Private Memories

[Cassian Abrantes]

Naboo
Abrantes Estate-Barracks
Anora Vahn
​

The steady rhythm of fists striking the punching bag echoed throughout the training room. Cassian Abrantes had been at it for some time, his breathing measured as he delivered one punch after another. Yet, the longer he continued, the more aggressive his strikes became. His thoughts wandered through everything that had happened over the past year, his captivity, his recovery, and the endless assessments that had determined whether he was fit to return to duty. He had passed, barely, but even that victory offered little comfort.

His punches came harder and faster, frustration finding its way into every strike. Memories surfaced that he would have preferred to leave buried, and before he realized it, a particularly powerful blow sent the punching bag crashing from its mounting and onto the floor.

"Ah, hell..."

Cassian stood there for a moment, breathing heavily before releasing a long, tired sigh. He rubbed a hand across his face, then stepped forward to retrieve the fallen bag, lifting it back into place and securing it to the rack. Taking several deep breaths, he rolled his shoulders and raised his fists once more.

And then he started again.

 

[Anora Vahn]

Tags: Cassian Abrantes

---

There were very few people across the ever expansive Galaxy that Anora Vahn cared enough about to drop everything and make time for. The list was small for a reason, time had taught Anora who was worth holding on to and those who were a total waste of time. This lesson had been learned the hard way more than once, but she had finally let it sink in completely. As such, when word had finally reached her that an old friend was in fact alive where she had thought him dead and gone? There had been no hesitation in her decision to travel.

It had been a year of silence. A year she had come to the worst of conclusions, held out hope, and eventually attempted to process and accept. Friends were not something the brunette made easily, so acceptance had come at the price of broken knuckles and bruises. So to get word after all this time that Cassian was in fact alive? The emotions rearing through Nora were at battle with one another for control and remained that way as she arrived at the Abrantes Estate. She was quickly pointed in the right direction of where she needed to go to locate her friend, and when she found him all she could do at first was stand there and huff.

Alive. He was alive. Clearly battered and troubled, but alive.

"I should beat you where you stand!" By no means a proper greeting, but anyone who knew Anora well, knew that it was the closest thing to an upset, relieved, and wholehearted exclaim as it could get.

 

[Cassian Abrantes]

Anora Vahn ​

Another series of punches, taking a small breath with each strike, beads of sweat rolling off his body. He didn't want to stop. He was tired, but he couldn't. This was what got his mind off things. First, it was the whiskey since his return, but he had made a conscious decision to stop that. There was only so much it could do to numb the pain. From there, he had to find a way to push through. Otherwise, what was the point of breaking out, escaping, and returning to his family?

He delivered another series of punches to the bag, and then a voice broke through.

"I should beat you where you stand!"

Cassian recognized her voice, that of an old friend. He gave a small, wry smile as he glanced to his side, looking in her direction.

"You sound so sure..." Cassian stopped for a moment before walking toward the bench nearby, grabbing a towel and patting down his face and upper body. "I believe it was me who knocked you on your ass last time."

He tossed the towel back onto the bench, his smile growing wider.

"You sure you want that again?" he asked in a teasing tone, because he knew very well that she had planted him on his ass several times, too. "It's good to see you, Anora."

 

[Anora Vahn]

Tags: Cassian Abrantes

---

"It isn't funny." Anora's concern bled through before her snark, further proof that she had in fact been worried about him. Normally she would have stalked forward and wailed on him without a second thought, but standing here now and seeing him after a year of not knowing what had happened to him? There was a touch of surreal to the moment that she wasn't exactly comfortable with. There was part of her waiting to wake up from this, it had happened plenty of times where her sister was concerned.

That was a path of thought she didn't wish to travel down any further than she just had. "What the hell happened?" She asked, taking a step or two closer but not much more than that. "I mean, I know what happened," His disappearance had been explained to her, but that wasn't what she was asking. "How did it happen? How did someone get you of all people?"

He was a fighter, just like her. The idea that either of them could be taken down and dragged off was ridiculous and yet it had happened to them both over time. His situation had definitely been more brutal than hers, and that was the part she was having trouble wrapping her head around.

 

[Cassian Abrantes]

Anora Vahn ​

"It isn't funny."

"You're right, my apologies." Yet a small smirk appeared on his face before it vanished completely. He glanced back at the punching bag for a moment before turning to face her completely. He let out a small sigh. The training had been helping, but he was still broken in some ways.

"What the hell happened?" She asked, taking a step or two closer but not much more than that. "I mean, I know what happened," His disappearance had been explained to her, but that wasn't what she was asking. "How did it happen? How did someone get you of all people?"

"I was ambushed..." Cassian said as he walked back over to the bench, reaching for his shirt and slipping it on. "I was on my way home from Intelligence Headquarters when my speeder stalled. It had been tampered with. Then they came out of the shadows. One, two, and before long, there were more than I could count on two hands." Cassian cocked his head to the side, giving her a knowing look. "For as good as I am..." He wasn't trying to sound cocky, but then again, perhaps he was. Because he was very good, and he knew it.

"They had the numbers, and before I knew it, I was out. Next thing I knew, I was thrown into the worst place you could possibly imagine, where I remained for almost a year." Cassian spoke as he grabbed a water bottle, taking a long drink.

"What have you been up too?" He inquired, seriously and truly wondering what she had been up too.