Chapter 11Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Ayumu stepped onto the landing platform with the silver lightsaber clipped to his belt, feeling more than a little relieved. He didn't think he was going to get that one, honestly. Now he just had to do well in the tournament, and he would be set. And, honestly, so long as he didn't completely lose his temper in the tournament, it didn't matter how he did. And he wasn't worried about losing his temper. If he excelled in anything, it was the kata classes. Katas were familiar, and he liked them. And now that his connection to the Force was stronger, he had a good feeling about it.
He felt better. Lighter, in a way, and his heart lightened even more at the sight of Kit standing there.
"Hi, Kit," he said as he approached him, and Kit wrapped him up in a tight hug.
"You did it!" he said brightly, and Ayumu begrudgingly hugged him back.
"Yeah. I did it," he said, and Kit pulled back, his hands braced on Ayumu's shoulders.
"Now you just have to do the tournament!" he said brightly, and Ayumu nodded. The tournament was in a month, to give them time to get used to their sabers and perfect whichever form they got fixated on.
"Yeah… the tournament," he said, and that was when everything would change. He would go on to be Kit's padawan, and soon, the war would be starting. It would be the mark of growing up, and he wasn't sure he wanted to do that just yet. Sure, he had already grown up once before, and it had been painful. It had been incredibly painful. Growing up was a messy affair, full of tears and heartbreak, and here he was, going through with it again.
He wondered if anyone would break his heart the way his heart shattered every time he saw Tsunagu.
"Ayumu!" Cal roared and rushed towards him, crashing into him with a fierce hug. "You did it!"
"Hey, Cal," Ayumu said and ruffled his hair. "Yeah, I did it."
"I knew you could!" Cal said, grinning with his gap tooth, and Ayumu smiled down at him.
"Thanks for believing in me, buddy," he said, and Cal pulled back and turned to Kit.
"Hi, Kit!" he said. "Are you going to ask Ayumu to be your padawan now?"
"Not yet," Kit said. "He still has the tournament, remember?"
"Oh, right!" Cal said and snapped his fingers. "You're still going to ask him if he loses, right?"
"He's not going to lose," Kit said confidently, but Ayumu wasn't so sure. He wasn't really looking to win, if he was being honest. He was more looking to showcase his level head in combat. That was more important. Knowing when to lose was important, too. He had lost many times in his last life. After all, he was effectively quirkless. All he had was a set of batons and spite, and he definitely used them, but…
Well.
He would figure it out.
"Let's go eat!" Cal said and seized Ayumu's hand. "The cafeteria has nerf burgers today!"
"Okay, let's eat," Ayumu agreed and let Cal pull him along, Kit strolling after him with his hands folded behind his back. He had to admit, he had a bit of a soft spot for Cal. The kid grew on you like the cat the dad didn't want. And there was something soothing about his death to Ayumu. He felt like he could relax around him in the knowledge that Cal would be okay.
The three of them made their way to the cafeteria, where a lot of Jedi were already assembled with the promise of nerf burgers, and they got in line.
Cal turned to Ayumu, excitement on his face, and leaned up to whisper in his ear.
"Did you hear what Yerry did?" he hissed, and Ayumu shook his head.
"No, I just got back."
"He got on the roof, " Cal said, and Ayumu's brows went up.
"The roof? " he echoed, and Cal nodded. The Terrelian Jango Jumper had always been daring, but that was a bit much.
"He did!" Cal said as they moved down the line and got their trays. "All the way up to the top!"
"Wow," Ayumu said, and Kit ruffled Cal's head.
"What are you doing, gossiping so much?" he teased, and Cal turned, affronted.
"It's important information for Ayumu to know!" he said, and Kit's brows went up.
"Is that so?" he asked, and Cal nodded seriously.
"Yes, it is!" he said, and Ayumu was going to miss this boy when he went off to his apprenticeship. He wouldn't be able to see him as much, and for that, he was pretty sad. He hadn't bonded with many other children in the creche, but he had bonded with Cal.
Gods, he hoped the war didn't make Cal jaded. He really hoped it didn't make him jaded.
Ayumu stretched out on the concrete floor of the training salles, feeling the pleasant pull in his back as his head tails fell all around him. He groaned lightly, stretching out each individual finger and feeling his back pop, and then he straightened up and pulled his arms over his head.
"You ready?" Tierney asked, and Ayumu rolled out his shoulders.
"In a minute," he replied as he folded over one of his split legs and pointed his toes.
"You always take so long to stretch," Tierney complained, and Ayumu eyed the Human boy dangerously.
"Your pulled shoulder two months ago says you should take longer to stretch," he shot back, and Tierney dropped to the ground with a grumble and started to stretch. Satisfied, Ayumu put his feet together and bent in half over them, working out his back muscles, well aware a variety of masters were watching him take his sweet time before the match, and well aware a number of initiates were waiting on them to go.
"Ayumu, Tierney, it's now or never!" Master Drallig called, and Ayumu climbed to his feet and rolled out his neck.
"Yes, Master Drallig!" he called and offered a hand to Tierney to pull him up. Tierney came to his feet, and the two of them entered the circle.
Ayumu had thoroughly researched all the different forms of lightsaber combat in preparation for this match, and finally settled on Djem So/Shien. It was physically demanding, and hard to master, but he knew it would suit him best. The two forms combined into one were fluid, and matched his fighting style from his previous life. He had drilled in it late into the night, and he was confident in his katas. Tierney, the rash, impetuous boy he was, had gone with Ataru, which was going to spell disaster for him, because he didn't have the discipline to pull it off. He thought Ataru was easy because it focused on overpowering the opponent right off the bat, but if you had the endurance to withstand the attack…
Well, Tierney would fall back to Shii-Cho very quickly. And Ayumu would easily be able to overpower him. He wasn't too worried about it.
He hadn't come into this fight to win, but Tierney made it too easy.
"Initiates, begin!" Master Drallig said, and Ayumu ignited his saber with a wash of blue light, flipping it backhand in a smooth motion as Tierney charged. They clashed, and Ayumu pushed him back with a press of the Force, sending Tierney stumbling. To his credit, the other boy recovered quickly and charged Ayumu, and Ayumu blocked the following strike, and the next. He had brushed up a little on Soresu and figured out how to incorporate it with Djem So/Shien, and he was confident in this match. He was showing off his versatility and understanding of martial arts right now.
Tierney railed against him again and again, and Ayumu blocked each strike as he kept them walking in a circle, keeping Tierney turned around and forcing him to break out his footwork, because he wanted Tierney to do well, too. In an impressive move, Tierney flipped over him and landed hard, aiming a slash at his back, and Ayumu rolled forward to avoid it and came up in a fluid motion, blowing an unprotected Tierney back with a push of the Force. Tierney went rolling, and came up, leaping through the air, and Ayumu blocked the strike. Their sabers hissed and spat as they pushed against each other, and Ayumu…
Well. He took advantage.
