Private Quiet Channels

[Sibylla Abrantes]

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Lorn Reingard Acier Moonbound

"Blast it, Ace!"

The curse tore from Sibylla's mouth, sharp enough to cut through the jungle din and send a few nearby creatures scattering. The Voice of Naboo. The Daughter of Abrantes. The woman who wore composure like armor. Cursing aloud in raw, aggravated frustration at the infuriating stubbornness of Acier Moonbound.

"Must I truly shake sense into you?" she snapped. There was no stopping her now. Her face flushed with heated indignation as she jabbed her finger into his chest again, emphasis driven by equal parts fear and fury.

"For Shiraya's sake, I swear you make me want to -- UGH!"

She yanked her hands back, fingers curling into tight fists as she forced herself to turn away. One step. Two. Then she stopped, spun on her heel, and marched right back up to him without missing a beat.

"I will involve Republic forces and intelligence," Sibylla declared, voice ironclad. "They will be in place to extract you immediately if anything escalates. This is non-negotiable."

Her mind raced even as she spoke, already assembling contingencies.

"An encrypted tracker, perhaps. Something shielded. Something that cannot be detected through the Force. I do not care how complicated it is."

Then she turned sharply toward Lorn, frustration blazing openly now.

"Is there anything you can do," she demanded, "anything you can teach him, that will allow us to track his location and help him if this begins to affect him further?"

Surely a Jedi Master would at least know that?!

 

[Lorn Reingard]

Tags: Acier Moonbound | Sibylla Abrantes​

Lorn turned back, rubbing a hand over his jaw as Sibylla finished. His thoughts spilled before he trimmed them.

"I've got a tracker on my ship," he said quietly. "Military grade. I can seed it under the skin. He won't feel it. Though if he vanishes, I'll find him. I'm an excellent tracker."

He glanced at Ace, weighing the other option. "Or we could knock him out. Take him back to Naboo now."

Then he looked to Sibylla and inclined his head.

"But I'll defer to your judgment, Your Majesty."

 

[Sibylla Abrantes]

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Lorn Reingard Acier Moonbound

"Oh please," Sibylla said, a half scoff escaping her before she could properly restrain it. "The man is far too stubborn to be rendered senseless in any effective way. He would merely brood upon waking and inform us all that it is his solemn calling to do precisely as he pleases."

Her attention snapped back to Ace at once, hazel eyes locking with his, her expression composed but leaving no room for protest.

"So, there we have it," she continued with a breathless, frustrated tone. "A tracker, or you may be knocked unconscious. While I concede that the struggle might prove momentarily entertaining, there are, regrettably for you, two of us and only one of you. And should it come to it, I assure you that I am quite capable of delivering a very persuasive knee."

A quiet, exasperated huff followed.

"Perhaps then," she added pointedly, "you might finally listen to reason."

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Yavin 4

Equipment:
Acolyte Robes| Lightsaber | Cybernetic Arm

Ace felt the shift when Lorn stepped away. Disappointment, quiet and restrained, and somehow heavier for the fact that the Jedi hadn't withdrawn his support. Ace's jaw tightened a fraction, there was a flicker of guilt threading through him before he pushed it aside. He didn't look away as Lorn spoke about staying on Yavin, about being close if things went wrong.​

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Ace nodded once. Understanding. He ignored the part about being dragged back.​

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Then Sibylla cursed. That, finally, pulled his attention sharp. His eyes snapped to her, brows lifting in genuine surprise. He had never heard her swear. Not like that. Not even on Roon. Seeing her composure crack like this... anger braided with fear, caught him off guard in a way nothing else had.​

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And when she didn't dig in further, when she pivoted instead to conditions: contingencies, extraction, intelligence on standby, something in Ace eased.​

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"Okay." He said simply.​

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No edge. No bitterness. Just agreement. His gaze drifted between Sibylla and Lorn as they spoke about trackers, a brow arching slightly as the idea took shape. He didn't love it. The thought of something embedded, something that could follow him, made his skin prickle, but he kept that to himself. If it bought them peace of mind, he could live with the discomfort.​

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Then Lorn offered the alternative. Knocking him out. Ace watched the exchange that followed: Sibylla's exasperation, her very accurate assessment of his stubbornness, the remark about brooding and solemn callings to do as he pleased. And for the first time in what felt like far too long, something slipped through his guard.​

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A quiet laugh escaped him. Low. Tired. But real. It surprised him as much as it probably surprised them. He lowered his head briefly, a smirk tugging at his mouth as Sibylla laid out the odds. Two against one. A persuasive knee. He was genuinely amused now. She had no idea how many times he'd faced worse numbers alone.​

