Reflections of Time

[Faith Organa]

Faith was traveling alone for this mission she had heard of [member="Cecily Demici"] being at the Cloisters on Naboo and so that is where she would go. This visit was two fold in intent, she wanted to know about the health of the former Minister of State, find out what she knew of the galaxy and large, and if possible where she had been.

Naboo, as beautiful a jewel as Alderaan. The lake country appealed to Faith while on Naboo she would stay at a small place on the Lakes. Her condition was starting to show and the more she was away from the public eye the safer she felt.

Walking up the pathway towards the Cloisters she took in the elegant architecture how well it blended with its surroundings. Yes this could have been constructed by the Royal Engineers themselves.

It was stunning.

She made her way into the receiving area, "Yes I've come to find Cecily Demici could you tell her Faith Organa is here" With that she was shown to a sitting area outside facing the beauty that was Naboo.

 

[Cecily Demici]

Spoiler

https://youtu.be/i-WkdQT47eY

When Faith arrived at the Cloister, the Sister of St. Cecily were joined together in song, raising their beautiful voices in a heavenly chant that echoed softly throughout the valley. However, the distinguished Minister of the Republic did not have to wait long as a young, novice, clothed entirely in white returned shortly and bowed. The white habit that completely enveloped her body was stark contrast to her unblemished chestnut skin and full dark lips.

"Our Lady bids you welcome," the novice Sister said with a bow and a kind smile, "and will see you now."

The novice Sister would waste no time, turning and gliding gracefully along the corridors of the Cloister when she was sure that Faith would be following. The novice led the Minister of Intelligence to the gardens. Cecily was alone, adorned in a pale blue gown. She was kneeling before a white marble statue of Saint Cecily, a beautiful young woman with outstretched arms and sad eyes.

After a moment, the novice left them to return to her singing, leaving Cecily and Faith the only people in the gardens. It did not take long for Cecily to finish her prayers and she stood and turned to face her former colleague with a smile.

"Faith, how good to see you," she approached, "though, I do admit that I was not expecting a visit. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

[member="Faith Organa"]

 

[Faith Organa]

Faith smiled "Well I heard through the rumor mill you were here and thought I should come and check on you, see how you are and once we get through all of that. I'll jump on over to being the Minister of Inteligence and as you some questions about how you ended up here"

She wanted to know who had her, what they did to her, and whatever things she learned while there. If any of it would be helpful to the Republic she'd use it.

But first and foremost was the condition of [member="Cecily Demici"] was she ok? And was she going to stay here, or would she be returning? All questions that could be asked in due time, but first.

"So how are you doing?"

 

[Cecily Demici]

Spoiler

https://youtu.be/i-WkdQT47eY

Cecily studied her former colleague for a moment, hands clasped in front of her. She could just as easily have been captured in stone and placed among the statues in the holy garden. Except, up close, one could see the ravages of imprisonment on her frail frame. Her face was much thinner than it had been the last time the two women had met. Her skin looked incredibly thin, stretched tightly over her high cheekbones and protruding clavicles.

"I am well," she did not seem so sure of the statement as she motioned for the Minister of Intelligence to walk with her before setting off along one of the cobblestone paths winding through the garden.

"I am surprised you are not already aware of the conditions of my imprisonment by the One Sith, they made certain it was quite the public spectacle, though I hardly made it easy on them," a smile broke through as she remembered fondly the fresh hell she gave her captors every day they came to collect her for propaganda outings, "unfortunately, my usefulness had run its course, and so I decided it was time to leave."

"No thanks to the Republic," her smile disappeared, but she did not look at Faith when she levied her implicit accusation of abandonment.

[member="Faith Organa"]

 

[Faith Organa]

"Well I've been self indulged my mother and sister decided to leave the Republic asking for Mandalorian assistance. Which didn't go over well. Then was also a war trial of the former Supreme Commander. The acts of the former Prime Minister trying turn the Republic into the Empire with her clone troopers." Faith smiled.

