Cloud Atlas

[Cira]

Naboo
Lake Country
Varykino


There is knowledge in this galaxy. With knowledge comes power. With power comes great responsibility.

The illegal trafficking and bartering of ancient holocrons and datacrons were rising to alarming levels. It was enough to prompt the former Lady Protector and the current Lord Protector, [member="Ayden Cater"], to develop some sort of contingency plan.

While she promoted the preservation of the history and knowledge of the past; Cira was all too familiar at just what that knowledge could amount to if captured by the wrong hands.

The recent auctions were a concern, one she wanted to discuss with Ayden. Along with the chance to go over the holocrons and datacrons themselves to see if there was any evidence on their validity.

One such as her with centuries worth of xenoarchaeology, a researcher, and a creator of advanced holocrons would have a better eye for that.

 

[Ayden Cater]

[member="Cira"]

Ayden admitted that he was surprised to get the message from Cira. Ever since her sudden reappearance, both privately on Fondor and publicly on Eriadu, she had kept her distance and remained out of the spotlight. It was curious then that she sent him a message at all. So it didn't take much convincing for him to take an escort to Naboo to meet with the reclusive former Lady Protector. After all, she rarely wasted his time with trivial things. So if she was asking for his presence, it meant something serious.

Taking a speeder bike to her location, Ayden hopped off and straightened his jacket some before going to find her. Her brilliant mane of red hair would be pretty hard to miss. "So Cira. What brings you out to Naboo, and why bring me out here? Couldn't we talk on Fondor?" That would prove to be the biggest target of his curiosity. Naboo was not a horrible planet, not ugly by any stretch of any imagination. But it was still curious to be meeting out on an Mid Rim world like this

 

[Cira]

She stood by the balcony overlooking the lake, the sun siluhetting her figure, glinting mahogany highlights over the crown of her head.

Her profile turned to face Ayden, and the briefest of smiles would sweep her lips as her gold eyes fell upon him.

"Linna would say that there are methods to the madness, but it was mainly for security purposes." Odd one would say that considering Fondor was a fortress.

But there were reasons.

"Case in point, I'll get to the point of the matter. ". She directed him to a desk where a neat pile of filmsi, datapad, and copious notes would detail the work she'd been doing recently.

"There have been a rise in the trafficking of ancient holocrons, Datacrons, and artifacts-- to the point it has greatly concerned me and the S.A.A.T.

Ever since the Dark Harvest, far too much ancient knowledge of certain overwhelming powers have been bartered like currency. " a tap of her finger would reveal on the small holo array a list of the items within the past year. Key names, locations, auctions, and any black market transactions.


"The last auction certainly brought a higher level of concern... Especially that the Jedi order would be so willing to barter knowledge they've sworn to protect. "

There was disappointment in her expression.

"Most I've found are fake -- but some are valid copies. Fewer are originals."

A pause, then she glanced at the Corellian.

"Have you've certified the authenticity of the holocrons you've aquired?"

 

[Ayden Cater]

[member="Cira"]

Ayden took one of the datapads up and began inspecting it while listening to her. He had also noticed the upward trend of auctions with valuable datacrons and holocrons put up for sale without care or warning. It was amusing, in some way, that they had both turned up at auctions independent of one another. "The two holocrons I picked up were legitimate, though I suspect a number of others that were sold might not have been. One of them was a reproduction. I admit I was surprised when I got word that a Jedi was holding an auction and that holocrons were going to be put up for grabs. Seems a far cry from the Jedi Order of old."

He had almost slipped up there, though his recovery mid-stride was seamless. Some secrets had to be kept. "If I had to take a swing, I'd guess you were going to express a similar sentiment and then propose a method of ensuring that the same doesn't happen within the Protectorate?" He lofted an eyebrow and glanced sideways at her before resuming his dig through her notes. This at least partially explained the mystery surrounding how she spent her free time. "Not a lot I can think of, short of tagging and restricting access to data clusters, datacrons, and holocrons deemed dangerous. Or plunging half the galaxy back into the metaphorical Stone Age and controlling all surviving technology from there on out."

 

[Cira]

Cira gave a rather thin smile that did not reach her eyes, her focus upon the documents of loub-paper and filmsi in front of her. "Then, there are more out there." she said plainly, and one would wonder if she meant in general or specific. Or maybe she was just mulling aloud.

Gold eyes went flicking over towards his direction again, as one hand shifted to bring a seemingly ancient looking sheet of loub-paper, etched in faded ink. She went leaning forward, the folds of her loose dress dipping slightly, as the aureum chain she normally wore hidden under her modest clothing came peeking out. The pendant that held the wax seal, however, remained hidden between the crevice of her breasts.

