Faction Naboo Cultural Exchange

[Taera 'Calypso']

“Brave?” Cal echoed. “My Lord Abrantes, I merely gave the order for the Guard to retrieve him. I did not go there myself. And good thing too, if the stories are true.”

The reports from the HoloNet news painted far better pictures of what exactly went down planetside than the reports did. There were no Aurodium Guard reports, but what little information was shared with them by the Republic chain of command was shared with her. And it was grisly.

“He and I haven’t spoken since then. I expect the situation was quite harrowing for him.” She took another sip of whiskey, feeling the smoky liquid burn all the way down.

She drifted further from the outstretched hand, silent explosions blooming orange across a Republic starship beyond Lancel, beyond the transport.

“No, Lady Seraphine, my mother in law, demanded that he rest for a few days before the demands of nobility called again.”

The man himself crossed her field of vision, an arm wrapped closely around his delicate betrothed. Her eyes flickered over to him before Cal returned her attention to Lord Abrantes. She didn’t like the look of tension in his face, the way he strode almost hurriedly out of the festivities.

They needed to talk before he blew this up in her face and got her killed.

"I'd like to come see this Aurodium Guard." Cassian spoke, waving off the offer for another shot. "If you would be okay with that? There's not much I can do anymore to help train them, just to see something else would be nice"

“Your opinion would be appreciated,” Cal said. “I have limited military knowledge and my options for trusted expertise are few and far between. And do be brutally honest. I prefer competence over platitudes and the Aurodium Guard has suffered too much corruption in the past.”

The look on Lancel’s face bothered her. Cal took one last drink from her whiskey before setting the glass down on the bartop, a thin layer of whiskey darkening the bottom of the glass.

“I will have to look at my schedule when I return home and you will have an invitation to Epica when it’s convenient for you,” she said. “I do confess, I have some unfinished business elsewhere at this gala. You know how it is. Even parties aren’t exempt from House business. It was good to see you, Lord Abrantes. I’ll be in touch.”

Cal wove her way through the crowd, passing by smiling couples and jovial faces. It wasn’t until the talk and laughter died down to faint echoes that she let herself relax and look…

Concerned.

He had not been at the private VIP docks when she had checked. Cal had not been moving quickly since leaving the bonfire and dancing—she hardly wanted to look like she was chasing someone. For a moment, Cal had thought he had taken his yacht and left but no, it was still docked where it had been when she had arrived. So she wandered the rest of the estate-turned-public-park, the need to talk to him and the worry that he would open his big mouth and blab everything to a Jedi gnawing at her.

It was only when she walked around the outskirts of the Memorial to the Fallen that she finally caught sight of him. He caught her gaze from the other side of the memorial and then walked into the shadows of the nearby orchard. Cal took a deep breath and steeled her nerves. She had never been nervous talking to him before. Tonight should be no different.

“Lancel,” she said, loud enough for him to hear as she stepped into the darkness cast by the thick canopy of fruiting trees. Rays of silver moonlight shot through here and there, and the grass ran like a blue ribbon in the overgrown aisles between the trees.

“We need to talk.”

She sighed, hating the word about to come out of her mouth and how it made her sound.

“Please.”

| Tag: Cassian Abrantes | Lancel Atria |​

 

[Lancel Atria]

Moonlight filtered through the branches, imposing pale bars across Lancel's shoulders before surrendering him once more to the gloom. He did not check his pace when Calypso called his name. Instead, he slipped between the rows of fruit trees, obliging her to follow, and altered his course whenever the path threatened to bring them into too direct an encounter.

"I confess myself caught between two rather conflicting sentiments," he remarked at last, pausing though not turning, "regarding the extraordinary revelation that, at any point during our acquaintance, it was within your power to choke me from across a room with scarcely more than a thought."

He glanced back at her over his shoulder, his expression veiled.