"Truth is the reports on your captivity came across my desk. Intel was being gathered but the propaganda machine and knowing you well. Not a fit. So when I net with Darth Vornskr I asked he conveniently skirted the subject which told me he knew where you were. Getting it from him. Well. That. Didn't go so well."

Faith sat back.

"You think you were abandoned by the Republic?" Let's get to the heart Faith asked direct. It was her way.

[member="Cecily Demici"]

 

[Cecily Demici]

The singing of the Sister had changed now to solemn vocalizing in high soprano and resonant alto as, on either side of the courtyard, they began to march along to their evening chores in perfectly straight processions of white robes. Cecily ignored them and gave Faith her full attention as she spoke.

"Yes, I'd heard something about that," she said when Faith referenced the hostile takeover attempted by the former Prime Minister. She had always been radical in her socialist approach to the economy, but Cecily had hardly thought her capable of the Palpatine-like coup.

"It would appear to me, that the Republic abandoned itself before it abandoned me, my dear, Faith," Cecily added matter-of-factly, "but, I do not begrudge you. The Republic had bigger fish to fry, and obviously, I managed quite well on my own. Still, I fear there is little I could do now for what remains of the Republic we once served."

"If you are here to see whether I will return, I am afraid you won't like the answer," she smiled apologetically, "Onderon is lost, it was left defenseless by our former Prime Minister's scheming a direct cause of my capture, I might add. In any case, my place is here now, on Naboo, with my family... or what remains of it. The Techno Union's hold on the planet is collapsing and House Valeria will no doubt play a key role in securing the Naboo's future." She hesitated for a moment.

"I have also been contacted by the Galactic Alliance for my assistance in matters of diplomacy," she said finally.

[member="Faith Organa"]

 

[Faith Organa]

"Yes the Republic has changed I had hoped that Jack being elected would have brought about much, but I find he's often away and leaves the business of running the Republic to his Vice and the Senate." Faith looked down.

"You might consider something in conjunction with the Galactic Alliance, my Tia has a planet that she is developing. It's meant to be neutral, a place for refugees, neutral poltical debate, and healing. It's called Alpha Mae. She had hoped to start a Galactic Senate maybe you'd be interested in helping her with that. I know she's looking for people." Faith thought for a moment, "matters of diplomacy funny how that phrase could encompass so much, I wish you luck with it though. My other Tia works with them she's quite pleased with their efforts."

Faith was quiet for a moment, "Hard choices are ahead for everyone in the Republic. So tell me about this cloister, are you named after it?"

[member="Cecily Demici"]

 

[Cecily Demici]

"Ah yes," Cecily couldn't hide her obvious amusement at the mention of Jack Sparrow, "I had heard that Jack had been elevated to the... Chancellery, is it, now? What a novel idea, a pirate leading at the helm of what was once that greatest force for good in the galaxy."

"Though, I suppose it is a step up from a traitor, isn't it?" she paused for a moment and inhaled deeply, "or is it?

Cecily had considered what she might had done differently a few times, if she were to come to power after Lasedri. Truth be told, there were many times that Cecily doubted the woman's sanity and even more times she could have put in motion, plans to overthrow the Prime Minister and take power for herself. Perhaps if she had, the Republic would not be where it was right now, but Cecily was not one to dwell on the past.

"Perhaps I will visit, but not until I've put things right here on Naboo," she said before Faith changed the subject to the cloister.

"Ah, yes, the Cloister of St. Cecily, named for an ancestor who lived centuries ago," she gestured to a nearby marble statue that looked strikingly like Cecily, "she is said to have brought the Church of Light to Naboo... and subsequently assassinated for what the nobles of the time saw as a classist uprising. Well, anyway, she was buried here, right under our feet in the catacombs. I am the patron of the Cloister and so they keep a villa here for me should I deign to visit. How have you been?"

[member="Faith Organa"]

 

[Faith Organa]

"Yeah kinda of odd to have him as a boss, but you know he's had some good ideas. Who knows maybe he will lead the Republic into some peace" She didn't know if he would she could only hope.

