Populate Humbarine Epilogue | TSC Populate of Giju

[Vesper Thrace]

"Shut up," Vesper said, though there was no heat in it. She looked at Tavi's hands, shrouded in bandages now.

If there was any justice in this world, Mercy and her cronies would pay handsomely for what her crew had suffered during the battle. A full warning would have been a good place to start. A little something called informed consent would have been a bare minimum, instead of getting some godforsaken half-assed briefing while already on the ship.

Void mother's milk in a cup!

"It stands to reason that this is all ours," she said as she surveyed the debris field. "Don't want anyone getting any funny ideas. Bring our bulk haulers in. We can sort it out at the breakers."

She took a step off the command pedestal, turning to Banderos. No, not Banderos, who had lost his ever-loving mind during the Nether rift. What was New Banderos' name again? Marlon? Malvern? No, Martin. "Martin, you have the helm. First Officer and I will be in the ready-room." Vesper glanced at Tavi, then cocked her head toward the door to the Captain's ready room. She led him in, shut the door.

"I want that piece we broke off the Mandalorian flagship," she said without preamble. "I knew they would have some kind of ridiculous fuckoffium plating, but something that powerful... well, we will need something to meet or exceed it. Cowards," she punctuated with a hiss, banging her fist on the table hard enough that the coffee cup she had left there earlier in the day leapt up and landed with a clink. "They will rue the day."

The Captain turned and went to the window, glaring out.

"I'm meeting with the Big Woman later. She will pay for our services. What do you think I should ask? What do you want? We almost died, so I think it's basically pony-and-a-blowjob time."

___________________________________________________________________

Tavi Corvask​

 

[Meya Liefi]

Tag: Varin Mortifer​

Both her men watched the new arrival carefully, waiting for their mistress's reaction.

Meya turned at the sound of the voice. The outfit was different, but the man remained unmistakable. His height, his build, the way he carried himself. Varin appeared to know exactly what he was, and moved through the world with the confidence of someone who had long since accepted it.

But the fact that he knew who she was even outside her armour sat strangely with her. Then again, the moment she had agreed to join the Covenant, the separation between her personal identity and her Sith one had begun to erode. It was something she had known would happen eventually. People talked. Records were kept. Images circulated.

Her fingers rotated the wine glass once, sending the dark liquid into a slow spiral. At least this Sith had earned his title.

He had proven that much during their first meeting and again upon Humbarine's battlefield. That did not mean she trusted him, cared for him, or even particularly liked him. Merely that he was worthy of the title he carried.

A quiet sound escaped her at his observation, somewhere between acknowledgement and dismissal.

"There is little reason for me to be out there." Golden eyes drifted briefly toward the celebration below. Laughter, music, and conversation echoed faintly through the mansion before her attention returned to him. "If there is someone there who wishes to speak with me, it is likely I have no interest in the conversation."

"Yet there appears to be a reason for you to be in here."

The wine shifted within the glass as she turned it once more.

"Boredom?" she asked. "Curiosity?"

 

[Efret Farr]

After he had secured the necklace around her neck, she turned to resume their walk, nestling her arm around his again. The other's hand touched the crystal hanging at her décolletage gingerly. She didn't look over at him, or even smile anew, confident that he could feel the grateful satisfaction radiating from her like the sun hidden by the fury of Sith hanging in Humbarine's atmosphere.

They were at the doors in just a moment more. She took a sighing breath on the threshold. She'd surely see some she knew inside as well as others she didn't. The sociality of Covenant Sith, at least, had surprised her. It still did, quite honestly, although it shouldn't have. A vast majority of beings were meant to exist in association. The beings beyond these great doors were no exceptions; all that perhaps was was that Sith tended to be much less friendly to outsiders.

But if you bore their cloth, then they loved you, albeit in their own way.

And that uniqueness was something to embrace, not to reject.

Yes—she was very ready to both strengthen budding relationship and make new friends. Whatever that exactly meant by Sith standards, she looked forward to discovering.

Ever the anthropologist.

Casimir Thorne
Exit thread​

 

[Anet Raine]

Nilira Vornix
​

Hmph. She noted that Nilira was very focused on her 'research.'

Anet attained a clearer picture as soon as the acolyte rambled on, wondering about the origins of organic emotion.

"What are you on about?" She asked. "You know we have answers to these things, girl. I think perhaps... Your academic curiosity is misguided."

