Private Between Duty and Concern

[Sibylla Abrantes]

​

T A R I S
Marketplace Outskirts
Acier Moonbound

For a long moment Sibylla only breathed. The confession hung between them, heavier than the bridge under their feet. Ace's words echoed in her head in a low, insistent drum, each syllable a stone thrown into the still pond of her thoughts. She let them settle. She let him feel them without filling the air with immediate comfort or tidy answers.

That, she knew, would be a lie.

When she finally spoke, her voice was quiet, but steady -- the sort that comes from someone who has learned to hold both sorrow, horrific news, and truth without pretending either is simple.

"Ace," she said, and the single name was both an anchor and a breaking. "Thank you for trusting me with that. Thank you for the truth, however unbearable it is to say aloud."

She drew a breath and let a memory come up like a tide, of Set and Vere, of Lysander, of Aurelian and everything that occured in Wielu, in the attack on the Asembly and even beyond that.

"There are parts of me that want to fix everything with speeches and plans, to wrap harm in neat solutions. Vere would have reached for the gentleness first, even in the face of horror with Set. She would have spoken of grief as something that does not make you less human. I am trying to do the same, though I will not pretend words can undo what was done."

The warmth of her fingers found his as if to remind him of the small tethering comfort of skin against skin.

"What you told me does not make you irredeemable. It does not make you less human. It makes you a person who has seen the worst and been shaped by it. That shaping can twist a life toward darkness. It can also be the beginning of something else, if one chooses it."

Sibylla let the silence breathe between them a moment more. Her hazel eyes softened, and she spoke with the frankness of someone who had sat at piano keys until her fingers were numb and then wept on them until the sound blurred into something that felt like a confession.

"You say you felt nothing then. That horrifies you more than the act itself. That is a kind of suffering in itself. The absence of feeling does not always mean the absence of conscience. Sometimes the shock of survival, the way the self hardens to get by, muzzles the heart until later. It does not mean you are a monster. It means you are wounded, Ace, in ways that are dangerous and in ways that need tending."

She looked at him fully now, not as a judge but as a witness. And perhaps, in the way she wished she'd been able to speak honestly with Lysander had she the chance to.

"I will not pretend I can make that right. I will not excuse it. If there must be consequences, you will face them with me near, not because I think you deserve easy absolution, but because I value you enough to stand in the hard parts with you. That is the work of friendship. That is the meaning of loyalty that I believe in."

As she continued to speak, her tone became softer, reflecting an honest admission.

"You asked before what strength is. You told me it is choosing better even when the dark is loud. If you are willing, tell me the rest when you can. But know this: if you let yourself feel now, if you let the grief and the guilt come without hiding them away, you are beginning the work of choosing differently. Cry if you must. Rage if you must. Sit in the shame if you must. I will not look away."

She offered him then what actions she could give.

"If you want, we can go find Aether Verd . Or we can sit here until the sun moves and Tic gets bored. If there are people you need to tell, or things that must be done, I will help you decide how to face them. I will hold you while you say whatever needs saying. And if you ask me whether I will leave if I learn everything, I will answer plainly: I will stay, unless you ask me to step back. That choice is yours to give me."

Sibylla's cheek lifted in a small, rueful smile that was more brave than light.

"I am not naive. I do not imagine the path ahead will be simple or kind. But I will walk it with you a while. And if we are honest, if you keep choosing differently when it costs you most, then whatever you fear you are now will not define the arc of who you become."

She let her hand rest over his and waited.

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Taris

Equipment:
Field Gear | Lightsaber | Tic

Ace didn't move at first. He just stared at their joined hands, the sound of the water below dimming until all he could hear was the slow rhythm of his breathing. Her words always carried weight. Sibylla might have only been eighteen, but she carried the calm and poise of someone who'd lived several of their lifetimes.

He should've felt relief. He didn't.

Instead, something inside him twisted. She hadn't flinched. She hadn't walked away. That hurt more than anger ever could. Because part of him wanted her to hate him. It would've made sense. It would've matched the thing he'd become.

When she thanked him for trusting her, his throat tightened. He didn't deserve thanks for this. For anything.

