Private &nbsp; A Soul Made of Static

Xan Deesa

NK-Witell-class Freighter, 0A-155, Songbird (lightsaber), Vibrosword

Braze said:
"I am hiring a specialist." A pause before the small droid chirped again. "Yes, there is a difference."

"A specialist and a criminal aren't mutually exclusive," Seven noted in her usual flat tone.

She was leaned against the doorway of the room with her arms crossed. While she had come to talk to Braze about something specific, she decided that she was curious enough about what was going on here to save that for later.

"You're probably a criminal somewhere, little droid," she added. "You just don't know it yet."

Seven let out an exhale before she spoke again.

"What in hell do you need a hacker for?"

Braze · Jun 30, 2026

Tags: 0-7 Xan Deesa

The small mouse droid squeaked and began to panic, its alarm made evident by the ceaseless chirping that poured from its little chassis.

Braze sighed… then looked over to her.

"You didn't have to say that to the little guy."

He glanced down at the droid and softened his voice, reaching out to tap two fingers gently against the top of its casing.

"Easy, now Chirper… no one is putting anyone in anything. You're alright."

The mouse droid gave a worried little trill.

"I know," Braze murmured before he looked back to her once more.

"I keep having bad dreams… and more of my kind are disappearing left and right… and there's got to be one place…" Braze eased back from the terminal, his gaze lowering for a moment before finding her again. "I think I need to go."

He studied her then, from head to toe and back again, not unkindly, but with the careful attention of someone trying to measure how much of a person had made it back from the dark.

"So… what are you doing here again? Have you found yourself yet, or…?"

Xan Deesa · Jul 1, 2026

The galaxy she found herself in was still wholly unfamiliar, she had to catch up on a lot of the broad strokes that changed since she last had a chance to see. Only surface level, though. She was far too scared to dig any deeper and risk seeing what had become of those she once knew and loved. Her body was finally operational again, but her accounts were still unreachable. Millions of credits just sitting there with no way of accessing any of it.

But it wasn't all doom and gloom.

She still had her other bodies in storage and she was bound to find a way to fix it all in quick order. Not to mention, she was going to see the galaxy again. The war on Denon was lost, but there were most certainly others that could use her expertise. For the first time since she set foot on Denon, she could finally soar through the stars once more. See with her own eyes how much had changed. All she needed was some money in her back pocket and a gullible gonk-brain to persuade.

Luckily she didn't have to wait for long.

A message caught her attention in the cacophonous void of cyberspace. An advert on the deep net calling for a highly capable slicer. She would have chuckled if she were able. A quick dig gave her some info that led to a conclusion capable of putting a smile on her nonexistent face. Pay would likely be good, her potential clientele were likely in desperate need for help if they went to such lengths to put out an ad... not to mention they were likely a couple of bleeding hearts...

The Jedi's commlinks would come alive, along with any other type of speaker around them. "No live contact? That's just boring..." The slicer's voice would call out to them. The terminal behind them went blank, a black screen entirely replacing whatever was displaying earlier. The only other appearance on the screen was a demonic, neon smile that moved with every word over their commlinks. "This good enough for your screening, Jedi, or do y'all want me to show off a little more?" The voice continued.

She was going to have some fun with this operation.

0-7 · Jul 1, 2026

Dantooine
Tags:

Xan Deesa

NK-Witell-class Freighter, 0A-155, Songbird (lightsaber), Vibrosword

Braze said:
"I keep having bad dreams… and more of my kind are disappearing left and right… and there's got to be one place…" Braze eased back from the terminal, his gaze lowering for a moment before finding her again. "I think I need to go."

"How ominous..." Seven muttered.

She didn't have any time to answer the loaded question he asked about finding herself. That was maybe a blessing. A voice was quick to come over the terminal, to which the Evereni let out an exhale.

Xan Deesa said:
"No live contact? That's just boring..."

"This good enough for your screening, Jedi, or do y'all want me to show off a little more?"

"Well... this is what you requested, isn't it?" the young woman reacted, "I think most business meetings are scheduled first..."

The woman shot a glare at the mouse droid.

"Best run along, little droid. Lest you want your programming altered."

It was a lie. She just didn't want to keep listening to it's panicked chirping.

