Faction Remnants [THR]

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Republic Space - [REDACTED]

Equipment:
Inmate Jumpsuit | Cybernetic Arm

The cell was quiet. It wasn't the oppressive kind that made his skin crawl or kept him awake at night, it was just... quiet. The dampening field built into the prison walls saw to that.​

​

For the first time in what felt like years, the Force wasn't there. No distant emotions brushing against the edges of his awareness. No threads stretching across star systems. No constant awareness of life moving around him. The familiar current that had become part of every waking moment was gone, smothered beneath layers of Republic technology.​

​

Strangely, Ace didn't hate it. He sat on the edge of the narrow bunk, elbows resting on his knees, hands loosely clasped together. The absence wasn't hollow. It was relief. Like setting down a weight he'd forgotten he was carrying.​

​

His thoughts had been his only company since surrendering, cycling endlessly through the same familiar roads. The things he'd done. The people he'd hurt. The lines he'd crossed because he convinced himself there would be time to step back later.​

​

Every choice seemed easier to justify when it was happening. Looking back on them now, stripped of urgency and momentum, he found fewer excuses than he'd expected.​

​

There was guilt. Shame. Regret. Enough of it to fill the entire cell. Yet somehow, through all of it, one thought kept finding its way back.​

​

Fatine. A smile beneath theater lights. Brown eyes. Warm hands. Warm laughter. Just warmth. Even here... especially here.​

​

The cell itself was... unsettling. He'd expected a cage, but instead he'd been given a room. It wasn't anything luxurious or excessive, it was just... human. That irritated him more than it should have.​

​

He'd watched the Republic stumble from one disaster to the next, always reacting after the damage had already been done. Entire worlds burned while committees debated. People died while officials argued over jurisdiction. Yet when a former Sith Knight walked willingly into their custody, they treated him like a guest who'd overstayed his welcome rather than a terrorist. The disconnect sat poorly with him.​

​

Sometimes he found himself staring at the ceiling wondering if they'd misunderstood who he was, or worse, if they understood perfectly and chose this anyway.​

​

Spoiler: OOC

This thread is meant to give an opportunity for members of the High Republic to interact with Acier during his incarceration. General idea is that the conversations between Acier and whoever wishes to join are taking place at separate points in time.

 

[Lysander von Ascania]

Acier Moonbound​

[REPUBLIC DETENTION COMMISSARY SYSTEM]
Deposit Received: 5000 credits
Source: LYSANDER
Attached Note:

I still don't agree with how you ended up in there. But that doesn't mean I'm cool with the idea of you going hungry or without the basics either.

Get something real to eat. Caf packets. Vitamins.
And get deodorant before you start smelling like the walls.
Whatever keeps you from falling apart while you wait this out.

You owe me a better explanation one of these days.
And another sparring match.

I expect you to be in shape for it too.
Don't let confinement take the fight out of you.
Shadowbox the corners if you have to.
I don't want you coming out of there flat footed.

Don't think I've forgotten.

-- Golden Boy

 

[Michael Angellus]

​

EPISODE – Entry # 10
Location: – Naboo, Can’t really say where.
Assigned Craft: My X-wing or My Other One Astromech Partner: BRED (BB-30)
Current Mood: Bothered.
Background Noise: Machinery.

Stay with the ship, I’m not planning on being long.

Wooo-beep


Your sarcasm isn’t necessary.

Wooo-beep


Because I’m going to see a prisoner and I don’t want you to have to deal with it because I know you hate prisons. If you don’t want to stay here, get an oil bath.

Wooo-beep


He went through the checkpoints, the guards eyeing him with a mixture of suspicion. It made sense, given his attire and the fact that he was no longer a part of Naboo military. He was just a civilian now, or at least he was in their eyes. They let him pass, but not without a thorough search and a few pointed questions about his purpose. He didn’t lie, he didn’t need to, he was here to see a prisoner, or more appropriately confirm the rumor. The guards didn’t like it, but they had to let him pass. He walked down the sterile corridors, the hum of machinery filling the air, the smell of antise. It was disgusting to be here. The sterile environment was a stark contrast to the vibrant feeling of flight, the freedom of the open sky. It was suffocating.


I had to see it for myself.

