Private Decode

[Eloise Dinn]

Theed, Naboo

Eloise was beginning to feel like she was chasing a ghost.

She already had little to go on but rumors and hearsay. Quinn Varanin had allegedly been spotted on Naboo, simply… shopping. Going about her day as if she lived there. Quite strange for a woman who still technically had a bounty on her head.

There had been other sightings of Sith in Theed as of late. Carnifex had apparently showed up at an exhibition along with a posse of bootlickers and was promptly kicked out for harassing the locals. But somebody like Quinn repeatedly popping up in the heart of the Republic was a bit more noteworthy. Eloise didn’t know what to make of it. She could be looking to expand her influence into the Republic… or she might be trying to defect.

Trying to sense her in the Force didn’t work—no doubt she was hiding her presence. So Eloise resorted to more traditional detective work, opting to check out the businesses Quinn had been seen frequenting. Dressed in civilian clothes, she posed as a customer, examining the wares while keeping an eye out for a well-dressed Echani. She didn't expect much to come of her private investigation. Even if she did manage to track down Quinn, there was no guarantee she'd talk, let alone tell the truth. But she at least wanted to try and figure out what the deal was...

Quinn Varanin​

 

[Quinn Varanin]

//: Eloise Dinn //:
//: Attire //:

Today started as any other day; the Expo had enlightened the young Queen to the options available to her planet. Moving Eshan further into the future with the sustainable technology was just the first phase of her plans. Her talks with Mercy provided insightful information; they helped refocus her. The Empress of the Core was far wiser than she let on, and Quinn was lucky to have her as a friend and sparring partner.

The click of her heels echoed against the pavement as she made her way towards the Embassy for the Mandalorian Empire. Even though she was basically vacationing on Naboo, she had duties as a Warden and Queen.
While walking, she found her mind wandering to the things Lily had told her. Firstly, this is a council discussion. She had always followed the rules that were set in front of her, never stepping out of line. Secondly, this Jedi who seemed to have it out for her. She groaned, assuming it was something along the lines of 'like mother, like daughter'.

Having her name on the council records worried her; she wondered if it would be a breach of the accords that the Republic and the Mandalorians had discussed. Another annoyed sigh as she continued towards the Embassy. She just wanted to focus on her work and try not to think about the fallout for her existence.

She wondered if there was more at play besides Colette being upset about the battle on Woostri. Quinn had always kept her presence minimal, to anyone who didn't know her name or where she came from — they'd only see someone weak, barely registering as a Force user.

It had always been that way, since she was able to control it. All of her precautions weren't to hide because she was nefarious — it was for safety for her and for those around her.

At least she had the Embassy, there — no one would bother her. She paused for a moment, thinking of the Embassy. Maybe there was someone who could assist her in making sense of this situation.

Quinn chewed on the inside of her lip as she thought quietly of reaching out to Sibylla Abrantes . For the most part, the woman was a potential ally and knew the Republic better than the Queen of Eshan ever could.

Shaking her head, she assumed it was a pointless endeavor.

 

[Eloise Dinn]

Eloise feigned interest in an emerald necklace being proffered by a jewelry vendor, but angled her body so that she would have a full view of the street. She had been "shopping" for about two hours, with little luck.

Then, from around a nearby corner, a figure emerged: a woman with short white hair, smartly dressed in a fitted black and white suit, heels clicking across the cobblestones. Eloise didn't make her interest obvious at first, merely observing. Quinn's pace was brisk, as if she had somewhere to be. Eloise would need to act fast.

During the two hours in which she was waiting and watching, she'd had ample time to come up with ideas for how to approach her target. She could have posed as a Sith, using her connection to Empyrean and Srina in an attempt to win her trust. But if Quinn had defected, the ruse would work against her. Besides, Eloise wasn't very good at deception. She preferred a more direct, honest approach.

As Quinn walked past, Eloise fell into step behind her. "Quinn Varanin," she called out. "I've been looking for you."

Quinn Varanin​

 

[Quinn Varanin]

//: Eloise Dinn //:

The taller woman slipped in behind her. Quinn was already on high alert, knowing that her name was on the Council's lips. She had enough on her plate, and now someone was speaking to her. All she needed, all she wanted, was to make it to the Embassy. There she could reach out to the people she needed to deal with this issue.

Sighing softly, Quinn didn't turn her head to look at who was following her. The woman's voice was enough to keep her relaxed and allow her to ponder what business this person wanted.

At first, she prepared herself for an arrest, perhaps a bounty hunter. On Naboo, she couldn't use anything to protect herself. It was the boundaries of her conditions.

"Hope you had fun." She answered as she kept walking. She wasn't in the mood to talk; she didn't want to talk to this stranger. On top of all of that, it was obvious this person knew her, but didn't bother to introduce herself.

What was with people on Naboo, just staring at her and saying her name?

She sighed again as her pace quickened.

"Have a good day."