"I don't… understand you." He said quietly, the words raw and maybe a hint of frustration. "You hear what I did and you don't run. You don't even look at me differently. You want to stay. Why?"

He forced himself to meet her gaze then, and for the briefest moment it felt like standing too close to light - not warmth, exactly, but something that threatened to blind him.

Her touch anchored him anyway. When she said it doesn't make you irredeemable, the phrase snagged in his chest. He wanted to believe her. But belief felt like a luxury he hadn't earned.

He looked down at the water, the reflection of her hand over his, fractured, swaying, and something in him cracked. The tightness in his chest gave way, not to tears, not this time, but to an ache so deep it hollowed him out.

"I don't know what to do with someone who stays." He admitted, voice barely audible.

The wind caught his hair, brushing it across his cheek. He didn't brush it back. Her offer hung between them, to stay, to walk with him through whatever came next. He didn't trust himself to accept it, not fully. But when he finally spoke again, his voice was quieter, almost steady.

"If you really mean it, then… don't go. Not yet."

The words were small, but they cost him everything to say. Tic trilled softly at his side, a sound light enough to ripple through the silence. Ace gave the faintest huff through his nose, looking at the droid, then back at Sibylla.

"I don't know how to fix this, or how to come back from it." He said. "But I want to."

He didn't look away this time. Not from her. Not from the truth sitting between them. The bridge creaked under their weight, the light fading to a dusky amber that rippled across the pond below. It was fractured, imperfect, but still whole. The silence stretched between them for several moments before Ace finally broke it.

"You're right." He said. "Aether should know. I just-- With everything going on. The Empire, whispers of a Superweapon - he's got a lot going on."

Sibylla Abrantes ​

 

[Sibylla Abrantes]

​

T A R I S
Marketplace Outskirts
Acier Moonbound

"You ask why I stay," Sibylla began softly. "I stay because walking away has never fixed anything. Because what you told me is a part of who you were in a moment of unbearable pain, not who you are forever. If I turned away from you now, I'd be saying that one act, one breaking point, defines the entire measure of you. And I refuse to believe that."

Those almond-shaped hazel eyes lifted to meet his, and for a heartbeat, her expression carried the same quiet conviction she'd shown in the Assembly chambers, but it was tempered now by something deeply human.

"I stay because I've seen the worst that power, fear, and guilt can make of people. And I've also seen what remorse can do when it's given a chance to become something more. You don't need to understand me, Ace. You just need to believe that there's still something in you worth rebuilding."

She let out a slow exhale as her expression softened into something more reflective.

"What you did… it cannot be undone. And yes, it is monstrous. But I do not believe you are. Monsters do not question what they've become. Monsters do not ache for forgiveness they do not think they deserve."

Ace would feel Sibylla's hand tighten faintly around his.

"And as for what to do with someone who stays… you don't have to know. Just accept that you're not meant to face this alone."

The wind shifted, carrying the smell of metal and spice from the bazaar below. The amber glow of the setting sun cast their reflections in long, fractured lines across the water. Sibylla looked at them quietly, her lips curving into a faint, melancholy smile.

"You said you want to fix this. That's enough for now. Wanting is the beginning of change. The rest will come with time and choice."

Straightening, Sibylla gave Ace another faint smile.

"You were right earlier, Aether deserves to know, not as your judge, but as your brother. He may not have the answers either, but he'll want to stand beside you in this. He's stronger than you think, and you're stronger than you realize."

The last of the sunlight caught across her features, turning her hair to muted gold. The rope bridge creaked beneath them as she took a slow step toward the path leading back to the settlement.

"Come on," she said quietly, glancing back at him with a small, encouraging smile. "Let's go find him."

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Taris

Equipment:
Field Gear | Lightsaber | Tic

Ace just looked at her. Really looked at her. Her response, still sinking through him him like warmth through frost. He wanted to argue again, to tell her she was wrong, that no amount of wanting would change what he'd done. But when she smiled that small, weary smile, something in him gave.

For a moment, Ace didn't even realize he'd moved. His hand rose halfway, hesitating before his fingertips brushed the side of her face, light, uncertain, as though afraid the contact would break her spell. The warmth of her skin was enough to ground him, to pull him back from whatever edge he'd been standing on.