Lancel moved slowly, the fallen leaves crunching beneath his boots, until a sudden shaft of moonlight illuminated his countenance. There had been a time when he looked upon Calypso and allowed himself to wonder what it might be to possess her. Now, he merely wondered what she was. Suspicion had taken quiet possession of all the quarters where desire had formerly resided, though neither impulse had yet succeeded in entirely destroying the other.

At length, he came to a standstill.

He did not draw near. Instead, he maintained a most deliberate distance. His gaze searched hers through the shifting shadows.

"Well," Lancel said, his voice dropping to a quieter, more resolute key. "Proceed. Deliver whatever explanation you deem necessary."

| Outfit: xxx | Tag: Taera 'Calypso' |​

 

[Keppler Danvier]

// Temple of Shiraya
// Evenfall Estate

Without hesitation, Keppler responded with an affirming nod. His ship was indeed present, leading the medical recovery, after the Black Sun attacks on Sepan 8. Despite not having interacted with many of the recovered sick and injured, he was not surprised that someone of Lady Sal-Soren's prominence and well known heroism would be found on board.

"No congratulations necessary, when a sturdy "good luck" will suffice," he said through a slight smile.

At the mention of a fiancé's tardiness, Kepp felt a pang of the familiar wound in his own heart. The divorce was still fresh in his mind, the pain having not had time to properly heal — no matter how much time he spent distracting himself with work.

Arms behind his back, Kepp turned to walk further into the heart of the temple, though still keeping to a respectable distance from the engaged Lady of the Estate.

"I prefer history to parties. And if I must be completely honest...I am unaccustomed to anyone looking at me as the..."

He looked at her with wry discontent.

"...how did that one duchess say it? The hope of the Republic resting squarely upon my shoulders."

Again, a soft smile, hidden in the partially shadowed enrivonment.

"But I suspect I am preaching to the choir with that one."

| Outfit: xxx | Tag: Briana Sal-Soren |​

 

[Kitt Solo]

Adon Sol

“Ey!” She exclaimed. Protest swallowed by the darkness around his lamplight. And then she was in his arms. Her weight settled against the warmth of his chest. Her still functioning arm looped instinctively around the backs of his shoulders.

Kress he was strong.

He’d certainly grown up.

She still pouted. Like a nexu caught with a splinter in its paw. “ID ot unny.” A mild hiss against him. Followed up by an annoyed huff. The other arm not hanging onto him lost feeling and fell limp at her side. She could feel that numb sensation begin to spread in her other foot.

For once, Adon was right.

The force master was not going to announce this. She couldn’t help but look at that spark of mirth and smug satisfaction in his eyes. She hadnt seen him look like this since meeting. The look reminded her more of when they’d been kids together. More carefree. The old Adon.

A silent part of her realized she’d missed him. Missed that.

“Harumph,” a huff in response to him giving her orders. Per usual. She was curious, though. Why has he been down here, too? Then she felt the paralysis spread toward her neck. Head fell slowly onto his shoulder.

Poison Dart Level: 9/10 symptoms: numb tongue. Paralysis spreading.

 

[Aiden Porte]

Alina Grayson Addison Porte Devi Jyn-tal Rathir​

Aiden smiled as pleasantries were exchanged between them, which soon turned into idle small talk. He cast a smirk at his twin every now and again. He couldn't express in words what it meant to have her back. A part of his life, a part of his past, had returned, and he couldn't have been more grateful. Aiden raised a hand toward his chin, rubbing it lightly as conversation flowed between them. It was then that his lips curved into a broader smile as the very familiar aura and presence of Alina graced him.

Aiden looked around, taking a glance at those surrounding him. Then he heard her voice.

"There you are."

The Jedi Knight turned to face her, his smile widening as she approached. She looked incredible. Not that she didn't every day. Perhaps that was just him being biased, but then again, why shouldn't he be? She was perfect. Instinctively, as she neared him, his hand moved to her waist, holding her close as the warmth of her kiss lingered on his cheek.

