b r e a t h e
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Cybelle was born on Hapes and spent the beginning of her formative years with two parents that cherished their only child very much. They were murdered. Both were highly regarded in the Hapani Courts as individuals of talent, charitable acts, and fastidious entrepreneurs. Avella Elyance (formerly, Chume), her mother, hailed from the oldest bloodline and held some of the deepest pockets in the Cluster. Rather than merely rely on the family name and everything that came with it she went into business with a former classmate named Micah Elyance.
They married and formed "Elyance Industries" which was, and still is, a well-known textile conglomerate that is now being run by a board of trustees. They specialized in bringing quality yarn, cloth, and clothing into Hapes at a fair price and of excellent quality. Whether it was natural or synthetic—They were able to get their hands on it. They eventually opened several cultivation facilities for natural and synthetic fibre so that they would no longer need to import it—But they could export it for a profit as well. It made worth-while goods easily available to Hapes as a whole and offered employment opportunities to those skilled and unskilled in the industry.
Avella and Micah were content with their lives. They were fair proprietors that used their connections to the Court to improve the lives of those that would otherwise be forgotten in the shuffle. They firmly believed in their nation and were exceedingly patriotic, but, neither of them ever had any designs to get deep into political venues. It was a source of controversy for Avella's side of the family as it was expected that she would eventually join the great race. Their family had been in contention for years and retained a placeholder that shifted from being tenth to twentieth in line for the throne depending on birth rates and death tolls.
As much as it pained Avella to disappoint her loved ones—It happened anyway. The Elyance family distanced themselves from the Chume branch as much as they could without inciting some sort of insult. They often found themselves often making up reasons not to attend gatherings and soirees. If only to avoid THE conversation that everyone seemed hellbent on having. Micah in particular worried about exposing their daughter to it all. She had only barely taken her first steps when missives began to arrive for suitors and arranged marriages to strengthen partisan court positions in the future.
They would kindly reject proposals, occasionally, with gifts to smooth ruffled feathers. It was all they could do to allow their child some form of autonomy in a society that seemed to want to make decisions in her stead before she learned to speak. Cybelle was a bright child. She loved to play in the tall grasses of their home and learned her colors fairly early on. They had a very furry Loth Cat named Nala that spent almost all of its time curled up at the foot of her bed. There had been some concerns when it kept trying to get into the bassinet with the infant, but they were entirely unfounded. It merely purred and lay protectively beside her.
As a family, they took trips, planned outings, and even brought Cybelle with them to work when meetings weren't scheduled. Safety regulations were always observed and she was kept away from the factory floors but she was present enough that workers knew just to accept it. She was inquisitive about what it was they were doing and Avella eventually made a game of "weaving" to show her how it worked. Both parents thought it was never too early to learn.
It was near her eighth birthday when a loud crash woke the Elyance household. There was shouting. Yelling. Cybelle could scarcely remember her mother scooping her up, blanket, cat, and pillow, and depositing her in a closet before shutting the door. She can't remember what it was that her mother told her then. At this point in her life, Cybelle can't even remember the sound of her parent's voices.
She was told that she was found a day later in the aftermath by a concerned family member that had been unsuccessfully trying to reach the notoriously private household. Her paternal Uncle, Kiel Elyance, took guardianship of the child. He had been listed in the last will and testament signed by Avella and Micah to care for their daughter should anything happen to them. Child Welfare and the Courts seemed to think him a fine choice to raise the young noble. He was charming, good-looking, well-off, and didn't have a hint of scandal or impropriety to his name.
They remained on Hapes for a few months to settle affairs, but, all funds, estate, and trust lay in the name of Cybelle Elyance. She would not have access to any of it, save a monthly stipend, until her eighteenth birthday. Elyance Industries would be run by a board of trustees until she came of age or came to claim it. Her Uncle made the decision to return to Naboo for the time being. Most of his business lay there, not on Hapes. Despite several heated arguments with lawyers, it seemed that he would be locked out of his deceased brothers' holdings.