With a neat twist of his blade, Tierney's blade went flying, deactivated, and Ayumu lowered the blade on his throat.
"Yield?" he asked, and Tierney's eyes went wide.
"Can you show me that move?" he asked, and Ayumu's eyes went to the Order 66 flickering over his head. Yeah, that move wasn't going to help him, but…
"Sure," Ayumu said and deactivated his lightsaber. There was polite applause from the audience, and Ayumu bowed to Tierney, who bowed back at him.
"Winner, Ayumu!" Master Drallig announced, and Ayumu turned to Kit, who was applauding him. He inclined his head, and Ayumu managed a small, quiet smile.
Well, that was done. He was going to be Kit's padawan now, and he thought he might be ready. In two years, the war would begin, and he was going to have to face it with a stiff upper lip. But, he was ready.
Ayumu set down his things in the small master-padawan quarters as Kit cut up fish in the other room. He only had a small bag of things, his lightsaber and spare robes, and he felt at the padawan chain attached to his headdress. It was a new weight, tinkling against his head tails, but he knew soon it would be like it was never there at all.
He made for the chest of drawers in the corner and pulled out his robes and wet suit to settle inside. He only had three pairs in total, not really needing any more than that, considering how often he did laundry, and he pushed the drawers shut.
"Are you ready for dinner?" Kit called from the other room, and Ayumu glanced around the room before he nodded, satisfied.
"I'm ready!" he called and made his way into the living area. Kit was standing at the counter, assembling a dish full of raw fish, a seaweed salad, and rice, and that reminded Ayumu of sashimi and rice. For a second, his heart ached, but he maintained a neutral expression as he searched in the cupboards for the bowls. He made to set the table, and Kit set down the food.
"Let's eat," Kit said as he sat down, and Ayumu joined him. For a second, time passed in companionable silence as they stacked up rice and raw fish and sour seaweed salad up high, and then Kit cleared his throat.
"So, I've never actually had a padawan before," he said, and leaned over to look at Ayumu. "Do you have any expectations?"
Ayumu was quiet for a moment as he considered the question. Did he have any expectations? He glanced up at the word Sith hovering over Kit's head, and that dreaded countdown, and then he looked away.
"Mutual respect," he replied and then shrugged. "That's all, I think."
"You're easy to please," Kit said with a grin. "Alright. Mutual respect, and before we go any further, I know you have a temper, so let's make a deal. When you get angry, promise me you'll inform me you're removing yourself from the situation to calm down?"
"That's fair," Ayumu said, because he did have a temper, and a nasty one, at that. Even so, bringing it up immediately was a little… Well, Kit probably had some concerns.
"And I'll do the same, if I ever get angry," Kit promised, and Ayumu nodded and shoved a piece of fish into his mouth.
"This is kind of a random request, but if there's missions to Glee Anselm, can we take them if they're available to us?" Ayumu asked, and Kit blinked in surprise. "I'd like to get in touch with my culture."
"Oh, sure, we can do that. I like going back there, too," Kit said, and Ayumu nodded. There. That was solved. "I'll ask the council to give us preference, it shouldn't be a problem."
"I want to learn more about the Un, too," Ayumu said, and Kit grinned.
"Well, that makes two of us. I rarely get to go back to Glee Anselm, and would like to spend more time around my people. Cooking their food just doesn't cut it sometimes, you know?"
"Yeah," Ayumu agreed, and then tilted his head. "How many times have you been to Glee Anselm?"
"About four? Not that often, honestly, but enough times that I'm familiar with it," Kit said, and Ayumu nodded.
"Maybe we'll get a mission soon," he said, and Kit nodded.
"That'd be great," he said, and then frowned. "But we can't be doing just missions all the time. You have classes you need to keep up on."
"Are you really worried about me falling behind in my classes?" Ayumu asked in amusement, and Kit snorted.
"No, I'm not," he replied, and Ayumu took another bite of fish before he started in on the seaweed salad, which was delicious, and reminded him of home.
They were probably going to be eating a lot of sushi, and a sense of homesickness overtook him.
Ah, he would survive.
Kit passed him a curious look, and Ayumu continued on as if nothing was wrong. There were going to be some things he just simply could never tell him, and he hoped Kit would be content with that. He really hoped he would be fine with that.
Notes:
my enabler is threatening my posting rights if i don't get to bed at a reasonable hour, as if i won't just post anyways lol. become ungovernable.
Chapter 12Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Ayumu was thirteen and on his way to a war torn planet. He was nervous for multiple reasons, and so he was dealing with it the only way he knew how: research.
Which was why he was reading all the articles he could find from war reporters on the ground. Kit was just as nervous as him, uncertain about taking a thirteen year old into a war zone, and Ayumu felt for him, he really did, but this wasn't exactly his first time. Not that he could tell Kit that.
Ayumu's leg was bouncing in place as he scrolled through the datapad, and the pilot cleared her voice over the mic.
"We're coming out of lightspeed now," she said, and there was a jolt as they smoothly exited hyperspace. Ayumu looked up, and Kit rose to his feet to walk towards the cockpit. Ayumu stayed seated as he scanned over the article.
Haan was a relatively small Republic planet, but it was currently torn in two by a civil war. There were two factions: Loyalists and Separatists. The Loyalists secured the majority vote in the last election, and the Separatists struck back, wanting to secede from the Republic. The age groups were staggered between the two, with older people being more for staying, and younger people being more for leaving, but it was a near thing. There were almost the same percentages on either side. Their mission was to extract the president and escort her to the Republic where she could make her case before the Senate. The Senator had requested Kit specifically for this mission, as he had been to Haan before the war, and Ayumu was just along for the ride.
He had done relatively small missions before now, but this was the first major one. At least he wasn't worried about dying. There had been multiple assassination attempts on the president, though, and he wasn't looking forward to seeing what was over her head. She may actually die on this mission, and he would have to live with the failure.
He was a little worried, if he was being honest.
He would know for sure when he saw her, but he was worried.
The ship broke the atmosphere, and Ayumu got up to walk to the cockpit, where Kit was leaning over the pilot and co-pilot with clear concern. Ayumu looked out the window to take in the sight of a forest on fire. What was once a lush, green place was now up in flames, and he knew it would regrow, but it still hurt to see. There was a smoking city in the distance, and he tilted his head.
"What did it look like before?" he asked Kit quietly, who pursed his lips.
"It was beautiful," he said, and then straightened up. "They'll rebuild."
The ship continued on to the city, and Ayumu took in the sight of no one in the streets. They were bare, ghost-like, and he pursed his lips in displeasure. People were looking out from the safety of their windows, and graffiti was sprayed on the walls.
RIGGED ELECTION!! One of them said, half hidden by soot and ash, and that was a regular cry, even though the election was closely moderated by an outside source, and there was absolutely no evidence of foul play. It was a close race, but it also wasn't like they had time in the middle of a war to recount the votes. If the votes were even still accessible now.
