Myriad Reckonings

"Yes," Lady Tris said with a nod. "He is one who was most delicate in wakefulness. It was easier for him to retreat from physicality into the safety of the Heart."

"Take care with him," Kurra advised quietly.

Sirejj had no intention of harming him. He must maintain the balance of pressure- just enough to learn what he wanted, but not enough to hurt anyone or himself. His duty was a delicate one. "He has done so due to the things he has seen in this life." Sirejj didn't see any clear memories, but he put the ends together. This elder was particularly sensitive.

He let himself become a part of the room around him, feeling out the thoughts and emotions of those there, at least the ones he could. He was careful, allowing his mind to mingle with the spirit of Atoa and don a familiar presence to those he questioned. His touch was now less foreign.

Spoiler

waxing poetic here; bear with me morning is apparently when I vibe the most

"Just so."


***



The fall of Atoa was not immediately present in the minds of the inhabitants, but it lingered always in the way they spoke, the way they moved, their glances. Atoa, that gleaming planet-god, the life-giver, raining crystal sand and snow down on its children, curled restlessly toward Sirejj's presence.

There was a time not long ago when the mountains were aflame; the stones and soil melted and burned and down came the soldiers crawling like white beetles to shoot and rape and steal. The winter became a furnace and the tunnels, the veins of Atoa, were choked with gas and desperate people.

Up in soundless space, the interloper watched with glacial eyes. Carried from far away in a spearpoint-ship, he reaped but did not sow.
Grief and anger roiled above and below; misplaced blame and raw hatred that rattled the planet's very core. How small these creatures were, and yet how immediately they devastated this shimmering land. It was a lesson Atoa did not soon forget; it bore the scars still.

Spoiler

this entire plotline has poetry woven into it wdym

also sry i was gonna post but actually fell asleep instead bc i was listening to some good music for writing this

aLSO Sirejj seeing these things (and suffering a little because of it) is inadvertently sparing these people's remaining civilization. He's not going to bring Tarkin a prisoner, and he's going to show him the truth, which will make him realize the extermination of these people was pointless. if Tarkin also gets mad and tries to do something to the Atoans Sirejj would be in his way for sure

The presence of Atoa hit Sirejj like an icy wave. The frigid air rushed into his lungs and brought life to the world around him. He saw glimpses of the past before the dreamers had resolved themselves to eternal sleep. He took a deep breath, feeling a rush of energy as his mind grew nearer to the planet's lifeforce. The whispers of the ancients still connected to their planet spoke to him. He saw many flickers of memories, some of Kurra and her family, and some of faces he'd never seen and yet somehow knew their names. Memories of a life above the tunnels, and memories of what drove them underground.

But memories of that quiet civilization had been buried along with its destruction, and the further he reached out, the more images began to melt away as the flame and stench of burning homes and bodies filled his nostrils.

The billowing smoke grew closer, and Sirejj took a half step backwards, but as he hesitated, the images flickered almost out of existence and he began to recognize the room he stood in physically. Returning to his stance, he lowered his defense, and against his better judgement, allowed the smoke to engulf him where he stood.

The walls of the room vanished quickly. The smothering heat struck him in the chest and drove the coolness of Atoa’s lifeforce from his lungs. His eyes burned. His mouth tasted of ash. Memories from so many assailed his mind. The pain and terror of the death of an entire world surrounded him and his skin burned as flecks of molten rock, like so many falling stars, fell from the sky above and melted through it.

Injustice did not begin to describe what had taken place here.

The pressure was too great. He struggled to remain standing as if the sky itself was pushing him down. He retreated, thinking back to his imprint on the room where the ancients lay. Slowly it came back into view, and the damp, musty smell of the caves reached him. His feet were once again planted on solid stone. It grew cold again, but the acid and smoke still burned in his chest. He blinked, and there stood Kurra as she had been before.

Sirejj looked to Kurra and her mother, his eyes reflecting what he had just seen. He knew one side of the story, but only one. His face was twisted in discomfort as the weight of the elders’ minds seemed to still rest on his shoulders.

The overbearing sense that he'd been told the wrong story about the Fall of Atoa and Garoche Tarkin burdened his spirit. His mind was still reeling, the voices of so many still crying in his ears. “What brought the wrath of the stars to this world?” He said at length, his voice lowered as if his question may disturb the ears of the resting.

Spoiler

Freaking amazing. I can't wait for this; let's drive some WEDGES between our protagonists!!

Falling asleep to good music is honestly a vibe though

Kurra stood ramrod straight, her eyes wide and severe. It was clear she knew exactly what he'd just delved into, and violation radiated off of her. Lady Tris seemed considerably less shaken, though her hands trembled as she gripped her cane.

"What makes you believe you are entitled to ask such a thing?" she asked quietly. "What gave you the right to commit such a transgression as you have now?" There was no anger, no blame in her voice; she sounded more as if she were fishing for a specific answer. Her rheumy eyes watched him closely, tracing the pain in his face as if it were her own.

Spoiler

finding out what happened to Garoche is kinda gonna hit Sirejj like a ton of bricks whether he likes it or not. I'd like to imply it's due to Atoa's will for the truth to be shown more than it is any kind of attachment on Sirejj's part

Sirejj's eyes focused on her, but his tone was equally expressionless. "I was not hunting for what I saw, it simply revealed itself." He took a shaky breath, attempting to return his focus entirely to the room where he stood. "Perhaps these things are revealed to me because this world's fate has proved so alike the fate of my own." Had he been less focused on the task at hand, his mind may have wandered to his own past suffering and the burning of Dathomir, but now was not the time for self-pity.

