Private Peregrine

[Cerys Dyn]

//Destination: Dorriella

The hum of the ship was constant. It's pulse was steady, in stark contrast to her own. The hum pressed in through the bulkheads, through the thin fabric she had laid beneath her knees. The vibration of the ship settled behind her eyes. Cerys exhaled, trying to let the rhythm carry her toward stillness.

Meditation had always come easiest in places full of light and air. This was not such a place. The guest quarters were windowless, lit by a single recessed panel that shimmered in sympathy with the ship. Somewhere beyond these walls, the Sith woman worked. Her presence was a steady weight she could feel even when she was not near.

She tried to center herself in the memory of Naboo’s gardens, of the tiny flower Elenna had coaxed into her hands. It had opened beneath her touch once, its purple petals trembling as if shy to be seen. Would it open for her now, or close itself against her entirely? The thought curled like a hook in her chest.

The fact that she found solace in memory of belonging on Naboo made her recoil.

She had abandoned Elenna without ceremony, without explanation. There had been no time for either. This had to happen. This journey into the heart of the dark, her path flanked by an escort who would see her as cargo, or perhaps as a tool. She pressed the guilt down as she had been taught, not to bury it, but to burn it from her.

The flower would answer her again. One day.

For now, she breathed, and tried not to count the hyperspace jumps that would take her deeper into enemy stars.

Kaila Irons fyi, Elenna Sylari​

 

[Kaila Irons]

Location: approaching Dorriella
Wearing: Armor
Tag: Cerys Dyn

A droid rolled into the cockpit.

The BB-unit's singular slit-like optical sensor tilted upwards as it's little servo-arms lifted a small tray to the young Darth seated before the controls. The slight clattering of duraporcelain tea cups roused Kaila from her thoughts, Golden eyes blinking amidst the dark warmed only by the red gleam of various panels and switches.

"Ah, thank you Zero." she smiled faintly.

Pressing the steaming liquid to her lips, those glowing eyes shifted elsewhere, towards the Jedi's unseen presence deeper in her personal courier.

She could feel the turmoil emanating from the other room, even if she did not fully comprehend it.

Perhaps it was merely her own presence, or the Blackwall all around them, which set the Jedi's nerves alight?

It was only natural, she decided, and so the Sith would focus her inquisitiveness on the nature of her vision, and her relation to it. How she was going to explain her intentions to the girl, she did not know, only that it would be a lie.

A lie that would have to wait, as the Hyperspace proximity alert chimed at her.

"Hm. Tell our... passenger, that we're about to enter realspace. And do offer her some tea, please. To calm her nerves."

She patted his shiny little head before sipping and waving him off with a gloved hand.

The almost excited thumping heralded the little chrome-black sphere's arrival to the guest quarters as it stopped in the doorway, having to quickly re-balance itself lest Zero roll over his own head. The glowing optical sensor flashed from blue to a friendly green as it waved to Cerys Dyn excitedly.

"Weep woop!"

Then it made a beckoning motion, prepared to lead her into the cockpit.

"Bweep bweep! bweep bweep!"

​

 

[Cerys Dyn]

Cerys bristled. Not at the distracting beep of the droid, but at her own inability to find her centre. It was almost as if she had left it somewhere. Impossible.

She lent to the side, and pushed up off the floor. "Alright. Alright," she muttered, for only the droid to hear.

She understood the droid enough to know that she was supposed to go with it. But she did not share its excitement. Instead, she flattened her robes, and steeled herself for whatever mental probing the Sith had in mind.

The droid moved faster than she cared to. By the time she reached the cockpit, tea in hand, the BB-Unit was already beeping at her to hurry up. She didn't. Every small rebellion would be taken.

"Anathemous," she said, tone clipped and verging on disrespectful.

There was still not enough familiarity for her to simply take a seat. So, instead, she stood by the door the cockpit, and sipped her tea.

"We are almost there?"

Kaila Irons
​

 

[Kaila Irons]

Location: Entering Dorriella orbit
Wearing: Armor
Tag: Cerys Dyn

"Soon." she sipped.

