Some 40yrs old now, the Providence is the largest known hyperspace capable object in the known galaxy and while by size or mass it comes no where close to even the smallest Death Star, it is a powerful and daunting object. It had been orbitting the blue green Galactic Republic outpost of Generis in the Outer Rim's Atrivis sector, far off the Braxant Run, for the last thirty days. The world was home to a large human and other mixed populace known for making use of their worlds vast natural resources and untamed beauty and for their long history of support for the Republics and opposition to the Empire. It suffered greatly under the reign of the First Order, being essentially an enslaved agrarian world where 95% of their harvest was used to feed the swelling First Order Armies. Now a fully fledged member world of the Third Galactic Republic, the Providence too filled it's food stores with the fruits of the planet and acted as a show of force for and unity with the out stretched boundary of Republic influence in the northern reaches of the Outer Rim.
Over the last few decades, the transient home of the Republic had evolved in to something of a micro-world all it's own. With the Senate based on board, it naturally plays host to hundreds if not thousands of different sentient species and a unique niche or borough for each of their individual respective cultures. It was in one of those unique cultural quarters that a visitor to the Providence from outside of the Republic had taken up temporary residence at a table for a kind of gambling card game in the Tynnan Quarter, housed on the 97th to 100th levels of one of the stations upper towers. As far as real-estate aboard the Providence went, it was tax-exempt beach frontage on a cool tropical starlit night. And not at all the sort of place that the visitor's wardrobe or general 'look' made him seem well-placed and belonging. The visitor was a Pantoran young-adult male, notably absent of any of the yellow facial markings of family and loyalty like most of his species. He wore the simplest of tattered robes while his boots were torn and threading.
The exterior wall shutters had been retracted as the local Generisian sun was rounding the horizon of the orbited globe and now the towering transparisteel walls basked the casino interior in a natural glowing beauty that seemed to purify the activities being conducted therein.
An unexplainable and statistically impossible streak of luck had settled over the character for the last four hours. A Wookiee representative for security and loss prevention for the establishment had been burning a hole with his gaze through him for the passed two. For the last hour, next to him and a couple meters lower stood a professionally business attired Tynnan in a sharp fine-cloth button down three piece suit with his furry hands clasped behind his back, his eyes carefully studying the extremely lucky player and his every move- calculating and waiting for a slip. A crowd of onlookers and hangerson had coalesced about the table on pace with the mans chip pile growth. All of the other players chairs at the game were empty as the few others there when he first sat or curious enough to step in later had bowed out to the lucky one's seemingly divine fortune some hours ago. That was save for one chair where a well cut Wroonian woman adorned with precious trinkets and a shimmering crystalline-cloth barely-there dress fawned over him with her smile, laughs and handsy nature. It was the lucky gamblers lack of any facial tattoos that led her to mistake him for one of her own race, or so she had used as an excuse to throw herself over him besides the obvious rapidly multiplying wealth. The observing Tynnan had taken note of her quick fingers and the hidden pocket on the inside of her dress that reaped their bounty long ago, as he was almost certain so had the gambler.
As the third shift droid dealer of the game was cycling in, another misplaced character dressed similar to the lucky gambler waded through the assembled crowd and walked up behind the player. Leaning down as he placed a hand on his shoulder he commented,
"A ripe harvest for the Temple. Teacher Arborus will be most pleased with your fruits,"
The Pantoran groaned an agreement and spun slowly in his chair. He finished the last bit of translucent amber liquid in a glass as he stood and adjusted his robes. His chip holder levitated with him and stuck near his side at shoulder height as the Wroonian woman stood and helped him straighten his robes while laying the dreamy eyes and smile heavily on him. With a flick of his finger he sent a large denomination chip from his hovering holder to the newly arrived dealer without even touching it.
The gesture of class all but confirmed the Tynnan's swelling suspicions. He hadn't spotted or calculated the means of this gamblers method of cheating because he was in fact using the Force. He spoke in to a tiny hidden communicator in his coat collar.
As the two tatter-robe clad men departed the scene, the assembled crowd cheered and applauded the Pantorans performance. New hopeful lucky players filled the tables seats as the Wroonian woman proceeded to walk with the two departing men in a straight-lined swaying strut, a few steps in to which the Pantoran stopped her with his open hand in her path,
"You may remain," he spoke the most words in a single line he'd directed at her to date as he and the other proceeded ahead.
As the scoff and scowl spread across her face, the Pantoran again flicked his fingers, quickly and without touch drawing a chip from between the bosom of her dress and in to its like-valued place in the following hover-holder.