Braze · Jul 1, 2026

Tags: 0-7 Xan Deesa

The mouse droid shrieked, wailing out a melodic, yet awful mechanical squeal as every speaker in the room came alive with the stranger's voice with through the static that blared to life. The sounds rattled through the old archive chamber, bouncing off shelves of half-restored data cores. The sudden appearance of a new voice had startled the mouse droid so badly that it had sent the droid skittering behind Braze's boot as if some how the young man could protect it from the techno-ghost haunting their archive systems.

Braze's exhausted gaze shifted from the blank terminal to the demonic neon smile blooming across the screen, then down to the trembling mouse droid pressed against his ankle.

"…Easy, Chirper," he murmured gently before looking back up staring at the terminal's black glass as sickly neon colored light spilled across his face seemingly zoning out the way some one who was far too exhausted would do when trying to think but coming up with mind fog instead of cohesive thoughts. Then he leaned back in his chair slinking down a little.

"You bypassed the dead-drop condition... I'll concede that you are capable, dangerous, and worth the expensive price tag." He said softly in that oddly tiered tone. "You're exactly the kind of skilled person I need. " He said considering that the may also need a leash before being allowed near Jedi archive systems. He was struggling to make good decisions whilst in this oddly delirious state of effect.

"I can see you find circumventing rules an exciting challenge to be savored rather than a warning to be heeded;"

Braze reached into his cloak and pulled out a slim data card, holding it between two fingers for the camera of the screen to see.

"You have shown and proven that you are both clever and capable..." Braze said, his tone kept light. "But I need someone I can trust to deliver the information I need. "

He eased the card into the main terminal.

The moment it clicked into place, the program auto-executed. Pale green text rolled across the screen as the screening packet opened itself, one line after another, without Braze needing to touch another key.

"So here is your actual screening."

A short packet appeared in the empty window: a sealed fragment wrapped in false metadata, marked with one simple request.

[ ENCRYPTED SCREENING PACKET ]

● RECORDING IN PROGRESS

SESSION LOGGING ENABLED // INPUT MONITOR ACTIVE // TRACE RESPONSE CAPTURED

TRACE THIS ONLY TO ITS FIRST FALSE WALL.

DO NOT BREACH THE WALL.

DO NOT COPY THE PAYLOAD.

DO NOT WAKE THE WATCHER.

SYSTEM READY. ENGAGE SCREENING PROTOCOL?

┌─────────────── INPUT NAVIGATION ───────────────┐

▶ ▣ ENGAGE▢ DECLINE   ▢ TERMINATE

           [ ↑ ]

   [ ← ] [ ↓ ] [ → ]      

       [ ENTER ]

USE ARROW KEYS TO SELECT // PRESS ENTER TO ENGAGE

└───────────────────────────────────────────────┘

"Show me you can stop." Braze glanced down at it, then back to the screen, then to

0-7

"And apologize to Chirper. He is sensitive."

Xan Deesa · Jul 1, 2026

Xan listened intently to the Jedi as they spoke. Without any cameras or other input to gather information, she was limited to their voices and whatever else she could hear. While their voices were traced in the background, she listened to the challenge one of them proposed. The only other feedback she could gather was what sounded like a mouse droid on the other end of the call.

They sounded young.

But she was willing to roll with the challenge the Jedi set up for her. They wanted to see restraint from their mysterious operator, a reassurance that sticky fingers and curiosity wouldn't be an issue. The whole spectacle invigorated Xan, it somehow helped her to feel human again. Both her and the Jedi were in the same boat. Neither of them had any info on the other and, as far as they were concerned, both sides were dealing with an equal in their field.

She would never admit it, but she was happy as can be in the moment.

"Dunno who Chirper is. If it's the mouse droid, I'll organize an oil bath once we're done here." Xan remarked. Not by a longshot was she going to apologize to a droid.

