Private A Dangerous Path

[Kassandra Distorith]

//Awww….// she actually pouted, though the smile of entertainment remained upon her plump lips. Within a moment she’d retracted her serrated fangs and gathered up the terrifying tendrils of her aura once more. The pulses of fear trickled to a stop around her and the crowd’s discomfort and panic eased gradually as she approached the woman.

Canting her head to the side, she drank in the sight that Decima Fortan presented. It was a most pleasing vision to be greeted with in the midst of this decidedly unappealing place, and Kassandra delighted in her luck. Reaching up with a hand, she swept the cloak from her shoulders, and trusted the billowing silk of her blouse to keep the hilts at her lower back hidden from sight. Draping it over one arm as she sauntered up to where Decima waited, she nodded.

“What a lovely offer, I’d be delighted.” she replied audibly as she had also been addressed. Making a motion for Decima to precede her inside as she had arrived first, the woman followed and paused briefly at the entrance. The chaotic scents and roiling energies were gloriously intoxicating, and she savored them as she finally stepped inside.

She hadn’t been in an establishment such as this one since the days before she’d been frozen in stasis. That little dive bar on Velusia had been the perfect finish to her aquatic sojourn, and provided a great deal of both sport and entertainment.

Lofting a brow, she felt the dampening settle over her like a weighted blanket. Her scarlet gaze melted back to it’s natural cerulean blue as she cast it about the dimly lit interior. It wasn’t quite the complete absence of the Force that would have marked the presence of ysalamiri, but likely something else meant as a security measure. It was not unheard of, she mused, trailing along to an appropriately shadowed and comfortable booth, sliding in with a graceful movement.

“Where are my manners? I do apologize...my name is Kassandra Distorith, most recently of Bastion. Might I ask whom I now have the pleasure of getting to know?” she purred softly, taking a moment to fold her cloak neatly beside her before extending her hand.

 

[Decima Fortan]

Decima stiffened a little as the stranger's eyes swept over her; she couldn't help but feel that she was being appraised. Well, if appraised she was being, Decima was at least confident that she was being appraised as a fine work of art, which was more than she could say for most of the rest of the riffraff on the station. She smirked and went towards the door at Kassandra's behest, feeling slightly uneasy about having her back to the woman. That could be trouble. But she survived the trip and soon the pair were settling into a comfortable booth.

The unsettling feeling of being -- stifled was the only word Decima could really think of to describe the sensation -- set her metaphorical teeth on edge, but she tried not to be distracted. She had always found that the little people of the old First Order, perhaps taking their lead from her all-too-conventional Equilibriate half-sister, had an intrinsic distrust for Force Sensitive people, the Knights of Ren notwithstanding. That the proprietor of this bar apparently wanted to limit the range and breadth of Force powers in his establishment was not in itself a cause for concern, but Decima had no way of knowing whether that was all there was to the story.

Her reverie was interrupted when the woman opposite her introduced herself verbally this time, sharing a name. "Decima Fortan," she replied, reaching over to take the hand. "Recently of... Cloud City, I suppose," she said, realizing that it had been quite some time since she'd had a fixed address. Perhaps when this adventure was over, that might change. She signaled the waiter droid and, once the drinks were settled and delivered, including a classic Galidraani Sidecar for herself and whatever Kassandra Distorith requested, paid by Decima's own credit chit, she settled back into the booth. She was a reasonable facsimle of relaxed as she fixed a politely inquisitive gaze on her companion.

Lifting the glass, she murmured, "Chin chin," in a toast to Kassandra's good health and then took a sip of her sweet and sour beverage. As she set it down, her eyebrows furrowed together a little. "Basion," she said softly. "You're a long way from home." Not quite a question, but a door left ajar.

 

[Ariel Yvarro]

Ariel stood and watched Mr. Bloodborn as he went through his 'checklist' on the ship before him. Her brows arched in an amused but confused look as her facial expression shifted. She did her best to hold back any laughter that may have bubbled to the surface. Once he had realized that she was there, the number of questions that came spewing out of the man, reminded her of her sister. Her seven-year-old sister to be exact, "well." She began as she moved away from the beam she had been leaning against.​

​

"It would seem that might be the case, I had been searching for old First Order documentation and personnel," she thought she'd skip the entire operation on Neritria. Besides, that was a story for another time, what with the whole running through an antiquated vessel and finding an underwater secret facility that housed Balance knows how many projects. "And... now that you mention it, Mr. Bloodborn, I do."​