"You're real." He said quietly, softly, like he was reminding himself more than her.

And she was. In the dying light, Sibylla looked almost unreal. Like the last, defiant fragment of something good that the galaxy hadn't managed to crush. The soft gold of sunset played through her dark chestnut hair. Her hazel eyes shifted between green and gold as the light changed, mirroring the strange, calm certainty she carried in her.

There was grace in her, of course, the unmistakable polish of Naboo's high houses... but beneath that, there was something electric. A quiet intensity that refused to be ornamental. Every color she wore felt like a challenge to the dark around her.

Then, Ace's hand fell away slowly, as if reluctant to leave that tether. He blinked, grounding himself again in the sound of the bridge creaking underfoot.

He swallowed hard, nodding, "Yeah." He said, responding to Sibylla about finding Aether.

---

The journey to Roon blurred into stretches of silence broken only by the low hum of the Flickerfox's engines and Tic's soft mechanical clicks. The stars outside smeared into silver threads as they slipped through hyperspace, their reflections stretching across the viewport. This wasn't Ace's ideal time to show her his ship.

Somewhere between hyperspace jumps, Ace had sent a brief transmission, a coded ping to Aether's frequency. Arriving soon. Need to talk. He didn't know how his brother would take it, but the message was sent. That was enough.

When they finally dropped out of hyperspace, the storm-blue surface of Roon filled the cockpit view, a planet wrapped in endless haze, its coasts marked by wetlands and scattered citadels of Mandalorian design. Ace adjusted the controls, guiding the ship through the clouds.

"Haven't been back since…" He trailed off, unwilling to finish the thought.

Tic chirped, its photoreceptor swiveling toward the sensors as the ship cut through the clouds. The Flickerfox descended, engines whining. The landing pad came into view, armored figures visible even through the downpour, their helmets tilting upward at the ship's approach.

The ship's repulsors kicked up spray as they settled onto the pad and the engines powered down.. Ace sat there for a moment, elbows on his knees, breathing slow. Then he stood, tightening the strap of his lightsaber against his hip.

When the airlock opened, Ace stepped out first, his gaze sweeping the line of armored figures. The wind caught at his hair, the weight of what he'd come here to do pressing heavy on his shoulders.

Sibylla Abrantes | Aether Verd​

 

[Sibylla Abrantes]

​

T A R I S
Marketplace
Acier Moonbound Aether Verd

It was nice to be back on Roon.

The air smelled faintly of rain and ion discharge, the kind that clung to metal and earth alike. Her cloak brushed against the damp ferrocrete as she followed Ace down the ramp, the rain quickly settling into her hair.

Around them, the landing pad thrummed with quiet efficiency, Mandalorian sentinels standing at attention in gleaming beskar. She'd come to run to conduct more business on Roon due to the close proximity, so her appearance would garner respectful nods and arms that were brought to their chests in a clap of respect.

And while Sibylla inclined her head in greeting, this wasn't an official visit. This wasn't about her. It was about him.

Hazel eyes panned over toward Ace, taking in the tension that sat between his shoulders and his posture. He looked older in the rain light, not in years but in the way grief marked a person's soul.

Without a word, Sibylla reached out, her hand pressing gently against his shoulder. The gesture was light but a quiet reassurance meant to remind him that he wasn't facing this alone.

"Come on," she told him softly amid the hiss of rain. "Let's go."

Tic let out a faint, almost approving trill before hopping down the ramp after them.

The Mandalorians parted as they approached their rhythmic clank of beskar boots echoing faintly across the pad. The nearest warrior, a commander by the insignia carved into his pauldron, inclined his head in acknowledgment before speaking into his comms, no doubt relaying word of their arrival.

Sibylla tilted her head slightly, water running in small rivulets down her temple as she watched the exchange. As they neared the entrance, Sibylla tipped up her head to look at him.

"He'll listen, Ace," she said, glancing up at him. "Whatever happens, I'll be right here."

