Private Edge of the Shroud

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora's ears were still ringing.

Luciana had spent much of the night screaming. Even the tag-teamed efforts with her husband couldn't soothe their wailing child, and she'd only decided to fall asleep as the sun crept above the horizon.

Cora couldn't sleep. Not with an unspeakable amount of caffeine pulsing through her raw nerves. Makko had encouraged her to take some time to herself, and that was how the exhausted mother found herself pacing into the forests of Dee'ja Peak.

The family had decided to stop in the charming little mountain town for a few days before traveling back to Ukatis. What was intended to be a break between duties had quickly become an exercise in patience and the virtues of parenthood.

Cora stopped at a grassy peak overlooking the village. She settled to the ground, removed her shoes, and closed her eyes.

It took a good half hour, breathing in crisp mountain air and allowing her mind to slow down enough to bring herself back from the edge of sanity. So much was going on within and beyond the Republic; war was looming, but the hammer hadn’t yet decided where it would drop.

It was good to let go, just for a little bit. Just for a little while. Just for a held breath - and when she’d let that breath out, she’d return to the responsibilities that awaited her.

After a slew of sleepless nights, Cora had found a moment of clarity in dappled sunlight.

Quinn Varanin

 

[Quinn Varanin]

//: Corazona von Ascania //:
//: Attire //:

After hearing about Sibylla's connection with Dee'ja Peak, Quinn had become curious. The woman had twisted and broken so many things in the Echani's mind that she wanted to learn more about her. Understand the woman on a different level, as she seemingly had done to the young Queen.

Though Quinn wasn't one for the outdoors, it was a good thing there had been a small village to retreat to. She had her amenities and a place where she could, in essence, hide. The Jedi had spoken about her, and now there were two charged conversations. She could only imagine the fallout any of this had for her, for the Mandalorians, and for her own people.

All of it weighed on her.

Maybe it was an excuse. Maybe she really just wanted to find a reason for her to escape and to run from everything. It was what she was good at. Avoiding all problems for as long as she could.

She had done it when Vesta had died, after the altercation with Aurelian, and now she would do it here. Avoid the Jedi, avoid the galaxy stage of politics, and only continue to prove that she wasn't ready. What a poor heir she was, what a sad and woeful Queen she had become. The Echani people deserved better…

Perhaps they deserved her sister more.

Shaking her head, Quinn pushed down the doubts and problems that plagued her mind. Dee'ja Peak was beautiful and serene in a way that reminded her of Eshan. How could one planet have so many beautiful elements? Quinn wondered as she walked from the village towards the grassy plains far from the bustle of people.

As she walked, a book, its worn, handmade cover held gently, was in her hand. It looked old and out of place in the belongings of a Queen. Looking up, she folded her hands behind her, along with the book. Another blonde, a part of her wondered if she should recognize her, but Quinn couldn't place her face.

Either way, Quinn was taught manners, and she carefully spoke to the woman who seemed to need serenity as much as she did.

"I'm usually alone when I've come up this way," Quinn spoke quietly, not wanting to disturb but also not wanting to be a surprise. Nothing about Quinn was remarkable in the Force. The consistent suppressing would seem natural as her presence was only a whisper — carefully crafted to be just force sensitive enough to explain any small feat she accomplished.

"I promise I won't make too much noise, just here to get some clarity on life."

She stopped near the other woman and paused. There was a part of her that thought about lying. To say another name that wasn't her own, perhaps it would be the best in this situation.

But Quinn was a terrible liar.

"I'm Quinn, by the way."

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

The Force was akin to a web that cradled everything within and around it – or, at least, that was the manner in which Cora connected to the Force. Quinn's approach, and the eventual weight of her presence, were a part of that web. Nothing had registered as out of the ordinary.

Cora had felt her move steadily up the mountain path and remained relatively unbothered. The rhythm of the Jedi's breath did not falter, nor did the cadence of her beating heart. Quinn was facing her profile, and Cora, eyes closed, hadn't yet turned her head.