Before the season changed Cybelle would be transplanted to Theed where a private tutor instructed her on courtly ways and began a new lesson curriculum. No longer was she allowed to follow her own path. It seemed that her new guardian had bent to the whims of Avella's relatives and was accepting payment to prepare Cybelle for life in the Hapan Court. Kiel Elyance, though kind to Cybelle, had only his own interests in mind. If he could present her to the Hapani Court as a shining diamond, he would be rewarded. If he could present her to the nobility in Theed—That was also a victory.
Kiel began to reach out to notable families with Cybelle's tragic story at the forefront and his "deepest wishes" that she be allowed to reconnect and find lasting friendships. The little girl was truly in a pitiful state after slowly coming to grips that her parents were gone. She knew nothing but their love, patience, and kindness. This was a whole new world and it was exceedingly jarring. Her despondent behavior made the scene Kiel wove for them all the more poignant.
No one seemed to notice that he only reached out to households that had at least one male heir.
Eventually, she seemed to find a closeness with the Sal-Soren/Ee'everwest children and their sanctioned playdates brought her out of her shell. There was a faint moody sadness to her general demeanor but she would find herself smiling in their presence. Enjoying herself—Rather than wishing with all of her heart that the last few months were nothing more than a bad dream. She had a very, very difficult time adjusting. Often, feeling guilty.
Cybelle didn't know what to do.
No one had talked to her about it. She didn't know how this all happened. How to get through it. She could still smell the perfume that her mother wore when she closed her eyes. But the truth was…There was nothing left of them. Not even their home. Just bodies that wouldn't move. That would sleep forever, and ever. Cybelle didn't understand why they couldn't just get back into them and come take her home. They would never hug her again. They would never look at her grades. Help her get dressed in the morning. They would never, ever, say goodnight. Never again.
And no one would explain why.
Over the next two years, her life began to get back on track. Gradually, the pain of losing her parents lessened. It never completely left her. It never completely went away. Instead, it became something she could breathe through if she only focused on the moment. One day at a time. She leaned heavily on her new friends whether they knew it or not. Cybelle loved every moment with the Sal-Soren children and was particularly taken with
Brandyn Sal-Soren
. He was brightness and light when everything else felt…Much too difficult. He let her forget.
Even as a child—He made her whole.
Just when things were good tragedy struck again. Her guardian, Kiel Elyance, never came home. There wasn't a funeral with an open casket this time and Cybelle wasn't really given a chance to say goodbye. She was whisked away by parties unknown and all ties she had with the Nabooian community were systematically severed for a variety of reasons. Although her monthly allowance still came through Galactic Wire the authorities were unable to contact anyone willing to take possession of the child.
Whether it was the distance between Naboo and Hapes or something a little more sinister—It was never fully explained to Cybelle. When it came time to place her in foster care a third party stepped in and offered to care for her until she reached adulthood. They were skeptical at first. The individual who came forward was a local Jedi Master that lived on the outskirts of Theed. She had a reputation for helping the smaller villages and generally doing good works, thusly, temporary guardianship was assigned with further evaluation in the home intended. When Cybelle was brought to Sprite Gate Shore by
Gianna Aegis
—It was an extreme adjustment.
The Shore itself was nice. It had several buildings and a main house with over thirteen bedrooms but it lacked the finery and grandeur that she had grown accustomed to. The emphasis was on enduring with nature and appreciating what they had versus what they lacked. Furniture was hand-made by those in the villages versus being the latest and greatest. Clothing was often gained through donations, or, hand sewn. The quality and cleanliness were fine…It was just inherently different. The allotment that Cybelle should have received each month was placed to the side by Ms. Aegis so that she might have access to it in an emergency. Everything else, including food, shelter, and education was provided.
