Night at the Museum 2.5 [Alwine]

[Djonas Vile]

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There is a city on the planet Naboo that is enchanted by beauty and creativity from one end to the other. A city where so many brilliant artistic minds come together and just relax and bask in the natural beauty around them. This city was Moenia, a city where artists from across the galaxy can retreat from their normal, hectic lives and spend some time in pure relaxation and freedom. Some of these artists don't even have hectic lives. They just prefer their own company compared to those outside of their profession.

Some years ago, however, Moenia was very different. The Gulag Virus hit the city rather hard. Citizens were forced to abandon the city as the virus infected half the population. With the sick slowly dying from the plague and trapped within the city and everyone else evacuated fromt he city, Moenia soon fell apart. The city became a shadow of what it once was. Bodies littered the streets, buildings fell apart as the natural vegetation took over, and there was not an ounce of light coming from the city as power was rerouted elsewhere. Moenia was soon just ruins.

But, there soon came a time when the Gulag Virus was defeated. Most, if not all, cases of the virus had been eradicated, however it certainly left it's toll on the galaxy. Moenia was but one of many casualties across the galaxy. But, Moenia was not forgotten. It was not forsaken. Many had learned of the fallen city through tales passed down unto them by their ancestors. Some listened in wonder to these tales, others wanted to find the truth to these stories. A city wholly centered around the arts? One being could not resist discovering the myth. Djonas Vile, Adjudicator of the Knights Obsidian, set out to rediscover the city. What he found did not match the stories he was told. What laid before him was a city lost in time. That was the moment Djonas decided to be the one to breathe life back into the city.

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Moenia
Present Day


The Amidala's Lament entered Naboo atmosphere and had begun to slow down as it approached Moenia. Djonas had brought a special guest onboard with him on a special trip he had made time for. An Alwine Lechner, Executor and fellow Knight Obsidian. She requested that Djonas show her proof of the Adjudicators work. Something tangible to make her believe that the Adjudicators are truly what they claim to be: healers of all that ails the galaxy.

Djonas walked over to the forward viewport and looked out at the landscape before him. "Ah, there it is. Have you heard of Moenia, Executor? A beautiful city, it is. Filled with history and culture. Many centuries ago, this city was home to some of the most brilliant and talented artists the galaxy had ever seen. That was, until the Gulag Virus ravaged the city. So many lives lost to the virus. The city fell apart. Look at it now. I personally saw to it's restoration." Djonas explained.

[member="Alwine Lechner"]​

 

[Alwine Daye]

Chocolate brown eyes narrowed as Amidala's Lament broke through Naboo's atmosphere, and what moments ago was a large and mostly green and blue planet was now a bright and sunny sky with clean air and luscious fields beneath them.

It had been the sign she'd been waiting on. For the duration of the trip, Alwine had not been a great companion. She had become accustomed by now to space travel, the sensation of moving through hyperspace not as strange and alien to her as it had been a year ago, when she was extracted from Stewjon and experienced it for the first time. And yet still, there was something magical about it, a sort of sensation that had never fizzled out. While Amidala's Lament had traveled through space, Alwine had shifted into her wolf form.

Tiny, just barely bigger than a wolf cub, yet with the proportions of a fully adult and grown wolf, she had stalked the viewport, walking back and forth every few hours to keep the blood flowing. But most of the time, she had simply sat in front of one of the windows, her tail swinging lazily from side to side as she watched the stars outside in an almost hypnotized manner. When she wasn't sitting, she was lying, usually on her side, still watching the galaxy through the eyes of the wolf, her tail never ceasing its motion.

But when the time had come, Alwine rose to her legs and shook her fur out before trotting over to a private room so she could shift into her human for and get dressed again. Returning to the viewport, she offered [member="Djonas Vile"] a smile – one of the very few rare ones that graced her face when she was not in the company of her brothers.

Looking down at the city that was now sprawled beneath them, her eyes took the strange buildings in. A year with the Confederacy, and yet every new style of architecture was still a first for her. There was much of the 'verse that she had yet to actually see, and often it felt like there was too much, and that she would never be done seeing everything for the first time.

"I have not," she admitted quietly as she almost pressed her nose to the glass now. The name had never been heard by her, nor said.

But now… Did Djonas even realize what it was he was offering to show Alwine? It was beyond a reconstructed city. It was more than just a new place. "I have never done the… Culture thing," she admitted quietly, "servants were barred from such places on Stewjon, unless they were handmaidens or the like. Even on Geonosis, I have never actually… I have not made use of my time off to see a museum. The mere notion sounds so very alien to me."

She almost did. Once. She had walked up the stairs to the Golbah City Museum of Antiquities and stood in line to purchase an entry ticket. She'd even paid for that entry ticket. But she could not bring herself to walk through those doors. It was much like her one and only visit to Coruscant. Some things, the young woman needed more time before she could face. There was more than excitement involved when coming to terms with a galaxy that was larger than your family cottage and some Lord's kitchens. She just hoped that someday, it would not only be her that was out of Stewjon, but Stewjon that was entirely out of her as well.

