Private Ashes of Allegiance

[Caelan Valoren]

The Devit Royal Transport was an extremely comfortable vessel. Not out of opulence, but out of necessity for who utilized it. It wasn’t always just used to fly between places for pompous reasons, but was often also home to important meetings, traveling dignitaries, and others. For this reason, comfort was a necessity. Suffice to say, it certainly surpassed any Imperial vessel that Ines might have flown around in, no matter how hard they may have tried to make it seem otherwise. It was also well stocked with food and drink, especially of the Lazerian kind. Tea, Icebrew (non-alcoholic only) and water were readily available. Food was if she wanted it as well.

Of course he’d told her not to refer to him as highness. Caelan was just fine. He didn’t like it when people heaped the royal title on him, even when his own people did it. He didn’t stop them from doing it, though. Some of them got offended when he tried to tell them not to refer to him in such a way. While he didn’t understand why, he also figured it was a trivial matter and not reason for him to get into an argument over, so he let it slide.

Fate was off searching databases with her photo, which he’d snapped regardless of her comments, and before she’d even commented about the request. Little droid didn’t really care whether she gave permission or not, he’d only asked out of formality, though he did maintain the ruse that he hadn’t taken it. If Line was really her name, then it wouldn’t be hard to find. If it wasn’t, well, he’d dig deeper until he discovered her true identity, even if that took long enough that she was long gone by the time he figured it out. At least Caelan would know her real name by the next time they met.

“Plenty of food if you want to eat, just tell the chef,” he said as he sat down within the lounge area and took off his outer robe.

The ship lifted off as soon as they were aboard, so she wasn’t really in a position to leave any longer. The fighter escort would deal with any Imperial vessels that tried to interfere with them. They were flown by elite pilots, something Lazerian had a history of, so he wasn’t worried about them handling a few Imperial space jockeys.

“Help yourself to a drink, too. The Icebrew will help regulate your body temperature in the cold of space if you get cold easy. Tastes good, too.”

ATTIRE: Link | WEAPON: Lightsaber | COMPANION: BD-F8 | OTHER: Sigil Bead (Necklace), Prosthetic Left Arm

TAGS: Ines Pen-Ar-Lan ​

 

[Ines Pen-Ar-Lan]

Ashes of Allegiance
Caelan Valoren ​

She had offered a nod when he asked her not to address him as 'Your Highness'. It would seem as if the girl was set on making the experience as pleasant as possible for both of them.

But then came the droid. She had shielded herself from the first photo - all it would be able to get would be a side profile with plenty of gear and hair hiding her features. Ever observant and highly trained, the Agent seemed to notice something was off about the droid’s behaviour. Was it trying to snap another picture? Hopeful hazel eyes narrowed as she looked up to the King, away from the direction of the droid. Her mouth formed a disappointed line as she reached up to equip the mask again. It was enough to guarantee that her cover would remain intact after this ordeal was over.

A contemplative expression spread across her features as her gaze lingered on Caelan. "I don't know why, but I wanted to trust you. I still do, kinda. I really hope that's a personality quirk." she gave a sideway nod to the droid. She had already noted that it was a menace - perhaps that would explain why it would cross a line which seemed uncharacteristic for the Jedi. But then, the two of them had not known each other for long. Anything was possible.

The duo soon entered what appeared to be the main lounging area of the ship. Line's eyes went wide as she looked around. The sweeping scan for cameras, exits and other items of note was consistently interrupted as her attention was drawn towards the luxurious details of the ship. She took a deep breath - the air quality was excellent. The seats looked as comfortable as ever and the light food items and drinks looked amazing. Her eyes had an impressed glimmer to them. "You have an on-board chef?" she asked with a bright smile glowing under the mask. "That's a step above most starliners I've been on."

Line let out a light "I'm good for now" as she looked around. Her captor had made himself comfortable. Meanwhile, she had remained standing by the couch he had seated himself in, still in the same firefighter’s uniform.

If there were no cameras in the lounging area, she would wait for a few moments before speaking up with a somewhat timid voice "Would you mind if it were just the two of us?" She eyed the droid and threw a glance to where the chef could presumably be found "I don't know your chef, I'm sure he's a good person, but I don't know him. And your droid?" she chuckled. While she had reason to dislike the little droid - it would seem as if she also thought it was pretty cute. "I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him". While she wouldn't take anything for granted, the Agent's hand hovered by the zipper to her jacket - she was ready to at least try to trust him a little.

 

[Caelan Valoren]

“Hmm?” he inquired, frowning. “Oh. Fate. Yeah, he has a mind of his own. First time we met he was trying to kill me. He had faulty double programming that was competing with itself. Grandmaster Noble managed to fix that, but you can’t change everything.”

She had affixed the visor once again, hiding her visage. He didn’t really understand why that was other than the fact that Fate was keen on taking a photo of her. Apparently he wanted to search the databases to see if he could figure out if she was telling the truth about who she was, though it was doubtful she’d be found in a database anyway, unless she’d gotten in trouble with the Alliance before, which he kind of doubted. Seemed more like the Alliance had failed her, in which case they’d probably completely ignored her and whatever plight she’d been forced to endure. Not very good, but no government was without faults.