And only when she had finished her cup did Darth Anathemous turn in her seat.

"You are troubled."

The control panel's red glow highlighted the artificial musculature built into her bodyglove as the armored sith stood, turning to face Cerys. This wasn't the silk-clad lady she'd met on Echnos, but a warrior of the sith, come to watch over her. for better or for worse.

And yet her expression was almost soft.

"I would be too. I know you've no reason to trust me, that you're a hair removed from a prisoner."

A pause followed, perhaps uncomfortably long, as she glanced at the Jedi's marking.

"...I have my reasons."

Finally she turned to stare out the viewport as the ship lurched into realspace. The planet reflected in green-blue hues back at them, untamed wilds dotted by only a small number of settlements in between, and clear lakes or oceans beyond even that. The sight brought a faint curl to the sith's lip as she pressed her palm against the glass.

"Ah! I've never been to Dorriella myself, good to see that nature thrives here."

Seeing that his master was enjoying the sights, Zero decided to plug in and guide the ship into orbit by himself, allowing the woman to enjoy that brief moment of peace.

"I bet you're looking forward to the fresh air."

​

 

[Cerys Dyn]

Cerys' brow creased. They had talked a number of times since boarding the ship. And the Sith was becoming more and more familiar in the way she conducted herself. Like, Cerys might let her guard down.

She was mistaken.

"I am on board a Sith vessel. Travelling through Sith space. It is a troubling turn of events," she said, in that matter-of-fact tone that had gotten her no end of trouble on Naboo.

"And neither could I imagine a time when I would...trust you," she said, jaw clenching. Despite Cerys being on her feet, Anathemous seemed to tower over her in prowess. The armour she wore — Cerys had seen it many times now — was imposing, and far too tight. Cerys averted her eyes.

Her gaze was pulled back by the cryptic words of the Sith. Reasons. She kept talking like she knew something. It made the Togruta uneasy, a feeling that was not needed along with her discomfort, frustration, and yes...troubled mind.

She felt inertia pull her forward, just a touch, as they exited hyperspace. She felt her lekku twitch with the exit, something to do with how the Force and Hyperspace worked together. She still did not understand it.

"I am not familiar with the world, save for the rumour..."

She had only the faintest hint of a rumour that there was an Oathwarden on Dorreilla. She would consider herself fortunate if she found a slightly more tangible clue as to where to really look. Oathwardens did not stay long in one place. The rumour was old now. The trail perhaps already cold. Still, it was as strong a lead as she had found. So much so as to be worth trying to sneak through Echnos.

"...I assume that you will not be letting me out of your sight?" She said, still trying to figure out a way to allude her captor.

Kaila Irons ​

 

[Kaila Irons]

Location: Entering Dorriella atmosphere
Wearing: Armor
Tag: Cerys Dyn

"I'm not asking you to." her smiled faded for a moment.

"Just focus on your mission, and I will do the same."

The Masquerade was a fast ship, breaking and entering atmosphere so fast, the flames obscured their viewport for only a few short moments. Soon their view was swallowed by clouds.

"...I assume that you will not be letting me out of your sight?" She said, still trying to figure out a way to allude her captor.

The smile returned, a toothy little smirk as she held back a chuckle.

"Not even for a second."

The ship stopped jittering as they leveled out somewhere above the clouds, bathing the cockpit in warm sunlight Cerys probably hadn't seen in too long. Kaila removed her hand from the viewscreen as it became flooded with holographic displays, each tracking settlements and starports, calculating a route and even pulling up local security data through something called "Howl_Runner.exe".

It was already displaying glimpses of Jedi robes.

"Ah, a good rumor then." said the sith, fingers threading behind her back.

"If I were a Jedi, this is exactly where I'd hide. We're close to Commonwealth territory, somewhere most Sith wouldn't take interest, on a backwater where nothing happens."

The more she thought about it, the more it sounded like a place she'd have rendezvoused with...

Her...

"Yes," she mused aloud "This is exactly where they'd have hid."

