Private I Hope

[Alicio Organa]

Aldera, Alderaan
Royal Palace, Office of the King
- Lady Sylvia Organa -
​

There was another Organa.

The Chancellor of the Galactic Alliance paced around his Alderaanian office, smart boots clicking as they passed over hardwood, and producing dull thuds as his path took him over sparse blue carpets. His winding journey around the room didn't seem to have any rhyme or reason to it, dictated by some frantic logic hidden behind cobalt-grey eyes, tracing around his heavy desk, the cozy heater in the corner, the portable burner and simmering tea kettle.

Alicio generally enjoyed keeping himself busy, he always needed to feel like he was moving forward, but this time, his work had kept him from rushing to Alderaan to meet Sylvia. If he were stuck doing anything else, he would've dropped it immediately... but the Alliance now rested on his shoulders, and he couldn't afford to cut corners, or do things sloppily. So he was only able to return home after Lady Organa was already Senator Organa.

He wondered briefly if this was how Faith felt, when she'd first met him. For years he'd addressed the galaxy, multiple times he'd crossed weapons with Sith... but somehow, the bundle of nerves felt sharper than all those combined. What would she be like? Would she be ecstatic, like him? Indifferent? Angry with him? Cautious?

What sort of hello should he give? A handshake? Was a hug too much? Should he do a crisp nod?

Who was she?

All he could do was wait for her to walk through those doors, escorted through the Royal Palace by his attendants. And figure that out for himself.

 

[Lady Sylvia Organa]

Wishing On Stars

Outfit: Dress
Weapons: Minor self defense weapons

Sylvia probably shouldn't have been near as nervous in this moment as she honestly felt. The last time she had been at the palace of Alderaan had been long before she had the ability to hold onto memories. Barely two years old when she'd been wisked away into the care of close friends of her mother whom she couldn't even remember outside of what had been told to her, the heads of House Dominis. Though they weren't family by blood, she still referred to them as Uncle Elis and Aunt Cecilia, given all they had done for her the majority of her life. She couldn't have asked for better in the situation she had been in. Ever the optimist she was, she tended to view life from a lens of beauty and wonder even in her early years.

She still couldn't help the guilt that crept into her mind. Nos Voros had tried to assure her that it wasn't her fault. She'd spent so long having to protect herself just to be able to do all the work she had done in the charities and volunteer work she'd devoted her life to. He'd even reminded her that he likely wouldn't be here today without that. She still ran a halfway house for distressed young people, most of whom were refugees, former slaves, and the abused, along with organizing hunger programs and her new duties with the Galactic Alliance Senate.

Yet, she couldn't help but think that she had done Alicio wrong staying away for so long. She's seen him speak before. She'd even voted for him a couple of times, but reminded in the background, letting her own work speak for itself. She wondered if he'd hate her for it. He'd have every right to since she had been so close all this time and never announced herself.

So there she was, being escorted through the halls of a building she only wished she had memory of by guards and passing by paintings of others who looked just like her in one way or another, her icy blue eyes flitting back and fourth with dozens of worrying emotions. She didn't get much of a chance to collect herself at the doors to the hall, the guards moving in without hesitation

"Senator Organa to see you, Chancellor," one announced before leaving her in the room with the large, beautiful doors closing behind her.

She was caught staring at him for longer than she intended. If not for the darker eyes and hair he had, it could have been like looking in a mirror up close for the first time. Instantly, the guilt slapped her in the face. She bowed low, being as respectful as she possibly could.

"Chancellor Alicio Organa, I greatly appreciate your willingness to meet with me today. I know your time is precious, and please do let me know if there is anything I can do to help with that burden," her voice held a melodic smoothness to it, one that couldn't quite hide both her worry and her hope. She'd always wore her heart on her sleeve, and now was no exception.

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio had stopped pacing by the time Sylvia entered the room.