The pilot angled the ship to land, and they set down on a half-destroyed landing platform outside of the president's residence. It was fortified, hidden within durasteel walls, not accessible to the public, but the gardens, from what Ayumu could see, had been bombed, likely in an attempt to strike the president's house. That was as close as they had gotten.
"Let's go," Kit said and laid a hand on Ayumu's shoulder. Ayumu nodded, and made for the ramp. It was surprising that no one had tried to stop them from coming in. The Loyalist faction had air superiority, but the Separatists had artillery. Maybe they were waiting for them to take off before they shot down the ship. That was probably it.
Well, they were going to be in for a shock, because there would be three ships lifting off at the same time, two of which were going to be piloted by droids. The President would be in the middling freighter, and the durasteel walls would cover their retreat. They wouldn't know which one she was in.
They reached the bottom of the ramp, and two figures approached them. Soldiers, Ayumu realized, and they stopped them.
"Here to pick up the president?" the first soldier asked, and Kit bowed.
"I am Jedi Master Kit Fisto, and this is my padawan learner, Ayumu Shichi," he said and glanced at Ayumu. Hurriedly, Ayumu bowed, and Kit straightened up. "We're here for the president, yes."
"Great, because she needs to get out of here," the first guard said and turned for the entrance. "This way, Jedi."
Ayumu and Kit followed along behind them, and Ayumu tried to ignore how this planet felt mired in Darkness and Light in equal measure. There was a third faction, the Pacifists, who were urging for peace and conversation, but they were small in comparison, and didn't impact anything with their refusal to bear arms against their fellow citizens. Idealists, really, and not very pragmatic, but Ayumu could appreciate sticking to your ideals, for all the good it did you.
They walked inside to empty halls. It was deathly quiet in here, and Ayumu got the impression that it was normally bustling with life and activity. It felt like it was in its death throes, and he tried to ignore the shiver that rolled down his spine at the thought.
Kit seemed to sense it, too, because there was a feeling of peace, padawan that rolled down their bond as they ventured through the halls. Ayumu paused at a giant portrait of a former president, presumably, an older man with spectacles on, sitting on the steps of a fountain. It was beautifully rendered, and Ayumu knew as soon as the president left, this place would be overrun and vandalized. It was clear she was fighting a losing battle. She would have to seek refuge in the Republic until her term ran out, and then they would vote in a Separatist ruler, and she would likely never be able to return home.
That was the real outcome here. The Republic didn't have a standing army, not yet, and had no way of intervening. Her cry to the Senate would be met with silence. It was a last ditch effort to recognize her as the head of state, and it was…
Well.
It was sad, but that was how this was going to go.
Maybe if all of this had happened in a year, when the Republic would gain an army, though he still didn't know how, but…
It was what it was.
He was here to help anyway.
"She's right through here," the soldier said, and Ayumu hurried to catch up with Kit and the soldiers. One soldier opened a huge, ornate door, and they were greeted with the sight of an office, with only one occupant.
She was a middle aged Human woman, with blonde hair done up in a tight coif, sitting at her desk with a plethora of datapads in front of her. There were massive bags under her eyes, and she looked utterly exhausted. Her shoulders were hunched in in her ornate robes, and she was listlessly stirring a cup of caf. In the Force, she already felt defeated.
Ayumu's eyes tracked up to the numbers above her head.
Heart attack.
Not for a few decades, he thought with a sense of relief. She wasn't going to die on this mission. They were all going to get out of this one okay.
"President Amalis," Kit said as he stepped forward. "I am Jedi Master Kit Fisto, and this is my padawan, Ayumu Shichi. We're here to escort you to Coruscant."
She lifted her tired eyes up, and Ayumu almost winced in sympathy at how dead they were. She looked like she hadn't slept in a week.
"I'm not going," she said, flat, and Kit blinked. Ayumu blinked, too, because he was under the impression that this was all her idea. "My advisors can make all the pleas they want to the Senate, but I'm not abandoning my people."
The door creaked open wider behind them, and a young man stepped in, looking harried, with manic eyes.
"Madam President, please see reason," he said, without even an introduction as he stepped towards the desk. "Your people need you to fight for them, and you can't do that here. You must go plead your case to the Senate."
"What's the Senate going to do?" she asked bitterly, and her presence in the Force twisted into something dark, dangerous. "Nothing. They'll argue about it for six hours and then refuse to do anything, because they can't. What we need is more reinforcements, and no one is going to lift a damn hand to help."
"Madam President, this is your only chance, " the young man insisted, and Kit pushed a vague impression down their bond of let's wait and see. "You have to entreat the Senate to act. They won't listen to Senator Grin."
He was a bad choice for a senator, Ayumu thought quietly. He had met him before this mission, and he was a nervous, stuttering mess of a man. Drafted beautiful legislation, but he was not an orator, and he was not going to be able to pull himself together enough to salvage this mess.
"I will not flee while my people are dying, Thom," she snapped and stood. "I'm going to call for peace talks. We will come to a solution."
"The Senate is your best chance, they won't listen to peace, they want your head on a platter, " Thom insisted, and she stood.
"I'm done with this. Jedi, your presence here is appreciated, but not necessary. I will do my job here," she said with a sneer. "I don't need the Senate to resolve this for me."
"If you view the Senate in such an unfavorable light, why stay?" Ayumu blurted, and Kit sent him a look of alarm.
"Ayumu," he hissed, and President Amalis looked shocked before she laughed.
"Cheeky," she said as she crossed around the desk. "I like that."
"I do apologize for my padawan, Madam President," Kit said, and she held up a hand.
"No, no, it's alright," she said and turned to Ayumu. "Count Dooku is a pretty talker, but I trust him even less than I trust Chancellor Palpatine. That's all."
"That seems a shallow reasoning," Ayumu said suspiciously, and she sighed and laid a hand flat on her stomach.
"When you get to be my age, kid, you learn to trust your gut instincts," she said and made for the door. "I'm going to get a snack, and then I'm going to draft up a peace accord. It's time this fighting came to an end. You can stay if you want, I won't stop you, but I'm going to stay here."
Kit glanced at Ayumu, and there was a wordless conversation there. Ayumu nodded, and Kit turned.
"Begging your pardon, Madam President, but we were told to guard you," he said, "so we will be doing that."
President Amalis paused in the doorway, and then a small smile touched her lips.
"Do you think you can change your mandate to mediating a peace treaty?" she asked, and Kit inclined his head.
"I do believe we can do that, yes," he said, and Ayumu suddenly felt a whole lot more nervous about this. He wasn't great at talking, but maybe he could sit and watch Kit do it. Kit was a lot more experienced at that sort of thing than him.
"Your padawan looks hungry, Jedi," President Amalis called. "Would you mind joining me?"