​

"Not a ship, but rather - and I'm so glad that you brought this up - a pilot, a pilot who is familiar with the local stellar cartography as you so eloquently put it." Ariel smiled a wide, ear to ear smile that may have had a bit of a mischievous tone to it. "I realize you are technically in the employ of my mother, but I'm reasonably sure she'd be willing to compensate you." She paused a moment as she took a few steps toward Mr. Bloodborn, "after all the Dead Nebula isn't exactly a place for the faint of heart."​

​

Kurayami Bloodborn ​

 

[Kurayami Bloodborn]

Great, he was reminding the daughter of his employer of her seven year old sister. Could one actually blame him after being caught off guard as he was though? Yea, probably they could. It wasn't like her arrival had been a complete surprise with the exception of who she was. His gaze followed her as she approached him after giving up leaning on the nearby support beam. Ah damn it all, she actually did have questions, looked like it was time to figure out some sort of possibly believable lie about the new acquisition. Maybe a half truth? She wasn't a Force user unless she was really good at hiding her signature. So she wouldn't be able to tell that way at least but he would have to try and keep things detailed, but not too much so.

And that was as far as he got planning out a cover story since she mentioned she was needing to ask about a pilot who knew the local area of space. He certainly was no expert, but he had been around here before, even before his helping the First Order retake Dosuun. The Dead Nebula...his eyes narrowed as he heard the name, still he returned the smile as he replied to her. It was only polite after all.

"The Dead Nebula,eh? Why in the name of all that is holy would you want to go there? Hell, I was part of an archaeological team that went some number of years back. Mostly security detail, or at least that was what I had signed on for. Ended up doing mostly grunt work since there was so little in the way outside of a few beasts that wandered by, Dead certainly is a telling name. So apparently something important is there or you wouldn't be making the trip there.

I can get you around there well enough. Probably got some incomplete maps of the area somewhere in my files. Unless you have actual maps of the space there, we were mostly on Cir, but had a few guys flying around to try and get a better idea of any obstacles out that way in the Unknown Regions. Figured if the dig site didn't have anything we could sell the astrological data and make enough to retire off of. Guess Fio will be getting an invoice from me for this. Not sure how you want to try and write this one off though."

It was true he had been to Cir and relic hunting at the time as well as the bit about the maps, but he had left out the less than legal trips he had made out that way as well. Those weren't important were they?

Ariel Yvarro​

 

[Resurgent Narrative]

Fiolette:

​

The trip from Denon had been relatively quick, thanks in part to an upgraded hyperdrive engine. Fiolette had pulled together the records she had from her days in the First Order. She also pulled information from a few contacts that she had in the region. Port Avalon was a shadow port, a place that had somehow survived the brutal assault by the Ssi-Ruuvi when it had been the FIS Avalonia. She had been trying to piece together the blueprint from the original schematics that she had drawn up herself and the schematics to the shadow port she had been sent by her contacts. "We're comin' up to yer place," Shed announced.​

​

Normally he had been regulated to duties like cooking and making sure no one burned the ship down. Unfortunately, with Kit and Rae still attached to the Sith Empire. He was pulling double duty, not that he was worried or minded - it gave him something to do other than the aforementioned duties. "I'll ring the wife, make sure she's ready this time, will ya?"​

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"Please," Fiolette remarked, "as if I have any control of that."​

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"That's fair, if you did, you wouldn't be here." Shed conceded, "gonna go whip up a batch of her favorite scones."​

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Fio watched Shed fade from view and looked over at Aovia, "what did you do to him?"​

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"Oh," Aovia seemed to gasp at the question, "I didn't do anything, we've been flying this bucket around waiting for company beyond Petrovskey and Dansen, do you know how annoying they are?"​

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"I'm... aware," Fio replied with a smile, "and thank you, seriously, both of you."​

​

"Hey, beats having to answer to some son of a Hutt know-it-all fresh out of the academy, or do paperwork" Ao shuddered at the thought, "I'm gonna go help Shed with the scones, you go get your wife."​

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Fio disembarked the Fleetwood and walked past Dansen who chatted away with Nassir. The pair were standing beside a few crates, supplies most likely. Meanwhile, Fio used her hand to shield her eyesight from Genesia's blinding sun. She could hear the water beneath the dock sway and crash up against the island as she crossed the rock path toward the house. The Galidraani made her way through the main house, "Taeli? Are you ready?" She called out whilst taking a moment to go through her messages. ​