He'd eventually decided to pause in the center of the room, in front of his desk. His hands were folded neatly behind his back, mostly to keep them from fidgeting. The anticipation was the worst part, he figured. Like moths, fluttering around in his ribcage, no matter how hard he tried to keep them still. He turned away from the door, checking the room over to make sure everything was perf-

"Senator Organa to see you, Chancellor."

Alicio had barely felt her entrance in the Future, so focused was he on other things. Alicio turned around, not sure what he would see. He saw... himself.

Her hair was warm brown, while his was nearly black. Her eyes were cold blue, while his were a pale, raincloud grey. But her face was so... familiar, as if he'd been looking at it for his whole life. And the expression it wore, that odd bundle of nerves and excitement... they shared that, too.

"Chancellor Alicio Organa, I greatly appreciate your willingness to meet with me today. I know your time is precious, and please do let me know if there is anything I can do to help with that burden."

Alicio's face shifted to a pensive one. Always, there were a thousand thoughts shifting behind his eyes. She was open, his thoughts were an enigma. He took a slow step closer. Then another, perhaps a little quicker.

Then, without quite meaning to, he hugged her.

"...It's so good to meet you."

After a moment, Alicio regained himself. He took a half-step away from Sylvia, the slightest of sheepish smiles on his face. "Excuse my... forwardness. How do you take your tea?"

"I imagine we have a lot of catching up to do."

- Lady Sylvia Organa -

 

[Lady Sylvia Organa]

Wishing On Stars

Outfit: Dress
Weapons: Minor self defense weapons

Sylvia stood in silence for longer than than she had expected to. Her piercing blue gaze dropped to the floor, swirling with the worry she felt. It had been so many years now, and it was hard to keep herself from imagining what life could have been like if she'd just come forward sooner. Depite how happy she was with how the course of her life had played out, the intrusive thought was still there.

Alicio was so much harder to read by expression alone than she'd thought. Of course, having a bit of empathic training, she could pick up the wave of swirling emotions that also seemed to mirror her own. Sadly, that didn't help her too much either, given she couldn't pick up as many of them as she had hoped to.

"I completely understand if you're angry with me. It's within your right—" She started to speak, but before she could say any more, she was wrapped in a hug. A quick bit of shock flashed through her eyes, followed immediately by a bittersweet happiness that came with such acceptance. She quickly returned the hug, possibly tighter than she'd intended to. Though she considered the house that raised her like family, she couldn't help the astonishing familiarity that he she had with him, even if they hadn't formally met until now. A couple of tears trailed down her face before she could stop them, and she quickly wiped them away when he stepped back.

"It's alright. Clearly, we both needed that," she said warmly, then took a moment to really take in the room. It was all so familiar, even if she couldn't quite remember it. "Tea, yes. Two sugars, if that's alright."

Moving across the room to take a seat, she couldn't help the thought that Nos would like him, even if he'd be weary about it at first. "Please, pardon my absent-mindedness. It's just been a long time since I've been here." She chuckled a little bit. A long time was an understatement given just how small she was at the time of her quick removal from the grounds. She didn't even remember the faces of her parents, though if she saw an image, she might be able to pick them out from it. She began to wonder where to even begin, eventually deciding on allowing him to ask whatever questions he may have of her before getting too ahead of herself.

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

"It's alright. Clearly, we both needed that."

"I suppose so." Alicio returned a tight-lipped smile. He wasn't the kind to break into tears... but it was obvious he was at least a little misty-eyed too. "Find a seat. I'll get our drinks ready."

Alicio turned towards his little portable burner, busying himself by pouring their drinks. A little-known benefit of future vision as accurate as Alicio's- he knew perfectly when to start the stove. His kettle had just begun to whistle as he turned down the heat, and prepared their cups, measuring just the right amount of sugar in each. He placed them gently on a tray, and escorted it over to his desk.

"Please, pardon my absent-mindedness. It's just been a long time since I've been here."

