Star Wars Roleplay: Chaos

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Private Cloudbusting

From her place within the cloud car, she witnessed the full majesty of the pristine white city first hand, from above, from within, she drifted among the habitable zone of the otherwise toxic gas planet with a mind free from thought. Here the higher dregs of society converged within the upper scions, a drink pressed to pursed lips, credits exchanged for a rush of adrenaline at the tables, the concerns of most of the Galaxy were lost upon such a resort.
Here the wealthy and affluent could exist however they pleased, without a care in the world, held aloft by the worker bees below and the insane number of repulsorlifts.
It was not a place she had ever expected to find herself. Bespin was not a world for a girl such as she, too busy, too loud, too garish. Eyes aplenty, rumours more, those who pulled the strings elsewhere taking leisurely strolls and plotting their next moves... Give her Teth any day, give her those twisting jungles and peaked mountains.
But it would not do to simply hide away for the rest of forever. The whims of the Force held her in its sway even now, as it had since she was a mere child, and it was here that it wished her to be now. It was he she was bid to find. But the how, the precise where, and the why? Well... That was less clear.
Still, she was here. And so too, she knew, was he.
 
Well, at least he's not Botagg.

Cotan hadn't been a big fan of the previous, emergency-appointed Baron Administrator of Cloud City. Liedol Botagg, suddenly made the leader of the settlement after the withdrawal of both the First Order and the Core Imperial Confederation, had been an odd, not particularly useful, and not particularly bright man. In contrast, the current Baron Administrator, a Miralukan man by the name of Tarei, was much brighter and much more adept an administrator...

And almost as annoying to meet with.

"I understand that the Outer Planets Alliance has dissolved, Tarei," he said, holding up a hand to stop the nigh-implacable advance of words and accusations coming from the Baron Administrator's mouth. "But the Judges are still around, and we're still policing through the area. Our commitment to keep the Outer Rim safe goes beyond whoever has control of the area at any given time. All I'm asking is that you keep that in mind, and help keep us supplied, just like the Black Suits and the Cloud City Sentinels used to do. Is that too much to ask for?"

Apparently it was.

And the meeting had already been ongoing for two hours, by this point.

After the Miralukan's tirade subsided, an aide came by, pulling him aside; curtly, he adjourned the meeting, to be resumed at some later date. "Thank the Force," Cotan muttered to himself, stepping outside. At least the scenery on the planet was enjoyable, even if the man currently in charge of it wasn't. He wandered his way to an empty plaza, a circular platform held aloft by thin bridges and the ever-present low hum of the repulsorlifts far below, with some sort of decorative sculpture in the center. Not that Cotan could entirely tell what the sculpture was; it just looked like some marble monolith, somewhat tapered from base to top, squared off, with hard corners, itself floating over a decorative sort of plinth.

Why couldn't artists find someone or something to sculpt, like on Naboo?

He groaned, sitting on a bench and burying his head in his hands.

"I wish I at least had my droid with me."
 
The car slowed to a crawl as it made its descent toward the city proper, repulsorlifts nigh on silent as the beast merely purred. A well oiled machine, it had known consistent upkeep but what else could be expected for those it typically carried?
She hopped out, paid her due, and took in a long and deep breath. The air was clean, a little strange but not as stagnant as it could have been on other worlds that had such a hub of activity. So many bodies...
Asha closed her eyes. She felt through the Force at the ground beneath her feet, tasted the air and breathed through her nose, grounding herself and shutting out the natural chaos which lay around. Her heart beat slowed, and when next she breathed it was without that same lump in her chest.
One second more... And then she opened them again. Reinvigorated. She walked then with a renewed purpose, heading toward the boardwalk she trusted in that guiding tug of the Force which was ever-present. Harder to read away from the jungles, but there...
When she came upon the plaza she knew it to be so. She held back, aloft by two stories she peered down over it, the circular platform humming much in the way the rest of this place seemed to. She could feel it moving, however miniscule the motion was, as she deepened her focus. It was empty; was she too late?
And then he came, striding toward the heart of the plaza he took his time and observed the obelisk-like monument with the same confusion she felt toward it. Then sinking into a bench he let his head rest within his hands.
Exhausted. Like the weight of the Galaxy rested solely on his shoulders. Her heart ached to see him like this, but she knew that on a deeper level he was strong enough to shoulder any burden. A fighter. He would not be here if he did not think it necessary. Why was he here?
For a time she watched him, setting to memory every detail of him that she could. It had been too long, she had almost forgotten how he looked but now, with him right there in front of her, even with his face not visible to her, it was as though nary a minute had passed.
Would he feel the same?
She set her feet to the stairs, slowly bringing herself down to the level of the plaza before settling upon one of the bridges. Across from him, with distance between, she paused once more. Was this fair? She had been gone so long, did he even wish to see her? Was she going to disrupt whatever it was he had going for him now that she was back?
No further steps, she simply stood and watched him. In their own sanctuary, no others stood around. Too busy with their politics, too busy with their greed, to see the two in the plaza...
 
