Chapter Four: Arrival on Aruna
"This is the Republic vessel Wayfarer, requesting landing clearance," Weave said from his place at the helm, nodding a moment later as the reply came through the comm.
From her seat, Kalinda looked up and watched as the familiar planet drew closer to them on the viewscreen: a patchwork orb shaded with the blues, greens and browns that indicated the world's variegated terrain. Though the capitol city of Rudral was located amidst rolling, temperate hills, much of the planet's surface was covered with jagged mountains that ran down to the ocean as well as vast stretches of lush jungles. It's still so beautiful. I don't know why I thought it might be otherwise.
"It looks pretty, anyway." Seated beside her, Stonewall echoed Kali's thoughts. "Much nicer than Florrum."
"Or Rhen Var," Milo added as he studied his datapad. Since the squad had received orders on such short notice, Stone had insisted that they spend much of the journey going over all of the intel that they could before they landed; as Kalinda and Obi-Wan had both been there before the Jedi were coaching the clones on some of the finer points of Arunai culture.
The clone captain glanced at Kali, though the look was professional. "Jedi are held in high regard here," he said with a nod to Obi-Wan, who was seated at her other side.
"That's true," she replied. "We're looked on as a special kind of caste, 'above' everyone except the royal family – who are said to be chosen by the gods themselves – and the priests and priestesses."
"The importance of the Arunai religion cannot be overstated," Obi-Wan added, leaning forward. "Aside from the regent, the high priest or priestess is the most powerful voice in the Parliament." Hand in his beard, he frowned and looked at Kali. "If the most recent high priestess has decided to stir up trouble for Sita, it won't bode well."
Weave glanced back from the helm at the group. "The caste system...it seems like a type of ranking? Is that the case?"
"Sort of," Kali replied. "Sometimes it seems fluid; it's easy to fall to a lower caste than the one you are born to. Other times, as in when you are hope to ascend to a higher caste – usually by marriage – it is incredibly difficult to get others at your new level to accept you. The fact that an orphan from the country was able to reach the role of queen is unprecedented."
"Who's at the bottom?" Traxis asked from the co-pilot's seat.
Kali and Obi-Wan exchanged glances. "Untouchables," he said. "They are forbidden from coming into contact with most other members of the society and are treated more or less as lepers. Naturally, it is they who take on the most unwanted tasks, those that are normally left for droids on less populated worlds."
"Harsh," Crest said from his place at the table. "Remind me not to get mistaken for one of those folks."
Rather than reply, Kali got to her feet and stood alone against the bulkhead, watching as the planet grew larger and larger in the viewscreen and failing in her attempts to not remember certain things she'd pushed out of her mind:Obi-Wan's vivid smile as they walked through one of the many lush gardens that populated the capitol city of Rudral; the murmur of his voice while his hand skimmed across the bare skin of her arm; the heady scent of the blossoms that grew in the garden of the main palace where they had found a few private moments together.
Though it had been wonderful to simply exist together for a while, ultimately the moments had shown her that she desired more from him. Our days on Aruna were some of the happiest we ever had. But after they ended, I realized that I wanted something I knew he couldn't give. She gave a deep sigh as the ship drew closer to its destination. I'm not sure how it will feel to revisit this place.
The soft cadence of Obi-Wan's voice made her look up. "Despite everything, it's beautiful, isn't it?" Arms crossed, he had come to stand beside her to watch the view. Something in his words gave her pause; if she hadn't known any better, she would have thought that it was longing.
He's just experiencing nostalgia from being back here, too. Nothing more. "It is," she replied, glancing at her 'pad. "If this takes long enough, we might be able to see the spring celebration."
"I owe you a festival, don't I?" he said, pitching his voice low and regarding her with a gaze the color of the sky that still managed to make her heartbeat pick up, despite herself. The faint curve to his mouth that she knew well appeared and she again felt heat creep to her cheeks, though she tamped the feeling down.
