Chapter 8: An Invitation
Her feet moved without realizing it as she arrived before the exhibit. It only displayed a large tapestry stitched with a long family tree. The face of her grandfather was easy to spot as it was surrounded by a halo of golden thread. Almost trembling, Ray's eyes moved downward; the Emperor’s woman was left unidentifiable, but the face of the Emperor's son was clear and shrouded in silver.
The man had pale skin and red hair and looked much like the Emperor in his younger years. He appeared a bit fuller while his eyes seemed kind but sad as well. His name was Cain Palpatine, and he was her father.
Ray could hardly remember her parents. She was abandoned on Jakku at such a young age. Even their faces were a blur. She knew they did this to protect her, but not being able to remember their love had always haunted her.
Ray’s eyes moved quickly and found a brown-haired woman connected to her father by a red line of thread. She looked graceful and full of life, confident and fearless. Beneath her face was the name Samantha Palpatine. Seeing the likeness caused a deep emotion to sprout in Ray's heart. She knew without a doubt that these were her parents.
A thread led down from these two individuals and joined below an empty portrait space titled Ray Palpatine. The birth dates and death dates associated with this child were remarkably close, signifying in the eyes of history the girl had died as a baby. The truth of her lineage now was only known by herself, her closest friends, and a select group of high-ranking imperials. Yet, in the end, the Jedi Master couldn't help but agree with this tapestry there was never truly a Ray Palpatine.
After gazing at the familiar yet unfamiliar faces of her relatives, she turned and left for good. Her visit to the museum had certainly been unpleasant, though she no longer felt it had been entirely a mistake. The exhibits had left her much to think about in terms of how the Imperials thought. If this was the history being taught to them for their entire life, then their avid loyalty was understandable. None of the displays ever mentioned destroying plants, just irradicating terrorists. It was never torturing captives; it was intensive interrogation. Never burning down civilian towns, just unfortunate accidents or Rebel tricks.
With her heart weary, Ray’s thoughts turned back to the news of the New Republic trying to build a military fleet. She couldn't help but wonder what lies they might be telling or inconvenient truths they might be covering up. The Democracy of the New Republic was infinitely more compassionate than the Old Empire, but even the greatest of governments were not without their flaws: Marshal Cassius was clear evidence of this.
Ray quickly returned to her room and found Fama still fast asleep. They had been traveling for over 8 hours today and, before that, had barely escaped a Six General ambush while contacting an informant. The girl would likely sleep till they arrived at Coruscant, which shouldn't take more than an hour. If they even made it to Coruscant.
The Master took care to place a blanket over the sleeping child, who shriveled at the intervention but soon grew even more relaxed in her slumber. Fama had lived most of her life on her parent’s transport ship, moving cargo from port to port. Prolonged exposure to deep space could have a very adverse impact on Force-Sensitive children due to the lack of living organisms. Even people untrained in the Force that had high midichlorian counts all had an elevated sixth sense for the flow of the Living Force. Being stuck in deep space where there was no life was like putting them in a sensory deprivation tank. Adults with training or built-up resistance could handle it, but children whose connection to the Force was very strong would suffer greatly.
That was how Ray had found the girl at a spaceport while searching for a place to build her own Jedi Temple. Fama was delirious and extremely sickly; her parents were begging a local doctor, but the physician couldn’t find what was wrong. The girl has since Ray by instinct and called out to her from across the entire station. Luckily, the Jedi Texts had discussed this issue in-depth and offered a few forms of treatment. After this, the two had been inseparable. At times, it even felt like they were more sisters than merely Master and Padawan. The decision to leave her family was hard, but the girl held a fascination with Jedi, and her parents wanted a better life for their daughter. Ray didn’t know if it was right, but she had promised the girl she could visit her parents again once her initial training was complete. Like so, they had traveled together from world to world, building trust and a deep friendship.
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The Master was often conflicted over whether she was ready to be a teacher, with many of her lesions failing to deliver the intended message. Though as the child slowly learned the way of Jedi, Ray had found she was learning how to be a teacher. In the end, training Fama was frightening at times and often strenuous, but her path felt right.