​

Ishana:

While Kaalia no doubt flew the Blue Star, a liberated One Sith TIE Fighter. Ishana had her hands on the Red Crown, a liberated TIE Crown from the old First Order. It also had the coordinates to Port Avalon plugged in, it was a good spot for spice, or any kind of drug you wanted to get your hands on. The Balmorran jammed to the music that blared through the Red Crown's modified speakers (augmented). The little eyeball zipped through the void without an issue. The new chair had been taken (stolen) from a rather comfortable luxury liner that had been at dock in the last port she had the privilege of visiting.​

Ishana piloted the Red Crown out of hyperspace, the revision back into realspace was a bit more head-jerky than she would have liked. "Gonna have to fix that," she noted to herself. "Port Avalon, Force you're ugly." It really was, but it wasn't there for a beauty pageant. Ishana guided the TIE Crown toward the old fighter bay. It was an eerie sensation to be guiding one of these back into a place like Port Avalon. Memories of flying First Order eyeballs into their old hangar bays. ​

​

After landing and paying for the parking space, the Balmorran made her way toward the promenade, "alright habibti... let's make this thing do its stuff." She looked down at the tattoos that lined her hand, a rush of sensations and emotions as the Force opened up to her. It wasn't often that Ishana tapped into this ability, and for good reason, it usually gave her head a mind-splitting headache. ​

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Taeli Raaf | Kaalia Pavanos ​

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[Kaalia Pavanos]

Sometime after Ishana's arrival at Port Avalon, Kaalia too found herself reverting to realspace at the shadowport. It had been a long time since the woman had been in a less-than-reputable place like this and so it was a bit of a shake-up to see it with her own eyes. It brought back memories of her younger years, finding her way around the galaxy from hitched flight to hitched flight. Oddly, it filled her with a profound sense of nostalgia, something she hadn't expected. It was far from the best time of her life and she was nothing like that girl anymore, but the experiences shaped her into who she was today.

While in the process of landing the Blue Star, a small pinprick in the Force reached her consciousness. Its signature was unmistakable, and a sense of warmth accompanied it. Kaalia sent a small ping back to let Ishana know she was here as the ship touched down, allowing the redhead to breathe a sigh of relief. Somehow, she hadn't damaged anything.

Kaalia took care of paying for the landing space and after double checking to make sure the Blue Star was properly locked up, one could never be too sure in a place like this, she took a deep breath and reached out into the Force once again. Ishana's presence stood out clearly from everything around her and she let the bond they shared guide her steps as she made her way towards the promenade. Both would feel the connection getting stronger until Kaalia had found the brunette.

"Hey miala," the redhead called out as she closed the last bit of distance between them. After coming to a standstill she gave her a quick kiss, "I missed you. How was your trip?"

Ishana Pavanos ​

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Resurgent Narrative

Lets see, clothes check. She had to really dig into her wardrobe to find something that wasn't a high end dress or robes or anything that looked too fancy. While she was very well able to protect herself, she still need the headache of dealing with shadowport thugs and the craziness unleashed by them if they knew a rich woman like her, and a Sith Lady at that, was among them.

Lightsaber, check. She would keep that concealed if needed, but otherwise out of sight out of mind. Toiletries, check. Prototype ocular device to replace her scanning glasses she had made forever and a half ago, check. Makeup? Hmm yes, a little makeup wouldn't hurt to pack either. As she kept looking around the room, her command of the Force was picking the items out of the bathroom and floating them into her bag. Well satchel, the faded University of Lorrd crest on the side. She needed to replace it, but this had seen her through years.

Books? Maybe just three... or five... yes she would limit herself to five for now. She could hear Fiolette calling from down below. With one last glance at the bag, the zipper closing, it floated over and looped around her shoulder of her good arm. The cast would be off in a few days anyway. Hair tied back into a braid, clothes looking less sinister Sith sorceress and more Corellian, she walked downstairs.

Purple eyes lit up as she saw her wife. Troubles they may be going through, but... seeing her still brought a smile to her face. Maybe they could finally sort everything out.

"We should let the girls know where we are going," she said as a way of greeting, giving Fio a light kiss on the cheek. "They're out in the pool with Rose watching them."

