Chapter 32: Alliance Meeting
The room remained silent even as the man bowed slightly and left the stage. His voice had carried a power that had entranced them all. His story may have ended, but everyone was still on that road he had spoken of. Enduring the glory, the thrall, and the horrors of war.
Eventually, Rey managed to snap herself back to reality. She could now sense a strong aura of the Dark Side emanating from the hall. It was born of the fear of the audience having been moved so far by the Admiral’s speech that they had felt his message in their hearts. After a few more seconds, the spell seemed to break down, leaving the Jedi in awe. She wished she could have such an effect with just mere words. The ability to convey such a clear message touched a person’s soul. In time, she might obtain this power, but for now, it was still far out of reach.
The audience didn’t clap as politely as they did before. Instead, they were still frozen in awe and discomfort. Eventually, the Master of Ceremonies stumbled out while Minerva let out an enchanted sigh and commented dreamily, “He always did have a way with words.”
Rey looked to the Vice-Chancellor in shock, at which the woman returned to her senses and pushed the Jedi playfully, “Don’t look so aghast, my dear; it’s not like he’s my type or anything.”
Rey grew even more surprised and embarrassed while the woman laughed so hard her sides hurt. The Jedi eventually recovered and got out, “He certainly was very good, depressing but good.”
Minerva nodded and responded, “That’s the skill of a wordsmith. Though you should try and hear one of his happier performances, they’re truly marvelous.” The woman suddenly got a message on a wrist-bound computer and perked up, “Oh my, looks like we’re having an impromptu Alliance meeting. Let’s hurry along.”
The Jedi found herself being quickly herded out into the hall and then off towards a balcony. She barely had time to collect her thoughts and ask again, “Fine, but tell me what a Grand Scholar is.”
As they moved swiftly, Emi responded to this: “The title Grand Scholar is presented to those who have studied Galactic history and culture to the greatest degree possible. One must pass several exams and constantly demonstrate a pursuit of more knowledge. As a baseline, one must be well-versed in the entirety of Galactic history and the culture of the 2,432 major species. After the fall of the Galactic Republic, many historical records were lost, making it difficult for new scholars to arise. At present, there are only three official Grand Scholars.”
Rey let out an impressed whistle, she had felt like dying after just a couple days of lesions from Emi. To study and learn enough to become a Grand Scholar seemed impossible. Minerva nodded at this and added, “Aside from when he’s scheming, the Admiral is truly an exciting person to be around. He is a man with a heart as vast as the sea and ambitions as tall as mountains.”
The Jedi could see that the Parle had put the Vice-Chancellor in a poetic mood, though she couldn’t help but think about what she had learned the day prior. She had so many questions. How could he be her godfather? How was he able to retain his youth. How was Snoke involved in all of this? It was driving her mad. All the while, the more she learned about him, the more enigmatic and complex he became.
Rey turned to her Minerva as they arrived at a private dock and asked, “Who is the Admiral anyways.” She revised this by adding, “What are his origins?”
The old woman let out a sigh at this and shook her head, “Now, that is a good question. The only thing is, no one knows.”
The Jedi was surprised by this and inquired, “What do you mean?”
Emi spoke up informatively, “All available records pertaining to the Admiral begin five years after the end of the formation of the Empire. Since then, he has always been the Admiral of the Speerpoint Fleet. There is no hint of his past before this or his true identity. All people knew was he was deeply trusted by the Emperor and always stood as one of his most trusted advisors.”
Rey’s jaw fell open at this, and she blurted, “But how, he looks like he’s in his forties.”
Minerva chuckled at this and fumbled with her wrist-mounted computer. A hologram appeared, and she offered, “Take a look at this deer.”
The Jedi looked over and saw the Admiral, same as ever with his grey hair and golden eyes. Next to him was a young man with a strong chin and kind eyes. In front of him was a beautiful teenage woman Rey recognized to be her old Master, Laya Skywalker. Beside her was a toddler in a neat dress. Rey blinked and looked up before blurting, “That isn’t…”
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Minerva nodded, “The toddler is me.” She then pointed to the kind-looking man and added, “That my uncle, the famed Senator Organa, and Leia, you, of course, already know.” The woman put the hologram away, looking reminiscent, before going on, “I had a feeling my Uncle may have known more about the Admiral than he let on, but he never told Leia or me anything.” She sighed, letting the weight of past memories fall from her shoulders as she finished, “Case in point, the Admiral is a very mysterious man. The people that try to dig into his past either come up with nothing or don’t end well.”
