Private In Her Name

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Ord Cantrell - Flickerfox

Equipment:
Field Gear | Lightsaber | Tic

The Flickerfox rested easy on its landing struts, a hum of power running through her frame as the refueling hoses locked into place.. The Rebel Council had sent them to work a short assignment in the Mid Rim. A quiet piece of sabotage, a shadowy errand to keep the Empire's gaze elsewhere. It wasn't anything glorious, just work that needed doing.​

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Verse had slipped off into the port on Ord Canrell to barter for whatever they needed next. Food. Tools. Maybe something sharper if she found the right stall, and she would. He knew her well enough.​

​

Ace stayed with the ship this time. The cockpit was quiet except for the faint buzz of the consoles and the idle clicking of gauges registering the slow refill. He leaned back in the pilot's chair, arms folded, the low light tracing across the scar at his cheek. Tic perched on the console nearby, one photoreceptor flickering faintly as he fussed with a loose screw he'd scavenged from somewhere. The little droid chirped, soft and distracted, before finally stilling. His eyes slipped shut before he realized it.​

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Tic gave a questioning beep, tilting his head too far to the side until he clicked back upright. But the rebel didn't stir, the dream had already taken hold.​

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It took shape in shards. The sky bled red. He saw Orryn's face, his mother's face, it shifted in and out of focus, her eyes were wide with a pain he could feel inside his own chest. Her lips moved, whispering words he couldn't catch, as if a veil hung between them. Every time he reached for her, the image tore away like smoke.​

The Force pressed down heavy, a suffocating weight. Beneath it, he felt the unmistakable pull of gravity, dragging him across stars, across time. The pull had a name. Dathomir.​

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The scent of ash filled his lungs. Feminine voices rose in chorus, overlapping each other until meaning collapsed into noise. Somewhere within it came a sharp cry, his mother's again.​

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He snapped awake, breath cutting short in his throat. The cockpit lights were steady, Tic's photoreceptor blinking faintly as the little droid tilted its head. This same dream had plagued him for weeks, always the same fragments, always the same pull. And always ending with his mother's face, caught in pain he couldn't reach.​

​

Enough was enough... he had to go to Dathomir. Ace needed to find the source of these dreams, and if they were real or in his head. Dathomir was only a few short jumps from Ord Canrell's corridor... close enough that he couldn't ignore it any longer.​

​

Ines Pen-Ar-Lan​

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[Ines Pen-Ar-Lan]

Trust Fall
Acier Moonbound ​

Agent Pen-Ar-Lan was capable of moving quietly, unnervingly so. Verse Melnau, however, did not. Perhaps she was capable of it - but it didn't seem to be something she did instinctively. Instead, she moved up onto the ship's ramp with a cheerful beat to her step. It almost made the heavy backpack she wore look light. The simple press of a button caused the machinery to start moaning. A stream of pressurised air shooshed out of the side-vents as the ramp was brought up to lock into its flight-ready position.

It wouldn't be long before she reached the cockpit where the little droid awaited her. Just like always, her perceptive gaze scanned the room with a subtle flick. A smile quickly formed on her lips as she waved at Tic before approaching Ace. With a bit of a strained grimace, Verse took the backpack off and strapped it to one of the passenger seats before chirping a bright "I'm back! Picked something up for ya!" She dug up a plastic bag from the pack before sliding into the co-pilot's seat.

Before handing it over, she stopped herself as her eyes sought his with a concerned gaze. "Ace, you look like you've seen a ghost." Her hand hastily put the plastic bag aside whilst she leaned in a little closer to him, tilting her head as if seeing him from a different angle would change anything.

She wouldn't give him much of a chance to answer before continuing with a friendly smirk. "Huh, you look like someone who really needs to blow an Imperial storage facility up. If it'll cheer you up, I'll let you pull the trigger" Kind blue eyes looked to him encouragingly but eventually, her eyes narrowed "That's not it, is it?" Verse shifted in her seat, crossing her legs and leaning her side against the backrest as if preparing for a proper chat. "Wanna talk about it?"

