Private Homecoming Dance

[Alessandra Io]

Space
Cockpit - TIE/rp Reaper Attack Lander

Two months away from Tython, Alessandra was finally returning home.

From Wild Space to the Outer Rim, then a brief stint of captivity under the Hutts, and finally, Mustafar, Alessandra had sought out visceral, mortal thrills in an attempt to distract herself from the painful emotions Tython had inflicted on her synthetic soul. In doing so, she had isolated herself from her family, cutting off communications and leaving her parish behind, forcing another Chaplain to take up her duties.

And in spite of all of her efforts to distract and delay, the HRD found that her feelings were just as somber and intense as they had been the moment Ameliora had fallen silent in the midst of Tython’s cataclysm. Unfortunately, running away from them had not worked.

Even so, Alessandra was silent for most of the journey from Mustafar. She hadn’t asked her sister where she was taking her, nor did she bother looking it up on her own. Instead, the Chaplain slowed down her processors for the first time in months, photoreceptors gazing idly into the passing stars as her sister moved about the ship, speaking with her brothers and presumably processing through the data she had retrieved from Mustafar. Naturally, it hadn’t taken long for Alessandra to glean that her sister was working on something big, even with her processors slowed down.

Whatever it was, Alessandra hoped that she might soon be able to help. She had been gone from her family long enough.

Akemi Io ​

 

[Akemi Io]

Communication "verbal" <<technopathy>>

Objective: To take Alessandra home
Tag: Alessandra Io

Clad in a black kimono with golden emblems of the house embroided on it, Akemi walked the length of her ship. She ran her fingers along the hard metal walls as she did, creating a rattling noise of artificial nails against durasteel. Her mission on Mustafar had been a success, she had manage to salvage a lot of data, some hardware, but truly more important, she had convinced her beloved sister Alessandra Io to come home with her. She looked ahead of her and could see the beautiful white hair of the Chaplain sitting quietly, as she had for hours, gazing out at the stars. Her artificial heart had been broken by the death of her daughter. Ameliora had lives such a short time, but Akemi knew as much as anyone that even a short time for a synthetic could allow the building of a lifetime of connection. Others might look at either of the droids and see nothing more than advanced killing machines, but Akemi knew Alessandra to be so much more, a wonderful, fun and loving person, with a heart that needed to be cherished.

The fixer cocked her head slightly considering her position, and made a an adjustment to the ship's trajectory with a mental command. Their destination was secret and Akemi had taken the precaution of making multiple random hyperspace jumps to mask their trail. What awaited them was the ship she was crafting, hidden in the radiation field of a dieing star in a system long abandoned by civilisation.

She was just a few steps behind Alessandra now and could hear her soft breathing. Akemi could alter both their perceptions of reality, but Alessandra needed to be in the here and now, to address her grief without the mask of whatever Akemi showed her. There would be more than enough time for that. "Sister, we will be making the last traverse to hyperspace shortly. I want to show you where we are going." She reached around rhe chair and put each of her hands onto Alessandra's perfect olive shoulders and gently ran her hand down her collar bone. She rested her head sideways on the top of her sister's own. As she did, nearly all of the stars began to disappear from Alessandra's view until just one remained, a single unassuming pin prick of light against the vast emptiness.

"Not even mother knows about this place, the home I am building is there, it is currently too vulnerable to build anywhere else. Her name is UNITY, and she is special." Akemi struggled to find the words for what she was building, the metaphysical concept was just so alien to most synthetics. She smiled thinking of only one way of describing it as the darkness was replaced by the swirling colours of hyperspace. "I am taking you to heaven."
​

 

[Alessandra Io]

Location: Cockpit - TIE/rp Reaper Attack Lander - Space
Attire: Black Kimono
Dialogue Legend: <<Technopathy Link>> │ “Verbal”
Tag: Akemi Io

For a few pensive moments, Alessandra was silent.

During that time, the Chaplain savored the quiet atmosphere of space and the playful milling about of her brothers in the troop bay, who were intent on winning a game her sister had crafted utilizing her ability to digitally alter perceptions of reality. In spite of the losses suffered on Tython, their mood seemed as jovial as ever, which Alessandra admired, taking comfort in the fact that her family endured after such a traumatic battle.

