Private An Expected Journey

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Loreena kept following Rex Valhoun , albeit a few paces behind. This time she wasn't racing and her pack was a bit heavier than his anyways as she had more stuff.

She took notice of the fork in the trail and of which one he didn't choose. Maybe he had seen something up ahead that she didn't, given that he was in the front. Or he had just wanted to go that way. It didn't really matter, however. The point was that they were walking and getting further away from their relatives.

"So......what was it like for you growing up? Did you have a lot of fight training? Or did you just learn on the fly?" Lori did what she could to fill the silence, for silence usually meant that she was in trouble for something.



Rowena didn't want to think of the possibility of them not getting along. For both governments, it was far better that they did. "We'll cross that bridge if we come to it. But yes, I do plan on upholding our agreement. We would just have to adjust things if need be."

 

[Rex Valhoun]

Post: 20
Tag: Loreena Arenais-Valhoun

Rex continued his trek at the same pace as he had. But when Loreena spoke he realized she was trailing, and adjusted his speed accordingly. She could now walk beside him as he had her earlier. Her question was how he grew up, and what as well as how he learned. It was a good question and one he was surprised she hadn't asked before.

"In The Wilderness I was self taught. I usually used brute strength and instincts to survive. When I was adopted, I focused on civil trainings, however as a side hobby I learned the basics of dueling and shooting."

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​

Good. She would keep the deal even if things didn't work well. This was a major relieve to Heath....he needed Rowena's support no matter what happened from this point forward. "Good. Very good. I think it's important to be prepared, even if it seems likely that they will be fine together."​

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori nodded as she listened to Rex Valhoun , soon catching up to him so that they were more or less in pace with eachother. Fighting with brutal strength could only get one so far, especially when faced against blaster rifles and troopers.

"I can fight too. I was trained by my Mandalorian family. But mostly they taught me engineering and piloting. I'm good at building booty traps and giving enemy soldiers the slip...Not exactly what one would expect from some young Queen of a planet, huh? But I've always been the odd one out of the family." And she was the one least expected to make anything of herself. Her twin brother was always ten times better than she was at everything.

She hated that....


Rowena let out a heavy breath as Heath seemed to want details as to what she,'d do with Rex and Loreena failed to get along. "Well, should the worst come to pass, then we would keep them near to eachother, but not on the same ships. Only for important meetings or declarations should they be near eachother and pretend to get along. I believe that's how it's done most of the time in these circumstances."

 

[Rex Valhoun]

Post: 21
Tag: Loreena Arenais-Valhoun

Rex listened top Loreena explain her own training. She could make booby traps and throw off enemies that were searching for her. He was impressed, he knew nothing about engineering. Although, he could certainly hide from even the most dangerous of predators. It was a better option than fighting in most cases. He was also fast, able to run away from many foes with ease. All of these traits were from the wilderness.

The only survival skills he had from The Elysium Empire were, as he told Loreena, basic marksman and dueling skills. He was a firm believer in using more mobile fighting styles. While he had used brute force before, he had seen films and read books on fighting. The mobile opponent was always the stronger one. Heath agreed, using The Rebel Alliance of the past as an example. They had used guerilla warfare...hit and run tactics, sabotage, and other tactics that The Empire, despite its' might, couldn't counter.

Rex heard Loreena mention her Mandalorian family. It caught his attention because The Mandalorians were one of the few groups that The Elysium Empire had no issues with, and he had a deep respect for their culture. He was hesitant to ask about her family because he knew about her parents' death, and Loreena seemed to get uncomfortable whenever he asked about her family in any way.

He chose to refrain from asking about them this time. Instead he simply nodded and continued walking, unsure of what to ask next.

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​

Heath nodded again as Rowena gave more details. He hadn't asked for them but he appreciated her giving them anyways. "I agree that this is the way to handle it. I believe that's all I have in the way of questions then. Is there anything you need or want? Questions, requests, anything?"​

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Rex Valhoun didn't say anything after she had told him about her own training. A number of reasons ran through her mind as to why that was. Perhaps he didn't believe her? Or perhaps he didn't approve? Or perhaps he just didn't care at all as to whether or not she had any training in anything....

