video: un: amidala

[democratically]

I can't say it is quite what I was expecting...

[As she starts to record, Padmé offers a gentle smile. There is a quiet calm to her, although any that would know her well knows that it is a countenance that she wears and that within, brews a storm. She is dressed in a manner that is known in her own galaxy but which might well seem a bit strange to others. Yet they are clothing of a style that she dons on a regular basis to Senate meetings- a thick rich layered gown of velvet with an ornate hair piece haloing her head.]

While I'm not certain how long I will remain here, I do admit that I haven't been planet-bound since I was younger, and even then, it was not for long.

[Her voice is soft but also strong and those brown eyes are drawn away from the feed, regarding the sky for a moment. It is an atmosphere that holds no meaning to her, at least as its stands, but there are some things in this place that she can understand, that are universal no matter where one is. She does begin to speak again, her focus still out there on that great unknown, wondering just what lays beyond... Yet her gaze is drawn back and she gives a little nod of her head, before making eye contact again.]

My name is Padmé Amidala, a Senator for the planet of Naboo, and I offer a greeting. It seems, if I am to understand this correctly, that we are all here by the same means, caught in the same situation. As it seems I may well be here for some time, I would be interested to hear more about the places you call home, for any willing to share.

[There is a genuine warmth in her voice and her smile grows ever so. The situation may be foreign, but she can find some common ground to begin with while remaining true to herself. The rest... She will with piece by piece.]

I would, of course, speak of my own as well, for those who wished to hear of it. I am curious to see just how far a reach this place has, and whether Naboo or Coruscant or even any of the other planets that make up the Galactic Republic are known to anyone here.

Comments

video: un; apparition

[unphase]

[Tinya has to do a double-check. she looks like Padmé, sounds like her, too. but she knows better than to make assumptions about where and when people are from]

I know how it feels to have it be strange when planet-bound, at least at first. For much of my life, I worked for my mother who was then the ambassador from our planet. It's a little creepy at first, but it gets better.

Video; un: lothrat

[ezra_of_lothal]

[Earnestly-]

I'm glad you're feeling more like yourself, Senator Amidala.

For the record, I'm from Lothal. Which is way out on the Outer Rim. I've been to Coruscant, but uh. I didn't grow up in the Jedi Temple. I didn't get to see it until I was eighteen. [And that was a whole other complicated event involving mysteriously powerful entities interfering with people gathered from across the cosmos.]

I haven't been to Naboo, but I've been told it's beautiful.

un: eudaimonikos; video

[eudaimonikos]

[Everyone else here is being extremely tactful. Tact is not one of Michael's strong suits!]

Boy, there's a lot of you around. Nice headpiece. [For what it's worth, that sounds completely genuine!] I'm Michael. I'm from a plane that operates as the human afterlife for our universe, though we're only currently serving Earth. No humans anywhere else, yet.

video | un: 10-0

[devilmind]

[ The Operator perks up at the word "planet-bound." One thing they learned very quickly when they arrived was that most people hail from universes where life has always been limited to a single planet. Meeting someone whose experiences are a little more familiar is a welcome change of pace.

Their own camera feed shows a teenager, perhaps around the age of 14, whose solemn expression is betrayed by curious golden eyes, faintly glowing. ]

Hello Lady Amidala. [ The word "Senator" is too unfamiliar for them to use it as an honorific. They aren't even sure if it denotes occupation, social class, or species. "Lady," chosen for the woman's fine clothing, will have to do. ] I am from the Origin System, orbiting the star Sol. I haven't heard of Naboo or Coruscant, but... [ They take a breath, eyes turning skyward as they count off fingers like they're reciting for school. ] Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Deimos, Ceres, Jupiter, Europa, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, and Sedna—

Have all been colonized.

[ Their gaze fixes eagerly on the camera again. ]

Is yours really a "galactic" civilization? How many solar systems have been colonized? Do you travel to them through the Void?

[ This is the first time they've spoken to someone whose universe actually sounds more technologically advanced than their own. They want to know everything. ]

video; un: tsabin

[decoyqueen]

[ It takes... a while... for Sabé to respond after she sees the video. First because she heard nothing that was actually said. Then because she had to watch it again two or three times to believe it was real and not grief messing with her.

By whatever luck, Padmé was here. She got a second chance to see her dearest friend. She wasn't going to screw this up.

So she collected her thoughts and emotions, made sure her funeral clothing was nowhere in sight of the holo... and turned it on, a slight grin on her face the only thing pushing her true emotions away. ]

You've been missed.

[ Yes she's only been here for a month, but it's been a long month of mourning. ]

( video | un: kenobi )

[jedies]

[ oh, it is a welcome thing to hear padmé's voice again. he greets her warmly. ]

Already probing the depths for diplomacy?

[democratically]

[There is a polite interest on her face, but no recollection, no hint of having ever met her before.]

It is not always a bad thing. In the future, well, I would like to settle back on Naboo.

[If the stars were willing.]

And your planet is?

[unphase]

[and that polite interest is all Tinya needs to know that the other woman doesn't remember her. so she'll keep herself silent]

No, it's not. And both Metropolis and Paris, Paris especially, were great, but there's something about being surrounded by space...[she trailed off wistfully]

Bgztl. You've likely never heard of it. It's hidden, even in my home galaxy.

[democratically]

Please, Padmé is fine.

[Offering a smile. It's not like Padmé sees any reason to stand on any sort of airs here.]

I am, yes, and thank you for the help. It is appreciated.

[Not that it still isn't strange to think about. It is. But she is far less jumbled now than she had been, and things have straightened out within her.]

