Azure on Azure

[Stephanie Swail]

Ruins of Azure Spaceport
Azure, Truum Sector

The streak of azure covered the sky on Azure, and was a pretty sight. And endless rolling sky of azure that looked beautiful in the dusk, covering up the ruins below.

Stephanie stood, hands on hips, chewing her lips, surveying the desolate spaceport below her.

Wearing tan trousers, brown boots, an olive green vest and cream shirt, Stephanie was starting to look less of a Hapen Princess and more a rugged rebel fighter. Hair up tight and a braided ponytail falling over her shoulder, her pretty face was set and her eyes narrowed taking in the carnage.

All she wanted was a place to gather her thoughts en-route to Voss to catch up with [member="Cath Lorr"] following the meeting with [member="Kyra Sol"] on Sarkany. There was much to think about. Much to process. Much to decide about her destiny.

But it seemed the spaceport was nothing but vacant, bar a few settlers making campfires around the place. No ships were landing or taking off. The tall spires were eroded away and snapped in half. The result of war that had touched the planet.

Stephanie sighed and shook her head. Places like this were just left. Planets, neutral and peaceful, were the real casualties in these Jedi / Sith wars and the innocent people left behind with no home, no work and no family.

It was just this she wanted to help stop.

But for now, she had to decide if she could make the rest of the flight to Voss with her fuel.

[member="Théodred Heavenshield"]

 

[Théodred Heavenshield]

With what little he could find around him, Theo built a decent fire. He camp for the night set up with a small tent with space enough for his tall frame and a few belongs he brought with him from his ship. He could stay on board of course, but with all the traveling he does between the Iron Empire protected space and Midvinter, he would take all opportunity to get out of it. He was returning to the IE, after spending a little time with his sister who he hoped would soon follow him there. The thoughts of her and what she had endured after being taken off Midvinter and subjected to such horrors still plagued his mind, but there was little he could do about it now.

He pushed of the ground with his knees and brushed away the dirty on his hands on his trouser legs, not much to do around here as this place is mostly in ruin with some people making good with what they have. It was a rather sad sight to him, they seemed so displaced and so many people from all parts of the galaxy come here to make some form of life for themselves. He decided to go for a walk, strange though he had no thought of his belongings being robbed, there was a sense of a code that one did not steal from another down on his luck. Not that Theo was, but they don't know this. There was nothing of value in his tent anyway.

Walking, meandering around the others in the camp site he did not aim for the make shift bars or other entertainment, but opted to take a look at the ruins. He might catch a drink later but for now he was happy enough to check things out. Blue the sky, blue the building around him or rather what was left of them, one could come to hate the colour living here in it for too long.

What appeared to have been a home at one point, he decided to enter. He rested his hand on the door frame on peaked into the darkness of the place. There was a strange smell, musty and dead, curiosity got the better of him .. he wanted to see if there was anything left of the family that once lived here. If their story and history was laid before him with what was left behind. The only light to give him vision was the filtering blue from the outside piercing through the cracks in the walls and ceiling, it was enough to see belongings abandoned, he picked up a small toy, a doll ragged and old now.

​

[member="Stephanie Swail"]​

 

[Stephanie Swail]

With her hands in pockets, Stephanie was ambling along the rocky terrain without a care in the world. She was fascinated about the ruins ahead of her and was drawn to flickers of light. Salvagers? Campers? Soldiers?

Small fires burned around the site the closer she got, and she saw people actually….living among the ruins still? She didn’t make eye-contact where she could the closer she got, but she felt people looking at her, and she was nothing but helpless. What could she do? Why was she even here? Gawping at other’s misfortune?

No – she didn’t know people still tried to live here. It wasn’t her fault.

Walking through a little quicker the ruins as the wind funnel blew cooler between the buildings, Stephanie looked up at the large tower in front of her and stumbled over a small engine that was rusting on the ground.

Looking around to try shrug off her embarrassment, Stephanie muttered something and tried to carry on as if she meant to trip. When she did, however, she heard a small crash from the building she had passed.

Don’t do it. Don’t be nosy.

She did it. She was nosy. Stepping backwards, Stephanie craned her head into the darkness of the gloomy house. Was it a house? Office? Old garage? Part of her wanted to speak and offer help or an introduction, but what could she do? Was someone robbing the house? Was someone trapped?

Stephanie reached to her belt and grabbed air. Fingers splaying on her hip, she sighed and rolled her eyes. No, girl. You weren’t a Jedi yet. Don’t go grabbing for laser swords you don’t have to safe the innocents.

"Who’s there?" Stephanie blurted out. "If you need help please come out."

What if it was a thief? Then what? She froze, ready to move as necessary at whatever happened next.