TAG: Acier Moonbound

CUTTO SCENE - This is where he is speaking in a different setting, as if recapping what he had just seen on a holovid
Wooo-beep

 

[Dominique Vexx]

Dominique accepted the pad like any other. Examined its contents like any other. Then she handed it back without remark.

A minute later, the Chancellor spoke, "Arrange secure transportation to Holding. Prisoner name's in report Sierra Psi Two Zero Five. I'll be unavailable for three hours after arrival."

Some time later, the armored transport swept in toward the facility and landed. Dominique strode out dressed in her white and royal purple uniform with her lilac glasses perched upon her nose. She made light conversation with the Warden as they strode inside. Polite chatter meant to reassure her about the security of the facility. To discern the intent or concern that had brought the Chancellor there in person for someone seemingly of little import. Well, there were reasons even the very nature of a prisoner were withheld. Good reasons. Which is precisely why she deflected and gave little by way of response.

At last, Dominique and a guard stopped outside of the cell. "Thank you. That will be all." There was a pause, then she turned her head to simply stare at the guard to impress her command.

She waited until he was gone before she turned to look back at Acier Moonbound . "So," a pause, "you're him." Another pause, this time punctuated by a small device being produced from a tailored pocket on her jacket. Held up, she pressed a button that sent out a pulse to scramble audio pickups nearby. "I wanted to finally meet you. I hear your future might be decided in the none too distant future." A smirk. "I could have had any number of proxies sent. The one that confessed your purpose, perhaps. Someone you trusted. Someone you... betrayed? But there's so much more to a person than what they say. It's how they say it. What they fail to say. The way they look. All meaningful. Little details that's hard to put into words or to convey."

The small device was tucked away and Dominique clasped her hands behind her back. "So," another pause as she gazed at him through the field, "where would you like to begin?" Where Acier might think to start was just as telling as whether he chose to start at all. There was a great deal she wanted to know about his true character without the pomp and circumstance influencing either of them. People would expect certain things from their Chancellor if this were all brought to light. Well, half of the reason she was there was to figure out whether anyone needed to know... or, perhaps, whether an 'accident' should be arranged.

Tragic, that. Sometimes nefarious criminals simply never arrived at their destination. Ion storm. Stellar burst. Orbital control mishap.

Acier Moonbound​

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

“Oh, Acier,” she exhaled in quiet dismay.

Despite the melancholy in her tone, relief colored Cora’s posture first, then her expression. She’d arrived at Moonbound’s cell shortly after he’d been detained, bag in tow.

She lingered at the transparent wall of his accommodation, observing him through a wash of pale blue light. Her eyes were quick to scrutinize his figure for any injury.

“I’m here to perform your intake physical.”

It took two guards to deactivate the shielding, and Cora stepped inside Acier’s cell. She imagined that he wouldn’t have fussed if a stranger had come to examine him, but she hoped that a friendly face would offer a little comfort. After all, what he’d done had taken guts.

Cora looked around the room he’d been given. Spartan, but clean. Basic necessities meant. She gave a little hm of approval from the back of her throat.

Then, she looked back to her patient.

“She’s upset with you,” Cora mused, half-hearted. “I heard that she vandalized your ship.”

It would surprise absolutely no one. Cora’s gaze took on a softer focus. “I’m proud of you, Acier. You’ve made your mistakes, and now you’re taking accountability for them. That’s how redemption begins.

“Now,” she began, “Are you injured anywhere? Anything that’s bothering you?”

Acier Moonbound

 

[Lily Decoria]

Location: Prosperity
Outfit: Jedi Attire
Equipment: Arwr Da, Hydrangea Moonblade (concealed)
Tag: Acier Moonbound

The recent events of late had been a crazy time for Lily, she had been handling a lot of things. Juggling several moments and attempting to balance the thoughts that troubled her mind. Lily was not sure how things in the Order would keep going with the discourse and the aggressive but also reckless approach to things. It was building to a head but Lily was doing her best to keep things going and to keep aware of the issues. The Battle Master was also keen on trying to be more active in dealing with the Sith in the way that she proposed. It was meaning that she was going to need to talk with the Senate or at least some senators and discuss the need to finally confront the Sith.

Time was running out on the patience to allow the High Republic to grow stronger and stand firm as a beacon of light. Action was needed.