When she commented on his having a chef, he nodded. It was a step above many, but this was a royal transport they were on. It belonged to the kingdom, and a chef served whomever was leading the kingdom. It wasn’t a luxury he had imposed, it simply had always been there, even when his parents were alive.

“There are always benefits to being royalty, even if we don’t ask for them. I inherited this position and the ship comes with the position, and the chef comes with the ship.”

She didn’t seem inclined to eat at the moment. There were some serious trust issues between them at the moment, as he could see. Understandable on some levels, but he HAD just given her medical aid, and why would he do that if he intended to just poison her on the ship? That would be a waste. But, he understood, and so he waved a hand to dismiss the chef, who nodded and left through one of the lounges doorways. Fate, on the other hand, he didn’t really want to send away, but since the droid seemed keen on bugging her, probably because she’d tried to harm him and the droid operated on logic, not feeling, it seemed he wouldn’t be able to keep him around.

“Fate, go get yourself a recharge.”

"Boop-bwoop dweet-dweep dweet-dweep boop-bloop bwoop-beep dweep bwee dweep dweet bloop-beep bloop-dwoop? Bwoop bloop-beep."

“I can take care of myself, Fate. You know this. Now go.”

The droid stared at him a moment and then turned to look at the woman. He took a step forward towards her, as if trying to menace her.

"Bwee-dweet, bwoo-dweep dwoop bweep bwoo-bwee dweet bloop-beep dweet-dweep boop-bwoop dweep dweet boop-bwee beep-bwee beep dweet-dweep bwee-boop."

The droid stared at her for a moment longer and then turned and tottled off somewhere else in the ship, leaving them alone. No cameras in the lounge. There wasn’t a need for them. The two of them were alone for now.

“Fate’s just looking out for me. He’s got his quirks, but he’s a really good droid. You don’t need to worry, though, we’re alone now and can talk without interruption.”

ATTIRE: Link | WEAPON: Lightsaber | COMPANION: BD-F8 | OTHER: Sigil Bead (Necklace), Prosthetic Left Arm

TAGS: Ines Pen-Ar-Lan ​

 

[Ines Pen-Ar-Lan]

Ashes of Allegiance
Caelan Valoren ​

Her gaze had shifted between the droid and the Jedi as they spoke - but she had remained silent throughout the exchange. Eventually, the droid would leave the two of them alone. Her eyes tracked it as it left and made anotherr sweep across the room before finally settling on Caelan. "Thank you" she said - her voice becoming significantly clearer mid-sentence as she took the mask off once more. She offered a soft smile and a nod.

Very slowly, perhaps timidly, even, she pulled down the zipper of the firefighter's jacket until only a few centimeters remained. A tight-fitting grey sweater could be seen underneath. Carefully, she took a hesitant step to the sofa he was on and took a seat. The girl allowed the jacket to fall off from her shoulders, all the way down to her waist where it would be caught between her lap and the sofa. The sleeves were still covering her lower arms which the upper arms were only covered by the synthetic grey fabric. The King had done her a goodness, and in return, she had peeled off one layer of protection. She let out a sigh and her body shuddered slightly, as if just having stepped out into the cold.

For a few moments, her eyes rested on the empty couch section between them and allowed for there to be some silence. "You know-..." Line paused for a few moments. Her gaze sailed back up to meet his eyes. "I didn't want to hurt you, much less kill you." She spoke with a sincere tone - whilst at the same time letting slip that she understood binary.

Twisting her body to the side, Line made herself comfortable by leaning her side against the backrest which allowed her to fully face the Jedi without turning her head too much. "I didn't wanna hurt your frriends either. I was just hoping that you'd want to make sure they were safe instead of coming for me. I had a hunch I'd end up like this if you did." She took another pause to look down at herself, lounging at a luxurious ship. Line let out a quiet chuckle "Well, not quite like this.. I thought it would be a lot worse than this." The soft smile conveyed gratitude - but deep inside her eyes, there was a hint of fear. Was this too good to be true?

 

[Caelan Valoren]

"Weren't you really hot with all of that on?" he asked.

She had taken off the helmet, and followed by removing her jacket, which had revealed that she was wearing a sweater underneath. He couldn't imagine that being comfortable considering firefighter jackets were extremely thick and heavy to provide the protection necessary for the person to wear them. Even with modern materials, they still had to be heavy. Fire never changed. Materials might, but it wasn't just the flames themselves that caused problems, it was the heat, and the best way to mitigate the heat was multiple layers of a dense, non-flammable material. He didn't envy her choice of outfits.

When she said she hadn't wanted to hurt him, he nodded. Same when she said that about his friends, the scientists elsewhere in this ship, probably with their nose buried in technical readouts. He'd felt, well, not much from her, to be honest, but none of her actions had been deliberately endangering of anyone, with the possible exception of the droids (because he didn't know what they'd been programmed to do, exactly).

"I didn't think you did, to be honest. It surprised me when I didn't get the feeling of impending danger while dealing with you. Every other Imperial I've met has wanted to kill me."