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But he didn't say that. Best to let her have this. Instead, Ace stepped forward and pulled Sibylla into a brief, grounding embrace. Firm but gentle, the kind meant to steady. He rested his chin lightly against the top of her head for just a second, letting the moment do what words couldn't. Then he eased back, hands dropping away, the distance restored without awkwardness.​

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"Fine." Ace said, looking between them again. "A tracker."​

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He inclined his head slightly, conceding the point.​

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"It's the least I can do." He added evenly. "If it puts you both at ease."​

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Sibylla Abrantes | Lorn Reingard​

 

[Lorn Reingard]

Tags: Acier Moonbound | Sibylla Abrantes​

Lorn watched the tension ease the moment Ace laughed, and something in his chest loosened with it. There you are, he thought. Still here. Still able to breathe. A faint smile tugged at his mouth before he turned away again, eyes drifting back toward the temple. Old stones. Good sightlines. Shelter from the rain if it came. He was already placing himself there, already planning the quiet hours ahead. Waiting had become a skill. So had watching.

"A tracker puts me at ease," he said, voice carrying easily over his shoulder. "Fair compromise."

He paused as Sibylla and Ace embraced. He didn't look back. He didn't need to. The Force told him enough. Relief. Fear. Threads still knotted tight. He rolled his shoulders once and glanced back just enough to catch Sibylla in his periphery.

"What about you, Your Majesty? Sound fair?"

 

[Sibylla Abrantes]

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Lorn Reingard Acier Moonbound

Hearing Ace's laugh, after missing it for so long, brought a sigh of relief that eased some of the tension she had been carrying. Not all of it, but enough. There was no denying she would still feel anxious and on edge about the situation, but the fact that Ace was not going to argue against Republic assistance or the tracker was something she could work with.

It was a first step.

Perhaps, as things continued, they could find additional ways to support him as well.

Either way, Sibylla gave a small nod.

"A fair compromise," she said, before adding, "But I want to standardize our meeting times, review any additional encryption needs, and establish a reliable way to reach you if necessary."

Then Sibylla turned to Lorn, her brows furrowing briefly before she added, much to the likely amusement of both men, "And a name, perhaps. Seeing as introductions were not made at the start of this discussion."

She paused, lips quirking wryly as that familiar thread of nervous humor surfaced.

"Unless you would prefer I refer to you as Master Jedi?"

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Yavin 4

Equipment:
Acolyte Robes| Lightsaber | Cybernetic Arm

Lorn's acceptance, Sibylla's nod, neither felt like victory, but it wasn't a stalemate either. It was workable. That mattered most.

When Sibylla laid out her conditions, he nodded once, listening without interruption. Meeting times. Encryption. A way to reach him if things went sideways. It was... sensible. Controlled. Exactly how she handled fear when she refused to let it rule her.

"Fine." Ace said evenly. "We can standardize check-ins. I'll adapt to whatever encryption you're comfortable with. Just don't overcomplicate it to the point where it becomes a liability."

Then she turned back to Lorn. Ace's brow lifted faintly as she pressed the matter of introductions, and for a split second, he kicked himself. Of course. He'd never even done introductions since he believed they'd already met.

He glanced between them, then tilted his head slightly toward the Jedi.

"That's on me." Ace said. "I thought you were familiar with each other."

He didn't say why. Didn't bring up how Lorn had called her a "spoiled child wearing a crown." He was sure he'd see Sibylla use the word 'blast' again if he did - maybe even something more daring like 'kark' or 'kriff'.

So instead, he shifted his wait and waited for the Jedi to speak for himself.

Sibylla Abrantes | Lorn Reingard​

 

[Lorn Reingard]

Tags: Acier Moonbound | Sibylla Abrantes​

Lorn turned fully to her then, one brow lifting despite himself. He studied her for a beat. For a flicker of a second, he wondered how his name had failed to reach her. Jedi Council. Sword of Shiraya. Naboo-born. Once, those things had meant something.

Maybe they still did. Maybe the galaxy was just too loud now. Or maybe she was just too spoiled to care. He let the thought go with a quiet breath. No point carrying it.

"Jedi Knight Lorn Reingard," he said, inclining his head in a small, respectful bow. "At your service, Your Majesty."

His gaze softened as he straightened. There was steel in her questions, but care behind them. That mattered.

"I think we've come to a fair agreement," he added. Tracker. Check-ins. Lines left open. It was more than he thought they would get.

Lorn glanced once toward the temple again, already feeling the long watch settling into his bones. Same as always.

"Let's keep it that way."