News came to Lily's table that Acier had surrendered himself to imprisonment and that struck Lily as curious. She had never met the man before, heard a little on him but not really spent the time to know more before he became someone not spoken about amongst the Jedi. Lily had figured that he simply left like many others to work elsewhere or retired. However, the news seemed to show that Acier had fallen, been swayed to the Dark Side and now was facing the punishment for his crimes.

Lily knew this was important and she grabbed her stuff, heading over to the prison. When arrived, she surrendered her weapons, making sure that she wasn't carrying anything that would be perceived as helping Acier escape. Lily moved her way into the prison and sat opposite Acier.

"I am Lily Decoria, Jedi Knight and Battle Master for the Jedi Order." Lily formally introduced herself to Acier. "I was surprised to see your name, I had heard a little about you a while back. Nothing bad, so seeing you here, after falling to the Dark Side... I was surprised."

Her pause lingered as she thought about how she wanted to approach this, others were going to ask why it happened, how it happened, and trying to garner any secrets on the Covenant that Acier might have. "Why return? Why seek out imprisonment now? What changed?" Lily did not wish to understand why he fell, many Jedi had fallen to the Dark Side over the years. The change back was far more interesting and hopefully illuminating on what Acier was wishing to achieve.

 

[Lorn Reingard]

Tags: Acier Moonbound​

Lorn reached out and placed a hand on Acier's shoulder. "I am disappointed in you." The words were quiet. No weight forced into them. His grip tightened slightly. "But I will be there for you when you come out of it."

The promise had been made. Lorn had sworn to be there when the dust settled and the kid finally stepped away from the dark. Yet, a stubborn streak of pride, a lingering ache from their last clash, had almost convinced the Jedi to walk away. His own crusade was calling, and letting a former Sith rot in a Republic cell seemed like one less problem to worry about.

But Acier wasn't that far gone. At least a part of him hoped.

Midnight brought a quiet stillness to the detention block. Slipping past the guard rotations took minimal effort, deception of all kinds. Cloaked in the shadows of the cell, Lorn leaned against the cold wall and watched the young wolf sleep.

Reaching out through the Force was like stepping into a storm of bruised emotions. Beneath the surface of the kid's mind lay a crushing weight; thick layers of shame, the sharp sting of regret, and a deep, aching pain for the lines he had crossed. It was suffocating. Lorn let out a low groan, shifting his weight.

The kid was still in there, buried but alive.

Leaving him to the Republic's soft custody suddenly felt like a mistake. Perhaps it was time to fully take him under his wing, to guide that raw anger into something useful. Together, they could actually accomplish what Acier had set out to do in the first place, but the right way this time.

"Wake up," Lorn murmured into the force, letting the words drift into the kid's fading dreams.

 

[Judah Dashiell]

HOLO.ENCRYPT//113M-ejj--; data=ghosted; data-uplink=secure; masking-status=active; function=security; permissions=limited;


< jdashiell@salacia.holo >

Heard you were locked up. Not sure what exactly happened. Having a Jedi for a son only proves useful for so much.

Are you in Jedi detention or High Republic? I only inquire because it seems the legal side of the High Republic easily rolls over in the face of a strong lawyer.

Happy to provide mine at no cost. They mostly deal with corporate law but I am positive they know someone who can provide an easy defense.

Least I can do given you got me out of that jam - haven''t forgotten.

I put three thousand on your books. Figured you might want a snack while you're waiting on your next steps. Is bail an option? House arrest?

Not an optimistic person but I don't see you behind bars for long.

-J.Dashiell

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Republic Space - [REDACTED]

Equipment:
Inmate Jumpsuit | Cybernetic Arm

Ace was trying to figure out how to send the credits back. Eight thousand credits between them. Ace rubbed a hand across his face. He appreciated the gesture. Really. But he wasn't starving, and he wasn't about to start spending Lysander von Ascania or Judah Dashiell 's money because he'd landed himself in prison. There had to be a way to send it back.

A knock interrupted him.

"Moonbound. You have a visitor."

Ace stood and turned toward the corridor. Then froze.

...Michael?

