Quantum Entanglement: Howzer and Aurelia

18. Foundation

Howzer and Aurelia found their paths crossing more often than they had anticipated, as their duties revolved around the same areas... Cham Syndulla was a primary leader of Ryloth throughout the Clone Wars, and even as the Empire had quickly replaced the Republic, it was still a continual transition from Separatist occupation to Republic annexation to Imperial protectorate.

The doonium mine and refinery was a hot spot of Imperial activity; they seemed to be obsessed with getting as much doonium as possible, for whatever huge projects they had going on. Twi'leks and other species from all over were being brought in as "employees", though the circumstances of their employment seemed awfully suspect of being closer to slavery.

Howzer had been tasked with keeping an eye on the Imperial activity and reporting back to Cham, who was navigating a tricky path of politics and civil unrest. Aurelia, on the other hand, felt purposeless even in her Imperial position, as her duties seemed to mostly revolve around being Moss Gowden's personal assistant. He was a greasy sort of person who often said one thing and did another, and she was feeling more and more disillusioned with the whole thing as time went on.

However, the perk of the job was frequent encounters with Howzer, where they were able to have brief conversations under the guise of business. Aurelia was often dispatched to inspect the various "mishaps" that occurred, including a variety of thefts of Imperial shipments as well as entire groups of "employees" who would go missing. It was the same every time, though -- she would gather the information, which was sorely lacking in any real substance, and report it to Gowden, who would shrug and file it away to his superiors. There didn't seem to be any real concern, other than the loss of materials and workers, but it small enough and slow enough to avoid any serious repercussions.

It had been a couple of months of them working together, and Aurelia had to admit that she was finding herself enchanted with this older version of Howzer as much as she had been with the "shiny" from years before. He was simultaneously confident and humble, executing his duties with dignity and efficiency, but lacking all of the attention-seeking neediness of his youth. It seemed that his experiences had shaped him, and his battle-scarred face emphasized the solemnity of his current stage.

He was always polite with Aurelia but didn't seem to pursue her. He appeared to enjoy their conversations, and always had a particular warmth with her, but she found herself yearning for the depth and playfulness they had enjoyed on Coruscant. She felt self-conscious, wondering if his interest in her had been thoroughly diminished over time, but couldn't shake her desire to see if that spark was still there, under the layers of maturity he wore.

Finally, she found her voice. One afternoon, after another "review" meeting at the refinery, Cham had dismissed Howzer for the day, citing a need to work things out with Gobi privately. Gowden shook everyone's hands and turned to Aurelia, asking if she'd be interested in a late lunch together.

"Ahh, you know, I've been feeling worse as the day has gone on... I was thinking I'd get some rest for the inventory check tomorrow," she answered, feeling a slight prick of apprehension at the flash of indignation on Gowden's face.

"Sure, alright. I can come make sure you're nice and comfortable..." Moss said, tracing a hand down her forearm. She hated it, but he had made it clear that rebuffs would not bode well for her employment, so she stood silently. Howzer's helmet tilted a bit, noticing the interaction from behind Syndulla.

"I wouldn't want you to get sick," Aurelia offered, keeping her face carefully neutral.

"Ah, it would be worth it," Gowden crooned, leaning in closer to her ear, "You're gonna give in someday, Aurelia, and realize what you've been missing." His breath was hot against the side of her face, and she leaned away a tiny bit, feeling a bit more courageous.