"Okay, Master Jedi, let's play your game. In the meantime, I'd suggest a healthy dose of alcohol or antidepressants for your friend." She continued with a chuckle. Her presence finally retreated, leaving the active protocol on the computer as the only presence of her still being present. A few minutes passed in relative silence until a response finally popped up on the terminal's screen.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⣠⣶⣿⣿⣿⣿⣶⣦⡀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⣼⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⡀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡇⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⢻⠛⠙⠻⣿⣿⡿⠛⠙⠿⠁⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⢸⣦⣤⣤⡞⠹⣦⣤⣤⡾⠀⠀⠀
⢀⣄⠀ ⠉⠙⣿⣧⣶⣿⡏⠉ ⠀ ⣠⡀
⣼⣿⣷⣤⣀⠀⠉⠙⠛⠉⠁⣀⣤⣾⣿⣧
⠈⠉⠙⠛⠿⢿⣶⣤⣄⣶⠿⠿⠛⠋⠉⠉
⠀⣠⣴⣶⣶⣿⠾⠏⠛⠿⣿⣶⣶⣴⣄⠀
⠀⢹⣿⡟⠋⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠉⠻⣿⡏⠀
⠀⠈⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ '⠁⠀

Xan did as she was asked. Infiltrating the systems of the scenario, she reached the "wall" and instead turned back to mess with the tracker. The final result was a doodle on the page to mess with her employer. Harmless fun inside the confines of the system. A "digital graffiti" for lack of better terms.

"You don't get this far in this industry by being sloppy. You got info you need extracted, I got bills to pay. I only see what you want me to see." Xan explained over their commlinks, the demonic smile returning to the terminal. "But there is a little back scratch that I'd like from you. I'm willing to forego my hazard bonus and quarter of my fee if you can help me." She proposed, voice calm and confident towards the Jedi.

Braze · Jul 1, 2026

Tags: 0-7 Xan Deesa

"Are you old enough to drink Sevs?" Braze asked curiously.

Braze watched as his screen continued to display the art work. He ejected the data chip then shutting down the operation of that window.

"Alright…That's a generous offer... I'm listening. Name your price," he offered softly, curious to know what this entity might desire beyond credits.

Credits were of no concern to him, after all; he had plenty of those in abundance.

He was impressed by the speed and caliber of the professional he had seemingly attracted. Now all he needed to do was be very careful with this contact, as they could be quite dangerous should he somehow upset them. He did wonder what they could possibly want or rather likely need if credits couldn't purchase what they were after.

0-7 · Jul 1, 2026

Dantooine
Tags:

Xan Deesa ,

Braze

NK-Witell-class Freighter, 0A-155, Songbird (lightsaber), Vibrosword

Xan Deesa said:
"Okay, Master Jedi, let's play your game. In the meantime, I'd suggest a healthy dose of alcohol or antidepressants for your friend."

Braze said:
"Are you old enough to drink Sevs?"

"I don't drink."

Seven was older than Braze, or at least she was sure that she was anyways. Not that she planned on drinking. That stuff didn't really appeal to her. She didn't need any medication either. Or, at least, Seven was certain she didn't. Not that she trusted a pill to magic her problems away.

Braze insisted that she apologize to the mouse droid, saying it was sensitive. After a while she let out a huff and gave a reluctant, monotone response.

"Fine," she muttered, her tone flat. "Sorry, little droid. Now stop being loud."

Xan Deesa · Jul 1, 2026

The one Jedi seemed more than happy to help her out, though the second voice merely served to confuse the hell out of Xan. She put that on hold for the moment. This was her chance to get her life on track once more. "You're on Dantooine. I need you to go to Lothal. It's out of the way, but I'll compromise if you can do this for me." She began. The anticipation was killing her.

"I have a safehouse in the capital. Inside, there's a droid I need you to activate. It's crucial to this gig, I can promise you that. I'll provide technical support and talk you through the whole process. I just need you to activate the droid once we get there." Xan explained, her voice clear and calm to make sure they understood what they were agreeing to. She probably didn't need the body, she could access the databanks the Jedi needed from one of their datapads.

But she wasn't going to pass up this golden opportunity.

The vocal scans finally finished up. The reserved voice came out blank, no information or traces on the Holonet. But the other one, the boy, came back as a positive match. He was the one that other Jedi mentioned. She kept the information to herself for the moment, there would be plenty of time to talk to the kids. "For the record, I wouldn't be asking this if it wasn't relevant. That droid is important." She explained further.