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Ord Cantrell - Flickerfox

Equipment:
Field Gear | Lightsaber | Tic

Ace's expression was completely blank, soulless. Tic chirped once and stepped a fraction toward Verse, photoreceptor bright and expectant, as if the little droid could fetch whatever human words were missing. Ace let his mouth form a noise that wasn't quite a laugh and not quite a sound at all.

The rebel straightened up, flexed his hands once on his knees as if to ground himself. The scar at his cheek tightened when his lip twitched, Verse would get the short answer first:

"I'm fine." Was his first instinct, but he didn't say it aloud, a lie was worse than saying nothing. Instead he scrubbed both palms flat along the console and looked out past the landing lights to the dusty shape of Ord Canrell's port.

"Been having the same dream." he said, finally. "For weeks. Always her. Always Dathomir. She's… hurt. Can't get to her." The words felt bitter leaving his lips.

Tic gave a nervous trill and ran a little circuit over the console, leaving a faint trail of static light. Ace reached out and absently ruffled the droid's casing.

"I can't get it out of my head, and it doesn't leave me alone. I woke up and I--" He stopped.

He didn't want to tell her everything, not yet. Not where fear and concern raged through his nervous system

Ace folded his hands together and looked at her with something closer to honesty. "Dathomir's only hours away from here. I can't keep ignoring this. I gotta find out what's going on." His jaw clenched and fingers curled up, so tight his knuckles whitened and hands tremored.

"If you want to come..." He added, and even then it sounded like an offer more than a request. "Fine. If you don't, no judgment. But I'm not waiting around anymore."

Ines Pen-Ar-Lan ​

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[Ines Pen-Ar-Lan]

Trust Fall
Acier Moonbound ​

An attentive gaze rested on him as he tried to explain what was going on. The mentioned of Dathomir caused curious brows to raise with a slow and subtle motion. Still, she wouldn't interrupt him and simply stayed silent to let him say what he had on his mind. In the meantime, her fingers gently moved across the co-pilot's dashboard.

A nod was offered as soon as he aired the idea of having her join him. A soft smile formed across her lips as he opened the door for her to pull out. Verse simply shook her head and shot an indicative glance at her screen where the coordinates to Dathomir had already been located by the ship's navcomputer.

"Of course I'm with you." Her tone made it sound like an obvious fact. Her brows fell but her gaze lingered on him faithfully "You shouldn't doubt it." The girl then proceeded to complete the take-off procedures on her end and allowed Ace to concentrate on bringing them into hyperspace.

Eventually, the dominating sound would no longer be a bustling city or a busy space port. It would be the consistent hum of the hyperdrive, propelling them through space. Her eyes lingered on the blue hazed tunnel before she turned her head to look at him. "There aren't that many people who know the star charts well enough to tell that Dathomir is a few hours away from Cantrell. This dream must've been on your mind for some time. Is this a Force thing? I've heard that Jedi can have some funky dream stuff going on."

Ever curious, the question about the Force seemed to leave her mind as soon as it had entered. Analytical eyes scanned his features for a brief moment before she seemed to think of something. Verse crossed her legs on the seat to make herself comfortable before throwing another question at him. "Who's this woman you're dreaming about? Surely it can't be the noble girl from Naboo? Maybe it's someone you've lost contact with, like Pisti or Mira?"

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Ord Cantrell - Flickerfox

Equipment:
Field Gear | Lightsaber | Tic

Ace's eyes flicked to her when she said it, steady and unflinching. There was no hesitation in her voice, no conditions. Something in his chest eased at that, though he didn't show it beyond the smallest shift of his jaw.

"Okay." He said bluntly, his own way of saying thanks.

Meanwhile, Tic gave a soft warble of approval before settling back on the console. He turned his attention to the controls, flicking switches in sequence. The Flickerfox's engines rumbled deeper as the ship pulled itself free of Ord Canrell's landing struts and toward the atmosphere.