After a short span of time, futilely rubbing at his eyes to try and banish the tiredness he felt after dealing with insufferable people for the day, Cotan gave up; instead, he turned slightly, laying down on the bench with one arm over his eyes to block out the light. Too lazy to just leave, yet; he'd hoped to have at least some semblance of a good time, and if that meant relaxing on a bench in an empty plaza, then that's what it would have to be. At least, thankfully, there was nobody around to bother him.

Politicians; insufferable.

Rich people; insufferable.

Soldiers; insufferable, but less so, if it was possible.

Sith; absolutely insufferable.

Most Jedi; just as insufferable.

All told, most of the galaxy was insufferable to the man. Unfortunately, for those called to duty, they didn't have the choice to avoid it for their own selfish wants. If he'd really been called to be an archivist like his former master, or an explorer, a hermit, any of that, sure; but that wasn't the plan the Force had ever held for him.

As he relaxed, the sounds of the city around began to fade away, turning into nothing more than static in the background of his mind. In truth, he was coming dangerously close to just taking a nap out there, before something else caught his attention. Footsteps, approaching the plaza; light, slow, but not exactly trying to be stealthy, either. A small frown caught at his lips as he cast out with other senses, seeking to notice just what the intent was of the person that approached him—


Ah.

Someone he should've noticed far sooner, would have noticed far sooner, if it weren't for the trials of communication he'd already gone through earlier that day sapping away his energy. Not yet lifting his arm, the frown turned into a small grin as he called out to his most recent visitor.

"Enjoying the view?"
 
Without first observing his surroundings, she watched as he shifted into a horizontal position upon the bench and lazily draped an arm over his face to keep the worst of the daylight from his eyes. Had she not known the power which lay within him she might have thought him crazy to do so, too trusting of those around him, but with the Force on his side there were ways to seem carefree without being in any true danger. Precognition was a wonderful thing, after all.
Still it would not be he who would be caught off guard with this, but the woman who stood watching him. As she came to her stop across from him a very slight change overcame him, and she didn't pick up on precisely what it was before words broke the silence between them. Humour lining his tone, those words brought an immediate smile to her own lips.
He really hadn't changed, had he?
"I imagine I'd enjoy it far more without an arm in the way," she mused, feeling the tension melt away immediately and leaving only elation in its wake, "Hard to say, though... Have the times been kind, I wonder?"
Her legs were poised like springs ready to launch forward, to break the ground between them, but the smallest remainder of caution left her rooted in place. To cross that invisible threshold would make it real, and that would require her to face the small matter of her absence. How was she going to explain that away?
 
"Well, if you insist."

He let his arm fall, turning and pushing himself to his feet in a single smooth movement. Then, long strides covering the distance quickly, he came to stand before Asha before she could spring over to where he'd just been sitting. But where she'd still been feeling anxious, trepidatious, Cotan had little care for such things. Why worry over what was felt when neither of them even needed to voice it for the other to know? Without waiting for any semblance of a greeting, Cotan reached out, wrapping Asha into his arms and pulling her in close.

He held her like that for a long moment, breath escaping in a sigh as the smile fell away without his effort to maintain it. After a few moments more he pulled back, slightly, one hand falling to her elbow as the other rose to cup her cheek. The expression on his own face was serious; stern, even, if it weren't for the worry and care held in his eyes as he studied her features. But even that moment, too, had to come to a close, as he broke the silence, in a soft voice almost too fragile for speech.