Rey shivered, growing perplexed and even a bit frightened by this notion. So many unknowns made her feel uneasy, though there wasn’t much time for this as they arrived on a shuttle. Inside, she saw the Geonosian, Diaz Zong, as well as Admiral Sveck. In addition to these two were a pair of female Mirialans and a Wookie with black and grey fur.
The Jedi had more questions but knew it was not the right time to ask. Minerva didn’t hesitate and smiled at these people and declared, “Ah, it’s good to see your faces.”
The Wookie hollered while the others bayed happy greetings of their own. Admiral Sveck noticed Rey and called, “And if it isn’t the newest member of our organization. Rey Skywalker in the flesh.”
Minerva waved dismissively at this calling, “Hands off, Sveck, she’ll only be working with me and Primidian.”
The man deflated a little bit and retorted, “Spoilsport, it’s been forever since we had fresh blood.”
Rey didn’t really like the man’s demeanor, though; at this point, a famous voice rang, “Worry not, these next few days will sure keep you busy.” Admiral Primidian entered the vessel as the doors closed behind him. He added, “And if you’re still bored, we could always play some chess; it’s been almost a year since we last played.”
Sveck laughed nervously and responded, “Oh, I’m sure I’ll be too busy for that.”
Primidian nodded at this and addressed the group, “Looks like we’re all present. We have 27 minutes to discuss business before we will enact exit strategy beta.”
By this point, Rey had been dragged into a seat by Minerva and sat eying the Asmirel as he began to review a list of action items. The Wookie, whose name turned out to be Dukmar, was, in fact, a representative sent by dozens of smaller worlds technical in the New Republic territory but was still unintegrated. His specialty was social policy, and he was leading their efforts in the debate on civil reform. The two Mirialans were sisters named Kia and Tia. They were experts in legal proceedings, and we’re going to attack the court reformation discussion.
Diaz Zong was, of course, their local economics specialist and would be helping fight market imbalances. Admiral Sveck took the lead in debating the future military and defense breakdown of the Galaxy. Minerva was tasked with leading the political charge and defining what sort of a new government should manage the Galaxy. Meanwhile, Primidian took on the daunting task of mediating the past grudges between the ex-imperials and ex-resistance forces.
Rey’s job was rather easy and included doing what Minerva told her. With her speech campaign in full swing now, she just needed to make a few public appearances and be used as social leverage at key events. Emi would be by her side for all the formal functions she went to, and aside from this, her only other job was to keep Poe in check.
This sounded a bit underwhelming to the Jedi Master, but Minerva assured her she would be making a big difference. The woman explained to her in a kind whisper how her role wasn’t to be a politician but a symbol of hope. Like a light in the dark for all the people in the Galaxy that wanted peace but didn’t believe it was possible. The Jedi found this more agreeable and was pacified after being assured she would get to aid in a few legitimate debates.
Time flew by, and the group finished by discussing their observations over the last couple of days. Once this was finished, it was time to enact the exit plan beta. Rey wasn’t sure what this was but hoped it would give her a moment to talk with the Admiral alone. The plan turned out to be one she was already familiar with. At the back of the ship was a cargo port on the floor. One alliance member would go back at a time and jump down into their personal transport. Like so, there would be no evidence of them ever having met.
Luckily, it seemed Minerva’s transport would be one of the last to arrive. Once only the two Admirals were left, Rey had built up the courage to approach the man who should be her godfather. He smiled at her charmingly and said, “Ah, Ms. Skywalker, it’s good to see you again.” With bright eyes, he added, “Your speeches are sensational. Some fanatics are up in arms, but the general public has been moved by your maturity and compassion.”
Rey put in a smile and responded, “I believe I met some of those fanatics…” Her gaze grew serious as she added, “I’ve yet to see anyone moved by my compassion.” After pausing for a moment, she added, “I need some time to talk to you alone.”
Minerva, who was only a few steps away, perked up at this defenceman, though the Admiral raised a hand to stop her. His gaze grew calculating for a moment before clarity returned to him. He grew calm and even a bit humorous. He responded with intelligent eyes, “It seems Janus is as loose-lipped as ever.” He then placed a soft but firm hand on her shoulder and finished, “Tomorrow, you will be touring the Jedi Temple and speaking with some delegates from various religious factions. We can talk then.”
His words were surprisingly soft and provided Rey with an odd sense of security. She nodded, wanting to get her questions answered sooner but knowing Tomorrow was better than never, “That’s fine with me.”