"The scientific exploration program along with the university of antiquities for the Pyre and the Protectorate had long since been standard programs. It is only a matter of reviewing the work that the researchers and xeno archeologists have uncovered." she glanced back upon the old parchment in front of her; and artifact she had collected along with various star-maps in ages past. Another time. Another place.

With two other sentients who had sworn to uphold the code. The mission. Two who were long gone, cast adrift in time. Whose only legacy was the knowledge gleaned and stored in safety and secrecy, the only tangible sign a mere faint watermark of the Selab at it's upper right most corner, so faint, that one would need heat to uncover it in it's entirety.

"Restricting will only place attention to those areas." she shook her head, "What manner of specialized cleared and secured researchers and archaeologists would best fit this scenario."

 

[Ayden Cater]

[member="Cira"]

"Few could ever be trusted like that." Ayden muttered and shook his head sadly. "Knowledge for most people is simply power. Power to destroy their enemies. Sometimes power simply to protect others, but power none-the-less. Any collection of knowledge will attract those who seek that power. Only those who chase knowledge for knowledge's sake could be trusted. And such individuals are Corusca gems in a sea of sand." The disdain could be heard clearly in his voice as he looked over the datapad. There were dozens of reports of datacron sales in the last few months. There were of course always those who would try to scam the desperate, but it was still a troubling trend.

"I can't make an order to ban the sale of holocrons. That would just increase the sale of these counterfeits and give rise to a larger black market. I can't make a public collection of them. That just makes them a target for looters and blackhearts." Of course, he had no doubt that the many thousands of attempts to steal them would be thwarted by the security put in place, but all it took was one successful theft... "It's a matter of 'damned if you do, damned if you don't'. Who could really be trusted that far? Droids can be reprogrammed, and people can be bought off or intimidated. What else is there to try?"

 

[Cira]

[member="Ayden Cater"]

"Then we do what we can," came her reply, gold eyes flashing a bit in growing frustration at the situation. Things were so chaotic now. Connections to the past long gone. She was on her own. She could only do what she could as she had done in the past.

"There are several archeologists that could be trusted to inquire and approach any potential sites of lore." more sheets of loub-paper were shifted. "There are just far too many dangerous artifacts out there that could be used as the next catalyst of another dark age.

I've gathered as much as I could during my term as Prex in Omega Pyre and as the Lady Projector. " a frown drew over her head as she went scouring over the data lists of items. "Attaining that list from the Jedi Order for the great Holocron auction months ago could serve as a starting point..." her voice dipped as she spoke to herself. "Non proliferation is key."

 

[Ayden Cater]

[member="Cira"]

"It's not much, but it's a start I suppose." Ayden said, musing to himself. There had to be someway to control this downward spiral. "What I could do is create a library, a big one, and plant a bunch of fake holocrons in it. Any serious threat that tries to nab one, we can track and take them out. This lets us target the larger threat without exposing sensitive information to theft and loss." It was a neat little plan, and one that was truthfully already in the works. In fact, the library on Naboo would be complete in a few weeks. A few minor edits to the structure and it would be the perfect house for 'holocrons' to sit and bait out the greedy.

He had other sources of people to contact for possible leads, but he wasn't about to share those with Cira. Not out of fear she would fail to keep them a secret, but because secrecy was the natural order of things when it came to dealing with these people. The fewer who could identify them, the better. "I'll see about getting that holocron list, and maybe even see if any of them are fakes. Could cross-reference a few of them with the ones we already have. Check last known locations and see if they're there. If they are, we'll know the others are fakes." It was going to be a lot of work to see this through, but he had the feeling that they'd both be up to the challenge.

 

[Cira]

Well that was an idea…

Cira gave a nod, the rush of her auburn hair falling forward just past her shoulder as she did so, her attention completely focused upon the list.

“Talia would be able to confirm their validity.” she said without a thought, years of separating that facet of her life making it easy to distinguish her as another sentient entirely.

Funny how that goes. It was a habit that she still was unable to quite let go.

Harder still to be able to reveal it to Ayden. Even Tegaea. Layers. So many layers of protection.

Everyone had their secrets.

“.. I can confirm their validity.” she added there after, that dawning realization coming to her. It would be better if she could do it herself. She was already on Naboo.

“ I am already taking notes on the ones I’ve aquired. Not to mention, if you are intending on placing imitation holocrons, it would be best to make sure that any academic is able to believe on the surface their validity.”

