Ask [Bothawui] Belated Reuinion

[Celeste Stythani]

Bothawui - ISC Space
​

After what went down on Manaan, Celeste was immediately transported off the planet and thus apparently away from the others - the ones she had stabbed in the back without even thinking twice to save herself. The investigator had bought her story and had appreciated her honesty in terms of the other two's true identity, but for now she wasn't sure whether they'd grant her all the leniency they had promised.

Now, she still found herself in ISC custody, but she was probably much better off than the rest. On the other hand though, she was still awaiting her trial. She hadn't received any news about what happened to Vahliri and agent Vathra, but she began to wonder whether any news had spread through the galaxy yet.

Celeste had been allowed to call on some old 'friends' and was actually grateful that they had allowed her go get in touch with them. Obviously, she wasn't allowed to just meet any of them on her own as she was known for being a former Sith, so a Jedi had been assigned to her who was now following her into the room where she was about to meet someone she had hoped to meet under different circumstances a while ago...

She assumed the Jedi was not only at her side to prevent her from using the Force go harm anyone, but to monitor her Force use in general to prevent her from using it against anyone. It was not like she planned to be foolish enough to attempt either of it, but she didn't mind the additional visitor anyway.

She was prepared to meet her old best friend, but what bothered her was that for now she had absolutely no idea what Victoria would do, how she'd react and how this meeting would end. She had a roll to play and despite feeling ready to do so, the uncertainty was frustrating. She was wondering whether her former bestie would walk in wit a whole entourage of guards and whether she might even be afraid of her, but then again she realized that she was about to find out real soon.

She entered the room first and took a seat in one of the chairs that was directly facing the entrance. She started chewing the insides of her cheeks as if she was nervous and was actually feeding those emotions for the performance's sake. For all she know, the last thing Victoria knew about had been the pregnancy and then she had just vanished. There was a lot to explain and a lot to talk about and while the outcome was totally unclear -just like her own future in general-, Celeste was also longing for this overdue reunion. Don't let me hanging, old friend...

@Xorism

 

[Victoria]

Ruusan had been such a significant traumatic event for so many and yet in all of the chaos and fear, came the ironclad bonds of shared trauma to bring strangers together. It was a distant memory and yet at the same time forever seared into the back of her mind, the shock and screaming as civilians and warriors alike responded to the threat as it emerged.

The time in between that event and now had been the highest of the highs and the lowest of the lows as Victoria, then a lowly Senator had developed a powerful connection with someone who she came to view as a sister. The revelation that Celeste had once been a Sith, came as a shock to many but Victoria could only admire the tenacity and strength that it took the woman to break free of her bonds and stand up for her values at the expense of everything she had worked for.

There was something strong and fierce about this trait that Victoria found inspiring, and then to watch the passion she would also imbue into her work as a senator, working tirelessly for the alliance and its people against the very people who scorned her. Few people existed in the galaxy that Victoria felt a kinship with, and yet never had she felt so very distant from the same woman as she did now.

Victoria arrived with a bodyguard of her own, although they would stay quiet and to the side as long as they were not required. The now Consul enjoyed both the dignity and weight that came with such a position, despite some of the drawbacks that she had started to see that came with the added responsibility. But the real pain came from the fact that her friend had been missing for over two years and she had received no contact from her, no phone calls or letters. There was no way to know the reason for this, whether her friend had been forced away or fled voluntarily but these questions would linger on for years.

Until today.

Dressed seriously, the Consul held her hands forward clasping a small box as she entered the room with dignitas and without looking her friend in the eye initially. As she strode toward the table, her bodyguard pulled back the chair, while Victoria placed the container gently on the table, ever so gently sliding it forward.

A trembling voice held together by strain, determination and uncertainty showed the strength that Victoria had developed in Celeste's absence. She had not seen her friend in many years and there was no way of knowing what had happened to her in that time but there was one memory, one that hurt so deeply to have missed. She fought hard but the words that left her mouth were short, and painful and something that she had made with her own hands, knitting a small pair of booties.

"For the baby."

