K I N G
SOMEWHERE OUT THERE
Aether gave a short nod as Adelle confirmed her intent to join. “Good,” he said, his tone even. “His last confirmed sighting was on Ryloth, at a fortress built into the cliffs near the old spice routes. It has been quiet for some time now, but that is where the trail went cold.”
His attention shifted to Evangel next. Her declaration drew a faint curve at the corner of his mouth. “The stronger they are, the more dangerous you become,” he repeated, his voice carrying quiet approval. “Good. You will need that edge.”
He took a slow drink before setting the glass back on the table. The pause that followed was deliberate, giving the weight of her question space to breathe. “As for why,” he began, his gaze steady beneath the dim bar light, “I am not blind. I can feel it: both of you carry strength that goes far beyond the average soldier.” His fingers tapped once against the table, a rhythm of thought. “And because I do not know you, neither does he. That makes you unpredictable. A wild card. It may be what finally corners him after all these years.”
Another sip. Aether leaned back slightly, the faint blue hue of the hologram still painting the edges of his armor. “Since you’ll be risking life and limb for this, you deserve to know who we are truly hunting.” His tone softened, though it never lost its gravity. “The man we are after is my father. The one who trained the Sith Empress herself, conquered a quarter of the Galaxy with his Confederacy, and built the first Mandalorian Empire of the modern age.”
He let the words hang for a moment before adding, “Bring him in, and the payout will be enough to buy you both waterside estates on Naboo. Shining ones, with room enough to forget this life for a while.”
The faintest hint of a smile ghosted across his lips. “Until the next hunt calls.”
His attention shifted to Evangel next. Her declaration drew a faint curve at the corner of his mouth. “The stronger they are, the more dangerous you become,” he repeated, his voice carrying quiet approval. “Good. You will need that edge.”
He took a slow drink before setting the glass back on the table. The pause that followed was deliberate, giving the weight of her question space to breathe. “As for why,” he began, his gaze steady beneath the dim bar light, “I am not blind. I can feel it: both of you carry strength that goes far beyond the average soldier.” His fingers tapped once against the table, a rhythm of thought. “And because I do not know you, neither does he. That makes you unpredictable. A wild card. It may be what finally corners him after all these years.”
Another sip. Aether leaned back slightly, the faint blue hue of the hologram still painting the edges of his armor. “Since you’ll be risking life and limb for this, you deserve to know who we are truly hunting.” His tone softened, though it never lost its gravity. “The man we are after is my father. The one who trained the Sith Empress herself, conquered a quarter of the Galaxy with his Confederacy, and built the first Mandalorian Empire of the modern age.”
He let the words hang for a moment before adding, “Bring him in, and the payout will be enough to buy you both waterside estates on Naboo. Shining ones, with room enough to forget this life for a while.”
The faintest hint of a smile ghosted across his lips. “Until the next hunt calls.”