The navcomputer's coordinates glowed faintly on the dash - already queued for Dathomir. He gritted his teeth behind his pressed lips, fingers curling once around the hyperdrive lever before pushing it forward.

As the stars stretched into lines, Verse spoke up again. Asking if his dreams were a 'Force thing'. Ace really wasn't in the headspace to explain to her the nitty gritty. He simply stared ahead, dark gaze burning through the viewport.

She continued talking - her usual curious and prying tendencies had reared its head. She listed off suspects ranging from Sibylla to Pisti, even Mira. Ace didn't move at first. He sat there in the pilot's chair, expression rigid.

"It's my mother."

His words came out quietly, but carrying his familiar roughness. Ace didn't elaborate, just let the confession hang as he slid out of the pilot's chair and exited the cockpit. Leaving her and Tic alone. The BD unit gave a soft, uncertain chirp as the door hissed shut.

---

Hours bled away as the Flickerfox drifted through the blue tunnel. Tic kept himself busy on the console, chirping quietly as he fussed with a loose wire, but Ace didn't return to the cockpit. The navcomputer's tone broke the silence, and the ship jolted as the stars snapped back. Dathomir loomed ahead.

Ace returned without ceremony, sliding back into the pilot's chair, wordless. His hands found the yoke and guided the freighter forward. The Flickerfox broke through the atmosphere, skimming low over a sea of dark forest and jagged stone. A clearing opened ahead, marked by weathered boundary stones half-swallowed by roots, and at its center stood a squat hut of wood and stone - Vinorl Kastan's old refuge.

He guided the freighter down onto the crimson earth. The engines faded into silence, leaving only the hum of the ship's systems and the red world of Dathomir pressing close beyond the viewport.

"This is..." He started, unsure of how to word it "This is the home of someone who was close with my mother. Hope that maybe he has some answers."

Ines Pen-Ar-Lan ​

 

[Ines Pen-Ar-Lan]

Trust Fall
Acier Moonbound ​

Dear Diary

Let me start this off with this: His mother.

The moment Ace said told me that his mother was the woman he dreamed of on Dathomir, I knew that he trusted me. It's not that big of a surprise, we've been on a few missions together and we've gotten out of a few sticky situations. I like the guy well enough myself - but this was a significant step. And to be frank, I'm happy for him. Hopefully, he'll have the chance to reunite with his mother. Being picked up by the Empire was the best thing that's ever happened to me - but the idea of meeting actual relatives feels so special. I shouldn't get too hung up on the idea though - Imperial camaraderie and kinship is stronger than blood. Regardless, I'm glad I packed a few extra koltopacks into the medkit - if his mother is truly in danger, we might need it.

I'm having a hard time telling whether it's me or Verse who wanted to follow him out of the cockpit. Conventional wisdom says that its best to leave him alone - and that's what I'm doing, right? But there's just this feeling gnawing at me, telling me that he'd need a friend to keep him company right now. Staying here should be fine in the grand scheme of things. In fact, it might even be good for the mission.

I've been reading up on Dathomir and its Clans, primarily the Nightsister population. Information's more scarce than one might expect - but then, they're a mysterious bunch. Blending in is completely out of the question. My pack is filled with stuff for attacking an Imperial facility on Ord Cantrell - not this. Still, I've got some insights into the local flora and fauna as well as a few of their customs and what they look like. Should take me a bit of the way. 'an if nothing else: I've got Ace to keep me safe.

It's probably time to get going. We're about to exit hyperspace and I wanna make sure to kit myself out properly before we go. Aside from the blaster, I'll see if I can hide a couple of knives on my person. I'll bring the jump boots and a couple of breathers, cuz who knows what might happen, right? Might as well bring the backpack - nothing I can't afford to loose in there.

!!!! Whoa
So we just left hyperspace and are closing in on Dathomir. This planet feels w e i r d I'm not a fan. This is the sort of voluntary op I'd abandon in a heartbeat if it wasn't so important to Ace. I'm starting to understand why so little information is leaving this planet.

