Chapter 14: So Close and Yet So Far
The tour of the city didn’t even scratch the surface, but it was still a wonderful journey. The Admiral, being a man of impotence, was allowed to land his ship near the heart of the city, making many famous monuments all within speeder distance. From the old Galactic Senate Building with its harmonious design to Palpatine's old palace, which, although unsavory, was still a beautiful work of architecture. Yet nothing could compare to the ancient majesty of the Old Jedi Temple.
Rey could feel the Light Side of the Force still radiating from its very foundation despite having been suppressed by the Emperor. Jay informed them like a tour guide that Papltine had invested great effort to erase the Jedi from history. In hopes of preventing another uprising like at the end of the Clone Wars, he had their legacy stricken from history books and their monuments either destroyed or remodeled. Even the great Jedi Temple was not spared from this historical cull. Yet after Palpatine’s death on the second Death Star and with the rise of the original New Republic, a large united faction of historians banded together to try and restore these heritage sites.
Hearing of people with such passion and courage warmed Rey’s heart as they circled the grand Temple a few times. Fama was likewise on high alert as the light side aura stimulated senses she hadn't fully developed yet. All she knew was the massive building made her feel safe and surprisingly aware. She pouted while looking up to her Master and asked in a pitiful voice, “We really can't go in?”
Rey appeared equally disappointed but nodded, “We can’t.” After a moment, she added, “But I'll ask around and see if we can make something work.”
The little girl grew excited and nodded vigorously, “And if not, we can break in right.”
Jay glanced back at the Jedi Master and apprentice with a hint of worry in his eyes. Rey likewise felt disheartened, though given how Fama had been with her on an espionage mission since they had met, the girl’s lack of moral clarity was understandable. The Master chided calmly, “No, Fama, we only break into bad people’s bases. The Temple is a historical site like a museum. We have to follow the rule if we want to visit.”
It was clear the girl comprehended this, but at the same time, she d appeared to agree; crossing her arms, she retorted, “But you said the Temple belongs to the Jedi.”
Rey sighed at this and corrected, “It belonged to past tense. The Old Jedi Order is no more. We might be the same in creed, but that doesn't mean we can waltz into any old Jedi temple. They belong to the people now, and it's up to them to decide how the Temple is used.”
Fama pouted and plopped down in a seat, grumbling, “What's the point in it being a Jedi Temple if there aren't any Jedi.”
Rey nodded helplessly and responded, “Come on now, don't act like that. You’ll understand when you're older. It's not worth getting upset over...”
The master paused, meeting the eyes of the disciple, though before she could finish her next line, the child retorted, “I know. I’ll meditate and calm down.” Fama closed her eyes begrudgingly, but an earnest expression of focus soon filled her face.
Rey smiled at this and patted the Padawan's shoulder, speaking softly, “Good girl.”
Fama smiled briefly at the praise but quickly returned to her front of irritation as she tried to regain her calm. Jay met the Jedi Master’s eyes at this and gave a commending nod towards the Padawan, recognizing her self-control. Rey smiled back proudly. Fama was young and a little immature at times; she still had a lot to learn, but at heart, she had what it took to make a great Jedi. She has a passion for justice, a selfless personality, the sincerity to acknowledge her faults, and the strength to try and grow. The girl was truly a rare gem of a pupil that Rey could only thank the Force for guiding to her care.
It wasn't a full twenty minutes after this that they arrived at the public landing platform. The tour was sadly over, and the sun was fully set. The endless city had a new appeal at night as countless artificial lights ignited across that land. In terms of brightness, one could barely even tell the difference between the two. The speeder landed in a designated lot amongst nearly a dozen similar models without attracting the slightest bit of attention.
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Jay looked back with a pleated smile, “Well, on behalf of every flight manifesto and security system hacked to make your arrival here seamless. Welcome to Curasuant.”
Although their time together was short, Rey had come to like this blue-haired young man. She might not agree with his political views. Still, after fighting pirates and seeing how much he cared for Didi, it was hard to not admire his determination. He was rather open-minded for an ex-ex-imperial and knew how to show gratitude; at his core, Rey knew he was a good person. In response to this tear, she nodded cogently and asked, “Is there anything else the Admiral expects.”