At least, Cybelle reasoned, she had her own room. From what she understood many children left in foster care were not afforded any sort of luxury at all. That didn't mean she couldn't resent it from time to time. Resent, that she was no longer allowed to see her friends. It was almost as if she was being hidden from the world.
Or it didn't want her.
Once again, it took her time to settle. She felt entirely bereft. Unwanted. It took many evenings of gentle coaxing for Gianna to get the little girl to come down and eat at the table versus leaving a tray outside her door. It was actually an unsuspecting guest that caused the Hapani child to finally show some signs of life. Late in the evening, often, she could hear little sounds of tinkering from one of the outlying buildings. At first, she thought it was a ghost. The Shore was pretty far from the city and she could only assume that it was for a good reason. Jedi were sorcerers, weren't they? Maybe they were communicating with the dead?!
It made her wonder if they might be able to reach her parents. Cybelle missed them, endlessly.
Eventually, she scuttled out of bed, wrapped in pale pink pajamas and a scratchy woolen overcoat. At around the age of ten she had long, long auburn hair that hadn't seen more than a delicate trim since Hapes. Cybelle followed the noises carefully. Tripping, stumbling, and nearly breaking her ankle over every twig, rock, stone, and divot between the main house and the building with lights on. It didn't help that it had rained almost every day since she arrived. Even now, it was misting.
It was so hard to see. Mostly, she just focused on the lights ahead.
When she arrived at the building and her depth perception cleared, she could see that it was a garage and hangar. There was a landing pad in the distance. She could see Ms. Aegis sitting on a tall tool box with a cup of hot tea clutched close. Despite the fact that the flame-haired woman never wore anything too fancy there was something about her that always made Cybelle want to look. She was very, very pretty. The man that she was talking to seemed familiar but Cybelle couldn't place him.
She shivered in the evenings chill and accidentally knocked something off of a counter. It made a loud clang and Belle nearly jumped out of her skin. Gianna and the man were both looking in her direction and Cybelle had the common decency to look ashamed for eavesdropping. She was sure she was going to be in trouble; however, she could suddenly feel something warm wrapping around her shoulders. A warmth so strong that touched something so deep around her heart that it felt hard to breathe.
Cybelle looked up and was caught off-guard by the angelic face of Ms. Aegis shining down on her while tucking her shawl around tiny shoulders. As if she were the most important thing in the world. "Come inside where it's warm, little rabbit. You must be freezing and it's so dark…Are you all right?"
"Did we wake you?"
Cybelle reached out to the edges of the wrap that swaddled her and found herself cuddling down into it. The material was soft and smelled of lemony roses. Hesitantly, she answered. "It's a little cold. I'm sorry, I'm okay—I was just—I needed—"
She choked on her words. Overwhelmed. Scared that she had done something wrong.
"It's all right Cybelle. I promise. You don't have to worry. This is your home, now. You're welcome to explore."
Slowly, the little girl started to relax. At the light hand to her shoulder, she scurried into the warm garage and her fingers felt a little less frozen. It was strange. Somehow, she'd been looking right at them but she'd never seen Ms. Aegis move. It occurred to her, not for the first time, that the flame-haired woman was very, very fast. Chocolate eyes turned toward what the man was working and her curiosity started to pique. "…I thought there were ghosts."
The man laughed heartily and wiped his hands on a towel. "No, no ghosts here. I'm John. It's great to finally meet you…"
Cybelle took the edges of her pajamas in two fingers and inclined her head while performing a curtsey as well as she was able wearing trousers, and, a little damp. He seemed amused with the impeccable manners of a child so young and glanced over at Ms. Aegis. "My name is Cybelle."
"Well…Cybelle…I'm sorry we woke you. We've been trying to fix this sentry droid. It keeps stalling out and Ms. Aegis really wants to make sureyouwe're all safe."
The youngling nodded and began to creep closer to the workbench. Realizing that her tiny stature wouldn't let her see much the mechanic reached for a nearby bucket and flipped it upside down so she could stand on it. Cybelle looked at him for a long moment before accepting an offered hand and climbed up to see what was on the table. It had so many parts, lying everywhere. "…You can fix him?"