Even though he wasn't certain he believed everything she said, he did believe this. So either she was really good at manipulation, or she was being sincere.

"I won't lie to you, many others would have thrown you in a cell and lost the key. The actions of the Galactic Empire in their assault of the Alliance worlds has not gone without distressing many. I know many Jedi have even become more militant as a result of it, stressing the need to attack you for what was done. I don't believe in that ideal. I don't believe it's right for Jedi to act with aggressive intent. I know it's easy to say that, and easy to believe I'm not telling the truth, especially since I'm a King of an Alliance member world, but even the worst enemy should be met with some level of respect.

"I didn't afford that to your Emperor because I know him and his past, and because his actions directly threatened my wife, my son and my unborn daughter, but I acted only in defense, not utilizing offensive skills, only barriers meant to stop him, much like what I did with you."

He paused for a moment, then stood and walked over to grab a bottle from the cooler. Two glasses he brought back with it, and poured some from the bottle into each before sitting down once more. She may not have been thirsty before, but he didn't believe she would make it all the way to Lazerian without getting thirsty.

"That's Lazerian Icebrew. If you're cold, it'll warm you. If you're hot, it'll cool you. It's one of our oldest pieces of culture, and one we love to share with others."

ATTIRE: Link | WEAPON: Lightsaber | COMPANION: BD-F8 | OTHER: Sigil Bead (Necklace), Prosthetic Left Arm

TAGS: Ines Pen-Ar-Lan ​

 

[Ines Pen-Ar-Lan]

Ashes of Allegiance
Caelan Valoren ​

"It was mostly the jacket" she mused. The sweater was not her own doing - but rather something that the firefighters were wearing. Her having it was primarily to blend in. "This seems to breathe well enough." Her eyes had a playful glimmer to them as she joked "Y'know, most firefighters aren't naked under these big jackets."

The girl produced a content nod upon hearing that he believed her. Although she did not say anything, her expression conveyed a degree of gratitude. Whether it be due to the force or just some sense of trust, she seemed to like it.

With her hands in her lap, Line listened attentively when Caelan shared some of his ideals and some personal information. Her first comment would not be on the former - instead, a bright smile grew on her lips "Congratulations! When is she due?" Her voice carried a sweet mixture of enthusiasm and curiosity. With a bit of a nod she added "I'm glad it was me you encountered then. Wouldn't want the kids' father to be at risk. But then, if you've fought the Emperor, I'm not sure if any of us could've harmed you."

The cold of space was starting to get to her. For while the firefighter's jacket was too warm, taking it off exposed her to the cold. Goosbumps formed across her arms and she drew her shoulders together to keep warm. Just then, the King offered the Icebrew. "Thank you" she looked up to him with grateful eyes as her hands cupped the glass. "It's a funny name, for a drink that's supposed to make people warmer." She thought for a moment, considering what he had said about what the brew was actually supposed to do. "Unless Lazerian is a very warm planet?" She had not consumed any of the brew just yet. If he drank it, however, she would too.

 

[Caelan Valoren]

He couldn't help but laugh at what she said.

"I didn't expect you to be naked underneath. I'm thankful you weren't. That would be incredibly awkward."

For both of them. He was married, and she was in a ship with someone she barely knew. Of course there was clothing she could have found if she needed it. The ship carried clothing for him and Anavi both, plus a room full of Kita's stuff should he ever actually find his twin sister, which he believed to be unlikely even though he knew she was alive. Finding her something to wear wouldn't have been hard. Thankfully, it wasn't necessary.

He took a drink from his Icebrew as she asked about the due date of his second child.

"About a month from now," he said in response. "There haven't been any complications so I suspect it will hold to that time. And thank you for the well wishes. As for the battle with your Emperor, I should say I didn't fight him alone. Another Jedi was also present in the battle."

He couldn't take much credit for that fight, to be honest. His participation had been late into it with Ren doing most of the work. But he had still faced him, doing what he could to defeat him. Ultimately the battle had been lost and the core along with it. That was the unfortunate reality of war. No matter what you did, you couldn't win every battle even when you really desired to do so in order to protect the people that were counting on you.

Then she commented on Lazerian and the Icebrew and he smiled.

"Lazerian IV is a terrestrial world. You'll find hot and cold both there. We call it Icebrew because it's made using a special moss that grows in the coldest regions of the planet. It has a property that comes out into the liquid which helps the body better thermoregulate itself. If you're hot, it will cool you. If you're cold, it will warm you. It also tastes really good. They make it in alcoholic forms as well, but I don't drink alcohol so I never keep it around."

ATTIRE: Link | WEAPON: Lightsaber | COMPANION: BD-F8 | OTHER: Sigil Bead (Necklace), Prosthetic Left Arm

TAGS: Ines Pen-Ar-Lan ​

 

[Ines Pen-Ar-Lan]

Ashes of Allegiance
Caelan Valoren ​

A month. Line nodded as her gaze wandered to the edge of the room whilst she thought about it for a brief moment. "Not too much time left until then. You must be excited." she offered a gentle smile. The working-class Corellian was still present - albeit a little more tempered now that the most intensive parts of their interaction was over.

