04 Network, Video;

[kallig]

[The video clicks on to a... Slightly older looking Altair, in clothes much finer than he wore before. He looks perhaps a bit more tired than ever, though not confused- so it's safe to assume he remembers his time on Agra 10.]

Back again, then. And... [He looks around, unfamiliar surroundings, but his memories are true- another trip off planet thanks to the Agrii then?] In the middle of some sort of event, it seems? A little hotter here than I would have preferred, but beggars can't be choosers.

[At least this time around, he'd been taken from a somewhat calmer situation. He'd been standing contemplating the Eternal Throne, and then he was here. He really can't complain. Given that he couldn't remember Agra 10 during his absence from it, he's sure the GEMINI Captains won't go rogue without him.] How long has it been since I was here?

It feels like forever, but...

[He's going to need to seek out some people regardless, he supposes.]

Comments

[Video]

[out_of_order]

Altair? You're back..!

Video;

[kallig]

I am. And happy to see another friendly face.

[He offers a smile. He's already been informed that it hasn't been very long at all, but still.]

Glad to see you're hanging in there. [Not okay, maybe. The storm was pretty bad when he disappeared, so he would've had to deal with that.

But hanging in there, at least.]

[out_of_order]

[A partial smile twitches on Cal's face.]

As well as I can.

[He's not going to even talk about the storm, and as strange as the place that they've found themselves in is, he's just glad to be away from storms and ruins.]

...where were you? Did...did you actually go home?

[That had been the report anyway, but who could really know?]

[kallig]

I did. Though I did not remember being here when I returned... And it was as though no time had passed at all.

[He'd had to deal with the fallout after Ziost. He'd visited that dead world again, stood on the surface, seen what had become of it.

Still, that is very long ago for him, now.] I was home for a long time. Over seven years. So much has changed now...

[out_of_order]

Seven years...

[No wonder he looked different.]

It's only been...a week, if even that, since it was mentioned that you'd disappeared.

[kallig]

Admittedly I was frozen in carbonite for five of them. Not exactly the most fun I've had in my life, locked inside my own mind with the former Sith Emperor as company.

[There's a gentle hint of snark, though a certain amount of weariness, too.]

Still, I am in a better place to be able to help the Agrii now than I was. Time hasn't healed old wounds, exactly, but...

[Things have changed, at least.]

[out_of_order]

[Cal visibly winces at that.]

I've spent just as long hiding from the Empire while working on a planet they controlled, but I don't think that quite compares to your experience.

[At least he'd been as free as one could hope to be, eking out a meager living, not that it was any more fun, feeling like you always had to look over your shoulder, never knowing who or what could be watching, just waiting for you to slip up.]

Maybe that's why they brought you back, then. Although it seems like they're trying to make us feel better after what we'd experienced.

[kallig]

Do our experiences need to be comparable to tell that we both have suffered for them?

[Suffering isn't exactly a competition, and if there's anything Altair has learned from getting to know Cal, it's that his past weighs heavily on him.]

Perhaps. Knowing that no time passes at home while we are here, helps. I'm sure I'll be back to complaining about the Agrii in no time regardless, though.

[That was a joke.]

[out_of_order]

Heh. No, I guess not.

...it is nice to know. Not that it gives the Agrii a pass for their methods, of course.

[kallig]

It does not. Still, I appreciate that any fires left that need to be put out, won't burn my home to cinders while I'm away.

[Given the state of the galaxy he really appreciates that.]

I think it would also be considered rude, for a new Emperor to abscond without notice and leave his people leaderless.

[out_of_order]

Definitely reassuri-

Wait, emperor? Sounds like a lot happened even with you stuck in carbonite.

[kallig]

Somewhat against my own wishes, but with the Sith Empire and Republic both having been bombed nearly to dust from the invasion of the Eternal Empire...

[He sighs.] Taking the throne was the only way I could think of to support the galaxy while everyone worked on rebuilding from a war that nearly ended all of us.

To say that a lot happened would be an understatement.

[out_of_order]

[There's a lot to wrap his head around. He's not even sure where this Eternal Empire comes from, much less fits in, but he's not sure he wants to ask about that. But it seems like there needs to be little more explanation when war is a major element.]

Did you have any competition?

[kallig]

I dealt with two insane Emperors, an amoral droid with delusions of grandeur, an insane Empress, a former Republic Chancellor who thought it would be such fun to try and assassinate both me and the Empress of the Sith so she could rule herself... The road to the throne was nothing but competition...

[There's some definite irritation there, as he thinks back on all those roadblocks.]

It all culminated in a final tug-of-war over my own body with my mental stowaway. Since then, none have challenged my right to rule.

[Why yes, he has had just. The most fun.]

[out_of_order]

...wow.

[Seriously, what do you even say to that? Clearly Altair isn't someone you want to mess with.]

Well, with that sort of reputation someone would have to be crazy to try.

[kallig]

You'd be surprised. I wish I could say the peace that reigned after all was said and done lasted, but... It didn't take long for the Republic and the Empire to set their sights on each other again...

[Altair supposes it would take more than six or so years of total galactic war to get them to settle their differences.

Doesn't stop him from looking very, very tired though.]

[out_of_order]

Taking that into perspective with what's going on where I'm from, it's kind of disheartening.

[kallig]

It's... Certainly something. I'd hoped for a lasting peace, and dedicated my fleets to help transport refugees and bring supplies where they were needed...

[He sighs deeply.] The hatred between the Republic and the Empire must be much too ancient, I suppose.

[out_of_order]

Lasting peace would be preferable, but I feel like any semblance of peace at all is still an accomplishment.

I'm sure what you've done has made a lot of difference.

[kallig]

I just wish I could have done more. People are still suffering and... I feel like I'm just not enough.

[... Yeah, some Sith he is, he knows.] I suppose it's something that can wait until I get home, at any rate.

[out_of_order]

I feel like that's always going to be a thing, always wishing you could do more, or could have done something different...

It'll probably just drive you crazy to think about when you're here. Although speaking of here, I guess this is the Agrii's idea of trying to take it easy.

[kallig]

I suppose it is, yes.

[Well, not that he minds a vacation or anything.] It is a bit too hot here for me to be truly comfortable- don't know what you know about the Chiss, but we're from an ice planet. Apparently. I was born in the Empire, but-

Well, even then, I was born on a cold world.

[That's all he'll really say. Years have passed, but he's still not remotely okay when it comes to what happened to Ziost.]

I guess I can't complain too much though.

[out_of_order]

I've actually never met any before you. I can see how this could take some getting used to.

True though. I mean, it's better than the storms. And not being somewhere that's been abandoned is a nice change.

[He's been around enough places like that even before he got to Temba.]

I don't know that I can relax, but there's no harm in making the most of being here. Maybe we can get some supplies.

[kallig]

I'm told the Chiss are a very private species and not entirely too common outside of the Ascendancy even in my time. It's not strange that you haven't met any before.

Admittedly I'm a poor example of the Chiss, though.

[out_of_order]

I see. And my own experience traveling around the galaxy's been pretty limited.

How so?