Private End of an Era

[Felix Aquila]

E N D - AN - E R A​

Tag: Quinn Varanin
Location: Lessu
Equipment:

• - Light-saber
• - Personal Shield
• - Armourweave Clothing

Lessu hadn't ever looked the same since the bombing, many of the larger buildings were rife with scaffolding and droids that were in varying states of repair, many of the droids were constructed poorly, or shut down due to a lack of overall power to the city which was still running on tertiary backup power. Not to mention that during the Assault on Ryloth, much of the leadership had been cornered and killed in the explosions or had fled the planet with their families, few returned. Leaving a vacuum of power which was claimed by sympathizers of the bombers and the political opponents of the status quo. Those who stood against them were subject to the violence perpetrated by their following or by them themselves. The sheer sum of duels being enacted on Ryloth over the last two years had been astronomical, Felix had felt it himself. Thankfully the young rising star in the nobles dueling scene had some fame in his winning reputation.

Sadly, Ryloth's state wasn't a problem Felix was able to throw enough money at to fix, though he had attempted to get in contact with John Locke of Locke and Key, Kamino's Viceroy and even the Sith Empire... yet no matter the strenuous effort it seemed that few had ears for the plights of those on Ryloth. The Sith Empire seemed to collapse as their people scattered to the winds, meaning that precious time and resources poured into earning favor with them all was all but lost and forgotten, though at least Felix's conscience was clear. Felix had spend no small resource in ferrying their refugees across the Mara Corridor to Ryloth and the planets in which he had some semblance of pull over. It was a week he wouldn't get back.

In the following days from those wars, Felix could recall attending interviews asking why he had dedicated so many resources in aiding the Sith, Felix could barely remember his answers to those questions... but with the pool of political answers from which any aspiring leader drew from allowed him to guess the general thematic he had taken. There are innocents among them who need to be defended, unprovoked attacks based on an antiquated ideology, indiscriminate slaughter of civilians, crimes needing to be answers. He was certain all of it was deeply passionate...

But today, the Rylothian man had found himself preparing with a small strike force in Lessu, Ryloths new corrupt leaders needed to be quelled, one way or another. While Felix was not a fan of assassinations and strong-arming someone into stepping down form their platform, some deserved it. The Twi'lek Suu Garra had developed a sycophantic cult of personality surrounding themselves, cultivating the panic of the people to garner control over an ever growing scared population that believed he was the new savior of Ryloth. Meanwhile they spent the donations of their poor and desperate people to elevate themselves into a lavish position for themselves and their closest allies.

It was time to end their reign.

Felix had let out a call among the Knights Obsidian, and some former allies within the Sith Empire that he could trust, calling on old favors in order to help him consolidate his control over this planet. Whether Suu and their security force stood down and fled the planet at the point of a saber, or whether that saber needed to cut out the cancerous heart at the center of Ryloths second capitol. This was Felix's first direct blow against the establishment, and he'd picked one of the biggest targets there was.

Felix found himself in an open courtyard, armour worn under cloth, his talon gauntlet on his left arm with his saber hung openly at his side as he happily ate a pastry at a corner store within Lessu's inner city, his hood down and helmet not currently engaged allowing any in the surrounding area to potentially identify him.

Spoiler: The Call

Calling Allies of Ryloth,

This is Felix Aquila of house Aquila calling for aid. In this report I've detailed receipts and photographic evidence pertaining to Assistant Vicelord Suu Garra in racketeering and engaging in crimes against humanity within the once great city of Lessu in which he currently presides. Suu has resisted any attempt to make contact in order to answer for these crimes, local policing forces lack the firepower, personnel and the prestige in order to engage with his hired mercenary forces.

It is my intent to remove Suu from power by any means. Ryloth, and I would greatly appreciate any assistance you can offer. ​

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[Quinn Varanin]

//: Felix Aquila //:
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Eshan was finally feeling at home. She had Alina, she had her sister, her mother, and her old life back. Every little thing was falling into its proper place. Life up until this point was a chaotic storm, and Quinn never felt her feet under her. Finally, her footing was under her, and her life was moving forward with everything she could ever ask for.