Old memories surfaced before he could stop them, and his gaze dropped away. The days with the Hidden Path. The simpler days. Ace had considered Michael a friend, but now he realized he was just another person he'd hurt.

"Michael. Been a while." His voice was quiet and a faint, humorless smile appeared. "You come all the way out here just to make sure the rumors were true?"

Michael Angellus

---

Ace was staring at the ceiling when he heard the footsteps. It wasn't one set, it was two. He lifted his head slightly to see a guard and a woman. At first, he paid little attention. He assumed this was just another visitor, another person trying to decide what kind of man sat behind the barrier.

Then she started talking. Ace sat up slowly, watching everything. The dismissal of the guard, the device, her confidence, and the way she carried herself. It took him a few seconds longer than it should have before recognition clicked into place. This was the High Chancellor.

Figures. Ace listened without interruption as she explained why she'd come. Studied her while she spoke. The words themselves mattered less than the delivery.

By the time she finished, he already had a decent idea of the kind of person standing in front of him. Dangerous. Not because she could fight, but how she seemed to weaponize evaluation.

When she finally asked where he'd like to begin, Ace looked away first. His eyes settled briefly on the far wall before returning to her.

"I don't care." The answer came immediately. "Just ask what you want to ask. I'm not really in the mood for head games."

It wasn't defiance. The young man was just tired.

Dominique Vexx

---

Ace had been informed earlier that morning someone would be conducting a physical evaluation. He wasn't expecting Cora. Honestly, he wasn't sure whether to laugh or wonder if the galaxy was deliberately trying to make this harder than it needed to be.

The shielding dropped with a low hum, and as Cora stepped inside, Ace remained seated on the edge of the bunk. Silent. Waiting. The first real reaction came at the mention of Fatine.

His gaze lifted, and for the briefest moment, something crossed his face. Not quite pain, but it was close enough.

"I figured." His voice was calm. "The ship's not any use to me anymore anyway."

A small shrug followed.

"So whatever helps her get through it."

The words sounded casual, almost detached, as if a hole hadn't already been torn straight through his chest.

Then came the word redemption. Ace blinked and his brow rose slightly as he looked at her.

"Redemption?" A faint scoff escaped him. "Cora, this is penance."

There wasn't any bitterness in the statement. Just certainty. He looked away again, toward the floor, nowhere in particular.

"Redemption's been outta the cards since Tapani."

The silence lingered for a moment before Cora returned to business. Questions about injuries. Pain. Discomfort.

Ace shook his head. "No. I'm fine."

A glance dropped toward his left arm. The prosthetic.

"...My arm needs maintenance."

Then, after a second:

"But that's about it."

Corazona von Ascania

---

Ace was in the middle of a set of push ups when the guard arrived, telling him he had a visitor. He finished his set before pushing himself upright.

His visitor was... a Jedi. An Echani by the looks of her. For a brief moment, his thoughts drifted to Everest Vale . He wondered how she was doing. Whether she was safe. The thought passed quickly.

Ace sat on the edge of the bunk and waited.

The woman introduced herself as Lily Decoria. Jedi Knight. Battlemaster. Someone important then. Ace had never heard of her before, but then again, he only knew a handful of Jedi.

He remained silent while she spoke. Listening. His gaze drifting occasionally toward the wall to his right. He'd already heard variations of this conversation from a dozen different people.

But she asked something different. Why return? His eyes shifted back to her, and for a moment, he didn't answer. Instead, he thought about the people who had brought him here.

Sibylla. Lorn. Kenji. Aether. Even Arris. Different people, entirely different lives. Yet somehow they'd all played a part.

A slow breath left him. "I stopped lying to myself."

The answer came quietly. He wasn't making excuses anymore.

His hands rested loosely together between his knees as he looked at the floor.

"And I need to pay for what I've done."

It sounded simple when spoken aloud. Maybe it was... maybe it wasn't. Either way, it was the truth.

"So I came here. Problem is, you're all too soft to even do anything about this too."

Lily Decoria

---

Sunlight spilled across the Ukatian countryside. Tall grass swayed in the breeze and somewhere ahead, Fatine laughed. Ace smiled and started toward her.

Then she stopped, the color draining from her face. Her skin greyed and her eyes hollowed. The world changed too, fields vanishing and replaced with smoke and fire.