Braze · Jul 2, 2026

Tags: Xan Deesa 0-7

"That's fine… I've been meaning to check on my old home anyway. It's not too far from there. This should be doable," he offered, before looking at

0-7 .

"You ever travel by portal before?" he asked curiously.

"What does this body of yours look like?" Braze asked, beginning to suspect this person's real form may have been compromised in some way, shape, or form, much akin to how Aether and

Phy kind of were.

0-7 · Jul 2, 2026

Dantooine
Tags:

Xan Deesa

NK-Witell-class Freighter, 0A-155, Songbird (lightsaber), Vibrosword

Xan Deesa said:
You're on Dantooine. I need you to go to Lothal. It's out of the way, but I'll compromise if you can do this for me."

"There's been an influx of Imperial activity there," Seven stated. "Some... 'Reclamation.' Most I know is that they have an Inquisitorious. Something to be cautious of..."

Seven would let out an exhale and turn to face the doorway exit.

"Send your safehouse coordinates. Let's make this fast."

Xan Deesa · Jul 2, 2026

There was a large degree of relief when the two Jedi agreed to Xan's request. At least, the boy agreed and the ornery girl beside him sounded begrudging if nothing else. She desperately wanted to know who the sour harpy was. Regardless, things were set and they were ready to depart via... portal?

Xan was confused but didn't press it. She did, however, silently admit that the ornery girl had good instincts. "Don't worry about the Imps, we'll be in and out before anybody gets the chance to see you. I'll make sure of that." Xan reassured the two Jedi. "Well, tick-tock, saber-jocks, we got a job to do. Check your comms, I already sent ya the coordinates. It's an apartment complex in the nicer part of town." She continued with audible excitement.

Braze said:
"What does this body of yours look like?"

Xan would smile if she were able. The kid was sharp, she had to admit. "Well that's a rude thing to ask a gal, don't you think?" She retorted with a voice of false upset. They didn't need to know of her true nature, not unless it became relevant. To them, she was a capable slicer. She wanted to keep it like that.

As Xan said, they both received the coordinates for the safehouse. An otherwise flush wall would split open to reveal a stairwell that ran deep into the ground, far below the apartment complex topside. The inside was relatively sparse, aside from a number of turrets that retracted into the wall and roof of the stairwell.

A heavy blast door slid open to reveal Xan's safehouse. A wall of servers covered one side of the room while a plethora of screens covered the other. In the middle of both was a reclining chair with cables that snaked to both the screens and the servers. Apart from a few lockers in the corner, the main room wasn't incredibly relevant. No, Xan's request laid further in the back of the room.

What looked like a small operating room housed a sterile table and a bacta tank along with a cabinet full of medical supplies and tools. Inside the tank a body idly drifted with a series of cables and apparatus attached to it. No pulse emanated, no presence in the Force. But the body looked as human as the two Jedi. Xan's voice would reach them once more. "That's it. Take the droid out and lay it on the table. Below the back of the skull is the spot, you'll feel it. Cut the skin open and flip the switch. I'll take care of the rest." She explained to them as the bacta drained and the tank opened up with an audible "hiss".

Braze · Jul 2, 2026

Tags: Xan Deesa 0-7

He was suspicious of the reply he heard from her, but nevertheless decided to lead

0-7 deeper into the temple, toward a chamber built around a large, round gateway.

"And who's to say you're actually a gal, I wonder? Voice changers aren't new, after all," he mused simply.

There were a few speeder bikes stored in the room. Braze fetched the keys for two of them and tossed one set to

0-7 before moving toward the portal's controls. His hand settled over a large dial, turning it with careful precision until it aligned with a specific pale yellow stone.

The old mechanism answered with a thunk before power poure din to the gate way shimmering to life.

Light gathered along the rim of the gateway, soft at first, then brightening until the space beyond opened into the hidden stone alcove of a cave. It was the very same cave where he and

Aliris Tremiru had once needed to be rescued by

Jasper Kai'el , after that Sithspawn dragon had nearly made the place their tomb.

The portal closed behind them once they passed through, leaving only the hush of stone and distant wind in its wake.

Somehow, impossibly, they had traversed from Dantooine to Lothal.

How in the universe had he done that?