He mentioned not having fought the Emperor alone. The sigh that escaped her hinted at a bit of relief. "I wouldn't want to fight alone against someone of his calibre. I wouldn't want to fight alone against someone of your calibre either, for that matter. I assume you're avoiding the frontlines now that it's just one month left?"

Eventually, the conversation moved on to the Icebrew and his home planet of Lazerian IV. The Agent listened attentively as he told her about both.

Line really was something of a tomboy. Even underneath the helmet, it was possible to see that the brunette's ponytail was messy - it was someone who was far more focused on the practical need for a ponytail, rather than someone who wanted to look good at work. The way she gripped the cup was far from elegant and lady-like. Instead, she held both the saucer and the coffee cup with a firm grip. The Icebrew had been allowed to linger undisturbed in the cup for a while until she looked down at the drink and finally had a taste.

"This is delicious." she noted, looking up to him with bright eyes and a soft smile. "I can see why it is so popular among your people." As she commented on the drink, her posture seemed to relax a bit. The cold that had washed over her previously seemed to fade. This was something which she clearly seemed to notice. Her head tilted to the side as her brows furrowed. A contemplative "huh" escaped her. "That's cool. It works just like advertised"

Without leaving much of a pause, she continued with a question: "So, why skip alcohol? It ain't the best choice ahead of an important dinner - but it's sooo good when you just wanna relax a little and let off some steam."

 

[Caelan Valoren]

"I am," he said, smiling. "It's a girl. We have a son and soon a daughter."

He was very much looking forward to his little princess. Literally a princess, even. He'd seen how his father had doted on his sister, and he understood it. There was just something about a father taking care of his little girl. Not that he didn't love Kastiel as much. He hoped to be better than his father when it came to raising his son. His father hadn't spent nearly as much time with him as he had Kita, and it showed in how the two of them had grown up. Caelan had been a book worm. Kita was the better combatant between them.

When she commented on the frontlines, he shook his head.

"I don't hold with Jedi being the aggressive type. I would prefer to find ways to avoid the necessity for battle if at all possible. That's something I'm planning to push for more in the future. All fighting does is waste life."

He watched her drink, and smiled at her question.

"I'm a King and a Jedi, both of which require a clear head. Alcohol leads to lapses in judgment as it affects your brain. I'd prefer not to have that," he said with a wink before standing.

"Well, I think we should get some rest before our arrival. Pick any of the rooms that aren't occupied and lock the door. They're all fine. And don't fret, they aren't bugged or camera laden."

And with that, he retired to rest in his quarters, as he'd said.

- - - -

After what felt like forever, they exited hyperspace over the world of Lazerian. If Ines took the time to look outside, she'd see a bustling sector carefully guarded by a handful of warships and patrols that made sure everyone was safe. There wasn't a great fleet there, just a systems force that was funded by the Kingdom of Devit and crewed by local citizenry rather than GADF forces. This was because he wanted to ensure their system remained protected at all times, rather than having their defenses called away, leaving them vulnerable. He had to look out for his people.

The ship would land at the back of the royal manse, which was situated within a large wooded park at the heart of the City of Devit itself. He exited his room and went to the exit ramp to wait for her to join him. He could already feel that Anavi and Kastiel were on their way to greet them.

ATTIRE: Link | WEAPON: Lightsaber | COMPANION: BD-F8 | OTHER: Sigil Bead (Necklace), Prosthetic Left Arm

TAGS: Ines Pen-Ar-Lan ​

 

[Ines Pen-Ar-Lan]

Ashes of Allegiance
Caelan Valoren ​

"That is a Jedi ideal I haven't seen much of lately." she noted, upon hearing of his personal beliefs. There was no judgement in her voice, however. "The New Jedi Order is closely tied to the Alliance. Without Jedi on the frontlines, the wars would probably have become relatively one-sided. I know most of you would prefer for the Alliance to rule over the Empire - so why not keep fighting for it?"

The comment on alcohol would garner a slight nod. He made a good point. "Each to their own, I suppose. I am glad I don't have such a demanding job. Much less two jobs." She tilted her head to the side as her eyes studied him with a bit of a squint. "How do you do it? Balancing being a Jedi with all of their responsibilites with governing a planet and also being a father - that must be hard." The firefighter leaned back in the couch now that the brew had brought her some warmth.

Eventually, the conversation would draw to a close. Heading to a room for some rest? She did not seem to mind that idea. With a nod, she let out a simple "You're the boss. I'll see if I can't catch some rest."

***​

After a while, Line would join Caelan by the landing ramp. To him, it would likely still be clear that she wore the firefighter's outfit - something which would be hard to tell for anyone who hadn't seen her in it previously. Through quite a bit of effort, she had managed to remove the insignias and the reflex stripes, leaving a thick black jacket and matching pants. She left the jacket unzipped for a more casual appearance. The helmet looked a little awkward with the outfit but she had opted to keep it on with a few minute modifications to make it somewhat more presentable.