"Of course," Kit said smoothly, and Ayumu was of the opinion that he didn't look hungry, not at all, but he walked alongside him all the same. "Thank you for the offer."
"Well, I can't offer much by food, our supply lines have been cut off, but I can offer good company," she said with a wink at Ayumu. He bristled slightly, and she smiled. "Prickly thing."
"He's still learning," Kit said with a glance at Ayumu, and Ayumu shrugged, unapologetic.
"Never thought I'd see an Un Nautolan and a Patul Nautolan together," she said casually as she led them down the hall. "I thought the Patul didn't send their young to the temple."
"Ayumu is a special case," Kit said, and she hummed.
"Apparently so. Well, it's good to see a Patul Jedi. I like seeing rare things," she said as she walked down the hall and stopped to trigger open a door into what looked like a kitchen. The two soldiers stationed themselves outside the door, and she walked inside.
"Ayumu is an excellent student," Kit said as they walked inside, and she immediately pulled open cabinets and started getting things out to cook with. All canned goods, Ayumu thought as he eyed her preparations. She opened the cans and got out a frying pan to cook with, and then she started heating up the stove.
"I'm sure he is. They let him go here, after all," she said as she dumped random ingredients into the pan with a hefty dose of seasoning and oil. "How old are you, kid?"
"Thirteen," he replied, and she snorted.
"You Jedi are crazy, letting a thirteen year old go into a warzone like this," she said as she got out a wooden spoon. "Crazier than me. I made all my kids take my grandkids off world. No one knows where they are, not even me."
"You must be worried for them," Kit said, and she snorted.
"Nah. I raised my kids to have a good head on their shoulders. They'll be fine. They got blasters," she said as she scraped the food around the pan.
"Well, I have the same faith in Ayumu that you do in your children, then," Kit said, and she eyed Ayumu.
"You handy with a lightsaber?" she asked, and Ayumu nodded. "Good. Let's pray you won't need it."
This mission had rapidly gone off the wheels, but Ayumu was fine being along for the ride. It seemed like it would turn out way more interesting than a simple escort mission.
Notes:
i love the president. so much.
Chapter 13Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
There weren't many places left to meet. It was eventually decided that they would meet in the square, where the fountain was broken, bubbling pathetically up and over, water spilling out of a crack in it all over the ground. Each party was allowed two guards, blasters allowed, in the interest of not disarming the Jedi, and Ayumu was nervous as President Amalis sat down on the ground facing the leader of the opposition, Groa Undeel. She was a young woman, hard lines on her face, with angry eyes that stared at President Amalis with all the hatred in the world.
But, she was here, and that had to count for something.
Ayumu sat down next to Kit between the two of them, and Kit cleared his throat.
"President Amalis has asked myself and my padawan to mediate this meeting, if that's alright with you," he said, and Groa scoffed.
"Do what you want," she said and sat back. A war reporter snapped a holo of the meeting, and Groa glowered at President Amalis. "Say your piece."
"I'm not going to split words with you," President Amalis said. "This war has raged on too long, and cost us both too many people, citizens I vowed to protect. I want it to end. Right here, right now."
"Then abdicate," Groa said, and President Amalis shook her head no.
"That's not what this meeting is about. I will abdicate if I determine it's necessary, but I'd like to hear your arguments first."
"Fine," Groa said and shifted to sit forward. "You aren't in the dark about this. You know as well as I do. Our senator is useless, our taxes are too high, the tariffs are killing our merchants, and the Republic is offering absolutely nothing in return. They haven't done a thing about pirates plaguing our space lanes despite multiple requests for help, have done nothing to lower taxes, only upped them, and have basically told us we're not shit because we're from the Outer Rim. They do nothing to protect us. Most of our trade is with other Outer Rim planets with no ties to the Republic. We are self sufficient without them. Dooku has offered a verified way to deal with our pirate problem, protection, and lower taxes. We'd be idiots not to take him up on his offer. Our people are starving. Poverty is at an all time high, and your excuse is you can't trust Dooku."
"I can't, though," President Amalis said calmly. "The deal he has offered us is too sweet to take up. He wants something out of us, and he won't be upfront about what it is he needs. With the Republic, we know what they want. We would be in debt to the count, and that's a dangerous thing to do when we don't know what's on the table."
"He obviously is preparing for war and wants our hyperspace lanes for supply routes," Groa said, and President Amalis stiffened. "It's not a bad offer, and we---"
"And what happens when the Republic wants to shut down those hyperspace lanes?" President Amalis cut in, and Groa frowned. "What happens when they muster an army of their own? Our planet will be torn to shreds in the conflict."
"And we would still be fought over by the Separatists," Groa snapped. "We'll be in over our heads anyways, so why don't we pick the option that doesn't leave our people starving in the streets from the 20% tax?"
"It's a short term solution to a long term problem," Amalis said calmly, and leaned forward. "My money is on the Republic winning the war, and I want to be on the winning side. Who knows what they'll do to the Separatists when they're done? You think the 20% tax is bad? What about reparations?"
"So, you're just going to live in fear of the Republic," Groa sneered. "That's all this is, a scared old woman cowering in the shadows, refusing to make a decision to stand up and fight against a bully. "
"I don't think insults are helpful right now," Kit said, and Groa glared at him.
"You're just a Republic lapdog," she snarled. "What do you even have to say?"
"In this moment, I am a Jedi, and I am simply advising that insults are not the way to go," Kit said sternly, and Groa rolled her eyes.
"Oh, please---"
"Groa," President Amalis said, and Groa clicked her mouth shut. "I can take a few insults, Master Jedi. I've heard worse."
"This is what the people want," Groa said. "You have to make a decision."
President Amalis was quiet, and then she sighed.
"Let me make one last entreaty to the Senate to deal with the pirates," she said, and Groa glowered at her. "We can call a ceasefire until then. If they don't… I will go with the Separatists."
"That's not good enough. You need to entreat them on either the taxes or the tariffs," Groa said, and President Amalis bowed her head.
"I will entreaty for a lift on the tariffs while we get our feet under ourselves in the aftermath of this war, but it won't go away forever," she said, and Groa frowned.
"Fine. I will agree to a ceasefire until you speak to the Senate," she said, and President Amalis nodded before she rose with a groan, hands on her knees that cracked loudly as she stood.
"I guess I am going to the Senate," she said wryly. "Master Jedi, if you'll escort me?"
"Of course, President Amalis," Kit said as he stood, and Ayumu stumbled to his feet, too. Dread was pooling in his gut, but he swallowed around it.
What happened to their mission if they sided with the Separatists? And were political arguments supposed to last that long? It seemed to be over with within minutes, and he took a moment to sense out President Amalis and Groa in the Force.
