Private Good Samaritans

[Jenn Kryze]

Beskar'gam
​

| Location | Alderaan - Low Orbit
| Objective | Evacuation

"We're venting atmosphere in three separate sections!"​

​

"Hyperdrive's not responding, crew chiefs report fires in engine number two."​

​

"Not sure how long she's going to stay together. Your Grace, we cannot complete our jump to Onderon; we need to exit hyperspace prematurely."​

​

Even as the bridge of the Enduring Flame found itself abuzz with activity, Jenn remained the very picture of calm and control, projecting her power in the only productive manner she could think of, standing with her hands folded behind her back. On most occasions, the Alor found little reason to involve herself in the command of such operations; her knowledge of extra-atmospheric combat was relatively limited, after all, and so she often delegated the decision-making to more qualified hands when possible. Now, however, was not the time to let such a responsibility lie upon the shoulders of another. ​

​

"If we exit hyperspace now, how close would that put us to Kuat?" inquired The Redeemer, finally turning to face the Shipmaster - and the rest of the crew. The serene calm of her voice (though muffled by her helm), married with the aura she projected, made for a great tool in keeping the focus of the bridge on herself and her orders, rather than the rapidly deteriorating situation.​

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"Not close enough, Duchess. We would be at the edge of the system."​

​

"Alderaan?"​

​

The Shipmaster poured over the starmap projected by the command console, brows furrowed. ​

​

"Achievable."​

​

The Duchess sucked in a lungful of air through her gills, and brought her hand to rest on the edge of the console, leaning forward for emphasis.​

​

"Then let it be done. This is not where our story ends."​

​

---

​

With a charred hull, failing systems and far too valuable a cargo to allow for failure, the Enduring Flame emerged from hyperspace, barely keeping itself upright and burning towards its destination.​

​

"Priority transmission; this is Duchess Jenn Kryze of Onderon, requesting immediate assistance. Our ship is badly damaged and necessitates emergency repairs. We are approaching Alderaan Low Orbit to evacuate on-board refugees through dropships, some of them wounded. We require designated landing zones and medical teams to treat them."​

​

The New Mandalorian crew and their complement of Hastati would remain on board for the time being; even with the ship seemingly on its last legs, the lives of the people they had spirited away from Vassek took priority. Such was their oath, impractical as it was for the continued survival of their order. Although there were some things The Redeemer was willing to compromise on, her commitment to the lives of the innocent was certainly not one such thing. Not after the debacle that had been Echnos, where the House massacred its way through the terrified population to make their exit.​

​

Alicio Organa ​

 

[Alicio Organa]

A surprised, proper voice was quick to respond to the Mandalorian ship's hail. //Alderaan Defense Force. We read you, Duchess. Please hold while we scan and verify-//

The voice of the ADF official was abruptly cut off as another transmission overtook it. A familiar voice cut through the sudden static, curt and to the point. //Jenn, there's a landing zone outside of Sanctuary City. Coordinates sent. It's a clearing in the forest, you can't miss it.//

The voice seemed mildly strained, as if it's source was on the move. //I'm alerting triage and a mechanic crew now. We'll meet you on the ground.//

//What else do you need?//

- Jenn Kryze -

 

[Jenn Kryze]

Beskar'gam
​

| Location | Alderaan - Low Orbit
| Objective | Planetbound

​

Before the Mandalorian could find the right words to communicate the urgency of the situation to the member of the Alderaan Defence Force answering her emergency call, his voice was interrupted - and replaced with a far more familiar one. Though she furrowed her brows somewhat at the notion of the Chancellor being present on his homeworld right as she needed him, The Duchess was quick to remind herself of his nature - his burden, as she regarded this dubious gift the stars had seen fit to bestow upon him. How long ago had he foreseen her arrival? How much did he know? And what use was there in her speaking to him when he had surely seen it all play out already?​

​

<The Enduring Flame won't survive atmospheric re-entry. Your mechanics will need to be flown directly to us; either through our dropships heading back after dropping off the refugees, or by your own crafts. I am sending you my Shipmaster's comm-codes to you now to facilitate this.>​

