Private The Hand of Friendship

[Garrion Der Rædwulf]

It hadn't been long since Garrion had publicly broadcast his existence to the wider galaxy, on the steps of Theed Palace no less. There he spoke of openly opposing the Sith, called out slimy bureaucrats for their lack of interest in the well-being of the general public, and made his intentions clear to support anyone under the umbrella of his greater cause: Opposing the Sith and their cohorts. Whether that be through more traditional means of open warfare, or more subversive action. Regardless, Garrion was looking to help so long as it meant destroying the greater enemy.

However, it'd come as a bit of a surprise when the old man found himself being tracked down for a private discussion. He supposed he should've seen it coming, that someone would eventually come to him instead of vice versa, yet, what surprised him for the most part was the fact he'd even been found to begin with, so quickly anyway. His footprint was minimal at best, physical and digital. Still, it was far easier to have a digital conversation rather than a face to face one, yet, was much riskier, being as Garrion had no means of verifying if the person he was even communicating with was even who they claimed to be.

Then, it occurred to Garrion: He'd been pondering over this for nearly an hour by this point, staring down at the message on his datapad that'd been driving him mad:

"Hi. I like your style. Call back."

That was it. Well- of course there was a bunch of contact information attached, and several attached documents detailing something about a "Farworlds Alliance" and various other mentions of entities Garrion had little to no knowledge of, yet, sounded all the more intriguing as he mused over ideas of forging alliances. This was as good a place to start as any, so, without anymore hesitation, Garrion decided to see if the messenger was as eager for his response as he was for it to lead to something promising.

To his surprise, there was an answer. Eyes widening briefly, Garrion composed himself as the first words escaped him:

"Uhm, H-hello?" He coughed, straightening up despite the inability for him to be seen. "Hello?" He asked again, more formally.

Braze

 

[Braze]

Tags: Garrion Der Rædwulf

​

A cloaked figure was waiting patiently on the other end of the line.

"You wanted to know who is already fighting. Here I am.

I hold no love for the High Republic's current state, nor for those who have mistaken caution for virtue while suffering festers beyond the comfort of their borders, content in dressing cowardice in the language of restraint.

Still less do I care for false Jedi who chase applause beneath borrowed titles, polishing their own legends while bending the knee before the very Sith they profess to oppose; those who would condemned others for calling the Sith what they are, scolded those willing to carry the war to them, then abandoned the Order themselves when there were laurels to be gathered beneath a banner of their own.

It is easy to preach patience when someone else is bleeding. Easier still to kneel before the Sith when it is convenient, then rise later and call oneself courageous once the audience is watching.

Some seem far more interested in being seen as heroes than in bearing the cost of actually becoming one. I have little patience for those who discover conviction only when they can claim sole credit for possessing it.

If your words at Theed were sincere, then perhaps we have reason to speak. I have no interest in kneeling beneath another banner, but neither do I see wisdom in those fighting the same enemy remaining strangers to one another."

 

[Garrion Der Rædwulf]

Garrion thought for a moment, though, his words were all the affirmation he needed. But of course, he'd need to know more.
"Then I suppose we best know one another, just as well as we know our enemy." He replied with an obvious curiosity.

"You already know who I am, so perhaps it's fair if I ask first: Who are you? Are you working alone, or do you have connections? And, I suppose the most pressing matter: What can we offer one another in partnership?"
Those were the obvious questions, yet Garrion didn't stop there. There was more to people than just logistics, he'd need more to judge this stranger on than just his resources.
"But I also need to know one thing for certain: Just what lines are you willing to cross? And what separates you from those we stand against? I do not intend to work with someone who I cannot trust to stay true to their principles."

With that, he gave him the floor, and the opportunity to win Garrion over. His words would buy Garrion's ear, though his actions afterward would be all the proof he'd need. Optimistically, he remained silent, awaiting his potential newfound ally's response.

Braze

 

[Braze]

Tags: Garrion Der Rædwulf

​

"My name is Braze. I am a Jedi Shadow, Outcast who organized the assault and rescue on Dromund Kaas. What remains of the once-great Jedi Orders is little more than a husk of its former glory, dressed in old robes of borrowed regalia, puppeteered by corrupt hands that have forgotten what purpose the Jedi were meant to serve. I would rather be cast out than let a corpse made mockery convince me that obedience to it is the same thing as Duty.

I am not alone. I have friends scattered across the stars, both high and low.... I won't sacrifice my principles to appease people with power or station. I won't turn a blind eye to injustice because justice would cost me favor, comfort, or standing. I won't condemn others for acting, only to take up the same cause once there is praise to be won from it."

He sighed softly, "You can go places I cannot; and I can open doors you cannot. Between us, there are fewer places the Sith can hide."