Lori grabbed a water bottle from a side pouch of her backpack and opened it, taking a swig of the cool liquid. It was nice and refreshing and surely helped to ease the momentary silence. She slipped the bottle back into the pouch soon afterwards. "Ever pilot a ship yet?"



Rowena was glad that both Heath and herself saw eye to eye on things. It made thus whole arrangement all the easier. "I've got nothing else to add for the moment. If you'd like you can explore the grounds or spend some time tending to business in your guest room. You are free to make yourself at home."

 

[Rex Valhoun]

Post: 22
Tag: Loreena Arenais-Valhoun

Rex quickly realized he should have offered more of a response to her training. But it was too late now, and all he could do was hope she didn't think he disapproved of her training, or didn't care. She took a drink of water, then asked if he had piloted a ship. He didn't want to answer because his response would be unimpressive at best, but he couldn't ignore her.

"I have not. I barely know how and I'm extremely uncomfortable doing it." He quickly added on, "Your training is impressive. I wish I knew more about engineering. It's a good skill to have."

Maybe now she would think his silence was just him pondering what she had said....

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Rowena had nothing more to say. Heath did one quick recap, making sure he had nothing else to say. He didn't, and so instead he said, "Thank you, not just for inviting me to stay here, but for the arrangement. It is a large step in the future of The Elysium Empire. I think I'll take a walk outside and enjoy the sun while it lasts. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask, I may be a guest but I am happy to help." ​

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori would've lightly shrugged her shoulders, but the backpack straps didn't allow it. "Piloting isn't for everybody. I used to freak out my brother with my daring maneuvers. But he's a pilot now too....and probably better than I am by now, like always.

I figured that Jaster would teach me more piloting skills, yet he decided engineering was better for me. I like to tinker, and he saw that. He also made sure that I remained compassionate despite going through battle. Jaster was a great mentor. It's why I named some of my ships after him."

She glanced at Rex Valhoun before stepping around a large rock. "I'll bet that you've got some great skills that I don't have."



Rowena bowed her head to Heath. "By all means, do so. Dinner is at six." There were some calls that she had to make, as well as plans for the small wedding. And she didn't need it to get out to the public until well after the ceremony had taken place. That would require finding the right people to keep their mouths shut. Or perhaps a little deception on her part....

 

[Rex Valhoun]

Post: 23
Tag: Loreena Arenais-Valhoun

Rex listened as Loreena told him about her brother, their piloting skills, and how she was trained in Engineering. Then she said she was sure he had skills that she didn't. Rex grinned, answering, "Well, I would say climbing, but you beat me there. You're a queen, I'm sure you know how to act like a politician. I guess I can survive better than you...kill, skin, and cook wild beasts for food....build temporary shelters...find fresh water."

It was the best he could come up with. Most things that Loreena had a lifetime to learn, he had learnt in 7 years. How to talk, how to use a weapon properly, how to eat politely, so on and so forth. This irritated him, but he was happy to be here and not in The Wilderness. ​

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori's brows lifted as Rex Valhoun mentioned that she was a Queen and knew how to act like a politician. Sure, he could believe that if he wanted, but it was a lie. Her position of Queen was in name only, as far as she understood it. Her brother told her that Mnemosyne's monarchy was nearly absent and just there for oversight or to help internal political disputes. And her knowledge that Mnemosyne even existed was for just under a couple of years, if that. The fact that she knew how to act like a politician was absurd. She merely tried to think of what her Mom would have done, or repeated what she saw in holo-movies.

"I didn't live a sheltered life, you know. I learned a bit of how to survive in the wild. I was supposed to learn a lot more by my Mandalorian family to transition me into adulthood, but there just wasn't any time. So I'm still a child in their eyes. It's why my armour has no helmet. I haven't earned it yet. I'm not worthy." Not that it mattered right now anyways as pretty much all of her Mandalorian family was dead.

"Well I'm not sure of what animals we'd find here to eat, yet with the creek, there's certainly no shortage of water." What predators were lurking, she had no idea either. There had to be some as every ecosystem had them. But whether those predators were a threat to humans was another story.