​

The other concerns were all but secondary to her. The whispers of the dark, the temptation, the allure of it all whispered into her ear not merely by Serina Calis , as the Dark Padawan would flatter herself to think, but by circumstances far predating their encounter. Power demanded sacrifice, it demanded heroism and responsibilities, and they were all bearing down on her in ways she could not quite fend off, not entirely. ​

​

"Your Highness, Karrys reports that all refugees are aboard the first wave of transports."​

​

"Give the green light for immediate deployment of all but one dropship - hers. I must speak with the King. In person."​

​

"Then I will take command of the repairs."​

​

Turning to the Shipmaster, the Duchess gave him a nod of thanks, her steps taking her from the bridge and towards the lower levels, passing by scenes of emergency repairs being performed and supplies being carted over, sometimes by hand, to assist in stabilizing the situation. By the time she reached the hangar, all but one troop transports had departed, their cramped holds packed to the brim with the farmers they had saved from Vassek.​

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<Alliances sure are coming in handy>, called her personal pilot as she fired up the engines.​

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<I'm just glad I didn't burn bridges with him. Not completely, at least.> No guilt was there to be felt in her voice. Even around Karrys, Jenn projected an aura of perfect control. If she allowed it to falter, then she feared she may very well just lose herself as well. The display was for them just as much as it was for herself. Strapping herself into a seat, she remained stoic as the dropship made for a sharp descent towards the atmosphere, ignoring the looks she earned from the civilians all around her. She could do without a protection detail today.​

​

<Your Majesty, we are away. The refugees are heading to the provided coordinates; ETA two minutes. I will not be far behind.>​

​

Alicio Organa ​

 

[Alicio Organa]

//Understood,// the voice returned. The beeping of a datapad could be heard in the background, rerouting the mechanic team to take shuttles to the Flame itself.

<Your Majesty, we are away. The refugees are heading to the provided coordinates; ETA two minutes. I will not be far behind.>

//We'll be here when you arrive.// There was a pregnant pause. //...See you soon.//

​

By the time Jenn got on the ground, Sanctuary City's first responders were on the scene.

Already, lines of sterile white tents were being pushed up, and wounded and tired farmers were being led inside by kind-looking workers with medical armbands. Others pushed crates of supplies from elegant Alderaanian ships, medicine and food and containers of water. Nobody directed the controlled chaos, because nobody had to. They'd trained enough to know exactly where to go, what to do, who to help.

Alicio was thankful for that. It meant he could spend his time with the wounded.

Just outside the first batch of medical tents, the Supreme Chancellor was kneeling over a farmer on a stretcher. Nearby, his dark coat and a strange, multicolored cloak lay discarded on the ground, leaving him with his simple undershirt as he gathered the energy of the Force around him. "Try to relax," he said softly, letting his fingertips lightly press against her knee. In deep concentration, Alicio began to knit her torn leg together with the Force, flesh and ligaments pulling themselves back into shape from where they had twisted apart. At first, the woman's face twisted with discomfort, but it gradually eased with relief.

"You're doing wonderfully," Alicio encouraged, his eyes sharp and focused.

- Jenn Kryze -

 

[Jenn Kryze]

Beskar'gam
​

| Location | Alderaan - Outside Sanctuary City
| Objective | Touchdown

There was no mistaking the difference in Jenn's personal dropship. Its armament was almost entirely depleted, the missiles waiting beneath the wings nowhere to be found and one of the nose-mounted rotary blaster cannons melted down by copious small arms fire. Wherever one's eye was brought to land, the fuselage was scarred by scorch marks and dried blood. But, for all of this wear and tear, the troop transport remained in functioning order, just as its makers had intended. And as the ramp descended, the refugees within stepped on out, guided by the emergency teams to be treated. Jenn, for her part, merely waited atop the ramp, drinking in the sight all around her.​

​

Pride welled in her heart as she watched the Alderaanians going about their duty. Evidently, their training was paying off, the speed at which they responded to a sudden influx of refugees a testament to the commitment shown by her friend to his vision, even now that he found himself at the helm of the Galactic Alliance. Though she knew she could never performs such acts of charity without ulterior motive herself (not anymore, not now that she and her kin had paid the price for it one time too many and found it steep), her admiration remained undimmed. The King of Alderaan was willing to stand for his values, to fight for them with his voice as well as his blade, and for that, she would always honor him. ​

