Genesis | Amity

[Josiah Denko]

V Y L M I R A​

LOCAL TIME: 1800 - SUNSET
LOCATION: Vylmira City, Vylmira
TAG: [member="Amity Khoury"]

The Life of a Warden was not so much different.

When the sweeping changes came to the Knights Obsidian, the Jedi found himself apart of something new. In the month leading up to the new Lord Commander taking office, Josiah Denko had served as an Adjudicator of the Knighthood. His task was largely domestic - to defend the people, the settle disputes, and so on. And, overall, these tasks did not clash with the Jedi worldview the man possessed. Though organization walked a neutral path, his footsteps were always steeped in Light - and his role as Adjudicator allowed him to do so quite easily.

With the ascension of a new Lord Commander, changes came. The mantle of Adjudicator was torn away overnight and replaced with something greater: Warden. In this role, Josiah would serve in a very similar capacity as before - but now he was also called to Fight. He was to be the sword of a specific region of Confederate space: to ensure that peace and order was upheld at all times. For the Jedi, this truly reminded him of the Guardian days he once lived when the Republic yet existed.

And thus, Josiah descended upon Vylmira.

It was the first time that the warrior had ever set foot upon the Miraluka Colony world. However, ignorance would never be an excuse when it came to fulfilling his duties. Therefore, his first course of action was to get a lay of the land. If he was to aide this world and its people, then surely he had to get to know them. Thus, his first hours began at the "ground level" and took him to a local eatery in the Capital. The locale was a mere stones' throw away from the Starport and featured a healthy sum of traffic.

Offworlders would settle there between their transits and enjoy a hearty meal. Locals would enjoy an evening tea, or shout about the latest sporting events being broadcasted over the radio. For Josiah, this was the perfect place to sit, sip, and observe. In the moment, he had ordered a local favorite: a spiced tea, and patiently awaited its delivery. A young, dark-haired woman was the one who ferried the beverage out upon a tray, to which he offered a polite smile. "Thank you." he began.

His hand then raised to deter her from returning to her duties. "I have a request, if I may. I am here at the employ of the Knights Obsidian - I was wondering if I could ask you some questions about Vylmira? I'll be stationed here for the foreseeable future and local insight would be tremendously helpful." And after his question fell from his lips, he took the mug of spiced tea in hand and indulged in a sip. Delicious. Vylmira was already getting on his good side.

 

[Amity Khoury]

The heat of the day had ebbed to a comforting warmth. The sunshine had lost its brightness and the colours of the eatery were softened. There was nothing slick about the place, no fancy fonts or white etching upon the glass. You could pick the whole thing up and send it back thirty years and it wouldn't look out of place. There weren’t any tables outside, just the uneven pavement baring the cracks of age.

Amity heaved a sigh, ungracefully flopping herself down on a nearby chair. The woman shoved a hand up to her head, fingers brushing through her black locks of hair in exhaustion. She mentally groaned at the workload that still had to be done, propping up her elbow onto the pale white table to then immediately regret her decision as a spilt drink liquid made contact with her skin. She took a deep breath in, careful as not to let out any strangled sounds of pain when she exhaled as to not provoke her coworker. Unfortunately, she noticed all her effort had been in vain. Amity watched as her coworker slid out from the counter to approach the dirtied tabletop with a cloth in hand.

Upon seeing the situation Amity was in, Raoul grinned and let out a teasing chuckle, ‘Should I kiss it to make it feel better?’ he said playfully. She rolled her eyes, earning another amused laugh from the taller male. She loathed her job, and some days she could almost feel her brain cells withering away as there was nothing to inspire, challenge or excite her. There was only autopilot apathy. The only thing that kept her going was the handful of colleagues and customers whose company she actually enjoyed, and when they were on holiday, she was extra glum for their absence. She knew life had much more to offer than this, but what?

‘Amity, table five,’ another colleague said, not even looking where she put the plate on, since her body knew exactly where it should be. The girl named Yasmine turned back to her next task and began to prepare the blueberry muffin for table seven. Amity rushed to the counter and picked the glass up before placing it onto a tray. Although the dark-haired woman was immensely bothered by the leftover liquid on her elbow due to her germaphobia, she pushed herself further and walked towards the appointed table.

‘Thank you for waiting,’ Amity said politely and put the spiced tea onto the table. The customer thanked her with a polite smile. She was just about to go back to her duties when the man stopped Amity in her tracks.
‘Of course I can,’ she said in answer to his question. ‘What do you need to know?’

 

[Josiah Denko]

Josiah remembered.

If there was an expression that could adequately describe his surroundings, the Jedi would have chosen rough around the edges. At a glance, there was nothing out of place or wrong about the shop. In fact, it featured quite a healthy bit of traffic and bustle during all hours of the day. Yet, as far as aesthetic, the establishment was the definition of dated. It did not feature the modern "bells and whistles" that had become commonplace these days. There were no holo-advertisements or droids fluttering about yammering about the days' specials, for example. Rather, there was simply the buzz of conversation and the quiet symphony of cutlery meeting platters. The simplicity of it all reminded Josiah of that place he once called home: Nar Shaddaa.

While the Hutt Moon was certainly the underbelly of the Galaxy, it also was home to gems such as these. There, the establishments simply could not afford the modern bells and whistles. Thus, they had to make due with the natural charm of their businesses. What each locale lacked in flash, they more than made up for in substance. In the mind of the Jedi, the locale of the present was more than meeting up to the trend he was accustomed to. Though busy, the wait staff were kind, courteous, and even took a moment or two to chat with the patrons. There was that...personal, genuine touch that you just couldn't get from a droid.