She pinched her chin in thought, watching settlements pop up on the HUD. It was not until the second largest spaceport appeared—not the capital—that she pointed it out.

"There, that's where we'll find him."

And just like that, a course was plotted.

​

 

[Cerys Dyn]

She didn't like the way that the blonde woman laughed. It was annoying. Knowing. Cerys disliked it for other reasons too. Things she would not admit.

The amount of information that scrambled out before them both was overwhelming. Holographic images moving too quickly for Cerys to keep up. She did try. But she also failed. Again, she was annoyed. It radiated through the Force.

"If you were a Jedi?" She said, tone laced with more mockery than she intended. It was her turn to laugh. The sort of soft, nasally laugh that was impromptu and unflattering.

"We don't hide. Oathwardens go where the Force wills us. It is a pure life free from the ties of this life," she spat out, combatting the notion that the Oathwarden would be hiding here. Hiding? HA!

The Sith's confidence in tracking the Oathwarden confirmed Cerys' earlier suspicions. Anathemous was an experienced hunter. The Togruta suddenly felt very underdressed for the occasion. She needed her lightsabers.

"It looks like it might be dangerous. I will need my weapons," she said, attempting a commanding tone.

If she had to leave without them, she would, but it would be much nicer to have them if she was to get out of Sith space...alive.

Kaila Irons
​

 

[Kaila Irons]

Location: Dorriella
Wearing: Armor
Tag: Cerys Dyn

"It nearly happened..."

Leather audibly strained as her hands tightened against one another. All the while those golden eyes tracked the overwhelming data with predatory focus, taking in every scrap of information even while they conversed.

It gave her something to drown the emotions in, despite talking about her past.

"Not the Alliance. Those gentle folk on Naboo."

"...that was a long time ago..."

The silence hung uncomfortably long while she continued to parse data. The Jedi's "command" did not fall on deaf ears, but Kaila needed a moment to process it all.

"You're a Jedi." she finally answered.

"If you're any good, you won't need a weapon."

A glance was spared over her broad shoulder, as though taking measure of the woman. "Hm."

"I'll toss you a blaster if it's too much for us."

​

 

[Cerys Dyn]

Frowning seemed a way of life for Cerys. No one had thought to warn of wrinkles. This time she frowned from the cryptic response of Anathemous. The gentle folk of Naboo.

A lump formed in her throat. Elenna. She was so very gentle. Patient and kind. Lossa had become so with the return of her child...a child Cerys had once disparaged...but now remembered with compassion.

"A blaster!" The mere suggestion brought a burst of awareness to the Togruta and ripped her drifting attention back in the moment.

"So uncivilised!"

She shook her head in disbelief. And then the frown was back again. "Wait...you are serious...!?"

She stepped forward, slamming her hand down to shut off the holofeed. "I want...my lightsabers..." She protested, nostrils flaring, and free hand balled into a fist.

Kaila Irons
​

 

[Kaila Irons]

Location: Dorriella
Wearing: Armor
Tag: Cerys Dyn

Anger. It brought a faint curl to her lips.

Even as her precious data feed vanished before her eyes.

Anathemous said nothing at first, seeming to savor it on a deep breath. She could have told her it was unbecoming of a Jedi, and it certainly was. But then she'd change, put up resistance to her own nature, deny what she really was. But unawares, without a master to keep her emotions in check?

Better to let corruption run it's course.

"Hmh. you're a fun one, Cerys." she murmured.

"I like you."

The sith turned on her heel, circling the pilot's seat towards some sort of scanner on the wall. She leaned forward, staring into it until a soft chime alerted her that it was ready. She pushed the wall panel inward, then aside, where the Togruta's lightsabers were waiting safely. However... they were in some sort of sheath, much like the ones on her hip.

She cradled them in both hands, admiring both the Jedi's craftsmanship, and her own.

"These are genetically sealed." she warned, affixing them to her opposite hip.

If Cerys was paying attention, she'd notice the gription panels on her belt were designed for these sheathes. And there was space for several more, some of which showed wear.