"How did you do it?" she asked softly, unable to hide the full of wonder tone that escaped her lips, "how do you rebuild something like that after centuries of destruction?"

 

[Djonas Vile]

Djonas looked down as he reflected upon his past involving Naboo. "Not many know this about me, but I was born on Naboo. When I was young, I was told stories about a beautiful city filled with so many brilliant artistic minds that brought even more beauty to the city. I couldn't believe them at the time. My parents enjoyed exaggerating things a bit, but this led me to wanting to search for truth to the legend. It took me many months searching through old archives. So much about the city was lost to the ages. The Gulag Virus certainly devastated much of Naboo and Moenia was hit hard. I found enough to lead me into a direction. Eventually, I found Moenia. Well, what used to be Moenia." Djonas sighed and paused briefly before continuing on.

"Master Vile, we're here." stated the helmsman. Djonas nodded in response.

"Follow me, Executor." Djonas started his walk off the bridge and towards the door. "Back to how I brought this city back from the dead. What I found was ruins. It almost broke my heart to see what laid before me, but I did not let it get me down. Instead, I saw an opportunity. A chance to begin something anew. I returned to Theed immediately to get help and a lot of it. I told the people of what I saw when I went to Moenia and we came together to rebuild the city. I wish you could have seen it. So many Nabooians brought together turned the impossible to the possible. This was long before Naboo was a member of the Confederacy so we did not have from any large faction off world, but we were able to recruit aid from friends of Queen Pyne. Without her aid, I feared we would take decades to rebuild the city. We did it in under 9 years. With a lot of help, a lot of love, and the most important part: plenty of hope. Not much longer after that, the Confederacy had come. Many confederates spent time in the rebuilt Moenia. Some were told about the 'man who saved Moenia'. That's what they call me. Soon, I was contacted by the Knights Obsidian who asked me to join their order. At first I said no. I wasn't ready to commit myself to anything at the time, but I soon joined up. I had a change of heart adter realizing how many more cities and people I could save from being lost."

Djonas stopped at a double door which then slid open, revealing the outdoors. He began walking down the ramp that would lead him and his companion to the fields below. "We have much to see and do, Executor. Allow me to be your guide."

[member="Alwine Lechner"]​

 

[Alwine Daye]

[member="Djonas Vile"]​

Quietly, Alwine listened at Djonas began to tell her of his childhood, of the stories that had decorated both it and his imagination as a child. It sounded like the sort of childhood that she had only seen the children of the Lords experience. For her and those who were somewhat like her… There had been no beauty of the city beyond them. The artistic minds had been limited to perhaps painting a house or adding color to a few pots. They had been born and bred to fight and serve. There was nothing else for the children who were not at the top of the Stewjoni food chain. She had not even envied those rich children – how could you envy something you did not exactly understand?

But rage – she had that, plenty fold. On Stewjon, her brothers had seen her for the fiery anger that simmered and swelled beneath her skin at every waking and every sleeping moment. Her mother had seen it too, and had attempted to beat it out of her. As for the Lords… They had not seen. They thought a lowered chin and down cast gaze was what showed servitude. They had been so terribly wrong.

And yet she could not help but wonder, if the day ever would come in which her anger would lessen, in which her wishes to burn Stewjon down to the very ground would release its hold on her enough to pipe her interest, to make her want to go and research, to see what was there and what could be done with it. Once, she had taken the step, though she had not been given the opportunity to put sufficient thought into the matter before joining on, which was most likely why the moment the man in charge disappeared from the scene, so did she.

But it had been a century and a half, perhaps more, since the last known case of the Gulag Virus. A hundred and fifty years… To most species, that was several generations. Why were places still harmed by it? Why was it still such a big deal to so many when not even their great-grandparents had experienced it?

But now they were walking off the ramp, and Alwine made to follow. Her eyes darted into the cityscape, looking the buildings they could see from the dockyard over. He said he had done it long before Naboo had become part of the Confederacy – so he was doing such things before joining it? Before becoming a Knight Obsidian? As far as Alwine was aware, Naboo had belonged to the Galactic Alliance prior to that. And under nine years…

"How old are you?" Alwine found herself asking. She had pegged him for someone in his 20's by human standards. Did Thryssians age differently? "And how many years ago was this?" Naboo had become a Confederate… A year or two ago? She wasn't completely certain, but she knew it was relatively new. Yet, the way Djonas spoke about it made it sound like it was not something that had happened that recently.

Looking at the fields below, her breath caught in her throat. There was no denying the beauty of it.

Alwine began to descend the ramp. A whole city was waiting to be seen by her. "That sounds absolutely lovely," she said with a warm smile, and the two set off.

