Private Visit by the Lake

[Alwine Daye]

[member="Djonas Vile"]

​

Standing at the far end of the lake, Alwine clasped her hands behind her back and waited. It had been some months now since she'd abandoned her apartment on Golbah City and left the Confederacy. Not once had she looked back. Too many things had happened before and during it that had led her to the only resolution she could possibly perform; leave.

Yet she was not alone. Other than those she had left with, there were still friends she had remaining in the Confederacy. She felt the need to make certain that while there were few things she wished more than for the Confederacy to fall, she held no contempt to the people within it. It was, as most things that involved Alwine, a complicated thing. But she did not forget acts of kindness, made with complete freedom of choice and not because of an emergency.

Several times she had gone to Discordia to ask her for permission to invite a Confederate to Eve. Every time, Discordia gave her blessings. They were not hiding, and their location would soon enough be known to all. They would not be attacking them, she'd been assured. And yet every time Alwine thought of who the first that she'd invite would be, her heart beat silent, and she lost the nerve.

But then the time had come, and she knew she could postpone it no longer. Her first call had gone out to [member="Djonas Vile"]. Her second, to [member="Maple Harte"].

Today was Djonas' day. She had given him coordinates, as well as instructions on how to part outside of the sphere, and how to get a speeder taxi that would bring him to her.

All that remained was to be seen if he would come. After so many months during which she had not seen him, even while both were within the Confederacy, she was not completely sure he would.

 

[Djonas Vile]

The Amidala's Lament descended upon the world which Alwine had called him to. He had not heard of this planet before but was interested in seeing it and her. Much time had passed since their last meeting, and Djonas was growing a bit nervous. She said nothing to him since he spent the day with her on Naboo. Felt like a lifetime ago.

And now she was inviting him to Eve.

As the Thyrsian stepped off his ship, he looked about, scouring the environment of the world unknown to him. In his mind, he reminded himself of the instructions Alwine had gave him to find her. He procured the aid of a speeder taxi which took him to the lake where she awaited him. He could see her beautiful blonde hair from afar and instantly the memories of their times together came to him as he walked up to her.

"Long time, little wolf. Far too long."

Alwine Daye ​

 

[Alwine Daye]

Djonas Vile
​

Eve was a pinnacle of technological advancement. From the outside, from space, it looked like a big ball of metal. But inside, everything had been set in such a way that it felt real, like they were standing on a proper planet that had blue skies, soft clouds, and beautiful sunshine. Alwine stared at it, wondering what changes would be needed to make it feel less real to all of her senses. Yet not a single breath could give her an answer.

When Djonas' ship docked, Alwine knew of it. A small vibration in her communication device that had been set to the meeting. Slowly, she released a breath she hadn't realized she'd even been holding. He was the first person she had invited to the place; not even her brothers knew of it yet, or at least, not none of them knew about it from her.

It wasn't long after that he covered the distance to the meeting spot. She sensed him before she could see him, but when he arrived, Alwine smiled. She extended her arms slightly, offering him an embrace.

"It is," she said, "and I apologize. My last months prior to leaving to the Confederacy were hard."

 

[Djonas Vile]

Djonas came close to her and wrapped his arms around her, embracing her lovingly for a moment before stepping back. "I'm just glad you're okay." He looked down at her and flashed a smile once he locked onto her chocolate eyes.

Then, what she said hit him hard. "You left the Confederacy? I can't say I'm surprised after all you said in regards to it. But, I did not expect you to leave. Also did not expect you to leave a note for me, but it would have been nice."

He exhaled a deep sigh. "Is this where you've been hiding this whole time? Keeping yourself from me. Almost thought I scared you off. Too much attention. Can be a bad thing in some cases, though I thought I'd try something different with how I used to approach relationships."

Alwine Daye ​

 

[Alwine Daye]

Djonas Vile​

So her leaving had not surprised him. To that she had little to say; she knew some were surprised, and many had probably not cared. The ones with whom she had worked for more than the occasional mission together were long gone, and the rest…

"I have neither been hiding, nor purposefully keeping from you," Alwine answered, as always missing the underlying suggestions of flirting when they were aimed at her. Sighing, she motioned towards a formation of rocks that began a few feet away and continued on for a few dozen feet. The water wasn't high enough to make their tops slippery, and the sights were beautiful, the city center of Eve being a few kilometers away from them, but its tall building visible from where they were.

But then she froze in her step. Approach relationships? "When I asked you if you were courting me, you said no," she mumbled, the blush rising to her cheeks. Battlefields, battles of wits, those were things she knew. Courting… She did not. Not at all. She had never as much as kissed in her short life.

Forcing the thoughts from her mind, Alwine shook her head. "There was nothing left for me in the Confederacy. My brothers both gone meant my pack had broken, and the other Lupines we had found had vanished into the shadows again as well. The Confederacy continues with its lies, and with the rampant nepotism among the high ranks, there was nothing for me there that I could even do, no matter my will. The opportunity to leave was more than adequate. But we had chosen to leave without knowing that we would have this place to build in. When we left, we had no goal but to get as far away as possible – into the Unknown Regions."