Another deep breath; she knew that it looked as though she was trying to keep calm and found that she didn't care. "Actually, I'm not sure if we'll have a chance this time, either," she replied, her hands clenching around the 'pad. "In any case, there are other things that we need to focus on right now." She met his gaze and noted how his expression changed, became more thoughtful as he nodded.
"As you say."
The planet of Aruna was pretty enough, but its capitol glittered.
Rudral was the most beautiful city that Crest had ever seen, but it wasn't for the reasons that most people would've thought. Yes, there were ancient buildings constructed of the same kind of rock or stone, something that caught a certain angle of the fading sun and cast it into thousands of shimmering points of light. Yes, there were lush gardens scattered throughout the palace district, filled with plants in every shade of green that held a promise of flowers to come with spring's approach. Yes, there were ubiquitous temples – some older than the Republic itself – carved with intricate images of Aruna's pantheon of deities.
All of this contributed to Rudral's beauty, but it paled in comparison to the rich, throbbing pulse of life that vibrated within the city itself. Though he was no stranger to crowds, Crest marveled at the sheer mass of people that moved through the streets as their squad was carried to the main palace on a small transport operated by several of the queen's royal guard. The going was slower than it could have been, for it seemed that none of the copious pedestrians were in any hurry to get out of the way of the vessel.
After checking to make sure that he was on a private comm channel with Weave, he remarked on the surge of people to his brother, who nodded. "Aruna is densely populated," he said. "But only in the main cities; the countryside is so wild and mountainous, it prevents most folks from straying away from the urban areas."
"I'll keep that in mind." Crest studied the Arunai through one of the small windows in the side of the transport, noting even how those who appeared to be destitute wore colorful garments as well as an air of unassailable pride. He watched as a solitary young man made his way through a particularly crowded section of the street and marked how the other Arunai seemed to slide away from him, casting wary looks his way though he seemed oblivious to the fact.
As Crest was making the decision to remark on the sight to Weave, he glanced next to him at one of the guards: the man wore an expression indicative of someone who smelled something very foul and his gaze was fixed on the pair of Jedi who stood before him. Good thing I've got my bucket on, Crest thought. It's nice to see and not be seen, sometimes.
After a while the street they were on angled up slightly; he looked beyond the figures of the Jedi, the captain, and the Arunai guards and was again thankful that he wore his helmet, as it concealed his look of utter shock at the sight that began to creep into view.
The structure they were approaching was seated at the top of a nearby hill against a backdrop of mountains so high they looked as though they carried the sky itself on their peaks. Like many of the nearby buildings it was constructed of the same, shimmering stone that caught the light and cast it back to his eye, but Crest could only think of it as more: bigger, grander, taller...it dwarfed every other building in the city. Rows of stairs zig-zagged from the streets to the building's entrance at which there was a set of twin doors that Crest was sure their entire ship could've fit through with little issue. In what he was learning was typical Arunai fashion, images of deities were carved into the gilded doors: smiling, benevolent-seeming gods and goddesses interspersed with intricate images of vines and flowers.
"I guess that's the royal palace," he heard Weave say as they approached.
Crest chuckled. "What gave it away?" A tiny spot of color caught his eye: a figure in pale blue stood at one of the balconies, facing the street. Crest magnified his HUD as much as he could and realized that it was a young Arunai woman, her gaze fixed on the approaching transport, her alabaster hair glinting in the sun. "Who are you?" he murmured.
Weave glanced back at him. "What?"
Crest blinked and looked at his brother. "Nothing. Just going through a minor existential crisis. I'm better now."
"I'm sorry I asked."
"If I had a credit for every time I heard that..." Crest said with a sigh.
When he looked back up at the palace, she had disappeared.
As the Republic group was led towards the throne room by the stiff-backed guards,Kali's words on the ship came back to Obi-Wan and he tried not to frown. She's obviously still upset with me, though I could tell that she was...conflicted. It was the little things that gave her away, the catch of her breath or the way her eyes lingered on his and it was a small comfort to realize that he still knew her, despite her efforts to shut him out.