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

The nervousity turned a little more genuine as she could feel someone approaching. It could only be her. There was maybe even slightly familiar in her presence or perhaps she was just imagining that as it had literally been ages since the two once close friends had seen each other.

Trenwyth, for example, seemed like a whole eternity ago and so did all of their casual meetups they mamanged to schedule inbetween work every now and then. While Celeste had been working in disguise under the Empire's banner again, she had obviously heard how Victoria had made herself and even bigger name.

As the door hissed open, her gaze immediately fell on the delicately carved features of the flawless alabaster skinned now Consul. Her arctic eyes seemed to pierce Celeste's even if she wasn't even looking at her from the very moment and the woman on the chair just froze up as the other one gracefully walked in.

While Victoria had grown more influential, Celeste had grown more powerful, but while the one thing was rather apparent today, the other thing had to remain hidden entirely. Victoria carried herself not only with grace, but while her facial expressions were difficult to read, she carried herself with more dignity than ever.

Her friend appeared more serious, but Celeste wasn't sure whether that was a result of the unexpected and mysterious disappearance that she still owed an explanation for or the fact that Victoria was visiting he'd in ISC custody right now. Actually, there were plenty more reasons to be misttustful, but as she suddenly approached her with the box, Celeste managed to break free from her controlled stasis. The show was about to begin.

With her brows slightly furrowed, she slowly outstretched a shaking hand until her fingers grazed the box to carefully pull it closer. Her gaze was still fixed on her old friend, her own expression already a mixture of pure agony, regret and uncertainty as the facade already began to crumble.

She slowly averted her gaze and let it drift down as if she already had an extremely bad feeling about what was inside the box, but as her gaze actually met what was inside - followed by Vic's soft comment - it wasn't even difficult to let all dams break at the same time.

All the emotions she had gathered throughout the day were let loose. She allowed herself to feel, obviously in a controlled manner and without giving in too much so that the dark side wouldn't feed on it, but in a way it was like back then when she had learnt how to mind control from Raze. You couldn't push too hard, but also had to give enough in order to accomplish what was necessary.

Victoria had actually done her a favor by handing over the possible most emotional gift she could have brought. The fact alone that after all that had happened, she even considered bringing a gift actually proved to Celeste that her dear old friend was in her, but who could have guessed it was even that heartwarming? Victoria couldn't know that most of Celeste's actuall humanity was gone, but years of deceptions and keeping up appearances had made her an expert in theatrics.

She let her lips tremble as an reaction towards the sudden lump that was forming in her throat. The shaking of her hands also intensified while the water levels in her eyes rose from 0 to 100. The first tear came rolling down her cheek, leaving a damp trace immediately. She tried to wipe it away immediately, although more instantly followed.

She surpressed any sobs for now and tried blinking the tears away by averting her gaze to the ceiling, but her left hand 'accidentally' sank down so that the back of her index finger grazed the textile of the obviously hand-knitted boot, which obviously just made it worse.

Celeste immediately retracted her hand and buried her face and wet eyes in the crook of her arm, now sobbing uncontrollably with her whole body shaking in pain. Just like that, she cried and sobbed for a few moments until she couldn't breathe so well and was forced to gasp for air, which also gave her a tiny chance to gain at least a small extent of composure back.

It still took some more moments for her to catch her breath and manage to keep her voice from cracking completely as she softly replied, "Vic...there is no baby...". The voice was fragile and fragile she'd appear as a whole as well. From the outside, it took her enormous strength to add, ...they took it away from me". No details, not too much information just yet. It would be enough to stir up a whole bunch of emotions in Victoria as well.

The woman that sat in front of Victoria appeared broken all over again, but Celeste wasn't sure what they had told her and whether she was already pointed into a direction. What Celeste was implying through her statement was that the Sith Order or well, the Empire, was the one to blame. This was just the beginning of the conversation but Celeste did not only have to tie up loose ends, but also take control of all the strings that were laid out in front of her.

@Xorism

 

[Victoria]

Nothing could prepare Victoria for the words that she heard just then, watching her friend in an obviously distressed state just moments prior to that sudden outburst was hard enough. Her face froze in place as a hurricane of emotion flushed through, cascading as a torrential outpour might. At first, confusion set in as her mind raced through the possibilities, like had her child been taken away from her in a horrible scheme.

