Private Ashes of Allegiance

[Caelan Valoren]

The Devit Royal Transport was an extremely comfortable vessel. Not out of opulence, but out of necessity for who utilized it. It wasn’t always just used to fly between places for pompous reasons, but was often also home to important meetings, traveling dignitaries, and others. For this reason, comfort was a necessity. Suffice to say, it certainly surpassed any Imperial vessel that Ines might have flown around in, no matter how hard they may have tried to make it seem otherwise. It was also well stocked with food and drink, especially of the Lazerian kind. Tea, Icebrew (non-alcoholic only) and water were readily available. Food was if she wanted it as well.

Of course he’d told her not to refer to him as highness. Caelan was just fine. He didn’t like it when people heaped the royal title on him, even when his own people did it. He didn’t stop them from doing it, though. Some of them got offended when he tried to tell them not to refer to him in such a way. While he didn’t understand why, he also figured it was a trivial matter and not reason for him to get into an argument over, so he let it slide.

Fate was off searching databases with her photo, which he’d snapped regardless of her comments, and before she’d even commented about the request. Little droid didn’t really care whether she gave permission or not, he’d only asked out of formality, though he did maintain the ruse that he hadn’t taken it. If Line was really her name, then it wouldn’t be hard to find. If it wasn’t, well, he’d dig deeper until he discovered her true identity, even if that took long enough that she was long gone by the time he figured it out. At least Caelan would know her real name by the next time they met.

“Plenty of food if you want to eat, just tell the chef,” he said as he sat down within the lounge area and took off his outer robe.

The ship lifted off as soon as they were aboard, so she wasn’t really in a position to leave any longer. The fighter escort would deal with any Imperial vessels that tried to interfere with them. They were flown by elite pilots, something Lazerian had a history of, so he wasn’t worried about them handling a few Imperial space jockeys.

“Help yourself to a drink, too. The Icebrew will help regulate your body temperature in the cold of space if you get cold easy. Tastes good, too.”

ATTIRE: Link | WEAPON: Lightsaber | COMPANION: BD-F8 | OTHER: Sigil Bead (Necklace), Prosthetic Left Arm

TAGS: Ines Pen-Ar-Lan ​

 

[Ines Pen-Ar-Lan]

Ashes of Allegiance
Caelan Valoren ​

She had offered a nod when he asked her not to address him as 'Your Highness'. It would seem as if the girl was set on making the experience as pleasant as possible for both of them.

But then came the droid. She had shielded herself from the first photo - all it would be able to get would be a side profile with plenty of gear and hair hiding her features. Ever observant and highly trained, the Agent seemed to notice something was off about the droid’s behaviour. Was it trying to snap another picture? Hopeful hazel eyes narrowed as she looked up to the King, away from the direction of the droid. Her mouth formed a disappointed line as she reached up to equip the mask again. It was enough to guarantee that her cover would remain intact after this ordeal was over.

A contemplative expression spread across her features as her gaze lingered on Caelan. "I don't know why, but I wanted to trust you. I still do, kinda. I really hope that's a personality quirk." she gave a sideway nod to the droid. She had already noted that it was a menace - perhaps that would explain why it would cross a line which seemed uncharacteristic for the Jedi. But then, the two of them had not known each other for long. Anything was possible.

The duo soon entered what appeared to be the main lounging area of the ship. Line's eyes went wide as she looked around. The sweeping scan for cameras, exits and other items of note was consistently interrupted as her attention was drawn towards the luxurious details of the ship. She took a deep breath - the air quality was excellent. The seats looked as comfortable as ever and the light food items and drinks looked amazing. Her eyes had an impressed glimmer to them. "You have an on-board chef?" she asked with a bright smile glowing under the mask. "That's a step above most starliners I've been on."

Line let out a light "I'm good for now" as she looked around. Her captor had made himself comfortable. Meanwhile, she had remained standing by the couch he had seated himself in, still in the same firefighter’s uniform.

If there were no cameras in the lounging area, she would wait for a few moments before speaking up with a somewhat timid voice "Would you mind if it were just the two of us?" She eyed the droid and threw a glance to where the chef could presumably be found "I don't know your chef, I'm sure he's a good person, but I don't know him. And your droid?" she chuckled. While she had reason to dislike the little droid - it would seem as if she also thought it was pretty cute. "I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him". While she wouldn't take anything for granted, the Agent's hand hovered by the zipper to her jacket - she was ready to at least try to trust him a little.

 

[Caelan Valoren]

“Hmm?” he inquired, frowning. “Oh. Fate. Yeah, he has a mind of his own. First time we met he was trying to kill me. He had faulty double programming that was competing with itself. Grandmaster Noble managed to fix that, but you can’t change everything.”

She had affixed the visor once again, hiding her visage. He didn’t really understand why that was other than the fact that Fate was keen on taking a photo of her. Apparently he wanted to search the databases to see if he could figure out if she was telling the truth about who she was, though it was doubtful she’d be found in a database anyway, unless she’d gotten in trouble with the Alliance before, which he kind of doubted. Seemed more like the Alliance had failed her, in which case they’d probably completely ignored her and whatever plight she’d been forced to endure. Not very good, but no government was without faults.