Anyways, I'll head off. Next entry will probably be after this mission is over. Here's to hoping for a happy reunion. Ciao!

Verse had remained in the cockpit throughout the journey, When the door he had closed swooshed open, she had just completed the process of shutting her datapad down. Once he slid back into the pilot's seat, she turned to look at him with friendly eyes and a soft smile "Between the three of us, if there's anything to find in there, we'll find it. Focus on the Force where you can. Tic and I will cover the rest, won't we?" she offered a glance to the little droid.

It wouldn't be long before she stood up and briefly placed a hand on his shoulder. "We'll do this right, don't worry." Her hand slid off of his shoulder as fast as it was placed there. With a small sense of rush to her steps, Verse quickly towed her backpack to the bathroom - where she hadn't been since before she went out shopping all those hours ago.

When she came out, the girl quickly took the backpack on and joined her friend. "Sorry 'bout that. Really had to go. Let's do this!" Her ever present cheerful beat was still present in her voice as she spoke with a bright expression. "Oh, right, I did some reading on our way here, be warned, it's got some nasty predators and a whole bunch of them seem to be really good at climbing." She paused for a moment as if she just thought of something. Soon, she let out a low 'huh' before speaking up with a puzzled look "How did you know that the person here was close to your mother? Knowing that might be good for the search."

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Dathomir

Equipment:
Field Gear | Lightsaber | Tic

Ace didn't move when her hand landed on his shoulder, but the muscle there tightened. Tic gave a chirp at her cheer, photoreceptor tilting like he wasn't entirely convinced about the "we'll do this right" part. Ace reached out, brushing the droid's casing. When she left to go to the bathroom, he exhaled through his nose, long and steady, and kept his eyes on the hut through the viewport before making his way to the loading ramp.​

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Verse exited the bathroom as he passed, seeming enthusiastic about the whole ordeal. He remained quiet, merely nodding as a form of quiet acknowledgement. When she mentioned the deadly fauna on the surface, Ace huffed through his nose.​

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"I've been here before."​

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Ace descended the ramp as it lowered, answering her follow-up question. About how he knew Vinorl and his mother were connected. His head turned, gaze looking past his shoulder and settling on Verse.​

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"Met him." He answered "Name's Vinorl Kastan. Jedi... or he used to be." ​

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When the sole of his boot touched the earth, his hand absently brushed over the hilt of his lightsaber. Talking about Kastan was a reminder that the weapon he used now, didn't always belong to him. Belonging to another, created by another. Really, the lightsaber wasn't truly Acier's.​

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"That's how I know. He's the beast lead we've got." He continued.​

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Ace took a few steps toward the hut, Tic trailing a little behind. Then, he cupped his hands over his mouth and hollered. ​

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"Vinorl! It's me!"​

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A few moments of silence passed, before a figure stepped out from the shadow of the hut. Weathered robes, the faint stoop of age, but the voice was steady when it came.​

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“Vayun?” Kastan’s eyes lingered on him, searching his face as though he expected it to vanish at any second. For a heartbeat there was only relief, the kind that softened even the weathered corners of the old Jedi’s mouth. Then he looked toward Verse, nodding in her direction. Then his brow creased, sorrow filling the gap where joy had been. “I thought… your mother told me you were dead.” His voice was low, roughened by the weight of it. “She came here some time after we last spoke, burning with grief. She believed... her clan had taken you. She believed she saw your death.”

Ace blinked once, then flicked his gaze toward Verse for a moment - then Vinorl again. Even Tic seemed puzzled, tilting his head before his photoreceptor rotated in Verse's direction, emitting a confused beep at her.​

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"W-what?" He asked, voice trembling.​

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“I tried to turn her from that path. I begged her to let the vision go, to let you rest. But she was resolved. Vengeance was all she had left.” His eyes lifted toward the forest, where mist coiled low and dark. Then, fell back to the trio stood before him. "But if you stand here now, then..." The elder's breath hitched "I fear your mother's clan have orchestrated something terrible.."