"You've been well?"
 
He was quick to rise, and quicker too, it would seem, to cover the ground between them with hastened footsteps. She settled into his embrace the way one might into sleep, slowly easing until every care in the Galaxy was gone and a warmth washed over her. To be there once more was something she had not been expecting, what the Force had in store she did not know but she was grateful that it had converged their fates once more.
She returned the embrace with a sense of urgency she had not intended, all pretense of a stoic exterior shattered as she hid her face against his shirt and breathed in. Oh, to stay that way for an eternity... If only for a little while.
Alas, the end came far faster than she would have liked, and soon enough she was at arms length, looked upon by the stern visage of Cotan Sar'andor. She felt scrutinized under the weight of his stare, like a perp interrogated without words... Simply stared down by the sheriff, forced to guess at what it was they wanted to know. And yet the feel of his hand on her cheek, and supporting at her elbow, corroded away at the edges of such thoughts.
As mad as he might have been, as many questions as might have needed answering, he was still there.
She matched his gaze with her own, her right eye struggling to focus as well as the left. Still as milky as ever, yet there was still some awareness behind it. Not completely useless.
"I have been well," she responded, with the lightest of nods, her voice as quiet as his as though speaking too loud might break the spell surrounding them and send the plaza into as much of a hellish scape as the rest of the city. While they remained quiet they remained unseen, undisturbed. Let it stay that way, she thought.
"And you... You look tired, love. Has the Galaxy not asked enough of you already?" Her words faded into a small exhale of breath, a saddened sigh as one hand rose to gently caress his cheek. Her touch featherlight, as though afraid that she might shatter some illusion and reveal this all to be a façade. A trick of the Force, nothing more.
 
At her reply, Cotan closed his eyes, leaning forward to rest his forehead against hers. She was safe, and well, and back with him, even if he didn't know for how long. "Does it ever stop asking?" he replied wryly, just as soft as before. "I wish it would, some days, but there's too much to do, too much at stake, too many people who need help." He couldn't even remember the last time he'd had a break. Taking time away from the front to build Tribunal station certainly didn't count, none of his lower-priority work in the Outer Rim would count. Did getting trapped in an ancient tomb in Firefist and waiting for a Jedi Master in the convoy to come save him count?

Somehow, he doubted it did.

His hand fell, meeting the other as he wrapped his arms around Asha's waist. He didn't speak, then, silently enjoying the feeling of her hand against his cheek. How long had it been, since they'd last seen each other? He wasn't even sure. He almost didn't even care. Although, after a moment a small smirk did break across his face, something she had said only just fully hitting him.

I look tired, do I?

He cracked one eye open, looking at Asha's perfect features again.

Waiting for the inevitable, after what he was about to say.


"You know, if I look so tired, I'm sure I could think of a way the two of us could solve that little problem..."
 
"You can't fill from an empty bucket" she retorted on whispered breath, "Surely even the Jedi realize that much?" They preached meditation as much as she did, knew that taking time to clear the mind and unwind muscles was important for ones sanity. Even with the Galaxy in whatever state it currently was, though Asha could not even be truly certain of how things were outside of her little bubble, what with her reemergence so fresh, was he not owed at least a moments respite?​
There was no malice to her words though, no distain for the Order she never really saw eye to eye with. Merely concern for the man before her. Perhaps she would have to speak with whoever was in charge, convince them to give him some time off. A week, even a day, would be better than nothing. He was owed that much, wasn't he?​
His next words certainly helped to ease their conversation, steer it towards brighter topics, and she smiled a genuine smile in response.​
"Oh? You looked as though you were quite prepared to solve that problem on your own mere minutes ago..." Sleeping in broad daylight wasn't the wisest call, even for a Jedi. "Might be safer not to do so in the middle of Cloud City though, hm?"​
 
"Bold assumption that it's the Jedi who tell me what to do."