 

[Aether Verd]

Assets: Beskar'gam | Basilisk
Darksaber | Resolute Dawn​

MANDALORIAN FORTRESS, ROON

The fortress thrummed with quiet life. Through the stone and iron of its corridors, the sound of distant forges rose and fell like a steady heartbeat, the echo of Mandalorian craft shaping purpose from the raw veins of the world. In the great hall, banners hung heavy with rain from the open skylights above, their scarlet edges glistening beneath the cool glow of braziers. Aether stood before one such fire, silent in thought as the comm unit at his wrist pulsed once, then again.

Arriving soon. Need to talk.

The Mand’alor’s reply was as brief as it was certain: I’m here.

He said nothing more. Yet for a long while after the channel went dead, his gaze lingered upon the flame. There had been something in that message that unsettled him, something quieter than distress but heavier than duty. Acier was not a man to reach out without joy in his tone. The idea that his brother had done so now brought a sharp current beneath Aether’s calm exterior.

When the alert came that the Flickerfox had touched down, Aether turned from the fire and began his slow descent from the high chamber. The fortress around him was alive with the rhythm of storm and steel, guards moving with wordless precision as he passed. He reached the lower hall just as the doors at its end parted, letting in the echo of rain and the faint hiss of engines cooling in the distance.

There they stood. Acier, worn by something unseen, and beside him, the Queen of Naboo herself, her presence radiant even through the grey veil of the storm. The sight of them drew a rare smile beneath the Mand’alor’s helm.

“Ace,” he said, the warmth of the word carrying through the hall as he opened his arms wide.

He did not ask, nor did he hesitate. Aether stepped forward and pulled his brother into a fierce embrace, armor clattering softly as he rocked them side to side. When he finally stepped back, his gaze found Sibylla, and the smile that followed held both respect and affection.

“Your majesty,” he greeted, his voice lowering to a fond timbre as he drew her into a gentler hold, a brief but genuine embrace. “It’s good to see you both. And your presence,” he added, inclining his head toward her, “is a welcome surprise.”

He gestured down the adjoining corridor where the scent of spiced meat and fresh bread drifted faintly through the air. “Come,” he said, turning to lead them toward the adjacent chamber. “You’ve traveled far. Warm food and hot towels await.”

The Mand’alor led them into the room, its wide hearth casting golden light across a table already set. He took his place at the head, standing until they were seated, eyes watchful and calm. Only once the quiet of the moment settled did his voice return, steady and low, carrying both concern and command.

“How can I help?”​

Acier Moonbound , Sibylla Abrantes

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Roon

Equipment:
Field Gear | Lightsaber | Tic

The sound of Aether's voice hit him before the warmth did. Ace barely had time to brace before his brother's arms came around him, solid and familiar, armor clattering softly as Aether pulled him in.​

​

For a heartbeat, Ace didn't move. Then something in him gave, just enough for his arms to come up in return, one hand gripping the backplate of Aether's cuirass. The weight of him, the smell of steel and rain and oil, it was all grounding.​

​

When Aether finally stepped back, Ace's throat felt tight. He caught Sibylla's reflection in the brazier light as his brother greeted her and the sight of them together made the space between worlds feel smaller somehow.​

​

He didn't trust himself to speak yet, so he just nodded, following as Aether led them deeper into the hall. The storm softened behind them, replaced by the scent of woodsmoke and food, real food, and the low crackle of the fire against stone.​

​

Tic hopped off his shoulder, scurrying along the table's edge with a curious chirp before perching near the hearth's warmth. The little droid's glow flickered faintly gold in the firelight. Ace stayed standing for a moment, staring into the flame. The heat hit his face, but couldn't touch the cold sitting somewhere beneath his ribs.​

​

He glanced toward Aether, taking in the details - the quiet command, the steadiness that had carried whole worlds on his back, and felt the weight of his own silence grow heavier.​

​

"I've held off reaching out for a while now, vod." Ace said, finally. "Didn't want to drop in on you like this, but… Sibylla convinced me..."​

​

His gaze flicked briefly to Sibylla, then back to his brother, the truth pressing at the edges of his restraint but not yet crossing his lips. He let out a slow breath, eyes lowering to the floor.​

​

"I don't know if you can help, but... there's something you should know. That I have to tell you." He hesitated, the words almost too heavy to finish "You... you might not look at me the same."​

​

Sibylla Abrantes | Aether Verd ​

 

[Sibylla Abrantes]

​

R O O N
Mandalorian Fortress
Acier Moonbound Aether Verd

Sibylla inclined her head as Aether turned to greet her, a faint, warm smile touching her lips.

