Private What Comes After

[Corazona von Ascania]

For the second time within the tight span of only a few years, Ukatis had been subject to foreign invaders.

The Mandalorian incursion had hurt. But the Sith were insidious - they'd preyed on feelings of discontent that had risen organically from the native populace. Darth Nefaron had stirred the pot just enough to provoke rebellion, turning even her own father against her in the end.

That had stung. A biting ache that seeped deep into her bones and kept her awake at night. Their assault may have been bolstered by Sith troops, but the cause that drove the rebellion had been very real.

The Sith had retreated, but only after Axilla had been left ashes and smoke. Again, the capital was left to heal.

Not just heal, change.

Axilla's singular starport had sustained heavy damage, so travel to and from Ukatis was restricted. Only ships bearing aid or building materials were allowed to dock planetside.

The Alliance's relief fleet would descend upon an expanse of charred field that was designated for landing. The battle that eventually breached the capital had begun there. Bodies were still being pulled from the mud.

Cora had taken a speeder to the far end of the field, passing makeshift tented storage facilities. Carpenters were arriving from all corners of the planet, but they needed material to construct temporary housing. The injured needed more medicine and care than the little agriworld had, everyone needed food.

Enter: The Dawn of Hope.

Already, Cora could see several of their ships descending. The bright lights that dotted the sky signaled more yet to come. She drew in a swell of crisp air and held it.

There was endless work to do. As long as she was busy, the dark thoughts of what she had to do to end the rebellion would not catch her.

Jonyna Si

 

[Jonyna Si]

The Dawn of Hope​

TAG: Corazona von Ascania

Jonyna had organized quite a few relief efforts since taking on her current position. It was said during the order she missed, the old order, that jedi weren't to get attached. That a jedi should see the world in an impersonal manner, not risking letting their emotions dictate their actions.

Jonyna had always thought that was a load of phooey.

To her, each world meant something to someone. Every house she rebuilt, was a home. Every street, a neighborhood.

She couldn't help but see it all personally. But some...

Some were more than others.

Iridonia was Azurine Varek 's home. Keshi was Valery Noble 's. Cathar was her's, and so many of her friends, old and new.

But Ukatis.

Ukatis was Cora's, but also where her journey truly began. Where she had fought the Enclave head on, and finally felt like part of the order. To her, this was very personal. The fact the Mandalorians had barred her from fixing her own planet, this was one she had to be there for. It was easy to call planets like this backwater. That they didn't mean anything.

They meant something to someone.

"Ma'am, entering orbit."

Ships had been arriving one by one. The first to be sent ahead of the fleet were the Astrocats, making sure to scout ahead for any sith stragglers. Blockade runners designed to withstand any punishment, and dish out it from a distance.

Next came the twin Venators, and the beginning of the relief. Ships originally designed to carry entire armies on their own, now carrying each a city's worth of supplies and transports. First came the Rocs, carrying medical supply and construction vehicles. Then came the LAATs, carrying the GADF's best and brightest, the Sky-Bees. Construction workers with blaster rifles, they called them. They weren't carrying anything more than their side arms today.

Then came the medical frigates, and their escorts, the Tenacities. Those who needed it, were airlifted up to be treated. The flying emergency ward, Jonyna had called it.

After that, the two flagships. The Lifelight, and the Dawnbreaker. Jonyna herself sat in the bridge of Jasper's old bird, watching the parade of transports and ships descend upon Ukatis. Rocs, LAATs, Medical Shuttles, Rescue Speeders, Freighters that would act as makeshift restaurants.

Finally, the two Superfreighters, carrying enough supplies to rebuild the an entire district of Coruscant by itself. And behind them, dragged along, the crescendo. The Zoro Laha, a station that would sit in orbit until the work was done, long after the fleet had moved on.

It was a show of force, a practiced symphony. The rest of the galaxy saw the Alliance as weak, and uncaring for it's people.

Jonyna was here to prove them wrong.

"Take over Vice Admiral. I'm heading down to meet with my fellow Councilwoman."

"Yes ma'am. Taking command."

It was a short walk to the hanger. Jonyna had a lot on her mind. Jenn still hung on her mind. Cathar. The sith.