​

And when her gaze finally came to rest upon her friend and ally, the Mandalorian drank in the humbling sight of a man by whose hand the fate of billions was decided... working tirelessly to heal but a mere farmer. Slowly, carefully, her steps took her close and closer to the raven-haired seer, waiting until his patient was stabilized before she dared speak.​

​

Smothering the niggling voice in the back of her mind, telling her that he had already foreseen their entire conversation and prepared his response.​

​

"You knew I was coming", spoke the Ersansyr softly, looking down at herself. The cerulean beauty of her armor was stained with gore, still, though now dried; fighting her way back to her lines through the risen dead had been a brutal endeavor. And still, she seemed unfazed. It was but another battle, another step on the great journey towards her own legend. These people, few as they were, would not soon forget her and her warriors. ​

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"How long ago did you foresee my arrival, bur'cya?"​

​

Alicio Organa ​

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio noticed a familiar presence in the Force, but didn't spare the time to look up at her. Instead, he focused on the task at hand, a single bead of sweat dripping down his forehead.

After a few minutes of intense concentration, the farmer's leg finished morphing into it's correct shape. Alicio let his strain escape with a deep sigh, then adjusted his body to face the woman. "I did what I could, but I can't mend bone. Fractured femurs take... a long time to heal."

"But I won't lose my leg?"

Alicio thought a moment, then shook his head. "No. You won't."

The farmer smiled, then laid her head down on the stretcher, exhausted from the ordeal. Alicio finally stood, a little shaky, and let his attention fall on Jenn. Curiosity, concern, and sadness all lit the dark corners of his grey eyes. She looked like... well, how they all looked. As if they'd survived hell.

"You knew I was coming. How long ago did you foresee my arrival, bur'cya?"

One of Alicio's brows ticked up, the tiniest microexpression of confusion, then amused understanding. "About fifteen seconds before you dropped out of hyperspace. And half of that warning time was wasted trying to understand what exactly I was seeing." Alicio didn't smile, but his mix of expressions softened. "You have Sanctuary City's crisis training, and a certain Cathar Jedi Master telling me to take more breaks, to thank for us being here as quickly as we were."

"...What happened? Are you injured?"

- Jenn Kryze -

 

[Jenn Kryze]

Beskar'gam
​

| Location | Alderaan - Outside Sanctuary City
| Objective | Reunited

Seeing Alicio weaving such regenerative sorcery left the Mandalorian in a state of contemplation. Had he learned such a power on his own, or had Amani Serys imparted some of her knowledge upon him? The ways of the Jedi eluded her at times, and the intricacies behind their craft seemed all but opaque to one who had grown with a profound contempt for those practitioners of the ancient arts of the Force. Perhaps she could stand to study those techniques herself; letting her potential sit unexploited was nothing short of wasteful, after all. But with the Chief Healer's lingering distrust of her culture, not to mention her own person? It seemed that her pursuit would remain focused on the more offensive applications of the Jedi arts.​

​

Such thoughts dissipated, then, as her friend's duty was seen to, and his attention turned towards her once more. He seemed... so very tired. Sympathy flooded through the Duchess' mind before such a realization. How many fires necessitated his attention each and every day? How much time could he spend with his loved ones? Did the man even sleep? Sobering thoughts, all. That she remained covered in such a disgusting mess stood as the only reason she did not dare to reach out and clasp her hand around his forearm in a firm warrior's salute. He seemed in need of such a reminder of camaraderie. ​

​

"I see ner'Jonyna looks out for me, even when we are apart", noted Jenn with a warming smile, hidden as it was beneath her T visor. "I am glad she convinced you. Your office seems to wear you thin." ​

​

Direct as ever, perhaps even tactless for some, but Jenn saw little need to mask her meaning with Alicio. Mandalorian honesty could be used with one such as himself, letting him converse with something a little closer to Jenn than The Redeemer, and it made all the difference. Shaking her head in the wake of her friend's inquiry, she lifted her hands, palms open. ​

​

"Naught but my own pride, perhaps. I allowed a Sith to take the upper hand in a battle of wits, though I outpaced her in martial skill, and with that advantage, I am afraid she won." A sigh escaped her, her helm turning to look towards the sky instead. Alderaan was truly beautiful. A place she might think of establishing a covert in, some day soon; it was certainly deserving of her New Mandalorians, and its people seemed to align with hers in their beliefs, if only in the broad strokes. ​