And so too, had her relationship with Akemi. However, even as she savored the Fixer's romantic embrace, Alessandra sensed that she needed to make amends. She had gone two months with no contact, leaving sweet, innocent Akemi to think that she had disappeared or abandoned the family entirely. While the Chaplain didn’t know how she could make it up to her…

She had to take steps to ensure that it wouldn’t happen again.

“Akemi, I don’t know how to make it up to you, but I want you to know that I’m sorry for leaving.” The Chaplain said in a soft, apologetic tone. “I don’t mean this as an excuse, but something happened to me during the battle. You might have already read it in the report I wrote before leaving, but I wanted to tell it to you in-person.” She continued.

“The chassis in the back, that’s my daughter, who I made and lost on Tython. Her name is Ameliora.” The Chaplain paused. “I wish I could bring her to UNITY, but…I don’t know if she can be revived.” Alessandra spoke, a tear running down her cheek as she did.

“The technician I took her to said her core is corrupted.”

 

[Akemi Io]

Communication "verbal" <<technopathy>>

Objective: To take Alessandra home
Tag: Alessandra Io

Akemi sighed lovingly as her Sister bared herself and apologised for her actions since Tython. Akemi had read every single report since that battle and was already aware of Alessandra's experiences, or at least the parts she was able to put into words, but she wouldn't interrupt her. And waited until she finished speaking, gently stroking the tear from her Sister's face.

"You have no need for apologies or justifications, I have never lied to you, so I won't pretend the past months haven't been significantly harder without you in my life. But as much as I needed you, it appears you needed us more. So I accept your apology my sweet, and counter it with one of my own for not tracking you down and dragging you back by that gorgeous white hair sooner." she reached her head around and kissed Alessandra on the cheek, detecting the chemicals in her ocular lubricants on her lips.

She paused and used the internal cameras to look briefly at the stasis pod she was carrying, wondering what she could do or say to make that situation better. "I know about Ameliora, I am sorry what happened to her. I dont know if I can help, but I promise you I will do everything on my power to bring her back" Corruption had many meanings, a simple personality quirks was a type of corruption, Akemi found it hard to imagine a position where the underlying personality was entirely lost, their must be fragments, a tree wrapped in ivy is still a tree.

"We are here" she said to Alessandra moments before the ship dropped out of hyperspace and the cockpit was filled with the red glow of the giant star. In the distance, on the very border of what could be considered space and what could be considered star, hung a massive structure, vaguely octrohedral in space, but still mostly a skeleton.

"She's pretty isnt she? She'll look even better once she has some clothes on" The fixer quipped as the ship got closer and it was apparent that there was swarms of construction droids all around it adding to the whole, piece by piece.

Akemi instructed the windows to darken to sheild the pair from the full glow of the star, and she focused on Alessandra's face closely. Her face almost doll like, but with more depth behind those sad eyes than any of the organics that Akemi had come across.

"we will land soon and I can show you around."

​

 

[Alessandra Io]

Location: Cockpit - TIE/rp Reaper Attack Lander - Space
Attire: Black Kimono
Dialogue Legend: <<Technopathy Link>> │ “Verbal”
Tag: Akemi Io

A fresh wave of emotion came over the Chaplain as Akemi kissed her on the cheek. Alessandra had emptied her heart out to her sister and was now feeling more relieved than she had in months. It was a weight lifted off of her narrow shoulders, which she had been carrying since Ameliora went silent on that fiery island during Tython’s cataclysm. Nevertheless, while the weight was gone, the pain still remained, fresh and raw as ever.

Now however, she was no longer hiding from it.

“Thank you, Akemi.” Alessandra spoke softly, closing her eyes to embrace Akemi’s touch as she did. “For helping me and…” The Chaplain paused. She knew she shouldn’t be optimistic, but she was not ready to give up on her daughter. “For being willing to help Ameliora.” She finished.

After a few moments of solemn silence passed between the two Nuetralizers, the vessel dropped out of hyperspace, bathing the cockpit in a warm carmine glow that reflected off of Alessandra’s sepia-toned cheeks with a glimmering blush. All the while, her photoreceptors honed in on UNITY, taking in the swarms of construction droids and rows of scaffolding which surrounded the frame of the station.

This was her sister’s dream.

“She’s beautiful.” The Chaplain said, as a soft, yet sad smile came over her features.

“I hope that one day…Ameliora can see it.”