 

[Eloise Dinn]

Most people would be annoyed at being so immediately rebuffed. The short-tempered Eloise skipped straight to being angry. Quinn was, by all accounts, a war criminal, yet here she was prancing around Theed, a free agent, when she should've been rotting in prison.

Catching herself, Eloise focused on the backs of Quinn's shoes as she walked away. She refocused her anger until it wasn't Quinn she was mad at, it was the shoes. Those thousand-credit heels clicking carelessly on the pavement. Eloise's boots were soundless in comparison. In just a few strides she had caught up with Quinn, walking alongside her.

"Can't spare a minute, huh? Not even for your niece?"

Based on what Eloise knew of her, Quinn was essentially a nepo baby. The daughter of a former Sith Empress and a Princess of Eshan by birth, connections to powerful figures were how she got by—and probably one of the few things she would respect in a stranger. So Eloise would have to use the distant relation angle after all, if she was going to get Quinn to give her the time of day, let alone reveal her true colors.

"Arcturus Dinn is my father. Empyrean and Srina adopted him. That makes him your brother, and you my aunt," Eloise announced their relationship matter-of-factly, easily keeping pace with the smaller woman. "I'm Eloise. We've never met before, but I've been hearing about you ever since I was a little kid.

"So you'll forgive me for wondering, what's someone like you doing here on Naboo?"

Quinn Varanin​

 

[Quinn Varanin]

//: Eloise Dinn //:

Quinn continued walking; she had business to take care of, especially after everything Lily had told her. She needed to move ahead of things and notify the Mandalorian Empire before things got out of hand. This was an unwanted distraction, and Quinn sighed softly, seeing that the woman now kept her stride.

She never looked at her, except from the corner of her eye. The woman's features weren't anything she recognized, nor was her name. But the last name was recognizable. The woman's information about her considered 'older' brother was accurate, but the two didn't have much of a relationship. He was, like her, taken in by Srina and Empyrean.

But he was much older, and Quinn had other issues to attend to when she first arrived on Srina's doorstep. Quinn hadn't heard that he had children… nor had she heard from the man in several years. Quinn looked away from the woman as she ran her fingers through the cropped blonde hair.

"Niece?" She echoed, "Name is correct, but I do not know who you are." Her head finally turned slightly to look at Eloise, as she chuckled softly — almost amused at this attempt.

"You'll have to excuse me, but it's not uncommon that people gather information on someone and then attempt to use it… I've never heard your name before now."

She turned away and continued.

"And as for 'someone like me'… I'm the Queen of Eshan, a Warden of a Mandalorian-held world. The reasons I'm on Naboo is none of your concern, Eloise Dinn."

Even if this girl was telling the truth, Quinn couldn't be careless about trusting anyone. She was on high alert since the expo; anyone could claim to be anything.

And she couldn't take any chance — too much was on the line for her.

 

[Eloise Dinn]

Eloise sighed. It was worth a try. She was a little surprised by Quinn's apparent carelessness. Surely if Eloise could find out all this information through "research", the rest of her history probably wasn't hard to figure out. If she was seeking redemption, one would think she'd be a bit more eager to distance herself from her lineage. Perhaps she believed herself immune to the consequences because she had defected.

Politically immune, maybe. But Eloise wasn't a politician.

"I don't give a shit about Eshan," she replied. As her annoyance with Quinn grew, more and more of the real Eloise showed. "What does concern me is that you're a Sith Lord. I'm a Jedi. Get it?"

She stepped in front of Quinn, blocking her path. "Either you're a Sith Lord past tense, having sworn off their evil ways same as I did—or you shouldn't be here, and that's a problem. So which is it, auntie?"

Quinn Varanin​

 

[Quinn Varanin]

//: Eloise Dinn //:

Quinn's eyebrows rose slightly to the comment about Eshan. While she didn't expect anyone to really care about a world that wasn't their own, the language was uncouth. She blinked, but continued on her way.

Eloise also continued.

Every word that came from her lips was an accusation. Quinn could glean that the woman had already made her assumptions, and questioning them was just for her own self-fulfillment. She wondered if she was capable of sensing the force around people; if she was able to, Quinn would be nothing but a whisper. Art of the Small was the first thing she learned; it was what allowed her to be around others.

Still, assumptions were assumptions, and it seemed Eloise had thought about this.

As she stepped in front of her, Quinn stopped and raised an eyebrow. It was surprising that a Jedi would interfere with a delegate heading towards their Embassy.

"I'm surprised you're a Jedi, your behavior is unbecoming." She sighed; this was annoying. She had a meeting in a few minutes, and this woman was getting in the way.

"If you're a Jedi, you're able to typically sense others' force presence… As you can see with mine, it's not too impressive." She tilted her head, letting her gaze wander past Eloise. She was hoping to see a familiar face at the Embassy, just a block or so away.

Her eyes soon flickered to the taller woman as she brushed back her blonde hair behind her ears.