 

[Resurgent Narrative]

Fiolette:

​

Fiolette had her sleeves rolled up as she finished working her way through her messages. She could hear Taeli walking down the stairs and turned her attention when she mentioned the girls. Right. A kiss to cheek from Taeli, and something more akin to peck from Fio. She was distracted on the fact that they were hopping away again. Fiolette took a deep breath and exhaled, "alright, yeah." She acknowledged with barely a glance Taeli's way. Whether it was Fiolette's mission-ready mind, or simple absent-mindedness the Galidraani pressed forward making her way for the pool. Rose was watching the girls, and Fio's heart sank as she gave them a smile - the smile that Nerralyn and Aerys were starting to become all too familiar with. ​

​

The smile that Lucy, Ryssa, and Ariel had become familiar with. Ariel needed help, which meant she had to go - and it meant that Nerra and Aerys would be left with someone who wasn't one of their mothers. Rose was trusted and the girls felt safe with her, so she supposed that counted for something. After informing the girls of the situation, and giving them ample hugs and kisses - Fio and Taeli would be set to go. ​

​

Quietly, Fio slipped the satchel that rested on Tali's shoulder onto hers. She slid her hand into Taeli's good hand, and walked with her - it was something that not only their girls needed to see. But, they needed it too, the simple gesture that meant more than what was shown. ​

​

Around the docks, the boys were headed into the ship, and it wasn't long before Fio aided her wife onboard. ​

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Ishana:

Ishana felt something of a relief when Kaalia made her presence known. Being back here near the First Order brought back memories, which were a mixed bag if she were honest. The Balmorran had her share of terrible ones but there were plenty of good ones. Ishana was perched up against a set of rails and watched people in the Promenade mingle. Port Avalon, she thought, who would have thought a place like Avalonia Station would survive the onslaught of the Ssi-Ruuvi? No one. ​

​

Something she and the station had in common that was for sure.​

​

She felt her wife's presence in the Force grow stronger and stronger. ​

​

Soon enough Ishana caught sight of her wife who made her way across the Promenade. Ishana stood up straight and waited with a smile, Kaalia greeted her with a smile and a kiss. One of which the Balmorran was tempted to deepen, but didn't much to her own surprise. "Good, mostly, just a few things to work out with the uh, Red Crown - so what's this whole deal about again?"​

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Taeli Raaf | Kaalia Pavanos ​

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[Kaalia Pavanos]

Many said love was fickle, but even though her tenth anniversary with Ishana was drawing close, Kaalia was just as in love as the day the Force brought them together. Even just being around her was enough to feel at home wherever they were, the brunette's smile was all she needed. Like it was every single time, it was good to be together again.

"I'm sure it'll be no problem with your magic hands," Kaalia playfully commented as she looked around, making sure nobody was sticking around for a suspicious amount of time. Even the slightest bit of info leaked into the wrong hands had the potential to spell out trouble, and considering the fact she herself didn't even have a good picture yet made it clear that this was going to be a sensitive operation. Confident that nobody was actively listening in, she expression shifted to something a little more serious.

"Well, I don't really know exactly what the plan is. They needed someone specialized in the netherworld and one of Fiolette's daughters, Ariel, requested the help." It certainly wasn't much to go on, but chances were they would be brought up to speed by the time they met up with the rest of the group involved with whatever was being planned. "Fiolette and Taeli should be present as well, but that's as far as I know." It wasn't much to go on, but the two had gotten into things they knew even less about beforehand in the past.

Ishana Pavanos ​

 

[Ariel Yvarro]

Ariel watched as Mr. Bloodborn's eyes narrowed on the mere mention of the Dead Nebula. She waited for him to be done with his story and his askance questioning. He then mentioned that he could in fact get her there, which in all honesty was all she needed to hear. "Oh, no need to worry about mum, Mr. Bloodborn. You also won't have to worry about the navcoms, apparently, the ship that my cousin and I managed to acquire already has the Dead Nebula listed in its astrogation - and specifically coordinates to a facility there."​

​

"What is in this facility, I'm not entirely certain of." She sorta had an idea, but that wasn't something she was going to admit out here. "I am glad, however; to see that you're willing to pilot there. If luck is with us then we shall not be alone, I've asked my mothers for assistance as the information and indeed perhaps cargo that awaits us in the Dead Nebula will require some help from... the Force."​

​

"But, why don't I take you over to where the ship is parked? We can have this one, towed back to Avalonia if you like." She gestured toward the rusted bucket near Mr. Bloodborn. Ariel did wonder how Decima was getting on, if anything she could at least get Mr. Bloodborn introduced to Decima. She also needed to see where her parents were and how long it would be until they arrived at Port Avalon. ​

​

Kurayami Bloodborn ​

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Resurgent Narrative

A slight frown slipped through her smile at Fiolette's barely there glance to her after the kiss on the cheek and the peck in return. Internally, she sighed. Following her wife out to the pool side, she smiled as the dark haired missile that was Nerralyn impacted against her in a hug. Aerys had her little hand in Rose's, towel draped around her shoulders and her floaties sitting on the chair Taeli had abandoned earlier.