​

"Word reached us through my shadows of a raid on the world of Vassek. I rode out with a strike force, planning to fend off a raiding party. We found ourselves pitted against an invasion force instead; when the Sith in command of the operation used his foul sorcery to raise the dead to attack us, I declared the planet lost and took whatever survivors we could carry with us back to Onderon. We sustained heavy damage escaping into hyperspace and had to drop out; you know the rest."​

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Alicio Organa ​

 

[Alicio Organa]

"I am glad she convinced you. Your office seems to wear you thin."

"Jonyna said something similar." Alicio crossed his arms, letting his weight shift to one hip. He thought about his words for a moment, before deciding to reward Jenn's honesty with his own. "I don't like when people comment on my... strain. I'd rather everyone thought I had a perfect handle on my new position. As false as that would be." The people of the Alliance put their trust in him to lead. Intellectually, he understood that no Chancellor could live up to the standards he'd placed on himself...

But he couldn't shake the feeling of stinging failure every time he fell short of them.

Alicio turned his head curiously as Jenn began explaining where they had been, turning his body and taking a few steps beyond the medical tents, signaling her silently to walk and talk. He gave her his full attention, only pausing to summon that strange cloak to his hand with the Force, and begin fastening it around his shoulders. None of her tale was a surprise to him- not due to his understanding of the Future, but out of his understanding of the Sith.

After she finished speaking, Alicio folded his arms behind his back. "I'm glad you made it here." His tone was genuine, layered with meaning, even if there was a bit of fragile caution there. He wasn't sure where he stood with the Duchess now- despite her friendly tone, he still remembered their meeting on Fondor. "And despite losing a debate against a Sith, you're alive, and saved all these people from death, or worse. And for that, I'm very glad."

"Whatever you need from us, you have it, free of charge. Repairs, supplies for the trip back, extra shuttles, just ask." He flashed a weak smile, before letting it drop, staring straight ahead. "Alderaan is a friend to you, Jenn. Even if... I can't always be."

- Jenn Kryze -

 

[Jenn Kryze]

Beskar'gam
​

| Location | Alderaan - Outside Sanctuary City
| Objective | Truly and earnestly

To Jenn's credit, her reaction was quick and considerate, canting her head apologetically in the wake of the Chancellor's words. "I apologize if I upset you, your grace. Such was not my intent." Polite to a fault, but not quite apologizing for saying the words. The Mandalorian before him found no shame in her blunt demeanor, particularly when it came to her friends... although the method of address she used set something of a boundary between them. Titles, used to keep a degree of separation between them. Although hopeful, the Duchess held no delusions after their meeting on Fondor. Something had changed, and though she mourned such a shift in their friendship, her duty demanded that she treat him as head of state-​

​

The head of a state she was growing increasingly wary of, distancing the New Mandalorians as much as the parameters at her disposal allowed. ​

​

But, for all such considerations, she felt a wave of sympathy for the King wash over her. Though his duty extended to trillions of souls, compared to her own charge, she knew of the demands and rigors of leadership. And she knew... of how little time it left him to be with his family. His wife, his children; the very same she had taken him from during the days of the war between the Enclave and the Alliance. There was little time to be spent on guilt, not now.​

​

"We couldn't save enough of them." Not shame, but regret. They could have done so much more. Should, have done so much more. "This... is only a small fraction of Vassek's population, Alicio. A few villages' worth. Hard not to feel I could have done things differently, went about all this another way. Now, children are going to grow up without their parents, and vice versa."​

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Ruthless optimization meant that she would make use of those orphans. They would not be left in the care of the Alderaanians, but taken back to Onderon, where they would be raised as foundlings by the New Mandalorians. Taught to care for themselves, to manipulate weapons, to emerge into the galaxy with the ability to never be victims again. And, although each and every one of them would be given a choice once they reached the right age, Jenn knew that only few would reject the chance to become fully-fledged Mandalorians. A long-term solution to the issue of manpower that made her altruism a little less wasteful. ​

​

"All I want from you is to ensure the Enduring Flame is capable of jumping back home... and give these people a home - all but the orphans, who are now under our responsibility. Nothing more, nothing less." A terse response, she realized, though one she refused to apologize for, not when she saw him averting his gaze from her, even as her own visor remained fixated on his person. ​

​

"Alicio." She reached out, then stopped herself, just as her hand hovered above his shoulder, retracting it slowly. "You are a good man, a just ruler, and well-liked by my people besides. Above all that, I consider you a friend. If I have broken that trust we shared as friends, then let me mend it."​

​

Alicio Organa ​

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio held up a warding hand, humor hueing his face. "I'm not upset. Just... An arrogant part of myself doesn't like being confronted with the truth."