"It's belittling to be reminded of my shortcomings. You obviously know my lineage, so you must know how disappointing I am." Quinn frowned as she shrugged.

"But for what I can do, I am the Queen of Eshan, I am a Warden of Mandalore, trying to get to my Embassy. I ask that you step aside and stop interfering with a foreign delegate’s duties."

Quinn moved to step around Eloise, expecting her to accept the situation and let her pass.

 

[Eloise Dinn]

"I'm surprised you haven't been arrested and thrown in prison," Eloise retorted. "Nobodies don't have bounties posted on their heads by whole governments."

The fact that she was trying to claim that she was some random unimpressive Force User who had disappointed her family with her shortcomings was utterly absurd. She was a prolific Sith and had been for years. Eloise had even pointed out such to her, describing how she had heard of her in childhood, and she was still denying it.

She's like an overgrown spoiled toddler that was never told no.

Quinn's claims only got more unbelievable. When she drew attention to the fact that she was hiding her presence in the Force by trying to lie about it, Eloise laughed out loud.

"For feth's sake, even I've been hiding my presence this whole time." She let her aura expand from its shrunken state, full and radiant. "You think you're Palpatine or something? Get real. Even a Padawan knows Art of the Small. You're no more convincing for using it than Carnifex would be."

But she was getting tired of arguing with a brick wall. "A word of advice - People are going to know who you are. You can't escape that. So at least try to act repentant, or you'll find that not everyone is willing to play along with your bullshit."

Eloise walked away, leaving Quinn alone.

/exit thread Quinn Varanin​

 

[Quinn Varanin]

//: Sibylla Abrantes //: Adelle Bastiel //:

As a child, Quinn wasn't very active. She lingered at Srina's side often, learning about the politics of the galaxy. Her training was quiet, focused on the skills she needed. The girl's claims didn't seem logical; the bounty was for attacking the current King of Naboo — there were no force powers, just her lightsaber…

That was yellow…

Quinn blinked as the woman laughed at the conversation — Quinn wished she could laugh… she had missed her meeting and would have to explain to her small council back on Eshan the reasons why.

Jedi were so inconvenient…

Mid rant, Quinn covered her mouth slightly and yawned. This conversation was going nowhere; the woman was out of her mind. Comparing Quinn to Carnifex was like apples and oranges — almost insulting to the Dark Lord.

The expanding aura was unimpressive. A cute trick for a padawan, but unnecessary for this conversation.

Quinn tilted her head as she watched Eloise walk away.
What a waste of time.

She did call out as she turned and waved, "Hope you have the day you deserve, Eloise Dinn ."

Quinn gave a tight smile to those who had stopped to watch the horrid display of the Jedi Order. A few people came to check on her, and she waved them off before walking towards the Embassy. There was a sigh of relief when she entered its doors and walked past the windows that opened up to the gardens that she often found herself relaxing in — especially now.

It didn't take long for her to find her desk in the small office she had been given for her tasks on Naboo. A few calls followed, and she was reminded of the ambassador assigned to Naboo. She drafted a small message and CC'd the Voice of the House. Quinn had saved the contact information when she reached out with her condolences to the woman's family.

Ambassador Bastiel,

I hope this message finds you well. I regret that I am writing under less favorable circumstances.

Given your position, you seem to be the appropriate person to contact.

This morning, I was intercepted en route to the Embassy on Naboo by a Jedi — Eloise Dinn. The encounter was not merely discourteous; she physically obstructed my path and displayed a level of aggression that I found… troubling.

I cannot say this comes as a surprise. I have been informed that the Jedi Council has expressed concerns about my origins. While I understand their caution, I have remained entirely within the bounds of the accords. Those agreements exist to ensure the safety of the Republic, the Mandalorian Empire, and myself alike. I have given no cause to question them.

What concerns me is not the scrutiny but the manner in which it is being exercised. I had expected a degree of professionalism from the Jedi Order. Instead, I am left to consider what might have occurred had this interaction escalated in a less public setting.

For the time being, I am limiting my movements to the residence designated by the Embassy.

I would value your counsel — do you believe it would be prudent for me to depart Naboo? I would prefer not to, but I will not ignore the implications of this behavior.

If you are currently on Naboo, I would welcome the opportunity to speak with you in person.

I have also included Sibylla Abrantes in this correspondence, as she is both familiar with the accords and someone I trust within this environment.

Regards,
Quinn Varanin
Queen of Eshan

She sent the message off and let herself collapse with her face in her hands. This has been troublesome; the last thing she had ever wanted was for Eshan to be thrown into this mix because of who she was. Sibylla's words echoed in the back of her mind, and she groaned.

That cursed woman ushered this into the galaxy by mentioning it. Despite all of it, she still had some trust in her. She had kept her word for the most part. From what Lily had said, nothing that Quinn and Sibylla had talked about had been leaked to the Jedi.

She looked at her comm device and picked up. A small message was sent, and hopefully it would be returned with something that would brighten her mood.