boxofmisfits | Plucked From the Clutches of Death

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Plucked From the Clutches of Death

Ever since coming to the future, following the Force's whims had been something Altair had done less and less. He could still sense it, of course. Shutting himself off completely would be unacceptable to him, as it had always been his companion of sorts and while it would probably lead to less shenanigans, he could not close his eyes and cover his ears. He could hear the whispers, feel the threads of it weaving through the galaxy and it was beautiful. When he meditated whispers became a distant song, and threads became beckoning guides that wanted to lead him to far off places.

In the past, he would have let himself get swept along as time allowed, always certain that someone would be there to pick up any momentary slack. In this time, while he had faith in Thrawn's people and Thrawn himself, he couldn't justify taking the time to rush off whenever some new thread weaved itself into the galaxy's tapestry. There were no other Sith who would pick up his slack, and he had promised to assist Thrawn with his goal, after all. Tempting as it was to let himself drift in the river of fate to let it carry him to new and strange places, give him new and strange riches, he wouldn't, and couldn't.

At least that had been the case until a particularly insistent call in the Force had become too much to ignore.

It wasn't dangerous, was what he had said to Thrawn, upon seeking permission to leave for a time. Not dangerous. Not like the fleet, not like the Silencers, and Iokath. It just was. That nebulous concept had been what was most difficult to explain, really. But whether or not Thrawn understood didn't matter, because he had, at least, seen his seriousness and respected it.

Altair wondered what he'd think now.

The Force had led him to an ancient temple- Altair still wasn't certain if it was Sith or Jedi in origin- and that temple had led him to a strange place. Branching paths and moments in time. For a while he had wandered- admittedly he'd sought a way back to his own time. It would have broken his promise, which he hated doing, but still. A part of him would always miss his people.

He hadn't found it though.

But he had found many strange artifacts. Plucked them from moments in time whenever the Force felt like it was urging him to do so. Whether that was some kleptomaniac instinct or actually the Force though, he wasn't sure. Maybe both.

Through one such window into the past, he'd come across someone in a situation that wouldn't end well. Plucking items out of these moments was one thing- would maybe end in a bruised ego or two somewhere far in the past- but people? Still, it was the only glimpse that was truly an open door to be reached through. The Force was quiet, not urging him one way or another, despite its strong presence in the silence between moments and its somewhat subtle insistence that he claim artifacts before. In the end though, when given the opportunity to save someone, he had.

The idea of simply leaving someone to die when all he had to do to save them was reach out his hand pained him. He couldn't do it.

And so, outside of the temple in the dark and quiet night, he sat with the two people he'd rescued by the fire they'd built for light and warmth while they waited for morning to come so they could head for the ship he'd borrowed with the promise that he'd bring it back in one piece, without fear of anything that might be lurking in the blackness of the forest the temple was surrounded by.

It had been day when Altair had entered the temple and found his way into that strange place, and while he felt no more hunger than usual, Altair could somehow tell that this was not the first night that had passed since he first arrived. He assumed it had been a few days, at least.

He wondered how he was going to explain this one though.

A Chiss and a Jedi who- while remaining nearby- was perhaps expectedly standoffish in the presence of a Sith. Out of the two of them, Altair figured he'd have most luck talking to the Chiss, though they'd all exchanged relatively few words even now. Shock, Altair assumed.

Seemed the most likely explanation, and also understandable. Expecting death only to be yanked through the veil of death and time to safety was probably a lot to deal with for people who weren't used to it.

"You don't have to worry, you know. I have allies who will be able to help you. Wherever you may want to go, I'm certain it can be arranged."

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"Oh, yes," Thrass replied, still keeping that knowing smile on his lips. "Clearly that's the only reason."

For two such smart Chiss, it was amazing how they kept living in denial about how they felt about each other, Thrass thought. He was close to just locking those two in a room and not letting them out until they confessed to one another.

"Where will you be going?" Thrawn asked. They soon reached the café and went inside, quickly finding a table. Thrawn looked over the tea menu.

"I don't know yet. That's half the point of one of my adventures," Altair replied, with a small smile. He knew more or less where he wanted to end up, but who knew what he'd get up to on the way there, or even if he'd get there at all without being sidetracked and ending up elsewhere. The Force wasn't calling him in any direction in particular, but his love for letting life lead him where it wanted to certainly was.

