Private An Unexpected Guest

[Silas Westgard]

Location: Azbrian, Westgard homestead
Objective: Say goodbye to Imogen Solace
Tag: Lily Decoria

Within the cosy warmth of the Westgard homestead, the brisk morning sun poured through the windows in golden streams. At the sink, a lone figure stood scrubbing away at a pile of dishes, eyes focused in quiet resignation. Silas had drawn the short straw when it came to cleaning up after last night's dinner, a chore few people enjoyed, no matter how diligent they were. Still, it was a small price to pay for an evening spent sharing a romantic meal with a woman he found himself growing fonder of by the day.

Whistling a local tune under his breath, dressed only in slippers, shorts, and a loose t-shirt, Silas heard the heavy thud of a packed bag hitting the table behind him. He glanced back briefly, and a faint smile tugged at his lips at the sight of Imogen preparing for yet another assignment.

"Hm. I see you're eager to leave," he remarked dryly.

Imogen grinned as she crossed the room and wrapped her arms around his waist from behind, resting her chin on his shoulder. Her eyes gleamed with playful amusement as she looked up at him. "I wouldn't say eager," she replied. "Do you really think sneaking around the underworld of Coruscant sounds exciting? If anything, I'd rather stay here with you." She punctuated the comment with a teasing squeeze of his nose and a quick kiss on his cheek before slipping away to check through her bag once more.

Silas rolled his eyes, though a quiet chuckle escaped him all the same. Drying his hands, he finally turned to face her properly. Crossing the room, he leaned in to give her a brief kiss before flicking her lightly on the nose in retaliation.

"Yea yea... Stay safe out there," he said with a wink. "You wouldn't want the embarrassment of me having to come rescue you, right?"

A crooked grin spread across Imogen's face.

"In your dreams, loverboy. I'll be back before you even have the chance."

Her voice softened with the words. Slinging the bag over her shoulder, she headed for the door. Just before stepping outside, she paused and glanced back at him.

"Keep safe, Si. Try not to get yourself into trouble."

This time, her smile carried a warmth that lingered after the door shut behind her.

Silas stood there in silence for a few moments, eyes fixed on the now closed door. Eventually, he exhaled softly and turned back to the sink, a thoughtful smile resting on his face as he resumed washing the dishes.

 

[Lily Decoria]

Location: Azbrian
Outfit: Jedi Attire
Equipment: Arwr Da, Hydrangea Moonblade (concealed)
Tag: Silas Westgard

Lily had kept her distance from Silas for a while. He had taken a step away from the Jedi life and was exploring a way of life that Lily hadn't been able to think about, had figured that she would never achieve because there was always a need for her right now. There was always a mission that Lily needed to get herself involved in, and there was always a fight that Lily felt that she needs to jump into. Lily just could never step away from all that, until things felt safer, that the evils were defeated in the galaxy and stepping away would not inevitably cause more harm. But that was her demons, her burden, she totally appreciated and knew that others sought out peace. Relief from the life of being a Jedi.

Unfortunately Lily needed Silas's help with something. There was guilt in her heart as she wanted to respect the break that he was taking, the time to celebrate the life that few would ever find themselves in. But this was a situation that she couldn't think of anyone else to turn to.

Arriving on Azbrian, the Jedi Knight took her time in approaching Silas, there was still a lot of conflict since she feared that this could be a slippery slope. Lily knew that she would never need to be pushed much to jump into things, there was still a recklessness in that regard for the Jedi Knight. Breathing in deeply, she finally made her way to where Silas called home. Letting the final moment of hesitation pass, Lily raised her hand and knocked on the door. She needed to get through her fears on dragging someone back into the chaotic life that is the current galaxy.

"It's Lily... Lily Decoria, I was hoping to chat, catch up but there is also something that I need help from you." Her fingers tapped at the datapad. The information she had was not something that she could figure out easily and there was a lot of mixed information going around, these pirates were not acting in a pattern that she could see.

 

[Silas Westgard]

Location: Azbrian, Westgard homestead
Objective: Speak with Lily
Tag: Lily Decoria

After washing the dishes and putting them away neatly, Silas was halfway up the stairs when a knock at the door stopped him. A familiar voice followed, belonging to a Jedi he hadn't seen in a very long time.

He hesitated for a moment, glancing down at his attire before letting out a quiet sigh. It wasn't exactly how he'd imagined greeting an old friend, but at this hour of the morning, it would have to do.

Making his way to the door, he opened it slowly "Lily?" he said, surprise evident in his voice. "It's been a while. I don't think we've seen each other since the last time we sparred."

A slight smirk tugged at his lips as he scratched the back of his head "Please, come in."

