Private Isla wonders about the Saber

[Isla Draellix-Kobitana]

Location: Draellix Castle
Tag: Heinrich Faust

Isla paced in her castle. It was a fresh spring morning with the outside temperature just above freezing point, the sky was blue and there was a gentle breeze. That blew through the open window. The fresh air relaxed her on a day when she felt very tense.

It had been nearly 20 minutes since Heinrich's shuttle had disappeared into the starpad valley and she eagerly awaited his arrival. He should be here any moment now. She pulled up a holo mirror and looked at herself. She liked what she saw, she was a young, strong and beautiful woman, but she felt the stresses of her roll were starting to show, was that a grey hair? She yanked it out and looked at it, ansingle perfect golden blonde hair. She smiled again, trying to distract herself.

She took the saber off of her waistband, activating the glowing black blade and examined it. She had so many questions she hoped the master Jedi could answer. Not long now.

 

[Heinrich Faust]

Tags: Isla Draellix-Kobitana

The shuttle touched down at the palace, and Heinrich stepped out into the chill air of Lur. He had received the transmission from the Grand Admiral some time ago, requesting his presence at her castle. The message had been rather vague; something that was atypical for the Grand Admiral. In the time that Heinrich had known Isla, he had known her to be methodical, thorough... something was clearly bugging her. Whatever it was bugged her enough to call him instead of Cardinal Demici; the very man that had been both friend and mentor to her. Others may have raised an eyebrow at such action, but not Heinrich.

He entered the main hall of the grand castle, taking in the majesty of his surroundings as he passed through the doors. Isla had done quite well for herself, carving out her own little corner of the galaxy. The Crusade had come so far since its inception... it was a strange feeling at times, to think that they had all found themselves in such places of power. Perhaps that was weighing on Isla's mind as well.

Heinrich approached one of the servants within the castle, offering a polite bow in greeting.

"Please inform the Grand Admiral that Heinrich Faust is here to see her."

The servant simply nodded in response, and hurried off to see it done.

 

[Isla Draellix-Kobitana]

Location: Draellix Castle
Tag: Heinrich Faust

A few minutes after Fausts arrival and announcement to the castle staff, he would here the clicking of a woman's heels on the flagstone floor. Isla came through the archway leading out of the entry vestibule.

"Heinrich, welcome to my home. It is good to see you? How long has it been?" She had spoken to him several times on matters of state and even been in system with him as recently as the action on Zygerria, but the two Ashlan's had not been in the same room for months.

"Come with me, I have been eager to speak to you, but first I have duties as the host." Isla was eager, but since she moved on to Lur she had found a home that she loved and made her feel comfortable, the traditional decor reminded her of the mountain home her parents would keep, albeit on a larger scale here. The air was crisp and fresh here and it helped her relax, the whole place was worlds apart from her daily life on Ashlan warships.

As they chatted and reacquainted she led him through a hallway into a large study with its walls lined with books, old tomes, many of which were military history texts and tactical manuals. If Faust cared to look, he would see several texts authored by different members of the Draellix family. Isla didn't talk a lot about her family, it was known that her father was an old school naval commander, but in truth her lineage extended back generations.

A few of the military authors, depending on the keeness of his eyes, Heinrich might even spot the odd Darth name amongst the tactical manuals.

Isla flipped a switch and a fire roared into life in the room, bathing it in a warm glow and a welcome warmth after the biting cold.

"Make yourself comfortable, I will have refreshments brought to us, I can show you around a little more later if you would like." As much as though Isla was anxious about the conversation, she wanted to begin sooner and then be able to relax with her guest.

 

[Heinrich Faust]

Tags: Isla Draellix-Kobitana

"Too long," Heinrich said with a smile. It had been months since he had seen the Grand Admiral, and even then, their meetings had always been focused on duty. In the days of the Crusade, it seemed that downtime had become a rare commodity for those among the leadership. Breathing new life into the Tingel Arm was a very tall order, and required hours upon hours of attention to make sure things remained stable. As such, this was the first time that they had a proper conversation in a more casual setting, away from the woes of political office. Nevertheless, it didn't keep Isla from being a proper host.

As they entered the study, Heinrich took a look at the vast collection of books. He recognized enough of the authors to know that they were tactical manuals. Heinrich motioned to the collection as Isla asked him to make himself comfortable.

"Impressive collection. I can't help but to notice how many have your family named attached."

His hand ran along the books, stopping at one in particular. Heinrich didn't recognize the author by name, but the Darth title told him enough about the book's contents.

"Some rather... unconventional texts among them as well."

He turned back toward the Grand Admiral, offering another reassuring smile.

"Don't worry, I won't hold it against you. Though the Sith are a despicable lot, I cannot disregard their military history. To underestimate a foe is to grant them the advantage, after all, and I am not about to give our enemy any ground."