But it wouldn't matter. None of it. There was always hope.

She'd seen a world where evil had won, and it didn't last.

Now she descended onto a world that needed it.

​

The Tenacity, the old Consular Class that Jonyna had called home for so many years, slowly made landfall in front of the refugee camps. Alongside it, several of the Maclunkee class freighters landed with it, crews already prepping them to be turned into establishments ready to serve the hungry.

As the landing ramp hissed, Jonyna was already walking down it, looking for the Princess who called herself a Councilwoman. It was easy to write off the Jedi Council these days. Not a lot of them were the master combatants that they were once upon a time. Jonyna herself was an exception, but it was easy to forget the battles Cora had fought.

And how strong she was. In body, and in mind.

The Cathar looked out upon the crowd, smiling as she spotted her. Ever the model, ever the kind face.

"Cora!" She called out, walking with purpose. "Come here, if anyone needs a hug after all this, it's you."

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

"Jonyna."

Cora smiled. The soft, almost relieved sort of look that one gave to a friend. It was an expression she hadn't worn in weeks, near to the point where it looked uncomfortable.

Their embrace was sufficiently warm, though. When they pulled away, her smile seemed a little more natural.

"Thank you for coming. Not just now, but in Ukatis' hour of need. Come, I'll bring us to the command center."

Like all galactic powers, the Alliance was imperfect. One could hardly speak ill of their robust humanitarian aid network, which had played a strong part in raising bludgeoned worlds from the ashes of war.

As they hopped into the speeder truck, Cora turned the ignition. The engine sputtered once before roaring to life. It was an older model, but solidly built.

"I can imagine that coordinating such a fleet takes a lot of time and effort. The people of Ukatis stand ready to rebuild their lives, but we lack many of the resources to do quickly, and in a way that would minimize suffering."

Cora raised her voice so that it could be heard over the wind as they rumbled through the charred fields. Native Ukatians milled with Alliance aid workers. At the periphery of a patch of blackened grass, a plump middle aged woman ladled soup into wooden bowls from a large black cauldron.

"I will be staying here for some time. Not just to oversee the rebuilding, but to deal with the political ramifications of a dead king with no successor. The last thing Ukatis needs is another destructive power grab."

Jonyna Si

 

[Jonyna Si]

TAG: Corazona von Ascania

While their embrace was brief, Jonyna made sure Cora felt it. She remembered with Cathar was under attack, and how much it shook someone to know their home wasn't as safe as they once assumed.

The planet shift had caused many worlds to keep a less safe, all of a sudden.

As they climbed into the truck, Jonyna listened quietly to Cora speak, letting the local explain the situation, gathering as much intel as she could. Information was power, and her eyes were focused on what they passed. Burned fields, blackened grass, ruined villages.

She'd make sure it was all restored.

"You'll get all the resources you need, and more." Jonyna assured. "I've got two superfrieghters in orbit with food and materials, and a station being set up to recreate your fields in biodomes. Figure out the best way to restore them. I'll let you know, we don't leave until your world is back to how it was before." Jonyna spoke with a certainty, a confidence that only she could. "And more to come. The Service Corps and Si Tech are here to save the day."

She paused, finally looking back to Cora, soft eyes, but with that hint of flame that Cora was used to seeing in Jonyna. That fire of rebellion. "You fix your government. You figure out that, I'll figure out this. If you're staying, I'm staying. Until the job is done. Just show me what needs doing."

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

"Unfortunately, this isn't the first time we've had to rebuild Ukatis. The capital and the surrounding areas, anyway. We only came out of it as well as we did due to the outpouring of donations from across the galaxy, as well as the Alliance's help."

Difficult hadn't even begun to describe it. Cora had traded both sleep and sanity to shoulder the organizational burden. She'd learned to be decisive and efficient, but it would be nice to unload some of the particulars onto another set of capable shoulders, even if she'd be unable to relinquish her involvement entirely.

"There are a lot of moving parts to this. I'm grateful for the help, truly. There are few people I'd trust with taking such a big role in the restoration of Ukatis."