Ines Pen-Ar-Lan

 

[Ines Pen-Ar-Lan]

Trust Fall
Acier Moonbound ​

"I've been here before." he said, causing her lips to form a narrow line. Her eyes revealed a hint of annoyance before her lips parted - but ultimately, she decided against saying anything. The silence seemed to pay off as Ace then continued talking, mentioning how the person who lived there might be a Jedi. Her posture immediately, as if by instinct, relaxed and her hands swung a littler further from her waist where the blaster hung. Verse let out a long idle whistle "Why would a Jedi wanna live here?" It was more of a comment than an actual question - she did, at any rate, not seem to expect Ace to know the answer.

When the Jedi, Vinorl, showed himself to be uninterested in introducing himself in more than a gesture, Verse didn't seem to mind. She softly raised a hand over her shoulder with a wave and let out a light "Hi!" whilst smiling sweetly. She lingered half a step behind Ace - this was not a conversation for her to lead.

Her bright expression soured when Vinrol told them about what had happened. As soon as Ace's voice trembled she brought her hand up and rested it gently on his shoulder. Throughout the conversation, her eyes had lingered on Vinorl's expression, studying him closely. She'd only let her gaze drift when the elder looked away toward the forest. The girl let her hand slip back away from Ace's shoulder as she took a few small steps to study the narrow path by the edge of the woods and the wide forested valley it lead into.

With her back facing the duo, Agent Pen-Ar-Lan's eyes darted around the area ahead of her, analysing what she saw whilst processing what was happening at a rapid rate, making use of the hours of study she'd spent while travelling. Everything was being evaluated - potential threats, where the path might lead and where it might split as well as where the mountains might hide cave entrances.

Eventually she turned around "That's horrible. That's the most twisted lie I've ever heard of. Come on, let's go clear things up - letting her know the truth should free her from quite a bit of suffering." A reluctant smile formed on her lips as she brought one hand to Ace's elbow whilst her other pointed along the southern mountain in the valley. Her eyes studied Vinorl carefully, to see if he'd look to where she pointed knowing that it was the right direction, or if his eyes would steer in another direction.

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Dathomir

Equipment:
Field Gear | Lightsaber | Tic

Ace's jaw clenched and his fists balled, eyes lowering to his boots then swiftly cutting back to Vinorl.​

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"Which way." He demanded, words coming out in a growl.​

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The old Jedi's shoulders sank, the lines of his face heavier than before. His gaze flicked to the southern ridge, noting that Verse was already pointing in the right direction. "South, into the Weavewood. Your mother's clan mark their borders with scarlet-braided bone and ash. You'll see the totems on the trees. They want you to follow them, Vayun. You must see that it is a snare--"

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"I don't care." Ace's voice cut sharp across him, rough enough to draw Tic's photoreceptor in a nervous blink. "She's in there. If I have to tear through every last one of them, I'll get her out."​

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He moved, shoulders squared and steps sharp, each one driving him past the boundary stones with a fierce, unrelenting pace. The mist rose to meet him, but he didn't falter, every line of him carved in anger and determination, like nothing short of the whole forest could stand in his way.​

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"Vayun..." Vinorl's voice carried after him, but it wasn't a command. It was heavy, almost pleading Then his eyes shifted to Verse, pinning her with the quiet gravity of someone who already knew the shape of things to come. "You are his friend? Stay with him. Watch him." His voice carried low "The path ahead is woven to break him, not just his mother... and I sense much anger in him. And fear. I… cannot go. My vow binds me." Vinorl's words were quiet, final, carrying a lament within them. The Barash Vow prevented him from interfering with all conflicts. "But you can still stand at his side when he needs it most." The old Jedi's gaze lingered a moment longer, as if trying to imprint the warning into her soul. Then his gaze returned to the mist, to where Acier had gone into.