He chuckled a bit, both amused at her words and at how she'd entirely missed the implications of his previous joke. "I haven't been beholden to any Jedi councils in a long time, and any of them who might want me to be know that it'd never work. No, between Jorus retiring, Bryce disappearing, and then Dax disappearing for a bit too, now I have to be the responsible one for the Judges, keeping the peace out in the rim." He'd let that sit for a moment, before putting on his sternest expression possible, speaking with a faux-authoritarian tone to his voice:

"So you'd best behave, young miss, you're speaking to the Grand Marshal."

He closed his eyes again, smirk softening into a warm smile. "Nobody would dare do anything to me here, in this part of the city. Nobody but you and my droid, anyways." As much as he looked tired—and he didn't doubt that he did, the galaxy was quite a tiring place—just seeing her in front of him had done well to replenish the energy he had lost dealing with the Baron Administrator. Already his thoughts were buzzing with the possibilities of where they could go, what they could see; after all, Bespin was quite a beautiful planet.

Then one thought struck out in particular; the most perfect little option.

His smile grew a little wider as it came to him. "You know, how about, instead of sleeping together—" he let that sit for just a moment, to see if now he'd get the blush he was trying to draw out moments ago, if he could feel her forehead start to warm from it— "I know a wonderful little tea house not too far away. I've been there a few times already, it's where I've gone these last few days to relax when the baron gets to be too much to deal with. Would you like to join me?"
 
"Grand Marshal now, is it?" she inquired, raising one brow in curiosity as she spoke and staving off the grin which wanted nothing more than to reveal itself upon her lips, "Oh, well then forgive me. Should be addressing you as Sir, then, should I? Mr Responsible?"
It was good to know that he hadn't succumbed to the Jedi in their time apart, though he may have followed their traditions and ideals the fact that he didn't align himself with the Silvers was oddly comforting. She doubted they'd approve of his ties to the Rim, or to lowly neutrals such as she. Though... she wasn't really sure what to make of them anymore. It wasn't as though she'd graced the Galaxy in quite some time, and in this universe things changed swiftly.
Anyway, his wish was granted with his next few words, cheeks burning, ears red, she turned a nice shade of crimson as she realized the missed implications, going so far as to temporarily hide her face against his chest in hopes that he wouldn't notice.
Naturally she quickly perked up at the mention of tea, though. Red faced and all.
"It has been some time since we partook, hasn't it?" As much as she preferred her own blend, brewed in her own pot, she was quite partial to trying what the Galaxy had to offer insofar as leaves. And it would certainly help to get Cotan on track toward relaxing, perhaps even rest. At least, if she had her way it would.
"I'd love to."
 
"Sir? Now, let's not move too quickly, here, we'll have more than enough time to discuss that side of things later..."

Cotan's wicked sense of humour was out in full force this afternoon. With Asha burying her face into his chest, he sank his head into her curls instead of where he'd been resting it. The whole time, he continued chuckling at Asha's expense. It was mean, sure, but if he didn't do it she'd constantly have him on the back foot instead.

Besides, all was fair in love and war, right?

When she pulled her head back up he glanced down, still with a goofy grin on his face. "Far too long, as far as I'm concerned." He withdrew from the embrace, holding out one hand; or arm, potentially, depending on which Asha would take. "What shall it be, miss Hex? Stately and refined, like the rest of this part of Cloud City, or will you just take my hand like you refused to on Aaris III?" When, after the first time they'd reconnected after one of her disappearances, she'd challenged him to a race rather than a leisurely stroll.

One thing was clear, though.

Cotan was not running this time.
 
She did little more than smile in response to his immediate statement, finally able to relax, to be in the presence of another who actually knew her rather than isolation or among strangers, it was a nice change of pace. It had always been easy to simply be Asha around Cotan, and it was nice to know that such had not changed.
For a moment she pondered the options before her. Did she try to blend in with high society, cling to his arm and rest her head upon his shoulder like timely dates from ages past, or did she take the offered hand and walk boldly through the streets without a care? Honestly, both had their charms. It would have been nice to nestle in close...
But she slipped her hand into his regardless, finding that it fit perfectly therein, and smiled up at him.
Hopefully that was answer enough.
 
