Private Between Duty and Concern

[Sibylla Abrantes]

​

T A R I S
Marketplace
Acier Moonbound


The scent of oil, spice, and ozone mingled in the air as Sibylla wove her way through the bustling lower bazaar of Taris. Sunlight fractured through the durasteel struts above, casting sharp lines of gold and shadow across merchant stalls and the patterned shawls of passing traders. The marketplace hummed with life, Mandalorians haggling in brisk Mando'a, Republic merchants exchanging coded smiles, and the soft chatter of translators bridging the gaps between them.

It was chaos, organized and thriving, and to Sibylla's quiet satisfaction, working. The open trade zones she'd helped propose between the Mandalorian Empire and offworld traders were flourishing beyond expectation. Where there had once been suspicion, now there was commerce. Clan banners fluttered proudly over crates of imported goods, and laughter replaced the cautious silence that had once hung between outsiders and locals.

Sibylla was in the midst of a discussion with one of the Clan Elders, a rugged, weathered man with eyes like worn beskar, and their conversation turned to agricultural reclamation. Hydroponic systems, soil restoration, and the curious Nabooan techniques that had saved Theed's eastern farmlands. He was listening, truly listening, and that in itself felt like a victory.

Yet her focus wavered when movement caught her eye.

Through the stream of people, across a sunsplintered walkway, she saw him.

That unmistakable shock of pale, platinum dreadlocks gleamed beneath the light. For a moment, she thought she'd imagined it. After all, Taris was hardly small. But no, it was him.

Sibylla felt her breath catch between relief and worry. His last messages had lingered in her mind for weeks, fragmented and tense, laced with something unspoken. Whatever was happening with Ace, she had the sinking feeling it was more than he'd admitted over holo.

Sibylla's smile softened as she turned back to the Elder, inclining her head with practiced grace.

"Forgive me, Elder Vekar. There's someone I must speak with."

And before she could think twice, she was moving.

Sibylla's steps quickened as her boots tapped lightly against the ferrocrete as she crossed the crowded avenue. The noise of the market seemed to fade as she got near enough to call out with both surprise and the faint tremor of relief.

"Ace!"

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Taris

Equipment:
Field Gear | Lightsaber | Tic

Taris was loud. The noise filled every crack in the air - traders shouting over the hum of speeders, the sizzle of cookstalls, the grind of droids on ground. But for Ace, it was all distant. Muffled. Like he was hearing it through glass.​

​

He'd been walking through noise for weeks now, half in it, half somewhere else entirely. Dathomir still lingered in the darkest parts of his mind. He didn't let himself think about Orryn, but she was there anyway. Every time he blinked. Every time he slowed. So he didn't.​

​

Taris was just a stop. Another errand before what was to come. The Imperial superweapon, whatever it was. Regardless, he needed to keep moving, stay ahead of the the guilt and shame that weighed on his soul.​

​

Tic perched on his shoulder, chirping a question that came out like a scold. Ace rolled his eyes..​

​

"Don't start." He muttered. "We're not staying."​

​

The little droid whirred and beeped again, indignant.​

​

"Yes. I know. I look like hell. You're not wrong." He sighed.​

​

As he turned down another market lane, the sunlight caught across his face, tracing the faint scar carved into his left cheek. Then, something shifted. A melody through the noise, a ripple through the chaos. The Force brushed against him like a warm draft through cold air, carrying with it the steadiness and quiet, familiar grace.​

​

Ace froze. He knew this feeling. Even without seeing her, he felt the distinct cadence of her presence: calm yet sharp-edged, disciplined but bright, like a string pulled tight between grace and conviction. A melody made of patience and purpose. Sibylla.​

​

For a second, he thought he'd imagined it. But then her voice carried across the crowd - clear, poised, unmistakably hers, and the air in his chest stopped moving.​

​

He didn't focus on what she was wearing or how she carried herself. It was enough that she was here, that she wasn't another memory. The sunlight caught across her as she drew closer, and for a heartbeat, it was almost disorienting: the brightness, the noise, the contrast of her calm cutting straight through the chaos of Taris.​

​

His throat tightened before sound finally followed. "…Sibylla."​

​

Tic chirped, sharp and bright, hopping up and down on Ace's shoulders.​

​

"Yeah." Ace murmured, his voice rough. "I see her."​

​

He stepped forward through the crush of the crowd, the fog in his head thinning just a little.​

​

"Didn't think you'd be the one to find me." He said at last, a quiet rasp that carried disbelief, weariness, and something softer buried underneath. "Are you okay?"​

​

Sibylla Abrantes ​

 

[Sibylla Abrantes]

Acier Moonbound ​

The crowd seemed to blur as Sibylla reached him, the hum of the market falling away into something muffled and far-off. For the briefest moment, all she could do was take in the sight of him standing there, sunlight glancing off pale dreadlocks and the hard line of his jaw.

