Casiella Truza shimmers into view in the entryway of The Last Gate, blinking a few times as she takes stock of her surroundings. She appears dressed in a reasonably fashionable but not too revealing dress, moving slightly uncertainly as if she’s not quite certain how to control her movements in this form. She hasn’t done this sort of thing before, but holopresence was the only way to have this meeting given the other demands on her time.
Telfana Kereth smiles as the waitress sets the plate of raw fish down on the table in front of her. Sickle, a hanging long-limb, slides down Telfana’s arm onto the table and begins slowly devouring the fish. She sips at her sake glass while watching Sickle closely. He continues eating, stopping every few moments to closely follow a passing person with his camera eyes before returning to his meal.
Casi finally spots Telfana and her pet and jerkily makes her way over to the table. The Sebiestor woman smiles slightly with a nod. “Still getting used to this type of presence, hm.”
Telfana smiles up at Casi and pets Sickle. “Hello Miss Truza. I hope your discomfort doesn’t last long, then.” Sickle finishes eating his meal and warily watches Casiella, then climbs up Telfana’s shoulder and resumes his perch.
Casi just smiles slightly in response. After trying a couple of times, she finally succeeds in taking a seat.
The Sansha puts a hand to her mouth and suppresses a laugh. “Perhaps you need to adjust your interface.”
Casiella wiggles slightly, trying to get used to this. She’s used this sort of holopresence before, that’s all. But maybe she’s starting getting the hang of it.
Telfana doesn’t like holos. She notes that she prefers physical presence whenever possible. Her skin shimmers a faint blue tinge as she smiles. Sickle reaches around Telfana and pulls himself over her head to her other shoulder. The two women pause for a moment before Telfana hisses softly at Sickle and fixes her hair with an annoyed look. “I hate sitting alone and drinking anything. And you seemed like such a curious person when we last spoke.”
Casiella chuckles and shakes her head in denial. “I’m afraid I’m really not that interesting, but thanks for saying so.”
Telfana pets Sickle gently, its light silver, metal-plated skin meshing well with the faint blue tinge to Telfana’s skin.
Casi pauses for a moment, tapping her finger on her chin in thought. She inquires whether the Sansha-loyal capsuleers are mostly active outside Stain, the region still held by the remnants of the Nation.
The Sansha woman, her features reflecting her Achuran heritage, tells here that it’s where they can do the most good. “And most of us prefer not to be reminded constantly of the Relics.”
Nearby, another Sansha woman responds gruffly. “Stain is a hellhole these days… Why would we want to be there?”
Casiella just frowns and tilts her head slightly. She asks about rebuilding or safety from the other nations.
In answer, Telfana says, “for the moment, we’re safe so long as the Empire’s don’t particularly notice us. But there’s far too much chaotic capsuleer combat in Stain to make our time there useful.”
“But the Nation still holds its own sovereignty?”
The second Sansha woman nearby chuckles. “Well we move about plenty. That probably gets a few off our trail.” She offers a smile, though its unclear whether she does so in a friendly gesture or just with satisfaction.
But Telfana sighs sadly. “If you could call what it has left something to be sovereign over…”
Biting her bottom lip in thought, Casi asks about the Dream.
“The Dream is in our hearts and minds still, of course. But its physical manifestation has become something closer to a nightmare.”
Casi leans forward slightly, her voice quickening. “So beyond fighting meaninglessly, what do you do to help bring it about?”
A nearby young Caldari woman drains the last from her bottle of beer and looks to the Sebiestor woman. “No fight is meaningless if the person fighting believes in what they’re fighting for.”
Telfana frowns a bit and her skin shimmers again. “It’s not meaningless. We help people to understand that just because one mistake was made doesn’t mean the Dream was wrong.”
Casiella just blinks and shakes her head. She apologizes and says she’s just trying to understand.
The other, nameless Caldari shrugs. “The way I see it, everyone sees other people’s fight as meaningless. An Amarrian will see a Minmatar’s fight for freedom meaningless, just like some people see Sansha supporters the same. I mean, Sansha’s Nation was practically destroyed. At least the Minmatar have a republic. Yet I see less Sansha supporters draggin’ their asses around than Minnies who’re whining about their tragic pasts. People need to stop bawlin’ and put their foot down.” She puts her empty bottle on the bartop and picks up her second, then shrugs and takes a drink. “That’s what I think anyway.”
This hadn’t gone like she intended. Casi looked at them both. “I don’t mean the struggle is meaningless. But what do wardecs in Empire space accomplish?”
Telfana Kereth listens quietly to the Caldari and pets Sickle slowly before speaking. She says she doesn’t fight these days and wouldn’t know about such wars.
This just elicits a shrug and a little smile. “Fightin’ doesn’t necessarily mean shootin’ people or declarin’ war.” Finally, she takes her beer to a sofa at the edge of the dance floor and leaves the two to their conversation.
“Miss Truza, our goal is to have our Home again. We’re willing to do what we have to do to get it. I’m not sure what there is to misunderstand.”
Casi continues to chew slightly on her bottom lip. “So what I’m really asking is, what do you have to do to do… that?”
Telfana Kereth pauses, then shrugs sadly with a bit of a sniffle. “That depends on the empires and their decisions. We don’t want conflict of any sort. That’s the whole purpose of the Nation. But I doubt they’re any more open-minded than they were a hundred years ago. Kuvakei gave the world a place of harmony, and when he did what he had to do to protect it, they destroyed him, and so many billions of innocent, peaceful people along with him. Now we’re just trying to stay alive while furthering what objectives we can. Some of us are working around the clock for ways to save the Relics, others talk, explain the truth about the Nation.”
Hearing this, Casi smiles slightly. “Now we’re talking. Doing something, not just living in the past. Revolutions don’t occur otherwise.”
Telfana smiles, though clearly a sad smile. “There have actually been a few successes in the reintegration of True Slaves, though very precious few, sadly.” After a brief prodding from Casi, she explains further. In the best case, it allows basic function to be returned to the person. The problem is the massive indoctrination their brains undergo during the implant process.”
A slow nod. “So, more social than technical, then?” Casi looks slightly deflated.
Telfana sighs. She’s not sure beyond what she’s overheard, though she suspects other things may be possible.
Casi finally looks directly at Telfana. “So, let me ask you this, then. What do you do?”
The Achuran pats Sickle gently as he chirps in her ear. “I examine old technology found on the dead worlds of the Nation. I don’t work with live specimens. Unfortunately, so much of it is so badly damaged and irradiated that it’s useless.
Casi’s eyes shine somehow, even via the holopresence. “You’ve been back there? You’ve been in the Nation itself?”
“I took a trip out there on my first day after graduating from the Academy, actually. Just me in my Ibis and civilian equipment.”
Casi tries, unsuccessfully, to keep her jaw from dropping. “That’s dedication.”
Telfana just shrugs in response. “It was something that I had to do. Nothing more to it, really.”
Despite the response, Casi is still clearly impressed at this tale of adventure. “Well, as I might’ve mentioned, I do a lot of research. Exploration. Combination of both. And now I’m going to work with this Vikarion.”
Telfana looks up at Casi, and asks whether she’s met Vikarion or heard of the “Significance” Project.
One brief nod. Casi describes her pride in the people running that project.
Telfana sighs and slips a beeping datapad out of a pocket. She’s needed at the lab. Sickle tightens his hold on Telfana’s shoulder as she stands, then relaxes his grip as she shoots him a mild glare.
As the two women leave the club, the ambient noise drowns out any indication of their passing.
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