"Hey" she spoke with an eager beat, it was as if she had now recharged to full. "I caught a glimpse of your planet on our way down - it's beautiful from above. I didn't expect to see defence forces though. Are you guys under threat from something?" She considered what she had just asked for a brief moment before raising a hand disarmingly "You don't have to answer that." With a chuckle she took a step closer "Well, here we are." her eyes searched his for an answer to the question she had yet to ask: What did he want her to see before releasing her?

 

[Caelan Valoren]

"Fighting solves nothing. It just makes things worse. One side will never fully destroy the other, and the other will just come back again and the war will start anew. It's exactly what has happened with your Empire and the Alliance, at least twice now. Will I defend? Absolutely, but I refuse to be party to acts of aggression."

As for her questions on balancing it all and how he did it? He didn't really have an answer to that one. He just did it. Thus he chose not to answer it, and the two parted for the rest of the trip to Lazerian.

When she approached him at the landing ramp for the ship, he was dressed in his Jedi robes again, and waiting patiently. There was no need to rush anything. They were safe on Lazerian (at least he thought so at the time). Here they would find what he wanted her to see: true aspects of what it meant to be for the people rather than an avenue for despots and bureaucrats to ruin planets. He had his faults with the Alliance, and the longer they were a part of it, the more of them he found, but in general they still stood for good, at least among the average people.

"We're on the border of the Alliance. Weakest of regions when it comes to defense because our proximity to the High Republic is deemed safe. But it doesn't actually make us safe. Also, we're on a major trade hyperlane and a lot of business comes through here. Security is a necessity or else we'd have pirates running amuck. I prefer my people, and those visiting here, to do so with visible safety."

He didn't mind answering, it was a legitimate question.

The ramp lowered and he led her down it. The fact she was wearing the firefighter suit still, albeit modified, was a little strange to him, but to each their own. Anavi was there waiting for him with Kastiel by her side. She was heavily pregnant and practically glowing, even though her smile and eyes betrayed the fact that she was there performing for duty and show rather than actual love and a desire to see him. He walked over and scooped up his son to toss him in the air. The boy squealed and then laughed when he was caught and hugged by his father, who then kissed his wife on the cheek.

"Anavi and Kastiel, this is Line," he said, introducing the two to the woman with him. "She's here to have a tour of Lazerian, primarily the city, before she returns to her home."

"Hello," Anavi said, dipping her head in greeting to Line. "Welcome to Lazerian and our home. Do you need any refreshment before you go?"

ATTIRE: Link | WEAPON: Lightsaber | COMPANION: BD-F8 | OTHER: Sigil Bead (Necklace), Prosthetic Left Arm

TAGS: Ines Pen-Ar-Lan ​

 

[Ines Pen-Ar-Lan]

Ashes of Allegiance
Caelan Valoren ​

For a little bit of time, the duo talked as they waited for the ramp to lower. The King explained why his planet needed an active defence. Pirates. Line shook her head at the situation "Well, it is good that you're protecting your people against them. That's probably more than most planetary rulers does."

Upon finishing the sentence, the Agent turned to the ramp which just started to lower. She took a deep breath as fresh air started to flood into the ship. Her eyes closed and she finally seemed to relax for few moments. Line let out a content breath before looking back up to Caelan. Amidst all the uncertainty of what was going to happen on the - to her - foreign planet, she still seemed relatively calm in his presence.

When his family were there to greet him, Line stayed in the background. She walked down the ramp with him, of course, but once on the landing pad, she stood a few meters back to give them some space as they reunited. Still, her eyes studied both his wife and his son with a curious glimmer. Resting her hands on her hips with a stable and wide stance, a content smile started to grow on her lips, watching what looked like a happy and blissful family. From afar, there would likely be a stark difference between the tomboyish firefighter and the regal Queen.

"Thank you. It is an honour to meet you, your majesties" Line spoke with a clear tone as she performed a clumsy curtsy under her heavy clothes. She then offered a polite smile but shook her head 'no' "I had something to drink right before arriving here." For a moment, Line looked away from the Queen to wave softly at the Prince. "I had the pleasure of tasting your people's Icebrew earlier, it was quite delightfull. I am so looking forward to seeing the planet firsthand."

 

[Caelan Valoren]

“There are more that do than you’d believe, but also not enough that do,” he said in response to her comment about protecting his people.

He was well aware of several people who had done nothing to protect anyone other than themselves. Anavi’s father was one such person on Kashir. He only cared about himself, which is why crime was so terrible there. It was also why his independent investigator had discovered an Obsidian Hand cell, and why he was certain that the king of Kashir had some hand in what had happened to him and his family. He didn’t believe he’d ordered the killings, or attempted killings, but he believed the man was getting something out of it. He still figured that had something to do with the decision to arrange a marriage between Caelan and Anavi.

Anavi responded to Line’s response with a smile and a dip of her head. “Icebrew is one of the best things to come from Lazerian. I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

“As am I,” Caelan said as he gently set Kastiel down. “But now I think we should go for a tour.”

