Seren Gwyn
White Star
She had been preparing for a routine departure, the familiar hum of the spaceport filling her senses, when it began—the flicker at the edge of her mind. A face she had seen before, though only fleetingly. Veradun. Their eyes had met on Nathema, each silently acknowledging the other's skill and presence. That brief encounter had imprinted itself in her memory, refusing to fade.
Now, across the stars, it returned with uncanny insistence. Alongside the image came a whisper, soft but impossible to ignore: a name she had never visited, yet somehow knew she must reach. Quermia.
The pull was subtle, threading through her thoughts, brushing past her focus like a current she could neither stop nor ignore. Around her, the bustle of the spaceport, the rolling droids, the chatter of travelers, and the clang of cargo continued, yet she barely noticed. Her attention was drawn toward the stars, toward the journey, toward the city that somehow waited for her.
Stepping aboard the ship, Seren settled into the cabin, her eyes lingering on the viewport as the planet receded behind her. She didn't know what awaited her on Quermia, only that she had to follow. The memory of him, the lure of the city, and the whisper of the name pressed against her mind, guiding her steps even before she set foot on the planet itself.
The ship's engines quieted as it touched down on Quermia, and Seren stepped onto the platform, blinking against the soft glow of lanterns and holo-projections that painted the busy streets in shifting colors. The city was alive. Cantinas spilling music and laughter, vendors calling over sizzling street foods, performers juggling lighted orbs along the promenade. The hum of engines and chatter of travelers formed a constant, chaotic rhythm that somehow felt inviting rather than overwhelming.
And yet, amid the noise and movement, her mind kept drifting to the flickering image she couldn't shake. Veradun. She didn't know what to expect, only that her steps were drawn forward as if guided by some invisible hand. Every glance down a side street, every shadow across the crowded plaza, seemed to tug her closer, toward some meeting she could not yet comprehend.
She moved through the throng with careful awareness, eyes catching details of the city. The glow of cantina signs, the laughter spilling into the streets, the flicker of holo-ads advertising games and exotic wares...yet the pull remained, subtle but insistent. Somewhere in this living, breathing city, he was waiting, or perhaps the memory of him, intertwined with the pulse of Quermia itself, was leading her there.
The streets twisted ahead, the aromas, lights, and sounds mingling into a heady current that seemed to beckon her forward. And with every step, Seren felt the tug of the city grow stronger, a promise she could neither resist nor fully understand.
Veradun Sharr
Now, across the stars, it returned with uncanny insistence. Alongside the image came a whisper, soft but impossible to ignore: a name she had never visited, yet somehow knew she must reach. Quermia.
The pull was subtle, threading through her thoughts, brushing past her focus like a current she could neither stop nor ignore. Around her, the bustle of the spaceport, the rolling droids, the chatter of travelers, and the clang of cargo continued, yet she barely noticed. Her attention was drawn toward the stars, toward the journey, toward the city that somehow waited for her.
Stepping aboard the ship, Seren settled into the cabin, her eyes lingering on the viewport as the planet receded behind her. She didn't know what awaited her on Quermia, only that she had to follow. The memory of him, the lure of the city, and the whisper of the name pressed against her mind, guiding her steps even before she set foot on the planet itself.
The ship's engines quieted as it touched down on Quermia, and Seren stepped onto the platform, blinking against the soft glow of lanterns and holo-projections that painted the busy streets in shifting colors. The city was alive. Cantinas spilling music and laughter, vendors calling over sizzling street foods, performers juggling lighted orbs along the promenade. The hum of engines and chatter of travelers formed a constant, chaotic rhythm that somehow felt inviting rather than overwhelming.
And yet, amid the noise and movement, her mind kept drifting to the flickering image she couldn't shake. Veradun. She didn't know what to expect, only that her steps were drawn forward as if guided by some invisible hand. Every glance down a side street, every shadow across the crowded plaza, seemed to tug her closer, toward some meeting she could not yet comprehend.
She moved through the throng with careful awareness, eyes catching details of the city. The glow of cantina signs, the laughter spilling into the streets, the flicker of holo-ads advertising games and exotic wares...yet the pull remained, subtle but insistent. Somewhere in this living, breathing city, he was waiting, or perhaps the memory of him, intertwined with the pulse of Quermia itself, was leading her there.
The streets twisted ahead, the aromas, lights, and sounds mingling into a heady current that seemed to beckon her forward. And with every step, Seren felt the tug of the city grow stronger, a promise she could neither resist nor fully understand.
Veradun Sharr