Then, the scholar considered for a moment.

"What question are you trying to answer?"

It didn't particularly bother her that Nilira might have been going through some kind of homicidal meltdown. Such quirks weren't novelties among the Sith - everyone was expected to be a little fucked up one way or another.

Though her eyes glanced back to the bag, and she did wonder just what the hell was the driving factor here. It seemed oddly specific and grimly practiced to be a spontaneous behavior.

 

[Tamsin Starfall]

​

Theme: Let You Down
Location: Humbraine - Governor's Mansion
Equipment: Twin Omens | Combat Knife | Talisman | Multi-Tool | Mind Crown | Jacket (Black)
DIRECT TAGS: Vess Sadragen | OPEN

Tamsin had watched everyone she passed by as she walked through the mansion. She noted several groups of people she knew conversing and some she didn't. She only took a moment to glance at them, not wanting to linger too long or make them think she was ease dropping.

She could see those long stares into the abyss in some of the eyes of the people she passed by like Eurydice . She knew that look, it hung in her own eyes from time to time. Yet this night there was only shame in her eyes. She thought about stopping and telling the woman, she would be fine. Yet she didn't as Astra Sadow engaged Eurydice in conversation.

So Tamsin just moved on as she noted Anet Raine talking to someone Tamsin had only seen but didn't know Neriah Calven ( Nilira Vornix ) or was it something else now? Again Tamsin didn't engage, no doubt Anet was here conducting some business, and she didn't want to interfere. So, she moved on, and up some stares only glancing back down at the room for a moment looking at all those people and their friends.

She moved up the stairs as she spotted Varin Mortifer , in conversation with a Sephi woman Meya Liefi . Tamsin again didn't know the woman he was talking to, maybe his girlfriend he sometimes mentioned? If it was it was a strange combination. For a guy who thought he was chit at talking to women he sure always had a lot of them swarming him like a fan club.

She just shook her head an continued on as she passed by a room where she heard Acier Moonbound talking to someone the voice sounded familiar but she could place Meliant because the one time she had met the imperial doorman she hadn't exactly been in control. She didn't know what the too were talking about and she rather not, she already knew Acier was suspicious of her for speaking Mandalorian. Best avoid him, hell best avoid anyone that had been at the armory after what she did.

She continued on moving through the crowd as she just people watched, something she was good at. Maybe the only thing she was really good at doing. Not really paying attention to where she was going Tamsin rounded a corner and ran into Vess Sadragen on her own wandering journey.

"Oof, Oh excuse me, I…I'm sorry pardon me." Tamsin stammered before she looked up and saw who it was. "Chit, you're Vess…uh….yeah….I thought you and Lily would have skedaddled already? You decided to stay and party huh?"

 

[Kaelyr]

Tags: Open

⚙​

I was never one for large gatherings, let alone parties such as this. It was odd, finding revelry soon after such horrors and carnage had been unleashed upon Humbarine. A smile slithered across my lips as I was amused by the dark duality of this group of Sith. Unlike the imperials, we can find happiness in destruction. It was also alarming in a sense, and something he would endeavor to set himself apart from.

Leaning against the edge of the balcony overlooking the merriment below, I had the perfect view, able to see the comings and goings of other Covenant sith who participated in this endeavor. A calm yet intrigued smirk played on my face, my ember red eyes darting from person to person, drinking in any hand gestures and body language, to the facial expressions of those I could manage to see. It was fun watching the interactions of such purveyers of chaos, a nice change of pace, I could say at least, as I was used to dealing with the lives of those unfortunate enough to get in his way.

I would remain on my perch, watching them, observing how they interacted with one another, and if I found myself bored, I would leave, but until then, people watching would suffice for now.

⚙​

---

"Common Speech"

 

[Seris Velmora]

Tag: Kaelyr | OPEN

The bottle was lighter than it had been twenty minutes ago. Or perhaps thirty. Seris had stopped counting somewhere between her third drink and her fifth. The distinction hardly mattered. The pain in her chest had dulled to a distant ache beneath the alcohol. The stiffness from her confinement aboard the escape pod had loosened. The edge of her irritation had softened into something far more dangerous.

Boredom.

Amber eyes drifted across the gathering for what felt like the hundredth time. Soldiers. Politicians. Sith. Survivors. All celebrating being alive. Seris had discovered long ago that surviving a battle was considerably less interesting than fighting one.

