Shadows of the Past

[Caid Centurion]

Imperial Palace
Avalonia, Dosuun

Caid's boots clicked lightly against the polished floor. From behind the featureless black mask that he'd adorned throughout his time with the Knights of Ren several months ago, Caid's silver-green eyes remained fixed straight ahead. In his direct line of sight, he could see a number of individuals either shuffle out of his direction or elect to simply duck into a random room or alcove. Their actions were not as a result of fear or animosity towards Caid himself. As a member of the Knights of Ren, he wasn't even truly an entity. He had no face, no personality. He was, very accurately, little more than a manifestation; a symbol of the Supreme Leader's will and wrath. He was a consequence. In that reality an overwhelming majority of the First Order's citizens merely preferred to have no actual interaction with a Knight of Ren.

Just as well, Caid tended to prefer not to have any interaction with them either.

After a few moments of traversing corridors, Caid arrived in the section of the Palace containing the offices of the Grand Moff. The transition from the public areas to this highly secured area was marked by the existence of guards outside the main entrance. Guards that did not attempt to block the progress of the Knight of Ren. Arriving in the outer office area, Caid stopped just in front of the desk of Grand Moff Fortan's assistant.

When Caid spoke, his deep voice had a slightly metallic edge. "I need to speak with Her Excellency as soon as...practicable." The cloaked man's intent was clear. He was not demanding an audience, but he was rather insisting on one the moment the Grand Moff was available. "You may tell her it is Ciardha Ren." A name that Natasi would know all too well. A name she had not heard in quite some time.

If Caid was made to wait, he would remain standing in his present location, hands clasped behind his back. A symbol had no need for comfort.

In truth...he no longer was that symbol.

[member="Natasi Fortan"]

 

[Natasi Fortan]

There was something about this @Ciardha Ren that Clémence Wallace found oddly familiar, but she couldn't quite put her finger on who she was reminded of or why. The mask didn't help things, but she had encountered that kind of authority and pushiness before, she was almost sure of it. She raised an eyebrow at the visitor and picked up the handset to connect to the Grand Moff's office. After a moment, she murmured, "There's a Mr. Ciardha Ren to see you, ma'am..." She looked up at Ren for a moment, then murmured: "Yes, ma'am."

A few moments later, the door to Natasi's inner office opened and the voice of two women could be heard -- Natasi Fortan herself and Isobel Churchill, the Minister for Defense. "If you can get those numbers to me at least a day in advance of the Cabinet meeting, I would be grateful -- though obviously, sooner is better," Natasi was telling Churchill as she guided the woman out of her office. Churchill agreed and they entered the outer office. Churchill gave @Ciardha Ren one quick lookover and then excused herself. Natasi walked over to Ciardha, craning her neck to look up into his face.

"I was wondering when I'd be hearing from you," she said after a moment's contemplative silence. "Come in." She gestured towards the open door, but hung back to instruct Clémence. "Hold my calls -- unless it's the Supreme Leader, of course -- and make sure you prep my notes for the treasury meeting at 1300." She followed Ren into her office, sealing the door behind her, and walked round to sit behind her desk. She lowered her computer screen into the surface of the desk and tucked her notes from the meeting away, leaving the desk pristine and empty, save for a few platinum picture frames with ever-shifting holos -- some of family, long-dead, some of herself at various public events, some of friends and family still living. She didn't look at them just now; her attention was on @Ciardha Ren. "Please, make yourself comfortable," said Natasi, gesturing widely to the room's various seating options.

"It's good to see you -- well, if not looking well, then at least upright and ambulatory." She paused and tapped her index finger on her desk.

 

[Caid Centurion]

[member="Natasi Fortan"]

Caid turned as the door to Natasi's office opened, otherwise he gave no indication to her assistant that he was even processing anything happening around him. His obscured gaze remained straight ahead as the Minister of Defense exited, engaging none of the Ren's attention. Once the woman had stepped away, Caid offered a polite half-bow to the Grand Moff. Knight of Ren or not, there were plenty closer to the Supreme Leader than himself. The Grand Moff currently ranked in the same manner as the Grand Master of the Knights of Ren. "I am always present and available as the Supreme Leader demands, Your Excellency."