He happily laced his fingers through hers, holding her hand comfortably. At the same time, the slight bit of tenseness to it might drive home another idea; holding it almost like he was afraid to lose it. "That settles that, then," he mused, belying the slight bit of tension he felt. As he started to walk, leading her along, he glanced out past the edge of the platform they were on. Now he had to decide; to take her along the scenic route, savour what views they could find that weren't spoiled by the presence of others, or to go straight to the tea house?

Nearly as soon as the thought entered his head, he dismissed it.


"No, no. Tea first, stroll later."

With that engimatic comment floating off on the breeze, he started to lead Asha along through Cloud City's winding corridors and alleyways. A time in his youth spent on Coruscant had led him to develop quite a good sense of direction in such areas—after all, if he was going to sneak away from the Jedi Temple, he needed to be able to sneak back to it as well—so even moving at a relaxed pace, it was a quick matter of making it to the business in question. "The only rule is not to mention that second-from-last corridor we went through," he warned as they came up to the door he sought, though he didn't explain why just yet.

Outwardly, the establishment had the same stark white appearance, with minimal decorative effects, as nearly everything else in the upper levels of Cloud City. There wasn't even a sign—it wasn't meant to be a particularly public establishment, after all. More the sort of place you only go to if you're in-the-know. Thankfully, due to the various contacts he had and the work he'd done, Cotan was definitely in-the-know. He waved one hand lazily, the door sliding open.


A gentleman always has to get the door.

Off in the back, the Zelosian proprietor looked up, giving a nod of the head when she recognized Cotan as he led Asha in. "Order anything you like," he said quietly, grabbing a menu off of a table near them. "They've got pretty much everything from around the galaxy, barring your custom blends. The H'kak bean tea is especially good here, if you're feeling something a little more earthy." An circumstantially odd proposition, given that they were floating sixty-thousand kilometers above the core of a planet that had no solid surface to speak of.
 
Content to exist within the pleasant quiet they'd built around themselves, not so uncomfortable as to feel the need to fill it, she gave his hand a gentle squeeze in response to the way in which he clung to her own and merely followed alongside him from the plaza and its odd statue, from one section of the repulsorlifted city to the next.
Every now and then she would hazard a glance toward him as they walked, barely able, nay willing, to believe that it could really be this good. Though she trusted in the Force, though she followed in the path it wrought for her, she was not so blind as to believe it served her best interest. No, it did not really serve the whims of any mortal being... It simply, was. Would she follow it off the proverbial bridge once more should it will it? Would she walk away from the life she truly wanted to follow it into the unknown?
It had not led her astray thus far. Not since she gave herself back to it following her escape from the floating graveyard. Strange, winding paths, perhaps, but with cause, with reason, and into relative safety. To aid those who needed it most, without the sways of politics getting in the way.
Why then could she not pursue such with another? Did it have to be such a lonely road? Was Cotan not also one who trusted and followed the metaphysical entity which lay claim over their very existence?
She was drawn from her thoughts, eyes still settled up at him and not at all paying attention to the path ahead of herself, by his words. It appeared as though they had reached their destination, only to look upon it you might imagine it as simply a building. A home, perhaps, something that did not need to broadcast specifically what it was to the world. Certainly not a business, if looks were to be believed. And yet...
"Got it," she smiled, with a nod to boot, "No mention..." She made a gesture, as though zippering her mouth and throwing away the end, and then entered the establishment alongside him. Before she could take in the room beyond, Cotan was already handing her a menu and encouraging her to peruse. A long list, to be sure, but one she had paired down before they so much as reached a table.
"Sapir will do just nicely," she assured him. It had been quite some time since she'd benefited from the taste of that particular tea...
 
Cotan didn't even need to repeat the order; the owner had already been walking up behind Asha at their table when she said it. Cotan just nodded in response to the look sent his way by the Zelosian, before adding, "And some ryshcate, please." He figured this was a special enough occasion to have some of the pastries. Of course, if there were any Corellians around, they might disagree; regardless, Cotan wasn't Corellian, so he didn't care.

If only his earlier meeting hadn't run so long, they could've still made it in time for an early afternoon lunch; alas, that did not seem to be the case. Perhaps it was for the better, though, because if it had been a particularly busy day, Cotan doubted Asha would've enjoyed it very much. Especially, given the dearth of tables, there had been some days when Cotan had been 'forced' to sit with others who had an empty seat; while that could be a useful experience for him, that was only his experience.