Another drink disappeared.

Then another.

The room had developed the pleasant warmth that accompanied just enough alcohol to make bad ideas seem reasonable. A grin tugged at one corner of her mouth. Now this felt more familiar. The Sith warrior pushed herself away from the table and wandered through the mansion without any particular destination in mind. Loose bandages wrapped around her chest dragged lazily behind her while the stolen Mandalorian hammer knocked against her hip with each step causing her to sway appearing to be dramatically off balance.

Eventually she rounded a corner and nearly walked directly into someone. Seris blinked. Then blinked again. "Oh." Her grin widened. "You're real."

Kaelyr. One of the more recognizable faces from the Humbarine debrief. At least she was fairly certain it was Kaelyr. The alcohol had not completely robbed her eyesight, but she wasn't willing to rule anything out.

"You ever notice," she began with complete seriousness, "that surviving a battle is actually the worst part?"

Without waiting for an answer she took another drink. "Everyone talks about glory and victory and destiny." A dismissive wave followed. "Then suddenly you're expected to stand around and socialize."

Seris leaned slightly closer. "I preferred the part where everyone was trying to kill me." The statement sounded entirely sincere. Because it was.

Her gaze briefly drifted toward the hammer hanging from her belt before returning. A thoughtful hum escaped her. "You know what I need?"

She pointed the neck of the bottle toward Kaelyr. "A bad idea." The grin that followed suggested she was already halfway committed to several.

​

 

[Meliant]

Attn: Acier Moonbound

"It's not like I am above dying," Meliant snapped, impatiently, as if he was talking to someone who was failing to understand him, "I am above dying. Simple as that!"​

​

He suddenly broke off with a half-chuckle, but for a moment it didn't sound mean. It sounded... Exasperated.​

​

"It's incredible how many people join our special cult and still don't get it. I'm a parasite? We're all fucking parasites! We're Sith! We kill people and take their planets. Did you not get the memo? Did Arris not go over this with you at orientation?"​

​

Another bark of laughter - that one was sincere in its cruelty.​

​

He pulled his sword out of the carpet, but only so that he could suddenly walk closer. The frowning half-melted helmet was bearing down on Acier, just begging to see him crack - if only for a moment.​

​

"Oh, that's right. I have what I want. Fair and square, paid for with murder. And what have you got, hm? I bet you work a lot harder than me, but you've got nothing to show for it."​

​

He tilted his head one way, and a mean smile was felt in the short silence.​

​

"I think your real problem... Is that you're bad at being a parasite. And just what are we going to do about that, hm?"​

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Humbraine - Governor's Mansion

Equipment:
Knight Attire | Lightsaber | Shoto | Cybernetic Arm

A faint smirk tugged at the corner of Ace's mouth.

"If it helps you sleep at night." The answer came easily, casual and dismissive.

Meliant's rant about parasites earned no response. Not because Ace disagreed entirely. He'd spent enough time around people like Arris and Mercy to understand that the Covenant was built on taking. Worlds. Power. Opportunities. But there was a difference between using parasitic methods and being one by nature. Meliant didn't seem interested in anything beyond consumption.

Ace's eyes drifted briefly toward the gilded sword as the ruined Sith approached. He watched him advance, watched the way he carried himself despite looking like he should have died several times over already. Meanwhile, Ace simply adjusted the cuff of his sleeve.

Then came the comparison. The assumption that Ace had nothing to show for everything he'd done. That finally earned a raised eyebrow.

"A lot of assumptions you're making there." His tone remained calm, still bored.

Meliant pressed further, talking about Ace being bad at being a parasite, and for a moment Ace just stared at him. Then he lowered his hands when he stopped adjustive his sleeve.

"Being a parasite isn't exactly on my list of things I want to be."

He stepped forward, closing the distance between them, calmly and casually. Just enough to tap Meliant lightly on the shoulder.

"So, thanks for that." The sarcasm was subtle.

Ace moved past him immediately afterward, already done with the conversation. A few steps carried him toward the hallway beyond, speaking over his shoulder as he did.

"You shouldn't try and bait me into a fight." His voice was quiet and matter of fact. "The way you're looking right now. Wouldn't take me long to kill you again."