Taking a seat, Heinrich looked to Isla with a curious eye.

"But then again, we didn't come here to discuss military history, did we? Tell me, what's on your mind?"

 

[Isla Draellix-Kobitana]

Location: Draellix Castle
Tag: Heinrich Faust

Isla smiled warmly at her guest, "I like to read, and find paper so much more informative that a screen, I know it is a little old fashioned." One of the servants came and went with some refreshment for them before telling Isla that they would not be disturbed again. "My family have always been military, mostly naval, but some army as well, and they like to write. Is suppose in a few decades it will be my turn, father told me I shouldn't write down my secrets until I am done using them though" and she laughed, "I hope I can add a few good tomes to those walls, we have a few old Admirals in the family line, but I am the first to command quite as significant a force as the Ashlan Grand Fleet."

Isla didn't reply to Heinrichs other comment on the unconventional texts, they both knew what they were and they both knew why they were on her shelf and that was all that was needed, to make a song and dance about it would only make her seem like she had something to hide.

"But then again, we didn't come here to discuss military history, did we? Tell me, what's on your mind?"

"So a girl can't drag an important man a couple of thousand lightyears for a bit of chit chat any more?" She was happy that he was steering the conversation forward as she felt her heels dragging behind her and was nervous about the conversation, or more specifically where it might end.

"I don't suppose you caught the incident on Mirial? Someone decided to spoil my bet by having a gun fight on the track?" It would be hard for him not to know about it, it had gone on the holo the moment it had happened, Isla had been fuming at the situation, even before she realised who was fighting, she had passed it off to Pietro at the time as losing a big bet. She hadn't mentioned more to him because she was a little worried of losing his respect if he found out too much.

"The girl, the one in red and black, she dropped something. My studies of the force tell me that you can sense things about the owner certain items. If this it true I would like to know about the thing she dropped." Isla took a deep breath, "I want to know if this person is Bogan." And she pulled out the hilt of a Light Saber and placed it on the table between them. She did not ignite its black blade but just let the hilt rest on the desk. "I need to know if this person has fallen to the darkside, as obviously an unknown Bogan in out midst could be dangerous." This last last was only a half truth. In reality she really wanted to know whether she was going to be commanded to hunt down and destroy her sister, or whether Ashla still protected her.

 

[Heinrich Faust]

Tags: Isla Draellix-Kobitana

Heinrich offered a smile as he listened to the words of the Grand Admiral.

"I'm sure your experiences would make excellent additions to this collection."

Isla had become quite the military commander, and had proven herself time and again since taking her position within the Crusade. In truth, she was probably one of the few that Heinrich felt comfortable having his back. The leadership of the Crusade had come so far together, cutting their swath through the Tingel Arm. The path had been difficult, and was far from over, but nevertheless, it was the sort of path that build strong bonds between those that dared to tread it together.

He let out a chuckle at the second comment.

"Indeed a girl can."

She was stalling a bit, and Heinrich could sense that she was on edge. Whatever it was, she was hesitant to talk about it. When she mentioned the incident on Mirial, Heinrich grew more curious as to what she was getting at.

"I was nursing a wound when it happened, but I did see the footage. In fact, I have had a run in with her in the past."

Heinrich wasn't sure just how much Isla knew about his deal with the pirates, but he did take care to keep his little arrangement out of the public eye, aside from noting that the ships used by the pirates that took the deal were not to be hunted.

"She was one of the pirates that hit our supply line recently. I convinced her that there were bigger fish to fry than our supply ships."

It wasn't the whole story, but it would do for now. Even if he wanted to discuss the incident further, it would have to wait. Isla produced the lightsaber, and Heinrich looked at it curiously as the Grand Admiral spoke.

"You have heard correctly. If I may..."

He reached out, his hand hovering over the blade. Heinrich knew the answer in his soul, but would still reach out to sense what he could from the blade. As he did, his eyes narrowed, focusing on the energy that trickled from the hilt of the unignited saber. Eventually, he pulled his hand back, his gaze meeting that of Isla.

"In short, yes. She has indeed been touched by the lure of the Bogan."

Heinrich paused for a moment, wondering why the Grand Admiral would be so distraught over the path of a random darksider and pirate. There was something that she wasn't telling him, and he wanted to know what it was.

"The longer answer is, simply, that they aren't beyond saving. That being said, one can not ever be sure when it comes to the path of darkness. She is far from a full-fledged Sith lord, but I would be lying to you if I said that she wasn't walking a dangerous road."

Another pause as Heinrich studied Isla's reaction.

"Tell me, Isla, why the interest in this person?"

His tone wasn't accusatory, but it was clear that he was implying that he knew something was going on. Whether she would clue him in or not was yet to be seen.