The throne room was as large and imposing as the last time he'd been here, though he found that it was no more so than many of the other palaces he'd journeyed to during his tenure as a Jedi. However, he could sense the awe radiating from the clones who followed behind their general. Sometimes I forget how new everything is to them. Though the footsteps of the clones echoed, the Jedi made no sound as they walked across the tiled floor towards the dais where the Arunai regent was seated.
Beside him, Obi-Wan noted how Kali seemed to tense as her head lifted to search for the young queen, who was partially obscured by a bevy of servants and guards that were clustered around her. It still bothered him that he couldn't sense his fellow Jedi, that there still seemed to be a wall between them but he resolved to let the matter go, for now. We have too much between us for it to remain so forever, he thought as they came to a halt before the throne, which was really more of a low couch with curved sides, carved out of some alabaster stone and filled with thick cushions.
The head of the guard stepped forward and gave a low bow. "Your Majesty," he said. "May I present the Jedi Knights, Kalinda Halcyon and Obi-Wan Kenobi."
Kali bowed first, Obi-Wan a beat behind and the clones followed suit. All was still for a moment as the queen rose and approached them, the pale-blue, silken fabric of her dress rustling with her movement. She smiled at Obi-Wan but stood before Kali. "I'm so glad you came," she said, her voice quiet.
"I'm glad we were able to," Kali replied, looking with fondness at the younger woman. "Though I'm so sorry to hear about Badal." Obi-Wan could sense the queen's anticipation at seeing the Jedi once more; her agitation was almost, like that of a child looking for her mother. He thought that Kali sensed it too, for she reached out and gave the queen's bejeweled hand a small squeeze. "It's good to see you again, your Majesty."
Sita nodded and lowered her eyes, for a moment looking like a girl much younger than she was. After a moment she glanced at the clones, her composure returned. "What are these? I do not recall the Jedi requiring the protection of common soldiers."
"They are far from common," Kali said, rising and motioning the others to do so as well. "These are the men that I have been working with for the past six months, Majesty. Gentlemen, would you please remove your helmets?" The clones did so in unison, standing at attention as the young queen ran her eyes across them. Obi-Wan noted a flicker of nervousness from each of them, though it was strongest from Crest.
As Sita looked at them distaste crossed her features, though she smoothed them over after an instant, looking back at Kalinda and nodding. "They are the clone soldiers that the Republic is so proud of, then?" Her tone was doubtful.
Kali regarded the younger woman. "Yes, and with good reason. They are here to assist us, your Majesty. I can assure you that each of these men is as trustworthy as myself or Master Kenobi." Though they were spoken with a courtier's ease, there was steel behind the words.
"Even so, I would prefer them not to be here," Sita replied. "They are not...natural. Clones do not fit within the proper order of the world. However," she looked back at Kali, whose jaw had tightened at the words. "If you vouch for them, Master Halcyon, I suppose I can make an allowance." Here she took a deep breath and glanced at the group of servants, calling to one and speaking to him in their native tongue. As he slipped out of the room she gestured to the clones. "The servants' quarters adjacent to your rooms will be prepared for them."
Obi-Wan cleared his throat. "Your Majesty, we would like to know what exactly has been happening that has you so concerned?"
The young queen nodded to one of the smaller antechambers to their right, the copious bangles on her wrists jingling as she did so. "Please, follow me." She led the group into the study and indicated that the Jedi should have a seat at the front of the carved, wooden desk. There were no windows in this room, though the walls were covered with frescoes that detailed the history of Aruna.
The clones stood in a line behind the Jedi and Obi-Wan noticed that they seemed to stay centered around Kali, the captain standing close to her left side. He took a seat at her right and Sita sat across from them, folding her hands in her lap; she looked very small in the large, high-backed chair. There was silence for several minutes while a tray of drinks was brought. After the Jedi were served Sita dismissed the servants, though her guards remained at her back – mirroring the clones – and she gave a sigh, her head falling and despair emanating from her.