Alicio led Jenn through the growing field of tents, using the movement as an excuse to look straight ahead. But the focus in his face was undeniable- he was giving the Mandalorian his full attention. And the remorse she felt... well, that was a familiar emotion. He let her words hang a moment, before responding. "That's the problem with people like us, Jenn. If every life is precious... no loss of life is acceptable. Our best is never enough, and there's nothing we can do but live with it."

"But they get to live, too." Alicio nodded his chin towards a young couple, hugging each other outside one of the new residential tents. Somewhere nearby, a trio of those orphans kicked around a small cloth ball, playing keep-away from a supervising Alderaanian volunteer. An old woman with a missing eye stared longingly at them, as her face was being attended to. "Your best was enough for them. It doesn't make up for the pain... but it has to be worth something."

Jenn's relatively short list of requirements would be easy enough to meet. Repairing one ship, even one as impressive as the Flame, would be no trouble, especially with Alderaan's recently-expanded shipyards. And finding homes for most of the people here would also be simple- they stood only an hour's walk from Sanctuary, with another city's construction in the developmental stage. But her final words...

"Alicio. You are a good man, a just ruler, and well-liked by my people besides. Above all that, I consider you a friend. If I have broken that trust we shared as friends, then let me mend it."

Alicio stopped walking. Opened his mouth. Closed it again. Let his eyes wander the tents, before finally letting them pierce Jenn's visor. It was obvious he'd thought a lot about their encounter since it happened. "I told you not to treat me as a friend in our meeting, Jenn. I didn't want to... manipulate you into taking a poor deal for your people, because of our relationship. All you did was what I asked- you were direct, and represented the interests of your people well, and I can't fault you for it. But... it felt as though you'd forgotten everything we'd been through. As if... I was nothing but in your way. An enemy." He forced his gaze to travel to the middle distance.

"It hurt. Maybe more than I care to admit."

- Jenn Kryze -

 

[Jenn Kryze]

Beskar'gam
​

| Location | Alderaan - Outside Sanctuary City
| Objective | ... let truth set us free once more

Well, that certainly earned the Chancellor a (hidden) lift of the Mandalorian's brow, tilting her helm just a little in surprise. Unfortunately for the monarch, the Duchess had never cared to particularly soften her words for anyone, ally or enemy. No weapon in her arsenal was more potent than the truth, wielded with a sure hand and a steady heart. Still... she felt something of a pang of guilt, all the same, muted as it was by her self-righteousness. It was her duty to always speak true, but how often did Alicio hear something so blunt and direct? That she failed to provide him with the advice she wished she could conjure was the real failure here. ​

​

"I know what it's like", answered the Mandalorian finally, after drinking in her friend's words. Her voice was quiet now, charged with emotion, with a rare display of vulnerability. That she even cared to bare herself like this to him was but a show of her consideration for him not merely as an ally, but a friend. "I lost my family. All of them." She closed her eyes, then, and allowed the pain to take her, if only for a moment. Remembrance hurt, but it was better to remember than to forget, and she had loved her mothers and her many siblings. "Maybe that's why it hurts so much. That I know their pain, that I could have prevented it if I was stronger. Maybe that Sith was right, after all. Maybe I need to stop running from what I could be, from power. All my life, I have shied away from it, afraid of what it could turn me into, but- if I refuse to grow more powerful, then the death of these people is on me."​

​

That she had found herself ranting like this was a testament to the trust she held in Alicio as a person. Her gaze no longer roamed across the faces of those who had lived, those she had saved, when the time came for a different topic, no less heavy than the one she had just expanded upon. So many things she wished she could have done differently after their meeting, so many things she stood by even now. Why did politics have to come between them, when she respected him so? His words hurt to hear. To know that she had let him down as a friend. And that she would have to do it again.​