"Can we come with you to see Ariel?" Nerralyn asked. "It's been so long since we got the chance to see her."

"Not this time," Taeli said, giving her daughter a kiss on the top of her head. She glanced up at Fiolette before continuing to explain, "Ariel is in a dangerous place for little girls and needs our help to get out of it."

Nerralyn pouted while Aerys came over for a hug from Taeli after giving one and kisses to Fiolette.

"I promise that we will bring her back here and she can play with you," Taeli replied. "It shouldn't take us more than a few days and you can call us at anytime." Taeli pointed at the little triangle attached to her ear. "I'll be able to answer anytime you need me, dear."

"Okay... but you better bring us back something," Nerralyn conceded, her sister nodding along next to her. "And once we're bigger, we can go on adventures too."

"Once you're older and had more training, yes," Taeli replied, giving them both one last kiss and hug before leaving them with Rose. A silent look was all the secret Sith Knight needed to understand her instructions. Taeli went with her wife quietly to where the Fleetwood was resting. Taeli's lips quirked up in amusement. Fiolette never liked to throw something away, and the black ship was her first after she left the First Order and the crew was just as eccentric as their boss.

"Thank you," she muttered quietly as her fingers entwined with Fiolette's and she felt her wife slip her satchel onto her shoulder instead. Fiolette could feel just how much Taeli appreciated the handholding through their bond and then she cracked a wry smile as they neared the ship and followed Dansen and Nassir on board.

"So what did you upgrade on the Fleetwood this time?" she asked.

 

[Kurayami Bloodborn]

Ariel Yvarro explained that the ship they would be taking was apparently equipped with the astrogation data that they would need for the run. He wondered for a few moments why exactly he was needed for this specific mission, if they had all that data they needed only to pull it up and lock in the coordinates before making the jump. There was something else at work here if both Fiolette and Taeli were going this was definitely something that would not be widely discussed, even after the fact.

"So the gist is, and correct me if I am wrong, that we are going to the Dead Nebula as step one. Step two is finding and entering an unknown facility with only the slightest, most nebulous idea of what is within and we are retrieving cargo that by the sounds of it will likely need the force to be properly handled. Been awhile since I actually had to work out a plan for any contingencies based on so little data. Yea, getting it towed back to Avalonia would be the best option since it isn't going with us on this run. Lead the way."

Whether his tone betrayed his unease with the whole idea or not he was unsure. From what she had told him it would be five people on the trip, at least food and other commodities wouldn't be too limited. Though the darker presences were still able to be sensed, they seemed to be calm for the moment, perhaps waiting for something or someone. Still that flare he had felt from one of them earlier was not a comforting thing. His saber still was kept in its normal place on his belt. He slipped the worn flight jacket on and motioned for Ariel to lead them to the other ship.

 

[Kassandra Distorith]

“I am delighted to make your acquaintance, Decima.” the lady replied with definite warmth and pleasure lacing her tone. The handshake proffered was a proper one, as it should have been, and her estimation of the woman slipped further towards the positive.

Politely inclining her head, Kassandra asked for a Soulean brandy, and was pleased to find that the establishment had a bottle on hand. Settling back into her side of the booth, she took a moment to make herself comfortable before taking the glass deposited before her in hand. Her voice echoed the polite toast that Decima had offered, and she savored the first sip of properly aged brandy she’d had in an age. There was altogether too much wine and tea served on Bastion - while she enjoyed both, her Imperial acquaintances had been decidedly plethoric in an effort to appear civilized and proper whilst things collapsed around them.

The Fortan name struck a chord in her memory and she chased the thought for a moment, as she took another sip and savored the brandy. A proper link in her mind proved elusive, however, and as she did not wish to appear rude, she let it slip away and made a mental note to inquire after Decima’s family as soon as an opportune moment presented itself.

“Cloud City is particularly lovely. I spent some time there a few...years ago.” she replied with a smile, ever so briefly averting her gaze. In truth, it had been a few centuries, but that was perhaps best left unsaid for the time being.