"Sita?" Kali said, leaning forward. "What's wrong? What is it?"
The young queen lifted her face to them; her eyes were bright. "My dear friends...I am afraid."
"We sensed as much, Sita," Kali said, keeping her tone gentle. "But that's why we're here. Please...what's going on? Your message was so cryptic."
The young queen nodded and swiped at her eyes, her bracelets clinking as she did so. She took another deep breath and cleared her throat, meeting Kali's gaze. "Before Badal died there were rumors that he was considering siding with the Separatists in the war. They were lies," she added, sitting upright. "He always loved the Republic, but the rumors were enough to cause unrest among the people, who were happy with his decision to stay neutral. However, there were some who thought the idea was an agreeable one and pushed him to reconsider, especially once Count Dooku sent a message to the Parliament suggesting as much."
Beside her, Obi-Wan leaned forward. "Some...as in Neerja?"
The queen let out a breath and nodded. "The high priestesses was very outspoken about the matter of secession. Of course my husband quelled the idea, but after he died..." her eyes lowered and she was quiet for a moment before looking back up.
"And now that he's gone, they're pressuring you to join the Separatists?" Kali asked.
Sita frowned. "That is part of the matter, though I would rather that were the whole case. No, they are calling for me to step down as ruler altogether."
The room was silent.
At last Obi-Wan shook his head. "I don't understand...you are the Queen, you have the ultimate say in your people's government, do you not?"
"No," she replied in a bitter tone. "Badal was the voice. I am merely a farmer's daughter who was lucky enough to snare the king's attention." Her voice grew quiet. "The people accepted me because Badal loved me. Now that he is gone..." her hand lifted. "I find that I am not so beloved any longer. Not when every day there is some new crisis with which to be dealt and the Separatists are making promises that the Republic has so far ignored."
"But you were anointed by the gods of your people," Obi-Wan continued. "Are you saying that's no longer relevant? And are you talking about the dissent among the untouchables? Everything seemed calm enough when we came through the city."
"There is that," she replied. "But there have also been other reports...things like wildfires, avalanches, and wells that have been tainted-"
"All of those things can be faked or created by a living person," Kali interjected. "Have you seen actual proof of any of this?"
The queen nodded. "I have spoken with petitioners who come from the affected areas." She leaned back in the chair and was quiet for several moments. "But according to Neerja these things are merely signs, indications that something is wrong. Ultimately the discussion circles back to me. I am not enough. The gods have decreed that I am not fit to rule without my husband at my side and I should be replaced by a person more suitable."
"Who?" Obi-Wan asked, though Kali thought that he knew the answer, as she did. "Neerja?"
"Such a thing has not been heard of in an age, though it is not out of the question." Sita looked down at her hands, which were toying with the hem of her dress. "If Neerja has her way she would take the throne and align our world with the Separatists – and the peace that Badal worked for would be ruined." At this her face crumpled and she put her hands before her eyes.
Kali rose from her seat and crossed the room to the young woman, putting a hand on her shoulder. "That's not going to happen, Sita," she said. "Not if I have anything to say about it, at least." She tried to send her a tendril of soothing Force energy, but found that it was more difficult than it should have been. After a few moments of concentrating she was able to do so, but the act should have been as natural as lifting her hand. However, she set the concern aside to kneel beside the young queen. "I think I'd like to meet this Neerja." Her voice was wry.
"I would as well," Obi-Wan added from his seat. "It seems we have much to discuss."
After taking a deep breath, Sita nodded. "The next Parliament session is scheduled for tomorrow morning," she said. "It will be good to have someone on my side and you can see firsthand how things are." She looked at Kali and smiled, though her eyes were red-rimmed. "In the meantime, will you tell me of your adventures since the last time we spoke?"
A/N: Lots of stuff going on, much more to come! Let me know what you think about Crest's POV, por favor. Thanks to everyone who's reviewed...you guys make my day!