Sitting at her desk, she went through her messages. Despite not being the Queen of Eshan, she still had responsibilities that were passed along. One of those messages was from a promise she had made during a party over champagne. She hadn’t expected the man from Ryloth to cash in on the promise she had made without the guidance of her sister. Reading the message, Quinn leaned back in her chair and rested her hand against her lips. It seemed things weren’t panning out well on Ryloth.

“Curious.” She didn’t realize the words of the Viceroy. Tilting her head, she tried to remember his ranking in the Confederacy. Was he a Viceroy or another high rank within the government? Quinn chewed on her thumb as she tried to remember that evening; it was hard because most of her attention was focused on Alina Tremiru. Leaning forward, the Princess quickly sent a message to the young man and began to gather her things.

---

The trip to Ryloth was uneventful, but she had made it. Quietly she walked up towards where the man was waiting. She hadn’t seen others show up yet, and she wondered if others were coming. It was easy to find the man - she had met him once, and that was enough to be able to pick him out in a crowd. Slowly, she sauntered up towards the man, “Didn’t think you’d cash in on that promise.”

Her arm nudged against his body, the Echani people communicated through physical touch. In her own way, she was letting him know that she was there for him. Looking up towards the buildings of Lessu’s inner city, she wondered how awful it was.

It had to be something utterly terrible if the noble beside her decided to reach out to a former sith.​

 

[Felix Aquila]

​

Tag: Quinn Varanin
Location: Lessu
Equipment:

• - Light-saber
• - Personal Shield
• - Armourweave Clothing

Allies it seemed, were a difficult thing to come by in trying times, there was no-one untouched by the long arm of the corruption that seemed to eat and rot at the heart of the world. Felix sat pondering the move that needed to be made against Senator Garra, whether to simply obfuscate himself, march onto their grounds and remove the head of the snake or to allow a more civil approach. Garra was an opportunist, not a direct member of the duelists of Ryloth, but had a healthy pool of seconds in case a duel were ever formally issues. Felix could probably take a few of them, but he doubted even if he fought two or three of them a day more would be simply purchased and imported to fill their need as the destruction of their reputation would be a slow one at the cost of the people in the mean time.

An hour passed and Felix saw little in the way of others aligning to his cause as a voice pieced through his thoughts like a song-steel blade rending the air apart. He'd turn to feel a hand upon his arm, reflexively he would move his hand to overlap it, holding it there and allowing it to linger for a moment longer, a wordless communication that her touch and the message that it had relayed was not only received, but wanted. It was only then he recalled the face of Quinn Varanin, he hadn't expected her, among all those he had stretched out for to be the person to answer his call. But her presence made him feel warm. Anxious yellow eyes would crumble as pink and green veins would dilute the colour of his eyes as smoke in golden waters until the aqua colour glows would curl vibrantly around one another in an infinite ephemeral rorcshach in dance.

"Quinn!" He'd exclaim in some manner of joyous disbelief. As her comment followed he would let a coy smirk cross his face, warmth flushing his cheeks. "I'm sorry I didn't sooner, I had a whole thing planned but you caught me a little unprepared. Place is a mess, its rather embarrassing really." But as he saw her here he thought to question if any others had come, before remembering that the girl that stood before him he had met at a meeting between the Sith Empire and the CIS. She was a Sith, and if the few Echani he had met before, Lady Talon being one of them... he was better to not underestimate a royal member of the second most famed warrior culture in the galaxy.

"Quinn, I-uh... I'm Just really glad you're here. I was beginning to think I was going to have to get into all of this trouble alone. But at least now I get to drag you down with me... Jokes aside, its good to see you. How are you?" It felt strange to the boy to be able to be sincere, in all his time he was all too wound up in the manipulation of others for power and prestige. he wasn't entirely certain he wasn't still doing it, such things and considerations were second nature for him after all this time. But, something did feel different, he felt like at the very least he wasn't lying or telling half truths for once.

It was liberating.​

As he would await the answer his eyes would move to the chrono on his datapad that lay on the table, realizing how long he had waited here. No-one else was going to be arriving here today. Whatever came next it seemed that they were on their own. A mission that should they succeed, it would mean a freer Ryloth, failure... would mean treason.
​

 

[Quinn Varanin]

//: Felix Aquila //:

​

Quinn listened as she brushed her now blonde hair from her face, delicate fingers tucking the length behind her ears. The place was a mess, and Felix was no better; unprepared was an understatement from what she gathered. He didn’t need to explain himself; Quinn could feel it through the Force. Emotions poured from the Noble, and her heart sympathized with him. History told of her mother’s struggles, and Quinn wondered if she had reached out in Eshan’s time of need.