A glance went over to Ayden. “Do you have them with you?”

 

[Ayden Cater]

[member="Cira"]

Ayden looked at her with an upraised eyebrow. "No? Why would I carry them with me all the time? Your message didn't exactly go into a lot of details about what to expect." Did she honestly expect him to just walk around with rare and priceless artifacts on his person at all times? "I'm not wholly worried about the need to fool experts because the holocrons are not going to be out in the open. They'll be behind thick sheets of glasteel and protected about a dozen different ways. No one's going to be able to get a close enough look at them to be able to tell whether or not their genuine. Unless they want to risk security."

 

[Cira]

There came a throaty chuckle, and she shook her head. "Considering the last auction was not even a day ago, I had to ask. " she said, for one showing a bit of emotion at that, humor bringing a small bit of rare emotion over her face so very rarely seen.

She gave a nod, "If that's what you'll be doing for security, then that makes sense," she then brought another parchment out. It was the blueprints of an ancient library.

"Now... I've recently found this." she showed him, leaning forward again. This time the small pendant she wore fell forward, swinging lightly as she used her finger to point out the design. "These are the holoscan database blueprints... The Woostri Library. One of the Wonders of the galaxy.."


"Climate change has affected Woostri... and I long thought it was lost... having sunk down to the depths of the sea. " a glance went up to [member="Ayden Cater"]. "But these detail the exact coordinates of it's last known location, Ayden... : she said, as the Selab Tree pendant hung from her neck.


We can recover the databases. We can recover one of the last remaining Wonders of the Galaxy..."

 

[Ayden Cater]

"I think you forget how fast I work." Ayden smirked. In less than a day after joining the then OmegaPyre, Ayden got himself set up with high level access and began rewriting most of their electronic warfare suites. In less than a month, he had nearly completed a flagship for the fledgling galactic power; one that had continued to faithfully serve since then. He was not a man to waste time when business was on the line.

He watched as she pulled out a map and laid it out over the desk. Had he not already known what was under the suit, so to speak, he might have indulged in some peeking. However, the faint glimmer of something held 'round her neck -did- catch his attention. It was a simple thing, not carved out of precious jewels or metals. But the symbol was one that caught his eye; a tree. But not just any tree. It was a Selab tree. Had she been looking at him, she might have noticed the smile that broke out over his face.

When she revealed what it was, there was a look of restrained glee on the Corellian's face. He held one hand to his chin, idly biting his thumbnail while he thought. "This is certainly the finding of a lifetime. More than just the two of us could handle." He finished slowly and began to pace while one hand dug into a pocket. "We'll need help from others to ensure that this knowledge is protected and not abused." A faint ringing took to the air as a large coin-sized amulet went flipping over his head to land on the table. As it spun and rattled to a stop, an imprint of a Selab tree stared up at her.

[member="Cira"]

 

[Cira]

[member="Ayden Cater"]
Time seemed to stop as that coin slowly spun only to land with a faint clatter.

Her eyes grew wide at the image that stared back at her; her breath caught at her throat. Immediately, her head went jerking up towards his direction, catching his gaze, a wave of shock bathing her expression unlike any other time before.

If there ever was a time that Cira revealed her emotions, it was now.

Blinking, and registering what he said, she began to quote in a low hush,”Many roots and many leaves draw strength to a single tree…”

If he were to finish it...

 

[Ayden Cater]

"Under whose branches all may take shelter, and all may eat of its fruit," Ayden finished seamlessly. It was of course a secret verse he was very familiar with; one that had been guarded most strictly since he had first heard it uttered to him. A number of details about Cira's personality and actions became crystal clear upon the confirmation that she was a part of the Order. The symbol was not a common one at all, and the spoken verse was one that had never been committed to filmsi in the hundreds, perhaps thousands of years, it had been used.

"So then. What do we do now?"

[member="Cira"]

 

[Cira]

Gold eyes bore straight into [member="Ayden Cater"] ‘s green eyes. Her mind was a sudden whirl of puzzles and details that became all the more increasingly clear.

Right here right now.

Her lips fell open but for a moment, that cool exterior of hers gone for the present time. Blinking rapidly she straightened from her perch, her hands pushing lightly against the desk.

What do we do now? Well her mind was a series of questions.

“How long?” she first asked, inferring the query of just how long he’d been a member. In her mind, however, she was already connecting the nav points on why Ayden was so interested acquiring artifacts and holocrons.

There were other questions of course. Who else was in his cell? Her eyes would widen slightly. Was Sarge part of it as well?