Meliant ​

 

[Vess Sadragen]

Vess had long since accepted that she was lost. The governor's mansion was far larger than she had realized, but she was reasonably certain she had passed the same statue at least twice; but she couldn't actually prove it. At least she was awake. Vess moved at an unhurried pace, hands tucked into her jacket pockets as she wandered. The celebrations continued somewhere deeper within the building, laughter drifting through distant hallways alongside music and the occasional shouted conversation. Now and then a flash of lightning illuminated the windows overlooking the city beyond, followed shortly after by the steady rumble of thunder. Humbarine was still there, burning and broken in places, but still there.

Her thoughts drifted elsewhere as she walked. To Lily. To the depot. To the overwhelming flood of emotions she'd experienced before blacking out. She remembered very little of the actual collapse itself, just fragments: pressure, fear, then nothing. A faint sensation tugged at the edge of her awareness. Vess frowned and slowed slightly. The feeling wasn't unfamiliar. She was used to a constant stream of background noise most people never noticed; machines were rarely silent, networks less so, and every piece of technology carried its own rhythms, patterns, and signatures that most of the time faded into the background unless she consciously focused on them.

This was different. Intentional. The sensation brushed against her awareness again, a faint pulse hidden among the countless electronics spread throughout the mansion: lights, doors, consoles, environmental systems. Vess stopped walking, her head tilting slightly as she concentrated. The pattern repeated."That has to be Arris, trying to get my attention? Clever.." The observation remained entirely to herself.

She considered following it immediately. Instead she got distracted again, mostly because somebody walked directly into her. The collision wasn't particularly hard, but it was enough to drag her attention away from the signal.

"Oof. "Oh excuse me, I…I'm sorry pardon me. Chit, you're Vess…uh….yeah….I thought you and Lily would have skedaddled already? You decided to stay and party huh?"

Vess took an automatic half-step backward, more from surprise than anything else. She blinked, and recognition arrived a moment later. "Tamsin, sorry I got a little turned around in here. I uh haven't run into Lily yet. I think this is the closest I've been to the party all evening." The response came easily. "In fact, I've been making a fairly dedicated effort to avoid it." A faint smile tugged briefly at the corner of her mouth. "I think passing out on an office couch is the goal of a party rather than waking up in one."

Her attention drifted for a moment as she felt the pulse again, faint, distant, persistent. A trail of electronic whispers threading through the mansion. Vess's expression shifted slightly. Amused and a little impressed. She hadn't spent enough time around Arris to know much about her, but she knew enough. "I think Lily's putting together a search party actually." The observation escaped before she could stop it, her gaze shifting briefly toward the ceiling as though that might somehow help.

Vess let out a quiet breath. The thought of Lily worrying about her produced a small stab of guilt; she'd already managed to collapse dramatically once today, no reason to make a habit of it. Her attention returned to Tamsin. "I should probably go convince people I haven't wandered off into a ventilation shaft." A brief pause followed. "Though apparently that was a concern, which feels mildly insulting. Care to join me?" The smile finally appeared properly small, tired, genuine. Then she nodded toward the corridor and started following the trail Arris had left for her, listening to the subtle electronic chorus threading its way through the mansion as she went.

​

TAG: Lily Rhodes Arris Windrun Tamsin Starfall + Open

 

[Nilira Vornix]

Tag: Anet Raine

"So you'd rather use your ears than your brain. Makes sense. Far easier to be told information than to try and find it out yourself."

Nilira waved her hand somewhat dismissively through the air. Others might be content to read or be told the information themselves, but Nilira needed evidence. Evidence that could be manipulated for extra theories down the road as she continued to type away on her datapad, making a slight comment about how Sith brains might not make for viable test subjects.

"If you can incorporate emotions into something artificial, would that not in theory then make emotions artificial themselves? And then in theory, you could make bottled emotions. Not just drugs, but to make people experience those specific emotions. Imagine the potential uses of it."

There were plenty of credits that could be earned from that specific invention. The key would be trying to remove any side effects that could come from it...or maybe she could make sure there's side effects...If she could make a potential creation incredibly addictive...Hm...Plenty of ideas were once more starting to twirl around her brain.

​

 

[Tamsin Starfall]

​

Theme: Let You Down
Location: Humbraine - Governor's Mansion
Equipment: Twin Omens | Combat Knife | Talisman | Multi-Tool | Mind Crown | Jacket (Black)
DIRECT TAGS: Vess Sadragen | Arris Windrun | Lily Rhodes | OpEN

"Tamsin, sorry I got a little turned around in here. I uh haven't run into Lily yet. I think this is the closest I've been to the party all evening."