A battlefield stretched in every direction. Bodies covered the ground. Republic soldiers. Imperials. Covenant troops. Among them stood the people he held most dear to him. Fatine. Sibylla. Aether. Lorn. All staring at him with empty eyes.

A Covenant banner snapped overhead. Ace looked down and saw a red lightsaber burning in his hand, crimson glow reflected in golden eyes.

Wake up.

The voice cut through the nightmare and Ace jolted upright with a sharp breath. For a moment he just sat there, heart pounding, trying to separate the dream from reality.

Then he saw him. Lorn. Immediately, a wave of shame washed over him as the Trinity flashed through his mind. The duel, and the things he'd said and done.

"Lorn?" His voice was rough from sleep. Ace opened his mouth. "I..."

The apology died before it could leave his lips. Sorry felt too small.

His gaze dropped briefly before returning to the Jedi.

"What're you doing here?"

Lorn Reingard ​

 

[Dominique Vexx]

"No? Had enough of those, have you?" Dominique snorted at the man's disinterest in opening up. After everything he'd done, the man thought he had the privilege of not engaging in everything that was about to follow.

"Very well, I will begin. You can fill in the gaps, or I can decide your fate on whatever is politically expedient before you see the inside of a courtroom." She paused just long enough for that to register. "I heard you sought to venture where only the very brave or very foolish tread. With your familial ties I had concerns when I was informed. You might not like politics, but political figures don't care what you like, Acier." Whether he embraced it or knew the ramifications of his lineage being swept up in the course of events, such things might happen regardless of his desire.

"I was assured, however, you knew what you were doing. Then I came across a rather strange report. It lacked the sort of detail someone of my station is accustomed to possessing. Somehow, between that initial admission of your existence, and our fateful time aboard that ship near Alderaan, things had begun to change. Which led to your present circumstances." Dominique turned her palms outward toward his cell, and her eyebrows rose over the rims of her glareshades. "Quite the change in such a short period of time. Care to... elaborate? Or perhaps get something off your chest? I happen to be quite adept at keeping secrets... for those worthy of my discretion."

Acier Moonbound​

 

[Colette]

Acier Moonbound

How many people had tried to bargain with him already? Colette looked at the man on the other side of the forcefield trying to discern whether his imprisonment was earnest or not. He knew things that many others had died trying to learn. He might not have looked like much behind figurative bars, but even so the size of his spot on the equally figurative chessboard was immense.

There were secrets that the Shadow wanted to learn, no doubt, but Colette had no interest in such things. All things considered she hadn't actually met all that many people that had given in to the dark before, and she was vaguely familiar with Acier through the dossier.

"What was it like?" Her question cut through the silence. "To fall."

She sat on a chair opposite of him, legs crossed with her foot resting on her knee for support.

"Was it as subtle as they say, or was it more of a choice? What made you do it?"

 

[Michael Angellus]

​

EPISODE – Entry # 10
Location: – Naboo, Can’t really say where.
Assigned Craft: My X-wing or My Other One Astromech Partner: BRED (BB-30)
Current Mood: Bothered.
Background Noise: Machinery.

Being in a prison, even if he was just a visitor, was unsettling. Michael did not like the idea of being locked up, or the idea of being in a place as such. It was a stark contrast to the freedom of space, and that was the type of person that Acier seemed to be, which made him wonder why he had come here in the first place. The machinery hummed in the background, a constant reminder of the technology that kept this place running, and kept the prisoners contained. It was a stark contrast to the silence of space.

When Acier had asked him why he was here, Michael had given a vague answer. In a manner of speaking. Connel had told him about everything that had happened on Tython, it left a pang in Michael’s stomach.

He should not have been surprised though, his brother was a Mandalore, but was really a Sith like his father, a Sith Lord, wasn't he a Sith Lord? Rumors rumors rumors. “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” right? The more he thought about it, the more he realized that Connel’s actions were a reflection of their preconceived notions of what it meant to be a Sith. Then came the admission. Connel said you would need a friend. So here I am.

TAG: Acier Moonbound

CUTTO SCENE - This is where he is speaking in a different setting, as if recapping what he had just seen on a holovid
Wooo-beep

 

[Aris Noble]

Acier in a cell?