Victoria hadn't wanted to entertain the possibility that her friend and confidant had betrayed her so viciously, but there was too much missing information to know for certain what had happened. But for now, the emotional toll of the gift and Celeste's reaction was too much to bear in of itself causing even Victoria to tear up, despite her staunch physical pleas to do the opposite. The reality of what she said hit like a brick wall, and now beginning to realize how insensitive of a gift it must have seemed like, as the gears in her head turned causing her stomach to clench in pain.

"I'm so sorry, Celeste. I didn't know...it's been so long and well some gave up on finding you but I never did." She couldn't hope to imagine the terrible loss that her friend had been through and the way she implied it, it seemed to point to something severe and traumatic. It would be horrible to ask her to relive such a tragic memory, but Victoria wasn't just here as a friend, she was also here in an official capacity and that fact scared the Consul to the core.

Victoria's eyes watered and her body betrayed a friend's pain for another friend, but Celeste would notice that she also strained to maintain a professional composure even if her voice croaked in places as she spoke. Reaching out over the table she offered her empty hand in order to offer any consolation she could in the limited capacity available. She knew there was no question or real comfort she could offer her with a revelation like that, and if they remained on the subject for long it would certainly break the pair, she thought.

But Victoria had her own tricks too, as Celeste would soon learn.

"The last time we spoke, you were so very convinced that you would be able to speak with President Thorne and gain his support to fight against the Sith with the alliance. Then you disappear. What happened? Please, Celeste, I want to help but nothing makes sense."

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

With her head slightly raised again, she could watch the whole drama enfold in front of her eyes as the emotional story took its toll on the Consul as well. It wasn't hard to tell that Victoria had planned on keeping her composure, yet it seemed like neither of the women had been prepared for the interesting turns of this conversation.

The gift had come as a perfect surprise and a fitting addition to her show. Likewise, Victoria was hit fully unprepared with the direct 'truth' of this tragic story that had not only separated the former best friends but also costed a life. The tears were still uncontrollably running out of her eyes while Celeste appeared to fight for control over her emotions.

Even better was that guilt was beginning to nag at the other woman, something that could perfectly be amplified with the right words. "It's...okay. You couldn't know..." she said in a shaky voice, her throat dry, so that she was forced to swallow hard again. Wasn't it heartwarming that she has not given up on finding her? It seemed like she was finally rewarded, but for now, no one could tell for how long this reunion would be.

Victoria's touch was apparently offered as a gesture of comfort and Celeste gratefully placed her own hand on top of her. She was desperately trying to blink the tears away which theatrically kept swelling in her eyes. "I'm sorry" she added, visibly not in a condition to talk just yet while the nails off her free hand dug in the table in an attempt to handle the internal pain of such a tragic story. The truth was, it still costed her plenty of self control to keep control of her presence within the Force. Thanks to the Jedi, she had to radiate specific emotions while at the same time keeping up the show for both - Victoria and their chaperone.

A few more moments passed and she took a deep breath. She owed Victoria those explanations, but naturally she would understand how difficult it was to talk about all those 'atrocities'. "It's...a long story. An ugly, painful one" a deep breath followed before she continued, shaking hed head in despair. Her voice wasn't exactly loud and every now and then it just cracked whenever the emotions took over again.

"I owe you those answers and you'll get them...all of them" she began, her facade hinting at how she was about to tear up completely again. The quivering lip, the shaking hand, all was a perfectly conducted performance. A show that was needed if she wanted to find a way out of this all. "You are my best friend, Victoria...", she stated after another few moments of fighting to regain her voice and stop the sobbing for a while, her voice was trailing off again though right after those emotionally packed words were out.

She slowly retracted her hand, however was not taking her pain-filled eyes off the Consul. She was trying to gain a straighter posture, yet the emotional agony didn't quite allow for that. "I...don't even know where to begin..." Victoria would know that every detail that would shoot against the Empire would threaten her life in yet another way. Her life was generally on a thin thread and a single misstep could cost her life, so the words had to be considered and placed carefully. "I wanted to fight against the Empire that threatens to endanger us all...for the FWA, for my own planet...yet before I could take any further steps, they found me".