Tamsin watched as Vess stepped back, and began speaking. Tamsin's eyes darted around for a moment at the empty corridor they were in. Noting that they weren't exactly in the party area, in fact they were in an area that had already been pretty looted.

"Yeah we aren't exactly in the thick of it here. Last I saw Lily she was passed out on the pavement of the battlefield…." She was never good at easing into conversation, she winced at her own words knowing that wasn't the right thing to say. "I…I mean, I'm pretty sure the others got her to safety…." Crap she now made it sound like she didn't help but it wasn't like that. Well, it was but she wasn't exactly in control at the time so didn't have a choice.

"I'm glad Lily got you out when you passed out." Which reminded Tamsin the Demon had told Lily to get Vess to safety but why? The Demon never did anything out of kindness or caring. "I….."

"In fact, I've been making a fairly dedicated effort to avoid it." A faint smile tugged briefly at the corner of her mouth. "I think passing out on an office couch is the goal of a party rather than waking up in one."

Tamsin let out a sigh of relief as Vess went on cutting her off so she could stop digging herself into a hole.

"Oh I see, yeah I'm pretty use to getting abandoned at parties." There she was going again talking about subjects no one would care about. "Not that you were abandoned." She then let out a little laugh at the point of waking up on a stranger's couch before the party instead of after. "My…" She stopped herself from saying her sister was usually the one ending up on a stranger's couch at the end of a party.

"I think Lily's putting together a search party actually."

"Oh?" She asked out of curiosity as Lily went on. Tamsin noticed her looking up at the ceiling. Tamsin herself looked up, her strange eyes peering at the same lights Vess was looking at. At first, she didn't notice anything other then strange flickering but that could be due to the damage to the city. Then her mind crown implant kicked it, it had picked up a strange pattern in the flickering as well as anomalies in the hum. Someone was trying to communicate through the electrical grid.

"Interesting…" Tamsin said as she stared up at the lights, though the code was coming from other places as well.

"I should probably go convince people I haven't wandered off into a ventilation shaft." A brief pause followed. "Though apparently that was a concern, which feels mildly insulting. Care to join me?"

"Even if you had hid in a ventilation shaft, they would probably just think you were hiding from a naked Varin and no one would blame you." She said more to try to ease the tension of Vess asking if she cared to join her. Tamsin knew the people looking for Vess didn't want to see her. "I don't know, you and Lily seem cool." There she was speaking like she knew what cool even was. "But I am pretty sure Lily wouldn't want to see me, nor would her companions on the look out for you." Tamsin looked at her own bandaged arm in a sling then. "Not after what my de…I did." Tamsin continued to looked down at her arm in shame. "Yeah...it was great to see you well, I should go."

 

[Eurydice]

The Seer gave her a slow blink. Sure, that was all well and good, but someone like Eurydice - at the bottom of the totem pole - didn't have the luxury of following her desires.

It seemed as though most of the Sith here had chosen their path. Eurydice had not. If she failed to integrate herself into the Covenant properly, then Nefaron might throw her into the slave pits, or use her as feed for any number of his twisted creations.

Eurydice contemplated this as she retrieved a second goblet and poured the wine. As often as her hands shook, they were steady enough in the familiarity of this task.

"I was instructed to come to Humbarine," she said softly. "And I don't like war."

The woman introduced herself as Astra, and the girl offered her own name in turn with a faint dip of her head: "Eurydice."

She handed the glass of wine over, then folded her hands neatly in her lap. "What brought you here?"

Astra Sadow

 

[Garza Inari]

The answer settled comfortably within his thoughts.

A shapeshifter.

Immediately, the contradiction resolved itself. The immense being preserved within his memories of Brosi and the small figure now climbing broken masonry no longer existed in opposition to one another. They were both true. The realization was oddly satisfying. The galaxy remained capable of surprising him despite his age, and Garza found that he appreciated such moments more than he once had.

He watched her ascend the rubble with quiet attention, noting the ease with which she moved. The rain appeared to revitalize her rather than inconvenience her, lending an almost vibrant quality to features that would have seemed entirely out of place amidst the devastation surrounding them. The Archive offered numerous comparisons. Forests after rain. Seedlings emerging from scorched ground. Life persisting despite destruction.