"Mand'alor Verd," she said softly, as she returned the embrace with a quiet grace and warm smile.

"It's good to see you again." Stepping back as her gaze flicked to Ace.

She could tell how he tense he looked, burdened by what he'd come here to say. Sibylla reached out just enough to give his shoulder a small, encouraging touch, then offered him a slight nod and a faint smile.

You're not alone in this.

When Aether gestured them deeper into the hall, she followed a half step behind her hands folded loosely before her. Once they entered the room, she sat down after Aether sat and waited for Ace selecto select his seat -- well, if he felt like sitting.

Sibylla stayed silent as the Mand'alor spoke, her eyes moving between the brothers. This moment wasn't hers to lead. Still, when Ace met her gaze before beginning, she gave a small, knowing nod that said everything.

I'm here. Say what you need to say.

 

[Aether Verd]

Assets: Beskar'gam | Basilisk
Darksaber | Resolute Dawn​

MANDALORIAN FORTRESS, ROON

The fire crackled softly, its glow drawing faint amber lines across the polished beskar of Aether’s vambraces. The Mand’alor leaned back slightly in his chair, his eyes fixed on Acier as the younger man spoke. He had noted the stillness earlier, the slight delay in the way his brother had returned his embrace. It was not hesitation born of formality, but something else...something buried deeper, caught between pride and pain. That alone told Aether enough to listen closely now.

He did not interrupt. He let the sound of Acier’s voice carry through the chamber, through the warmth of the hearth and the murmur of rain that slipped faintly through the open vents above. Every pause, every breath between words, told its own story. When the silence settled, Aether turned first toward Sibylla.

“Thank you.” he said simply, his voice low but filled with meaning. Gratitude shaped the word, quiet yet sincere. She would understand. That she had walked beside Acier through whatever storm had brought him here spoke louder than any title or salute.

Then his gaze shifted back to his brother.

“You never have to ask if it’s alright to come here.” Aether said, his tone steady but rich with warmth. “You’re my blood, Ace. Whether you walk in with laughter or with something heavy on your shoulders, this door is always open. Even if the world is burning around us, you can come to me.”

He rose from his chair, one hand braced upon the table’s edge as he met Acier’s eyes fully. The light from the fire danced across his armor, catching the faint patterns etched along its surface, the echoes of a life forged through both war and kinship.

“Whatever truth you carry,” Aether continued, “it will not change what we are. Our bond is not so fragile. Our blood is one. You are my brother, and I love you. Nothing you tell me will undo that.”

He straightened, the silence between them heavy with understanding rather than judgment. Then, after a brief moment, Aether inclined his head and gestured lightly toward Acier.

“Go on...” he said, voice softening. “Tell me.”​

Sibylla Abrantes , Acier Moonbound

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Roon

Equipment:
Field Gear | Lightsaber | Tic

For a long moment, Ace couldn't look at either of them. The room felt too small. The fire cracked in its hearth, the light shifting over the metal and stone like some living thing. He could hear the rain.

Tic sat perfectly still on the table beside him, photoreceptor dimmed to a soft blue, as if the droid somehow understood that words like these couldn't exist alongside sound.

When Aether spoke "You are my brother, and I love you" - something in Ace's chest twisted. It wasn't relief. It was the ache of knowing what that love was about to collide with. He could feel Sibylla's presence just beside him, quiet and grounding, her hand still a ghost of warmth against his shoulder. She'd followed him this far. He still couldn't comprehend her loyalty.

He swallowed hard, knuckles whitening as his hands pressed against the table's edge. The firelight painted thin orange lines across his skin, and for a second, he felt like a boy again, staring into flame and trying to decide what kind of person he wanted to be.

"I found her, Aether." He said "I finally found my mother. After searching for her my whole life."

He drew a breath, jaw working as if the next words cost him something physical.