It was another dramaturgic pause, but the sigh indicated that this was difficult to share as she was continuing to commit treason against the Empire. "I was left with no choice...in order to survive, I had to follow. I was dragged into this mess all over again...There was no way for me to escape, until the ISB assumed an espionage mission against the ISC would be a clever move. This here, regardless of how messy it got, finally offered me a change to escape the wheel that unrelentlessly keeps turning...", she wiped away the tears, leaving her cheeks still damp though. Speaking about the Empire was a distraction from the pain and Victoria would notice that a hint of her old determination was sneaking back into her voice. "This is exactly what they do. This tyranny continues. They know exactly what do to, how to hurt you, how to pressure you to become just another pawn in their neverending game". Emotional language, for an emotional topic. Celeste assumed that nothing about Victoria's resentment against their 'common' enemy had changed, so she intended to use that.

@Xorism

 

[Victoria]

Victoria sat shaken by the revelations that her dear friend started unraveling the threads she spun. So much had happened since they last spoke and it was challenging to make sense of all the possibilities. They had both existed in a sphere of danger, being agents of the alliance and making a loud and proud stand against the empire but the thought of what might have happened to Celeste tore at Victoria on the inside.

The Consul continued to listen intently as her friend spoke, their lands locked together allowing her to feel the other's pulse. Even Victoria could feel the racing heartbeats pumping blood through her veins as the emotional trauma was re-lived and inflicted its mental anguish once more.

As Victoria's face swelled with emotion and tears, she attempted to clear her throat before proceeding. "Best friends don't abandon each other. You could have said something, but you didn't." The ice in her voice crystalized in the air. It was a tone that Celeste had probably seldom heard from her friend, but she'd sense the hurt bleeding through.

"Why would the ISB trust you to go on this mission, Cel? What did you do to earn their trust?" Celeste's story made sense to a degree, but it didn't really fill in all the blanks yet either. The Jedi near her let out a slight snort at the retort but otherwise kept quiet. Victoria had much to say before she would make up her mind on what to do next, if her friend was being truthful, she would defend her. But would her heart be able to handle the betrayal if the deceit unwound itself?

"There is so much unknown between the time we last spoke and the time you say they found you, what happened?"

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

Celeste didn't pay the Jedi any visible attention, yet from the inside she still found the uninvited listener annoying to a certain degree. Without intending it, the stranger in the room disturbed the emotional reunion that touched upon the Consul's heart, but then again Celeste's now doubtful friend was probably feeling safer through the Jedi's presence.

"I can't blame you for having your doubts" she quietly replied, the quivering lip fading into a faint, bitter smile as despite everything that had happened, Celeste still couldn't believe she had shown up with a gift. In a parallel universe where Celeste would have born the child, Victoria would have been the perfect aunt. Reality had had other plans for them though.

The ice that shone through the other woman's familiar voice was a note she had barely ever picked up, so the natural reaction of the scarred, broken woman she was pretending to be was slightly pulling back out of shock. "I wish I could have messaged you...but you don't know what the ISB is capable of. Even I only posses knowledge to a small extent. It's not that they have ever placed their trust in me - they even withheld so many details about this mission which is why it was predestined to fail from the very beginning, which was, however, something that strongly came to my advantage as it offered me a chance to escape...". She swallowed once again, her watery, reddened eyes melting into her friend's mid air once again.

"I was afraid they could harm those who were close to me. My each and every step was watched...if there was no living chaperone at my side, it was a droid. I kept doing what I had to to survive. There was no way I could have just fled so I was looking for loopholes. Manaan finally offered such a chance". She maintained eye contact the whole time, not afraid to unravel the truth, but Victoria knew that her old friend was often sparing her unnecessarily ugly details.