But then relief cracked almost instantly as Sibylla took in the scar that carved across his cheek, the way his shoulders carried weight that had nothing to do with his pack, the tension coiled through his stance like a live wire. It was as if every inch of him spoke, even when his mouth didn't. She didn't need the Force to see it, the exhaustion, the quiet hurt, the ghosts he was still running from.

"Ace…" she breathed out as her voice caught faintly on his name. Before he could even finish asking if she was okay, Sibylla stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close.

"I'm fine, I am glad to see you are safe," she said, the relief in her tone evident as she added, "You had me worried."

Tic's chime sounded beside her with mechanical cheer. Sibylla let out the faintest laugh under her breath before pulling back just enough to look up at him again.

And what she saw only deepened the ache in her chest.

There was so much unspoken in his eyes, shadows of places and choices that haunted him still. She didn't ask. Not yet. Instead, she reached down, looping her arm through his in that gentle, deliberate way she always used on Cassian when she wanted to talk -- well, when he wasn't running away from her to try and talk.

"Come on," she said in that unique soft yet firm melodic way of hers that had the diplomat give way to the friend beneath. "Let's go for a walk. Tic, are you coming?"

The little droid trilled its agreement, hopping excitedly before following close behind as Sibylla guided Ace toward the quieter edge of the market, away from the crowd, the noise, whatever else he was carrying.

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Taris

Equipment:
Field Gear | Lightsaber | Tic

The hug hit him like a shock and his body went rigid on instinct. But as her arms tightened around him, the tension in his shoulders slowly gave way. His own arms came up, hesitantly at first, then with quiet certainty. He wrapped them around her, rough palms settling at her back, anchoring her, or maybe anchoring himself.

For a moment, he just stood there. The faint trace of perfume mixed with the sharper scent of city air clung to her robes. It was grounding and dizzying all at once. He hadn't realized how much he'd missed something as simple as warmth... not fire, not adrenaline, just warmth.

When she finally pulled back, Ace exhaled a long, uneven breath. The words that left him were blunt, rough-edged but sincere.

"Didn't mean to worry you." He muttered. "Sorry."

He meant it, simple as that. No half-smirk, no sarcasm to soften the edge... just truth. He looked her over then, taking in the calm poise she always carried, the confidence that hadn't cracked even here in the chaos of Taris. Still, a faint crease formed between his brows.

"I'm glad you're okay." He said. Since that promotion of hers, Ace was sure there's an even bigger target on her back.

Tic chirped sharply at that, as if agreeing. Ace's mouth twitched into something that might have been a smirk, faint but real.

He didn't move when she looped her arm through his, just accepted it. The motion was light, deliberate, grounding. Together they drifted toward the quieter edge of the market, where the sounds faded into background hum and the air felt easier to breathe.

The further they walked, the thinner the noise became. The sharp clatter of vendors, speeders, and voices dimmed into a low, distant hum, swallowed by the canyon-like alleys that led toward the quieter rim of the market. A breeze carried the faint scent of ozone and spice through the air, brushing at their coats as the light filtered down in fractured gold.

Ace said little for a while, letting the silence stretch between them. It wasn't uncomfortable, at least not to him. It was just easy. Silence had always meant tension, danger waiting to break. But with Sibylla, it didn't feel like that. It was just quiet, the kind that let his mind breathe.

He caught himself glancing sideways more than once, out of curiosity. Observation. The ache he'd felt in her back on Naboo, that sharp, hollow chord in the Force... was still there, but softer now. Diminished. Not gone, but tempered by something steadier.

It drew a small flicker of relief through him, one he hadn't expected. She'd been carrying so much even then, though she'd hidden it behind that diplomatic mask she was so used to wearing. But seeing her now? The faint curve of a genuine smile, the steadiness in her stride, it was like watching someone step out of a storm and remember how to stand in sunlight again.

"You look good." Ace said finally, breaking the quiet. His tone was simple, almost casual, but there was something sincere under the rough edges. "Lighter."

He didn't mean it as a line. It was just the truth as he saw it. Ace glanced ahead again, his voice dropping lower as he added "Whatever's changed… it suits you."

Tic let out a soft chirp beside them, almost approving. Looks like the little droid agreed too.

Sibylla Abrantes​

 

[Sibylla Abrantes]

Acier Moonbound ​

It was evident from the first few steps that there were things Ace wasn't saying. Sibylla could feel it in the air between them, the silence that wasn't empty but full of all the things too heavy for words. Still, she didn't push. Not yet. She knew that sometimes, the quiet itself could speak for her, could say you're not alone far more effectively than questions ever could.