When she commented on his having a chef, he nodded. It was a step above many, but this was a royal transport they were on. It belonged to the kingdom, and a chef served whomever was leading the kingdom. It wasn’t a luxury he had imposed, it simply had always been there, even when his parents were alive.

“There are always benefits to being royalty, even if we don’t ask for them. I inherited this position and the ship comes with the position, and the chef comes with the ship.”

She didn’t seem inclined to eat at the moment. There were some serious trust issues between them at the moment, as he could see. Understandable on some levels, but he HAD just given her medical aid, and why would he do that if he intended to just poison her on the ship? That would be a waste. But, he understood, and so he waved a hand to dismiss the chef, who nodded and left through one of the lounges doorways. Fate, on the other hand, he didn’t really want to send away, but since the droid seemed keen on bugging her, probably because she’d tried to harm him and the droid operated on logic, not feeling, it seemed he wouldn’t be able to keep him around.

“Fate, go get yourself a recharge.”

"Boop-bwoop dweet-dweep dweet-dweep boop-bloop bwoop-beep dweep bwee dweep dweet bloop-beep bloop-dwoop? Bwoop bloop-beep."

“I can take care of myself, Fate. You know this. Now go.”

The droid stared at him a moment and then turned to look at the woman. He took a step forward towards her, as if trying to menace her.

"Bwee-dweet, bwoo-dweep dwoop bweep bwoo-bwee dweet bloop-beep dweet-dweep boop-bwoop dweep dweet boop-bwee beep-bwee beep dweet-dweep bwee-boop."

The droid stared at her for a moment longer and then turned and tottled off somewhere else in the ship, leaving them alone. No cameras in the lounge. There wasn’t a need for them. The two of them were alone for now.

“Fate’s just looking out for me. He’s got his quirks, but he’s a really good droid. You don’t need to worry, though, we’re alone now and can talk without interruption.”

ATTIRE: Link | WEAPON: Lightsaber | COMPANION: BD-F8 | OTHER: Sigil Bead (Necklace), Prosthetic Left Arm

TAGS: Ines Pen-Ar-Lan ​

 

[Ines Pen-Ar-Lan]

Ashes of Allegiance
Caelan Valoren ​

Her gaze had shifted between the droid and the Jedi as they spoke - but she had remained silent throughout the exchange. Eventually, the droid would leave the two of them alone. Her eyes tracked it as it left and made anotherr sweep across the room before finally settling on Caelan. "Thank you" she said - her voice becoming significantly clearer mid-sentence as she took the mask off once more. She offered a soft smile and a nod.

Very slowly, perhaps timidly, even, she pulled down the zipper of the firefighter's jacket until only a few centimeters remained. A tight-fitting grey sweater could be seen underneath. Carefully, she took a hesitant step to the sofa he was on and took a seat. The girl allowed the jacket to fall off from her shoulders, all the way down to her waist where it would be caught between her lap and the sofa. The sleeves were still covering her lower arms which the upper arms were only covered by the synthetic grey fabric. The King had done her a goodness, and in return, she had peeled off one layer of protection. She let out a sigh and her body shuddered slightly, as if just having stepped out into the cold.

For a few moments, her eyes rested on the empty couch section between them and allowed for there to be some silence. "You know-..." Line paused for a few moments. Her gaze sailed back up to meet his eyes. "I didn't want to hurt you, much less kill you." She spoke with a sincere tone - whilst at the same time letting slip that she understood binary.

Twisting her body to the side, Line made herself comfortable by leaning her side against the backrest which allowed her to fully face the Jedi without turning her head too much. "I didn't wanna hurt your frriends either. I was just hoping that you'd want to make sure they were safe instead of coming for me. I had a hunch I'd end up like this if you did." She took another pause to look down at herself, lounging at a luxurious ship. Line let out a quiet chuckle "Well, not quite like this.. I thought it would be a lot worse than this." The soft smile conveyed gratitude - but deep inside her eyes, there was a hint of fear. Was this too good to be true?

 

[Caelan Valoren]

"Weren't you really hot with all of that on?" he asked.

She had taken off the helmet, and followed by removing her jacket, which had revealed that she was wearing a sweater underneath. He couldn't imagine that being comfortable considering firefighter jackets were extremely thick and heavy to provide the protection necessary for the person to wear them. Even with modern materials, they still had to be heavy. Fire never changed. Materials might, but it wasn't just the flames themselves that caused problems, it was the heat, and the best way to mitigate the heat was multiple layers of a dense, non-flammable material. He didn't envy her choice of outfits.

When she said she hadn't wanted to hurt him, he nodded. Same when she said that about his friends, the scientists elsewhere in this ship, probably with their nose buried in technical readouts. He'd felt, well, not much from her, to be honest, but none of her actions had been deliberately endangering of anyone, with the possible exception of the droids (because he didn't know what they'd been programmed to do, exactly).