"You look amazing, my love. I'm glad you made it." The mention of Lira caused a chuckle to escape him as he looked back at her, matching Alina's smile. "Yes, apparently I can be embarrassing at times."

He looked between Addison and Alina, as he cleared his throat, and thus came the formal introductions.

"Love, this is my twin sister, Addison Porte." Aiden said, glancing between the two. "Addison, this is my girlfriend, Alina Grayson."

He was sure he was going to catch some sort of flak for this. He hadn't mentioned Addison to Alina. Not once. Granted, Addison had been missing, and eventually, he had simply believed she was dead. In some ways, in many ways it was just to painful to bring up.

And yet here they were, together once more.

 

[Adon Sol]

When Kitt's head sagged against his shoulder, Adon stopped treating the matter as merely urgent and began treating it as critical.

He said her name once, sharply, to test for a response, then lengthened his stride. The lantern threw a wild, swinging arc of gold across the tunnel walls as he carried her out of the old passages and into the estate grounds, heading straight for one of the park's first-aid stations. There was no panic in him. Years of drills, field exercises, and emergency response training had long ago taught his body what to do before fear could make itself known.

He laid her down only long enough to tear open the medkit and run its scanner over her. Toxin. Obviously. Respiratory failure was likely imminent.

Adon did not waste a second cursing their luck. He found the recommended injector, pressed it hard against the outside of her thigh, and waited through the sharp hiss of delivery. His eyes remained on her face, measuring every small change.

"That buys us time," he said, more to himself than to her while packing the kit shut, before scooping her up again in one clean motion, lantern remaining on the ground, and made for the nearest speeder.

"Have to get you to a clinic, now," he muttered, already moving at a near run.

Kitt Solo

​

 

[Guinevere Cavello]

​

Guinevere lingered at the edge of the party for several moments, her gaze drifting back toward the dance floor. Something about Lancel's behavior still unsettled her. He had seemed so strange, and his insistence that she leave had done little to quiet the uneasy feeling twisting in her stomach.

She had tried to obey him. Truly, she had.

But Guinevere had never been particularly good at walking away when she believed something was wrong.

So she slipped back into the celebration, weaving between laughing couples and clusters of guests as she searched the room. There was no sign of Lancel anywhere. She wandered for several minutes, occasionally rising onto her toes to peer over shoulders, but eventually another familiar face caught her attention.

Elian.

A relieved smile immediately softened her expression when she spotted her friend at the bar. Changing course, Guinevere made her way toward him, some of the tension finally leaving her shoulders.

"Elian," she greeted warmly as she approached, offering him a bright smile. "I am so happy to see you. Are you having a nice time?”

Wearing: X | Tags: Elian Abrantes​

 

[Devi Jyn-tal]

​

Interacting with: Rathir Addison Porte Aiden Porte Alina Grayson
Mikkian

Oh, mooie- mooie... now there were more!

Devi was increasingly aware of more people showing up, and it showed in her tight but sincere attempts to be pleasant.

Well, that would be why she didn't catch Rathir's rather innocent, if curious, question about touching her head tendrils.

"Ah, not right now. They are rather sensitive," she told him honestly. "But they do feel a bit fleshy, so... think of them as slightly writhing, sensitive appendages, but only that it kinda looks like hair. Like Togrutas or Twi'lek with their Lekku... only I think Lekku for Twi'lek are secondary sex organs..."

The random musing thought was rather amusingly, if awkwardly, stated aloud, and yeah, Devi was embarrassed again.

"Pleasure to meet you," she nodded to Addison, Aiden, and then the blonde who joined them after, Alina. The little girl seemed to be enjoying herself, and that is when Devi gave a slight hum.

"Well...Hope everyone is having a good time?"

 

[Sibylla Abrantes]

Honestly, at times, Aurelian could be so utterly stubborn.

That would have been Sibylla's initial thought about his remarks about Adelle and Cora being too busy, but she knew from the catch in his expression, the shake of his head, and the way his tone fell to a quiet objection that there was more to the matter.