Though often looked down upon by the galaxy for being backwater peasants, the people of Ukatis were hardworking and prideful. They'd rebuilt themselves out of dozens of planet-wide rebellions over thousands of years, but none had caused the level of devastation that the Mandalorians and Sith had.

The further they went, the more crowded the encampments became. Not just aid workers, but displaced civilians milled about. Those who were able bodied joined in the rebuilding; they were carpenters and medics, message runners and cooks. Older children and grandmothers looked after the little ones.

Everyone had a role. No one was idle.

Crumbling, charred stone around them signaled that they'd reached the city limits. Cora brought them to a stop just outside what appeared to be a cathedral - surrounded by destruction, the sturdy church had only sustained minor damage.

A miracle, some called it.

"This building has been here for centuries. It's withstood two foreign invasions and dozens of skirmishes between Ukatian warlords."

Cora shook her head. "It's our command center, but doubles as a shelter. The fact that it's still standing gives the people hope. I can't quite believe that it's lasted this long, but perhaps its a sign."

Jonyna Si

 

[Jonyna Si]

TAG: Corazona von Ascania

"To be honest, seeing your world get attacked the first time was a big reason why the Dawn of Hope exists. I was there, fighting off the Mandalorians. Dealing with a nerf herder who wanted my kids dead. Ko nearly got bodied, and Rayia went feral for the first time." She remembered it so clearly. It was only a few blocks down from where they were driving through the city, before stopping in front of the old church.

Organized religion was a foreign concept to Jonyna, so she paused, tilting her head at the structure. "What's this for, anyways?"

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

"Is it?"

It wasn't quite disbelief that was in her voice. More like acknowledgement. The Alliance always had humanitarian resources at the ready, but none as robust as the Dawn of Hope.

"They say that safety rules are written in blood. I'm glad that the three of you made it out."

As they exited the speeder, Cora gestured to the stained glass windows - a few of which were broken - and the pointed spires.

"A cathedral. It's where many of my people go to worship. It survived two foreign incursions, somehow."

Religions revolving around the Force were uncommon, even unheard of in different sectors of the galaxy. Cora lead Jonyna through the lobby and up several flights of stairs - the building was packed with refugees and aid workers. Normally, sacred spaces were quiet and reverent. Now, hundreds of voices bounced off of the ancient stonework.

They'd come to stop in a narrow corridor of offices, small rooms with little more than a desk and chairs. Cora would point out who sat in each office, and how their particular role contributed to the management of the refugee crisis. Finally, she'd lead Jonyna to a door at the end of the hall - another spartan room, but clean.

"This will be a good place for you to set up, right in the heart of the population."

Jonyna Si

 

[Jonyna Si]

TAG: Corazona von Ascania

The weeks passed.

Jonyna had set up a system. Another day, another set of transports. Block by block, the city, the villages, the fields, everything was rebuilt. Stone synthesized from rubble, restored to how it was before the attack. The space station above the planet did a wonder of work, making recycling materials a breeze.

But as the workers worked through, Jonyna needed her off time.

And one day, Cora heard a knock on her door.

"....Cooooora...I need help."

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

The weeks blurred together, a realization that Cora only had when she stopped to think. She tried not to think too hard, too much.

A knock at the door roused her from her cot. Cora rolled over, yawning wide before she sat up. It could've been 6 in the morning or 6 in the evening, and the light peeking through the shade of a single window hadn’t quite registered to her yet.

Standing, she shuffled toward the door while gathering unruly blonde strands back with one hand. She clipped them up and opened the door.

"Jonyna?" She turned her head to the side and yawned into the crook of her elbow. Her bleary gaze hasn't quite focused on the Cathar, but there was an anxious sort of energy around her.

"What's wrong? Another water main break?"

Jonyna Si

 

[Jonyna Si]

TAG: Corazona von Ascania

Jonyna was pacing slightly. Back and forth in front of Cora's door.

"You know how we took that trip to Zeltros a few weeks ago? Both of us needed the time off, just to clear our heads, but..."

Jonyna couldn't help but bite her lip, as she pulled something out of her coat, offering it to Cora.

A small stick, made of plastic.