 

[Isla Draellix-Kobitana]

Location: Draellix Castle
Tag: Heinrich Faust

Isla was pleased that she had made the decision to find out this information, but the answer saddened her, as much asnshe already had her suspicions. Heinrich was being very calm and measured in his approach and it put Isla at ease in some ways, but there was also something about his manner, he seemed like he might suspect something was amiss.

She was also very curious about his dealings with the pirate, but wouldn't pry just yet.

"Tell me, Isla, why the interest in this person?"

Isla sighed in acceptance that this was bound to happen sooner or later. He was right, she had no business being interested in some minor force user that she had not even had contact with. But what could she do. Did she hide the truth, let it come out later and be treated and accessory, or admit it and have her reputation tainted.

She knew what she had to do.

"OK Heinrich, I need to tell you something." She paused, "This cannot leave this room until I have prepared, and the cardinal must not know yet."

She poured herself a large glass of whiskey and drained it in one go.

"So in going going first frame this by saying, I have not seen the woman since I was sixteen and have had no other interactions with her."

she paused and looked at Heinrich, he sat and listened giving little away. His own words that he had negotiated with her and warned her off of Crusade shipping, as opposed to executing her out of hand warmed her, it gave her the feeling that Heinrich was the right person to come to with this.

"She calls herself Cass Gemini, which I suspect you know, but her real name is Isabella. Isabella, Cassie, Draellix. She is my sister."

She believed this news would come as a shock and she steeled herself for the judgement that would follow, everyone believed that she was an only child.

"She was born a couple of years before me, she is also genetically engineered, like myself, but there were errors in her DNA. I won't go into the details but my parents made her leave when she was eighteen and I sixteen. It broke my heart at the time but my parents knew it was for best. We haven't seen her since."

Tears were beginning to well up in her eyes, between the relief of confession, and the damnation that she may have just brought on her and her family. "I am sorry to burden you with this, once I am prepared I will take my concession to Grayson and Demici and allow them to decide whether they can keep their faith in me."

 

[Heinrich Faust]

Tags: Isla Draellix-Kobitana

Heinrich took his time listening to each word as the Grand Admiral spoke, once again giving little away as he heard of her history with the mysterious pirate. Leaning forward, Heinrich rested his chin on his folded hands, taking a moment to think before deciding to speak.

"I see..."

He had to admit, Cass wasn't the only one in such a position. Heinrich had been finding himself share a certain level of brotherhood with their recent companion Ty, despite the fact that he had been cursed by the very darkness itself. In truth, it had been something that he had battled on and off again for weeks now, as he knew that he was meant to be an example for all of those under his command. Nevertheless, the conflict was there all the same.

"You know, Isla, our good cardinal likes to see the world in black and white. In his eyes, every last trace of the Bogan should be erased, no matter the situation. Though I am devoted to our cause, I find myself seeing things in shades of grey lately..."

Heinrich took a moment to collect his thoughts before continuing.

"Not that I'm losing faith, mind you. Simply, I don't always agree with Demici's views when it comes to such duality. If people are capable of being saved, then we should try to facilitate that."

He finally relaxed his posture a bit, leaning in and pouring himself a glass of whiskey.

"It's a tough place to be in a movement like ours. I can only imagine what it must be like for you."

A hefty drink from the glass followed.

"I made a deal with your sister, without consulting anyone. I let her take the shipment, and offered a deal with her and any that would follow. They would cease operations within Ashlan Space, and we would pay them to handle Sith targets, assuming they would provide proof."

Another hefty drink.

"It seems that it may have backfired. Cedric and Pietro don't know... so I suppose that we both have our secrets."

An audible sigh escaped his lips as he leaned back in his chair. There was a lot that had been hanging over Heinrich's mind in recent months, and it felt good to let some of it out, if only a little.

"I will say this. If you take this to the others, I doubt you would lose their trust. Your loyalty is beyond questioning, and if we held everyone accountable for the sins of those they know, I'm afraid we'd all be in trouble. That being said..."

He downed the remaining whiskey before placing the glass back on the table.

"They may ask you to go after her. If that time comes, I am willing to help you attempt to save her. If she can't be saved, however... I need to know that you'll be willing to do what must be done, because whether or not you are..."

A small pause.

"I will."

The words held no ill will, but were simply the truth.

 

[Isla Draellix-Kobitana]

Location: Draellix Castle
Tag: Heinrich Faust

She was relieved to listen to Heinrich, his lack of condemnation felt good and the fact that he too was willing to walk a greyer line was a huge show of trust in her, he never needed to tell her of the deal with pirates, but he did and it put her at ease. The deal did make some sense, pay the pirates off with something small, she would be interested to know which of her captains was party to a deal that she had no knowledge of, but that was not something worth pursuing.