 

[Darth Athora]

Djonas nodded as he listened to Alwine explain herself. He could see the truths in not only her words, but her eyes. She meant every bit of it. He could see where she was coming from. He had begun to notice the true faces of those who claim to be the future of the Confederacy and how they've only just begun to use their power for their own gain. It reminded him of the path the Sith Empire was on long ago. Nothing but political bloodshed. It was a swift end to a long and bloody rule and the Confederacy was certainly on that path.

"I wasn't then. Not yet. I needed to know who you were, first. What you stood for. I see what that is now: Freedom. You want to be free. Not just in the literal sense, either. You want to be free of chains. Free to do as you please. What makes you happy. Not held back by anyone who was appointed above you by some laws or personal agendas. I understand that. I feel you. You're very brave for making the choice you have. I like that in a woman. The courage to be independent even after all you've been through. Very...sexy."

Alwine Daye ​

 

[Djonas Vile]

Djonas nodded as he listened to Alwine explain herself. He could see the truths in not only her words, but her eyes. She meant every bit of it. He could see where she was coming from. He had begun to notice the true faces of those who claim to be the future of the Confederacy and how they've only just begun to use their power for their own gain. It reminded him of the path the Sith Empire was on long ago. Nothing but political bloodshed. It was a swift end to a long and bloody rule and the Confederacy was certainly on that path.

"I wasn't then. Not yet. I needed to know who you were, first. What you stood for. I see what that is now: Freedom. You want to be free. Not just in the literal sense, either. You want to be free of chains. Free to do as you please. What makes you happy. Not held back by anyone who was appointed above you by some laws or personal agendas. I understand that. I feel you. You're very brave for making the choice you have. I like that in a woman. The courage to be independent even after all you've been through. Very...sexy."

Alwine Daye ​

 

[Alwine Daye]

Djonas Vile​

Sexy.

Now how was she meant to respond to that? For all her firm opinions and points of views about basically everything, when it came to love, lust, and the dances that led to either of them, she was not merely on shaky grounds – she was in unknown territories, trying to find balance while being in the air. There was no way her mind could wrap around the matter and make the right decisions for herself. Always, though, she knew what everybody else ought to do.

"And what of you?" she asked, her voice dryer than she would have liked, "Do you still believe you can attain your goals by remaining among the Confederates? Do you genuinely believe the people under them can enjoy any true form of freedom? What if all the chains could be removed, and alongside that we could destroy those who put them in the first place?"

Looking at him again, Alwine swallowed. Perhaps she was meant to take a step back to signal that she was not interested. Perhaps she was meant to take a step forward, to signal that she was interested? If those were the options, would remaining firmly in place show that she did not know what to do? That worse than that, she did not know her own mind?

There was no denying that he was an attractive man indeed. Alwine did not lack for eyes or ability to judge as such. And yet he was not the first attractive man she saw, nor the last she ever would see. And what besides that? There certainly were more than a few degrees of likability between the two of them. But would she? Could she, risk herself in the way that she had seen her brothers do, and run the risk of being so completely destroyed by it?

She stifled a small whimper in her throat, feet still rooted firmly to the floor. "I've brought food," she found herself saying, trying to fill in gaps that suddenly felt incredibly tangible."

 

[Djonas Vile]

Djonas took a moment to think about her question. On one hand, many people under the Confederacy do have a sense of security under them and do enjoy their freedoms. However, on the other hand, Djonas could see how that those people receiving those benefits only do so because they have something to offer the Confederacy. It was a coin with two sides to it. Each day, each planet flipped that coin and the Confederacy watched over them as they tested their fate.

"I don't know. Right now, only thing I care about is protecting my people on Naboo." Djonas sighed deeply as he looked her in her eyes. "I care about you too. If I didn't, I wouldn't be here right now."

Djonas formed a smile on his face when she mentioned food. He could tell she was attempting to change the mood up a bit. "Great. I feel like I haven't eaten in days."

Alwine Daye ​

 

[Alwine Daye]

Djonas Vile​

"And what if Naboo was safer as an independent planet?" she posed the question. Surely he had thought of such before. Naboo had Confederate military presence on its planet, as per the agreement made with its queen at the time. And then… There was the caring about her as well.

Alwine could not pretend to fully comprehend it, but she couldn't deny that he feeling was at least somewhat mutual either. "I am safer here than I ever was there," she found herself adding, her throat going dry again.

Nodding, she motioned a few feet away, where the picnic boxes lay. Uncertain of what Djonas preferred, she had opted to bring a little bit of everything with her, from meats to fish, various baked goods, vegetables, and fruit. Some of it was well known to him, but others were delicacies only found in the Unknown Regions. I was amazing how much of the galaxy you discovered when you went to a part that was only partially known.

With a little smile, she unfolded small map between them, and sat down, motioning for him to so as well. "Would you tell me?" she asked as she began to open the boxes and set them between the two of them, "what of your deeds these past few months? How have you found new ways to help planets in need of it?"