"Sometimes the journey is far more interesting than the destination."

Story of his life, really.

Once they were seated in the café, he too took a look at the tea menu, studying it closely. It wasn't a bad selection, really, and he figured he could give it a try, and then get caf instead if it wasn't up to his standard.

He was much more intimidated by the menu listing all the food available- and was pointedly ignoring going for it just yet.

"But what if something happens to you?" Thrass asked. "What if you get into trouble and Thrawn isn't there to assist you?"

"You underestimate the power of a Sith, brother dear," Thrawn chided Thrass. Plus, it wasn't as if they didn't have commlinks, and if Altair was gone for too long, then they would go out and look for him. "This planet is also peaceful, with no pirates or gang activities."

When their waiter came by, Thrawn and Thrass ordered their tea and food.

"Even if there were pirates and gang activities, I think they'd quickly come to regret messing with me," Altair said, simply. It was true, after all. Even a Sith could fall to unforeseen circumstances, but Altair was cautious and observant in addition to being powerful. Not to mention that he wasn't entirely certain that he could actually stay dead. One of those quirks of his life.

Altair ordered a cup of tea for himself, and asked for one of the smallest portions of food available. He still doubted he'd be able to eat all of it, but he should be able to eat most of it, at least, considering he'd skipped breakfast.

"How about the two of you? Have you decided on where you'll head off to?"

There were plenty of interesting places to visit, after all. Both places that were culturally meaningful and places where they could shop around for interesting things.

Thrass gave a concerned look at Altair ordering so little food. Was that why he was so short and skinny?

"I was thinking that Thrass and I could take a walk through a nearby park. There are flower gardens, a fountain, and a pathway alongside a river," Thrawn said.

"I'd like that," Thrass agreed. "I also hope you won't be gone too long, Altair. At the very least, you'll return in time for dinner, won't you?"

"Ah-" Altair cut himself off, closing his mouth quickly enough that there was an audible click of his teeth coming together. Flower gardens and a pathway along a river sounded lovely. Definitely the sort of place he'd naturally gravitate towards. Had he not cut himself off, he would probably instinctually have asked to go together with the two of them, but he really should give them some space.

"I see," He said, looking a little bit embarrassed, "That sounds like a lovely place to spend some time."

He'd have to check it out for himself later. Whether it was wilderness or carefully tended to gardens, Altair liked to spend time in places where flowers could be found. Admittedly odd for a Sith Lord, but he always felt so inspired when looking at that sort of beauty.

"I'll try my best to be back for dinner... If you two will do me the favor of bringing back a flower or two for me, should some manage to catch your eye."

His tone was a little playful, suggesting he wasn't entirely serious- but he was curious as to what type of flowers the two would gravitate towards. That could be a source of inspiration too.

"We can always take you by there later," Thrass suggested. "That way we can take you to all the best spots." By which he meant that Thrawn could take him by all the best spots. Because at this point he was close to just locking them in a room alone until they admitted the truth. Thrass might not have been the genius that Thrawn was, but he was just as good at manipulating others.

"And we will certainly get you some flowers," Thrawn promised.

"Would that not be a bore for the both of you, though? Since you'll already have visited once?" Altair asked, given that he was pretty sure that the two of them didn't share his particular love for flowers and the like. Though the flower gardens were likely nice, there were many different views to also see- such as architecture around the city, more museums to eventually go to, shops and everything else that such a bustling place had to offer.

"Bringing me back some flowers will suffice."

He really would just go there himself later on.

"I'm curious to see what sort of flowers you'll both bring anyway. I'll bring something back for the both of you, too."

"You'd be surprised," Thrass said. "Sometimes Thrawn likes to visit a location more than once in a short period of time, especially if there's interesting works of art that he can study."

"But if you want to visit it by yourself, then we won't stop you," Thrawn added. Thrass gently kicked Thrawn under the table, to which Thrawn didn't react.

Their food arrived and Thrawn immediately sampled his food, as did Thrass.

Altair wondered if the two of them were arguing. Probably not, though he had seen hints of something he could only call impatience- or perhaps exasperation?- in Thrass. Not that he'd pry, he was just curious as to what was on Thrass's mind that the two of them hadn't discussed and resolved already, given that they seemed very open with each other.