​

"The Alliance is in my way." Gods, what a terrible way for her to start, and a completely foolish thing for her to admit to its Chancellor, especially when he seemed to look through her visor and into her eyes. "I was content being its ally. I was glad to fight alongside them against those who would enslave, destroy, and ruin. But after the Neo-Crusader assault... my people and I were not asked. We were told! And we had to like it!"​

​

Her anger flared, and she resisted the urge to storm off, all too aware that her anger was doing nothing to resolve things between them. Perhaps she was only severing their bond further, their respect for one another destroyed by her hands with every word that spilled from her lips. And yet, she kept talking. Kept hoping that he would take this as Jenn speaking to him, and not the Duchess.​

​

"I saw what happened on Hapes. I was there, Alicio, same as you were - I had come to help the Queen, to try and secure an alliance between our people by helping her deal with the Crimson Veil. No matter who started the fighting, I realized just how frighteningly easy it is, for the Alliance to come to a world and subvert it. Nothing you did was wrong. But it made me understand... that if the Alliance or the Jedi ever found something to disagree with, they could simply come to Onderon, make their demands, then impose their will if I ever refused. I am Mandalorian! I do not bow to the Jetii, nor to bureaucrats who hate me and my people. I listen to my friends. I listen to you."​

​

Finally, she removed her helm, with that telltalte hiss of depressurization. It was a gambit. All or nothing. Trust that he would see the virtue in her choice to speak so openly, even when doing so revealed her hand, if only partially. There was a profound melancholy etched on her features, now. Such sadness only made her voice all the more beautiful.​

​

"I never meant to hurt you. You are not my enemy. Even now, my warriors and I sing your name in our hall! We call out, Alicio, Alicio, K'ijaat ori'alor! Honor to the Supreme Chancellor! The only aruetii we know of your station who draws his sword and fights his own battles. I don't want to make your life harder. I want to stand by your side through this. So, please, my friend, help me, just as you did when I was a warrior of the Enclave. Help me find a reason to do what I want, instead of what I feel I have to do."​

​

Alicio Organa ​

 

[Alicio Organa]

"Maybe I need to stop running from what I could be, from power. All my life, I have shied away from it, afraid of what it could turn me into, but- if I refuse to grow more powerful, then the death of these people is on me."

That got Alicio to look at Jenn. An undeniable flash of recognition, of concern. The words were alarming, because... well, they were his. He could practically hear the specter of his not-so-distant past echoing the words back to him.

If someone dies under my watch, and I'm not using everything I have to save them... I deal the killing blow.

"That's very noble of you." Alicio wasn't smiling. He still held his concerned frown. "I used to think that way. Maybe I still do. And... that's not a good thing." He left it there. They would have to circle back on this conversation, after...

"The Alliance is in my way."

That was a hell of a way to start. Alicio would've laughed out loud, had the subject matter not been so serious. Jenn laid out in plain terms, that she considered the Alliance an antagonistic force. That was nothing surprising to him, they'd talked plenty about her aversion to the massive governmental body. What was surprising was her declaration, in no unclear terms, that she and Clan Kryze considered him a friend, despite it all.

It really warmed his heart, for the briefest of flickers, before he fell back into his morose chill. What a messy situation for the Mandalorian to be in.

"I'm sorry." His face carried her same sadness, even as his mental barriers fought off her siren song. "I know you didn't want to tie your people to the Alliance, and circumstances out of your control tied it to you anyways. I don't have the perfect words, at least, none that are entirely truthful. I can't say the Alliance won't tell you what to do, because it will. I can't say they will always look out for Clan Kryze's best interests, because they won't."

"What are you afraid of the Alliance and Jedi imposing upon you?" Alicio frowned, his hand absently reaching up to his neckline, a finger grazing along the soft skin there without quite thinking about it.