 

[Garrion Der Rædwulf]

Garrion thought for a moment: A Jedi shadow? And someone who'd struck at the heart of the Sith? This was certainly someone who had his attention, but, of course he still couldn't just take his word for it. If he truly was who he claimed to be, Garrion needed to see it to believe it, though he felt they held a similar view.

"Your proposal has my ear, though, I'd prefer to verify your claims in person. Do you have a safe location from which I would be able to meet with you and discuss this further?"

He left the question open. It was courteous to let Braze choose their location, given well- Garrion still had no means of verifying whether or not this was a trap. But, the old general had a feeling he could trust him... for the time being. At the very least, it was worth making an effort to meet him, to see what he had to offer, and what Garrion could offer in return.

Braze

 

[Braze]

Tags: Garrion Der Rædwulf

​

"You can come to Refuge and see for yourself those we've freed from their oppressive grasp."

Braze projected a set of coordinates between them, pointing far into the Unknown Regions, well beyond the familiar lanes of civilized space.

"I'll send an escort to collect you once you reach the rendezvous point," he added. "Trying to navigate the region alone is dangerous. There's a black hole nearby, and the routes around it aren't exactly forgiving."

He let the projection linger for a moment.

"Refuge is difficult to reach for a reason."

 

[Garrion Der Rædwulf]

It'd been roughly a week since he'd gotten the transmission. He'd stayed in place, waiting, wondering if 'Braze' was going to keep true to his word. Until he was one day met with a pair of pilots outside his door, having tracked him down to the quaint little hostel he'd booked in the Naboo countryside. Once again he knew not how they managed to find him, though it ultimately didn't matter.

He joined them on their ship, and not long after, they made way to the Unknown Regions.

They'd taken diligent care to make multiple jumps, a precautionary measure, Incase someone had been following them.

Eventually, they arrived in Refuge's space. Immediately Garrion found himself amazed by it. He took notice of the planetary ring immediately, having expected something more... ordinary. The last thing on his mind was an orbiting climate of a gas giant.

The ship made its way down to what appeared to be a small village. Respite, though he knew not the name of it.

As it docked, Garrion was escorted out by one of the pilots, telling him where to find Braze, before disappearing back into the ship as it left once again.
Walking forwards, into the quaint village, it was... certainly a sight. Foreign, and unusual.
He saw alien children playing side by side with humans, with small tent cities and constructed wooden buildings for mass shelters. It quickly became apparent to Garrion what this was: A refuge camp. Albeit... those refugees likely didn't intend on returning home.

After making his way to one of the buildings, Garrion noted it was... smaller than the others. This was likely something that'd just been cleared for the occasion, or so he presumed.

He'd reach for the door, only for it to be opened by a small, 5'2, human-looking person.

He paused, silently retracting his hand as he had to tilt his head down to look at them. He blinked a few times, before speaking over the silence:
"I'm looking for Braze."

Braze

 

[Braze]

Garrion Der Rædwulf
Braze had been expecting his guest for some time. New construction stretched across the surrounding land, prefabricated buildings rising along fresh-cut streets as the village grew into a city large enough to shelter the many people now calling it home.

Nearby, a massive hole in the ground had been quarantined behind warning signs and physical barriers. Armed guards stood watch around its perimeter, keeping curious passersby away from the oddity.

“Hello, and welcome to Respite,” Braze greeted, gesturing inside.

The home was small and quaint, with simple furnishings and little sign that anyone truly lived there.

“Please, come inside and take a seat,” he encouraged, motioning toward the dining area. A table and several chairs had been set out, along with glasses and pitchers.

 

[Garrion Der Rædwulf]

Entering the 'abode', Garrion felt as if he were much taller than he actually were. Or perhaps it was his present company which made him feel so. Regardless, he continued, being seated and offered refreshment which he politely accepted.

An awkward silence ensued. He felt led to ask: "Is he coming soon?" before putting two and two together and realizing this was the same person he'd talked to over the Holonet, registering that his voice sounded... roughly about the same.

"You're... shorter than I expected." He commented, "Not that it matters. I hardly base my potential alliances on the heights of my candidates, unless you wish for that to be our standard metric?"

Realizing he was probably coming off as unintentionally insulting, he apologized after a pause: "I'm trying to be reassuring, not mocking, let me clarify."

"But... we have more pressing matters to discuss, don't we? You say you have resources that could be at my disposal. I'm eager to see them, now that we're here face to face. You've had me wondering for the last week just how much capacity you have, and I'll admit, I didn't expect much once I saw this world.

That was, until I landed... and saw the peace for myself. There couldn't be this much civility on a refugee world without a means of protecting it. Meaning, you've already exceeded my expectations. Care to enlighten me on just what you have? And perhaps, what we could accomplish together?"

Braze