Aris hadn't kept up enough at all. Why was he in a cell? What happened? Lots of questions followed as he stepped outside the cell. They were both different now. Older. So many questions filled his mind, yet only one actually got spoken.

"You hungry? We can go get something to eat."

Acier Moonbound

 

[Lily Decoria]

Location: Republic Prison
Outfit: Jedi Attire
Equipment: Arwr Da, Hydrangea Moonblade (concealed)
Tag: Acier Moonbound

Lily nodded her head as she listened to what he had to offer in his explanation for the reason why it was now. "What were you lying about? Why did you stop believing the lie?" Lily asked, she continued to follow this thread because she was deeply curious in the changes he went through. Figuring it would help in finding what the path moving forward would be for everything.

Especially since Acier was not pleased with how he was being treated. Apparently he was not seeking softer touches, it amused Lily as she felt a grin growing on her lips. "Well, people held a soft spot for you in the Jedi. I know that much, but I think part of it is that redemption does not happen when you just punish a person. Giving someone the chance to redeem themselves, demonstrate their ability to change, they need to be treated with respect, dignity and some guidance."

"So, do you not wish to be redeemed? Why do you only care about being punished?" Lily asked as she leaned back in her chair a little, "what does sitting in this cell, caged, do that is any better than being out in the galaxy and making practical, real efforts for good? Demonstrating through action that you don't want to be the Sith you have been as of late?"

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Republic Space - [REDACTED]

Equipment:
Inmate Jumpsuit | Cybernetic Arm

Ace listened in silence. She knew far more than he'd expected. More than she should have. The mention of his lineage caused his brows to furrow. As far as he knew, that information wasn't exactly public knowledge. Someone had told her. Sibylla, maybe. Someone else. It didn't really matter now.

As Dominique continued, recounting his journey to the dark side, Ace found himself staring at the floor. Hearing it summarized so neatly made him realize just how seamlessly it had all happened.

When she stopped speaking, he let out a slow breath. Ace opened his mouth, then stopped. Explaining it was harder than he expected. The dark side wasn't a voice in his head. It wasn't possession. It wasn't some dramatic moment where he'd suddenly become someone else.

The truth was he still wasn't entirely sure where his own decisions ended and its influence began. Even now, sitting in a prison cell with time to think about it, he struggled to put it into words.

"The dark side..." He paused. "It played a role in all of this."

The admission came easier these days.

"But that's not it."

Ace pushed himself off the bunk and approached the energy barrier separating them.

"I saw how effective the Covenant was. After Coruscant, after the Empire..." He snapped his fingers. "Just like that."

His dark eyes settled on hers.

"Then I realized you were all useless." There wasn't any anger in the statement. Just blunt honesty. "Always reacting after the damage was done. Even then you'd spend Stars knows how long wasting time arguing about what to do next.."

He folded his arms.

"I figured maybe I could use the Covenant. Push it in the right direction. Use it to do what the Republic couldn't." A humorless laugh escaped him. "Thought maybe we could stop the next galactic war before it ever started."

His gaze drifted away briefly.

"Turns out I wasn't nearly as smart as I thought I was."

Dominique Vexx

---

Another Jedi. At this point Ace was beginning to feel less like a prisoner and more like some strange exhibit people came to observe.

He didn't look at her immediately. Instead he listened to the question, and it was harder to answer than most people realized.

"It's hard to explain." His elbows rested against his knees. "Thought I had everything under control. Thought I could play the role. Use the dark side as a tool." A faint scoff escaped him. "Tale as old as time, right?"

He rubbed at his chin.

"The whole time it's influencing every thought and decision you make. Making you think all of it's your idea." A pause followed, eyes settling on the floor. "Or maybe some of it was. I don't know anymore. Maybe the dark side just let me unshackle parts of myself that were already there."

Ace shook his head, realizing he was rambling.

"What I'm trying to say is... it was both." Finally he looked up, expression hardening. "It was subtle. But it was also a choice. I didn't fall because I wanted power." A breath escaped him. "I fell because I wanted to fix everything."

Colette

---

Ace raised an eyebrow. Connel? Of all people? His thoughts drifted briefly to Tython. Back then he was still pretending. Still playing the part. Connel wouldn't have known that. As far as the Jedi had been concerned, Ace had simply become another Sith.