"But they took her, her clan. Lured her back, tortured her." His voice cracked, barely a whisper. "I saw it, again and again in my dreams. I couldn't take it anymore. So, I went back there. To Dathomir."

Ace bit his lip so hard he almost drew blood, reliving the memories in real-time as he spoke.

"She was alive when I found her. I broke her out.... I thought that was the end of it." His jaw flexed, eyes fixed on the floor. "But it wasn't a rescue. It was a trap. My mom's clan had been waiting for me."

Then he swallowed, voice starting to tremble. "When I was born, they wanted to kill me. 'Cause I was born wrong. But now... they worshipped me. Called me the Final Weave. Said I was the prophecy they'd been waiting for. But I couldn't fulfil my destiny... not with her alive."

He shut his eyes, the words barely finding their way out. "So they… killed her. Right there. In front of me."

The silence that followed was absolute. Even Tic's usual fidgeting had gone still.

"I... snapped." His voice cracked. "There's no other way to say it. Everything just… went red. I don't even remember drawing my lightsaber. I just remember the sound. The smell. The screams." He paused, trembling now. "I slaughtered them, Aether. Dozens. The clan's gone. I wasn't going to stop either... I would've... I would've killed the children too...."

Ace drew a shaky breath. The memories still tore at him, but after Sibylla, the words no longer felt impossible to speak to his brother.

"I'll tell you what I told Sibylla... the guilt I carry isn't because of what I did. It's because, even now, I feel nothing."

The fire cracked again, bright against the quiet. Ace's gaze flicked briefly toward Sibylla, just long enough to see her face framed in the amber light, then back to Aether.

"I know you've taken life, vod. But not like this, not in cold blood. I'm not asking for forgiveness... I just... needed to tell you"

Sibylla Abrantes | Aether Verd ​

 

[Sibylla Abrantes]

​

R O O N
MANDALORIAN FORTRESS
Acier Moonbound Aether Verd

While Ace spoke, Sibylla did her best to show quiet support. When his voice began to waver, she poured a glass of water and set it within his reach. Each time his gaze flicked toward her, she met it with a slight, subtle, encouraging nod. When he began to tremble and shake with emotion, her heart ached, but she did her best to make quietly sure he knew she was there. She would offer comfort if he asked for it, but she wouldn't force it upon him.

This was between Aether and Ace. And while the young Interim Queen of Naboo remained silent, her presence still permeated the room in quiet but steadfast support. It wasn't absolution or forgiveness, nor sympathy or mercy, but the kind of support one gives to another human being who is simply trying, trying to face their actions and find a better path forward.

 

[Aether Verd]

Assets: Beskar'gam | Basilisk
Darksaber | Resolute Dawn​

MANDALORIAN FORTRESS, ROON
Mood Music: [ x ]

The fire had long since burned low, yet its light still reached across the chamber, painting the stone in gold and shadow. Aether did not move as his brother spoke. His eyes never left Acier. He listened, every word sinking into him like steel meeting flesh. When Acier said he had found his mother, something in Aether’s face softened, the faintest hint of relief stirring behind his calm exterior. He knew how long that search had haunted him, how many years Acier had carried that longing like a wound that refused to close.

But then the story turned.

Aether’s composure held, though only barely. He sat unmoving, yet beneath the surface, fury burned bright and soundless. The image of her death seared through him. He felt the rage claw up from his chest, the same rage that once drove Verd blood to war. His jaw tightened, his breath deepened, but still he said nothing. For then came the confession.

His brother had already answered vengeance.

The Mand’alor’s hands curled slowly into fists as Acier spoke of the slaughter, of fury so complete it left no space for remorse. And when the words reached their end, Aether rose slightly forward, bracing his fists upon the table. His gaze shifted once toward Sibylla, a silent acknowledgment for the strength she had offered, before returning fully to his brother.

“Good.” he said, the word striking the air like tempered iron.

He leaned further, voice steady but heavy with conviction. “You did what any son would do. You avenged her. You brought justice to those who took her from you, and you made certain their line would never breathe her name again. That is not guilt, vod. That is justice.”