Crossing both his arms on the table, Cotan faced Asha again. As much as he still loved every feature, even he couldn't ignore the scarring to her right eye forever, though he wouldn't call any attention to it, either. All the same, he wondered if she ever wanted to do something about it; I should ask her sometime, he silently resolved. He didn't figure out how the healing effects of that crystal he found worked for nothing, after all.

"So, miss explorer, what news do you bring of the galaxy's hidden corners?" he asked, instead of following his previous line of thought, while waiting for the teapot and pastries to come. "An as-of-yet otherwise undiscovered civilization? Artifacts once thought lost? I certainly hope you haven't gone and gotten yourself trapped in any tombs while you were out of my sight."
 
"Ryshcate..." she mused aloud, recalling information about the Corellian delicacy from the backlogs of her mind. Wasn't such a thing set aside solely for celebratory moments? She couldn't help but smile at the connotations, slipping into a seat across from him. The tea house seemed upscale, though what in this sector of Bespin wasn't, and though empty now she could practically feel the remnants of all the many patrons who had already stepped through the threshold that day... Obscure, behind a nameless façade, yet beloved by many.​
She had high hopes for the tea.​
For a moment the silence continued to spread between them, as they observed one another from across the table. She tucked a stray strand of untamed hair behind her ear, ushering it from in front of her eyes, and tilted her head just a touch to the right. Still submitting his face to memory.​
"No tombs, no," she assured him with a grin, when the questions came, "I did happen upon an ancient temple, it was a beast to get into... Whoever locked it down never wanted the interior to see the light of day again. Still, I do as the Force bids..."​
Even now, if she strained hard enough, she could hear the call of the white-breasted vype, feel the warmth and light of Tal upon her pale skin, and the burning shroud of Phen at her back... A curious enough world, yes, one lost on the fringes of the Galaxy for eons. A civilization dismantled long before the dawn of the Republic. It was there that the Force had called her, it was there that she had called home.​
"You know, I think you would have liked it there. A world untouched by the greater Galaxy, practically pulsing with the Force..."​
She let out a soft sigh, and allowed the simple smile to settle back upon her lips. Adventure was ever calling, out there beyond stars named and planets trodden. What she wouldn't give to unearth it all with him.​
"And what of you, Grand Marshal? What state is this Galaxy in, that I have missed these past moons?"​
 
Well, it was good that she seemed to stay out of trouble better than he did.

The tea and ryshcate came soon after Asha asked her question; given that Cotan hadn't yet made it in here when it wasn't in the middle of food hours, he was moderately surprised at everything that came alongside the tea pot. One for brewing, one for serving...four cups total...even an entire tea tray. He remained silent as the owner went through the entire, much more elaborate
process of tea making and serving than he'd yet experienced there, nodding respectfully as they served the tea.

After first rinsing it, and then making the first brew. If she didn't already, there's no way she doesn't love this place now. Taking his tea cup—which was, completely unsurprisingly after the display, at the perfect temperature for the type of tea they had—he blinked as his mind caught up with what was asked, and turned his full attention back to Asha. "Do you want the short version or the long version?" he asked in return, raising an eyebrow quizzically. "Because it's been...a lot. Governments rising and falling, war kicking back into full swing, strange alliances and deals made behind closed doors...getting trapped in ancient tombs...it's all been ridiculous."
 
Asha's face was awash in pure elation as the teabrewing began, complete with a ceremony even more intricate than her own. Every piece of the process was cleansed in warm water, bringing it to an equal temperature, before the tea was even measured out into the pot. She watched with a curious hunger, turning her attention from Cotan for the first time since they arrived to marvel at it all.
He knew her well.
It wasn't until he responded to her question that she looked away, though her gaze would drift here and there as though having a mind of its own.
"I am in no rush, love. Tell as much as you see fit, or as little as you'd like." This was nice... It was good to be back in the throws of the Galaxy, if only to see him again.
 
That's not an answer.

