you, and why are you doing this?”

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio gave a pained smile at Inanna's reaction, though his eyes were still distant, and stoically thoughtful. He knew he shouldn't ruminate on what couldn't be changed, but that didn't stop him from his ruminations.

What could he have done differently? What paths could he have taken, where had he gone wrong...?

He had to pull himself from the mire of his own thoughts, as he started his conversation with Giselle. "Correct," Alicio responded, the muscles in his jaw tightening. It didn't mean she was free, either. But she knew that. Giselle had an intelligent countenance about her.

Alicio smirked at her deduction, crossing his arms over his chest. "Not used to men being caring towards other men?" As far as Inanna's identity was concerned, Alicio would betray nothing. Even if she herself kinda gave it away with her shrug.

“I was hoping you would give a presentation answering everything and spare me the burden of coming up with all the right questions.”

The young von Ascania earned another slight smile. "I was hoping you would spare me the burden of a presentation, but I can tote out a projector, if need be." Usually, he might punctuate the joke with a chuckle, but there was a placid seriousness lurking underneath his tone.

She asked for the who and the why first. Alicio paused, gathering courage, before responding. "My name is Alicio. Senator of Alderaan." To ask for trust, he had to give trust. Besides, she would likely find out soon enough, anyways. "And I didn't lie to you. You're requested on Coruscant. There's a bill that would benefit from your perspective. And... you are the standing senator of Ukatis, per it's rules of succession. The Alliance has a duty to ensure your safety." That was why Alicio had taken such a vested interest. Yes, Giselle would be useful to their cause if she joined them, but even if she didn't, she was now free of her captors. That was success enough for him.

Alicio sighed, his mind speeding up. It was time to set the groundwork for what could be a difficult conversation.

"Why were you being held captive?"

- Miri Nimdok -

 

[Miri Nimdok]

"Not used to men being caring towards other men?"

“Men are not so gentle with other men,” she repeated her statement as if he had misheard her. “It simply isn't in your nature, from what I have observed.”

She smiled faintly at his joke, though even he didn’t seem to find it all that humorous. He introduced himself as Alicio, Senator of Alderaan. “Alicio Organa?” Her eyes lit up with recognition. “You were at my cousin’s engagement party to the late prince.”

That had been years ago, but she still remembered the event with crystal clarity—although much of her recollection was dominated by the aftermath of the sabotaged chandelier. Seeing the gleeful smiles on the faces of Alliance officials and Jedi Knights as they watched the chaos unfold had been one of those major events in her formative years that had quietly chipped away at her innocence, opening her eyes to the darkness not just on her own world, but in the universe beyond it.

But Alicio had not smiled. He had gone at once into the fray to help the injured, just as her father had. That explained a great deal, and almost put her at ease.

"Why were you being held captive?"

“His Majesty claimed it was because of my age,” Giselle replied, going on to more or less recite his exact words: “A girl of sixteen should not represent an entire planet; it is too much responsibility for one so young. I could be taken advantage of, which would put Ukatis in danger. Our burdens are nearly impossible to bear as it is.” A coy smirk curled one corner of her mouth. “That may be true, but I know His Majesty does not care for my wellbeing more than his power. He only wanted to defy the Alliance."

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

"There are a lot of men in the galaxy." Alicio raised an eyebrow. It seemed his work was cut out for him. "And lots of natures."

“Alicio Organa? You were at my cousin’s engagement party to the late prince.”

The Count's heart fell a little in his chest. "Yes. I was." He remembered the events of the party. The overhanging contempt from the Jedi Alicio still didn't have the full story for, the falling chandelier, the wounded party-goers... It wasn't a highlight of Alicio's career, not by a longshot. Still, he supposed it was good that Giselle knew of him. "Corazona is often on Coruscant too, you know. If you want, I could help organize a meeting."

Giselle did make one good point. She was young. "When I was sixteen, I was absorbed in my studies. I... opted out of being a teenager, doing what children should do. If there is one thing the king of Ukatis and I can agree on, it is that no sixteen-year-old should bear the burden of their planet alone."

"But I also think no sixteen-year-old should be plucked from their home and held against their will. Nor should any senator, for that matter. So... that is where Horace and I differ in opinion."

"Why would King von Cholmondeley want to spite his new allies?" He spoke it not as a clueless question, but as if he were a tutor, looking to see if Giselle understood. If she'd been told of the bill he'd hoped the young Ukatian would represent. "Surely, the Alliance is best situated to offer them aid to recover from the attack? Why damage those ties?"

- Miri Nimdok -

 

[Miri Nimdok]

"Corazona is often on Coruscant too, you know. If you want, I could help organize a meeting."

“That may not be wise,” Giselle said. “We were never especially close, Corazona and I, but any kinship I may have felt for her has dwindled in the past few years. The last time I saw her, she was in a cell down in the dungeons. I was told she would be executed, but then the Jedi intervened and her sentence was amended to mere exile. I’ve made no further attempt to contact her since then.”

Inanna frowned. She suspected there was more to the story, but Giselle didn’t linger on the subject.

Alicio went on to speak of his youth, comparing his life to hers. Lady Giselle listened, her hands folded demurely in her lap, then said, “Hostage-taking is no great custom of ours, but it is standard procedure among the nobility. I never feared for my safety while I was held in captivity. I am the daughter of a lord, not a commoner.”

"Why would King von Cholmondeley want to spite his new allies? Surely, the Alliance is best situated to offer them aid to recover from the attack? Why damage those ties?"