"They made me come to Yavin, for example. I killed no Jedi, but I was forced to follow the Imperial Orders of driving them out of their temple. I had to play along, pretend their methods were working, but I never stopped fighting...". She was not afraid to admit that, after all, she was supposed to be honest to her friend. "I was even afraid they could hurt you or the FWA in general...what would you have done in my stead?". Again, expressing those words would be just as painful as having all the memories stirred up again and Victoria would see it in her face again. Still, Celeste was now trying to keep it together to do her friend this favor as she continued her ploy.

@Xorism

 

[Victoria]

Victoria had spent most of her career worrying about what the Sith did, what they could do to her and her people, her friends. For the longest time, she considered Celeste to be a sister, and to have that bond severed was something she never wanted to do. She didn't even intend to hurt her with the portrayed tone and yet the icy words appeared to do so, and in return Cel offered answers.

Then she said something interesting. This wasn't the first time that Celeste had been out with the Sith and engaged in their illicit activities. There was something to be said about her story though, it certainly was likely that they wouldn't have trusted her in the slightest if she was telling the truth, and having to earn back any trust would have been difficult. Undoubtedly the woman bore the scars of such professed loyalty, but Celeste also continued to dance around how she came to rejoin them.

With a slightly clenched jaw and emotionally driven, Victoria forced herself to speak in answer to her question. "I would have tried." Truthfully the woman had little idea of the true nature of the dark side, or the capabilities of the ISB beyond what one might read in a report. The treatment that Cel spoke of and how they had watched and pressured her, sickened Victoria deeply, and the thought that if it had all been true and she continued to mistrust her friend, how very betrayed she might feel. Still, surely even Celeste would know the position that she placed the Consul in.

If Victoria found a way for Cel to be freed or released into FWA custody and she was lying? Not only would that break her heart, but undoubtedly it could cause a diplomatic crisis between the ISC and the FWA. If the Celeste she felt she knew was truly there, she would understand how deeply Victoria cared for the alliance and then how difficult of a choice it would be.

"Did you betray the alliance to the Sith as a loophole? are we in danger?" Victoria's face quietened as the flurry of information that Cel could have leaked was completely in front of her mind. Yavin was another point that she hadn't anticipated coming up, but with that revelation, more information could have gleamed, she was sure.

"Help me, help you Cel. Who was with you at Yavin? who committed these terrible crimes?" Perhaps if she was telling the truth, those responsible could pay for the crimes instead. Victoria paid close attention to her answers, any attempts to hide from the questions would be met with more scrutiny.

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

Giving the same question initially posed by Victoria back was obviously a move driven by emotions that were perceived as human. Celeste began to sense how her friend was hurt beyond the sheer disappearance of her. She was afraid Celeste had gotten the Alliance into trouble and she condemned the complete silence that had followed her disappearance. Again, no emotional, sentient being could have blamed the Consul for being driven by her human emotions, but for Celeste it was an amusing detail she kept analyzing carefully.

"I never betrayed the alliance" she stated truthfully. Also, she hadn't betrayed the Sith, her own nature. She was betraying the Empire. The Empire that had never trusted her and the Empire who kept using the Sith as attack dogs. As for the Alliance, she had never been forced to move against them and generally speaking, the Empire hadn't even used her favorable position.

Whether the Empire hadn't paid the Alliance much attention was either because the Alliance wasn't such a promising target or perhaps there had been more important ones for now, but what she still questioned was why no one had ever considered using Celeste as an Alliance inside woman. The Empire had given her direct orders and so had Vahliri when she had wanted her to openly attack Rattatak, a move, Celeste had never ceased to question though. "However, you might have noticed that Rattatak wasn't responding...". There was no point in leaving those details out. Victoria had probably noticed and by now, the ISC was probably informed as well, so hiding it would just be a stupid mistake that would only fuel the Consul's mistrust.

"After moths of keeping me away, the Empire made me retake it in their name. It was...terrible Victoria. Blood was shed with no particular purpose but pure brutality and a meaningless display of power. They wanted it...they knew they were producing ships and weapons for Alliance and intended to stop it, however, I'm desperately hoping Rattatak has mananged to break its shackles again by now". With Celeste gone again, the Empire had either ensured to keep them down or if they kept them loosely leashed, they might have already gotten the chance to rid themselves of the 'tyranny'. What Celeste was outlining was a story that was supposed to appeal to her friend's heart, so she was giving her the truth rather bluntly. In order to manipulate the Empire inside, Celeste had been forced to play along...