Stepping forward, Caid entered Natasi's office, turning to face her completely as she closed the door behind them. Caid's masked persona continued to follow Natasi as she returned to her desk and made herself comfortable. To her own instruction, Caid nodded, but he did not sit. Instead, he reached up to pull back the hood of his cloak and remove the helmet from his head. Cradling the device in the crook of his left arm, Caid focused his silver-green gaze on Natasi.

His visage wore no smile or other expression of levity at seeing the woman after so long. In fact, she would no doubt noticed that his gaze had hardened much like the skin that sported scars from two cuts. In the simplest of terms, he had the appearance of a man that had been through much in a short time, but that was hardly his own personal story in a galaxy so saturated with armed conflict. "I am glad to see that you continue to do well, Your Excellency."

The simple greeting exchanged, Caid moved on. "How did it happen?" Caid was rather well certain Natasi would know that he was referring to his father's untimely demise.

Untimely only because I didn't kill him.

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Natasi looked down, resting her chin on her fist. She remained silent for several long moments, her dark eyes thoughtful and reflecting a pained expression. Cameron Centurion had been one of the few that she felt she could let her guard down around. He was a loyal -- well, if not a friend, then a comrade -- whose counsel Natasi knew was unbiased. He was one of the only people in the Empire who would tell the Grand Moff, unprompted, what was rather than what she wanted to hear. His death left a hole in Natasi's life that she couldn't quite name. She had been stunned by the news, hadn't processed what it meant. There were other things -- the prosecution of the war not least among them -- that she had to reckon with as well, for the sake of the Empire.

The Grand Moff finally looked up and shook her head helplessly.

"I don't even know myself for sure," she said, spreading her hands. She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her desk, clasping her hands together. "We're still piecing together our surveillance, but from what I can tell, the Alliance terrorists attacked the station. We're still figuring out how many civilians were killed by their recklessness -- but that's another conversation. He was there and confronted one of the terrorists. We're still working on getting a positive identification, but we will get one," Natasi declared. "There was an explosion -- and then many more explosions, as the first explosion triggered the scuttling charges in the station. The station was torn apart. I don't know the circumstances of his death, whether it was the result of the Alliance attacker, or some sort of self-sacrifice to stop them..." She lifted her eyebrows.

"I'm sorry I don't have a better answer for you."

[member="Caid Centurion"]

 

[Caid Centurion]

Caid was largely unaware of exactly how close Cameron and Natasi's relationship had been. He was only vaguely aware that they had worked together several times in the past. Perhaps if he ever had a legitimate conversation with his father, Caid might have known a little bit more about the elusive man's life. As it stood, however, it seemed that he preferred to spend the overwhelming majority of his time sharing his life with everyone but his blood relatives. It wasn't as if the man had a great deal of them to account for. Caid was literally one of three even alive.

The fact that he as-of-yet did not know about two others didn't exactly bode well for them when the discovery was made.

Emotions rolled steadily off of Natasi until she looked up to address his question. When the woman had finished, Caid inclined his head slightly, silent himself as he considered her comments. The fact that it had to with the Alliance was known to Caid. The young Centurion did not yet know about Cameron's familial relations within the Alliance. Cameron sacrificing himself for someone else, however. That actually almost made Caid laugh.

Almost.

"No apology necessary, Your Excellency. He had always been a man of action, and for a man that kept such tight control of...well...everything in his life, the circumstances are curiously vague." There was obviously piece missing. A piece that probably all of them were missing. "I hate to ask this but you wouldn't...happen to know anything about his personal life, would you?"

It was a polite way of asking if the woman was actively sleeping with Cameron like apparently every other woman he'd ever met. Perhaps the late Sith Lord whispered something in his sleep or in the midst of the heat of passion.

[member="Natasi Fortan"]

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Natasi's eyebrows furrowed at the absurdity of the question.