So even though Sibylla's brows drew together at his refusal, she responded with quiet encouragement.

"Aurelian, Adelle and Cora may have a great deal on their plates, but either of them would make the time for something like this." that much she knew, her thumb brushing absently across his hand.

"You need someone who understands these things to determine whether there are lingering effects. That was precisely why I went to Cora when I discovered the shard of Vere within me, remember?" There was little room for argument in her expression.

"At least speak with one of them." She asked, hoping he would at least agree with that. Yet as the conversation shifted toward Naboo, Sibylla drew another deep breath, shifting a bit on the couch as she processed his plan.

"Yes, but we should also consider what Thyferra taught us rather than simply expanding what we already possess." They had been working over a year not just on Naboo's defenses, but the REpublic as well, with several bills and motions passed to build up on resources and increase their defenses. This would be focusing anew upon the Kingdom of Naboo from when it was originally the Royal Republic. The delicate arches of her brow furrowed thoughtfully as she continued.

"The battle was not fought solely in orbit. Corde gave me a brief pass down that there had been a system-wide interdiction that either the Sith or the Commonwealth had deployed that had created considerable problems. We need a means of countering it."

That wasn't even considering how relations with the Commonwealth would be now. Hazel eyes went drifting across the suite as the possibilities began assembling themselves.

"Planetary shielding as well, perhaps. That would be another barrier between an invading fleet and protecting the people below. Something capable of buying us time if nothing else."

Yet when the question turned to what Quinn might have revealed, Sibylla went very still.

For several seconds, the young woman said nothing. Her heart-shaped face sharpened in thought, something heavier shadowing her hazel eyes as Thyferra returned in fragments -- especially that chaotic conversation with Quinn.

The certainty with which Quinn had spoken of those she served and led. Her admission that while she regretted what had happened, she would not insult Sibylla by pretending everything done in the name of conquest had been justified.

I know the Sith. I know what they do.

And yet Quinn herself had been the one to give the order that no Republic soldier, Jedi, or associate was to leave Thyferra alive. The same woman who had insinuated that she had done her best to warn Sibylla to travel to Thyferra.

"No," Sibylla finally answered quietly. "Not specifically regarding their future plans... although it seems she had been trying to warn me of it and I missed it entirely."

Admittedly, between trying to survive and everything unfolding around them, much of their conversation remained tangled in the chaos. But there were certain things Sibylla remembered with painful clarity.

"None the less...Quinn made it clear that what happened on Thyferra was an act of war. The Sith intended to take the planet because they needed its bacta. She claimed she had attempted to find a more diplomatic solution, but that other, more destructive factions chose a different approach."

The next second Sibylla's expression darkened recalling what happened next.

"And then the artifact was activated," Sibylla remembered Quinn's horror and the way she had spoken of what had happened as an offense against the natural order of the galaxy itself -- against Jedi, Sith, and everyone who existed somewhere between.

"She believed all of our lives were in danger because of it. That was when she ordered the Sith to find the artifact with extreme prejudice and leave no Republic forces alive." A nerve at her jaw twitched, and Sibylla clenched her jaw. "Ordering for their complete extermination."

For a moment, Sibylla could almost see Quinn standing before her again.

"She looked directly at me when she gave that order -- that she had no other choice... only to say she would call it off if we found a way to deactivate the artifact." That had been the most frustrating thing, Sibylla's lips pressing together. "But when it was deactivated, she refused, that the artifact was too dangerous to let leave the system. She would only offer to help me escape."

I am sorry, Sibylla, but you have to look out for yours, and I have to look out for mine.

A troubled crease settled between Sibylla's brows. This was what remained so difficult about Quinn. Sibylla could not reconcile the woman trying to keep her alive with the Dark Councilor willing to condemn everyone around them to death.

"Ultimately..." Sibylla drew a slow breath. "Perhaps Quinn was right about one thing. We have to look after our own people and our worlds."