"I suppose we could go together if it's not too much of a bother, then."

When their food arrived, Altair went for his tea first- going straight for the meal was a bit too daunting- taking a sip and finding it quite lovely. Not quite up to his standards, but close enough.

"You know, had it been just Thrawn and I going, I think I'd have assumed it'd be a date."

That was a joke, of course. One he'd made a few times before, even. He supposed he couldn't help himself, all things considered. That moment they'd been alone together in the museum had felt kind of like they were on a date too- not that he'd really say that.

"It's entirely up to you," Thrawn assured him. "This is your vacation too, after all."

What Thrass wouldn't give for some good snowberry wine and Rentor mixed root vegetables. He still ate his food, finding it rather good. "Well, you two were planning on taking this trip by yourselves before you invited me along," He pointed out.

"You were dead at the time," Thrawn countered. Or something like that. Even Thrawn had problems wrapping his mind around how time travel worked.

Altair poked at his food once he'd had a few sips of his tea, eating a little, but mostly pushing what little there was around on his plate- sorting the food in neat little piles of least to most difficult to preserve.

"So long as you don't resent me for it, I think I should like to go there together later."

He'd give them time to go first to chat and have fun without having to think of or worry about anything or anyone else. But it would be nice to spend more time with them too. Much as he was good at making his own fun and running off on his own adventures, he liked spending time with people he was fond of more.

And he was already becoming fond of Thrass, and Thrawn... Thrawn he was realizing he was very fond of indeed.

"I'll brush up on all my best jokes to ensure that it will be a fun second visit rather than a tedious one."

"Glad to hear it," Thrass said, grinning. "And you can tell us all about your solo trip. I'm sure we'd love to hear about it."

"Indeed we will," Thrawn agreed, returning to his food and tea. "And we'll still bring you back those flowers." He tucked his feet under his chair, in case Thrass kicked him again, though his brother made no such move.

"Then I'll have to get myself into some trouble to have an interesting tale to tell too," Altair said, with a slight laugh. He didn't mean it, of course, but still. He did have a tendency of encountering strange things when he was off on his own. He'd once been called a weirdness magnet, and honestly, that wasn't a bad way to describe him.

Lunch passed by peacefully though- and while he didn't manage to finish his meal, he did manage to eat at least half of it, which was better than normal.

The day had mostly passed by by the time he rejoined Thrawn and Thrass. A day of adventure for him, and a day of having fun together without any other concerns for the two of them.

The sky was turning dark, and the first stars were visible, as day began turning into night.

Altair had thought that the three of them would be going to the flower gardens, but Thrass had disappeared off somewhere, and so it was only him and Thrawn. Where during the day there had been plenty activity, the evening brought the soft glow of lights coming on to illuminate the path through the gardens, and brought the pace of the people visiting down to the same calm as the river rather than the frantic rush of the daytime hours.

The atmosphere could even be described as romantic. Though Altair was trying not to think about that, really.

"Will your brother be okay on his own?" He asked, looking up at Thrawn. Altair was pretty sure that Thrass had, in fact, ditched them.

But it was the only thing he could think to ask.

Thrawn and Thrass shared a lovely walk through the park while Altair was away. They walked by the stream, saw the statue garden and fountain, looked at the flowers, and made sure to pick their favorite flowers to give to Altair later.

An hour before they were to meet back up, Thrawn and Thrass returned to the market district, where Thrass purchased some tea he thought looked good. To Thrawn's surprise, right before Altair showed back up, Thrass abruptly told Thrawn that he wished to inquire about music shows in the area.

When Altair caught up to him, Thrawn had presented him with the flowers he'd gathered. They were a mix of blue and black, along with some purples. Thrass would give Altair his own flowers when they met back up later, Thrawn told him.

Thrawn started their walk by taking him along the stream, idly watching the water fowl dive for food. "He will be fine. He felt an urge to find music."

"I see. I can understand that."

Thrawn with his art, Thrass with his music, and Altair who always had the urge to disappear off on an adventure. While Altair was fairly certain that Thrass had run off on purpose to make sure that he and Thrawn would be alone together, he also had to respect that he'd run off to find music much in the way that Altair ran off to chase adventure and his mysteries.