Ruffling his son’s hair, he smiled at him and then Anavi before turning back to Line and motioning for her to follow him. There was a reason he’d wanted her to come to Lazerian with him and it had to do with seeing what the effects of her actions could be. It was easy to find fault with a government and then try and work against it if you never saw the other side of what those actions might cause. He didn’t fault her for being upset with the Alliance, he was himself, but he also didn’t want her to act against the free people that called it home, especially in the name of monsters.

He would lead her to the garage of the manse where they would board a speeder. Normally he’d have someone else drive him, but he didn’t want to make her more uncomfortable than she clearly already was, so he decided he would. He’d gotten a lot better at piloting in the last few years. No ace, but he was safe, at least.

When she was settled he took off, and they drove through the forest around the manse and into the city. He didn’t go too fast because he wanted her to see the hustle and bustle of people that were happy with life. Kids playing on sidewalks, people buying from streetfront stalls. There was very little crime on Lazerian because there didn’t need to be.

“We have two major corporations on Lazerian that are nationalized under the Kingdom, Lazerian Dynamics and Lazerian BioTech. The latter made the medicine I gave you before. It utilizes the nectar of a flower that only grows on Lazerian called Shadowbloom. It’s rare, but we can replicate it in labs. Only thing is, it takes years to bloom and only blooms at night. It’s a beautiful flower, though. If you get the chance to go to the botanical gardens here sometime I recommend going at night so you can see if any have bloomed.

“But the reason I tell you about them is that the proceeds that those companies make in trade, after the employees are paid, are split between every citizen outside of the nobility throughout Lazerian, even those in Doxeti who are not a part of the Kingdom. It’s our aim to make sure that the people who call this world home have what they need, and that’s one of the ways we can help ensure that.”

ATTIRE: Link | WEAPON: Lightsaber | COMPANION: BD-F8 | OTHER: Sigil Bead (Necklace), Prosthetic Left Arm

TAGS: Ines Pen-Ar-Lan ​

 

[Ines Pen-Ar-Lan]

Ashes of Allegiance
Caelan Valoren ​

After having waved the Queen and the little Prince goodbye, the duo entered a speeder. Once onboard, Line placed an elbow onto the doorpanel, preparing to take in the view as they went. Before turning away from him, however, she paused "Your family seems lovely. The Queen was very gracious." Maybe - probably, even - he was already quite well aware of what she said. Still, it was nothing which seemed to deter her from offering a bit of praise.

Before long, the speeder took off. Line's gaze lingered by the forest situated between the Royal Manse and the nearest town. When they entered the settlement, her eyes studied the stalls and the movement in the area. Well supplied merchants appeared to have equally well-off customers. Impressed brows rose as they travelled - a pattern was starting to show.

He then proceeded to tell her about their economy. Of how different the system was compared to much of the rest of the galaxy. Line tore her gaze off of the streets outside in order to look to him. She now spoke with a slightly warmer shade "This really is quite the utopia, isn't it? No corporate greed draining all the little guys dry, not a bunch of pickpockets menacing the bazaars, medicine manufacturing. And your own defence force on top of that?" she leaned her head to the side with an impressed nod. "I'm no politician, but I'm fairly sure that far from everyone could pull this off. Even well intentioned ones would have a hard time achieving this."

Her eyes wandered once more as her gaze searched for new items of interest outside. At some point, she'd speak an idle "That forest we went by on the way here, it looked very inviting. I bet you've got a bunch of good Jogger's Tracks in there. Do you hunt? Hunting is a thing that royalty likes to do, right?"

 

[Caelan Valoren]

When she complimented his family he couldn’t help but smile.

“Anavi is the best person in the entirety of her family. Before we married, she was already royalty. Her father is the king of Kashir.”

After he explained how the Kingdom worked, she commented on it, and he was happy that she seemed to understand that it was possible to do this when people actually tried. This kind of life, the one he was helping to make for his people, was not one that was going to be found under the Emperor of the Galactic Empire because, as always, the Emperor really only cared about himself, not the lives of those underneath of him. The Empire, by design, was authoritarian, demanding order and enforcing structure upon its citizenry, even if that structure left people in a place they didn’t want to be in, found no enjoyment in, and ultimately resented. It was about control, not caring.

“I wouldn’t say we’re utopian. That’s an unachievable thing. Like everywhere else, there’s always a level of discord. People come here and seek to exploit just as much as anywhere else. You’ll find crime exists, it’s just less than most worlds, and not typically violent. Some people always want more than they earn, and will try to acquire it through unsavory means. It’s just the nature of beings.”

He didn’t say it with a defeatist attitude, but in a way that more signified he understood it and accepted it as reality. It wasn’t something you could just make go away. Some people were just wired differently.

When she asked about the forest at the center of the city, the one that the manse was situated in, and whether he hunted in it, his smile faltered just a tiny bit. That question brought up memories and thoughts that he had been hiding away for some time. Immediately his mind drifted to Kita and once again wondering where she was, what she was doing, and why she hadn’t found a way to come home when he had retaken the throne.

“My twin sister was more the hunter. My father used to take her out while I remained home with my nose in a book.”

