Back in Red

[Eugen Aker]

One fine Wednesday morning, an email would be issued to the personal inbox of Krasnaya Xue over the holonet, the sender being Arisa herself. In the email, she had included a holo-recording along with a transcript of everything said in her message. In the recording, Arisa could be seen sitting behind her desk dress informally in a tasteful black dress, a soft smile on her face.

“Greetings, Admiral Xue. My name is Arisa Yune, Grandmaster of the Silver Jedi Order and the Supreme Commander of the Antarian Rangers. A little while back, I made contact with your associate, Mister Drexel, and it was then that he made me aware of you. Digging through old GRIM records, I can see why you came so highly recommended.”

Her smile faded after the introduction. “I know things didn’t turn out well for you in the past, but a lot of people could use your help right now. It would be a shame to continue wasting your talents in your current position when you could be doing some real good for the galaxy once more”

She was vague in her wording on the specific nature of the threat, as she had reached out to the former commander over open channels, but she figured Xue would understand that she was referring to the current iteration of Sith and malicious Imperials currently rampaging across the galaxy. Their atrocities were hard to ignore.

“So, I have a proposal to share with you, but I would prefer to do so in person. If you’re interested, then I can come out to meet with you by the end of the week. Just give me a specific time and place that works for you.”

“I hope to hear an answer from you soon. Take care, and may the Force be with you.”

She smiled again before the recording cut off. Now it was up to Xue to choose how she wanted to proceed.

[member="Krasnaya Xue"]

 

[Krasnaya Xue]

Krasnaya had the inclination to send a rather curt response to the unexpected message. Was this "Grandmaster Jedi" really a representative of the same group of isolationist sectarians that had sat quietly in their corner and simply watched as the galaxy had burned? Her icy blue eyes stared at the screen of her datapad, deliberating over what her reaction should be. It was even more difficult to decide, considering how she had been labeled everything from a terrorist to a genocidal warmonger. Did the Jedi see through those lies? Or was she just that desperate to call upon an overshadowed naval figure such as herself?

Perhaps it was too early to pass judgment. Krasnaya assumed that the woman hadn't offered to visit her in person just to get out of the office--or whatever it is that Jedi do.


A couple weeks later, the obscure former admiral of the Red Fleet sat in the sparsely floral lunch break courtyard at the center of the docking ring, cloud-filtered sunlight sprinkling down into the opening. All around, the lip of the upper platform enveloped the perimeter of the ring in shade. It wasn't lunchtime for her, but that didn't matter when she was to host a guest of no marginal status. But it also wasn't an impressive meeting spot when one could choose from a plethora of more breathtaking locations on the floating mining colony of Cherniy City.

She just felt safer here, among the loading crews and in plain sight. Many of them were natives of her own world, Taloraan being a refuge for hundreds of thousands of Sibakantsi who had strayed this far from their point in the galactic pinwheel. Tibanna was king, and she would always have a job here if she desired. But was it something she wished to do for the rest of her life? Air traffic control? Counting drums in and drums out? But at least she wasn't a failure at that...

Krasnay simply waited, sipping at her chai and watching the cargo vessels sigh in and buzz out of the open cavern. If the Jedi really wanted her so badly, she would find her.

[member="Arisa Yune"]