Altair Kallig (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
kallig) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
boxofmisfits2021-10-22 04:14 am
kallig) wrote in boxofmisfits2021-10-22 04:14 am
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."
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."
no subject
Looking to Thrawn briefly, he smiled, even though he was still a somewhat deeper shade of purple. He found that he didn't mind very much that he'd acted a fool, even if he was a little embarrassed.
"In this case I don't mind it so much."
He hummed, "He is the man I admire most in the entire galaxy, after all. How was I expected to keep my head screwed on right?"
A bit of a humorous tone, but entirely fond. Clearly embarrassed, and yet willing to say it as it was.
As they entered the restaurant and found a table, Altair was a little bit hesitant to let go of Thrawn's hand- giving a final squeeze before letting go so they could take their seat and browse the menu.
"I did, yes. It was beautiful."
It had been, but his gaze still flicked to Thrawn briefly as he said that, suggesting that the garden had rather paled in comparison to the man he'd been with. Still, he had enjoyed it very much. Even if the atmosphere had been rather wild when they'd been surrounded by couples.
no subject
He also caught that glimpse his way while they looked over the menu. "Speaking of, where are the flowers you picked, Thrass?"
"Back at the hotel. I bought a pair of vases and filled them with water," Thrass replied.
When their waitress came by, Thrass ordered a glass of wine, while Thrawn selected an iced tea. They also ordered their dinner, having already decided what they wanted.
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Altair was curious about the flowers Thrass had picked too. He could put the ones he got from Thrawn in water once they got back to the hotel too- though there was no rush, since he was already using the Force to make sure that they wouldn't wilt before then. In the past he had used the Force to keep someone alive for just moments more for some reason or another. Never had he thought that he would use it for something like keeping flowers given to him by his lover alive.
He liked it though.
When the waitress came, Altair ordered a cup of tea, and another small portion of food for dinner- one of the soups on the menu would be sufficient, he felt. It was certainly more than he'd normally eat so soon, at least, thanks to the food not coming out of his personal stash of rations, keeping him from going into conservation mode.
Looking back to Thrass after ordering his food, he tilted his head, "Did you end up finding any music, by the way?"
Thrawn had said that Thrass went off in search of music shows, after all. It was probably not entirely truthful on Thrass's part, Altair knew, but still.
no subject
"Hm? Oh yes, I found some music. Some lovely street musicians were performing, and I gave them a nice tip."
While Thrass had ditched Thrawn to be alone with Altair, he had in fact stopped to listen to some street performers. But then again, street performers were quite abundant here, so he wouldn't have had to look very long or hard to find some that were playing music.
"Be thankful that you did not have to witness overtly affectionate couples at the fountain," Thrawn said.
no subject
Perhaps it was worth looking into somewhere to go where they could all watch a musical performance. Since Thrass seemed to particularly enjoy music, it was probably something they could all do together while they had the time. And it had been a while since Altair had watched a performance too.
"I must admit I haven't attended a proper musical performance since I was on the Dark Council. The Kaas City opera was splendid though. Had my own private box there and everything."
As had been the case for all Dark Councilors of course, whether they were the type to attend or not. Still, Altair had liked it, and had even sponsored a few talents. Not as frequently as he did for other types of artists, but still.
Everything that had come after that had always been more informal affairs such as a bit of music to go with a specific celebration.
As Thrawn mentioned the couple at the fountain, his expression faltered a little bit, an awkward sort of look with a bit of a laugh, and a bit of a blush too, "Yes, the atmosphere there was... Certainly something."
no subject
Whenever Thrass dragged Thrawn to a live performance, be it a play, concert or opera, he always reserved a private box for just the two of them, so his brother didn't get overwhelmed.
"And you're okay now?" Thrass asked, concerned about Thrawn. He knew how socially awkward his brother was, and how he wasn't comfortable with overt displays of affection in public.
"Once we went to a more secluded area of the park, I was," Thrawn assured him.
no subject
It would be nice to attend an opera again in the future, but that could wait until an opportunity arose. Though they had time off right now, the galaxy needed Thrawn, after all, and Altair wanted to be useful to him, so until certain enemies were dead and gone, the opera could indeed wait.