Jay pointed to a security gate on the far side of the landing shaft and said, “Just check in there, and it’ll look like you came right off one of the public cursors. If anyone asks, you took the Phantom. They can look up the details after that.” He then took a small metallic rectangle from his pocket and handheld it over, “This is a communication device. I'm unsure how it works, but it shouldn't be traceable or hackable. The Admiral hopes you will decide soon and contact him when you do.”
Fama looked excited and whispered, “So we are spies.”
The girl was making fun, but it still caused Rey’s heart to ack. After all the times Snoke, Kylo, or even Palpatine tried to recruit her, in the end, it looked like she couldn't avoid cooperating with the Imperial Remnants. Still, she felt in control of her situation; she hadn't agreed to anything yet and, if need be, could walk away at any time. Before coming to any rash conclusion, Rey first wanted to inspect her house and see if things were as bad as Primidian described. With a few more hints, she could divine for herself if what he said was true and call in a few favors to try and validate the Admiral’s dedication to peace. It would take a few days, but there was still time before the peace talks began, and the summit would last a whole week.
Luke and Laya had been frustrated over her rashness and preached patience and contemplation. Now more than ever, Rey hoped she had learned enough from them to succeed in the coming ordeal.
Rey and Fama exited the craft while Jay stayed put. He waved and called, “So long.”
No sooner said than done, he started the speeder again and took to the sky. Fama waved wildly and called, “Goodbye.”
Jay waved back while Rey nodded to him distinctly; like that, he zipped away with his mission complete. Rey was happy to see how much Fama had grown to like the man over the last day. From trying to fight him to waving goodbye was good progress. She didn't want the girl to be blinded by prejudice against ex-imperials unless they truly did something wrong. Through this long, drawn-out struggle for cosmic supremacy, the number of victims vastly surpassed the number of villains. Now, more than anything, the galaxy needed time to heal, and that started with understanding each other.
The Jedi Master and Padawan traveled with hoods up to the designated security gate. They waited in line for a long time before arriving at a board looking for Toydarian. In a rough yet feminine voice, she called, “Next.”
Rey walked forward with two hands on Fama's shoulders, ensuring they weren't separated. She politely spoke through the gate, ignoring the exhaust-filled air's stench, “Two admittance permits, please.”
The clerk looked the two up and down before responding in a drawl, “Identification.”
Rey pulled out her New Republic ID tag, which had safely stayed in her pocket through her recent adventures. He added, “The girl is unregistered, but I’ll vouch for her.”
The clerk sighed and responded like a machine, “If you're vouching for a new citizen, you’ll have to visit the Immigration Gate.” She flapped her wings quickly to reposition her body and pointed to a line that seemed to go on without end, “That's the line there.”
Looking despairingly, Rey asked, “Is that really necessary.”
At the same time, the Toydarian scanned the ID tag, and her eyebrows rose with apathetic surprise. “Your Jedi.”
Rey nodded quickly, “Yes, here for the peace talks.”
The clerk’s eyes turned sour, “My great uncle used to say never trust a Jedi. It's always bad for business.” Pointing again with force, she repeated, “You’ll have to visit the Immigration Gate.”
Rey cursed in an exotic language Fama wouldn't know before moving to the new line. The area was crowded and full of a mix of species that all seemed irritated by the bureaucratic mess they found themself in the middle of. Initially, the New Republic had agreed to accept the old Imperial ID, which was the most widespread, until everyone could exchange it for new ones. Ultimately, it was too much effort for most people, so they stayed with the imperial serial numbers they had assigned. But two months ago, after a failed negotiation, the New Republic started rejecting Imperial ID, forcing people to register in a new database. Usually, such a thing as personal ID didn't matter so long as the transport ship registry was in order. But for the sake of the peace talks, the Remnant General Faction and Corporate Alliance faction allowed the New Republic to try and expand their new Galactic Registry.
The Master and Padawan waited for three hours, moving forward slowly before finally getting to the front of the line. During this time, Fama took another nap while Rey endured standing guard. Ultimately, the human clerk scanned Fama’s face, took a drop of blood, and then handed over a New Republic ID tag. The Jedi pair finally managed to leave the landing platform, leaving the miserable security gate behind them.
As Ley left, Fama whined, “Couldn't you have used a mind trick on that first clerk.”
Rey, sounding equally tired, responded, “It doesn't work on Toydarians; only money does. Let's find someplace to rest.’