"Yes. Would you like to help, Cy?"
Cybelle shot the man an offended look and he immediately raised his hand in defense. "Okay—Belle?"
She settled a little and her expression mollified. The youngling clearly liked that better and slowly nodded her head at the offer to aid him with the project. The mechanic, John, began to explain the ins and outs of software and circuitry, and eventually, Cybelle became absorbed in the concept. He had a way of breaking things down that was simple for her to understand. The evening would find her glued to his side and performing like a little assistant while Gianna watched from the toolbox.
For the first time since Cybelle arrived—The heavy cloud cover lifted. The rain stopped.
With the abrupt changes in weather, it became apparent that there was more to Cybelle than met the eye. Gianna had long since suspected, but there were little things that confirmed it. Rather than sleep-walk as many children did—She sleep-floated. When she cried? It rained. It saddened her to know that the youngling had been crying almost nonstop behind closed doors. The Shore had nearly been flooded out. Cybelle liked spending time with
John Locke
, tinkering, and Gianna was happy to let them bond.
It was good for both of them.
She introduced typical coursework for a ten-year-old until several accidental force incidents later told her that the force-sensitivity that the little girl had wasn't going anywhere. Cybelle was gifted. She would need to know how to control her talents before they began to control her. Gianna was not a recruiter and never, ever, pushed Cybelle into being a Jedi. Gianna had come to care deeply for the child in her care and only wanted her to be safe.
But—Cybelle wanted to know more. The next six years found the orphan adapting to a Force-Related education far more than traditional studies. Unbeknownst to the youngling, Gianna had been blocking and intercepting communications from Hapes that were searching for the last Elyance. It wasn't out of selfish reasons, but, because the Elyance family had been obviously been targeted by a malicious party. The details were…Unfit for an adult. Let alone, a child.
Regardless, the shore was the safest place for Cybelle. No one would look for her here and the files documenting that the girl had been placed in Gianna's care had mysteriously become corrupted. It would be impossible to trace her digitally but there was always a chance that someone might find her. All they had to do was scratch the surface, dig a little, and get lucky. The thin identity shielding that John had arranged would fail upon close inspection.
Of all people to discover Cybelle? Gianna hadn't expected to be a Sal-Soren.
Baros Sal-Soren had gone out of his way to inform her that Cybelle was no longer welcome at his estate nor around his children. How he knew that she was in Gianna's care was still a mystery, but he didn't seem to have any ill intent toward her. Just a warning.
Gianna had no choice but to oblige and keep Cybelle from her friends. It pained her to see the youngling suffer so much but it was just one more thing that she had to keep to herself. One Day—She would tell Cybelle everything. One day.
When Belle grew in years and seemed capable of taking care of herself around the Shore Gianna began to travel for quick missions. She would only ever be gone, usually, with John for a day or two at the most. She checked in with her Padawan as often as time permitted. Ensured that she was eating, sleeping, and keeping to her studies. Gia gave the teenager as much of a lead as she could so that Cybelle wouldn't feel so stifled and locked up.
During one of those trips,
Brandyn Sal-Soren
stumbled upon Cybelle. Their friendship was rekindled almost instantly and over the next few months Gianna was aware of his presence—But thought better than to interrupt. If Baros came calling she could claim deniability if needed, but it was obvious that both children needed something from the other. As a Jedi Master she felt the need to lay boundaries, but, as a caretaker she knew loneliness when she saw it. Both children suffered some form of it.
She knew instantly when that adventure came to an end.
Gianna had felt Cybelle's heartbreak from twenty miles away and had returned home immediately. The weather changed in a way that the Master had come to know, unnatural, and she evened out the weather patterns so it wouldn't cause damage to nearby farms. Cybelle had always been so sensitive toward what others thought of her. Perhaps, because she had seemingly been dismissed and thrown away in her early years. When villagers hurled insults at them, simply, for being Jedi—Gianna could see that it hurt her feelings. This pain?