Canting her head to the side, Kassandra nodded in response to Decima’s statement. “Bastion was more of a temporary home...it was simply a place where I found a few kindred spirits. I spend most of my time traveling and tend to call my ship home more often than any planet.”

A faint sensation slithered along the length of her spine and she sighed faintly as the establishment so rudely reminded her that the Force was dampened within its walls. A faint moue of distaste marred her features for a moment until she let the sensation pass without further thought and gave her attention back to her lovely companion.

“If I might be so bold, might I ask what brings you out to this most charming port?”

Decima Fortan​

 

[Decima Fortan]

Decima could have watched Kassandra Distorith all day. She could have listened to the exquisite woman read from the phone book. She was fascinating. Captivating. Was it her personality, or her subtle presence manipulated in the Force that was causing it? Decima didn't know for sure, but she didn't really mind one way or the other. Like a swimmer in a pool, she knew she was in the shallow end and it was her choice whether to wade deeper until her feet could no longer touch the ground.

She wasn't ready to do that yet.

Her sidecar was bright and citrusy, delicious without being heavy. She enjoyed the way it swirled in the glass, not quite effervescent.

"That's an interesting question," said the young Galidraani. "It doesn't really seem to be the kind of place I'd find myself in, to be perfectly frank. But here we are." She frowned and sat back in the booth, her dark eyes thoughtful for a few moments. "My cousin is what brings me here, after a fashion. Our ship was in dire need of repairs and this was the closest port that could handle it."

She took another swig of the drink; Decima could already feel the effects as her cheeks grew hot from the strong drink. "What about you? Port Avalon isn't a secret, I suppose, but I wouldn't expect to meet someone from the other side of the galaxy here. Special occasion?"

Kassandra Distorith​

 

[Resurgent Narrative]

Ishana:

The Balmorran accepted the compliment and listened to her wife while surveying the area for a quick bite. "Noodles, two o'clock, looks like it has a decent line should be good." Well shit. Both Raafs were going to be involved? What could go wrong? The former TIE fighter pilot threaded her hand with Kaalia's. "So they called you for the other bits, huh?" Netherworld. Ishana didn't have fond memories of being face to face with her religion's version of Chaos. "Remind me to make a few prayers to the gods before we go."​

​

Whatever this was about, the Balmorran couldn't help but shake the feeling that she shouldn't be anywhere near this trip. She waited to get up to the kiosk's screen and sighed. "The crown felt good though," she said of the old TIE fighter, "almost felt like yesterday that I was flying one of those." Ishana shook the thought that pressed her, the adrenaline rush of being back in the cockpit? Nothing like it. Even on the gentle Primeday cruises, those can never compare to the rush of the fight and the way the TIEs screamed when you pulled them around the corner and let loose a barrage of laser fire. ​

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"Are we meeting them here or are we supposed to be looking for the daughter?"​

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Fiolette:

She waited for the hatch behind Taeli to close, and replied, "not a lot, mostly wiring this time around - might test out a new set of solar-stealth panels later on once they're past the design phase." Fiolette guided her wife up to their quarters. "Shed made some scones for you if you wanna head down to the galley." The satchel rested on Fio's shoulder easily and their quarters were as tidy as Taeli would have remembered them being. Cigarra's were out in the open on Fio's desk. Scale models of various imperial star destroyers decorated the wall opposite of the aquarium - remarkably, the fish were still alive.​

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"So what all did Ariel tell you?"​

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Fio's brow was raised, "seems a bit odd - Port Avalon? Cousin?"​

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The Galidraani shook her head, "Pierce and Natasi are dead, and unless some random Yvarro has come out of the woodworks..." She bit down on her lower lip and chewed on the inside while in thought. "Unless..." Fiolette closed her eyes and exhaled, "no, he - well, he... that..." Her words didn't quite formulate but her thoughts raced on the idea that her brother had gotten careless. Not like the family didn't excel at keeping secrets or hiding their misdeeds. ​

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She turned her attention to Taeli, "what happened there?" Fio inquired of Taeli's arm, "not like you to come back with an injury let alone a cast."​

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The sound of the Fleetwood's engines as they thrummed to life followed by Shed and Dansen's announcements informed the couple that the Fleetwood was now well on its way from Genesia to Port Avalon. ​

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Kaalia Pavanos | Taeli Raaf ​

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[Taeli Raaf]

Resurgent Narrative

Listening to her wife talk as they went to their quarters on the ship, she was honestly surprised they had only done minor upgrades since the last time she had been on the Fleetwood. She had fully expected, especially after a trip to Denon, that the Fleetwood would be going through a lot more modifications. She did like scones, although that was probably putting it kindly to the last time Shed had tried to bake them for her. She was... particular. Reaching their quarters, her eyes narrowed at the sight of the cigarras.