 

[Djonas Vile]

Djonas walked with his companion up to just outside the city, stopping a moment to gaze upon what laid before them. Beautiful Nabooian architecture combined with an artistic touch gave this city it's unique feel when walking through it's streets. It was absolutely breathtaking, even for Djonas who has seen this city many, many times already. He always took pride in his work, but Moenia had to have been one of his greatest accomplishments. He then turned to her, prepared to answer her questions. "I'm 34." he answered, with a chuckle. "We finished rebuilding the city around 7 years ago." he added. "It's just a shame that it took this long for the people to realize the potential this city had should it be rebuilt. Then again, all it takes is one voice to speak up and miracles can happen." he said, following it up with a warm smile.

As the two walked through Moenia, they passed by small shops, selling all sorts of knickknacks and souvenirs. Each store had it's own flavor, displaying the diverse culture that, much like the Confederacy, strengthened Moenia. Just the walk through the trade district, one could feel the influence and culture of a hundred different worlds. Many traders hung out the doors of their stores, calling out to the citizens passing by, eager to show them their wares. Flowers, jewelry, toys, reagents, art, religious paraphernalia. All of it could be found there. "Since the city was rebuilt, it has become one beautiful mixing pot of culture and Naboo is all the better for it." Djonas stated, stopping to take a look at a florist's work. The florist stepped out of her store. An elderly twilek woman. She approached the two, holding a bouquet of colorful flora. Djonas handed her his credit chip, from which the woman withdrew the amount needed for the flowers. She returned his chip and gave the two a warm smile. "Thank you, ma'am." Djonas said graciously. Once the woman went back inside, Djonas offered the flowers to Alwine. "For you, Executor. I'm not sure where you live, but everywhere could always use some flowers to brighten the place up."

[member="Alwine Lechner"]​

 

[Alwine Daye]

[member="Djonas Vile"]​

Alwine did not know what Nabooian architecture was, but she did not need to. The sights she beheld as she looked at the city were absolutely stunning, and more than once she found herself unable to find words. How her brothers would have laughed at her now, if they could only see her; the little one, their Alwine, at a loss for words to hiss and bark.

"Where I am from," she did say at last, "one voice is often more than enough to have many other voices forever silenced."

It was not a day she particularly enjoyed remembering; market day back at home had been an especially busy one, and she was working twice as hard as usual to run back home and then back to the market because their inventory was running out so fast. It had seemed like a nearly perfect day, with only light snow, and many smiles to go around.

Until one woman rose screaming. Apparently, one of the Lords that had come to visit had seen it fit to take some of the fresh baked loafs from her stall, sans payment. The woman, old and frail and half blind, had not realized who it was until it was too late. By then both she, her two daughters, and one granddaughter that had also been staffing the stall, were put to their deaths for insolence. Market day was rarely as happy again as it had been in the moments before that.

Blinking, Alwine shook the remnants of that day's memories, and continued the stroll with Djonas. She could not deny that her eyes often looked at the wares the small shops had to sell. On Geonosis, she often avoided the markets and shopping venues because she knew she would be too tempted to purchase herself knickknacks and baubles. Yet how could she fill her house up with such things? Her house was but a ship, one she was living on borrowed time on, and although her income and savings were considerable, she knew that to buy those things would be a waste.

More than once did she almost pull Djonas with her to walk into one shop or another. But, control. Control was always important. "I have never seen anything like this," she said breathlessly as they turned another corner.

Stopping by a florist's shop, Alwine stared silently as Djonas bought flowers. Would they be visiting another household later that day? Did her perhaps enjoy flowers himself? She did not know – and did not pry. And suddenly the flowers were in her hands and she blinked, unsure of what to do other than to accept them with her arms, bring them up to her nose so she could inhale their sweet scent.

"I live on a tiny ship with my two brothers," she found herself replying before she could think about, her gaze now cast down at the bouquet, her fingers not truly wishing to let it go. It was… It was nice. Something she had nothing of, at home. And did not, on Stewjon, either. "I…" she stammered a moment, "I have been thinking about moving out of there," she at last admitted, "For a very short while, it was home. But now… Now, it does not. It has not, in a very long time."

 

[Djonas Vile]

Djonas listened to her closely, occasionally nodding to show that he was truly listening. From all he gathered from her, she has had a dark past. One filled with more hardships and pain that a person should have to go through. He sympathized with her. He did not go through exactly what she had experienced but he did have a very troublesome beginning. He did know, though, that all that each of them went through, it brought them where they were now.

With each other.

"I know of a place that many who have said the same go to call home. If you wish, I would be more than happy to take you there." Djonas offered. The two would eventually come up to a large building, made of stone and stained glass. People were going in and out of the building in groups. "We made it. The Moenian Galactic Arts Museum. The jewel of Moenia. If you thought Moenia was beautiful, wait until you see this. inside are works of art from across the galaxy put on display in such fantastic fashion. Moenians have a way of pizzazz and showmanship that trumps anything you have ever seen. I promise you that."

Djonas reached out and gently took hold of her hand. "Ready to go in?" he asked, following it with a warm smile.

[member="Alwine Lechner"]​