"I truly hope she can be saved, I was just a teen when she left, and the fact that my parents got rid of her in order to invest in my future filled me with guilt, I was very close to dropping my training and going off after her" she smiled thoughtfully "one snap decision of a 16 year old girl and how much would be different right no for myself and those around me?"

She listened to his last words, a warning perhaps? Friendly advice? Or just stating the facts? "I swear to you, that my loyalty will continue to be to the Crusade, if i am forced to pursue her, then I will to the best of my ability. I will try and save her, I owe her that, but if the only way I can save her from the Bogan is to.." her voice broke slightly because she knew in her heart that she was speaking the truth and it hurt so much. "..end her life, then that is what mist be done."

She took a few moments to compose herself and she appreciated that Heinrich allowed her that, she had not even really processed the fact that one day she may have to kill her own sister, but she meant what she said, she had already sacrificed too much and asked others to do the same in her name, to feel anything else.

She breathed more calmly, now curious about Heinrichs interaction, wondering about Isabella, or Cass?

"So, what was she like? I know so little about her? She was always such a strong and confident sister, even when she was having her first troubles with the law? You don't have to indulge me this, but it is something that really makes me curious." She paused again, allowing a wry smile on her face "how did she compare as a Captain to me?"

 

[Heinrich Faust]

Tags: Isla Draellix-Kobitana

Heinrich chuckled at the mention of Isla's urge to look for her sister. Destiny was indeed a tricky thing, and to think that a single decision could have changed the fate of the Crusade was amusing to think about. Heinrich reflected on his own journey, and how every little decision had lead him to where he was now...

Yes, destiny was a tricky thing.

The conversation got solemn as they spoke of the possibility of ending Cass's life. Heinrich knew that it wasn't an easy thing to discuss, as no one would wish to be put in such a situation. In truth, he felt for the Grand Admiral. Heinrich had spent many days seeing Cedric ponder how to best deal with the Dark Voice of the Maw, and though the Ashlan leader had made it clear that the goal was to eliminate the Sith lord, Heinrich could feel the distant remnant of connection between the two. Even the greatest Sith within the galaxy had been a good man, once. He could only imagine the difficulty of coming to terms with killing your own.

He offered a reassuring smile to Isla as she spoke, attempting his best to reassure her.

"I have faith that you'll do the right thing. You have a strong heart, and an even stronger mind. The path that we walk is a hard one, but as long as we stay true to the course, we will see it through."

Heinrich took a moment to collect his thoughts as she asked him what her sister was like. Pouring himself another glass, Heinrich took a small sip.

"She is... resourceful. Clever as well. As for the confidence, she certainly has it in spades."

His thoughts went to the playful tone the pirate took with him when they discussed terms upon their initial meeting.

"I suppose you could say she is a... free spirit."

Another chuckle released itself from his lips at the question of her abilities as a captain.

"As a captain, I would say she is quite capable. Then again, she didn't exactly have an entire fleet to command. I can't say that she would experience as much success as you have, should your roles be reversed. Commanding a ship is one thing. Commanding a fleet is an entirely different beast. It takes a mindset that I'm not entirely sure she has. Perhaps that's a bi-product of possessing such a cavalier attitude."

He took another small sip, allowing his posture to get slightly more casual to reassure that the tension had been lifted, if only partially.

 

[Isla Draellix-Kobitana]

Location: Draellix Castle
Tag: Heinrich Faust

"Thank you for this, it has been helpful, I suppose the real question is whether I reach out to her. She was my big sister until she was kicked out, and for all the trouble she caused I did love her very much," she pointed at the Saber lying on the table between her. "Do you think she is likely to come looking for that? I mean, do you think I am safe? I plan keeping it securely here on Lur" She intended to keep the saber safe, the blade was just a tool and posed no obvious risk to anyone, sat in her safe.

"It would be an interesting opportunity, maybe I could offer her a place back in my family if she swore off piracy and converted back to Ashla." She had another moment to reminisce. They were both brought up as good Ashlan girls "Can you image the two of us, blonde and brunette at church choir practice, she had a beautiful voice back then." The memory gave Isla a pause, Ashlan choiral music was wonderful and she missed it, Isla had been a mezzo-soprano, maybe it was a project to talk to Demici about. She thought some more about it, it couldn't be that easy, bringing Cass back into the fold, there were crimes to answer for. "I will obviously tread carefully, I will not allow my own reputation or faith to be put on trial."

"Do you plan on staying on Lur for long Heinrich? You are more than welcome too and I can show you around a bit, we could even go hunting on horseback, if that is something you might be interested in?" The local huntsmen were teaching her the best areas to hunt locally, she managed to bag a boar like creature that had been eaten at a big feast the day after, that was tasty.