Her attention panned back to Aurelian.

"After Thyferra, I am no longer willing to dismiss the possibility that these attacks will continue." What Sibylla did not yet know was how much worse the intelligence might become once reports identified Covenant leadership among the forces at Thyferra. If the conflict continued to spread along those borders, another uncomfortable possibility presented itself -- perhaps Manaan could be next.

The Republic had already turned toward Kolto as bacta supplies dwindled. If the Sith had struck Thyferra for its bacta, what prevented another force from reaching for the galaxy's other critical medical resource?

"Rimos still produces bacta. I had already been working with their leadership to expand production, and Naboo has reserves of its own because of the stockpiles we established beforehand." Her fingers tightened slightly around Aurelian's.

"But we need alternatives. Redundant supply routes, additional medical resources, anything that prevents another single world from becoming a point of failure...because once the galaxy realizes how vulnerable its medical supply has become, there will be unrest."

| Outfit: x x | Tag: Aurelian Veruna |​

 

[Aurelian Veruna]

Aurelian gave a slow, reluctant nod at her insistence regarding his health. Adelle remained the better option, even if he figured she would rather not after his reckless antics with Acier. Facing Cora was an absolute impossibility. Seeing her broken body would force him to swallow the full, suffocating weight of his guilt, and he lacked the strength for it. Letting her heal in peace was a far kinder mercy, or so he convinced himself.

A quiet smile touched his lips as Sibylla instinctively shifted into strategic planning, outlining planetary shields and interdiction counters. Painful as the topic was, seeing her sharp mind actively solving problems brought a wave of comfort. She had not yet left him professionally. His expression quickly hardened into a neutral mask as her gaze returned to his. "Yes, the Commonwealth made their allegiances painfully clear," he recalled, the memory of the chaotic engagement bitter on his tongue. He had foolishly believed attending their leader's wedding might buy Naboo some political leverage, but diplomacies had proven useless against Sith ambition.

Silence fell over him as she recounted Quinn's brutal orders on Thyferra. His heart sank into his stomach, a sudden surge of cold anxiety knotting his chest. His desperate attempt to level the playing field with the artifact had directly triggered that extermination order. Blood rested squarely on his hands. Every life extinguished was the price of his arrogant hubris, an agonizing realization that made his throat tight with shame.

"We have always known what Quinn is," Aurelian said softly, breaking the silence. He was entirely unfazed by the Dark Councilor's ruthlessness, yet one detail stood out above the horrors. "Still, she saved your life. I owe her a debt for that, regardless of when we next cross paths."

Reaching across the cushion, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. The soft scent of her skin grounded him against the rising panic. "I will reach out to the other Great Houses to see what bacta stockpiles we can secure," he murmured against her neck. "I intend to secure those reserves strictly for our own people, not the Republic. Are we of the same mind?"

| Tag: Sibylla Abrantes |​

 

[Taera 'Calypso']

Darkness enveloped them both as they walked through the trees. It didn’t take long for Calypso to figure out Lancel meant to keep a healthy distance between them. As if she couldn’t reach him across that space. It was annoying but a valid reaction, she supposed. His opening remarks did not inspire confidence in this issue resolving.

Perhaps she should consider leaving.

“I know you,” Lady Seraphine said, stirring her tea delicately. She didn’t tap the spoon on the edge of the cup when she was finished—it had always been a pet-peeve of hers, a habit she claimed didn’t belong to nobility. “If the title passes to Lancel or myself, you will not be content to be the shut-in widow.”

Shadows kept his expression hidden from her, even as she kept pace on her little path. At any other time, she’d have scoffed a laugh, relegating that statement to the realm of absurdity. But he knew, now. And even if she still wouldn’t, his perception of her had changed. Which changed everything between them.