The two men approached the cashiers cage where a droid attendant exchanged their chips for the requested form of currency, in this case golden Hutt Peggats, in these times each worth around 100 standard Republic credits based, a form of currency based on Nova Crystals much like the Republics of Old.
As the two weathered-robed men turned to depart the Casino floor, they were met at the exit by the Wookiee security man, the Tynnan business suit and a pair of additional robed individuals whos garments were much cleaner, neater and well woven. They dropped their hoods revealing a youthful pale red skinned Zabrak and an elder Rodian. The Rodian was the first to speak as he hummed and vibrated his speech in Huttese,
"Choska mura da Force pemass indago, eechee tamu vurut [Your use of the Force here is a perversion, kindly return your bounty and be on your way],"
The Pantoran had begun to raise his hand toward the other robed beings before his human counterpart stopped him with his own and replied,
"We visit the Providence on accord with the Tynnan Senator and will depart under the same circumstance with our possessions. If you wish to file a grievance, I suggest you take it up with his office. If required, you may find us a the Temple on Tatooine."
The robed Rodian leant in towards the suited Tynnan floor boss as they exchanged a few brief words, after which, the finely robed duo parted and allowed the visitors to pass out of the casino floor. As the Rodian had gestured an open path with his arm, he offered his lingering thoughts to the pair of departing visitors,
"Topoma. Ha. Posada eechee emrut degassee, daplo yevet goren admonists. [Temple. Ha. Do not return without your protections, the council abhors abominations.]"
The Pantoran responded only with a sly smile while the elder human man retorted without so much as a glance back,
"A council of one tribe is no council at all."
===============
As they passed in to a towering hall way the pair made their way towards a bank of turbolifts. The Tynnan Quarter was bustling with beings making their way to and fro about their business.
"You should have let me teach them a lesson in humility," the Pantoran said to the human.
"I'd rather we returned to Tatooine each with both our hands and you with your temple offering. Those two 'Jedi' had sabers at their hip and the Tynnan Senator could not shield us should we be the aggressors."
"The Force is my shield," the Pantoran was quick to retort.
"Spoken like a true Learner my friend. Though we inhabit the grey, to others there is still only Light and Dark. Force nor The Force is ever the only solution, it is a means to a goal. Consider yourself lucky to possess the latter as an option, as the former will always seed imbalance."
The Pantoran considered for a moment before questioning, "And cheating to make a peggat?" he inquired of his conduct at the gaming table.
"It depends what you do with those peggats. Besides, is it cheating that you were given these gifts at birth while others know and feel nothing of the way? Is it cheating that the dealer droids possess computers as brains? Is it cheating that beings lose their fortunes there while Tynna knows nothing of want? I did not make this decision for you, each successive step determines the value of the last," his elder compatriot responded.
The blue skinned being pushed further, "And if my next step is to keep these peggats and give the Temple nothing?"
As they stepped in to a turbolift, the only occupants, the human turned to face the other,
"My statements about fruits to the temple were merely a suggestion. As always, you may do as you wish Learner. But the Temple is your home, and the Commune your family. To enrich either enriches you. If you wish to exhalt yourself, perhaps there is a place for you in the so called 'Councils' graces. But I know you better than that. Why did you allow the Wroonian to keep the other ten chips of yours she held beneath her cloth?"
The Pantoran looked down and smiled, "She was pretty."
"That is not the why. You noticed more about her than that," his companion answered.
His golden yellow eyes shifted a moment before replying, "She reaked of spice. Ryll. If I did not allow her to keep it, she would find another to fawn who may not be as understanding or... honorable."
"The Honorable Cheater then. You see nothing is all one thing, it is all grey. You honored her by honoring her decisions and allowing her to make her own choice. Perhaps her next step will be towards the light, perhaps it will be dark. Either way, she is done victimizing others today and her only victim now can be herself."
"I hope she does not," the Pantoran interupted.
"As do I Learner, alas we must all choose our own path, one step at a time. Surviving the chaos however we can is each our goals. You can channel yourself in the now and give life all that you possess until you are dust, or you may bide and save and when it is done, you will have something left to take with you."
"You speak of the afterlife?" the blue man probed.
"I do," the human answered. "The Light alone will offer you that. The Dark, perhaps. For us in the middle, there is no chance. We have only now."
The turbolift opened and the two visitors stepped out in to one of the many hundreds of launch bays aboard the Providence.
"This concludes our lesson and discussion today. I wish to meditate on the trip home and I suggest you do the same, it is a long journey."
They disappeared up the boarding ramp of an old idling starship..
TBC..