He turned his gaze away from Thrawn then, to look back at their surroundings. The atmosphere was definitely one that was romantic. Plenty of couples around. But mostly it was just nice.

"... I like the flowers you picked for me. They're beautiful."

He already had a plan to preserve them and perhaps create works of art from them too. He appreciated that Thrawn had actually picked out flowers he liked for him. Could tell that it wasn't just him randomly picking a few. He'd put thought into it.

And while that thought did make his heart skip a beat, he was also thankful that Thrawn had fulfilled his request. Altair would appreciate getting flowers from Thrass as well when they met back up, but well. The thought of Thrawn thinking about and picking out his favorites for him made his blush deepen just a little.

"Thank you. Thrass was excited to give you his own flowers, and he hopes that you will like them." Which made it all the more baffling as to why he excused himself right before Altair returned.

Still, it gave him some alone time with Altair, which he had to admit he enjoyed. Having his brother along for this particular walk may have been awkward, thanks to the general atmosphere.

When they came to a fork in the path, Thrawn led him away from the river, and towards a large fountain. The fountain was of three large, exotic fish, water coming out of their mouths, and the sculpting gave the image of them leaping out of the water. "I rather liked this."

"I'm certain I will."

Altair loved just about every flower, after all. But he thought that he probably would still like the ones Thrawn had given him the most, even if he'd make sure to preserve the ones Thrass would give him too.

The romantic atmosphere didn't exactly lessen as they walk, and as they came to the fountain- with quite a lot of couples seated here and there to enjoy the sight and all the flowers around- he couldn't help but feel grateful that Thrass had decided to abscond even if being here with Thrawn felt rather awkward too.

It was a different kind of awkward, Altair thought.

"It's pretty," He agreed, gaze flicking up to the other man's face briefly, before looking away. Not once in his life had he thought of himself as particularly bashful, but he thought he was feeling quite a lot of that right now. And not only because they were kind of surrounded by overly affectionate young couples enjoying the sight too.

"Reminds me of some of the sights I saw on Manaan once."

"Yes, the people of Manaan often have aquatic-themed artwork. I have never visited that world myself, however." Their artwork said that they held a particular species of shark in high regard, for it helped produce a healing substance that predated bacta.

Seeing the couples hug and kiss one another made Thrawn focus on the fountain, not one for public displays of affection.

"The person who designed this fountain likely spent much time near the ocean, for them to have captured the likeness and actions of the fish this way. They likely did not sculpt the fountain, but were part of a group of artists that were commissioned to work on this."

Trust Thrawn to be able to focus on the art. Altair was entirely more emotional, unable to keep himself from turning at least a slightly deeper shade of purple than normal. Usually he wore his armor when he felt the need to put some distance between himself and others, or when he felt the need to intimidate. Right now though, he wished he was wearing it so he could hide.

Being older and more mature had not made him have any better control over his emotions, it seemed. At least not when it came to matters of the heart.

But then, it had been a very long time since he'd been open to such emotions.

He was a bit... Out of practice.

And still hesitant to voice it, besides. Out of all the people he could have fallen for, it had to be Thrawn.

"Manaan is lovely, though my memories of the place are somewhat less so. Long story."

That he didn't think he was in the right state of mind to share. Perhaps at a later date.

"You're definitely right though. It reminds me somewhat of some of some of my old art, from when I'd been settled in one place long enough to gain an appreciation for details I might have otherwise missed. It... Is too bad that most of it is lost to time, though."

And considering his preferred medium, none of the art he'd made in his own time was likely to remain. Though he did still have a few older pieces, that he'd had on him when he ended up in the future in the first place.

"Commissioned, hm... Well, out of all the things to work on, this isn't so bad. I commissioned a few things in the past too. And there were those who... Saw me as a fitting subject to get immortalized, let's say."

The statues. The paintings. He hoped most of that was lost to time.

"Surprisingly there were plenty of artists who were delighted when they were contacted for the task."

He hadn't exactly been the most willing of subjects, but- he also hadn't really been able to refuse, all things considered.

"Yes, I've seen records of the artwork some artists made in your honor, though most of what's survived has you in full armor or merely obscured your face." Certainly Thrawn had yet to find commissioned art that depicted him as the Chiss that he was. He was also going to go digging for any records of the artwork that Altair commissioned next time he was at the Hand fortress.