Speaking of Rattatak was obviously just another cue to let her tears stream down her cheek and to start sobbing uncontrollably again. "I...I was looking for a way out. They would have burnt the whole planet...maybe the whole sector. It was...and still is so painful. Not just the loss of the-". The continous, perfectly displayed sobbing caused her to gasp and she was needing a few moments to catch her breath before she went on, "-baby...then Rattatak. I'm in pieces, Vic. I'm so glad it's over...I couldn't play along any longer. I wish I could have reached you. I had no one...while trying to survive I was desperately trying to minimize the harm...but I couldn't save Clan Orros...it's in ashes" she admitted painfully, clutching the fabric of her top at heart height.

She was almost choking on her crying, the wet cheeks glistened against the cold light from above while her eyes slowly darted between Victoria and the Jedi present. "Vahliri Kahtal...a Sith Master. The ISC has her as well. She was forcing me into committing those terrible crimes, but it seems like her reign of terror has finally come to an end...I just hope she doesn't find a way out. The ISC will never get such a chance again". She had betrayed her master as she was loyal to no one but herself, yet the fate of the other woman remained unknown until now. Celeste was indeed dearly hoping she was being contained properly, but didn't know a lot about ISC security measures after all. "I...I just didn't know what to do. I kept fighting, I was waiting for a chance to pull strings from the inside until I would find a way out, but they kept me supervised all the time". Her frail voice cracked once again, the quivering lip was overrun by another tear before she wiped them away, sobbing. It was in this moment that Celeste started to question how her dear friend remembered her. Trying to stay in control all the time and carefully calculating moves was a very Celeste thing to do, so the blonde was hoping that the reputation she had once held would aid her credibility.

@Xorism

 

[Victoria]

Victoria attempted to hold back her relief when Celeste spoke about not betraying the alliance, she was trying to remain stoic but hadn't realized she had also been holding her breath. The woman Celeste had known all those years ago would have lapped up everything that was said without a second question, with no hesitation to believe her bestie and run back into each other's arms.

Years of being immersed in political intrigue, plots, and the ever-present looming threat of the Sith had crashed through these idealistic dreams and sundered the fledgling senator with the harsh realities of war. Even still, the more experienced Consul did want to believe her story as wild as it was. The ISC had assured Victoria that any and everything said in the room was being both recorded and verified, if they could prove that Celeste was lying, it would come up in a heartbeat.

Listening quietly to the revelation of Rattatak and Miss Kahtal, Victoria nodded along. While she hadn't been privy to everything going on at the planetside, there naturally had been rumors circulating the lanes. The confirmation that the empire was behind it was troubling, to say the least, but thankfully thus far it hadn't spread any further. Victoria silently considered whether that was because of the ISC success thwarted their attempts to expand further, or if there might be other reasons.

"I'm sorry you had to go through all that Celeste, I can't imagine that I'd have had the same strength to get through it as you did." It was a difficult task that lay ahead for the Consul, deciding the fate of someone that was so very near and dear to her all those years ago. Slowly she withdrew her hand and in turn plied a small piece of paper from a pocket and down onto the table.

"This is a petition form to have you released into my custody, but to be honest I don't even know if the ISC will approve it yet but it still remains a possibility." Victoria's face held a quiet smile as she drew her finger over the paper. The gravity of the situation was not something she needed to be reminded of. If she vouched for Celeste and was wrong, it could spell the end of her own career or worse.

But that wasn't what caused her to smile, it was the memory of that lovely day all that time ago when the three of them sat around drinking wine and felt comfortable for the first time following their mutual trauma. Victoria looked up back towards her friend with endearing eyes, hoping to see the truth of it once more. The emotion in her voice stung heavily, a wounded heart with so much love to bear but torn between the possibility of deceit and wanting to accept it all.