"Yes, thankfully it wasn't like that everywhere."
The atmosphere had been a bit much for him too. He was Sith of course, so perhaps a bit better at handling seeing something like that, but. He'd been glad to get away from it. And the more secluded area had certainly been advantageous, too.
Though he'd say nothing of the sort.
"It really was a very beautiful place though. I already have so many ideas for new artwork. I'm definitely going to need to stock up on some new crafting supplies though. The flowers in particular gave me a lot of inspiration."
no subject
Their server came by with their drinks and their food. Thrawn had ordered a wrap, while Thrass got a salad, both looking more filling than the soup that Altair ordered.
"Fortunately, there's more than a few craft stores where you may stock up," Thrawn said. "Altair and I also agreed not to announce our relationship at the moment. You understand that it's a matter of pragmatism, of course."
"You know I'm no gossip," Thrass replied. "I will keep this information to myself." He looked at Altair. "Lorana mentioned the other week that Jedi aren't allowed to have romantic partners and are sworn to celibacy. Was that true of the Sith as well?"
no subject
"I- No. No, it was not."
Altair figured that Thrass was likely worried for his brother, with that line of questioning. If Sith, like Jedi, were forbidden from loving another, then he thought it was easy to assume that Altair too would come to change his mind in the future and probably break Thrawn's heart in the process.
"Sith are free to indulge in passions. Encouraged, even. I won't say that love was often on a Sith's mind as we were encouraged to prioritize ourselves above all else, to the point where love might seem like it would be discouraged, but. All Sith seek to break their chains to attain freedom."
The shape of that freedom wasn't always the most productive, but for Altair, his freedom was one that allowed him to love others. And fall in love, too.
"If one Sith chooses to love another, then that is that Sith's business. We weren't quite as... Unified as the Jedi, in that regard. Even if there had been something in our code forbidding us from romance, a Sith would wish to defy it."
Sith were stubborn creatures who liked to go their own way, after all. It was why Altair had loved his people so much, even if those stubborn attituded had been a serious pain in the neck at times.
"I'm sure you can imagine how colorful we all were back when there were more of us."
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"And now you know," Thrawn stated. He turned to Altair, "I can imagine, yes. Sadly, very few pieces of art from that era of history remain, and even written historical records are not easy to come by."
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Ever curious and ever wanting to learn, but it was an arrogant man who thought he knew all there was to know about the Force. And while Altair had his arrogance in a few areas, that was not one of them.
"The Force is more than just light or dark, too. And Jedi and Sith were not all there were."
A lot of cultures had had their own views on the Force, and Force sensitives had had their own roles to play within those cultures. It had certainly been interesting.
Looking to Thrawn, he smiled, "I won't be able to help much with the art, but how fortunate that you have a living relic like me to give you any information you might want from my era and the eras before."
Altair was willing to share all of his knowledge, after all. Happily, when it came to Thrawn. That was, of course, more recent, but as of just now, Altair thought that he would share anything that Thrawn might wish to know. Since he trusted him.
no subject
Altair had helped him obtain Iokath and what remained of the Eternal Fleet thanks to having visited that world before. His Empire was still working on those ships. Thrawn had even tasked some engineers to see if they could reverse-engineer the Fleet's technology, including the throne. If the throne couldn't be removed from Iokath without losing its functionality, then he wanted to know if it could at least be replicated.
"Even if the Sith were forbidden to love, would that really have stopped you?" Thrass teased Altair.
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Perhaps a little arrogant of him, but he was Sith.
Looking to Thrass then, he smiled, "No, it wouldn't have. It merely means I'd have to rewrite the rules."
In this time it wouldn't have been very difficult at all, of course, given that there weren't exactly thousands upon thousands of Sith, but his tone of voice suggested that he meant that he would have had to rewrite the rules and bend any other Sith to that will regardless of how many there were.
no subject
"So, perhaps we may return to the hotel so that you may put those flowers in some water," Thrass suggested.