reija etain (galacticsenator) wrote in thegalaxy, @ 2016-05-27 18:22:00 |
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"Lady Reija?"
The sudden voice caused her to start, and Reija turned quickly from her spot at the balcony. She had been staring blankly out at the grounds surrounding her family's estate when the protocol droid appeared. The silver-colored droid stood expectantly and Reija sighed. She didn't bother to correct the title because she supposed the droid was accurate - she wasn't really a senator anymore, was she? There wasn't really a Senate left. It was a thought that, if she ever spent too much time dwelling on it, Reija felt she might drown. So instead, she took in a shaky breath and exhaled it heavily.
"Yes, Jay-Ayt?" she intoned, stepping back into her rooms and pulling the doors shut behind her.
"Your mother wants to know if you'll be attending dinner or if someone should send something up," the droid commented, shuffling further into the room and tilting its head to await her response.
Reija pressed her lips together in a thin line. Ever since she returned from Drogaa's funeral, her mother had barely allowed her any time to herself. It was as if she were afraid that if Reija spent too long on her own, she might vanish. It was to be expected, though. Reija herself often wondered if it might be so. She felt as if she were floating half of the time. Her uncle called it Survivor's guilt and she could see the aspects of it in her thoughts and her actions. Still, it was the least she could do, wasn't it? Take on some suffering for the horrors the bulk of the Senate had to endure. And she couldn't do that here. Not with the way her mother looked at her and clung to her. Things were so painfully the same here.
"That's not necessary," Reija finally spoke. "I'll be leaving shortly." She took in a breath as the protocol droid waited. "Tell my mother...," she trailed off as her voice wavered, catching in her throat. Lifting a hand to brush away a tear, Reija sniffed and did her best to pull herself together. "Tell my mother that I love her... but I can't just hide. Not here. Not like this." She offered the droid a teary smile as it nodded and then repeated the information back to her. "Thank you, Jay-Ayt."
---
General Leia Organa wasn't necessarily someone Reija felt she had much in common with - at least, politically speaking. Not necessarily in any other realm either, to be honest. While Reija's family was wealthy and had quite a bit of status on Orinda, she was far from royalty. Neither did she have the steeped familial drama that Leia carried. But nevertheless, Reija respected Leia Organa deeply. Whether she was in the right or not, Leia did things from the sort of stance Reija appreciated. It might not be what she considered the right way, but Leia was still fighting for what was right. The Resistance was fighting for what was right. So even if she couldn't condone their actions, Reija also understood they were the best fighting chance the Republic had to get back on its feet. She didn't have to condone the Resistance to seek shelter there.
It wasn't that Orinda wasn't safe - her home would've been a perfectly acceptable location to lay low and grieve. But Reija couldn't do that. Her grief was too large; she felt it might crush her if she stayed here. D'Qar would be filled with people who were doing things. She could have the distraction of discourse, possibly. The encouragement that at least something was being done to combat the First Order. Orinda could keep her safe from the First Order, but it couldn't protect her from the ghosts of all those senators she had served with. She needed something more for that.
She took a diplomatic cruiser, marked with the colors that declared her diplomatic immunity to anyone who might come into contact with her. It was small and old, but it would serve her purpose. As would the small fleet of droids she collected from her family. Reija made a point to leave swiftly, not allowing time for a face-to-face goodbye with her mother. She didn't think she had the strength to survive a pleading for her to remain on Orinda.
As her ship left Orinda's orbit, Reija brushed away a tear looking out over her homeworld. "Goodbye," she whispered, before signalling for the slip into hyperspace.