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---

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When Verse finally caught up, Ace was already treading deeper into the Weavewood. The trees rose taller here, their black bark pressing together. Tic shifted on Ace's shoulder, letting out a nervous chirp, photoreceptor flicking at each tree like he didn't trust any of them.​

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The forest didn't give up its secrets quickly. The path wound on, vanishing into fog and shadow, with the valley stretching for miles before the mountains tightened their grasp. It meant they had ground to cover, plenty of time for silence, or for words to break it.​

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Ace kept his gaze locked ahead, pace unrelenting. Born on this hellish soil, of course he was. Dathomir suited the shape of him, dark and jagged at the edges. The thought sat like iron in his gut until his mind grasped for light, for the ripple of Naboo's lake and the curve of a skiff cutting across it, the way Sibylla's eyes caught the sun off the waves. He held to it for a breath, but it wasn't enough, the fire inside him still smoldered, refusing to cool.​

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"You don't have to be here for this." He finally spoke. If things got ugly, he didn't want her in the crossfire.​

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Ines Pen-Ar-Lan​

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[Ines Pen-Ar-Lan]

Trust Fall
Acier Moonbound ​

Agent Pen-Ar-Lan kept her surprise in check upon hearing the elderly man call Ace 'Vayun'. The nickname he had given her during their first mission together and which she had used when using his actual name had seemed too risky. Instead, her eyes just rested on him as he stormed off with a concerned gaze. While she initially turned to follow, Vinorl started speaking to her.

Surprised brows were finally allowed to rise as she offered an instinctive nod. Verse was indeed his friend - and staying with him and watching him was very much what she had planned. Concern lingered in her expression as the Jedi continued to present his dire warning - but he said just a little too much. Concern turned into disappointment as soon as he mentioned how his vows kept him from helping. The surprised brows fell to form long unamused lines over her eyes.

First, she threw a glance to Ace, making sure she still had time to chat before her friend got too far away. Then, she stepped in close to the man, tilting her head up to look him in the eyes defiantly. "Coruscant's burning, Jedi are dying to keep everyone else safe, and then there's you." She shook her head disapprovingly - the galaxy could be so injust at times. "The Knight who stood between my evac shuttle and the Imperials, he was what, 20? 30? Why did he have to die while you're here lounging away on some dark rock, huh? And what good are you doing? You watched his mom get consumed by vengeance and now you're doing the same thing to him." Her gaze was intense, her body language passionate and her voice - while fiery - carried a small hint of sorrow. The memories of Coruscant seemed to be recent, still.

She crossed her arms under her chest and allowed her gaze to drift towards Ace. "I don't know if you've realised this but: You're valuing yourself and your vows far higher than the lives of so many innocent people. And now you're sending me to do something that should be done by a Jedi" Perhaps there was recentment in her tone - but by the end, the clear and obvious feeling she displayed was fear. Fear and anxiety.

Another glance was thrown Ace's way. Her time was running short. "Please come with us." Her response to fear seemed to be pleading for his aid. Her hand reached for his wrist to tug him in the direction that Ace was moving in. "I don't wanna loose him and I can't keep him safe on my own. Vinorl, he needs you. You gotta step up - even if it's hard."

***​

Catching up wouldn't take too long when she was sprinting the same way that Ace had walked. As she came near, disciplined and evenly paced steps turned softer and more timid while her breath became more laboured. Still, Verse managed to muster a smile as she caught up with him. For the next part of the journey, she'd mostly stay quiet and linger close by his side. When they had been moving in Hutt Palaces and inside the intensive cityskape of Denon, she had carried herself with confidence and poise. This was different. While she had told him to tone it down on Denon, Ace's ever alert and always combat ready presence seemed to draw her near in the somber woods of Dathomir.

Eventually, Ace spoke and she quickly countered with a friendly "Whatever" Her eyes shot up to him as if his offer was completely redudant. There was no way she'd walk away from him now. She was loyal and faithful - but also honest. Just like on Denon, Verse took a few quick steps and spun to face him. This time, she placed her palm on his chest while lowering the pace at which she reversed.