Her thoughts regarding Brosi and Humbarine held his attention as well. His gaze slowly drifted back across the wounded city. Perhaps, the word settled heavily. Entire civilizations had survived because something old had died and allowed something new to emerge. Forests consumed by fire often returned stronger than before. Kingdoms collapsed and gave rise to republics. Empires shattered and left behind opportunities that had not previously existed. The Archive contained countless examples supporting her perspective.

Yet it also contained countless examples that did not. Some fires consumed everything. Some civilizations never recovered. Some wounds became graves.

"I do not know,"

He admitted after a time, his voice rumbling softly through the rain.

"The Archive remembers forests that flourished after losing diseased branches and others that simply withered. I have found that history rarely reveals which outcome awaits until long after those living within it have become memories themselves."

Silence returned comfortably between them. Then came her answer. Besides, I have sought company. Yours. The ancient leviathan remained still. For perhaps the first time since her arrival, no immediate thought presented itself. His attention settled completely upon her. The statement itself was simple. Its implications were not. Throughout his existence, Garza had often existed adjacent to civilization rather than within it. He had observed societies. Preserved histories. Witnessed triumphs and extinctions alike. Yet he remained something apart from them. Too large. Too ancient. Too different.

Most who approached him did so because circumstance demanded it. Very few sought him simply because they desired his presence. The realization lingered. Then came her admission. I'm curious about you. Again, he found himself without an immediate response. His eyes followed her gaze as it traveled across him. Most individuals who looked upon his form saw danger. Others saw divinity. Some saw only a monster. Curiosity remained comparatively rare. Then she offered healing. The question settled somewhere even stranger.

Garza considered it.

The battle had left marks. His scales bore fresh damage. Some wounds remained visible despite his considerable resilience. Others had already begun repairing themselves. He was injured. That was not the unusual part. The unusual part was that she had noticed and cared enough to ask. The Archive produced countless examples of such behavior. Parents tending children. Friends caring for one another. Soldiers carrying wounded comrades from battle. Strangers helping strangers simply because suffering had been recognized. He understood the behavior. Yet experiencing it personally remained... uncommon.

Rain slid across ancient scales as he regarded the small figure standing upon broken stone beside him.

"You are curious about me,"

He said slowly, the words carrying more contemplation than question.

"And because of that curiosity, you have offered aid."

Again he paused.

"I understand the sequence of events. I do not fully understand the motivation."

There was no accusation in his voice. Only honesty. His gaze shifted briefly toward the distant lights of celebration before returning to her.

"Most survivors seek comfort amongst those they already know. You left them and came here instead."

Another pause followed, thoughtful and unhurried.

"I find myself... uncertain why that choice included me."

For perhaps the first time since she had arrived, there was something in his expression that almost resembled vulnerability. Not weakness. Not sadness. Simply genuine uncertainty. As ancient as he was, there remained aspects of people that he did not understand. And at that moment, standing amidst rain and ruins, A'Mia had become one of them.

Madrona A’Mia

 

[Anet Raine]

Nilira Vornix
​

Anet nearly rolled her eyes at Nilira. What a teenager.

"That's not artificiality, Nilira." She argued.

The word 'artificial' was egregiously misappropriated. "A lab-made chemical substitute is artificial, but the body's reaction to its ingestion is not."

She believed the same logic applied no matter the source - drugs, alchemy, or sorcery; different methods along the same model.

"Why don't you pick up mentalism, or alchemy? There are plenty of practices that allow you to influence the emotions of others." She said, then murmured. "Or commodify them, if you wish."

Anet saw Nilira as an acolyte walking a dangerous line between potential and madness. Such was the way of the Sith, but the half-pantoran liked the young woman enough to at least offer her advice... even if it was returned with arrogance.

 

[Varin Mortifer]

VARIN MORTIFER

Equipment: Durum Mantle | Black Blade of Chandrila | Eye of The Dragon | Heavy Sith Mace | Cross Guard Broadsaber

Varin walked past her guards, his gaze looking out the windows.

“Call it a pull if you wish.”

Though he was not looking at the guards, he was well aware of their actions. He looked over at a nearby trey that had glasses of wine ready for pick up, and plucked one for himself.