"I will open them if we run into serious trouble."

Then the cherry on top, delivered with the ghost of a smirk.

"If you're good."

​

 

[Cerys Dyn]

Fun?

That was not the reaction that Cerys was expecting. Not at all. But then her heart was racing, and her lekku twitching madly. Anger. The Sith was delighting in Cerys expressing anger.

To her dismay, anger flared again. This time at how Anathemous would enjoy it. And how easily Cerys fell into the trap. If only she could meditate.

Her lips parted to protest, at least offer some form of defence. But the taller woman was already standing and walking past her. Cerys stepped back, bumping into one of the computer consoles. She felt the need to not be close to Anathemous, like there was a coiled spring of danger within the Sith that was ready to unleash.

She watched the panel open, her eyes growing wider upon seeing Vowsake and Dyn's Mercy. Her sabers. Designed for her grips. The most familiar thing to her, and bearers of treasured memories with En-Vala.

Those are mine.

She pursed her lips. Biting down to prevent any outburst.

Cerys watched and caught each detail. Eyes flicking between the yellow pupils of her captor, and the belt around her waist. It spoke of a rich backstory.

"Fine..." Cerys relented, like she had any say in the matter.

Arms folded, Cerys walked to the door, her one freedom perhaps being that she could go to a different part of the ship without being told. "I will be at the boarding ramp...ready to go."

She stepped passed Anathemous, giving her as wide a berth as possible, but could not resist glancing at the sabers that hung at the Sith's waist.

"She is toying with me," Cerys muttered, as she made her way to the spot from whence they would disembark. She leaned against the wall, feeling the subtle shaking of the ship as it decelerated.

She should just leave the lightsabers behind. Take the offer of the blaster, and make a run for it the moment she could slip away. Brandyn's training would help her hide herself from the Sith's third-eye sense. It wouldn't be hard. They were just lightsabers. She could make more. Better ones probably. It was the Oathwarden way to walk away from them.

And yet—her gaze lingered on the short hallway to the cockpit.

She wanted those lightsabers.

Kaila Irons
​

 

[Kaila Irons]

Location: Dorriella
Wearing: Armor + Robes
Tag: Cerys Dyn

"How long?" she muttered as soon as Cerys left earshot.

"Bweep bweep woop."

"A month? you're on, twenty credits."

The little droid extended his servo-arm fist, and Anathemous just rolled her eyes. A beat later, she bumped it with her own. The rest of their ride was uneventful. The Masquerade broadcasted a false transponder, finding a place to land was easy once they made it through traffic.

They could have arrived sooner if she sent her clearance codes, but that might alert the Oathwarden.

When the ship stilled in a docking ring, Anathemous emerged in the hold, eyes aglow beneath a hood of black Zeyd-cloth, outstretched hands bearing a similar set of robes.

"To hide yourself from the sith." she explained.

Whether Cerys took them or not, the boarding ramp descended before them, and the sith's armored boots clattered with every step. The pair emerged from mist which shot from various machinery, and the streets of Dorriella awaited.

The first of many such arrivals, if Anathemous had her way.

​

 

[Cerys Dyn]

Cerys' eyes narrowed. Because they always did. Suspicion was a way of life on this ship. She looked warily at the cloak that was offered, and back at the Sith. Her mind calculated scenarios.

"What is it...cursed or something?" She said, but took the cloak anyway.

She wrapped it around herself and...didn't feel...any different. This made her frown more. It's just a cloak?

Still. She felt odd in it. When she pulled up the hood over her montral, and then looked back up at the Sith, she did so with out a frown or frustration. It felt eerily like a symbolic moment as she looked past the drooping fabric of the zeyd-cloth hood. Her face was cast into shadow.

Cerys followed the Sith.

Down the ramp she descended, feeling very seen and noticed even though eyes did not. That felt...odd for other reasons.

"No welcoming party."

She expected guards. Or a droid to do basic customs checks. Or a service droid offering to 'fix' the ship. But nothing.