"I wonder if my aunt and your Dad are preparing for the wedding already. Had a date been set before you came here?"

 

[Rex Valhoun]

Post: 24
Tag: Loreena Arenais-Valhoun

She had mentioned them again. Her Mandalorian family. Again Rex bit his tongue, as much as he liked reading about Mandalorians, this was not the time to ask. Not yet. Tomorrow, perhaps he would, after they had spent a day to get comfortable talking to each other.

Loreena continued talking, now about his hunting abilities. She admitted that she didn't know the predators around this area. It wasn't promising because he also had no idea what they could run into. He would just have to hope they didn't encounter anything too big.

Finally Loreena asked if he knew of Heath and Rowena's plans regarding the wedding. Particularly if there was a predetermined date.

"Not that I know of. If there was, we likely changed it by taking this trip."​

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Now there was a possibility. Who knows how quickly they were supposed to have the ceremony. And given the attack that had happened at her last wedding, this one was certainly going to be low key. Or at the very least that was what she would do if she was her aunt.

Lori's mind started thinking again about why her aunt and Heath would even set up the marriage between her and Rex Valhoun . Uniting two monarchies, sure, but it had to go deeper than that. The Elysium Empire was new as far as she could tell. House Arenais wasn't that old either, yet it held some notoriety at least, mostly in thanks to her parents. Her brother was pretty popular as well, while Lori was labelled as a terrorist. Maybe it's what her Mom had gone through too when she used to free slaves from the Hutt Cartel. Regardless both of her parents died relatively young, and she didn't want to follow in their footsteps.

"Did your Father ever say what is expected of us after this marriage takes place?"

 

[Rex Valhoun]

Post: 25
Tag: Loreena Arenais-Valhoun

Rex had no idea what Heath truly expected. But he had a general feeling that the marriage was mostly to increase House Valhoun's reputation, and bring in some more resources. The marriage would probably be loose, not very demanding, maybe the occasional appearance together, or attending a ball, but nothing too intense.

"He has not. I assume it will be light stuff...like making a few appearances to show that we're together..."​

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori nodded a little, hearing Rex Valhoun 's response to her question. She just stared straight ahead as she walked, unsure of what to reply with after that. Was it all just going to be for show? Was no effort going to be put into it at all? Yet it wasn't as though she should expect anything else. All arranged marriages were probably like this....yet she didn't really know of any that had gone through it. All that she could do was guess.

She took another gulp of her water, then took a look at their surroundings. The foliage was thick along the canyon walls, yet the path was still wide enough for them to pass through. Still, it began to twist again, branching off to a dead end on one side, while continuing on for two other paths.

"I'm wondering if we should pitch our tent up above, instead of down here. What do you think? Is the highground better? Or should we somehow under cover?" After growing up in the wild, Rex was sure to have a better idea than her.

 

[Rex Valhoun]

Post: 26
Tag: Loreena Arenais-Valhoun

Loreena asked him where they should pitch their tent. He thought about it for a moment before answering. It was a situational question, and both options had pros and cons. After a moment of thought, Rex replied, "The High Ground is almost always better....unless we're in a storm. Down here we are more likely to be snuck up on, and there are more insects, rats, and other small creatures to have a feast on us while we sleep."

Of course, there were other times when The High Ground was unfavorable. If they were being hunted, unless they were in a tree or somewhere unexpected, the high ground could make them an easier find. If it was the desert, The High Ground made the sun beat down on them harder. But today, the High Ground seemed to be the best option.

Rex hid a grin. If they were going to climb again, he'd be sure to beat Loreena....​

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

The high ground it was, then. Lori was glad that she packed some rope so that she could hoist her pack. There was no way that she was going to climb with it on her back. Other Force users would probably just float it up or even themselves, but she wasn't skilled enough for such a thing. Nor did she find it really practical.

"Cliffside it is. I'm sure that the night sky will be beautiful. And if either of our relatives are spying on us with drones, we'll be sure to spot them."