Every time... every blood time... but she refrained from commenting on them. Don't need a fight before they even jumped to hyperspace.

"What I told you on the holo was basically everything I could get out of Ariel," she replied. "I would have been vague about what I was up to too if I was on that place. As for the cousin, you tell me. I don't exactly have the extended family background that you do so is it possible one of your relatives had more kids you didn't know about?"

With such a large family as the Yvarros and Fortans were, she had to imagine new cousins, aunts, uncles, and such came out of the woodwork every so often. Probably made family reunions an awkward affair, even before you touched upon Galidraani traditions and customs.

"I fought the New Imperial Order's Marshal of Imperial Knights," Taeli responded to the arm question, annoyance flashed across her features at the thought of the Battle of Mygeeto. "During that last push. She's in worse shape, but she had this new sonic disruptor pistol. Looked like a Technoid design if I had to guess as they've been supplying a lot of arms to them."

She shrugged.

"Anyways, my Medhir shield took two shots before it collapsed and the third hit with enough force to break the bone. It'll be fine in a few days, between the cast and the Force. How was Denon?"

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

The mention of noodles made Kaalia realize she hadn't eaten anything in a while and that it was perhaps a good idea to do something about that empty stomach. With a nod and a "mhm" she let Ishana's hand be joined with her own to lead the redhead to the small noodle place. This felt like the days of old, when the two would go on wild adventures together and explored the shadier places of the galaxy. This adventure, however, was looking like it was going to be much darker than what they had been used to.

"I'm here to make sure nobody gets themselves in major trouble," Kaalia explained. She wouldn't be able to shield them from all danger, certain risks would have to be taken no matter what, but whatever was within her reach to do would be done. For everything else, she'd at least be able to let them know what they were getting themselves into. "And don't worry, miala. You won't have to go anywhere near that place and if anything were to happen, I can handle it." The last thing the Kro Varian wanted was for Ishana to have to go through that same experience again.

Her wife shifted the topic to something much lighter, which Kaalia gladly went along with. The excitement in the Balmorran's voice whenever she talked about ships and flying always brought a smile to her face. Even if she herself wasn't nearly as passionate about it, she could listen to her talk for hours on end. "Is our current hangar large enough for both ships, or will we have to make some renovations?"

The two joined the line, though luckily it wasn't very long. There were only two in front of them, and one was already being helped. "I wasn't informed beforehand. I suppose I should message Taeli to ask where they will be waiting," the redhead responded, pulling out her holo and quickly typing up a message while they waited.

Ishana Pavanos Taeli Raaf ​

 

[Resurgent Narrative]

Fiolette:

The Galidraani listened to her wife speak, and all the while she removed her shirt and threw it into the corner hamper. Fiolette crossed their quarters to the small wardrobe against the wall. "It's possible from the Yvarros but I wouldn't know anything about them beyond whatever Josef's told me, as for the Fortans, well." She shot her wife a look, "it is almost certainly possible with how we like to keep our secrets." Fio returned her attention to the wardrobe and shuffled through the shirts there. ​

​

"Yeah?" She looked over her shoulder and gave her wife a glance, and grabbed a soft Dosuunian-cotton t-shirt from the wardrobe to slip on. The retired Admiral walked toward the cigarras on the desk with an aim to put them out of sight. "Not wrong, I've had a few people looking into contracts and it's no secret that Technoid is supplying the NIO and probably anyone willing to take a stand against the Sith."​

​

The sound of the metal desk drawer as it shut seemed to echo throughout their quarters. "I'll want a look at that shield of yours, you know that right?" A soft smile as she headed down toward the bed, just as the comms system opened up to let the couple know that they would be entering hyperspace soon. "Denon was... shite."​

​

The thicker Galidraani accent curled around the word, "it's gotten murkier than I last remember, someone tried to get me to build a ship for them. Told them I was retired, and not that bored." Which brought Fiolette to another point, "and that reminds me, you know, we sent Ariel a lot of money for Dosuun."​

​

"Avalonia and Prosperia from what I recall, we should do something with our investment." Fiolette sat at the edge of their bed and looked over at the collection of holobooks. One leg up on the bed and the other still on the floor. The Galidraani took the time to observe her wife. "Which, I should note, that I've sold off a lot of my real estate, by the way, consolidating our properties... I wondered how you would feel about selling Stormvale?"​