Stepping aside to let her enter, he closed the door behind her and led the way into the living room.

"Would you like some tea?" he asked.

 

[Lily Decoria]

Location: Azbrian
Outfit: Jedi Attire
Equipment: Arwr Da, Hydrangea Moonblade (concealed)
Tag: Silas Westgard

"Not since Ryloth, no." They had worked on taking down some pirates that Silas found was a mission that hit close to home. There had been some dancing and what she always considered was friendly bantering as well.

Stepping into the place, Lily took a look around, seeing how retirement life suited Silas. She hadn't gotten super close with the other Jedi but she was friends and didn't think he was one for settling down in a cosy way. So it was a surprise to hear and see this was what his life was now. Seemed far too ordinary and calm. But perhaps that is what a Jedi needs after a life of work and activeness.

"The place looks nice, very relaxing..." Lily mentioned as she took note of the things around the place. "Tea or water, I don't mind." Lily answered.

Placing the file on the table, Lily didn't wish to jump into things, not yet at least. "So... Urm, how has life been? Retiring and all?"

 

[Silas Westgard]

Location: Azbrian, Westgard homestead
Objective: Speak with Lily
Tag: Lily Decoria

"Ryloth? Has it really been that long?" he said, pausing for a few moments as he pondered. "I remember that time well…"

The knight gave a small shrug before finally wandering into the kitchen to make Lily some tea. He poured water into the kettle, placed it on the boiler, and left it to do its thing before making his way back to the doorway. Leaning against the frame, he folded his arms and continued.

"This place has been in my family for generations. It was burned down when I was younger, but, with a bit of help from the Alliance, I was able to rebuild it and restore it to its former glory. When I was away, I used to offer it to Jedi who needed a place to rest, or who were recovering from an injury. I haven't been able to do that for a while now, for obvious reasons."

He scratched the back of his head, just as the kettle gave a sharp ding. Silas pushed himself away from the doorway, grabbed a spare mug, and quickly prepared the tea before carrying it over to Lily.

"Here you go…"

He placed the mug on the table in front of her before settling into one of the seats. An amused brow rose when he remembered her assumption that he had retired.

"Retired? Stars, Lily, I'm not that old." The knight chuckled. "But I won't be as active for a while, so I suppose you could call it a 'leave of absence' from the Jedi life."

Silas leaned back in his chair, regarding her with a faint smile.

"What have you been up to, anyway? You still putting people on their backs during sparring?"

 

[Lily Decoria]

Location: Azbrian
Outfit: Jedi Attire
Equipment: Arwr Da, Hydrangea Moonblade (concealed)
Tag: Silas Westgard

"It is good that you were able to reclaim this home then. I am happy for you, hopefully others have been able to do the same over the years." Lily mused as she watched as Silas made the tea. Nodding her head to him grateful when he placed the mug in front of her. Lily was more used to a green tea over this but she was not going turn her nose up at what was placed before her.

Softly laughing, she shrugged, "you wouldn't be the first to retire from the Jedi life at a young age. I mean, after the fall of the Galactic Alliance, many disappeared or took steps away from the public light. Being a Jedi is not an easy life to live so taking early retirement, or merely a leave of absence... It's understandable." There was a sadness in her voice, Lily had seen the current way things were, nothing was ideal and it did not feel like there could be much improvement in the future. There was an ever growing Sith presence and the Jedi numbers did not seem to be matching that size to resist.

"I have been fighting, doing my best to save lives and demonstrate that the Jedi are not sitting around doing nothing in the face of the Sith. It hasn't been easy and it means that I can't always be relaxed, sparring in the temple." Lily sighed heavily, "but I can't sit... I can't be absent. I need to stand and I need to fight, just the way I have always been and I truly believe that we can figure out a way to stopping the Sith." It wouldn't be easy nor would it be a simple approach, but Lily was determined to figure something out.

Breathing out a slow, heavy breath, "sorry. I don't mean to dump this on you. I just wanted help in figuring out these pirates. They have been working in a way that I can't figure out and with your previous experience, I thought you could help me if finding where they might be operating from." Handing the datapad of information over to Silas.

 

[Silas Westgard]

Location: Azbrian, Westgard homestead
Objective: Speak with Lily
Tag: Lily Decoria

"Eventually, I hope to share it with others once more. It's just not the right time at the moment, considering Imogen and I are trying to start a family." Silas said, a small smile crossing his lips at the thought of little Westgards running around everywhere. "I guess that means I'll be quiet for a lot longer than originally stated, but if it means raising the next generation of Jedi to help look after the galaxy, then so be it."

There was another part of him that made him smile.

He wouldn't be the last Westgard standing anymore.