Regardless, Braze followed the instructions given through the comlink, guiding them toward the safe house as requested. Curiosity tugged at him with every passing step towards tehir destinatin. He wanted to see exactly what kind of chassis this stranger possessed, since that was the only thing he could think of that might warrant such secrecy.

0-7 · Jul 2, 2026

Lothal
Tags:

Xan Deesa ,

Braze

NK-Witell-class Freighter, 0A-155, Songbird (lightsaber), Vibrosword

Seven followed along. He just... had a portal. Of course he did. She wasn't going to even question that one yet. They had before them a droid replicate within a tank, one that was clearly to soon be inhabited. That seemed to be what was occuring, anyways. Mind uploading? The Evereni imagined as much. This hacker spoke too much like a person to be of artificial origins. Kalrath had digitized people to harvest info from them before. The only thing she knew about the process was that it was hell.

Now that she thought about it, replica droids didn't need to be sustained in bacta. Was this even a droid?

Xan Deesa said:
"That's it. Take the droid out and lay it on the table. Below the back of the skull is the spot, you'll feel it. Cut the skin open and flip the switch. I'll take care of the rest." She explained to them as the bacta drained and the tank opened up with an audible "hiss".

With an exhale, the young woman would reach out and open the tank. She picked up the droid and moved to lumber over to the table.

"How organic is this thing?" she asked. "Last I was aware synth skin didn't need bacta."

She began to feel for the spot in the back of the skull. When she did, Seven withdrew a small knife and began to make the incision. Blood was of very little concern to her, given her past. The cut would be made swiftly to expose the switch. When it was exposed, Seven would do as the hacker had instructed.

Xan Deesa · Jul 2, 2026

LOTHAL | SAFEHOUSE
TAGS:

Braze |

0-7

For a few brief seconds Xan completely lost her connection with the two Jedi. Not only that, they simply ceased to exist. When she managed to establish a connection again, they were suddenly pinging from a cave on Lothal. The kid wasn't lying, they somehow managed to teleport from one part of the galaxy to another. It did raise a logistical question, however, of how they were going to get to New Cov. Was this portal some kind of Force trick? Or did it have a more technical basis?

It puzzled Xan on numerous levels, but she wasn't in charge of the travel expenses, that was the Jedi's problem.

Her interest was focused more on the girl when she asked about the storage conditions of the HRD. "Normally, no. But this skin is about as real as you can get, it's real preem quality. I also went overboard, wanted to make sure nothing happens to the body in storage." She explained to the girl as she waited impatiently for her body to ping a signal. She took her time to set up the software and run any updates or patches that would be needed, though it luckily didn't seem to be necessary.

The body was ready for startup...

MANALAN MAILLA

Technicolour eyes fluttered open, the neon gaze taking a moment to flicker alive. A breath was drawn and immediately blown out with a series of heavy coughs. The first breaths of the body's lease on life. After a few moments, she carefully sat up on the table and looked down at her hands and dangling feet.

Her bright gaze shifted to the two strangers as her vision focused and her HUD came online. "Testing, one, two... one, two..." Her voice crackled to life with the synthetic vocal chords and annunciator producing its first words. Her voice was faint and weak, but the smile that adorned her lips was one of unbridled happiness.

With great care the droid shifted off the table to stand, flinching at the cold floor against her bare feet. Her balance took a moment to come right but finally she stood upright by herself. Small neon lights flickered to life from exposed cyberware along her thighs, chest and neck while a diagnostic scan filled her vision. Parts of her skin separated and retracted as the body checked its boxes. One by one, all systems returned with a healthy green and a reassuring '100%', leaving one last step in the process. Her knuckles split open to reveal hidden projectile launchers and just as quickly closed up again. Finally, her hands snapped forward at an unnatural angle while her forearms split open to unleash two long blades.

When they retracted, the woman's smile turned into relieved, joyous laughter.

She was back. Finally, she could truly proclaim to be back. With a fresh, new body and a reignited desire to see the galaxy through fresh, new eyes. Her head curled back to laugh at the unseen heavens for a long moment before she finally turned her attention to her guests.

"Xan Deesa. Your oh-so-mysterious slicer." She greeted the two with outstretched arms, visibly unbothered by her barely modest appearance in front of them.