They were mirror images of each other, painted over in grief and pain, tired, to the very marrow of their bones. There was a sense of relief in both of them, and Ayumu abruptly realized this was what it was like in war. He had never been in a war with people that could be reasoned with, but these two women… They could be. That was the difference in the war with Shigaraki and All For One. These two women didn't want to fight, didn't want to rage at the world for its unfairness, weren't in it for the power or glory. They just wanted to protect their people with dignity.
Shigaraki and All For One… They were just people that took advantage of people's anger at the world. That was all. All For One especially. He didn't care how he got to power, so long as he was in it. He wasn't an idealist, not like these two women. He just wanted to be in command. It was about his ego.
For these two women, it was about their people, and he had to wonder in the coming years, how many more people would join the Separatists just because they were trying to protect their people.
Kit was leading President Amalis away, their arms linked together, and Ayumu glanced back at Groa, who was staring at the ground with tears of frustration, or maybe relief in her eyes. She was young. She couldn't be older than 24, and Ayumu had to wonder at how she ended up in charge of a war. Surely there was someone more qualified than her.
Quickly, he stole away, hot on the heels of his master, and thought about the fry up Amalis had made. It had been delicious, and she was clearly a woman accustomed to the kitchen and making something out of nothing. He wondered at her history, her story. He could see how it ended, but not how it began. She was likely going to live a long, full life, fraught with political tension and hard decisions. He wondered what made her choose to walk this life, and what it meant to her.
Then again, he hadn't exactly chosen an easy life himself, he thought wryly. No, he chose to be a hero, yet again, because there was just… an itch he couldn't scratch, he supposed. It was hard, but he was choosing to be a Jedi, and he knew he would die for it. He knew he would die for it. But, it was worth it, in his opinion.
It was so, so worth it.
It was dead silent on the ship, and Ayumu was wrapped up in his datapad, finishing up last minute homework assignments before President Amalis slumped down next to him.
She was out of her ornate robes, dressed simply in a shirt, pants, and boots, and her shoulders were bowed. Ayumu looked up at her, and she looked over at him.
"What are you working on?" she asked, and he looked back down at his datapad.
"A political science essay I have to turn in when I get back to Coruscant," he replied, and she hummed.
"Do you need help with it?" she asked, and he wondered if she was seeing someone else in his place.
"No, it's okay, I got it," he said, and she held out her hand for the datapad. He handed it over, and she scrolled through it in silence.
"You don't have a mind for politics," she said wryly, and he smiled quietly.
"That's what Master Krenn says," he said, and she handed it back to him.
"I find it refreshing. Politics is dreadful business. Good people aren't good at politics," she said, and he wondered what that meant. "I suppose that's why, despite all the death that didn't have to happen, I can't help but respect her."
"Groa?" he asked, and she nodded and leaned her head against the wall as her eyes slid shut.
"She gets right to the point, doesn't dance around it. I was like that when I was young."
When I was still a good person, went unsaid between them, and Ayumu pulled his legs to his chest and turned to face her.
"Do you regret it?" he asked, and she hummed and opened one eye.
"Regret what?"
"Getting into politics," he said, and she hummed.
"I regret the responsibility," she said and closed her eye. "All those lives lost… That's on my head. Just because I failed to meet them in the middle in the first place."
Ayumu was quiet, looking over her head at heart attack, and he wondered if it was the stress that would do it for her.
"Do you ever wish you could go back in time?" he asked, and she snorted.
"All the time," she said. "I would go back to my early days and tell that young idealist that was bad at politics to stop while she was ahead."
"... Do you want to join the Separatists?" he asked, and she hummed.
"Count Dooku is very good at politics," she said, and he nodded. He understood what she meant. He's a bad person. "But, so is Chancellor Palpatine. He always knows exactly what to say to endear him to both sides. That's dangerous. I prefer someone that doesn't pander."
Pandering was a good word for it, and Ayumu wondered what he would see above Chancellor Palpatine's head if he ever saw him in person. He wouldn't be surprised if it said assassination, if he was being honest. Chancellor Palpatine was suspiciously popular, to the point where it was questionable at best.
"So, you think they're both bad people," he said, because he didn't beat around the bush, and she sighed.
"I do," she said quietly and opened her eyes. "I don't see us winning with either option we choose. A war's coming, and it's going to be expensive. Right now, siding with the Separatists is just about giving my people temporary relief, but how long will that last? Am I just dooming them to generations of war reparations, long after I'm gone?"
Ayumu was quiet. He didn't see anyone winning in this scenario. He personally thought they should side with the Republic, but it wasn't his place to meddle in politics. Jedi mediated, and no more than that. If they chose to leave the Republic, that was their choice. He had no power there, and he didn't want that power.
War was coming regardless of how they felt about it, and he didn't know who was right and who was wrong. The Republic was simply too big, and didn't have the resources to help all of the people who came to them begging for help in exchange for their loyalty. It left people high and dry, with no way out, chained down by heavy taxes and starvation wages. Some planets, in the Inner Rim and Core, had it better, but…
The Outer Rim was leaving in waves for a reason.
They were the forgotten people, and he wished he could fix it, but he was a Jedi, and he had to rely on elected officials to do it for him.
It was sad.
It was a preventable tragedy, if only the Republic would get its shit together, but that was a lost cause, and he knew it.
He kind of missed his days in the creche, where he still had to worry about this stuff, but it was less pressing and important.
"Ah, look at me, an old woman complaining to a child," she said and sat up with a groan. "Let me help you with that political science assignment. It's abysmal. Don't you have a political mentor yet?"
"Not yet, no," he replied and handed over the datapad, because he could sense she needed this right now. She desperately needed this right now.
"Well, you definitely need one," she muttered, amused, and scrolled through the essay. "You're well spoken, at least. You just don't have an inch of cunning."
"Is that a bad thing?" he asked, and she looked at him with warmth in her brown eyes.
"No," she said and looked back down at the data pad. "No, it's not a bad thing."
Well.
He supposed if he should be having anyone helping him with political science, it should be a president.
Notes:
President Amalis, i would not die for many politicians, but i would die for you.
i really wanted to show the other side of the war here and show the very human reasons for leaving the republic, because separatists get vilified a lot, but we rarely examine why they might be siding with the separatists. it was implied all throughout canon that the republic was a dying organism, too glutted and corrupt to carry on, and i really wanted to focus on the perspectives of the people that got forgotten by it. hope i did a good job!
Chapter 14Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
"While we understand the frustrations of Haan, we simply cannot allocate resources towards dealing with your pirate problem at this time," the chancellor said, and the president stood there, frustrated and silent. "We can absolutely lower the tariffs on your planet for six months while you rebuild, but there is frankly nothing we can do about your pirates. We don't have a standing army, and that is your responsibility to handle."
Ayumu watched from the shadow of the door, frowning to himself. The Senate had just helped with pirates in the Inner Rim, but he kept his mouth shut. President Amalis was standing, tall and proud, with a stiff upper lip, but Ayumu could sense that she was quietly devastated.
