Sonder

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They would be leaving soon.

Cedric had spoken of it with few, and the Essonians had been quite subtle about their slow withdrawal from the galaxy at large. The mercenary bands had slowly slipped from their contracts to encircle their fleets around Ruusan. Refugees that had scattered across hundreds of sectors poured in as fast as the construction droids could prepare them temporary housing. The massive Mephirium Class Star Destroyers that had served as the Essonian navy's greatest pride hung in silence above the temperate world, their hulls filled to the brim with thousands of Essonian civilians.

Only the Sons of Ession and their brother legions remained active in the galaxy, fighting as an auxillary to assist the Silver Jedi until they too would withdraw from the war. It was an order Cedric had not expected himself to give, but found himself rather relieved so have done. For all their strength, the Essonians had been fighting a war that had already been lost for almost a decade. Now was a time to rebuild.

A month or so remained before their departure, and Cedric opted to invite [member="Prennis Keeoli"] to meet with him one last time before the exodus began. There were some things that were left unsaid, and he still had to properly thank her for saving his life.

He waited near the landing pad, allowing the autumnal sun to warm his face as he watched for her ship. The mountains were capped with thin sheets of snow now, and the forest had been coated with a similar frost. The Graywall remained untouched for the time being, and the hustle and bustle of people and ships coming and going kept the area rather warm.

Clad in his dark robes and cloak, Cedric peered out into the cloudy overcast.

 

[Prennis Keeoli]

~ Equipment: Outfit, miniature medkit ~​

~ Tag: [member="Cedric Grayson"] ~​

~ † ~​

There had been much unsaid indeed, since first Commenor and then Hoth; still, not a syllable she was looking forwards to either hearing or uttering. But despite her hesitance, and overcoming the discomfort gnawing at the pit of her stomach, she took off work and booked a transport to Esson. Upon stepping off the freighter - already out of place among other ships that prepared to leave the system for some other - and once she was able to steal away some privacy in the spaceport refresher, she switched off her matrix. It seemed right, as she had been here last as Aes'ona.

And...

Prennis squeezed her eyes closed just as she snapped the clasp of her shoulder purse, securing her other body. With a minor adjustment of her knit grey blazer in the mirror, she was on her way. The walk up to The Graywall was long but uneventful. If anyone recognized her, they didn't say anything. Maybe she just looked intent on reaching her destination.
Surely, as she peeked at her wrist comm, checking the message for the correct meeting place, she realized that was likely the case. Sometime between changing and now, her face had contorted into the visage of one of the impatient surgeons she had worked with. A deep sigh allowed her winkles to decrease, her mouth to stretch back into a neutral line. She wasn't nearly happy, but neither was she not.

It took a few more minutes to draw near the landing pad. Cedric's form was immediately identifiable even from the back. Her eyes flicked up to where his were, unknown to her, as if the puckered clouds held advice on what to say as surely as they held water from the sea. Hey was her first inclination. How painfully inarticulate. Then, maybe the clouds listened and gifted her another line: "You gonna run out on me again to save a world?" Get yourself killed, she meant: either or. "'Cuz a girl could do with some notice."

 

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It was still hard to think of her as Prennis.

For all the things that had gone on lately, some things had remained this same. His complicated relationship with Aes'ona Terrani / Prennis Keeoli was one that was often on Cedric's mind. She'd saved his life twice now, and he wasn't sure how exactly to go about repaying that. Truthfully he was unsure as to what he should be doing at all when Prennis was involved, but he knew that missed her when she wasn't around. He knew that he regretted more than a few of the decisions he'd made involving her in the past, at the very least.

"I am getting a little bad about that, aren't I?" He drew back his cowl, and gave Prennis a warm smile that few others ever saw. The majority of the fortress was bustling about, entirely blind to the exchange between the two of them. At a momentary loss for words, Cedric just sighed, and shook his head.

"I like you more like this," was all he could come up, gesturing vaguely toward her. Unsure of what else to say, and rather overwhelmed by the cocktail of unfamiliar and unpleasant emotions that Aesona's presence brought him, he just stepped forward, arms outstretched to embrace the doctor.

[member="Prennis Keeoli"]

 

[Prennis Keeoli]

~ † ~​

Whatever equally biting comeback she had expected to receive with crossed arms, it wasn't that.