- Jenn Kryze -

 

[Jenn Kryze]

Beskar'gam
​

| Location | Alderaan - Outside Sanctuary City
| Objective | Fraught with perils

The way Alicio suddenly turned towards her was enough for the Duchess to clamp up, realizing (albeit belatedly) that she had shared too much. Political differences and her near-seditious thoughts were one thing, but drawing the attention of the Jetii, self-righteous monks and mystics that they were... now that was a situation she would not be able to talk herself out of, and a reminder of how profoundly she loathed the interventionist tendencies of that blasted Order. The less she allowed them to learn, the better. There was nothing to it now but for her to hope that her friend would be considerate enough not to spread word of this to an already-biased Council, to say nothing of his own spouse and her personal enmity against the Kryz'alor. ​

​

Truth, wielded nobly and honorably as she did, was rapidly becoming a spear she was skewering herself atop... ​

​

Of the matter of sorcery, no more words were exchanged after the Seer's simple intervention. Not when the topic ahead of them proved to be just as important, if not more - a delicate thing for the both of them to approach on a good day, and this was certainly not a good day. All around her, those who lived served as a reminder that she had failed. They had lost their homes; some, their loved ones. ​

​

Anger twisted its way within her, slipping within the confines of her soul. Anger direct at herself, at her philosophy and the limitations it imposed upon her... anger at her own allies.​

​

"I shall suffer no meddling", came her harsh, snapping response. "I refuse to compromise on the vision I have offered my people, this singular path of honor, glory, and hope. One day - perhaps soon, perhaps not, the Jedi or the SIA will come to my doorstep, asking me to turn over someone under my protection, for I offer a second chance to all, no matter how wretched their past... and I will deny them. Just as I will send away any Jedi who takes issue with how we teach our warriors whose eyes are open to the Great Ocean." ​

​

Picking up a small, round stone, she slowly rubbed her thumb over its surface, as if appraising it. Nature, random chance, the stars - whatever willed the world into being had made this simple stone amidst the grass into something practically unique. So too was it with one's soul. ​

​

"You rendered us aid when we needed it most." Her anger simmered, then, and calm returned to her, as a placid sea beneath the afternoon sun. There was "All of our requests but one were granted, and from that help, we have been hard at work rebuilding. For that, we are grateful. I, am grateful. But it does not change the fact that in the eyes of the Alliance, we may as well not exist when it comes to diplomacy, to making deals, letting us be at the negotiating table when decisions impacting Onderon are made. I am its Knight-Commander, for pity's sake! Sworn by oath! How hard can it be to try and ask for permission, to initiate a dialogue, before telling me things are being done and I have to accept it? Refugee centers on Onderon, I can abide without complaint, for it is our shared commitment to the displaced - but I ask only for coordination."​

​

Alicio Organa ​

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio didn't flinch easily- having one eye constantly on a handful of moments ahead meant he was hard to surprise. But his eye did twitch a little as she suddenly snapped at him. Again, none of it was surprising. Not because of his clairvoyance, but because he knew Jenn.

"You, know, I've never met anyone as Mandalorian as you, Jenn." He said it with a humorous edge, though he did mean it with immense sincerity. "I haven't met many, mind you. Just your people. A few scattered encounters, here and there. But you are the most Mandalorian person I know. Independence and self-determinism are as necessary to you as air. Or... water."

"I don't necessarily follow the Jedi Way. But they haven't forcibly converted me yet." He tilted his head to the Nite Owl. "As long as you aren't breaking Alliance law, which mostly concerns safe and ethical practices, I'm sure you can train your people how you like. Neither the Alliance nor the Jedi are in the business of stomping out harmless philosophies, these days."

He folded his hands in front of him, whatever troubled him at his neckline forgotten for the moment.

"Would you rather have a say in Alliance affairs, or immunity from them?" His eyes traveled around a moment, as if tracking thoughts in his mind.

"All the good you've done for the Alliance so far... it's been independent. Your way. And it has been thankful enough to grant you some of your requests, and consider you an ally, but you haven't created a strong political position for yourself. Your connections in the Alliance are... shallow. Based on good faith and good deeds. That means people feel they can circumnavigate you, and they have."

"But starting to play the game means you will begin making obligations. And I know you have obligations now that you regret." He frowned. "You can't ask for respect without giving respect. But that means compromise."

"So, which do you want? A voice, or independence?" If there was a path forward where Jenn and her Mandalorians could keep both, he didn't see it yet.