"You need to slow down." Her hand pushed against him with a little more emphasis. "If she's been with them for a few weeks or months, the minutes we use to do things right won't make a difference to her suffering. But it might increase our chances of saving her." She used her free hand to snap her fingers upon mentioning his name "Ace. You need to tell me what you know about her clan. Anything that can help if they turn out to be hostile. This is too important for us to shut down and go solo, OK? You need to let me in." While her tone was sharp and her words carried far more authority than normally, her kind eyes bore into his with compassion and - subdued - curiosity like they so often had in the past.

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Dathomir

Equipment:
Field Gear | Lightsaber | Tic

Vinorl didn't flinch at her words, though his weathered face bore the weight of each one. He let her tug at his wrist but didn't move, his arm heavy as stone. "My vow is not for myself." He said at last, quiet but firm. "It is penance. Too many were lost because I thought I understood the path better than I did." His gaze flicked past her to where Ace had disappeared into the mist, the faintest fracture running through his voice. "And now it may claim him." He drew his arm back, not harshly, but with finality. "Go. Be the strength I cannot. If he still has a chance, it lies with those who walk beside him."

---

She was so stubborn. Why were they all so stubborn. Why couldn't the people close to him just, for once, look out for themselves. He had given her an out and she still refused to leave.

Ace didn't say anything, his jaw simply tensed and his pace quickened. His dark gaze was laser focused forward until Verse overtook him, spinning to halt his progression. His eyes lowered to her palm on his chest, before meeting her blue eyes.

"You need to slow down." She said, drawing a rough scoff from the ashen haired teen. "Move." He commanded, voice low.

But she remained steadfast in her position, using logic to remind him she had already been held for weeks. That a little more time to just strategize wasn't going to have adverse effects. Begrudgingly, Ace averted his gaze to the side and sighed in frustration. Tic turned to face Ace, tilting his head before whirring in concern.

Verse wanted to know more about his mother's clan. He didn't know much. Only from what he'd read in Orryn's journal. After a few moments of silence, he exhaled deeply.

"I don't know much." He admitted, finally settling his gaze on her again "They wanted to kill me the second I was born. 'Cause I wasn't who they wanted me to be."

He didn't go into detail, about how he was the failed product of a thousand years of selective breeding, how he was meant to be born female, to unify the clans and wage war on the galaxy. Or, how his mother had sacrificed everything to keep him safe from it all. The full story was a lot, too much to explain now.

"My best guess is they've used my mother to bring me here. To finish the job."

Ace bowed his head slightly, shadows casting over his freckles and scar. As if the darkness within him had come to surface. What he said next was devoid of any warmth, coated in a ruthlessness borne of his father, his lineage and who he was prophesied to be.

"It's their mistake. I'm meant to be more powerful than any of them."

The air between the trees seemed to shift with him, a faint pressure in the Force, restless and coiled.

Ines Pen-Ar-Lan

 

[Ines Pen-Ar-Lan]

Trust Fall
Acier Moonbound ​

Her hand slid back to her side when Ace stopped to listen. Verse took half a step back and listened as he revealed what little knowledge he had. It would seem like they would both be flying blind to some degree. While still seemingly kind and attentive like always, her eyes were distant - it was as if her mind was torn between three different lines of thought while still trying to give him the attention he deserved. Eventually, she let out a small "I'm sorry to hear that"

The comment had barely left her when he finished his thought. He was meant to be more powerful than any of them, he said. Something sharp and perceptive could be gleaned in her eyes as she tilted her head to the side. Her analysis of his words was temporarily interrupted as a concerned glance shot out to the rumble that spread through the forest, mirroring his temperament to a T.

When their surroundings seemed to fall back into its calm and eerie lull, her gaze returned to him, eyes curious, but also skeptical. "Careful there, Moonbound. You're starting to scare me." Her gaze lingered on him for just a few more moments before she turned and waved for him to come along as she returned to the path Vinrol had given them.