"Then we will have to investigate other avenues of aid," she said tightly, and bowed. "I thank the Senate for its time."
Senator Grin triggered the pod to go back in place, and Ayumu pushed himself off the doorway as President Amalis turned to face him. She felt like she wanted to cry, but her face was completely blank as she left the pod.
"I think I'm going to take some time to myself," she said, and headed off down the hall. Ayumu watched her go, and then turned to Kit.
"Is it going to be alright?" he asked quietly, and Kit pursed his lips.
"We should report to the council," was all he said, and he turned down the hall. Ayumu followed along behind him, something uncomfortable swimming in his gut. They were going to leave for the Separatists, and there was nothing the Jedi could do about it. The Republic refused to provide aid for the pirates ravaging their sector, and they wouldn't even lift the tariffs. Only lessen them, for a bare six months. It was like they wanted them to join the Separatists.
Ayumu followed Kit down the halls of the Senate, and Kit was quiet, perturbed. He was a look on his face Ayumu didn't like, and Ayumu gently touched him through the Force to check on him.
"I'm fine," Kit said. "It's simply troubling, but let's not talk about it here."
Someone stepped out into the hall, and Ayumu was suddenly face-to-face with a young woman, dressed in a resplendent gown, with her hair in a complex headdress, her face set with determination. She had brown eyes and brown hair, and was striking in a way, and Ayumu looked up at the words above her head.
Betrayal.
Well, that was just too vague, he thought in annoyance. She only had a few years left, less than a decade, and he wondered who betrayed her.
"Jedi Master Kit Fisto and Padawan Ayumu Shichi, right?" she asked, and Kit inclined his head.
"Forgive me, I don't believe we've been given the privilege of meeting," he said, and she drew up to her full height.
"I am Senator Padmé Amidala of Naboo," she said, and she had a very striking presence in the Force, burning with passion and righteous indignation. Ayumu liked her immediately, but she looked a little too young to be a senator. "Forgive the imposition, but can you get me a meeting with President Amalis?"
"Shouldn't you be asking Senator Grin for that?" Kit asked in amusement, and she smoothed down the front of her gown.
"You were the first people I saw, but I can certainly try," she said, and Kit inclined his head.
"May I ask what this meeting is about?"
"I would like to coordinate with my queen to supply relief efforts to Haan, and possibly send some of our fighters and pilots over there to aid in the struggle against the pirates," she said, and Ayumu shot Kit a tentative look. Was this the Republic helping? Did this mean that Haan wouldn't withdraw from the Republic?
"Well, we can certainly set up a meeting, but I'm not sure if the president will be open to that," Kit said cautiously, and bowed. "We will do our best. May I know a date and time?"
"How about today, for dinner? I can set something up at my apartment and supply you with the address," she said, and Kit nodded.
"Of course."
"Threepio," Senator Amidala called, and a protocol droid tottered over. "Please provide these Jedi with my address and pick a time that fits with my schedule for a dinner."
"Of course, Padmé," the droid said and bowed. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Master Fisto! I look forward to the dinner!"
"And they're invited, too, of course," Senator Amidala said, and turned. "I need to get back to my seat now, but Threepio will take care of you."
"Thank you, Senator Amidala," Kit said, and Ayumu looked up at him. Kit shrugged, and then turned to the droid. "Let's get this dinner worked out."
Hopefully, this meant Haan wouldn't leave the Republic. Ayumu could only pray that it worked.
"Mediate, you did?" Yoda asked as Kit stood in the middle of the council chambers.
"Not much. Groa and President Amalis mostly seemed to want to get it over with," he replied. "I was barely needed at all. They were both exhausted with the fighting and wanted peace."
"Hm. And your padawan learner, behave, he did?" Yoda asked curiously, and Kit glanced down at Ayumu.
"Mostly," he replied wryly. "He asked President Amalis some tough questions, but she wasn't offended."
Ayumu looked away, unapologetic, but that was what Kit had come to expect of him.
"So now what?" Mace asked, and Kit shrugged.
"We can only hope this dinner goes well," he said, but he wasn't too sure. The deal was specifically that the Republic would help, not an independent system, but he had hopes. If Haan left the Republic, they would be losing a valuable space lane. What was more, Ayumu liked President Amalis, and they were treading dangerously close to war. What happened if they became enemies? He didn't want that, but he knew in war, there were going to be things you simply didn't want to do. He knew that, but he hoped… He hoped there would be a resolution to this and Senator Amidala managed to salvage the situation.
"Go to the dinner, you should," Yoda said. "Mediate, if you must. But, the president's decision, you must not sway."
Kit nodded. He had a million and one concerns, primarily about the hyperspace lanes the Republic desperately needed if they were going to war, and he knew Haan would be the first target on the list to open up those lanes. It was going to be a mess.
"We will attend the dinner," he said with a bow. "Hopefully, Senator Amidala can salvage this situation."
He really prayed her diplomacy would reign. She was a good senator, and a good person. She would do the right thing, and he prayed things would be resolved with diplomacy and talking, and not open them up to another war. Haan had suffered enough. Groa may reject it, though, and what would happen then?
He didn't know.
He truly did not know.
Senator Amidala's apartment was opulent and lush, open and airy, and Ayumu felt uncomfortable in it. He felt like he was going to break something important at any given second, so he pressed in close to Kit as the older Jedi led him inside.
"Thank you for coming," Senator Amidala said as she approached them. Her hair had been let down into a loose updo, and she was in a different dress this time. Ayumu wondered how long she spent on hair and makeup. Probably an unholy amount of time. "President Amalis is already here, please, sit."
She led them to a long dining room table, and Ayumu carefully took his seat. President Amalis was sitting next to Senator Amidala, Senator Grin on her left, and her aide across from her. Two seats had been left open for Kit and Ayumu, and Ayumu settled in as the protocol droid, Threepio, set out the food. Ayumu glanced between the people assembled there, taking in the tense atmosphere. President Amalis was quiet, staring down at her plate with a blank expression on her face, and Senator Amidala was clearly trying to remain cheerful.
"Should we save the politics talk for caf, or should we get started?" Senator Amidala asked, and President Amalis lifted her head.
"I think it would be best if we just got it over with. I can't take the suspense," she said, and Senator Amidala reached over to start serving herself. Ayumu glanced at Kit for guidance, not sure of Naboo etiquette customs, and Kit sent a hint of wait down the bond. Senator Amidala finished serving herself, and then reached over to serve President Amalis, and oh, okay, the host had to serve. That worked. Ayumu could wait.
"I spoke with my queen, and we can spare twenty Nubian N-1s and pilots to help you deal with the pirates, and can send relief aid to your planet to help you rebuild. Architects, food supplies, medical aid, and raw materials for rebuilding," she said, and President Amalis slowly nodded. "I don't agree with the ruling. The hyperspace lanes around Haan are vital to the Republic, and you should be treated better. I'm sorry it's come to this."