Still, a hug wasn't exactly unwelcome. Prennis awkwardly unfolded her arms and, a few steps on, wrapped them around the Jedi Master. After a moment, she moved to step back. "I'm aware," she replied simply. And then, adding after a moment of just-prolonged silence, "So do I, but I'll take making sure I don't catch the attention of the wrong people" - and thus stay alive - "any day."

That train of banter had come to a rather abrupt end, she though. So she shifted her weight from one leg to the other as she thought. "You're rather bad at reaching out too," she said finally, not a bit meanly though but matter-of-fact. It seemed fair to state, at the very least, after his beckons to Hoth. "Sometimes it can be quite alarming." A raised, sculpted eyebrow. "Should I be alarmed?"

 

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In truth Cedric wanted to explain the situation to Prennis, but he doubted she would understand to the fullest. She had a point about the situations generally being alarming. Cedric wasn't hurt yet, but it was likely such could result from the conflict to come.

Nonetheless, he allowed himself to enjoy having Prennis around again, even if she might have been displeased with his recent actions. "I'm not the greatest at texting," Cedric gave her a meek shrug, "But I'll see about swinging by more."

Gone went the unpleasant feeling in his gut. His worries that things might have been awkward between the two of them given their last meeting before the Hoth faded away, replaced by comfortable familiarity.

Cedric motioned for her to walk with him up the battlements. "Not much to be alarmed about this time. I'm not dead," he paused, brow furrowing, "Not yet anyway."

When they would come to the top of the battlements, Cedric would halt. He leaned back against them, arms folding about his chest. "I wanted to speak to you about some things. I might have an opportunity for you to be able to live safely without that disguise."

[member="Prennis Keeoli"]

 

[Prennis Keeoli]

~ Tag: [member="Cedric Grayson"] ~​

~ † ~​

"I see," she replied, coming to a stop alongside him, but putting one hand on the top of her purse and the other in her trousers' pocket. "Well, I'm here to listen I suppose. But I will warn you: Temper your expectations. I'm tired of picking up and moving." Cedric, for the few friends' spats they had recently had, still meant well for her. That much she knew, but regardless was unsure if what he could offer was what she wanted. Surely she didn't feel completely at home on Kashyyyk, but it was as much as one as she had known for a long, long time.

 

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That was truly all he could ask.

The Ruusan air was cold today. Winter had just started to set in, and Cedric was a bit sad he'd be missing most of it. He didn't expect to return to the planet for quite a long time once everything got underway. This was the last visit he could allow himself. The duties of the Imperium were too taxing to be away for long.

It was fortunate, then, that Prennis had chosen to meet with him.

"Believe me, I don't have many expectations to begin with these days." He sighed, gaze falling to meet hers. "I've gotten..." he struggled to find the right word. "Frustrated with the way things have been." He paused, realizing the possible implications. "With the galaxy, I mean."

He pushed off the battlement, boots clacking against the permacrete as he began to pace. "The New Republic didn't last. The Sith Empire is the dominant force in the galaxy, and the CIS isn't far behind them. This is looking to be one of the darkest times in galactic history, but there's still time to change it."

His pacing ceased, for a moment. "I've gathered what remnants of the Republic I could find. We're going to take Coruscant, reinstate the Old Republic from the barest levels with myself as head of state. It's the only way I can reunite the core to restore the Republic properly."

Once again, his gaze met hers, a slight smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. "Might be a good idea to keep a doctor I trust around. Patch me up when things get rough."

[member="Prennis Keeoli"]

 

[Prennis Keeoli]

{ Tag: [member="Cedric Grayson"] }​

~ † ~​

It was a totally different reaction from that which she had on Commenor in response to a similar insinuation: first she froze, and then her arms suddenly felt unbearably hot in her blazer as a pit opened in her stomach. He corrected himself - or refined his original meaning? - but that did little to reverse her current state. "Uh, right." Tugging on the ends of her jacket was the first solace she could think of falling to. "Yeah, that makes two of us." The Battle of Kashyyyk and the whispered-but-potentially-real threat that had reared its ugly head after the Confederate Mandalorian Clans' had been lopped off, the Sith's, had shaken Prennis to the core physically as well as emotionally. She reacted more primally, like a dog triggered to remember its abuse.

Each day was a struggle; even she had no idea how she might react to news, cowering or running from where ever she found herself.

But the Confederacy of Independent Systems? What was wrong with them? Admittedly, she didn't know much, but they didn't seem on par with the Empire.