The soft scuff of their boots filled the space where words might have been. Every now and then, she caught his gaze, meeting it with a small, reassuring smile that carried a warmth she hoped he could feel. Her eyes drifted briefly to the new scar that crossed his cheek, and her heart tightened, though she kept her expression composed. It wasn't pity that flickered across her face, but empathy, a deepunspoken concern that came from seeing a friend wear his pain in plain sight.

When Ace finally broke the silence to tell her she looked good, Sibylla's lips curved into a faint, wry grin. There was something almost boyish about how sincerely he said it, and it tugged at a part of her she hadn't realized had missed his company.

"Ah, then perhaps I'm getting better at presenting the semblance of utter calm," she teased, tone light but fond. Her hand gave a small squeeze against his arm as they walked, the familiar cadence of banter easing the tension just a little.

Hazel eyes flicked ahead toward the rope bridge that arched over one of the shallow ponds near the edge of the encampment. The water below shimmered faintly in the fractured afternoon light, reflecting flashes of passing droids and banners.

"Between my duties as Voice and Ambassador, it has been one thing after the next," she admitted with a quiet exhale. "Though I can't complain too much. The work feels… meaningful, even when it's exhausting."

Then, with a perfectly composed face she added, "I'll have you know, I even had a tussle with an ancient goddess and the corrupted essence of her lover while being tossed and turned through one vision after another."

Her tone was perfectly level, but her eyes sparkled with mischief, waiting to see his reaction. It was deliberate, of course, the practiced playfulness of someone trying to remind him of lighter days, of easier conversation.

"Quite the ordeal, really," she continued, deadpan. "I'm starting to think I should add 'divine conflict management' to my list of diplomatic skills."

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Taris

Equipment:
Field Gear | Lightsaber | Tic

Ace listened at first, while she caught him up since Naboo. Her tone was calm, measured, perfectly Sibylla. He'd been halfway across the bridge, ready to tell her to take it easy for once, maybe not try to carry the whole galaxy on her back. Then she said it.

Ancient goddess. Corrupted lover. Visions?

"I--what?" The word came out rough and startled before he could catch it. Tic beeped at the exact same time, the little droid's lens flicking toward Sibylla in what could only be described as shock.

Ace shot the droid a look, then back at her. "Did you just say ancient goddess? Like, actually?" His tone wasn't mocking... just genuinely dumbfounded. "You can't just… drop that in between talking about trade deals and other stuff like it's normal."

Just when he thought he'd seen everything. Hell, he was about to go off on a suicide run in a couple of days to prevent a superweapon from wreaking havoc on the galaxy. And yet, what Sibylla had just said was probably the craziest thing he'd heard.

His free hand lifted slightly in utter disbelief. "What even happened? Was this on Naboo? Or... visions? You said visions. That's not a casual word either, Sibylla."

He dragged a hand through his loosely tied back locs, letting out a slow exhale that turned into a quiet huff. "You've got to be kidding me."

Tic gave another chirp, hopping on top of the bridge's rope, his chirp was bright and questioning, clearly invested now. Ace shook his head, still in disbelief, but then he looked at Sibylla. Her faint smirk told him she had done it on purpose, and the realization pulled a rough, quiet chuckle out of him despite himself.

The BD-unit peered down at the pond below. Ace's gaze lingered there too for a moment, on the light catching the water, the small bursts of color reflected from market banners above. He didn't say anything, just breathed in and let the silence settle for a few paces. The quiet came easy beside her, too easy, and that's what made it dangerous. Because when things got quiet, Dathomir crept back in.

Flashes. The red haze. His mother's voice. The weight in his chest when the world stopped moving and the only thing left was guilt. He could still smell the ash sometimes. Still felt it under his skin.

He shut his eyes tight, exhaling slowly, forcing the tension out of his shoulders, and gently pulled away from her. He moved closer to the rope, leaning over it, letting his eyes drift to the water. Sibylla grounded him more than she probably realized... and maybe that's why it scared him a little.

Ace knew that if she ever found out about Dathomir, about what he'd done, she'd never look at him the same. The thought hit like a stone in his gut. He valued her and their friendship deeply,, and the idea of becoming a monster in her eyes scared him more than anything waiting out there in the galaxy.

Sibylla Abrantes​

 

[Sibylla Abrantes]

Acier Moonbound ​

Sibylla's laughter slipped free before she could stop it, light and bright against the hum of the wind across the bridge. It wasn't mocking but genuine soft melodic sound that carried a touch of amusement at his expression. The look on Ace's face was priceless, the incredulity in his tone enough to make the tension that had clung to her shoulders ease.