"It's not just me you need to convince Celeste, it's everyone. You've admitted to terrible crimes, albeit under coercion but even still, people died by these actions. The woman I remember would have stuck up for what was right, no matter the cost to herself. Under the Imperial banner, you attacked the people you swore to protect and innocents lie buried because you were afraid to say no."

A stern look crested Victoria's face briefly, before softening. So much had changed since the last time they met, the formerly strong and fierce Celeste was more of a broken wreck before her. Victoria herself wasn't faring too much better admittedly but the contrast was striking all the same. The Consul couldn't imagine the devastation and turmoil that she must of felt after losing the baby and that fact alone caused her to pause.

"We mourn for your loss and I wish I could say that I understand your pain but that wouldn't be possible. I also don't know the depths of hell that they put you through, and so I also cannot say how this changed you. But the damage your actions have caused echoes through the galaxy regardless and as a leader, we must take responsibility for our actions."

Victoria paused for effect.

"So if you were released, how would you make things right? or do you think you should be punished?"

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

The tension inside this very room was still perceivable. It was as if a static lingered in the air, erecting an invisible wall the women had breached through their skin contact earlier, yet an obstacle that remained, a witness to all the changes the former friends and gone through and the terrible things that had happened.

Victoria slowly withdrew her hand and Celeste moved back as well, straightening her back ever so slightly as a hint of concern flashed across her damp features. Regardless of her calculated traita, whatever Vic was about to retrieve possessed the potential to stir things up severely, so the inner unsettlement was visible from the outside.

The tension seemed to culminate into a crescendo and the uncertainty let Celeste hold her breath for a few moments. The words of comfort and sympathy the Consul shared seemed to soften her expressions to a little extent, yet from the inside Celeste found the few seconds that passed almost unbearable, until Vic finally pulled out the paper. A petition.

Maybe this petition was even more she could have hoped for. A silver lining, finally. Having her transfered into FWA custody would be easier for sure and it would only aid her in the future. Victoria had grown severely. She was nothing like the younger, maybe even naively optimistic woman she had once been. Still, some traits remained. Out of warm-heartedness she had already prepared this petition, yet her terms were fair. She made no exception for her former best friend which was a testament to her abilities as a strong and capable leader.

"You've changed...and yet you're the same" she stated quietly, even a hint of relief in her voice as a faint, however still pained smile crossed her lips. "I would expect nothing less. Fair judgement and trying to find a way to make things right. I'll take responsibility as there is blood on my hands, regardless of the fact that I've been forced to comply" she stopped for a moment as if considering whether she should share her thoughts with the Consul, even biting her lip for a moment before she swallowed the apperent lump in her throat. Of course she had to share it. It was part of her story. "I've toyed with this thought before and it pains me to say it out aloud, but when I stood in that vessel above Clan Orros, I considered stopping and disobeying". A sigh escaped her as another tear rolled across her cheeks.

"If I...would have killed those in the ship, I would have still killed. They would have killed me immediately - Vahliri would have been onto me within seconds - but I wondered whether less blood would have been shed. I was close to sacrificing myself for my people, but then again I've learnt enough about the Empire. They would have just burnt it all to the ground and killed them all. I was so desperate I still considered suicide...I followed a thousand possible ideas in my mind but couldn't find the right one. I knew that in order to end this terror, the Empire would have to fall and so does Vahliri...Suicide might have been a way for me to escape this neverending wheel and all the pain, but you know me well...better than anyone even. I'll never stop fighting them".

The Empire wasn't going to fall overnight and both of them knew it. Also, they'd surely want her dead from the very first second they'd be informed about what went down on Manaan. Still, Celeste was hoping that the Consul would see how staying on the inside had been a possibility for Celeste to manipulate things from within, but then again, she had a point. There had been a price she had paid and she had a lot to compensate for now. Through her continous emotional display she was just hoping to convince her.

"You are right. This needs to be made right somehow. The deaths can not be repaid...but the clan can be rebuilt. Those who survived in the rubble and maybe those who had been lucky enough to get away will be aided with all the support I can muster. Still, Rattatak has bled enough. I wouldn't want them to be forced to be ruled by someone else again. If the Empire has left, I'd give up all my claims for sure. I was trying to be the leader they needed, yet under the influences of the Empire I was forced to become one of the tyrants I had sworn to detroy...". The Consul would once again become witness of an emotional display mirroring all the agony it costed her to speak about it.