"I have sensed the disturbance since I stepped foot on this world. It forever weighs on my mind, only I cannot see it. But I feel it in each step I take. With each breath I draw. I sense its presence in all of you who've survived. And yet I do not know why." His question was genuine rather than prying. The feeling began to creep upon him that there were larger forces at play than simply his quest for knowledge. He wouldn't be so troubled if it was that straightforward.

Spoiler

That makes sense to me! I seem to have accidentally set Atoa up to be a somewhat sentient planet so let's run with that.

"Scorched worlds are scarred in more ways than one," Tris replied. "The Heart bleeds from wounds struck long ago--this is the way of things." She glanced at Kurra. "Your arrival was not unexpected, young one. I sensed it when you stepped foot on this world. There will be changes in the galaxy brought by what you learn here--for better or for worse. Are you prepared for the repercussions? The responsibility?"

Spoiler

well the force is kinda semi-sentient so it's not a stretch in the least. and it makes sense that the individual cultures are going to be more connected to their version of the Force vs the Sith and Jedi who see it from a galactic pov

ok but the character development happening rn

Sirejj found himself hesitating. Accepting such a thing was the antithesis of his entire existence up to this point. The idea of being bound to a predetermined fate was revolting, and for a second a struggle arose inside of him. His first inclination was to retreat, but as his mind drifted there the weight on his shoulders grew almost unbearable. That was enough confirmation that he had little choice in the matter.

"I do not believe I have any other option." He said quietly.

Spoiler

We are HERE for it

Tris dipped her head. "Very well. May I ask what it is you'll do with the information I'm about to divulge?"

"Will harm come to us because of it?" Kurra asked sharply. Her entire body was tense now.

Raia had returned to the main chamber, watching from the doorway. Her brow was furrowed as she listened to her family's side of the conversation.

Sirejj's attention was caught by Kurra's words first. His shoulders relaxed a little. It was a legitimate question. "I would not be here if I thought my presence or the knowledge I gain would bring harm to your people." He looked at the Lady Tris. "I simply wish to know the truth. And I believe...I must also do my part to right the transgressions that have taken place here." He was extremely careful with his words, for he was still unsure how much they actually knew. "I have come to believe that there are many who may believe lies about who brought about the destruction of this world. It is my intent to set the record straight."

"One cannot make right what has already been done," Tris said patiently. "You seek to place blame?"

"We know who is to blame." Kurra turned away. "Mother, I do not wish to hear this."

"Then go, child." Tris gave her daughter a disapproving look. "If you cannot steel yourself against memories, perhaps you were never fit to train this man."

Kurra's fists clenched slightly, but she didn't move from where she stood.

"Very well." Tris turned her attention back to Sirejj. "Blame will not bring back Atoa or its people. It cannot erase the ministrations of the apostate or the foreigners who came here."

"But it can perhaps stay the wrath of those who still believe the lies." He still couldn't figure who they were referring to. None of the pieces fit together, and that made him even more curious to discover what truly happened. A little glimmer of rebellion and pride also shone in his heart. To be able to prove wrong those who had been so confident in the atrocities they'd committed would be a reward in and of itself.

"Perhaps. Or it could make it worse." Tris was silent for a moment, and she closed her eyes. "But that is not for us to know--not yet." She limped over to a bench and seated herself. "Very well. I have delayed too long already; you wish to know what occurred here and I can tell you some of it." She raised a finger. "But I do not know all that transpired. I can tell you only what I felt and what we saw afterward. I can make educated guesses."

Sirejj stood before her. Seldom would he sit unless beckoned. "That is all I can ask."

Lady Tris cleared her throat and settled for a moment, making sure she was comfortable. Then, keeping eye contact with Sirejj, she began.

"I cannot begin to tell you of our story's end without first offering you a brief history of the Atoan people. We were a proud culture, strong in faith and strong in number. The beating of the Final Heart was laced through every aspect of our way of life, from how we set the table to how we formed our government.
"We were a religious oligarchy in the very beginning, but dissension split us into four factions each ruled by a single priest or priestess. These gave way to various denominations. We who remain belong to the Ochor faction, the denomination that has remained most faithful to the original traditions. The instigator of our fall, the apostate, was once the high priestess of Ochor."

Here Kurra's face twisted with uncharacteristic pain and anger, and she strode out of the room. Tris watched her go, then resumed.

"Our high priestess was Lady Saro, young but wise far beyond her years. She was charismatic, humorous, ambitious--everything one appreciates in a politician. She was also devout and deeply dedicated to reuniting our fractured faith." She frowned. "Saro made many friends in the short time she was high priestess, but she made many enemies as well. The other factions rejected her attempts to make peace, and even those of the Ochor found her methods...concerning. She was swift to use leverage and coercion, which worked to a certain extent. People forgave her because she had a magnetic personality and professed to have Atoa's best interests at heart--I felt that she did, and I know she did. But as I said, her methods were against the doctrine.
"It was four years into her leadership that the foreign government came and began slaughtering citizens from all factions."