Ray’s happy thoughts about her time with her disciple were abruptly ended by a knock at their door. She quickly closed her eyes and cleared her mind; beyond the door, she sensed an unarmed boy in his early teens dressed in an imperial uniform. Relieved it wasn’t a squad of stormtroopers, she stood up from her seat and answered. Only opening the door a little to be safe, she spoke to the boy, “May I help you.”
The youth had electric blue eyes, bright blond hair, and a cute face that would no doubt grow to be handsome. Looking quite sharp in his neat grey uniform, the boy nodded respectfully and spoke in a regimented voice, “The Admiral would like to know if you would dine with him this evening.”
Ray considered the youth’s words and responded, “I’m afraid I’ll have to decline.”
The boy smiled and held out a small metal card, “This will allow you to pass through the security doors. I’ll be back to escort you in 20 minutes. Please take this time to freshen up.”
Ray glared at this boy, then took the card, realizing she didn’t really have a choice in the matter. In an irritated voice, she rescinded, “I’ll be sure to be ready.”
Growing up in a deserted wasteland, Ray had never really been bothered by being dirty. But now that she could use it as an excuse, she enjoyed a long 30-minute shower. Her clothes and cloak were still a bit travel-worn, but getting her skin clean was very pleasant. When she finally was dressed again, Ray checked and found the 14 or 15-year-old boy was waiting for her outside with a patient complexion. Seeing the woman emerge, he smiled and chimed, “If you would follow me.”
They quickly passed through the south passage and arrived in the network of halls that led to the rest of the ship. Ray looked at the back of the youth’s head and asked loudly, “You’re not scared. I’ll try and escape.”
In response, the boy tilted his head back and answered, “Your security key is programmed to only allow access through certain passages at certain times. Trying to diverge from the pre-arranged path would get you trapped by security doors.”
Ray cursed on the inside; this ship’s security was very different from standard Imperial procedure. She sighed and added, “Are you a little short to be a stormtrooper.”
The youth chuckled and responded, “I’m just an Intern.”
Surprised by this response, she asked, “Fleets have Internships.”
Her escort looked back and nodded, “Of course, the New Galactic Academy requires it and has many corporate partners in all three of the major factions.”
Ray was surprised by this but also curious, “Why would you choose this place.”
The youth looked back with an irritated expression, “This place was hard to get to. The Admiral only offers one Internship a year. I had to write 7 different essays and go to 2 interviews to get to this place.”
For a girl who grew up in pretty much nowhere and learned reading by bartering away scrap metal, the idea of having to write 7 essays was indeed terrifying. Ray decided not to antagonize the youth and instead asked, “Why not go to a New Republic fleet.”
Her escort shrugged at this, “I’ve already visited several with my Aunt.”
Ray couldn’t help but pry a little more inquiring, “As a diplomate or prisoner.”
The conversation was clearly not going well as the lad’s expression went livid, “As a guest. My Aunt is a Commander in the New Republic security forces. I was born on Lothal.”
This burst of information told Ray she wasn’t talking to some brainwashed Core World child. This youth was actually from one of the most renowned Resistance planets in the outer rim. Ray felt a bit embarrassed by her abrasive behavior and apologized, “I’m sorry I didn’t mean any insult.” She couldn’t help asking, “Why did you decide to work on a Six General fleet.”
Calming down quickly after the apology, he answered earnestly, “Because I want to see how the other side lives.” He glanced at Ray and explained, “That’s how my Aunt puts it. She says the galaxy is divided in two right now, and only by trying to understand one another can we truly achieve peace.”
The wisdom of this young man started Ray and filled her with the warmth of hope. She responded softly, “I think your Aunt is right.”
Having lost track of time, Ray was a bit startled when her escort stopped before a rather plain-looking doorway. The intern pushed a button on the wall, and after a red light scanned his face, the doors opened. As they walked in, Ray found the room was a surprisingly plain-looking office without ornaments. From behind the desk, the kind voice of the Admiral called, “Ah, Lex, you're early as always.”
Ray looked at the youth and asked in a suspicious tone, “Early.”
Lex smiled cunningly and responded, “Of course, it would be rude to arrive late.” He then bowed to the Admiral and asked, “Is that all you require.”
The old man nodded and spoke with an appreciative voice, “Yes, thank you for your hard work. You’re dismissed.” Lex saluted the Admiral, nodded to Ray, and then left the way he had entered. The Jedi and the Admiral were left alone.