"I didn't think you did, to be honest. It surprised me when I didn't get the feeling of impending danger while dealing with you. Every other Imperial I've met has wanted to kill me."

Even though he wasn't certain he believed everything she said, he did believe this. So either she was really good at manipulation, or she was being sincere.

"I won't lie to you, many others would have thrown you in a cell and lost the key. The actions of the Galactic Empire in their assault of the Alliance worlds has not gone without distressing many. I know many Jedi have even become more militant as a result of it, stressing the need to attack you for what was done. I don't believe in that ideal. I don't believe it's right for Jedi to act with aggressive intent. I know it's easy to say that, and easy to believe I'm not telling the truth, especially since I'm a King of an Alliance member world, but even the worst enemy should be met with some level of respect.

"I didn't afford that to your Emperor because I know him and his past, and because his actions directly threatened my wife, my son and my unborn daughter, but I acted only in defense, not utilizing offensive skills, only barriers meant to stop him, much like what I did with you."

He paused for a moment, then stood and walked over to grab a bottle from the cooler. Two glasses he brought back with it, and poured some from the bottle into each before sitting down once more. She may not have been thirsty before, but he didn't believe she would make it all the way to Lazerian without getting thirsty.

"That's Lazerian Icebrew. If you're cold, it'll warm you. If you're hot, it'll cool you. It's one of our oldest pieces of culture, and one we love to share with others."

ATTIRE: Link | WEAPON: Lightsaber | COMPANION: BD-F8 | OTHER: Sigil Bead (Necklace), Prosthetic Left Arm

TAGS: Ines Pen-Ar-Lan ​

 

[Ines Pen-Ar-Lan]

Ashes of Allegiance
Caelan Valoren ​

"It was mostly the jacket" she mused. The sweater was not her own doing - but rather something that the firefighters were wearing. Her having it was primarily to blend in. "This seems to breathe well enough." Her eyes had a playful glimmer to them as she joked "Y'know, most firefighters aren't naked under these big jackets."

The girl produced a content nod upon hearing that he believed her. Although she did not say anything, her expression conveyed a degree of gratitude. Whether it be due to the force or just some sense of trust, she seemed to like it.

With her hands in her lap, Line listened attentively when Caelan shared some of his ideals and some personal information. Her first comment would not be on the former - instead, a bright smile grew on her lips "Congratulations! When is she due?" Her voice carried a sweet mixture of enthusiasm and curiosity. With a bit of a nod she added "I'm glad it was me you encountered then. Wouldn't want the kids' father to be at risk. But then, if you've fought the Emperor, I'm not sure if any of us could've harmed you."

The cold of space was starting to get to her. For while the firefighter's jacket was too warm, taking it off exposed her to the cold. Goosbumps formed across her arms and she drew her shoulders together to keep warm. Just then, the King offered the Icebrew. "Thank you" she looked up to him with grateful eyes as her hands cupped the glass. "It's a funny name, for a drink that's supposed to make people warmer." She thought for a moment, considering what he had said about what the brew was actually supposed to do. "Unless Lazerian is a very warm planet?" She had not consumed any of the brew just yet. If he drank it, however, she would too.

 

[Caelan Valoren]

He couldn't help but laugh at what she said.

"I didn't expect you to be naked underneath. I'm thankful you weren't. That would be incredibly awkward."

For both of them. He was married, and she was in a ship with someone she barely knew. Of course there was clothing she could have found if she needed it. The ship carried clothing for him and Anavi both, plus a room full of Kita's stuff should he ever actually find his twin sister, which he believed to be unlikely even though he knew she was alive. Finding her something to wear wouldn't have been hard. Thankfully, it wasn't necessary.

He took a drink from his Icebrew as she asked about the due date of his second child.

"About a month from now," he said in response. "There haven't been any complications so I suspect it will hold to that time. And thank you for the well wishes. As for the battle with your Emperor, I should say I didn't fight him alone. Another Jedi was also present in the battle."

He couldn't take much credit for that fight, to be honest. His participation had been late into it with Ren doing most of the work. But he had still faced him, doing what he could to defeat him. Ultimately the battle had been lost and the core along with it. That was the unfortunate reality of war. No matter what you did, you couldn't win every battle even when you really desired to do so in order to protect the people that were counting on you.

Then she commented on Lazerian and the Icebrew and he smiled.

"Lazerian IV is a terrestrial world. You'll find hot and cold both there. We call it Icebrew because it's made using a special moss that grows in the coldest regions of the planet. It has a property that comes out into the liquid which helps the body better thermoregulate itself. If you're hot, it will cool you. If you're cold, it will warm you. It also tastes really good. They make it in alcoholic forms as well, but I don't drink alcohol so I never keep it around."

ATTIRE: Link | WEAPON: Lightsaber | COMPANION: BD-F8 | OTHER: Sigil Bead (Necklace), Prosthetic Left Arm

TAGS: Ines Pen-Ar-Lan ​