Private Desert Song

[Ylla Caeli'runa]

G R E E T​

​

Face: XX
Wearing: XX
Location: Gardens, Sólarupprá Sarhöll - Velorum

There was finally a moment to slow down. He’d been pummeled with constant travel across Velorum. Everything from trouble at the Stonerun, a decrease in livestock because of natural predators, new explorers and diplomats returning and signing up in an effort to explore the vast cosmos. There were also the nobles and scholars that needed his attention on administrative matters.

Everyone everywhere seemed to need him all at once. But, it was a small price for the newfound freedom it all brought in propelling them forward.

For now, though, he was content within the garden. He took in a deep breath and held it, enjoying the smell of the nearby waterfall. Fingers brushed over leaves and petals absently as he exhaled and allowed the weight of it all to dissipate, if only for this moment. There was never a dull moment in Vaglaskógi, in the distance the trains could be heard rushing by carrying the passengers off to work or school or simply on a day out.

Briefly, Ylla paused in his stroll. Something that Kadri did last week caught his eye. She grew a bud into a beautiful purple flower. He wasn’t sure how but she had done it. Something about it being a connection with the plant, sensing it and coaxing it from beneath the surface.

He picked out a yellow blossom and tried to reach out and “feel” for the plant. Once he found it specifically, the tricky part began. He had to somehow communicate with it to make it grow. A nudge here or there through the Force, as Adron had called it back on Illyria, didn’t seem to do anything. Briefly, he wondered if he could bribe the plant or the sun or rain.

“Ylla!” That was a familiar voice. Kadri. He looked up and shifted his focus towards the entrance, waving to his friend and advisor before jogging over. “Hey, I was just trying to do that thing you did with the plant in Krathe a few days ago. I haven’t quite figured it out yet but maybe you can help me with it.” A smile lit up his face, another new thing to learn. “Perhaps at a later date, Ylla. There is a visitor here to see you. She says she’s from offworld. Damsy Callat is her name. Wished to talk about something called a Sithspawn.” Thick eyebrows furrowed. A what? Ylla fell into stride as Kadri lead the way to their guest.

“Kadri, what is a Sithspawn? I’ve never heard of it.” They walked past the Archives and through a few cloisters, nodding in greeting to those they passed in the hallways and smaller corridors. “I am not entirely certain. In fact, we have no records of such things. None of the explorers have returned with information regarding these Sithspawn so the catalogues have nothing on them.”

They stopped in front of the door to the room Damsy had been led to for her wait. “She seems to mean well, so there does not appear to be harm in hearing what she has to say.”

He nodded a thank you, took a breath, and opened the door. He let a natural, warm smile turn his mouth. “Ms. Callat. You asked to see me? I hope I didn’t keep you waiting for too long. What brings you to Velorum?”

Damsy Callat ​

 

[Damsy Callat]

Wearing: bodysuit + capelet
--

The Siren had been quick to make herself home in the waiting room as Kadri went to fetch the Keisari. She had barely made in to a daybed before collapsing; every square centimeter of tissue on her legs was over-stimulated by exhaustion, on fire with the ghosts of kinetic force. She lay all the way down, trying not to whimper as her cartilage spine realigned against the rich mattress. As physical relief rushed over her, so too did a sense of nostalgia.

Of homecoming.

Of sudden countrification.

Though she had never been here before, it somehow fit entirely and all at once. Maybe it was just the low-standard longings of an expatriate stuck between choosing a home between a faction she had long since lost love for and another who had done the same for her—without even knowing her—but it felt like more. More enough to draw water from her eyes and pool them in tear troughs.

As the door opened to her left, Damsy sat bolt upright. Another whimper, this one halfway between shocked and sad, slipped out of her lips too fast to be held back. Still, she clasped a hand to her mouth, but not tightly enough to muffle her voice as she spoke. "E-excuse me, your, uh, Your Majesty," she began, turning to Ylla and standing, all the while hoping desperately that such was an appropriate address. And that the drops of freshwater she hadn't had time to wipe from her eyes didn't catch the light. "Not at all. I, uh..."