​

Ishana:

"Right, trouble, what kind of trouble could we get into with Fio and Taeli around?" The sarcasm was real, it dripped from every word. "Not worried about getting near it, I'm worried about whatever son of a hutt is on this trip that we don't know." It was always better to have a devil you knew than one you didn't. Ishana couldn't help but feel like this whole idea, this whole plan was just bad from start to finish there was nothing that could be said she felt to change her mind on that.​

​

The line moved up, and they followed the shuffle of feet. Admittedly places like Port Avalon reminded Ishana of the old days, days she didn't miss - days of running away from this debt collector or that. A glance at Kaalia and she smirked, the memories of running with Kaalia? Those were good days, not nearly as troublesome. "Oh yeah, hangar's big enough that's not the issue..."​

​

Her voice trailed off as it came her turn to order, a rontho broth, Seoulian noodles with vegetables and some peppers for spice rounded up her order. She slid her credit stick into the kiosk, "well we better get ahold of one of them and figure this out. So uh, what uh, what all were you up to before you called me, by the way?"​

​

Taeli Raaf | Kaalia Pavanos ​

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Resurgent Narrative

For a long... very long moment, she allowed herself to be distracted by her wife's seemingly absentminded undressing and redressing. Seemingly because she knew Fiolette all too well and... had she been working out even more... shaking her head, she refocused on their conversation. She ahd completely missed what her wife said about the Fortans… something about being secretive...

"If I was a petty woman, I might take offense to Technoid and go after them with a little corporate sabotage," she chuckled. Ultimately, she wasn't worried about it. Aurora Industries had provided whatever was needed to whatever factions wanted to deal with it, it just happened the Sith Empire was a big customer at the moment.

"And now you're interested in nanotech?" Taeli teased, floating her satchel over and fishing out the pair of gauntlets and vambraces that formed the shield and sword for the Medhir armor. She tossed the gauntlets to her wife. "Left one is the sword, right one is the shield. I didn't bring the helmet so you'll have to activate them manually with the touchpad on the wrist. I'm sorry Denon was shite, but what did you expect considering the group that controls it?"

Fiolette did bring up a good point that they had invested heavily in Ariel's efforts to reform the First Order on Dosuun.

"I have Jaxson already looking for real estate there for Aurora..." and she brought up selling Stormvale, which... she needed to think about. On one hand, she liked the manor and its extensive grounds. The girls especially loved playing in the gardens. On the other, the New-Imperials were pushing heavily in a blind rush to Bastion and divesting of the property would protect the girls from being near a warzone and it meant making sure, if the planet fell and the looting began, none of her accumulated knowledge might fall into hands she didn't want it near.

"Genesia is safer," she began slowly, "but for it to really be home, we would need to do some... expansions to it."

 

[Kassandra Distorith]

"Ahhh...I see. It is indeed a pity that there is not a more suitable location in this vicinity. It would have been nice to meet in a more elegant and well-appointed port, but this will do." the Lady offered, lifting her glass to her lips and taking a long sip.

Soulean brandy was meant to be savored, and Kassandra gave it its due. The faint floral essence and hints of citrus combined were a sensation worth remembering, and she made a mental note to see about procuring a few bottles once they were away from Port Avalon. Given the brandy's rarity, it might be cause enough to visit Nar Shaddaa once more to check in with her agent there. Another sip, and another soft sigh of pleasure emerged before her wits were once more gathered together as she realized she'd fallen silent for too long.

A touch of color rose to grace her cheeks, and the lady reached up to brush an errant curl from her warm features.

"Of a manner, yes...it has always been a trial to find proper replacement parts for my ship, and originals from nigh on eight hundred years ago are almost impossible to come by. I have contacted a number of dealers across several such ports and establishments, and Port Avalon was my last ditch effort to find what I needed to fix my baby. I should honestly retire it at this point, and find something new."

Canting her head to the side, she studied Decima for a moment before taking the final sip of her brandy and letting it linger across her tongue. Her cerulean gaze narrowed as the Force tore at the edges of her senses, attempting to alert her to what felt like the faintest of flickers given the suppression measures in effect within the establishment. "Forgive me...there is something either amiss or afoot, for the lack of a better phrase, but I cannot quite grasp the meaning of it. Have you any better luck?"

Decima Fortan​