It wasn't until she had thought about it that, to a normal person, it wouldn't be absurd at all. Natasi and Cameron hadn't really ever discussed their personal lives -- their relationship had been cordial and friendly but always related to business. Cameron had been a staunch defender of the First Order's interests; it was the foundation of their working relationship. The circumstances of her own life -- dedicated as she was to the First Order at the exclusion of anything else -- had let her think that Cameron was the same, but of course, that might not have been true. She was embarrassed to realize that she had no idea.

She frowned and looked up at [member="Caid Centurion"]. "I'm sorry, I din't know anything about that. We mainly discussed business." She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Why do you ask?"

 

[Caid Centurion]

Caid offered Natasi a shallow nod. "I just thought you might perhaps know something about him that he kept hidden from most." Caid paused for a minute, realizing his response didn't quite explain the purpose behind his question. "I thought perhaps a close confidant and friend would be someone that would have known a bit more about him. It may yet help explain what happened...or why. However, it would seem that even blood and close friends weren't close enough for Cameron to let inside his circle."

Exhaling softly, Caid allowed his mind to drift to the distant past. It was curious, really. How many things one never truly told family members. "At any rate, I do imagine I have consumed enough of what little free time you undoubtedly have. If there is nothing further, I will return to other duties."

Which...was nothing at just that moment. He would undoubtedly need to return to Sith space before long, but he had enough time to devote to...personal pursuits for a while longer.

[member="Natasi Fortan"]

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Natasi inclined her head, still feeling somewhat embarrassed by the harsh truths the question had revealed. She listened to his reasoning for a few moments and then again shook her head. "I'm so sorry, I'm afraid there's nothing I can add to that." She opened her desk drawer and withdrew her Rolodex, which she rifled through for a few moments. After a moment she shook her head and popped a pair of reading glasses on the bridge of her nose and resumed rummaging through it. Finally, she plucked a business card out of it, flipped it over and jotted a note on the back, then scrawled her initials on it. "I don't know what holdings he had in the empire off the top my head. If you like, the Home Office can search its records and get you access to anything you don't already have access to."

She stood and crossed the room to hand the card to [member="Caid Centurion"].

"But now that you mention it -- there is something. We have had confirmation of almost all our citizens lost during the Ssi-Ruuk debacle. There's still a short list of those whose... ah... disposition isn't yet confirmed. It's something of a delicate matter. My half-sister Decima is missing and over a year on that's starting to be something of a concern. She was beginning her training as a Ren before she was abducted from the academy. I wonder if I might prevail upon you to try to discover what happened to her? I'm not optimistic that she is alive, after all this time, but I'd like to know so I have something to tell her mother next time I speak to her."

 

[Caid Centurion]

Caid didn't have much to add. He suspected that Natasi Fortan thought his interest in the exact reality of what had happened to Cameron was much more emotional than the reality. Watching as the woman rummaged through her rolodex, the Sith Lord contemplated what his next move would be. Perhaps the security systems in his father's various residences would reveal something or someone that might be able to assist.

When Natasi produced a business card, Caid's attention returned to the Grand Moff. Reaching out, he casually took the card between two of his fingers. "That would...be most beneficial, thank you." As he was stowing the card, the other shoe dropped; Natasi's own request. Caid's interest was respectfully detached until she uttered the word of a woman he'd known quite some time ago. Decima Fortan... They'd undertaken a mission or two together, Decima asking only for combat training in return. Though it had been only a little more than a year ago, Caid almost felt as if it were a lifetime. He had been different then...very different.

Given that Caid had been definitively more than just on an extended assignment, he knew nothing of the Ssi-Ruuk incident. Rather than allow his face or posture to portray this, he simply offered the woman a shallow nod of the head. "I would be happy to see to the fate of a missing sister..." Caid paused. "I'm sorry, had I even been aware of her disappearance, I may have taken this cause up of my own volition. She was quite a capable Disciple if memory serves."

Caid paused for but another moment before concluding his thoughts. "I have one more assigned task to complete for the Supreme Leader, then I will privately look into this matter. Is there anything else, Your Excellency?"

[member="Natasi Fortan"]