The air itself felt still. Loaded with anticipation. Even though the occasional ship flew over head, even the traffic above seemed to have slowed.

"I feel him watching," Cerys said, a smile curling just the edges of her lips.

Hope, midst the darkness of her cloak, sprung within. There was an Oathwarden here, and he was waiting for her.

Now she had to just get away from Anathemous.

◉═══◦✦◦═══◉​

"Send the droids. Gentle greeting. Nothing more. We do not want to spook our guests before it's needed," said a husky, low voice from the muscular man who looked out the window towards the dock. "Bring them here."

"As you wish, sir," came the short clipped reply.

Moments later, a pair of protocol droids walked into the eerily empty streets, towards the dock district.

Kaila Irons​

 

[Kaila Irons]

Location: Dorriella
Wearing: Armor + Robes
Tag: Cerys Dyn

"Hmh. no, just Zeyd-cloth, like my own."

A part of her liked seeing Cerys in those robes, it seemed... natural, somehow. Maybe it complimented her moodiness.

Holding back a satisfied smirk, her expression began to fade. It was a similar feeling to an ambush from long ago, pulling her features into a focused frown, eyes peeled on alleys and second story windows.

"No welcoming party."

Yes, that was it, the streets were empty.

More than that though, something off assaulted her senses that reminded Anathemous of her master's unseen eye.

Instinctively, she traced the lightsaber's hilt with her thumb.

"I feel him watching," Cerys said, a smile curling just the edges of her lips.

"It feels... wrong." she muttered.

The longer they walked the more visibly bothered she became, shoulders slightly hunched as though a soldier creeping through hostile territory, searching for cover. When the two protocol droids rounded a corner in the distance, Kaila dashed in front of Cerys on instinct, shielding her from fire that would never come. She even threw a hand behind her to stop the Jedi from pressing forward.

It was not until she identified the ultrachrome gleam, as faint dust and gravel settled beneath her boot, that Kaila realized they were non-hostiles. Not directly, at least.

"Hrmh..." finally she stepped aside as though nothing happened.

"Name yourself," she called out as the two neared.

"What happened here?"

​

 

[Cerys Dyn]

Her custodian's visible tension was enough to make Cerys herself tense with every step. There had been a few times with her late master that she had walked into towns like this before. It was not normal, especially near the docks.

When the Togruta bumped into the hand of the Sith, she cast her a glare. "If you would give me my..." Her words were cut short by the appearance of the droids.

Without much fuss, Cerys stepped to the side and rounded Anathemous, coming to stand to her right but a half step in front of her. She felt a twitch in her lekku, providing an additional reminder that something was very off.

"Designation, G2R4-SA-5. The residents have been requested to remain indoors tonight. They have obeyed. We request that you follow us to the Magistrates office," said one of the droids in a proper, feminine tone.

Cerys' head tilted a little, eyes narrowing. She cast a glance to her left, making eye contact with her handler, before addressing the droid.

"Why would they have been asked to remain indoors?" Cerys said, furrowed brow revealing both confusion and concern.

"Standard practice. Drills. Now. Please, follow me," came the reply in short, sharp clipped words. The droid turned, and began to walk towards the only building that was higher than two-stories, a five-story bunker looking building. The other droid remained stationary, presumably to follow behind them.

Cerys cast a glance at Anethemous. "Huh. We could just...not...but I am a little curious. Those lightsabers?" She said, face lightning just a touch as she pressed with the non-joke.

She did not await an answer, instead, pivoting on her heels and falling in behind their greeter.

Kaila Irons ​

 

[Kaila Irons]

Location: Dorriella
Wearing: Armor + Robes
Tag: Cerys Dyn

"Hrmh..." grunted Kaila as the Jedi moved around her.

She'd have rolled her eyes, if not for the need to keep them on those droids.

The sith nothing for some time, soaking in what little information they provided, examining spacial awareness with her other senses. Cerys stood to her right, no longer shielded by her larger form, the droids were ahead until one began circling behind them. It was the only time she turned, gaze tracking it's movements, a focused scowl about her face.