"I would love to say yes, but…" President Amalis trailed off. "I don't believe it would work."
"Why not?" Senator Amidala asked as Ayumu's heart sank.
"Well, quite frankly, Senator, we have been begging the Senate for help for some time now, and I don't believe my people would be content with another sovereign entity assisting when the Senate won't," President Amalis said flatly. "We have been failed too many times. I'm sorry."
That was the crux of the matter, wasn't it? Ayumu pursed his lips and looked down at his empty plate. They had been failed too many times. The Outer Rim was an afterthought to the Senate, despite how much they needed it, and they treated people there like garbage. Naboo helping wouldn't resolve the issues that brought them here in the first place. It was… Just how it was.
Haan was going to leave the Republic, and it couldn't be stopped now.
"I understand your frustrations with the Republic, but there's good people in it that want to help," Senator Amidala said sincerely. "If we can't help each other in our time of need, what good are we?"
President Amalis was tired. Her Force presence was all wrung dry, too much life sucked out of her with the war and the loss. Ayumu wondered if she missed her grandchildren. She probably did. If the war ended, she would be able to see them again, and Ayumu couldn't imagine the colossal strength it took to send them away, where she didn't even know they were or if they were okay. It had to hurt. This woman had sacrificed a lot for her planet, and Republic spat in her face for it.
It was hard to watch.
Senator Amidala started serving the aide, and then Kit as she waited for President Amalis to respond.
"I think it's just a matter of too little, too late," President Amalis said softly. "We waited, and we waited. We believed in the Republic, and the Republic never came. This help from another sovereign planet would just drive in the point that the Republic doesn't care about us."
"I understand, I do, but we can't give up hope in democracy," Senator Amidala urged, and President Amalis sighed.
"I do believe in democracy. I really do, but I also understand where it fails. The Republic will always be more concerned with protecting the Inner Rim and the Core. We should have never entered it in the first place and remained sovereign space," she said, and Ayumu's heart fell. "We can't stay in a place that is not welcome to us. The Separatists are offering more right now, and I would be failing my people if I didn't take them up on their offer."
"And what happens when war comes?" Senator Amidala asked quietly, and President Amalis's shoulders slumped.
"Then, we will deal with the consequences," she said softly. "Either way, our planet will be a battle zone. I need to help my people now, and I can't… I can't stay in the Republic. They've cast us aside too many times."
Senator Amidala felt concerned in the Force, sad, and Ayumu wondered why she was so invested in this. She didn't gain anything by bringing relief, except for a last ditch effort to keep another system in the Republic. She had to be an idealist, and he respected her for it, but surely she could see that this was hopeless. President Amalis had already made up her mind.
"I understand your decision," Senator Amidala said, but she felt like she still wanted to argue. "I'm sorry the Republic failed you. You deserved better."
"It's alright. We'll rebuild, and hopefully open ourselves to a brighter future," President Amalis said with a small smile.
A brighter future?
Ayumu glanced at the words looming over Kit's head. Sith. What did a brighter future even entail? Would Haan even be safe from the Empire? Probably not. Things were going to rapidly change in a few years, and he would…
Continue on.
All of them would continue on, and Ayumu only had a snapshot of what that entailed, but that snapshot was a grim future. He wished he could stop it. He wished he wasn't helpless, but it was what it was.
The tide was turning, and here he was, eating a dinner with a senator while a genocide looming over his head, and it was hard to not fall into despair in the face of it.
Notes:
aaannndd that ends that little arc. i'm having so much fun with building this lore. next up, another time skip, and Glee Anselm!!
Chapter 15Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Ayumu was fourteen, and he was both excited and horrified at this most recent mission. He got to return to Glee Anselm, but at what cost?
The ship was packed to the gills with AgriCorp members, and Ayumu and Kit were in charge of escorting them. A Separatist ship carrying toxic chemicals had come out of hyperspace with a malfunction and crashed into the Patul reef. The devastation was vast, and Ayumu had to remake his lightsaber for this mission. Kit had figured out a way to make lightsabers waterproof, and Ayumu had to get an upgrade, so naturally, while he was at it, he got his hands on another kyber crystal and made a second lightsaber. He was training in Jar'Kai, it being most similar to the batons he used to use.
Even so, he was tense. They would have to use suits to clear out the water, and he was not looking forward to that. It would be a lot of hard work, and they were projected to be here for a month. He wasn't looking forward to seeing the reef. It had been beautiful before, but now half of the fish were dead, and the Patul were desperately trying to save the rest.
There were suspicions of foul play. The Patul Representative in the Senate had recently gotten a lot of threats from the Separatists, and the ship had only been populated with droids. It was suspected that this crash was intentional, and Armin was already seeking reparations for the damages, but they were refusing to budge. They had reached out in the meantime for help from the Jedi, and so here the Jedi were, on their way to Glee Anselm. They had gathered all of the aquatic specialists they had in the AgriCorps to go, and all of them were getting into their suits as they broke through the atmosphere.
There was a Karkardon there, and they seemed overjoyed to be there as they got into their suit and sealed on the helmet.
"Com check," Ayumu said as he sealed on his helmet, and they perked up.
"Moxie here!" they said, and there was a chorus of hellos from the internal coms in the helmets. Ayumu glanced at Kit, and he nodded.
"Let's go," he said and walked to the ramp, which was slowly lowering. The landing platform at the spaceport had been destroyed in the crash, so they had to airdrop in the ocean.
The ramp went down, and Ayumu stopped to gape at the sheer devastation. It was a massive ship, broken into pieces and sticking out of the reef at an awkward angle, and there was debris in the ocean Patul Nautolans were swimming around in protective suits to clean up. The reef was half destroyed, and Ayumu could sense the massive living organism that was the reef was dying in the Force. It was absolute devastation. There were burning oil patches on the surface of the water, and it was absolutely horrible to look at.
"Jump now!" Kit ordered, and the Jedi all began to leap from the ramp as the ship hovered above the water. Ayumu leapt, and powered down towards the water, splashing into it.
He could sense this water was poisoned, and it was disturbing to feel as the equipment the AgriCorps members brought with them hit the water. He swam out of the blast zone, and a Patul Nautolan in a protective suit approached him. He felt familiar in the Force, and Ayumu recognized the markings on his exposed head tails. It was Armin, and he felt a wash of relief at seeing him live and well.
"You took your time!" Armin called as Ayumu bobbed in the water, and the remaining AgriCorps members leapt into the water. "Good to see you again, Jedi."
"Hello, Armin," Ayumu said as he swam towards him. "Sorry, I had to take off the headdress to get a seal on the suit."
"Ah, we all have our headdresses off, it's fine," Armin said as he paddled around Ayumu. "I see you brought equipment."
"Water purifiers," Kit said. "The AgriCorps members will be working them. This is Moxie, who is in charge of this expedition."