Cal should explain. She knew that. Lancel deserved an explanation and she’d always wanted someone to understand everything that she was. Everything she had been and gone through and survived. But that meant vulnerability. Weakness. And she still hadn’t found a way to free herself from the hard lessons that meant survival under the Sith.

“Everything I have done,” she said quietly, “ever since my arrival, has been in service to House Atria and your family. To you.”

“That’s what the people will expect. The other Houses. In-laws without a drop of noble blood get swept under the rug.” Lady Seraphine took a sip of tea. Cal quietly set her cup down on the low table between them. “That or you marry again to another House. Personally, I don’t much care for the idea of losing a valuable asset.”

She could remember another nighttime meeting with Lancel, years ago now. Another unplanned meeting beneath treetops and a simple challenge that turned into something far more complicated. If only he knew how close she’d been to wreaking havoc with the Dark Side that night. Cal closed her eyes and sighed.

“I had no choice.” She looked off into the darkness of the orchard, not seeing the shadow-blackened trunks. “And I was terrified no one would understand.”

| Tag: Lancel Atria |​

 

[Cybelle Sal-Soren]

CYBELLE SAL-SOREN

LOCATION: E'Eeverwest Estate • TAGS: Brandyn Sal-Soren • STATUS: Waiting

Cybelle the Wicked:

The lullaby stopped.

She didn't let it end abruptly, but gently, because any small change could startle her little love. The last note faded from Cybelle's lips while the hidden door slid open and a familiar presence washed over her, finally slipping through the invisible barrier. She didn't turn immediately and instead let her head fall back while the sensation of her husband drew a little smirk to the corner of her darkly painted lips. Mmmm…She'd missed him.

Her hand stayed with the cradle for a moment, one finger caught in the tiny fist of their sleeping babe. There was something almost painfully domestic about the scene. Were she not who she was, where she was, with a daughter he had all but given up on—

It would have been perfectly normal.

"Cybelle...?"

Her eyes closed.

Brandyn.

She knew his voice better than she knew her own.

"...Cybelle...what...what is this?"

A slow breath escaped through her nose, and the dark-haired woman finally turned to look over her shoulder. She was the spitting image of his loving wife, down to the length of her hair and the slight gap in her two front teeth. There was no vicious grin to greet him or any visible indicator that she was not exactly who he thought she was. For one unguarded moment, her expression was so indulgent that he might as well have been looking at the girl he had followed to the Shore. The same one he had kissed in these halls. The same wife who had sung that very song with his hand pressed against her stomach. Waiting, for a kick.

The same woman he had promised the world to.

Topaz eyes moved over her husband with an aching sort of hunger. It wasn't hidden behind a facsimile of the love she couldn't really feel, but open for him to see. It was the way that a predator looked at a lamb, ravenous and starving.

He had left her this way.

"This is the E'Eeverwest Estate."

It wasn't the answer to the question he was really asking, but she was amused by how he seemed to short-circuit. She turned her eyes away from him when Gianna shifted. Pleased that her father had broken his date with her weaker half and instead had come to his real family. The little grip on her finger loosened and let go, so she smoothed the blanket, tucking it beneath her daughter's chin. "Don't wake her…It took me forever to get her settled with all these people on the grounds. The walls are soundproof…. But I think she can feel them."

Through the artifacts, through the darkness.

"She doesn't like strangers."

The statement was so incredibly ordinary…As if Brandyn had just arrived late. Only then did Cybelle fully turn around, with luxurious dark hair spilling over her shoulder. She was wearing a black dress that held to her form so well that Velda Nar-Donna would have approved. It was nothing like what his little woman would choose for herself. But this was what he liked…

Wasn't it?

Dark, dangerous beauty?

She seemed healthier than her other self. Comfortable…At ease in a place that should have sent chills down her spine. There was even something warm in her eyes, but it lived alongside something possessive enough that the line between love and obsession was completely meaningless. He would see himself in her eyes, see himself, and know how singular her thoughts were. Oh…She had missed him.