This was his polite way of both answering, and dismissing the subject at the same time.

They would continue on through the city and out of it, zooming through the countryside towards a distant village. This, by the looks of it, was new and still in a state of construction that had it rapidly expanding both upwards and outwards. There were a lot of people here, some of them wearing the typical clothing seen of locals, but a lot of them wearing clothing more indicative of other cultures.

“This is a new village that’s being constructed to house and help integrate refugees into our culture. After the loss of Woostri, and several other worlds, many were displaced with an inability to return, or a lack of desire to do so because they don’t want to live under the Empire or Sith’s totalitarian control. We’ve taken in many of them here and are trying our best to give them a new life as part of our people. This is what I wanted you to see, because these people here have lost a great deal at the hands of governments like yours. I won’t pretend the Alliance has done a lot better, they haven’t, but the Alliance offers far more freedom to its citizens than the Empire or Sith do.”

ATTIRE: Link | WEAPON: Lightsaber | COMPANION: BD-F8 | OTHER: Sigil Bead (Necklace), Prosthetic Left Arm

TAGS: Ines Pen-Ar-Lan ​

 

[Ines Pen-Ar-Lan]

Ashes of Allegiance
Caelan Valoren ​

He spoke of how it wasn't quite utopian. How there were still a few bad eggs in the mix. Line shook her head with a light chuckle "Well, you seem to be doing better than most. Call it what you will, but I think a lot of people across the galaxy would like to live like this. But you're right, I shouldn't be too quick to judge - neither the good nor the bad." She smiled to him with a little bit of a shrug before letting her gaze drift out onto the streets outside.

When there was no immediate response to her question about hunting, Line's blue eyes gradually shifted to study the King. She blinked a few times, letting her eyes convey a sense of sympathy. A soft smile spread across her lips as she let out a dreamy breath "What I wouldn't have given to just sit around at a library with my head buried in a book." Perhaps that wasn't what he wanted to hear at the moment - but her tone was soft and non-confrontational. Leaning in just a tiny bit closer, she then sided with him "I bet you would've liked to hunt with them too, right? Spending some time with family is always a boon." Speaking of family and kinship made her working class Corellian accent grew a little more pronounced.

Eventually, the duo reached a village outside of town. It was bustling with activity and growth. Her eyes shifted between the people moving around rapidly, as if trying to analyse both what they were doing and where they originally came from. "I'm not surprised they decided to come here." She then smirked as she thought back to their previous conversation "One more point to team utopia" she jested.

"If the Emperor ever decides to step down and retire, maybe you should pick up the mantle." It was clearly a joke - but perhaps there was a bit of truth to her words. The girl had always been a hard one to read. Regardless, she soon burst inte a bit of laughter. It would seem like she had no intentions of arguing against him when it came to the flaws of the Empire.

 

[Caelan Valoren]

They were doing better than most, but that was largely because they weren't being threatened. Lazerian was on the border of Alliance space and Republic space. The chances of there being conflict there were minimal unless the Empire continued to push further in their direction. It had seemed, of late, that the opposite was the case, but it was impossible to say how long that would continue to be true.

When she commented about the joy of being able to sit in a library with a good book, he nodded in agreement.

"It is fun to sit and read. There are several good libraries here, not including the one in the Manse," he said as they slowly moved down the street, making sure to let people cross when they needed to. "I had the opportunity to hunt if I wanted it, I suppose, I just never felt like it was what I wanted to do. Killing isn't something I enjoy."

Of course he could have gone along with them and just been the pack mule, carrying stuff they needed or carrying back their kills. Now that he thought back on it, that would have meant more time with his father. Hindsight, as they say, is 20/20.

On the far side of the new town was where the latest arrivals were. Here there were numerous temporary shelters and medical clinics in place, handling people from Arkania and Coruscant that had arrived in a state of injury. There were plenty of them, and pretty much the whole of the medical side of the worlds academy were present handling things. He was proud of how well the people of the Kingdom were taking care of those who needed it. It was a shame they couldn't stop them from needing it.

"These are people from Coruscant and Arkania that got caught in the conflict. Survivors that fled. Lots of injured."

He didn't make it about government here, she just needed to see it. Plus, as he'd read in the reports while alone in his cabin, the Alliance had done some pretty terrible things. There were more ships landing here, arriving from Arkania still. Only the first to leave had arrived around the same time as them.

"War does more to hurt people that have nothing to do with it than it does help anyone."

ATTIRE: Link | WEAPON: Lightsaber | COMPANION: BD-F8 | OTHER: Sigil Bead (Necklace), Prosthetic Left Arm

TAGS: Ines Pen-Ar-Lan ​

 

[Ines Pen-Ar-Lan]

Ashes of Allegiance
Caelan Valoren ​

Her eyes wandered over to him after having studied the streets outside for a while. "A man who knows what he wants" she mused, tilting her head to the side. "I'd have tagged along, even if I didn't like hunting. I just don't see myself passing up the chance to be with my friends and family, y'know?" the working class Corellian grew more pronounced once more. The conversation was close to home. She then chuckled and joked "But then, maybe I'd rather spend my time in the library if I had the chance. Who knows?" After a short pause, she'd ask "So, what stuff were you into reading?"