Eighteen? [Which is surprising for her, given that Anakin himself had been old to join. Although she ponders over some of the information that others had spoken about. Little bits and pieces that didn't fit in with things. But, she also doesn't press, humming instead. The name is one she knows, but is not familiar with.]

I've only heard of the planet in passing, I admit. And, I may be biased, but I do fine Naboo to be very beautiful.

video; un: jk21a

[hearuthinking]

I ain't heard of your planet, Senator, but you probably ain't heard of mine, either. We call it "Earth". Third planet from the sun in our solar system. It's the only one that can support life, at least in our system. There are lots of people from Earth here, so you'll hear about it plenty.

I do know one of your generals is here. Obi-wan Kenobi.

[ezra_of_lothal]

The Jedi are here to serve, but you're welcome, Padmé. [Well, that's about the limits of his attempt at polished manners - a not small amount of which he learned from the older version of her - anyway. He visibly relaxes.]

I was fourteen when I started my training, same as the first time I left Lothal. Circumstances were...hectic. Not traditional.

[Moving on. He flips to a teasing grin.] So I'll admit to being pretty biased, too, but I bet Lothal could give Naboo a run for its money.

[democratically]

[Thankfully, or not, Padmé has tact to spare.]

Politicians?

[A small glimmer of mirth, if only because she knows what some think about politicians. She suspects humanoids, although he appears humanoid as well, at least from what she can see. Then again, she knows better than to judge any book by its cover.]

The afterlife? I cannot say that I've ever met anyone with a history like that before. Have you always been on that plane?

un: natsume.takashi

[natzoom]

[Well, that's...new.]

I'm afraid I'm from a planet that, ah...only has life on it. That we know of.

[democratically]

[Lady Amidala. That is rather formal, yet it's also clear that it's been chosen on purpose. The meaning behind it could be multi-fold, although she doesn't know enough whether it's cultural or something else (like not knowing the word).]

Hm. None of those are familiar, aside from earth in the generic use, like dirt or soil.

[Not that she doesn't roll them around in her mind a little, to see if it won't jostle something free. Yet unlike before, there's not even a small blip of anything. Yet it isn't surprising. Of the planets that she could name off of the top of her head, they would be but a handful in the ocean of planets that are written of, not to mention those that still wait in wildspace.]

It is a Galactic Republic, yes, with delegates from many different planets, systems and organizations, although I fear I'm not the person to ask about how many systems... I couldn't give an exact number.

[As for void... She isn't sure if that means space in general, or something else.]

Could you explain this void a little more?

[democratically]

[Her smile blossoms easy and true at the sight of her dear friend, beaming across her face, although it shifts a little as realization settles in. It means that Sabé is here as well, and even if Padmé has no control over that fact, she would see those that she cares about safe.]

I had not seen- did you just arrive as well, or-?

[democratically]

[There's that hint of fondness in her voice as his message comes though and she hums a little.]

After being unfamiliar with myself, I figured I may as well do something familiar.

[jedies]

Oh? And what are you planning, Senator?

[democratically]

The only earth I know is the kind one walks on.

[Not that she's studied planets to even know those that fall outside of her purview. Would that she could, if only because it would give her a greater understanding of others.]

What is your Earth like then?

[Aptly named, or in jest?]

[democratically]

There is nothing wrong with that.

[At least, you know, on a basic level... Because stars alone know what transpires on it.]

The galaxy I am from is quite varied.

[democratically]

No, I haven't, although that is a bit of a mouthful.

[Working that over in her mind a few times to try to get the pronunciation down.]

Hidden, on purpose or?

[democratically]

Of that, Naboo will never forget.

[Given the role that Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan had played in helping to free the planet from the Trade Federation.

But sensing the shift, Padmé doesn't press, instead giving her own bantered response.]

Well, your cats are rather cute, if a bit temperamental.

[democratically]

Nothing nefarious, at least for the time being.

[devilmind]

[ So many systems that she can't even count them all? This "Galactic Republic" must be powerful beyond imagining. Even the nigh-immortal Orokin had controlled only the Origin System and attempting to reach beyond it had been their undoing. The Operator is silent for a moment as they try to wrap their mind around the scale of it: an empire so vast as to render the Orokin at their height minuscule in comparison. To such an empire, the entire Old War likely would have seemed like nothing more than a minor territorial dispute.

There aren't many things that make the Operator feel small. This is one of the few exceptions. ]

The Void is a volatile sub-dimension of space. The laws of physics are different there, so it's possible to use it as a kind of shortcut to other systems. [ They pause, brow furrowing for a moment. Void exposure isn't exactly a pleasant subject for them, but it doesn't feel right to leave it out either. Reluctantly, they add: ] Though not without dangers.

[ Enough about that, though. The woman has already said enough to pique their interest further. ]

So all the different solar systems in the Galactic Republic work together? Who rules over them?

[unphase]

It is, but that's nothing compared to our language.

[lots of hard consonants, lots of glottal stops]

Both. We share orbital and rotational space with a planet called Terra. We're tucked away in another dimension. Our planet's a matriarchy, has been since the dawn of recorded time. Theirs wasn't. Our planet's stayed relatively peaceful, with the occasional trade war. Theirs? Not so much.

We chose to stay hidden until the 28th century by their reckoning because my foremothers were worried that if we didn't, their ways would...give undue influence over ours.

[decoyqueen]

No... I've been here a month now, still settling in.

[ The smile right now is enough for Sabé- and even though she'd been holding back her own emotions, she couldn't help but smile just as brightly to match. ]