It pulled at Gia and brought tears to her own eyes. This was the lesson that all Jedi had to endure. The moment when they understood that attachment could be dangerous if it ran unchecked. The flame-haired woman merely gathered the sopping-wet young woman in her arms and let her sob. She would not pry. She didn't need to—She already knew the truth.
During the four years after that incident, Cybelle seemed to throw herself into her studies and training even more. She wanted to be a Knight, so very, very badly. Her free time was often spent tinkering with old pieces of tech. She had taken after
John Locke
in many ways and had become an adept mechanic in her own right. There wasn't much she couldn't fix. From Gianna—She learned her tenderness, care, and patience. Thankfully, her ability to cook came with that for free.
When Naboo was struck by a devastating cataclysm Cybelle was knighted in the aftermath of the madness for her exceptional bravery and skill in maintaining peace. The riots after the event were probably worse than the attack itself, though, people died either way. The wanton destruction forced Cybelle to do a lot of growing very, very quickly. She made connections with the Naboo Order and with the Galactic Alliance when the injured were too much for Naboo to handle.
For at least a year—There wasn't any time to think. Or breathe. Cybelle could only keep moving. Stalwart and strong because the people needed her to be that way. They needed miracles to keep their hope intact and the Jedi were the only ones that could provide it. Some, never forgave the Jedi for letting the cataclysm happen at all…But they were only scared. Hurt and rightfully angry.
The Jedi couldn't have stopped something they didn't know was coming. It was so very, very sudden. If it weren't for Gianna shielding the entirety of the Shore it was very possible that she would have been blown away in a kinetic wave. Cybelle would never be able to forget that night. Nor, watching while her Master restore the countryside every night for a month for bereft and starving farmers.
It was a harrowing experience.
When the dust settled Cybelle began to take on the odd job for the Naboo section of the Jedi Order as well as small activities for the Galatic Alliance. It served them well to keep lines of communication open. Things were going smoothly until a trove of Sith artifacts were found among the old Ee'everwest/Sal-Soren Estate. Gianna was in charge of doling out assignments and insisted that Cybelle handle this. She rarely argued with her Master—But something in her dreaded going there.
Perhaps it was rejection. Perhaps, it was something else. The words that
Baros Sal-Soren
had spoken to her years prior had shaken her confidence and left an imprint. He had done far more damage to a young mind than he likely thought possible. But, with Gianna, John, and the rest of the Jedi that visited the Shore she was slowly learning that there was nothing wrong with her. She wasn't less. Not for being an orphan and certainly not for being a Jedi.
The only thing from her past that Cybelle always circled back to was
Brandyn Sal-Soren
. The life that she knew on Hapes was a distant memory. Brandyn, was something that lingered. She spoke of him to her Master when it felt like her thoughts were traveling down a path they shouldn't. Even in his absence…She could not forget. Gianna had always offered sage advice—But it had stopped helping the moment Baros Sal-Soren treated her like a street urchin.
It made her question everything. Her path. Her memories. Her way forward.
Perhaps—If she returned to Hapes and became the little girl that had hundreds of play dates with his children he might approve. But that would mean giving up on her dreams. Being a Jedi Knight meant almost everything to her. Helping others so that they might not suffer as she had suffered.
Brandyn was worth her thoughts.
Baros was not.
Cybelle had expected to see…Anyone but Brandyn on the mission. His father, his mother, or perhaps one of his sisters. An Aunt. She'd thought she was past emotion. That was a mistake in judgment.
An error of epic proportions.
She was bursting with it. Now—Cybelle must find a way to deal with that as well as discover the truth of the delve beneath the Ee'everwest Estate. That requires traveling to both Coruscant and Hapes.
All while trying, possibly in vain, to figure out the rest of her life. -
TBA
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