His right hand lifted, a single finger pointing toward Acier as his tone deepened, every syllable measured and deliberate. “If the Hidden Path ever betrayed you and took your life, there would not be a stone left unscarred when I was done. I would crack Odessen itself to repay that debt. Because when blood is taken, we demand an answer. That is what our blood knows, what House Verd has always known. It is why you feel nothing. Because what you did was right.”

He let the words hang for a moment before his hand dropped back to the table, the firelight catching the lines of his gauntlet. The anger in him began to ebb, leaving behind the deep ache of understanding.

“I’m sorry.” Aether said quietly, the words no less sincere for their restraint. “Sorry I wasn’t there to help you bring her home. Sorry that this world forced you to see how cruel it truly is.” He exhaled, slow and low, the edge of sorrow threading through his voice. “But know this, Ace...none of this changes what you are to me. You are my brother. And after all that, I am proud of you.”

The Mand’alor’s gaze held firm, the fire reflecting in his eyes as he finished, voice low and certain. “You survived what would have broken lesser men. You did what had to be done.”​

Acier Moonbound , Sibylla Abrantes

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Roon - Mandalorian Fortress

Equipment:
Field Gear | Lightsaber | Tic

The word Good still rang in his head, echoing through him long after Aether finished speaking. For a moment, he just stared at the calm, unwavering certainty in his brother's eyes. Ace felt something shift deep inside him. He'd come expecting judgment, maybe even distance. What he found instead was something far more dangerous: understanding. Approval.

That same fire that lived in Aether... the pride, the fury, the willingness to burn whole worlds for the people he loved? Ace felt it too. He always had. It coiled in his blood, an old, instinctive heat that rose every time someone he cared about was hurt.

And it terrified him.

Ace realized then that he was more Verd than he'd ever realized. That the same instinct that made his brother strong was the one that had broken him. Aether called it justice. Ace knew it as ruin. And yet, somewhere deep down, he understood why Aether believed what he did. That hunger to protect, to answer what the galaxy took from you, it wasn't something they learned. It was something they inherited.

He loved his brother. Fiercely. Completely. But as he looked at him now, Ace couldn't shake the thought that maybe they were built for different kinds of strength. Aether was the storm. Ace wanted to be what came after it.

Tic gave a low, uncertain chirp beside him, as if echoing his unease. Ace reached out absently, brushing the droid's headplate with his thumb, grounding himself in the small familiar sound.

Then his gaze drifted to Sibylla. She had been silent a while, but it was steady. She was simply staying, the way she always did... a kind of presence that asked for nothing and still gave everything.

Ace wondered what she saw now. The murderer or the man trying to claw his way back from it? Did she still believe he could be more than what his blood demanded? Or was she simply waiting for him to prove it? Whatever the truth was, he knew one thing for certain... she hadn't turned away. And that was everything.

"In the moment, it felt like justice." He said to Aether, voice steady "Maybe that's the Verd in me... but I can't live by rage. I can't be led by it. I need to choose when I act, not just react."

The corner of his lip tugged faintly, and he reached out and placed his palm on Aether's shoulder plate.

"You don't need to be sorry, vod. Just you being here..." Then he glanced back to Sibylla "Both of you. That's enough."

Aether Verd | Sibylla Abrantes ​

 

[Sibylla Abrantes]

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R O O N
MANDALORIAN FORTRESS
Acier Moonbound Aether Verd

For a long moment, Sibylla said nothing.

The flicker of the dying fire played across the sharp planes of Aether's armor and the quiet exhaustion shadowing Ace's face. The Mand'alor's words hung in the air like the echo of an ancient creed that weighed heavy with blood and conviction. Good. The word struck her deepest, the way it landed between them with such unflinching certainty.

She had heard that tone before from others as well. From senators and monarchs who believed the cost of justice was best measured in ash. And yet as she sat here listening to a brother defend his brother, she could not wholly condemn it. Were she be faced with the same circumstance, she could not wholly say in full confidence that she wouldn't act the same. The wars and politics of Naboo's history were not always idyllic. No they had been earned through blood and wars between city states before being united in the wake of civil war. Even now, while events and acts were done behind closed doors, Sibylla could not deny that even now such tactics turned bloody between houses.

Her own assassination attempt at the hand of former House Patriarch Remus Veruna was evidence of that.