Every form of Cybelle had missed him, suffering, while he choked the air from them. Killing them with distance and the need to be the hero long before her little love was born. Did he like to watch them suffer in these last few months? Wither away?

Her gaze traveled over the face of Brandyn Sal-Soren before settling on his eyes. Cybelle's searching gaze was invasive, intimate, with every piece of knowledge his wife held. Because regardless of what else came of this night…She was his wife. His only.

Past, present, and future.

"I wondered if it would be you to find the door…"

A small smile finally touched her lips, but there was no humor in it as her arms came to cross over her chest. "You were always clever. Like father, like son…"

She had no way of knowing that was exactly what brought him down to the hidden repository, but she knew his penchant for guilt well enough. It would always lead him here. Back to the past where their story had begun, but more importantly, back to the memory of the man who had committed the first sin against his wife. The first time Cybelle had learned…

She was not enough for Brandyn Sal-Soren.

He would leave her and forget her, because they came from two separate worlds. Because love and marriage took work and sacrifice, because it was easier not to look at her, at her other half, than it was to love her. It stoked rage she had never known…To know the man she despised was right. Even if his reasons were wrong.

"She likes it here."

There was no explanation…No reason. She tilted her head toward the cradle, apparently oblivious of the magnitude of what Brandyn was seeing—Or perhaps just unconcerned by it. He wouldn't get through her as long as there was still air in her lungs, not, while he still clung to the Light like a wayward barnacle. She stepped away from the cradle, but only far enough to place herself naturally between her husband and her daughter. It wasn't necessarily a threat…

Perhaps, she didn't even realize she'd done it.

But…That was the trouble with being his wife, partner, best friend, a doppelganger of a woman who knew only goodness and light. This Cybelle had no conscience. No soul. Everything that made the Hapan woman shine and sparkle was replaced with two compulsive imperatives. Protect her daughter. Love her husband—Even against his will.

"…Searching for Gianna was exhausting you so much…Aren't you thrilled you get to stop?", she murmured, though there was a bit of bite to that. He had given up on them.

On their family.

Still…Her expression remained rather soft. She wanted to cross the room and touch him. Curl her fingers in his clothes and pull him against her until the distance that had grown between them ceased to exist. But…She didn't. For the moment, restraint won. "No more running away from your grieving wife…No more leaving when she's too selfless to beg you to stay...", she offered, incapable of keeping bitterness out of her tone. "No more hating her. No more hating that hope that you used to love so much…"

Her head tilted, and she raised a finger to her lips as if something else had just occurred to her. It was possible that Thyferra had made him a coward, after all.

"Unless…You'd like to keep running. Turn around and close the door...Leave."

— There are pieces of me that know things I do not. —​

 

[Sibylla Abrantes]

Sibylla already knew Aurelian's opinion of Quinn was colored by his own biases and experiences, and time had made them worse in some ways but better in others. However, Sibylla couldn't deny now what she herself had seen with Ace, the Imperial Elite on Corellia, the Sith on Thyferra... or Quinn. She could no longer deny the fear that came with remembering how utterly helpless she had felt against power she could scarcely comprehend.

As if conjured by the mere thought, her mind drifted back to the dark golden ether curling around Quinn from the corpses, pouring into her until the Sith seemed stronger and more powerful. Even the terrible wound carved through her abdomen had begun to mend before Sibylla's eyes in a way no bacta could accomplish so quickly.

Was that the Dark Side? Or simply the Force?

There was no way she would ever forget that, and she had already been suffering from nightmares of the experience.

But the sensation of Aurelian's arms wrapping around her drew her from those thoughts, and Sibylla went willingly, her arms wrapping around him as she folded into his embrace and breathed in his familiar scent. Her forehead brushed gently against his temple while his breath warmed the curve of her neck. For several precious seconds, Sibylla simply let herself be there with him, relaxing against the strength of his embrace.

"Yes," she finally murmured, holding him a little tighter. "We are."