"Thirty years, I'm guessing? Give or take some change?" Alicio placed the tray down, stealing one of the seats next to wherever Sylvia ended up, as opposed to his fancy chair behind the desk. He smiled warmly, but there was an enigmatic, ever-shifting question behind his eyes. There were so many things he wanted to ask. Where to even begin?

Well... Alicio had never been one to avoid the hard questions. He placed Sylvia's tea in front of her, his head canting to the side curiously, his eyes searching.

"...Where have you been all this time?"

- Lady Sylvia Organa -

 

[Lady Sylvia Organa]

Wishing On Stars

Outfit: Dress
Weapons: Minor self defense weapons

"It really has been that long, hasn't it?" Sylvia mused the question outloud, chuckling a bit to herself. Thirty years give or take since she'd been to this palace. She'd barely been a toddler at the time. She'd decided to make herself comfortable in one of the smaller foyer chairs around what looked to be an intricately embroidered coffee table. She began to wonder how many meetings had been conducted from this spot in the past.

It was quickly pulled back to the present situation at hand, though, when Alicio placed the tray down on the table. That was rather quick, but her assumption was that he'd clearly just been prepared for her arrival considering the agreed time and place. Lifting the cup, she stirred a bit with one of the accompanying spoons.

"... Where have you been all this time?"

The question didn't necessarily put her off guard as much as she thought it might. However, she hadn't necessarily expected him to jump right to the point so quickly. In all honestly, she appreciated that.

"It's a long story, really. My parents were Tannis and Falynn Organa" she started, pasuing only to take a quick sip of her tea. She wasn't quite certain whether or not those were names he might recognize, but from the history she had been told, her father had been one of the youngest in his particular generation of the family. "From what I know, I had been smuggled out of the palace when Thul attacked and sent across the planet to be hidden by friends of my mothers. They basically raised me."

Sylvia glanced up so her eyes could meet the stormy grey of his, seaching for any sign negative response before continuing, "They always made sure I knew where I came from, but it wasn't exactly easy. I wasn't allowed to leave the villa for part of my childhood, and even when it had been deemed safe, there were still multiple attempts to kill me. I don't necessarily know by who, but it's followed me my whole life. I wanted to come forward sooner, I really did, but with the target on my back and my work with charities and diplomatic advisement, I didn't think it was the best time. I am so very sorry for that."

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

"Mhm." Alicio gave the span of time only a moment more of thought. "Longer than I've been alive."

It felt... strange, having an older cousin again. To be fair, Faith had Alicio beat by a considerably wider margin. Sylvia was so close in age to him, they may as well have been the same. And the scales were further tipped by his position on the planet, in the Alliance...

Something to ponder about later, he decided.

For now, he used his focus to listen to his cousin's story. Her parents names were vaguely familiar to Alicio- his father Simon had a few siblings, though he never confided about them in Alicio's childhood. Despite that, her tale was all-too familiar to him. An attack by a rival House split their family. Some Organas stayed, to ensure Alderaan's survival, but Simon and Elinor, and apparently, Tannis and Falynn, had spirited away, protecting their fledgling families.

"So, you knew where you came from, but were forced to keep it a secret for your own safety." Alicio found a wry, distantly sad smile. It was a common expression of his, Sylvia would find. "That's a story I find intimately familiar."

There was no ill will from the Chancellor-King the Lady would find. Just somber nostalgia, a suppressed glee that shone through, and libraries worth of stray thoughts and questions Alicio carefully curated into something coherent to say. "Don't apologize. I... did the same thing. I was in hiding for a long time before I made myself known. When secrecy is all you know, all you're taught... it's hard to lay yourself bare like this. So... thank you for coming out, at all."

He smirked through a sip of tea. "And while it would have been convenient for you to arrive earlier... You came at just the right time. Alderaan needed a senator, and I'm glad you're stepping up."

"You work with charities and diplomacy?"

- Lady Sylvia Organa -