"It does make it easier to think, doesn't it?" she murmured. A sharp inhale through her nose gave way to a slow exhale through her mouth. Lucy's pitched little cries seemed to rise from the surface of her mind and into the mountain wind. "Without all the clutter and noise of a city, I mean."

"I'm Quinn, by the way."

A thread of awareness surged through Cora, working through her chest and sinking low into her gut. Despite the urgency prickling at her mind, her eyes were still slow to open. One part exhaustion, one part cautiously suspended disbelief. Her head turned slowly.

White-blonde hair bobbed at the shoulders, and the sharp contrast of rouge-painted lips against pale skin. Then, the name. Realization slammed into her like a freighter, but it took a stretch of silence for Cora to begin to absorb just who she sat in the presence of.

Quinn Varanin had stirred interested in the Republic as of late. Cora did not sit on this Jedi Order's council, so she hadn't been privy to Eloise's confrontation or the council's questioning. Still, the notion of a Sith acting as a protected diplomat in Republic territory via the Mandalorians didn't sit right with her. The majority of her experiences with the Dark had been brutal, manipulative, or both.

"Quinn," she repeated, almost thoughtfully. Cora tamped down her instincts until they sat coiled beneath the surface, ready to invigorate every muscle and nerve should this quiet mountain path find a way to be ugly.

"I can imagine that you have a lot on your mind," Cora said. Voice low, but not unkind. She didn't smile, but she didn't sneer, either. But she did look a little closer, meeting the Queen's gaze with quiet, regal focus. "The first few years for a new monarch can be trying. Especially when transitioning from..."

Was she still a Sith? That was unclear to her. Sith could rule worlds, and the Mandalorian Empire was friendly with Sith. Moreso, this was someone who'd grievously wounded two of her friends, who was now protected by Republic law.

To be caught here, alone, without her lightsaber sent chills of warning up and down her spine. The Jedi did not ignore them, but she didn't let them bow her otherwise perfect posture.

"Cora," she offered her name in turn.

Quinn Varanin

 

[Quinn Varanin]

//: Corazona von Ascania //:

Quinn took note of the way Cora repeated her name. She could see something settling underneath the surface. There was no reason for her to try and figure it out — it was easy enough. That settling was nothing new, she’d seen it before during her time on Naboo. Quinn stopped trying to understand the way people worked beyond the Blackwall — no matter what she did there was nothing more she could do.

Still, she tried.

“It…” She started her eyes moving away from the Jedi’s gaze. “It’s a lot. I went from having really no responsibilities to having an entire world look to me for answers that I often don’t have.”

The way Cora spoke, Quinn wondered if she was searching for something. Quinn in all essence was an assumption for those that knew anything about her background. She was from the Sith Empire, raised by the Empress and Emperor and assumed to be one of the older children. She was, in fact, next in line if she chose to be. Even now, when she returned lessons had already started.

But that’s what Eshan was for no? Quinn kept her eyes from Cora, as much as she wanted to keep watching, studying and waiting for the woman to turn on her. The young Queen decided to trust.

“But it's rewarding in its own way. I’ve found to trust my instincts on a few things.” Quinn paused. “I apologize for rambling… It's nice to meet you, Cora.”

A smile.

“You sound like you know what it's like? How hard it actually is...”

The name hung on her mind as she turned away, her book lingering in her hand. Quinn had wanted to read, in peace, one of her favorite authors. The steamy romance novels were a break from her real life and at times she wished she could be one of the characters in the book. At least they found their happy endings.

“At times… I wish I could walk away from all of it… particularly now and just not be me for a bit.”

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

This demure, soft-spoken women was not who Cora had expected to encounter - was this really the same person who'd nearly killed Colette on Woostri, who’d stabbed Aurelian on Weilu?

She let those thoughts settle for a beat.