Starting to get discomforted at all the affectionate couples, Thrawn moved away from the fountain, towards a more secluded path. This path surrounded them with trees with colorful lights hanging off of them to illuminate the way. In between the trees were the odd statue or two.

"It seems to me that the Sith in general preferred artwork that ensured that they would be remembered for all time. Large statues and carved wall hangings, for example."

He paused to examine a statue of a couple in a passionate embrace.

"What I am didn't really stay a secret, but... Well."

His armor, his robes, and his veils. They had been very much part of his image, and he'd been happy with that. The few artworks that had been made of him that showed him as the Chiss that he was had been commissioned by those who wanted him to be immortalized as a person and not a symbol.

Altair hadn't agreed that it was necessary, but as he'd been fond of those who asked, had allowed a few paintings and the like to depict him not as an unknowable Sith but as a man, "A few paintings were made showing me as I am, at the request of those I was closest to."

And at the request of a few artists who had been struck by inspiration. As one who often sponsored artists, he'd found himself unable to turn them down, given that he was an artist in his own right and knew how important it was to create art one was passionate about.

"You're not wrong though. And while I see the value in such works of art, they're not something I'd want created of or for me. They're the art of my people for the most part, and that alone gives me a certain fondness for them, but..."

He shrugged, and then nodded to the statue of the couple, "While this might be a tad too... Romantic... For my tastes, it's much more in line with the sort of art I both commissioned and enjoyed in general, back in my own time. Any Sith can find an appreciation for art that gives off a certain disconcerting feeling, as I think I well proved earlier today, but..."

He smiled then, since he didn't think he was saying something Thrawn wasn't already aware of, "Of course you know all of that about me already."

"Yes," Thrawn confirmed. Art did very little to hide one's true self from him. "But that does not mean I do not appreciate you telling me things about yourself." It felt more personal for Altair to talk about himself, even after Thrawn read his artwork.

He continued to walk, moving on from the statue to admire to tree lights. They were a variety of colors, and made the leaves shimmer. "You had to let others see you as a Sith, rather than a Chiss, because of our kind's prejudice towards our Force sensitives."

"I thought I did. My parents and grandparents hated me for something that I could not control. Had I not been born as a slave in the Sith Empire, I imagine I would never have lived to see adulthood."

Being slaves had never stopped them from raising a hand to hurt him. But due to the unique situation, and the fact that they worried about the harsh punishments that might come their way should they destroy Imperial property, they had never hurt him so badly that he wouldn't recover from his injuries.

Still, because of them, he had lived his life in fear of everything that had to do with his species, and preferred hiding himself from them when he met them, even as he'd climbed to the top of the Empire. The only person he had never really feared was Aden, and that was because of their bond in the Force.

"And because they were all I knew, I thought all Chiss would react to me as they did. Though I was eventually proven at least somewhat wrong, my fear never fully subsided. It hasn't, even now."

It was probably a good thing that he had worn his armor around Thrawn in the beginning, since he'd often found himself flinching in his presence, despite his body language ranging between neutral and confident, depending. Had it not been for his armor, Altair imagined their relationship would be pretty awkward even now.

He looked up to the lights in the trees too, and smiled. It was pretty.

And pretty romantic, though he was trying not to think too much about that.

"Besides, I am a Sith too, so I didn't mind been seen as one, even if it meant burying other parts of me."

He probably shouldn't mention the fact that he'd spent much time gathering things from the Ascendancy. Art, plants, banners and the like. He already felt like he was coming of as pitiful enough, and that wasn't really how he preferred to be seen. Especially not by one of the only people whose opinion he actually valued in this time.

"Same goes for now. Having a Sith around is more useful than having some random other Chiss around, isn't it?"

"When we first met, I may have agreed with that sentiment," Thrawn admitted. "At first, you were simply useful. I could think of many advantages to having a Sith who was loyal to me. Then when I realized that you are Chiss, I felt... relief. Relief at having another of my kind close by."

The Empire of the Hand had plenty of Chiss, of course, but it wasn't the same. He couldn't see them every day, for they had important duties around his empire. Having Altair nearby was a comfort, even if they had remained distant towards one another for a while after that revelation.

The path took them out of the trees, into a secluded statue garden. "You are useful as a Sith, but that is not your only worth."

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