[member="Théodred Heavenshield"]

 

[Théodred Heavenshield]

There would be countless places like this house in the galaxy, left abandoned for whatever reason, mostly due to war. He placed the tiny doll on a dusty shelf, sat her up so she could wait for someone to find her and love her again. It was not a very inspiring sight to see this place, a family would have lived and loved here, and what had become of them? Why would a little girl leave her doll behind? His finger tips glided across the surface of the table in the room bare and like the shelf, lined with dust. It was now he hear a noise just out side, shoes scuffing in the dirt, his blue eyes the only thing to move as he searched through the force. Lightside .. thank the Gods for that. He did not fancy killing anyone tonight.


"Who’s there?", female, nice voice. He turned to look through the door, it would be difficult for her to see him, but her body silhouetted in the frame of it against the blue. "Why don't you come in and find out if I need help .. I could have a broken leg and unable to walk". His deep voice spoke with a hint of jest. And before the girl would know, Théo stood in the frame of the door, one arm raised to rested it. Not a Jedi robe in sight, but black trousers and a loose blue shirt nothing to indicate any form of alliance. Saber was clipped to his belt.

He could see the tension in her body, in ready stance if he was not mistaken, yet there was no saber in sight. "Leading foot is a little too forward, pull it back an inch for better balance". He pushed off the door frame with his arm, and walked toward her with hands visible to show he had no ill intentions. "I was just being nosy, little else to do tonight".

"What are you doing around here?", after all, she might just as well be the thief. Naw, she is Jedi.

​

[member="Stephanie Swail"]​

 

[Stephanie Swail]

Stephanie instinctively crouched a little at the male voice, but then he emerged into the doorway and looked odd. Normal looking clothes, slightly shaggy black hair and a light….saber.

Her eyes looked at the weapon, then up at him, stood there with a nonchalant arm resting on the frame and holding a doll in the other hand. He gave her a few pointers, but she didn’t move. Well, she DID when he did. As he pushed off the frame to step forward, Stephanie took a step back and brought her hand out.

The self-assured chat was nothing but a distraction she was sure.

"Who are you and why do you have a lightsword…saber."

Smooth.

She inhaled quickly, puffing her chest out a little and head held high to show her resolve.

"My name is Stephanie Swail of the Silver Jedi Order and if you are here to take from these people, you must leave now."

[member="Théodred Heavenshield"]

 

[Théodred Heavenshield]

"You should not be so quick to give your name away so easy .. you never know who you are talking to", he moved closer still. "I am not taking anything from these people, seems like someone has done that already". He indicated to the door inviting her to take a look inside for herself. He looked her over from head to toe as she pulled her body tall and puffed out her chest, "A Silver huh?", he grinned. "I've heard of 'em".

A defiant thing this girl is, he liked that and whats more, she is pretty with long brown hair framing her face and dark eyes boring holes in him. Rather then answer her question just yet, he asked more, "What are you doing out here away from Silver space? .. I am just stopping by on my way back to work".

He turned as if to walk away from the home, but stopped only to invite her to stroll along with him with a tilt of his head. "Not safe to be out here alone, care for a walk with me". He had no destination in mind, although it might be interesting to check out the makeshift entertainment area.

"Seems like this place has been ruined for some time now", easy enough to see but the fact that these people left behind or had come here to find some sort of life had been forgotten by which ever government ruled this place. That or the crime lords had the place under their control. "You know much about this place?", maybe she does.

​

[member="Stephanie Swail"]​

 

[Stephanie Swail]

The man was right – but, then, why should she hide her identity? She was nothing of importance to anyone. She had no power to hide, nothing to keep secret. It seemed he was smirking about something, and yes, the Silvers he had heard of them….what did that mean?

Cursing herself, she still stayed rigid, eyes hard and hand out. He was very confident, and eager to move on and make conversation.

Stephanie stayed still.

"You shouldn’t be so quick to assume just WHO you are talking to. You’re a very confident man. And I demand to know who you are and how you obtained a lightsaber. Where are you from?"

She tried to not to sound curious, but she was. There was nothing she could feel about him to be scared of, but what WAS he? What was he doing here?

"Where are you from."

The tone was better to her voice, but she probably wasn’t fooling anyone.

[member="Théodred Heavenshield"]

 

[Théodred Heavenshield]

A grinned rode across his face as he walked away, seems she was determine to stay put. Fair enough. "I don't assume anything Stephanie Swail of the Silver Jedi Order. You told me your name", he threw over his shoulder to her.

A few houses down from the one he had first entered, he entered another to see what the story was in there. The door had been kicked in, swinging off its hinges and the first room the furniture had been over turned as if someone had been searching for something. It could quite easily been thieves after the place had been abandoned but scorch marks from what would have been blaster fire blackened the walls. This story was different and not nice. Nothing, no sign of anyone dead or alive inside.

"Heavenshield. Théo Heavenshield, Jedi Master .. Iron Empire", he yelled out to the girl. "Does that explain my saber?". He entered the second room, much the same as the previous except for one thing. Blood. And it was fresh.