**
Ylla Caeli'runa

 

[Ylla Caeli'runa]

C O N C E R N​

Face: XX
Wearing: XX
Location: Drawing Room, Sólarupprá Sarhöll - Velorum

Immediately something seemed off. His hand tingled as his head tilted slightly. He felt the distinct molecular presence of water through the Force. That was odd, there wasn’t any water present for their guest because of the brief wait. Obviously, he didn’t have water on him. That meant there was only one source:

Callat.

He took a seat in a chair across from her and motioned towards the chair to her left. “Please, have a seat.” He gave a soft clearing of his throat. “You seem distressed,” with the change in angle came the change in perspective. Tear streaks could be seen drying on her cheeks. “Is something wrong?”

Eyebrows knit together once more as he plucked a tissue from its container and held it out to her. “If you are in danger, we would be more than happy to offer asylum. We can make arrangements as early as tonight, if that’s the case. You will have everything you could need.” His eyes softened and he gave a soft, reassuring smile as he studied her body language as he awaited a response. “My advisor mentioned Sithspawn when she came to fetch me. Forgive me, but I’m not aware of what a Sithspawn is. Would you mind explaining?”

Damsy Callat ​

 

[Damsy Callat]

Damsy silently rearranged herself. She accepted the tissue but only balled it up in a fist on her lap. Then she spoke, sniffing once first:

"No no, nothing's wrong per se. I appreciate the offer. I'm just..." Her eyes drifted to a drawing on the wall. Part of a mural maybe. Religious in nature. "Overwhelmed." Strange motifs like it had been following her since she had stumbled into a Temple along the canal shorelines of Idosa. Stranger feelings too.

Evidently.

She brought her attention back to Ylla in the foreground of her vision and offered a small but sincere smile. If Damsy could see her reflection, she would say it looked strange, but that was only because she had not often seen the sun shine out of her face. Most anyone else would agree she had a lovely smile. "Your planet is..." All she could compare to it was a rare rock exposed in the open ocean. "A-an anchor rock. I've been swimming for so long that it's real nice to rest..."

In more ways than one.

“My advisor mentioned Sithspawn when she came to fetch me. Forgive me, but I’m not aware of what a Sithspawn is. Would you mind explaining?”

"It's what I am," slipped from Damsy's lips without a second thought, "what my people are: creations of the Sith by Alchemy." Silence then overcame her again, and she waited for regret, but it never came. It was a if true safety roamed these halls. So she continued, "We have a home on Coruscant, where we live in fear of the Jedi, but we're...happy." She asked her statement slow to avoid that last word lilting like a question.

She shook her head before redirecting. "But that's not why I'm here. I'm lookin' for a Huli called Zheng. He came here when Lao-mon was, when the Brotherhood did what they did to it. To the Shi'ido, rather. I can't blame other shapeshifting species for not wantin' to stay. He called me a month or so ago, so I know he's here, somewhere, but he's so traumatized and paranoid that he won't give me as much as a hint.

"I was hoping that you've heard something. Somethin' about a colored fox somewhere it don't belong?"

Damsy closed her eyes, tear droplets stuck to her lashes causing pangs of coolness on her skin. She didn't feel much offworlder Force connection here, nor had she anywhere she had yet been, leading her to assume that Zheng leaned towards the mundane rather than Sensitive side of the Sithspawn spectrum. "I think he's red."



**
Ylla Caeli'runa

 

[Ylla Caeli'runa]

A I D​

Face: XX
Wearing: XX
Location: Drawing Room, Sólarupprá Sarhöll - Velorum

Ylla nodded slowly. “I am glad that Velorum could offer you a reprieve.”

Her and himself both. It was always nice to be of service to his people, but sometimes it did wear on him. Though, the responsibility was his, it wasn’t necessary a burden. He was sure that Echor never though of it that way. For the moment, he was simply content to watch and listen as Damsy went through her own thoughts. Velorum certainly had its deserts but, occasionally, one could find an oasis. “Yes, the waters can be rough and suffocating at times. Something so gentle that can turn into a violent force is something to be wary of and respected.”

He nodded along as Damsy spoke, swallowing the instinct to cringe at the thought of Sith and Jedi. Old teachings die hard apparently.