"Oh, it's true," she said between quiet laughs, the corners of her mouth curving into that wry little smile of hers as she lifted a hand in mock surrender. "Every word."

She let him see the teasing glint in her eyes before her expression softened again.

"I told you before about Set and Vere, remember?"

They walked a few paces further, their steps creaking softly against the bridge's wooden planks. The sunlight shimmered off the pond below, dappling their faces with gold and blue as she continued.

"Well, what I didn't mention before is that they had been imprisoned for millennia in a moment suspended within the World Between Worlds." Her tone carried a quiet reverence for the name, aware of what it meant, what it touched. "An archaeological team uncovered a temple, unknowingly disrupting the containment field that held them. I've been helping ever since, researching what I could on Set and Vere. It all traced back to connections with the Mortis gods."

Sibylla knew exactly how it sounded, like the kind of thing one might say after too many glasses of Blossom wine and too little sleep, but she didn't waver in her tale.

"Let's just say," she added dryly, "at the end of it all, I ended up inside the World Between Worlds and met them both. And whatever technology was used to imprison them was bleeding through. Time itself was unraveling, causing past and present to merge. Visions, echoes, fragments. I lived memories that weren't mine."

For a moment she grew quiet, reflecting some memory she clearly hadn't shared. Then she let out a breath and turned back to him with a faint shake of her head.

"An experience I don't intend to repeat, if I can help it."

When she felt the shift beside her, the quiet stiffness, the subtle change in his energy, Sibylla slowed. The rope bridge creaked faintly beneath their feet as she glanced over, catching the way his posture had gone taut again and the light seemed to have gone from his eyes.

"But," she said softly, voice falling an octave with care, "that's a tale best elaborated on another day."

She gave his arm a gentle squeeze, her hand lingering just enough to remind him she was here.

"Ace," she asked quietly, hazel eyes lifting to meet his in a warm and searching expression, "what's wrong?"

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Taris

Equipment:
Field Gear | Lightsaber | Tic

Ace listened while she spoke, the hum of the city fading beneath the quiet rhythm of her voice and the soft creak of the bridge beneath their feet. When she mentioned Set and Vere, the memory came easily and quickly. Naboo’s sunlit lake glinting around them, the gentle churn of the skiff’s engines as she told him the story for the first time. He gave a small nod. A silent acknowledgment that he remembered.​

​

But the World Between Worlds. The name itself stirred something unfamiliar in him. It sounded too large, abstract, like a place that existed outside everything he could grasp. Even the Force, in all its reach, had boundaries he could sense. But this? This sounded beyond. Otherworldly. The kind of thing only the galaxy’s myths whispered about when the night ran long and the stars seemed too still.​

​

Then she said she’d lived memories that weren’t hers.​

​

That line caught him off guard. His eyes flicked toward her, studying her profile. He knew what it was like to drown in someone else’s past, to see flashes that didn’t belong to you until you weren’t sure what did. The first few times he’d used psychometry, it had left him shaken for days. Disoriented. Disconnected. But Sibylla wasn’t the kind of person who crumbled under something like that. He knew she’d find the center in it.​

​

Still, the idea of her living through echoes not her own left an ache in his chest that he couldn’t name.​

​

Ace’s gaze lingered on the pond. All that really reached him was the faint wind, the soft creak of rope, and the quiet pulse of Sibylla’s hand resting on his arm.​

​

Without thinking, his fingers shifted; slow, tentative, until they found hers. Warm skin against warm skin, he didn’t know what he was doing. Or why. But it was nice.​

​

Tic watched from the railing, lens flickering between them. The little droid tilted his head, letting out a low, curious trill before settling back down.​

​

I’d rather talk about you.” He said finally. ”Ancient goddesses. Time unraveling. Way more interesting.”​

​

His thumb brushed across her knuckles as he spoke, a barely there motion. The quiet stretched again, long enough that Tic gave a low questioning chirp from the railing, as if prodding him to continue.​

​

Ace exhaled through his nose, shaking his head faintly. ”If I tell you…”He began, then stopped. His throat tightened, and the words came heavier, reluctantz ”I don’t want you to see me as-“​

​

He caught himself, jaw tightening as if he could physically bite the words back. Then, softer, he said instead ”I don’t want you to walk away from me, Sibylla.”​

​

Tic’s lens dimmed to a softer glow, his little frame going still. For once, the droid didn’t make a sound.​

​

Ace’s voice had no armor left in it. Just a quiet, bare honesty that left the air between them trembling. He didn’t look away from her, not this time.​

​

Sibylla Abrantes​