So, there was truth there, fierce and terrible in its purity. The Verd blood burned hot, and it loved fiercely…and that love, when wronged, could raze the stars themselves.

Still, something inside her recoiled at the absoluteness of it.

Her hands rested lightly against the fabric of her dress at her lap as she drew a slow breath. The calm that came over her was deliberate like a tide smoothing rough waters. Hazel eyes moved between the two brothers, the storm and its aftermath, and for a brief unguarded instant she wondered if perhaps this was what the galaxy always demanded of men like them. To burn for what they loved until nothing was left but soot and silence.

When she finally spoke Sibylla did so in a soft but steady tone.

"Justice," she said softly. "It is a word that changes meaning depending on who speaks it. For Naboo, it is balance and unity. For Mandalorians, it is honor and loyalty. And for the Force…" she paused, gaze flickering toward the fading flame, "…it is consequence."

Her eyes lifted to meet Aether's, a measure of understanding in them but also a quiet consideration.

"I believe you when you say you would have done the same, Mand'alor. Perhaps any of us would, if placed in such pain. But I also believe that what makes Ace strong is not that he avenged his mother, it's that he questions what that vengeance made of him."

Her tone was gentle, not defiant, but her conviction wove through every word.

"That questioning isn't weakness. It's conscience. And that's what separates justice from destruction."

Then she turned her attention fully to Ace, her expression softening, the queen's composure giving way to the friend beneath it.

"You said it yourself," she murmured. "You want to choose when you act, not simply react. That's the kind of strength that endures, Ace. The kind that builds rather than burns."

Sibylla inclined her head to both brothers, her voice soft but certain as she spoke again.

"You're both here. That alone matters. And if there's any justice in that, perhaps it's that neither of you have to carry the past alone anymore."

Whatever words came next would be between brothers, but for now, Sibylla would do her best to help and support in any way.

 

[Aether Verd]

Assets: Beskar'gam | Basilisk
Darksaber | Resolute Dawn​

MANDALORIAN FORTRESS, ROON

The silence that followed Acier’s words felt alive, breathing between the flicker of the fire and the low hum of the storm outside. Aether watched his brother with a slow nod, letting the quiet carry the depth of his understanding before he finally spoke.

“You’re right.” he said, his tone steady and low, the kind that filled a room without needing to rise. “A man can’t call himself a warrior if he’s led by fury alone. Anger without purpose is fire without form. It burns everything, even the one holding it.” His hand came to rest flat against the table, the motion deliberate, almost grounding. “But knowing when and how to wield that fire? That is what separates a warrior from a brute. That is what makes a man.”

He paused, gaze softening slightly as he looked at Acier. “But for what they did to her, for what they took from you, there was no wrong in what you unleashed. A son avenging his mother is the purest reason to draw a blade. That fury had a place, vod, and you answered it. There’s honor in that.”

The Mand’alor’s voice dropped quieter still, carrying the rare edge of tenderness beneath its gravel. “And hear me when I say this, Ace. Whatever comes, however you change, I’ll be here. You are not alone in this, not ever. You are my brother, and nothing will move that stone.”

Aether leaned back slightly, the edge of his mouth lifting as Sibylla began to speak. Her voice carried calm like a tide smoothing over rough earth, her words deliberate and full of quiet conviction. When she finished, the faintest chuckle rumbled from him, soft but genuine.

“It’s good,” he said, “that my brother has a varied diet of wisdom to chew on. He gets my iron one day, your grace the next. Keeps him balanced.” There was warmth in the jest, a small crack in the heavy air that let a breath of levity through. “We might not see every star from the same angle, Your Majesty, but I’m grateful you’re here. He’s better for it.”

His attention returned to Acier, the humor fading back into calm certainty. “Stay here for a while,” he said. “Roon’s big enough for you to breathe and quiet enough for you to think. You don’t have to rush back to the stars. You’re home.”

He reached across the table, laying a hand briefly against his brother’s forearm before settling back once more, the fire’s glow catching in his eyes. “Rest,” Aether murmured, voice carrying both concern and care. “The galaxy can wait.”​

Acier Moonbound , Sibylla Abrantes