"I still feel like I haven't given enough back to the Jedi. If it wasn't for the Alliance pulling me away from the pirates and the Jedi giving me a new purpose, I wouldn't be here talking to you right now." Silas let out a deep sigh, his expression becoming a little more thoughtful. "That doesn't mean I'd force my kids into that life, though. That'll be their decision to make when the time comes."

He sighed again as the conversation soon turned back to the pirates.

The grudge he had once held against them was long gone. In many ways, it had ended the day Valery Noble had helped him dismantle an entire network and bring the people responsible for his parents' deaths to justice. But even Silas knew the pirates would always be a presence in the galaxy. They could never stop everything. All they could do was prevent as much as possible and protect as many people as they could.

Leaning back in his chair, Silas thought for a few moments before finally speaking.

"I promised Imogen Solace that I'd stay away from this sort of thing as much as possible," Silas said at first, an easy smile resting on his face. "Although…" He paused, a hint of amusement appearing in his eyes. "She did go on a little mission of her own today, despite telling me she wasn't going to. So, I guess that makes us even when it comes to the inevitable argument."

The Knight chuckled as he reached for the datapad, picking it up and skimming through the information displayed across its screen.

"So, I guess that means I'm in." He glanced up with a small, knowing grin. "Just bear in mind, you'll be answering to my pissed-off soon-to-be wife if I get hurt."

There was a hint of sarcasm in his voice, accompanied by a small wink.

His expression soon became more serious as he looked back towards the datapad.

"What have they been doing? You said they were acting unusual?"

 

[Lily Decoria]

Location: Azbrian
Outfit: Jedi Attire
Equipment: Arwr Da, Hydrangea Moonblade (concealed)
Tag: Silas Westgard

"A family? That's cute." Lily stated, "good to have a future planned out like that." It reminded Lily, in a sad way, that she had lost that future that in her mind had been more planned for herself. Things had gotten derailed, she was deciding to turn her attention back on the Jedi and the fighting that needed to be done. "Focusing on yourself, your future and your family is never a bad thing. I believe that is what the Nobles went and did. Sometimes, the risks of being a Jedi, the danger, it isn't worth it."

For Lily, the consequences of inaction was something that she could not accept.

Shaking her head, she looked very sternly at Silas, "you owe the Jedi nothing, that is not what it means to be a Jedi. To feel like you have to do the things we do, that you are indebted to the Order because they helped you. If seeing injustice keeps you up at night, if you can't watch the galaxy fall to the Sith, to fascism, then sure. Stand, fight and give it your all. But that can't be something that you feel that you have to do." Lily stated, she could never force herself to be this way, to be a Jedi. The day that came, then she knew it was over. Lily would be a Jedi no more when it was not her heart and soul into the fight.

Rolling her eyes as she watched Silas get drawn back into things, "I just said that I needed your help with the information and figuring out their moves, never said you could join me in the field." Lily smirked, "who knows the risks you could pose to my life being retired for as long as you have." Lily poked her tongue out at Silas teasingly.

"Nope, I don't deal with upset spouses, that is more my aunt's expertise." Lily started tapping at the different files, highlighting the recurring issues that she was having with the data. "Back onto the case. The pirates were hitting wealthy worlds, trade routes and traders. But more recently, they have targeted government medical transports, food supplies, crisis relief vessels. They occasionally go back to the previous targets but I can't seem to find any reasoning for the shift and why they are hitting those types of vessels." Lily pointed out.

She leaned back, her face deep in thought, "there is little benefit for them to hit those vessels, they are too small to profit from destabilising the High Republic, and they don't seem to be selling what they steal." Pointing to the fact that there was no black market presence with these missing shipments.

 

[Silas Westgard]

Location: Azbrian, Westgard homestead
Objective: Speak with Lily
Tag: Lily Decoria

"Well, it's been an ambition of mine for a while. It was only a matter of time before I finally slowed down and tried to make it happen," he said with a thoughtful smile. "After all, Imogen and I are the last of our line. If we die, then thousands of years of our family's history will be erased."

Silas slowly nodded at her comments about his debt, a price he knew would never truly be repaid. "In all honesty, Lily, even if I knew it had been repaid by now, I'd still serve the people as a Jedi. It's something I'll keep doing until my last breath, no matter what," the knight said, reassuring her that he wasn't being forced into this life.

He was doing it out of love.

A quiet chuckle escaped him at her comment about being an aunt before he finally focused on the mission at hand. His gaze settled on the datapad, his brow rising slightly as he studied the information.

"Small vessels…"

The pattern reminded him of something.