The cherry on top was when the man's tea arrived. After posing his question, the Jedi raised the glass and sipped the beverage carefully. It was piping hot - but a careful inhale as he sipped prevented the tea from burning off his tastebuds. Rather, the sip saw a pleasant trail of warmth flow from his lips to his stomach. When he lowered the glass, the lingering spices danced upon his tongue - so much so that his eyebrows raised for but a moment. This was a damn good cup of tea if he said so himself. Fortunately enough, the patience of the waitress was just as exquisite, for she agreed to humor him. He paused for a moment, setting the glass down upon the table gingerly.

"Vylmira City is a gem." he began, regarding her with a kind smile. "So much so that it is difficult to hear anything but how good it is from my superiors and the politicians. My role here is to serve and to protect. So, in your honest...non-political...unbiased opinion, what corner of the city needs the most help?"

The question was...direct but the answer would be quite telling. If there was a rougher area of the City that could benefit from the attention of a Warden, then he would make it a point to spend plenty of time there. He did part his lips as if to say more, but found his eyelids fluttering for but a moment. T'was as if a light had been shined into his eyes, directly from the woman. Having experienced similar before, the Jedi composed his face immediately and focused his gaze upon the tea before him. His hands cupped the warm glass patiently whilst awaiting her answer.

Given the history of Vylmira, it wasn't surprising that she "was"...

[member="Amity Khoury"]

 

[Amity Khoury]

The dark-haired woman knitted her eyebrows and slightly cocked her head to the side. Her eyes flitted over the man's face. His eyes were brown - the colour of the earth after torrential rain. His attire screamed high-end quality and she could tell that the man wasn't lying about his role in Vylmira. There was something about him that she couldn't quite fathom. Maybe it was his stature or the way he represented himself. She had a hunch that he was an honest and trustworthy man, but she was certain that there was more to him than meets the eye.

'Vylmira city is for the most part very stable, especially in the economic context. However, it is far from perfect. Particularly when it comes to our spaceports and industrial sectors. Their security could use a lot of work.' She nodded her head with certainty. Amity paused before continuing as if choosing her words carefully. Her parents had continually warned her about strangers, but the man's comforting presence and the hunch that he was someone to be trusted was still there.

'Most of the unstable areas are the smaller cities in the less affluent parts of Vylmira though. I heard that Vyrin is plagued by the ripples of the Sith Occupation. The city is located in the Eastern Continent, south of the Orsik Mountains. Those horrible Sith Loyalists are holding the city in a tight grip, operating from the shadows to undermine the stability of my home planet.' She shook her head with a deep sigh.

'They're ingenious, and keep their tracks well covered. Well enough covered that our Vylmiran Council isn't sure where to even begin trying to dismantle their shadow empire, but this is hearsay. I also heard that corruption is running in the highest levels within the region, and some people state that even the Region's counsellor is part of the problem at worst, and silenced by blackmail at best. Our Bladewalkers and the Octachy Covenant are deployed to the region, trying to locate the source of these uprisings and deal with them. I'm not sure why the Confederacy hasn't been involved in this serious matter...' A wave of sadness that hit her had caught her unaware. They must have been silently building up and gaining momentum while she was recalling the string of events. Amity shook it off and forced a slight smile. 'Is there anything else I can help you with?'


[member="Josiah"]

 

[Josiah Denko]

Corruption.

Over the course of his time serving the Confederacy, Josiah had been forced to look upon the Darkness with different eyes. Though he was a bearer of the Light, the nation operated far differently than any other he had encountered. Namely, there were those within the Knighthood...nay the very government...who were openly children of the Dark Side. The very Vicelord himself was one such. And yet, they existed in such a way that any corruption could and would be immediately punished. The Confederacy seemed to be a Stark contradiction to the cycle of war between Jedi and Sith - but it appeared as though corruption still existed. Hearing the woman's account was troubling, for he could feel the weight upon her shoulders as clear as day. With each syllable that formed and fell from her lips, Josiah could feel an ache in her soul.

An ache that was overshadowed by that same spark. That same potential. The more he looked upon her, the more he was certain of it.

For but a few moments, the Jedi listened in silence. The sole contrast was the reaching for his beverage and raising it to his lips. The flood of flavor upon his tongue only aided in kicking his thoughts into motion. On the surface it appeared as though the world was well off - and the nature of the Confederacy was to allow each world to govern themselves entirely. It was only when a planet cried out for aide that the southern systems rose as one to answer. The dispatch of the Knighthood was a reality which toed the line - and it was only the fact that Josiah ultimately had to cede authority to the planetary leadership that allowed his role to exist. Nonetheless, it was troubling to hear that Vylmira had such a scourge just beneath the surface.

But, fortunately, the Jedi was in a position to do something about it. It was after she had concluded speaking that Josiah settled his beverage upon the table and leveled his eyes upon the young woman once more. "Yes, there is. Two things actually." he began, raising two fingers as if to denote his intentions. "The first...if you are willing...Could you take me to these troubled regions? I wish to see for myself how far the corruption goes - and your insight has proven more precious than diamonds thus far."

"The second is a question. How much do you know about yourself? And I mean, truly, honestly, know? For I sense in you something great...something that we share in common."

His fingers lowered into a fist symbolically, and in the instant following the remains of his beverage ascended upwards from the cup. He formed a flawless sphere of the piping hot liquid, all whilst keeping his gaze settled upon her face. "You are blessed beyond measure. And I can show you how to use this blessing. My question is: will you allow me?"

[member="Amity Khoury"]