“It’s alright.” Quinn nodded, moving to help him organize things the best she could. No one else had shown up, which meant Felix and Ryloth were on their own. Once more, she felt her heartbreak for him and his plight. He spoke again, and her amber eyes locked on him, finding it difficult to look away.

Even with everything that was happening and how alone he seemed, manners still prevailed. Quinn offered a warm smile, and she answered. “I’m doing well; things on Eshan are finally showing results. People are happier, my mother’s back, and Noelle is settling into her position as Queen perfectly.” Quinn didn’t resent her sister. Only because the girl was now stuck with the weight of millions of lives on her shoulders. No, Quinn wanted to be free - maybe it was why she had run as far as she could from Eshan when they were young.

Another hand moved to her hair, pushing the strands back again as she adjusted the black headband. “How have you been?” Quinn paused, nearly cringing. She already knew the answer from what she could glean from the man in front of her. A horrible choice in conversation, but she continued.

“What can I do to help?”

Once more, she reached out a hand resting against his upper arm, hoping that the touch would provide some comfort - if anything letting him know he was with a friend.​

 

[Felix Aquila]

​

Tag: Quinn Varanin
Location: Lessu
Equipment:

• - Light-saber
• - Personal Shield
• - Armourweave Clothing

To hear that another world was recovering well, honestly Felix felt the pangs of jealously resound within him for a moment, the green eyed monster began to taint some of the green in his own eyes with a slightly more malevolent tone before it faded away in moments. He wished he could get a hold of this world in the same way as Eshan, but he wasn't royalty. Ryloth had no royalty to speak of, none that mattered in any-case. But the Knight obsidian had no want to rule over a world, too many eyes would mean that he could never do business in the way he would want to. But there were always candidates that could be put in place.

"I'm glad to hear that things are going well, if anything, I'm a little jealous, but, it gives me some hope that we can turn this place around." Her next question made Felix visibly cringe, he would have spat out his drink if he'd had one as he moved to look at her, faux disbelief plastered across his face, but she recovered quickly enough so he thought he'd let it slide, but not without ensuring that she knew that he had the chance to call her out on it, but, instead elected not to. He was nice that way.

Felix could almost feel her unwavering gaze, it was almost a pressure in some ways, unraveling. It made him want to tear off his facades, shred the thousand masks of a thousand faces he wore on a daily basis to make it through meetings, duels, events and being a Knight Obsidian. That gaze stripped him bare in an instant leaving nothing but himself exposed to it, and it was terrifying. Her touch juxtaposed it, kind and caring as his clutch over that hand would tighten just a little more.

"I'm about to do something rather dumb. There's a person named Garra, they're a hand and adviser to the Viceroy here. I want to send a message to the Nobles that are sucking out the blood of this planet that they're not untouchable. They've done nothing but fill their pockets since the attack. And by Garra doing nothing... thousands of people have died hungry or diseased. But they have security, paramilitary guards, bounty hunters even. I could deal them damage sure, maybe even make a fool of them, but probably not before they got away... and then they'd come after me and mine."

His gaze would begin to turn from hers before he forced himself to keep it there, emotion freely pouring from it as he was frustrated, and at the end of a tether he hadn't known himself to really have.

"So, what I guess im asking is..." Felix had half a mind to fall to a knee, it was surely theatrical enough, but he didn't bring himself to quite commit to the role this time around. There was a time and place for everything, and the tone of this conversation would go a little too astray with something quite so outlandish. "Will you commit treason with me?" . . . But he was still Felix. He'd crack a slight smile, gallows humor lurking as he attempted to break the tension with the parallel.

He was going to be committing it one way or another, but he would feel better supported by Quinn, politically, her involvement would lend credit to the action. Sanction even. But personally, it would mean he wasn't doing it alone, putting to rest a small horde of the myriad anxieties which mounted their assault against his senses and the doubts they summoned.
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