The aroma touching his nose was sweet. He eyed the liquid inside.

“I see you helped yourself to the wine collection here. Is it at least decent? Or is it more for just looks and status?”

His gaze fell back to her before he took a small sip.

He was not a big fan of wine, and surely this one was not helping its own case as he tasted it. It left much to be desired from it.

“Perhaps it was boredom that brought me, perhaps something else. Usually I wander after a battle, collect my thoughts and replay events in my head.”

Meya Liefi​

 

[Nilira Vornix]

Tag: Anet Raine

"An artificial substance is an artificial substance. Through your logic, if you used artificial substances to make a droid react to a human, then you've made them "natural".

She knew Anet was like the rest of them. Too confident in their own pride. Too eager to show off their own opinion or beliefs, whereas in the meanwhile, Nilira was keeping her own thoughts to herself as she tapped away, keeping a majority of her focus on the work she was doing, as opposed to the conversation.

"Who had said that I wanted to affect the mood of others? I already know how to do that."

A dismissive wave went through the air at that. Her entire thing was proving the pointless of emotions. Of feeling. That ultimately the only thing to rely on was an emptiness. Everything else was far too fleeting in her eyes.

​

 

[Lysander von Ascania]

Lily Rhodes​

The dialogue between Arris and Lily drifted toward him in fragments. The granular details of their work together during the battle were drowning under fatigue and the hammer like pulse drumming behind his lids.

He acknowledged the cyborg with a dip of his chin, tracking her departure, twin emeralds narrowing; the rest of him stayed where it was, spent.

"Sure." His laughter was brittle and never found an echo. A hand gestured toward the horizon. "Looking at the state of things, it may be one of the few things left worth doing."

Something in her voice still hooked into him. There was discordance to the timing of it all and only stirred suspicion he couldn't quite name. Her presence in the Covenant felt less and less like coincidence

Fingers raked through his hair, strands clinging stubbornly to his forehead. Not much different from the gloom collecting at the edges of his thoughts. With a slow exhale, he pushed off the rail and retreated across the threshold. "Very well," he continued, turning just enough to meet her, "you've got my undivided attention. What shall we discuss?"

 

[Astra Sadow]

​

Astra laughed pleasantly when Eurydice said she had been instructed to come to Humbarine and did not like war. The young were full of foolish idealism. It was the sort of thing that allowed the Jedi to attract followers. Whether one liked war was irrelevant. One had to be prepared for it.

Graciously, a hand was extended to accept the glass of wine. Astra took the opportunity to roll the glass and let it breathe. "The Future. For prosperous and united Core Worlds to act as the center of our expansion. The Mandalorians were an unwelcome intrusion. They'll set back Humbarine's growth significantly."

There was a pause as Astra lifted the glass to her lips for a sip. "Never let a war hold you back. Never let a war pass you by. Take hold of your own future and don't let others dictate it for you." Which was easier said than done for an Acolyte. Sith Masters rarely wanted agency and self-governance in their subordinates. Not Astra's problem. Eurydice wasn't her Acolyte. She was the Sith Grandmother free to spoil the children. If the children got into a little trouble because they heeded her words a little early on in their life... well that was just part of living.

"What would you do on Humbarine, now, Eurydice? Leave it to decay, or salvage what you can?"

Eurydice​

 

[Lily Rhodes]

Lily flashed Arris a small but grateful smile as she encouraged Lysander to help her before disappearing across the threshold and out of the rain, Lily followed with Lysander a moment later, her eyes drifting across the crowd, looking for Vess but also trying to find the words she needed. Now that she had his undivided attention nerves crept up on her.

"I, umm..." she looked back at him him exhaling a sigh out of her nose.

"I wasn't entirely honest with you, on 'Teta, about who I am and where I'm from."

Her feet shifted, her head inclinging slightly towards the stairs to take them back down so she could look for Vess while they talked.

"I am from Coruscant, but I wasn't born there...at least I don't think I was..." she trailed off frowning. This really was not easy, why couldn't she just tell him, she shook her head. "Not that it matters. My parents, who abandoned me there, were Marr's."

That was better, easier than saying it outright. Hopefully he knew enough about his own family tree to join up the dots. Stars knows, Darth Malum of House Marr tried to ingrain it into her own brain.

Direct Tag: Lysander von Ascania
Others: Vess Sadragen Arris Windrun Tamsin Starfall