"Hello!" Moxie, the Karkardon said as she waved, and she paddled closer. "It's nice to meet you. I assume you're the chieftain, Armin Sol?"
"I am," Armin said as the devices bobbed in the water, and Ayumu sensed a Force presence rapidly approaching them. Toon popped up out of the water and grinned at Ayumu.
"Ayumu! You're back!" she crowed, and Ayumu waved at her.
"Hi, Toon," he said, and eyed her. She felt delighted in the Force, and he was willing to bet that even after two years, she was still a chatterbox.
"I'm so glad!" she gushed. "I thought I was never gonna see you again!"
"Well, I'm here," he said, and she pouted.
"The crash came in the middle of the Spore Festival," she said. "I'm so sad you missed it. It's a beautiful time of year where we celebrate the coral germinating!"
"Sorry I wasn't here for it," Ayumu said, and Kit nudged him.
"Why don't you go help them set up the water purifiers?" he asked, and Ayumu nodded.
"See ya, Toon!" he said, and she perked up.
"I can come with you!" she said, and he bit back a sigh. Of course.
"Yeah, sure," he said, and she kicked after him, swimming effortlessly through the ocean.
"Alright, Tirin, Halberd, I need you to go out with the scanners to see how far the contaminant has spread," Moxie said and clapped their large, webbed hands. "Everyone else, let's get the surface water purifiers up and running before we dive down to anchor in the bottom ones!"
The AgriCorps members scattered, and Moxie turned to Armin.
"We should discuss division of labor," they said. "We can help somewhat with the cleanup of the wreckage, but we should get actual ships in here to lift it outta there."
"We have the wreckage cleanup covered," Armin said. "We're expecting drop ships in an hour to haul it out of here. The Un are sending help, and they should be here shortly. What I'm concerned with is saving as much of the coral as is feasibly possible, and getting the waters clear enough so my people can swim in it again, as well as stopping the contaminant from reaching our crops."
"We'll do the best we can to stop it from reaching your agricultural center," Moxie promised. "But I can make no guarantees. We don't know how far it's spread already."
"We absolutely cannot lose our soil," Armin insisted, and Moxie waved a hand.
"We brought an expert in soil decontamination with us, so she should be able to revive your soil," she said, and Armin nodded. "It's time consuming and takes a lot of Force power, but she should be able to pull it off if it does get to that point."
"Thank you so much," Armin said, and Kit nudged Ayumu again.
"Go help them set up," he repeated, and Ayumu startled. Oh, he got lost in the conversation.
"Yes, master," he said and kicked off to the Mon Cala and Quarren setting up the water purifier. "Hello!"
"Ah, Padawan Shichi," the Quarren said. "Can you dive beneath the surface and turn this thing on for us? It's the white switch."
"Sure!" Ayumu said and promptly dove beneath the surface as the Quarren got the purifier configured. He swam down the length of the oblong floating device and Toon dove after him.
"We should link our coms," she signed to him, and he nodded and tapped the com on his wrist to show off the com frequency all of the Jedi were on. She configured it, and he reached under the purifier to flick the switch. There was a burst of static, and then Toon spoke.
"Alright, awesome! Let's get these purifiers on! " she chortled in glee, and Ayumu kicked towards the next one bobbing in the water.
"Please wait while I get this configured," the Mon Cala said as they configured the device, and Ayumu swam around the device. "Alright, go ahead and turn it on."
Ayumu flicked the switch, and the purifier hummed to life with a splutter as it started to suck in water. Ayumu swam on to the next one, and Toon followed him, all glee in the Force despite the frankly horrendous circumstances she was in.
"It broke the amphitheater!" she reported, and Ayumu glanced back at her.
"Yeah?" he asked, and she nodded.
"Just cracked the dome straight down the middle," she said, and Ayumu swam under the next device and waited for the all clear. "They were in the middle of a play, so a lot of people got washed out. We had some offworlders that nearly drowned, but they got them up to the surface in time."
"Well, that's good," Ayumu said as his com buzzed.
"Clear to turn it on," the AgriCorps member said, and Ayumu flicked it on. It made a disgusting sucking noise before it got to work, and Toon floated closer to Ayumu.
"It was honestly terrifying!" she said brightly. "I was in the play, I was playing the prince, and my costume got completely ruined, just shredded up with all the glass. It caught on the beams, and I had to rescue this poor Human who was absolutely terrified. "
"Well, it's good that you saved them," Ayumu said as he swam to the last device, too nice to point out that she was doing nothing helpful except chattering his ear off.
"Yeah, I was really proud of myself, but man was it scary! Humans are so fragile. They can't even breathe underwater. Can you imagine?" she asked, and Ayumu thought back to when he was a Human.
"I can imagine pretty well," he replied, and she swam around him.
"Are you glad to be back?" she demanded, and he hummed.
"Not under the circumstances. I'm sorry your reef got wrecked," he said, and she waved a hand.
"Bah, it'll grow back. You never come to visit, though."
"I'll work on that," he promised, even though he absolutely wouldn't.
"What do you think about all this talk about a war?" she demanded, because she had no filter or approximation of what was and wasn't appropriate to talk about, and Ayumu sighed quietly.
"It's war. I don't know what to tell you," he said, painfully aware everyone was listening in on this conversation as the Patul Nautolans synced up with their com frequency.
"I think it's absolutely dreadful and don't understand why they can't just talk it out," she declared, and Ayumu thought back to President Amalis. She had pulled Haan from the Republic in the end, and from what he heard, Count Dooku rewarded her handsomely for it. Haan had already rebuilt and was flourishing in the aftermath of the civil war, and he couldn't help but wonder how long it was before it was destroyed again.
"Sometimes, you have to fight before you can talk," he said quietly, and he hoped President Amalis wasn't blaming herself too much. She was a great leader, with the interests of her people in her heart, and she had done the best she could under the circumstances. Some wounds ran too deep to heal.
He hoped he wouldn't have to face her in the war, because he knew for certain that the Jedi would be going to war. It would be too painful to be on opposite sides.
"Well, I think that's stupid," Toon said with a huff. "If people were just a little more reasonable, they wouldn't have to do that at all."
"Hey, Padawan Shichi, would you mind running lines down to the ocean floor and hammering them in?" the Quarren asked, interrupting their conversation, and Ayumu turned.
"Sure," he said, and popped out of the ocean to see the Quarren brandishing a hammer. Ayumu kicked towards him, and he handed over the hammer.
"You, too, girl," the Quarren said and pulled another hammer out of his belt and handed it to her, and she took it in delight.
"Yes! I love hitting things!" she said brightly, and Ayumu rolled his eyes as he took the line and dove beneath the surface.
He was kind of happy to be back on Glee Anselm. He hoped things went well. The Patul reef was too beautiful to leave it like this.
Notes:
and we're back with the Patul!! gods, I love Toon. she has NO filter, i adore her.