“Allies,” Giselle echoed scornfully. “That is what we were told the Alliance would be to us. But it has proven to be more like becoming the voluntary vassal of a vast space empire, one that hates us and demands we submit to their rule in exchange for protection from the barbarian hordes raging at our gates.” A smile crossed her face as she turned up the charm. “I overheard His Majesty say recently that if he had known a hostage could be bought for a few sets of beskar armor, he would have simply paid the Mandalorians a tribute of vodka and chocolate rather than join the Alliance.”

Inanna quietly snorted at the thought of the bucketheads being persuaded not to raid Ukatis in exchange for alcohol and sweets, but her expression soon became serious again, even grim. She wasn’t sure what Sycorax and Alicio had hoped for, but something told her Alicio was already disappointed in Giselle.

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

"Family is a... valuable thing, in this galaxy." Alicio noted, a little sadly. "I would recommend rekindling those bonds, while you still can. If nothing else, you would have a direct connection to the Jedi Order."

It seemed Giselle cared about power, so that was the angle he took with her, but of course, he cared more for making sure she didn't feel isolated.

Giselle's thoughts on her own captivity revealed just how insulated her point of view was. Of course, the surest way of making her close off to him was to point it out, so he didn't. Instead, he simply shrugged. "Nobody, regardless of station, is allowed to kidnap a citizen of the Alliance, much less a member of the Federal Assembly, no matter how green. Nobility is no exception." Hopefully, coming from a Count would make the words more true.

Perhaps defying Inanna's expectations, Alicio didn't show any disappointment on his face. In fact, he'd expected her to be entrenched in the ways of her people. It was why he'd been so... gentle, in extracting her. Giselle had shared her surface-level views, beliefs peddled in the back halls of Ukatis' royal palace.

He wanted to go deeper.

"Do you believe the Alliance hates the people of Ukatis?"

- Miri Nimdok -

 

[Miri Nimdok]

“That is not something I am interested in,” Giselle said, almost laughing at the notion of befriending the Jedi Order through Corazona. She was interested in power, but only on Ukatis. The rest of the galaxy was too vulgar, too uppity for her tastes. As for her cousin, she considered her a dangerous fool—but much like Alicio, she knew when to keep her mouth shut.

His adamant statement of the laws of the Alliance regarding kidnapping only earned an intent stare from Giselle, as if she were trying to figure out what he wanted from her. “Ah, I have not shown much gratitude, have I? How rude of me,” she said, bowing her head respectfully. “Thank you for rescuing me, Your Excellency. I appreciate it, truly.”

"Do you believe the Alliance hates the people of Ukatis?"

“Oh yes,” she replied. “I first saw it at the engagement party. One of the Jedi struck my uncle in the face. Then of course there was the chandelier." Those smiling faces still haunted her. "It is safe to say that there is no love lost between us. You think that we are backwards barbarians, we think you are hypocritical tyrants.

"But let us stop beating around the bush. You rescued me because you want my support for your new bill." She looked at him intently. "Ukatis has its problems. I will not deny that. Passing a law might help... or it could make things worse. Our problems are deeply rooted in our culture, which no piece of legislation can alter. To change the culture, you would have to change the hearts and minds of the people—and that will take generations. You were once as we are now, but you had time to grow, without being forced. Why do you refuse to give us the same grace you were lucky enough to receive?"

Was this why Sycorax picked Giselle?

Inanna glanced toward Alicio. So far he hadn't shown much emotion, refusing to reveal his hand. That was probably wise, but she wished she knew what was going on inside his head. Wished she could talk to him in private, and reveal her own growing misgivings about all this. Maybe he could reassure her, or she could at least warn him.

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

“Ah, I have not shown much gratitude, have I? How rude of me.”

Finally, a frown broke the Count's face.

He'd seen the emotions behind her eyes. Studied her, as she tried to figure out what he wanted, and feed it to him. The fact that she thought he wanted gratitude... offended him, if only a little. Everything else she had said, even though she hadn't shared his viewpoints, had been her genuine thoughts. But this was simply sucking up to him, and missing the point entirely. Alicio took a slow breath out.

"If you wish to show your thanks, I'd suggest you listen to what I have to say. You can argue. You can disagree. But listen." Alicio took another moment to smoothen out his face. "You can't base your entire opinion of Alliance-Ukatis politics off of one engagement party." A bit of his cold-fire passion began to creep into his tone. "The GA assisted the crown in creating affordable healthcare infrastructure for the working class across the planet. Already, the average life expectancy is set to increase twenty years in our lifetime. Trade to Ukatis increased three-fold, offering new jobs and revitalizing the economy. Yes, Ukatis was targeted by marauders, but since then, has the Alliance reacted like it hated Ukatis? We sent soldiers to defend the planet, my wife was among those fighting for your land. The planet has shown no interest in reestablishing it's ties with the Alliance, and we are pouring our resources into helping Ukatis anyways."

"Those are not the actions of a tyrant doing the bare minimum for barbarians."

Another sigh cooled what heat remained in his tone. "Social justice is not a gradual process. Those that peddle that lie are the oligarchs in power, who benefit from keeping the oppressed under their boot for as long as possible. The ruling class suppresses the movement until they can't. That's why it usually takes time. But in that time, millions of people will be denied a good life. Not just on Ukatis. Across the galaxy."

Alicio produced a small datapad, and gave it to Giselle.

"This bill isn't designed to shake up the entire status quo. You can read the specifics yourself, and decide if you wish to back it or not. But I think it's a necessary first step."

- Miri Nimdok -