"There's a reason they could be targeting them. Small vessels are low-risk, especially when they're far away from any friendly planet. Hitting one doesn't accomplish much on its own, but if you keep doing it, eventually you'll accumulate enough supplies to make something worthwhile. If they have something bigger in the works, they won't go after traders or wealthy worlds. They'll keep a low profile and chip away at the easy targets."

Silas looked up at Lily, his expression becoming more serious. "I remember it well from when I was with them. Sometimes it took weeks. Sometimes months. But eventually, they'd have enough to sell everything at once and use the proceeds to buy equipment for a big score."

He paused, his expression darkening slightly. "In my case, it was a significant bank vault on Garos. One that I had a part in robbing."

Silas placed the datapad on the table and let out a quiet sigh.

"Your best bet is to track one of the ships and follow it back to wherever they're storing the loot. Which means you'll probably have to set a decoy at one of their known hotspots and wait for them to take the bait. Once they make their move, you follow them."

He leaned back slightly, his expression grim.

"It won't be easy. Even if you find the hideout, clearing it, or even securing it, will be a pain. They'll have defenses, escape routes, and probably contingencies you won't know about until they're already being used."

Silas glanced back at the datapad.

"But if they really are building toward something bigger, then the hideout is where you'll find the answers."

 

[Lily Decoria]

Location: Azbrian
Outfit: Jedi Attire
Equipment: Arwr Da, Hydrangea Moonblade (concealed)
Tag: Silas Westgard

"That's good, personal goals and dreams are always a positive." Lily nodded her head, the idea of being last in a family line, that had been something told to Lily about the Decoria family line, that she was the future and her children were the only ones able to carry the name forward. However, unlike Silas, Lily did not wish to pursue that course of life. At least not any time soon. There were other things she wanted to do more and she held no real motherly desires currently.

Lily smiled, giving a nod of her head, "I know. I just don't want you to think that you owe the Jedi anything, Silas. Especially since things within the Jedi have changed so much since you joined, and many of those we were close with having left. It would be unfair for anyone to expect you to continue any so called "debts" as you put it." So much had changed since their last meeting, the galaxy was still adapting to it all and Lily feared that things could cement if something wasn't done quickly.

"Interesting..." Lily mentioned as she looked over things.

Waiting to hit something bigger and buying time, "I was thinking it was maybe Sith influence or some Imperial group trying to bribe these guys into undermining the High Republic, but I couldn't find any links or legitimate rumours to build a case." She paused as Lily thought about the plan, about what Silas was suggesting she did next. It was risky and there was numerous ways that it could go wrong, especially since Lily was working with very little evidence to chase these pirates down.

Too many would say it was random and to move on. There were bigger concerns.

"I know the risks of fighting an enemy at their base, especially a hideout like pirates use. But sometimes they aren't prepared to be confronted like a warrior skilled like me, so, could get them underprepared." Lily countered, not overly confident in that strategy but it was the best that she could do. Looking to Silas, "I appreciate the insight and the idea, I best head off before your future wife turns up and wonders what I am doing here." Lily giggled softly as she grabbed the data. "I'll let you know how it goes."

 

[Silas Westgard]

Location: Azbrian, Westgard homestead
Objective: Speak with Lily
Tag: Lily Decoria

"Goals and dreams are what keep a person going. When you finally achieve them after so long, it's one of the best feelings you could ever experience," Silas said thoughtfully, knowing that he was close to achieving one of his own dreams in the near future. It had taken years of healing and survival to reach this point. Nothing was going to stop him from getting there now.

The knight briefly looked up from his datapad and smiled.

"The Jedi Order I grew up with is mostly gone now. Just like you said, things have changed, but my duty to protect the innocent hasn't," Silas explained. "I enjoy helping people. If I didn't, I would have left the Order as soon as the Alliance collapsed."

There were others who had done exactly that, though, not only because they had grown tired of the life.

"Evidence of Sith or Imperial groups meddling with pirates will always be difficult to find. You may not even know they're involved until you're inside their hideout. That kind of information is something they like to keep secret with the utmost priority," he warned, suggesting that higher powers could still be at play in all of this. Then, after she mentioned that she didn't need to worry because she was a skilled warrior, one of his brows raised.

"You must never become overconfident around people like them. Whatever weakness or vulnerability you show, they will exploit until they can finally move in for the kill. They may not seem prepared, but many of them are fearless and willing to die for their way of life. Remember that."

Nodding, it seemed their little meeting was beginning to come to an end.

"Imogen would probably strap you to a chair and interrogate you," Silas chuckled as he stood and held out a hand for her to shake. "I'm happy I could be of some service. Let me know if you need any further assistance," he offered.

Another smirk appeared on his lips.

"Also... let me know when you want that sparring rematch. I believe it's three-nil to me, right?" he joked, knowing full well that Lily was the better hand-to-hand fighter.