Serva Vella
Character
Location: A bustling, chaotic city sector on a random Mando World
"Stop now!" The command echoed through the narrow alley, crisp and commanding as it reverberated off the graffiti-splattered walls. It cut through the air like a vibroblade, amplified by the vocal modulator of a Mando helmet. Serva didn't dare glance back. The stolen food bag, a haphazard collection of squished fruits and packaged snacks, bounced against her hip as she sprinted, her bare feet striking the cold pavement with a rhythmic slap, splashing through puddles and disturbing bits of debris littered about.
Behind her, the thunderous clamor of four armored boots pursued her relentlessly, their heavy footsteps creating an ominous drumbeat. Reaching the next intersection, she whispered, "Motus casus…"
Suddenly, fiery ichor, delicate like smoke yet searing hot, curled around her legs, igniting her skin and igniting a sense of exhilaration. She reached the center of the crossroads, pivoting sharply on the balls of her feet. With a fierce grip on the bulging bag, she spun and propelled herself forward, defying the laws of physics. As her right foot struck the ground, she scraped, pushed, and then flung herself into a new direction. The Mandos heard her voice drift behind like a ghostly tease: "Sit'omni."
Her gaze remained fixed on the path ahead; the sight of them didn't freeze her blood the way her father's rules did. He held suffocating control over her life, treating her existence like a precious secret that could unravel the very fabric of the galaxy. Only her "cousins" brought a flicker of joy to her monotonous world, yet even their presence couldn't satisfy the insatiable hunger she felt for wild adventures. Boredom, she knew, could be far more menacing than hunger. That was why she pilfered food she had no real need for; it was simply to feel the rush of life coursing through her veins.
Emerging from the alley, Serva burst onto the main boulevard, where the cacophony of traffic roared like a wild beast, a wall of sound that drowned out her own ragged breaths and, unfortunately, the rising whine of a jetpack approaching from behind. She sensed the shift in the air more than she heard it.
Panic surged through her as she threw herself forward, repeating a breathless chant: "Mae mah'pyua luta…" Ichor flared up her legs, growing denser, more vibrant. The world became a blur of color and motion.
The Mando's gauntlet snapped shut around empty space. Where Serva had been mere moments before, a streak of fiery mist now sliced through the hectic traffic lanes, weaving effortlessly between speeding vehicles like a wisp of liquid flame. In that fleeting moment, she appeared as a flickering blend of girl and vapor, darting through narrow gaps without a trace. The only remnant of her presence, a dropped bag of stolen food, tumbled to the ground, landing at the feet of the bewildered Mando, who cursed in disbelief. Serva had already vanished, swallowed by her own trail of crimson haze.
After a dizzying moment, the ichor collided with something substantial, a solid wall that brought her journey to an abrupt halt. Serva slammed against it, the spell dissolving like a popped nerve, sending her tumbling backward. She collapsed onto the ground with a muffled grunt, her heart racing, and lay there for a heartbeat, staring up at the hazy, blurred sky as she tried to regain her bearings. Then, with a sudden surge of adrenaline, she jolted upright. "…Did anyone see that?"
Her eyes flitted nervously around her. A few pedestrians paused, blinked in apparent confusion, then continued on their way, seemingly unfazed. Good enough. Serva sprang to her feet, brushing off her tattered hoodie and adjusting her baggy pants back into place. With all the nonchalance of someone who had just defied the laws of reality, she slipped into the ceaseless flow of the walkway, a satisfied grin spreading across her face as she melted back into the crowd.
Serva didn't stay in the crowd for long. She dipped into a cantina as quickly as she could to hide a little better until she had a better idea... or she could find more trouble there. She didn't care if it was getting her rearend handed to her or finding something that led to something even bigger and more trouble. She was floating down the river of life. It would decide how bumpy the ride was going to be.
"Stop now!" The command echoed through the narrow alley, crisp and commanding as it reverberated off the graffiti-splattered walls. It cut through the air like a vibroblade, amplified by the vocal modulator of a Mando helmet. Serva didn't dare glance back. The stolen food bag, a haphazard collection of squished fruits and packaged snacks, bounced against her hip as she sprinted, her bare feet striking the cold pavement with a rhythmic slap, splashing through puddles and disturbing bits of debris littered about.
Behind her, the thunderous clamor of four armored boots pursued her relentlessly, their heavy footsteps creating an ominous drumbeat. Reaching the next intersection, she whispered, "Motus casus…"
Suddenly, fiery ichor, delicate like smoke yet searing hot, curled around her legs, igniting her skin and igniting a sense of exhilaration. She reached the center of the crossroads, pivoting sharply on the balls of her feet. With a fierce grip on the bulging bag, she spun and propelled herself forward, defying the laws of physics. As her right foot struck the ground, she scraped, pushed, and then flung herself into a new direction. The Mandos heard her voice drift behind like a ghostly tease: "Sit'omni."
Her gaze remained fixed on the path ahead; the sight of them didn't freeze her blood the way her father's rules did. He held suffocating control over her life, treating her existence like a precious secret that could unravel the very fabric of the galaxy. Only her "cousins" brought a flicker of joy to her monotonous world, yet even their presence couldn't satisfy the insatiable hunger she felt for wild adventures. Boredom, she knew, could be far more menacing than hunger. That was why she pilfered food she had no real need for; it was simply to feel the rush of life coursing through her veins.
Emerging from the alley, Serva burst onto the main boulevard, where the cacophony of traffic roared like a wild beast, a wall of sound that drowned out her own ragged breaths and, unfortunately, the rising whine of a jetpack approaching from behind. She sensed the shift in the air more than she heard it.
Panic surged through her as she threw herself forward, repeating a breathless chant: "Mae mah'pyua luta…" Ichor flared up her legs, growing denser, more vibrant. The world became a blur of color and motion.
The Mando's gauntlet snapped shut around empty space. Where Serva had been mere moments before, a streak of fiery mist now sliced through the hectic traffic lanes, weaving effortlessly between speeding vehicles like a wisp of liquid flame. In that fleeting moment, she appeared as a flickering blend of girl and vapor, darting through narrow gaps without a trace. The only remnant of her presence, a dropped bag of stolen food, tumbled to the ground, landing at the feet of the bewildered Mando, who cursed in disbelief. Serva had already vanished, swallowed by her own trail of crimson haze.
After a dizzying moment, the ichor collided with something substantial, a solid wall that brought her journey to an abrupt halt. Serva slammed against it, the spell dissolving like a popped nerve, sending her tumbling backward. She collapsed onto the ground with a muffled grunt, her heart racing, and lay there for a heartbeat, staring up at the hazy, blurred sky as she tried to regain her bearings. Then, with a sudden surge of adrenaline, she jolted upright. "…Did anyone see that?"
Her eyes flitted nervously around her. A few pedestrians paused, blinked in apparent confusion, then continued on their way, seemingly unfazed. Good enough. Serva sprang to her feet, brushing off her tattered hoodie and adjusting her baggy pants back into place. With all the nonchalance of someone who had just defied the laws of reality, she slipped into the ceaseless flow of the walkway, a satisfied grin spreading across her face as she melted back into the crowd.
Serva didn't stay in the crowd for long. She dipped into a cantina as quickly as she could to hide a little better until she had a better idea... or she could find more trouble there. She didn't care if it was getting her rearend handed to her or finding something that led to something even bigger and more trouble. She was floating down the river of life. It would decide how bumpy the ride was going to be.