Eventually, they entered an area that still seemed to be in an early phase. People were still learning to find their way around town. Some buildings were still under construction and there were far too many wounded for a normal civilian population. Concerned blue eyes gazed out over their surroundings. Line was taking her time to study the people whom she could see. A low low mumble - more to herself than anyone else - escaped her "Coruscant, Arkania" - her observations were soon confirmed as Caelan mentioned that that was indeed where these people came from.

The lighthearted little comments she'd made previously - but which he seemed to have ignored - were just as true here as they were when she made them. What she had not addressed, however, was the cost of war. The curious eyes went blank for a few moments as she seemed to reflect over what he had just conveyed. Eventually, she'd let out a soft "Maybe"

"War's horrible. That, I'd agree with. It might help people though. Just think about it - if you Jedi were to liberate all the worlds under Imperial control. Imagine the trillions who'd be set free from the autocratic oppression of us. Wouldn't it be worth it, even if civilians - many civilians, even - got hurt in the process?" She obviously did not believe in the scenario herself - worlds didn't need to be liberated from the Empire and they'd most certainly be worse off for it.

 

[Caelan Valoren]

“We all have different experiences of that level of closeness, though. I was around my family all the time. I might have bonded more closely with my mother, but I never wanted for time with them. Royal life is more tight knit on Lazerian than some other worlds. Plus my father worked in the same building in which we lived so he was never far away. Also, sometimes time away from Kita was a good thing.”

Not anymore, he missed her greatly. There was still a huge hole within him that wasn’t likely to ever be filled again unless she reappeared. He didn’t think she would, though. Something told him that she wasn’t coming back.

She went on to talk about war, and all the people that had been displaced. She discussed the possibility of things being better if worlds were liberated. Wouldn’t it be better if they were? Maybe. The future was always uncertain. He knew that many governments would be better than Imperial control. In fact, most governments would, especially when the brand of Imperials involved were more Sith than anything else. But what would be a good replacement? The Alliance? The same people that had lost those worlds because of complacency? The same people that had allowed the Empire to grow up right under their noses? The High Republic? Had they done anything against the Sith that bordered them?

“How many?” he asked her as he pulled the speeder to a stop on the side near an aid station. “How many would you believe to be an acceptable loss to stop a government you don’t like? A hundred? A thousand? Ten thousand? A million? Do you know how many lives your own actions have cost? What would that data you were stealing do to innocent people?”

Might be a little harsh, but maybe not. Did she even think about the consequences of her actions aside from doing good by the Empire? Did she think about the people that the Empire hurt? He thought about the ones the Alliance hurt. He thought about the ones HE hurt.

“I think about mine all the time. I keep a list of every person I’ve killed, whether direct or indirect and I lament every single one of them, even the ones who were trying to kill me. None of them should be dead. I don’t want anyone to die. I want to find ways to resolve conflict without it being necessary. Negotiations. Mediation. If the will is there, a way will present itself, even if one side doesn’t like all of the terms. Innocent people are not tokens to be spent for galactic conquest.”

ATTIRE: Link | WEAPON: Lightsaber | COMPANION: BD-F8 | OTHER: Sigil Bead (Necklace), Prosthetic Left Arm

TAGS: Ines Pen-Ar-Lan ​

 

[Ines Pen-Ar-Lan]

Ashes of Allegiance
Caelan Valoren ​

She felt the belt push against her core as the speeder came to a halt. Just a few moments ago, they had been drifting through the refugee center - now, they were stationary in it. Instead of moving past all the activity - both the pain and suffering as well as the hope and kindness - they were surrounded by it, watching it unfold. Her eyes lingered on what was outside until they eventually shifted to the Jedi. How many? He didn't give her a chance to answer before posing two more questions: How many lives had her actions ended and what the data's impact was on innocent people?

Her hazel eyes looked to him with a long knowing gaze. This was where the heat turned up. Although whether it was irreversible or not was far from certain. In a way, it seemed like the tone cooled down soon enough as he opened up about his own regrets. Her gaze softened "This really weighs you down a lot, huh?" Her one was warm and sympathetic - understanding rather than confrontational. She angled her body towards him to allow for a more open posture "I can imagine I'd loose quite a bit of sleep over it too. If I killed someone, I mean. Probably not as much if I was forced to do it in self defence." She tried to offer him a tender smile to cheer him up.

"As for your question on how many: I don't know. I've never even thought of governing - but you're a King. You hold more power than I could ever dream of." She trailed off for a brief moment "The answer you gave was expected and unexpected at the same time. On the one hand, doing everything you can to prevent innocent people from dying seems like the obvious morally good choice to make. Fully in line with what I'd expect from a Jedi. At the same time, if the Empire is really as bad as you say, don't you risk the lives of even more people by letting them live under the Empire's oppression? Wouldn't the right answer in that case be to go to war? To end the Empire's existance?" Her tone sent a clear message: Rather than seeking conflict, she was trying to explore what his thoughts were on the matter.