"I'd give up my claims to lead in general for all those I've wronged. I would try to support the FWA wherever I could, to keep helping in building it up, but from below, through businesses. If I'd be allowed to stay in your custody, I'd assist you wherever I could. I missed you terrible and I know you've suffered as well...I'm still hoping that one day things will be closer to what they were". Celeste slid her hand over, not grasping the paper but her hand instead.

"If they'd release me, I'd stay with you. Not as a senator, but as a friend. I'm tired of this mayhem. All I ever wanted was to help the people of the Alliance, to protect them. For as long as the Empire doesn't stop, I'll keep fighting to stop them. With the fuel blockage maybe we'll finally get a chance to strike back...". They had once been united by this thought and obviously Celeste was getting back to it because of that. The other FWA senators might sign it, after all, she had gained many powerful allies back then.

"I will spend the rest of my life trying to make the wrongs right, and it still won't be enough, but I'll do whatever I can by sheer dedication to the Alliance...to a peaceful future". Her past as a polician had obviously taught her how to talk, and maybe this would also remind Victoria of what had been. The woman she was talking to was similar to the Celeste had known before, because the words and moves were all carefully calculated to display the senator she had once been. The noticeable changes due to everything that she had been through would still be recognizable, yet so far Celeste was perceiving her own performance as convincing. She couldn't tell for sure, but it seemed like the chances for survival weren't too bad after all if she could exploit her friend's soft spots further. Vic had a point though: there were many more that had to be convinced...

@Xorism

 

[Victoria]

It certainly wasn't the time to debate morality or ethics but her comment did raise an interesting point. An academic question at best, in that, is it better to have remained quiet and allow a bad thing to occur knowing that acting out could increase the harm caused? or is it always better to try and stop it, regardless of the cost? On paper, it is easily said to raise your voice and protest but the reality is not always so simple.

There was always a chance that people would be spared by your act of defiance, to ignore this possibility would only dehumanize and make you no better than your enemy. But again the reality was not so certain, what would stop the Sith from bombarding the planet from above for nothing more than pettiness at said defiance? It was an unenviable position to be in and from a moral standpoint it would be easy to grandstand, but either way, it didn't change what had actually occurred.

Victoria's face shifted as Celeste spoke through everything, flickers of emotion and serious thought scattered amongst the rest not entirely revealing her thoughts on each statement. The Jedi in the room had yet to speak and would only watch the pair in complete silence ready to leap into action if Celeste so much as flinched wrong.

"My obligations to the alliance and justice supersede my feelings towards you, and you know that. It breaks my heart to accept that there is a possibility that you're not being completely honest with me and truthfully, I think it would be a long road before we could be where we once were."

She could see and feel the raw emotion in the room and felt compelled to be blunt with her. There were certain parts that came across as truthful and she could sense that, but other parts felt only half spoken. Victoria felt confident that she would be able to extract this information in her own time if given half the chance.

"There would be certain conditions to your release and these are non-negotiable and of course permitting on the ISC agreeing to release you. Firstly you are to relinquish all claims of authority, ownership, and power you might have gained as a Sith over Rattatak. Secondly, you are to sign over all of your assets, to be held in trust under my authority until such a time as you have regained my ....trust. These funds and resources will be useful in beginning to repair the harm that your actions have wrought."

Victoria paused as if waiting for an interruption, shortly after continuing.

"Thirdly you will serve one day of community service for every life that has been destroyed in your name and in doing so right every wrong you've committed. Fourthly you will be prohibited from practicing the dark side of the force. I swear by the god's Celeste, if you break this one then I will speak with the Grand Master myself. Finally, you will find a way to prove your loyalty remains with me and not your past."

All things considered, the conditions were not as heavy as they might have been for other captured Sith. Not that Victoria was privy to what was happening in the other rooms.

"You also owe a debt to the Jedi Order for your part in what happened on Yavin, but this is yet to be determined. Do you have any questions?"

@LadyRen