Year ago, Nwul had been exceptionally kind and gentle towards her. He’d given her space to heal, to find herself - and then he’d devour the souls of captured Jedi. Sith weren’t dangerous simply for the power and vision they held - but because they could still be genuinely affectionate, loving and sympathetic.

That did not erase the gravity of the decisions they made.

“You sound like you know what it's like? How hard it actually is...”

Cora hummed, low and thoughtful. “To a degree, I…”

Quinn had turned, facing the majesty of their landscape. When she did, Cora's eyes darted towards her hands, now exposed. Now she could see that it was not a saber she’d been holding behind her back, but a book.

She squinted.

A somewhat…familiar book. Too familiar, actually. She recognized the crimson lettering of The Dark Side of Love anywhere, and for a moment, she stilled.

Cora blinked once. Then twice. Force, why did it have to be a Lady Velvet novel?

The Jedi straightened out and cleared her throat.

“If you could choose,” she began, “in times where you don’t want to be you, who would you rather be?”

Quinn Varanin

 

[Quinn Varanin]

//: Corazona von Ascania //:

Quinn didn't glance in Cora's direction with the question. It was one she had never been asked before, but one she often thought about. Who could she be? What could she be if she weren't Quinn Varanin? How would her life change without all the turmoil it had been filled with recently?

"Hmm," she vocalized her thoughts. There was so much she had dreamed of while sitting alone in a room, waiting to be noticed.

"I'd be someone ordinary," she huffed, figuring it was the typical question of someone who was at her station.

"I'd be someone who used their gifts to bring beauty into the galaxy. I'd want to be a florist with my own shop on a quiet planet." She mused on the idea of waking up and bringing bouquets of flowers to people. It was always a simple gesture that brought happiness.

"I'd make arrangements for the teenager who was preparing for their first date or confession. And for the bride who was marrying her true love…" Her face softened as she imagined these people as real.

"For someone grieving a lost loved one, I would take extra care to make something perfect for their last goodbye…"

Quinn was quiet; she had attended funerals before. Even in the sadness of death, the beauty of life lingered as a reminder. She wanted to be that person to help give those moments something special. As her thoughts finished, she shrugged and laughed, almost embarrassed.

"Silly thoughts of a stupid girl, I guess."

Pausing, she felt the flash of heat on her cheeks. She had answered the question in such a romanticized way that it was probably not how the woman wanted to hear. Quinn chewed on the inside of her cheek, remembering the almost tiredness that echoed from Cora as she stood quietly.

Before Quinn had interrupted it.

"I'm sorry, that was probably a lot more than you anticipated."

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora studied the way Quinn spoke - not just her words, but the particular lilt of her voice. The longing that seemed to seep into her body language.

The desire to live a simpler life had not been lost on the Ukatian. It was actually a good thing for someone in power to have these little moments of aversion for their station, at least by her own measure.

Cora kept her focus steadied on Quinn even as her flesh hand grazed over the fronds of grass beside her, morning dew still clinging to tiny blades.

"They say that flowers have a language of their own."

The art of arranging florals had been one of many lessons imposed upon her in her youth. Jedi could develop a special connection with nature, and perhaps growing up on an agriworld had encouraged her affinity for plant life.

"Lavender for serenity, peonies for good fortune, daffodils for unrequited love, and so on…"

Blue eyes rolled skyward as she rattled off meanings that had stuck with her.

Cora had placed orange lilies on her first husband's grave; hatred, contempt and disdain.

Her eyes drifted back down to the young Queen, brow pinching faintly.

"Finding joy in the little things is neither silly nor stupid."

If anything about Quinn's answer has struck her as odd, it was that.

"The desire for a simpler life doesn't seem strange for a Queen. But for a Sith…"

Wasn't controlling their own destiny a part of their doctrine? Power and breaking chains and freedom…

Cora tilted her head to the side, thin blonde strands falling in wisps over her lashes.