Tomorrow they could contend with bacta reserves, planetary defenses, the Senate, the Jedi, and whatever consequences waited beyond those doors. And they could also discuss how to assist Dominque with the Republic beyond that.

The galaxy certainly would not wait for them, but for tonight, Sibylla needed this.

Perhaps they both did.

~ Exit Post ~

| Outfit: x x | Tag: Aurelian Veruna |​

 

[Addison Porte]

YOUR_STORY

Aiden Porte | Devi Jyn-tal | Rathir | Alina Grayson
​

Addison raised a dark brow ever so as a beautiful blonde slid up besides her brother and became affectionate with him. Could this be the no name lady friend having sleep overs with daddy Lira had talked about gleefully when she babysat her while Aiden was away at Thyferra? Now the missing pieces of the puzzle were starting to come together.

He looked between Addison and Alina, as he cleared his throat, and thus came the formal introductions."Love, this is my twin sister, Addison Porte." Aiden said, glancing between the two. "Addison, this is my girlfriend, Alina Grayson."

"It's very nice to meet you, Alina," Addy smiled warmly. "Lira thinks the world of you so welcome to the family," she added with a sincere nod as her brandy gaze went from the woman over to her sibling.

Aiden was moving on with his life and Addy couldn't be happier for him.

"Well...Hope everyone is having a good time?"

The brunette then turned her attention back to the Mikkian. The evening hadn't quite gone as well as she wished for, but dwelling on what could have been wasn't taking a positive step forward. Time would only tell if her relationship with Kelly T. Perris would ever materialize again. There was always hope.

"I'm just glad to be back on Naboo, getting to spend time with loved ones, and meeting new acquaintances. I'd say that is a win-win in my book."

 

[Briana Sal-Soren]

The confirmation that his ship had been at Sepan Eight briefly snagged Briana’s interest. "I thought I recognized the name.” She gave a small, thoughtful nod. “I remember your ships arriving, we were very grateful for every bit of help we could get that day.”

"No congratulations necessary, when a sturdy "good luck" will suffice," he said through a slight smile.

A faint breath of amusement left Briana, and another small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth, this one seeming to linger a fraction longer than the others had.

"Good luck, then."

The gala's noise faded to a distant, hollow pulse as Briana fell into step beside the Captain. Moving deeper into the temple, she resisted the urge to glance back toward the entrance, still listening for footsteps that might follow.

She was quietly grateful for the respectful distance he maintained. It was a small thing, perhaps, but one she noticed. Another man might have taken her solitude, or the uncertainty surrounding her fiancé's absence, as an invitation to press closer. Keppler seemed content to let the space remain hers, without requiring her to find some gracious way of asking for it. Tonight, when even the ordinary demands of conversation took more effort than they should, she appreciated that. No medal or title could have vouched for his character quite so clearly as that unasked-for restraint.

His comment about the duchess drew a quiet breath from her that might have become a laugh under different circumstances.

“It sounds a bit familiar,” she admitted with a small, coy smirk. "It's a lot of responsibility to take on, but you get used to it, the more they say it to you. I think... I know they mean well. They need to give people heroes,” Briana said, softly shrugging her slender shoulders. “Especially now, when there's so much uncertainty and people are frightened." Her expression softened, gathering a little of her skirt to keep it clear of some uneven stone she was careful to step over. "They hope by saying that, you’ll put your best foot forward and inspire others to follow. Someone who might see what you’re doing and starts to think there could be a place for them, that maybe they might make a difference, too.” There was no reproach in her voice. She knew how uncomfortable it could be to hear someone speak with such confidence about what they expected you to accomplish.

“But I understand wanting an evening where no one expects quite so much of you,” she added, before clearing her throat, realizing that she might have over explained herself. “But, history I can help with.”

Briana glanced toward him, a trace of warmth returning to her expression.

“Was there anything in particular you wanted to know about the temple?”

| Outfit: XoXo | Tag: Keppler Danvier​