"Alright, so from what I've heard so far, I'd guess that it's a Nightsister clan we're dealing with. And this Clan isn't just hostile to you, they are actively trying to set a trap for you. We're springing the trap, because they've got your mother, and we're gonna rescue her. Judging by what Vinrol said, I'd assume that they triggered your dreams through her somehow? I read they have some force-like magick - and gosh, you force users can do some scary stuff." By now, the scattered information she had been given by Ace, Vinrol and her own research, had been compiled into something she could present and work with. Still, her eyes kept glancing to him as she talked, looking for any signs for whether he thought she was right or wrong.

"If we're springing the trap, we wanna know as much as possible. Whaddaya say, think Tic can scout on ahead? He's small, fast and nimble. Does the clan know that ships are likely to land at Vinrol's hut? If so, we should take an alternate path." She paused for a moment, carefully considering the next move. With a slight bit of reluctance, she tipped her head to the side and continued "Or, alternate paths rather. I don't know how wise this is, but if we wanna maximise the chances of rescuing your mother, we should probably split up. I'll head up the mountain and plant some explosives, see if I can draw their attention. Hopefully, it'll give you the chance to sneak in, rescue her and sneak out. If all goes well, we'll reconvene at Vinorl's."

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Dathomir

Equipment:
Field Gear | Lightsaber | Tic

"You're starting to scare me."

He didn't say anything, Ace just averted her gaze and tensed his jaw. Before following her along the path. Verse spoke up again, and he listened without interrupting as she stitched their scraps of intel into something that looked like a plan. When she finished, he let out a long, slow breath and looked at her straight on.

"Good. Smart." His voice was low, the words clipped. "Tic can scout, yeah." Then he spoke directly to the droid "Short range, stay on visual and recall if anything weird shows up. But don't go into that camp. You scout the perimeter, not the compound." Ace's tone was laced with an undercurrent of concern for the BD-unit.

Tic, however, warbled confidently. Tilting his head at Ace, as if to tell him it's going to be okay. For a moment, the ghost of a smile broke his scowl and his reached over his shoulder to scratch the droid's head casing. With Ace's confirmation, Tic hopped off of Ace's shoulder and scurried off ahead.

Ace's expression hardened again, and he glanced back to Verse.

"I don't know if they even care about Vinorl's hut. Might not matter. But I'm not going to assume. So we take two paths, like you said. You up high, me through the tree-line."

His head dipped, shadows cutting across his features again "Two comm bursts means you've drawn them. Three means go. Nothing else." Ace looked at her properly, dark eyes sharper "Soon as those charges go off, you get out of there. If you see anything - visions, illusions. Don't engage. Get out. Understand?"

He let the silence sit between them before adding the last words, flat and final:

"If you're set on this, then we move. No turning back once we split."

Ace gestured for her to follow, until Tic would return with information. They moved through the Weavewood in silence, each step crunching over the soil while distant cries echoed through the fog. The air grew heavier the deeper they went.

Eventually, Tic reappeared, scurrying back out of the mist with a sharp trill. He bounded up Ace's leg and perched on his shoulder, photoreceptor flashing as his little projector whirred to life.

A flickering, blue-tinged holomap shimmered into the air. It showed the perimeter ahead: totems in a ring, forming the boundary of the Nightsisters' domain. Narrow paths wound inward, converging toward a cluster of huts and a larger central hall. Faint heat-signatures glowed where others must have circled the outer edge.

On the ridge above the compound, the projection marked a line of higher ground, steep but accessible, that overlooked the central hall and most of the perimeter. From there, the whole layout sat exposed, a vantage point for anyone willing to climb.

His gaze lingered on the blue flicker of the central hall, the fire in his chest burning hotter. "She'll be there."

He didn't know for sure, but had a strong feeling.

Ines Pen-Ar-Lan ​