Lori smirked a little to herself and how her life had changed again. No longer a thorn in the Eternal Empire's side, no longer fighting, and more than likely no longer targeted. Instead she was set to join an empire via Rex Valhoun . Whether or not that would be a good thing remained to be seen. What if they ended up being evil? What if she felt compelled to rebel against them? Would others in the Elysium Empire see her as a threat that needed to be removed, given her reputation as a terrorist or rebel leader? Politics were surely to be a difficult arena to navigate. Yet she had to hold her ground despite her lack of experience.

"What sorts of things do you like, Rex? Favourite foods? Favourite games? That sort of thing...."

 

[Rex Valhoun]

Rex changed course for the cliff, scouting it out at a distance before he would have to climb it. Meanwhile loreena asked him what he enjoyed. He took a moment before answering...unsure of the answer himself. Then he replied, "I hate the fake part of politics, but I love politics themselves. I also enjoy history and military tactics because they are new to me. As for foods, I enjoy the more exotic meals. Not always, of course, but things like raw fish wrapped in seaweed, or true Blue Milk from a farm are good. Games...I haven't had time to play any. I'm just too busy I guess. I haven't really had time for anything. How about you?"

He felt stupid for not knowing the names of the food he enjoyed. The feeling intensified when he couldn't list off any games. But he knew Loreena would understand why he didn't know the terminology.

He wondered what her response would be. Surely she was as busy as he...being the face of a rebellion, and constantly being hunted.....​

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori's Dad also hated the fake part of politics. But she didn't have much experience in it herself. Mostly she was told to stay away. And so she did. Rex Valhoun was sure to take on more of the political stance than she was. Unless of course he too, made her stay away. From what his answer was in regards to her previous question, she was sure that that was probably going to be the case.

"I like flying, and tinkering. Before the Eclipse Rebellion I used to do a bit of treasure hunting as well to earn my keep. For foods I love a good bantha steak. Nothing raw unless it's a fruit or vegetable. I love to watch action/adventure holo-movies and play puzzle games. Living on a small ship gives me ample downtime during long flights to work on my own skills or just relax." She smirked a little. "Not exactly what you'd expect to hear from some Queen of a planet that barely anyone's ever heard of. My aunt is clearly more regal than I am."

 

[Rex Valhoun]

Rex grinned as he listened to Loreena. She was right, the things she enjoyed and knew were not typical of a queen. She was also right to say her aunt was more regal. It was almost an understatement to simply say "more" as Rowena was practically the definition of regal.

"Regardless of the marriage, what are your plans for the future? Do you want to rule more land? Less? Do you want to live a simple life, or perhaps rejoin the rebellion?"

He had waited to ask the question for several minutes now, but he felt it was important. It would tell him a lot about her, and it could help secure the marriage. Beyond that, he was simply curious, as most would be. ​

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

What Rex Valhoun asked was a bit of loaded questions. She couldn't answer them right away. She had to think about them.

One thing that was always constant in her life, it was that everything always changed. Nothing ever stayed the same for long. It had been that way since childhood. So the future was never, ever certain.

"I haven't thought that far ahead yet. Outside of securing my place properly within MandalArms, I'll just do what is expected of me for now. I don't think that I'll be going back to the Rebellion. They lost all confidence in me and have become more of a Force enclave. I'll more than likely have political battles to fight now, because really; do you think that your Father and my aunt would let me go to war?" More than likely not. And despite whatever promises might be made about how little or how much time they'd have to spend with eachother, the pressure to have a child or more would be hanging over their heads.

 

[Rex Valhoun]

Rex listened to Loreena answer the questions. The answers were about what he expected, but he still nodded his head as she talked. Finally she finished, and he had a quick reply. "I agree, there will be political battles. My father may allow us to go to war. Your aunt on the other hand, probably will not."

Rowena had no influence over him, but this marriage meant she had a little influence over his father, which in turn meant she had a say in Rex's life. This angered him, but there was no point in fighting it. It was a battle he couldn't win. At least, he couldn't win it without hurting The Empire, and that was something he couldn't do.

He found that the more he did regarding The Empire, even things he didn't want to do, always ended up making him care more about The Empire itself. At first he cared because he had to, but now he cared legitimately. He also found that he disagreed with Heath more and more. He didn't know if his increased passion for The Empire was related to the disagreements or not...​