- Jenn Kryze -

 

[Jenn Kryze]

Beskar'gam
​

| Location | Alderaan - Outside Sanctuary City
| Objective | Wings and Resolve

Though he may not remember the word from their time spent talking in B'yaim Haar Cabur, Alicio had all but called her Mandokarla with his observation, nonetheless. Once, the well-meaning Alor could only lament her inability to fully attain true Mandokar; now, she had all but acquired it, and yet lost far more of herself than she cared to admit in the process. Leadership demanded much of her, to keep on sacrificing more and more of herself to give her people a better life, to set them on the right path. Was she the same person Alicio once met as a reluctant foe? Hardly. Then again, so too had his station changed, as hers had... and yet his strength of character remained, if only from her perception. Where he remained true to himself through the shifting tides, Jenn felt fractured.​

​

"You married a Jedi, and your ideals largely align with their philosophy besides. We are not in the same situation." Firm words, erring on the side of curtness, though nowhere quite as cutting as they had been during their last meeting. Evidently, the Kryz'alor had learned from her mistake, and sought earnestly to avoid hurting her friend as she had done before. In spite of her faults, the Duchess kept on trying to improve as a person, difficult as the prospect might seem to her in the face of those repeated trials she faced, again and again. ​

​

"As for breaking Alliance law... harboring wanted fugitives, criminals, and murderers would be one such instance." Her features hardened, her eyes sharp, and pitiless once more. There were things she remained unwilling to compromise on. "Everyone deserves a second chance. To start anew and be a better person, just as I needed that chance when I joined the Enclave - and once more when I left it. I know you understand."​

​

Then, came the hard question, followed by an almost frustratingly informative analysis of the situation her House found itself in. Unenviable at best, catastrophic at worst; such was her own assessment as she ruminated on what the Chancellor communicated with her. At the very least, she had the clear advice of someone she trusted, someone whose skill in speechcraft was far, far greater than her own.​

​

"I sacrifice and I compromise all too often", whispered the Mandalorian softly, her eyes slowly closing as she craned her head to face the sky. Stars, but what she would give for rain. "I keep cutting away more of Jenn to become The Redeemer. The tactical decision, the one ensuring my people's prosperity and survival, would be to answer you with the necessity of finding a voice of our own, to establish a political presence beyond merely our deeds."​

​

There was a pause, then, as Jenn sat herself down, tossing the stone in the air and catching it with the Force before it fell, making it turn this way and that. Her features betrayed concentration, even with her eyes closed. A reminder that she was no Jedi, that she lacked any kind of training, and operated purely on instinct. One day, her pride may yet be her undoing. For now, she found the effort such a trick required of her soothing, in its own way, forcing her to focus on something. ​

​

Her eyes opened, then, and she allowed the stone to drop, turning towards Alicio. A smile pulled at her lips, though the melancholy etched on her features remained. ​

​

"Not today. Not with this. We will remain independent, and so too will our world return to neutrality. It is the New Mandalorian way, as my ancestor decreed it long, long before I did. What little of her legacy was passed down to us... makes me hope to equal her, one day. A pacifist, who fiercely defended Mandalore's neutrality."​

​

Alicio Organa ​

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio raised an eyebrow, a shadow of knowing smugness crossing over his face. "Our situations are more alike than you think. I'm not the only one here sweet on a Jedi. And there have been times my philosophy has... grated against Amani's." He tried to remain noncommittal, but there was a spark of concern deep in his riverstone eyes. "Maybe you should talk with Jonyna about your fears. She could give you a clearer picture on the New Jedi Order's stance better than I ever could."

Was this new? Why hadn't Jenn mentioned it to Master Si before?

Alicio was silent as he watched Jenn focus on the Force with curiosity, then focus on her predicament with growing darkness. He wasn't willing to taint her decision-making process. Perhaps the right thing to do was sway her one way or the other... but it wasn't the Alicio thing to do. Nonetheless, his lip twisted a little in discomfort at her final decision.

"That isn't exactly what I wanted to hear... but I'm not going to try to talk you out of it. I trust your judgement." He sighed. "Neutrality may be right for Clan Kryze, and those who follow your example. At least, until you're better positioned."

"But if you meant by 'your world' that all of Onderon should follow your example... That, I think, would be ill-advised to attempt." He supposed she could've meant world in the metaphorical sense, but it was wise to check.

- Jenn Kryze -