He gave a helpless sigh, sipping at his tea cup. "Alright, alright, where to begin..." It was bound to be a long tale. Sure, there was a lot that could be contracted, but that didn't help matters much. "Well, not long after you left, with things kicking back into gear for the galaxy in terms of all the fighting, I had to go and get Rhia set up at the Praxeum on Eira Pechal. There was no way that I could justify continuing to ferry her around with all the other duties I had. She's...far too young for it." That hadn't been much of an enjoyable decision to make.

At all.


"The part of Tanomas Graf's empire that had run to the First Order after Kamino fell struck out against the Outer Rim Coalition multiple times with the rest of the FO, though when he and some supports pulled out and ran to the core to set up their Core Imperial Confederation, the First Order crumpled. Not long after, the CIC did, too. The First Order is back now, though from what I've seen their current leadership is more agreeable than the past groups. Cedric Grayson showed up, tried to set up some sort of Jedi Empire in the core, then that fell apart and got replaced by the Galactic Alliance rising back up. No fighting on Coruscant this time, yet. I've been enjoying working with some of the Jedi there, they came together and built back the NJO from scraps. Hopefully I can get some of them to calm down a bit in time, but they're more proactive than the silvers have been."

That was the basic stuff, easy to get up-to-date. The rest of it was a bit more complicated. "I found a guy on Kashyyyk who was a bit of an amnesiac, and strong in the Force. Started training him for a bit, only to find out he was Vaulkhar Zambrano. Fought alongside him on Kashyyyk when Sith and Mandalorians came to attack the Silver Jedi. Eventually, though, his memories came rushing back to him, and he left." More-or-less rushing past everything in that story, for now; it certainly wasn't something he wanted to revisit all that much. "Eventually, he joined a group that split away from the Sith Empire, calling themselves the New Imperial Order. He helped take Bastion away from Sith control, when the New Imperials purged any remaining actual Sith from their ranks; during it all, he was killed by his sister, who is now the Empress, given that Kaine's retreated off to do who-knows-what. And that means that Darth Prazutis is the Dark Lord."

All very easy to follow, on the surface, though the unknown reason behind Carnifex's retreat from public rule left Cotan quite concerned.


"The Silver Jedi, while still based on Kashyyyk, helped install a more centralized civilian rule for their territory, and based it back on Commenor. Tathra Khaeus and his Bryn'adul have been making a big problem of themselves out in that area of space, though, so Caedyn and Thurion, with a few others, went and negotiated an alliance with the Sith and the CIS, without anybody's knowledge. They couldn't keep it from getting leaked, however; in the aftermath, Coren got kicked out of his position of acting Silver Grandmaster, a decent number of their Jedi left to join the NJO, and..."

He stopped for a moment, pursing his lips. Given that he knew Asha was close to Caedyn, and he'd heard a bit about how she knew Thurion, that was probably more than enough about them; all the same, it was important that she knew just what specifically had happened. "I went to join an assault on Dantooine, led by the New Imperial Order, but with aid from the NJO. Thurion was there alongside Carnifex, in the temple that the Sith built over the old enclave. A few other Silver Jedi were there as well, helping the Sith, even though the alliance had already dissolved by that point; I had to cut the hand off of one just to get him to leave the fighting and not get himself killed. Didn't see Caedyn anywhere planetside, though."

Another sip.


"As for me, well, I went on an expedition to Firefist, got trapped in an ancient tomb dating from the Hundred Year Darkness, got rescued by a Jedi Master going along with the group, Dax disappeared, I became the Grand Marshal, and then the Outer Rim Coalition—which by that point had been renamed the Outer Planets Alliance—fell apart. I went looking for you, for a while, but never did manage to find you, so I came back into the swing of things, hoping you might come find me, eventually. And you did! I'm also helping run an enclave for the New Jedi Order out on the station I had made for the Judges, alongside still leading them, and I'm trying to keep some of those New Jedi kids from getting themselves killed."

He set the empty cup down.

"Also, intelligence says the Sith are going to counter-attack Bastion soon, and I'm going to be there. Have to try and make it up to Vaulkhar, y'know? I guess I didn't quite prepare him well enough for when his original personality came flooding back."
 
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