"What's stopping you?"

Quinn Varanin

 

[Quinn Varanin]

//: Corazona von Ascania //:

Quinn nodded along. In her youth, she had studied flowers and plants after her Mother had taught her how to connect with them. They were her only solace in a room… a world cut off from all that was living. The embodiment of death and dread, she sought to see life and beauty. Yet, the serenity of the conversation was soon diminished with the mention of being a Sith.

Once more, the reputation of her origin preceded her. Quinn wrinkled her nose as she let Cora finish. It was now obvious she was talking to a Jedi, and in her experiences, once their minds were set, there was no changing it. She looked down towards the grass as the gentle winds started to pick up. The hopes of potentially finding some peace in the midst of chaos disappeared, leaving her tired.

"I'm not supposed to be speaking to a Jedi alone." She answered finally, "But I'll answer your question — only because you allowed me to believe I had potentially found a kindred spirit."

Her eyes lifted, gaze settling on the small town beginning to come alive, unaware of the danger that sat upon the hill beside the Jedi.

"Duty, responsibility, obligations to those that kept me alive." Her eyes shifted sideways, glancing towards Cora.

"To lead is to serve."

She paused as the clouds began to drown the warmth of the sun.

Quinn wondered if wanting to learn the ways of others was a mistake. She sought to do better for her people, for the Empire she was destined to rule. The idea of coexistence was becoming harder to believe, and the words she had spoken to Sibylla felt like nothing more than childish hope.

Quinn finally understood her Mother's convictions towards the Jedi.

Once more, she brushed back her white-blonde hair from her face, eyes turning now towards the storm rolling in. She knew this was her doing — her own emotions getting the better of her. Thankfully, she had grown aware of it, and once far enough from Cora, she could calm her mind.

"Joy and dreams are for girls…" She paused, never looking back to Cora, "Monsters aren't allowed to dream, I've learned."

Shrugging, she put her hands behind her back.

"They're only allowed to try and survive what they become."

She began to head back towards the village.

"A storm seems to be rolling in. Take care of yourself."

Quinn stopped for a moment, then looked back towards Cora with a soft smile.

"Thank you for the conversation, Cora."

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

All at once, everything in Quinn seemed to harden. Walls rose high, high into the sky until they touched the clouds that suddenly roiled above. The morning sun had barely trudged above the horizon, warm golden rays now drowning under thick cover.

The air between them weighed heavy with bitter disappointment and a familiar sense of pain. Any empathy that began to stir for Quinn's plight was quickly blotted out by the impending sense of danger that prickled up Cora’s spine.

Cora swallowed. She recognized the quiet before the storm, the way it seemed to connect to Quinn like a lightning rod. Avoiding a direct strike might take more finesse than the Jedi had. If even referring to her as Sith was enough to garner such a response, then was this woman truly stable?

Quinn moved away as she spoke, which was something of a relief - and also a concern. The sleepy village below was just beginning to wake.

"I've no intention to attack you," she began. Cora didn't raise the soft lilt of her voice, but it still seemed to carry on the wind. "I'm aware of the accords. I assumed you were still operating under the Sith - if I am mistaken, then you have my apologies."

The Jedi remained rooted to the earth, steady and still. Her gaze followed Quinn not with ire, but something more passive.

"If you go, I will not follow. I'll leave you to your peace."

The metallic fingers of Cora's right hand drummed against her knee. She spoke without vitriol, but the gravity to her voice held a quiet strength tempered by years of servitude to Ukatis.

"But I leave you with this; girls run. Women rise to confront who we are. Everything we do, every choice that we make, has its part in defining us."

She leaned back, the sheen of her eyes catching the last dying rays of sun in a knowing glint.

"The galaxy does not give us a break. It does not thank us, nor does it acknowledge our sacrifices." Cora dipped her head just a few degrees.

"May you be a worthy Queen of Eshan."

Quinn Varanin