"What magistrate?" she finally demanded.

Only when the rear droid was too close for comfort did Anathemous move, with the same predatory caution as before. She gripped her saber tight, straining leather gloves.

"Huh. We could just...not...but I am a little curious. Those lightsabers?"

"...soon..." she said cryptically, half a whisper, half a growl.

"Keep an eye on the one behind us..."

"Something's not right."

​

 

[Cerys Dyn]

Cerys fell into step a half-pace behind the front protocol unit, the zeyd-cloth swaying gently behind her. The empty lanes felt eery. Shutters were closed, awnings barely swayed. Even the wind seemed to hesitate.

Her lekku twitched. The sensation of being observed did not diminish, sharpening with each step. A single thread tugging from somewhere ahead and above, angled toward the blunt, five-storey block that passed for a magistracy. Hope pricked like a thorn beneath the hood.

"Standard practice where I come from involves a name," she said mildly, eyes on the droid's servos as they clicked and reset. "Which magistrate?"

"Current officeholder. Authority recognized by the district charter," came the pleasant, useless reply.

Cerys’ lips pressed firmly together. The answer had the same feel as well trodden lie of omission.

They turned into a corridor of stacked prefabs that funnelled straight toward the bunker. Above, a line of skylights cut pale rectangles into the street. Her eyes lifted to the glass and she felt the tug again. It was closer now. Watching. Waiting.

She let her stride shorten by a fraction until Kaila drew even. The Togruta’s voice stayed low, contained. "They may look to seperate us." She tried again. "I would prefer my sabers."

Her gaze flicked to the sheathes riding the Sith’s belt—Vowsake and Dyn’s Mercy—then away again as if the look were nothing. She drew a breath through her teeth and smoothed it into something resembling calm. Brandyn’s exercises, "Count the steps, find the corners, choose the exits." She would find a way out of here.

The lead droid reached the bunker’s threshold. The doors yawned open. A scent of recycled air dragged across her tongue. The foyer beyond was all pale stone and polite lighting, a pair of recessed turrets sleeping like closed eyelids in the corners. A dais waited at the far end, empty save for a single, unoccupied chair.

Her head tilted. Muscles tightened in anticipation.

"Please proceed to the antechamber for identity verification," the droid intoned. The companion unit took position to seal their path behind.

"Verification can occur here." If the watchers wanted to test, they could do it in the open.

A tone chimed somewhere within the walls. Soft footfalls answered from an upper gallery. The feeling that had been growing now sung.

"He is here," she said.

Her hooded face angled toward the gallery’s shadow as a figure moved behind the frosted balustrade, only a silhouette, broad through the shoulders. The protocol unit pivoted neatly to block the doorway’s exit. The other lifted a hand to indicate the antechamber again, unfailingly polite.

"It is not every day...two Sith...find their way into my humble home."

Kaila Irons​

 

[Kaila Irons]

Location: Dorriella
Wearing: Armor + Robes
Tag: Cerys Dyn

"Soon." she repeated.

She counted exits and corners on their way in, anywhere to take cover in a gunfight, doors she might cut through, the quickest way back to her ship. Most of all though, angles from which to combat those turrets.

When they arrived, she took came beside Cerys, gloved hands folding behind her back in a deceptively passive posture.

All the while, her thumb lingered near the genetic lock on those sabers...

She just needed to remove her gloves.

"Please proceed to the antechamber for identity verification,"

"No." she stated, curling an unamused brow.

"She's not going anywhere until I know what's happening here."

"This matter is non-negotiable."

When the man emerged behind the balustrade, Anathemous narrowed her eyes on his silhouette. A wary glance was exchanged with Cerys, because this felt off, even for a Jedi. Confirming what they were—what he believed them to be—told her that he knew too much, but it was unlike one of their order to play such cryptic games of secrecy, nor constantly provoke hostility by separation.

"Looking for a ship that passed through here." she claimed.

The sith closed her eyes for but a moment, trying to sniff out the dark side.

She had her suspicions.

​