Though, the topic of alchemy…. alchemy… He’d heard of it before. Briefly, he raked his brain for the meaning of the word. Somewhere, he remembered reading about it on a datapad, but he never imagined that beings would be created with it. What were these Sithspawn created for? What was Damsy created for? What purpose was she originally meant to serve?

Perhaps another time, Ylla could ask. But, a sentence struck him in particular. “We have a home on Coruscant, where we live in fear of the Jedi, but we’re happy.”

Another idea that brought confusion. It also brought a pang of fear, a fear that the teachings of the Guides were correct. “Those two do not seem to go together. How can you be fearful and happy? A home should not be a place of fear, respectfully, Ms. Callat.”

At the next explanation, Ylla nodded and a lightbulb went off as a connection was made. “I’ve just returned from Krathe only four days ago. The local shepherds and farmers have lost animals and important crops because of a large, red animal that they’ve only glimpsed at times. They’ve put up their own smaller protections to try to keep the animal away but it’s been in vain. I stationed a small detachment there in hopes of capturing the creature. But, it appears the creature is also a person.”

He offered another polite smile and leaned in, resting his elbows on the arms of the chair. “If you’d like, we can investigate personally. We could be there within an hour on a shuttle or by river. Perhaps seeing you will calm Zheng, perhaps you can persuade him to stop attacking. I will update the directives to specify a non-lethal capture in the meantime.”

Damsy Callat​

​

 

[Damsy Callat]

“Those two do not seem to go together. How can you be fearful and happy? A home should not be a place of fear, respectfully, Ms. Callat.”

Damsy looked down at her hands in her lap like an embarrassed child, then she glanced back up like one might too. "Yeah, o' course," she admitted. "But reality don't often play the should game, in my own experience."

As she listened to his plan, she she unballed the tissue and dabbed at her eyes. When they were dry and he had finished, she added, "Either sounds great." She smiled again. "Thank you, 'Majesty, for your consideration. Whatever happens, my Sanctorium will be in your debt."



**
Ylla Caeli'runa

 

[Ylla Caeli'runa]

H E L P

Face: XX
Wearing: XX
Location: Drawing Room → Hangar

“Perhaps not. I suppose it can be harsh. But, in any case, you’re welcome. We try to help wherever we can if we can. Maybe I can help with that too after we find your friend.” He waited until Damsy seemed to be ready and finally rose from his seat.

“If you’d follow me, I’ll lead hangar bay. Shuttle will be the fastest way to Krathe. The flight should only be about 30 minutes.” He exited the room, leaving the door open behind him. Inside of his cloak, he reached for his datapad to input the request for a pilot and to give updates to the investigators he’d assigned to capture Zheng.

Briefly, he made a few brief notes on what Damsy told him about Sithspawn…. and a few more to look deeper into the matter later. His feet led the way instinctively on the short walk until he found himself at the wide open bay full of ships. He tucked the datapad under his arm as he found their assigned ship and climbed up the ramp, waving to their pilot. As he settled into his seat and buckled in, brown eyes found Damsy again while the engine started up and lifted them into the air.

“So, you mentioned that something traumatic happened on Zheng’s planet. What exactly do you think drove him away?”

Damsy Callat ​

 

[Damsy Callat]

Damsy strapped into a seat opposite the Keisari as he asked his question. In initial answer, she looked up, eyes already wide. When she spoke she tried to hide her surprise with mediocre success: "Ongoing genocide, 'Majesty. You really haven't heard?"

She paused to glance up at the ceiling and blink dry tears out of her waterline. She continued her explanation posed like that for a moment. "As I said, Zheng's not Shi'ido, but I'm half." Her gaze came level again. "I wasn't born there. I've actually never been so connected to that part of my ancestry until now. I've already accepted refugees into my home. Thus far they haven't been Sithspawn, just natural shifters, but they understand the plight of my people. That trait has been...rare everywhere I've gone in the galaxy, and I'm well-travelled."

By now, the shuttle had stabilized in the air. Damsy unbuckled herself and stood, pushing off her knees. She wandered just far enough away to the nearest porthole.

"So I'll continue rehoming their citizens until either Lao-mon runs out of 'em or the Reef of space."



**
Ylla Caeli'runa