She forgot this train of thought, easily abandoning it for Cedric's next. Blinking, she retorted, only half serious, "One you can torment, you mean?" And then, before he might respond in kind: "I'll give it a month trial." A fully intentional promise, for now, but she had made it entirely too fast.

 

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"I thought they were one in the same," Cedric offered her a playful grin. He'd prepared a whole speech in his head, as he so often did, but it seemed Prennis didn't need it She agreed before he could offer any further details - a sign of her loyalty, if nothing else. He almost felt indebted.

"That quick?" He asked, a brow lofted as he turned his gaze away from the Ruusan landscape. His arms folded behind his back as he met her gaze, "A month is all I ask. If you disagree with things, you're welcome to take your leave. I do need someone I can trust around, though." He continued. The Imperium was a chaotic place right now. The upper echelons were still not entirely stable, and there was always the possibility of a coup brewing. Perhaps he was overly paranoid, but having someone around that he could put his faith in would certainly ease it somewhat.

"Call me a fool Miss Terrani, but I'm beginning to think you missed me."

[member="Prennis Keeoli"]

 

[Prennis Keeoli]

{ Tag: [member="Cedric Grayson"] }​

~ † ~​

Prennis actually scoffed but quickly disguised it as a cough, either way rolling off her tongue into the chilled air as a faint, condensed mist. "Oh, you wish," she quipped. "I miss doing my work in peace." And, though Kashyyyk had at first been able to offer her some solace, soon enough war had found her again. Deep down, she knew there was nowhere to hide, but another part of her though First Order service had soured her karma. Nothing about the intonation with which she spoke the last half of her response was harsh or ill-intentioned, but neither was the first though she had also been joking.

"Where should I report and when?" she asked. "I do believe I have most of my things in order: I'd just need to pack and officially resign at the Rest."

 

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"Hard to wish for something when you know it's a fact," he fired back. Seemed his mood was a lot brighter than their last meeting. That had been under trying circumstances, and the results had not been all that pleasant either. Things had changed. Cedric stood at his zenith. Everything he'd desired was just within his grasp - all he needed now was the handful of people he called friends to join him in the grand endeavor. Prennis was definitely at the top of that list.

"At the old imperial palace on Coruscant. They'll be expecting you there. Planned on giving you the resources you need to do whatever you need to do - best med stuff in the galaxy." Cedric had no idea what he was talking about, but he meant his words, if that counted for anything. "Ashla knows half those doctors have no idea what they're doing - courtesy of the core being in near constant war for the past decade. Maybe you can teach them a thing or two."

[member="Prennis Keeoli"]

 

[Prennis Keeoli]

{ Tag: [member="Cedric Grayson"] }​

~ † ~​

"Whatever you say." With a smile and a nod, Prenn looked down at her watch. "I better get going if I'm going to catch my transport." She glanced up, letting down the sleeve of her blazer, and extending her hand towards the Jedi Master. "It's been a pleasure. I hope this works out for you, with or without me." The sigh expelled from her lungs was almost involuntary. "I hope it won't be a problem if I don't call you Lord Imperator... Flashbacks." The previous titleholder she served, albeit for a whole other regime, was Grand Admiral Rausgeber, a man whose memory she was already in a hurry to forget.

"Well, if that's all..." Readjusting the strap of her purse onto her right shoulder, Prennis offered another smile. "I'll see you later, Cedric."

 

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Times were different.

For a moment, Cedric was hit with a bit of nostalgia. In the past he might have embraced such a thing, but as times had changed, so too had he. He shook her hand with a simple smile, "I just hope I can build a place that might make you feel like it could be home, along with all the other good people in the galaxy." He made a point to throw that last bit in there. He needed Prennis in the Imperium for her experience, her perspective, and because he knew he could trust her, but nothing beyond that.

"Cedric's fine still. Think titles would be a bit weird between us." He added, drawing back. "We're planning a celebration for life day. I've got to show out for appearances. You should swing by if you find the time, half of New Essonia is going to be consumed in parades."

[member="Prennis Keeoli"]

 

[Prennis Keeoli]

{ Tag: [member="Cedric Grayson"] }​

~ † ~​

"We'll see. No promises." Prennis withdrew her hand to shove them both in the pockets in her blazer. And, with that, she turned to descend from the fortress to the civilian spaceport hidden somewhere below in its grand shadow.