Braze · Jul 2, 2026

Tags: 0-7 Xan Deesa

Braze watched as a female body was pulled forth and set onto the table. He seemed to let

0-7 do this, feeling it might be improper for him to set hands upon a female form. It seemed more appropriate that a girl take on the task, despite the fact that he could have utilized the Force to help her.

He let Severn do as she saw fit, making no motion to stop or hinder her. He watched the figure come to life and felt a touch of unease wash over him; the same odd dread that curled up within whenever he spent too long considering the loss of a limb, or the notion of being replaced by machinery. He shook his head, trying to dispel the discomforting thoughts, reassuring himself that she was just a person… yet still.

He looked away, averting his gaze from her feminine form and as he slipped out of his cloak. Gently, he draped it over one of her arms, then removed the heavier set of outer clothing: his gi-style satin robe top, along with the heavy outer hakama, leaving him in his under-bodysuit.

"You might want to cover up. Last I checked, running around naked will draw attention on most worlds you visit, unless you're a Wookiee or an Ewok…"

0-7 · Jul 2, 2026

Lothal
Tags:

Xan Deesa

NK-Witell-class Freighter, 0A-155, Songbird (lightsaber), Vibrosword

Braze said:
"You might want to cover up. Last I checked, running around naked will draw attention on most worlds you visit, unless you're a Wookiee or an Ewok…"

Seven let out an exhale and crossed her arms as Braze awkwardly withdrew his cloak and handed it to the newly awoken slicer. She didn't have the same issue in regards to what was proper, but she didn't look on with any distinct interest either. Everything was just business, whatever scenerio she wounded up in.

Still, something else seemed to make him uuneasy. Not the lack of dress... It wasn't quite the same fear as when they encountered those spider beasts with the purple one, but something else was clearly wrong.

"You say running around, is that teleporter thing only one way?" Seven questioned. "I hope that isn't the case."

Then again, not planning ahead of your initial action was a very Jedi thing to do, wasn't it?

Seven would shoot Xan a glare.

"And I hope you're in sound mind," she noted. "I've not known any mind to be stable after digitization... though perhaps your route was more voluntary than theirs."

Xan Deesa · Jul 3, 2026

Xan watched with confusion as the kid began to undress, handing one piece of clothing after the other to the cybernetic woman in hopes of covering her up. A giggle slipped past as Xan pointed to one of the lockers. "I have clothes here..." She quietly reassured the boy. "You must be Braze. You're taller than I expected." She remarked, handing him back his garments before walking over to her locker.

0-7 said:
"And I hope you're in sound mind," she noted. "I've not known any mind to be stable after digitization... though perhaps your route was more voluntary than theirs."

She was about to agree with the grey woman's observation until she continued. The cyborg paused, head turning slowly to glare daggers through her. Kill points, incapacitation, first contact scenarios, potential interferences, her HUD came alive with endless streams of combat data... "No... it wasn't." She muttered with an eerily cold voice. "You must be Sev. That short for 'Severely Screwed' or something else?" She continued, barely holding back the urge to hurl the grey woman across the room. With a breath she pushed on, opening the locker to retrieve a towel and a fresh set of clothes untouched by the outside world.

She wasn't part of the Corporate Authorities, too young and simply not fitting the profile. She couldn't know about what had happened. But she knew about the process, that meant there were more people, like her, trapped in a digital prison without the luxury of the Holonet's freedom. Puppets to be prodded and torn apart to their master's content.

Like Frankie...

A chuckle escaped her as she began to dry the residual bacta off. "Tried to organise a protest like that once." She began, pushing past the momentary tension as she got dressed. "Organised posters and shirts. 'Why do Wookiees get to walk around naked? That's discrimination!' I said." Her eyes narrowed in thought, pausing in the midst of putting her neon jacket on. "Lotta weird characters showed up to that one." She concluded with a laugh. Finally dressed, the last two effects to be adorned were her devil cap and demonic mask. Their neon lights flickered to life a second later and the Demon finally turned to face her saviours.

"Thanks, by the way. Now it's my turn to honour the deal." She remarked, slipping a pistol into a holster against the small of her back. Her rifle was slung around a shoulder, she was ready to see the galaxy. "'Dark and broody' has a point. How do we get outta here?" She asked.