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[member="Stephanie Swail"]​

 

[Stephanie Swail]

As the man moved away, seemingly uninterested, Stephanie relaxed a little and let her stance drop. Glancing around the ruins, a permanent azure and black glow on everything from the sky above, only the cracking of fire could be heard and the loud…rooting around from this dark-haired youth.

When he shouted over, everything fell into place.

A Heavenshield. From THE Heavenshield clan on Midvinter and Voss?

A small smile broke out. It made sense. She was with one of THEM!

"The son of Heavenshield," she muttered.

Walking forward to where Théo had gone, her eagerness to know more had increased. And the Iron Empire? She had heard of those too from the girl, weeks ago…she couldn’t remember her name, but it was on Naboo, and that meant he was certainly a Jedi.

"I can’t believe it!"

She hobbled over to the home he had wandered into, and nearly ran right into his back, stopping to look at the room around them. Stephanie moved around and saw the sheen of blood on the floor that looked wet.

Her face fell serious and she turned around, and she could have been sure she saw a masked face pull back from the door frame opposite. Stephanie nudged Théo’s arm with hers.

"Masked bandit. On your six. We’re being watched," she whispered.

[member="Théodred Heavenshield"]

 

[Théodred Heavenshield]

Well the girls attitude certainly did change and Theo was at a loss to know why. "I am my father's son, this is correct", he said referring to the Heavenshield name as she came into the home abandoned. "I don't understand you, why can't you believe it?", he looked at her confused. He had to assume father's name reached out to her in some way, and he had to suppose this would cause some form of excitement. But that was father, Theo had yet to truly make his own name.

He bent at the knee and touched the blood on the ground, it was cold to the touch but still very fluid .. this was a recent attack and why, that escaped them for the moment. He had only stood up wiping his hands on a cloth lay strewn on the bench, when she whispered about the bandit, masked at that.

"Well whatever happened here is none of our business", he said in his normal voice turned to her and his eyes indicated to leave the place and his hand took her elbow guiding her out the door. "You find a window, I will enter through the back door .. you got a blaster or something?". He whispered once they were out of reach of the bandit hearing them.

​

[member="Stephanie Swail"]​

 

[Stephanie Swail]

Stephanie turned slowly, and kept her focus on the building opposite and made sure her back was to the wall, with the brave son of the even braver Heavenshield on her right.

"No," she hissed. "I have nothing. I’m sorry. And your father is a hero, and I’ve met him once, and couldn’t even say anything worthwhile. Now, I meet his heir. You don’t usually feel star struck twice in a lifetime!"

It was a big mistake to venture with no weapons, but she did have her shield at least. She slipped it around her back to loop over her arm and hold out in front, the faded white, red and blue décor of the Republic just about visible.

"This thing will protect us, don’t you worry. Titanium and phrik and my strength will stop anything in its path."

She looked across.

"Follow me."

With that, she crept forward, foot over foot, shield up and crouching low. Her eyes were narrow as she looked ahead at the gaping doorway of the house. The crunch of her boots was minimal, and she didn’t dare look back for Théo. She just hoped he was there.

Then, there was a movement in the top floor window. Stephanie skidded right towards the Jedi.

"Top right!"

[member="Théodred Heavenshield"]

 

[Théodred Heavenshield]

"Of course you have a weapon, you have the force", he said softly to her before he took up his position. After all a Jedi has more to use than even a saber or anything else and a far more reliable at that. Stephanie's shield very impressive but would never be able to defend them both, it can't cover them both at the same time so Theo opted for his original plan. If the young girl wanted to walk head long into a dark room not knowing what or how many were in there, she was welcome to it. Prudence was the best measure here.

He made no comment about her words on father, she seemed to be somewhat starstruck by him which he supposed was warranted to a point, but knowing his father well as he did, he would not have been phased by her lack of words. "I am going outside, I will see you on the other side".

Theo quickly ducked along the side of the small home and found what he sort in the form of a small window. It was not locked as this place had been abandoned for whatever reason and now used for more horrible ones. He climbed through into a room that would appear have been used for storage no bigger than a cupboard. The door ahead of him opened into the room in which the assassin was held up. At this point he heard her words.


"Top right!"


A rifle barrel aimed directly at the girl and her shield poked out of the shadows as this person perched high up on a ledge of the tall cupboard. Theo raised a hand and pulled the rifle from his grip before any bolt was shot. He did not want the noise nor the attention of anyone else that would come looking to see what was going on. His other hand pulled the man down with a thud to the ground and Theo moved to press the man down before he could do anything else. Pulling his arms around his back and securing him by the wrists. "Find me something to tie him up", he asked Stephanie.

He turned back to the man who's face was firmly planted in the floor. "We are going to have a little chat". There was a far bigger picture to unfold here in this place, this was only the start of it.

​

[member="Stephanie Swail"]​