Interesting story to go with the Cloisters, she perhaps needed to study Naboo more for that reason and for the other. Padme yes it would do her good look at Naboo. She had no designs on their nobility but perhaps a vacation on the Lake country.

"Me I've been well, working from end of the galaxy to the other, trying to figure out where I really belong in it all" she smiled, she didn't know where she belonged in truth. While her mother hadn't disowned her or stripped her of anything she had sent her back to the Republic to face everyone after the failure of getting Alderaan under Mandalorian protection.

"I've been giving serious thought to stepping away from certain aspects of my life" She smiled again, "change is always good, don't you think?"

[member="Cecily Demici"]

 

[Cecily Demici]

Cecily considered Faith for a moment as she spoke about change, seeming to chew the inside of her lip before deciding on the correct response. Much had changed in Cecily's life over the last several months. She had watched her father's home world invaded, their people slaughtered, she, herself sat prisoner for seven months stewing in her own filth until a SITH of all people freed her. Now she was an agent of the Alliance and her family was grooming her to declare for the Monarchy.

"Not always," she said finally, with a knowing smile, "sometimes change is dangerous, especially when done for the sake of itself. I'm still not sure whether I chose change or if it was forced upon me. Had I not been captured, where would I be today? Most likely sitting where Jack Sparrow sits now... the head of mummers farce, a false democracy, that died when Lasedri ripped its heart out."

"Perhaps you are having the same doubts I had when I ultimately made the decision to come here instead of Yutan?"

[member="Faith Organa"]

 

[Faith Organa]

"I have never understood the reasoning to go to Yutan. So far away from everything. The Republic has changed in many ways, but there are good people there. There are the hopeful that really are working to rebuild it, to have it be a beacon again. I guess I've just done it for so long I'm afraid of letting go. What Gen did the Republic not only ripped the heart of the Republic it ripped the heart out of many of its citizens."

She looked down for a moment, "even me" It was the truth she had worked hard only to watch all her efforts poof and she couldn't help but feel the eyes of everyone on her wondering what mark had been left on her, and then add in what her family did, it added another. Faith was beginning to wonder how she could be effective at her job, maybe Ambassador was better than anything else.

"We all must change to grow, otherwise well we wilt." She tried to smile. "Yes I've had them for months," Faith's dark brown eyes often filled with laughter now showed her doubts as she looked into the blue eyes of Cecily.

[member="Cecily Demici"]

 

[Cecily Demici]

"So, you are seeking change," Cecily considered it for a moment as a group of Sisters passed carrying baskets of fruit and vegetables from the orchards, "I must admit, it has been quite liberating to be out from under the thumb of the Republic. Even before I left, I could sense that Lasedri was leading us all down a dark path, one from which our light could no longer serve as a beacon of hope for the rest of the galaxy."

"Even the One Sith knew that she would ultimately lead the Republic to ruin, that's why when given the chance, they chose me and not her to assassinate. Removing her from the equation would have improved our chances at beating them."

Cecily had gleaned little bits of information during her time in captivity. The One Sith never saw Genevieve as a threat, but rather an unwitting ally in their attempts to bring down their ancient enemy.

"So, have you given thought to lending your talents to the Alliance?"

[member="Faith Organa"]

 

[Faith Organa]

[member="Cecily Demici"]

"I've not thought about that no, going over to the Alliance. I have to protect Alderaan and it's interests I don't think the Alliance is currently in a position that can help with that. No" Faith looked off, "the family will look to family ties with the Mandalorians. My mother, my Aunt will ask them them for protection, and Kaine offered a deal to Alderaan that I am on my way home to speak with my mother and Alyesa about."

She shook her head, "I don't know what the events will bring. But, I wouldn't mind coming as an Ambassador from Alderaan to meet with the Alliance. Perhaps there is something I can do on my own to help them, or further their ventures."

Faith smiled then, she wasn't sure this would make Draco happy.