So why? Why send Michael? Why offer compassion?

"Connel said that?"

For the first time since Michael arrived, genuine surprise crossed his face. Then he looked away and a quiet sigh escaped him.

"It's good to see you." The words were sincere. "But you're better off forgetting about me. If the Republic's got any sense, they'll let me rot in here."

His eyes drifted toward the floor.

"You shouldn't waste your time."

Michael Angellus

---

Aris was probably one of the last people Ace expected to see. He hadn't seen the Epicanthix since before Atrisia. Before the third Death Star. Before everything had gone sideways.

Truthfully, he'd wondered what Aris had been doing since the Hidden Path fell apart. Apparently the answer was the High Republic.

Ace stared up at the much larger man for a moment.

"I'm not." A faint shake of his head followed. "Besides, I can't exactly walk out of here."

The attempt at humor landed flat and silence settled between them for a moment. Ace rested his hands on his hips and glanced away. The time between then and now suddenly felt a lot shorter than they should have.

Eventually, he looked back.

"Val okay? Zaiya?"

Aris Noble

---

Ace rolled his eyes and tilted his head back slightly, exasperated. Jedi compassion and optimism was exhausting. All this talk of redemption and second chances was exactly the kind of thinking that had allowed the Sith to tighten their grip on the galaxy while everyone else debated the moral high ground.

"I was lying to myself about everything being worth it." His gaze settled on her. "That all the people I hurt, all the things I took part in, would somehow be worth it in the end." Then he shrugged. "I stopped believing it because enough people made me realize I was full of shit."

A slow breath left him, and his hand ran through his white locs before falling back to his side.

"No. I don't want to be redeemed." His answer was immediate and certain. "People like me don't get redeemed." A humorless chuckle escaped him. "Not after what I've done."

Then he laughed again, quieter this time. More tired than amused.

"You're talking about proving myself through action?" Ace pinched the bridge of his nose. "I already tried that. Lot of people died 'cause of it."

His eyes closed briefly.

"And I fell to the dark side because of how broken everything is."

For the first time since she'd arrived, genuine frustration crept into his voice.

"So forgive me if I'm not exactly eager to go try again."

Lily Decoria ​

 

[Aris Noble]

"Mom and dad are good. They're handling some other issues that had come up. Zaiya's good." Aris tilted his head in thought for a moment before looking to the cell door. Then back to Acier. A brow raised.

".. I mean, I suppose I can't just let you out." Silence. Aris was as awkward as ever. He had so much he wanted to ask, and yet, he couldn't really bring himself to.

"Been up to anything fun?"

Acier Moonbound

 

[Dominique Vexx]

Dominique stood patiently without making a sound or any unnecessary movements. She could tell the man was actually working up to say something. No need for her to brow beat him as though she had places to be. She did, but that was why some time had been set aside. For just this circumstance. It was important to know what she did not.

No reaction was given to his initial accusation toward the Dark Side. That much had been a given. Whether one believed in it controlling destinies or not, there was no chance it wouldn't come up as an influence. Dominique knew more than enough about Jedi and Sith to foresee that.

She looked to Acier's eyes as he rose and drew near the field. What if the Force suppression failed? Then Dominique would find the fools that hired the lowest bidder and throw them in the cell. Preferably with Acier -- not that the man seemed inclined to behave like a rabid breast presently.

Then the gradual out pour came.

"What do you think of Humbarine, Acier?" Dominique paused long enough to see his reaction to the planet's name dropped so suddenly and casually. "The Iron Covenant wasn't it? Mandalorians unaffiliated with Mandalore. Strong people. Well armed. Experienced." Another brief pause just long enough for someone to object vehemently if they were so inclined. "They took decisive action, didn't they? No doubt driven by some purpose, they crossed halfway across the galaxy to participate in laying waste to the capital of Humbarine. Spared no consideration in violating the Republic's borders to do it. People of action. Of conviction."

"And what did they get for their trouble?"

"Did they establish a foothold on Humbarine? A beachhead into the Sith Covenant's territory? Did they lay waste to the surface of the planet leaving it uninhabitable? Crush the machines of industry to rob the Sith of their spoils? Perhaps they sought to save their own kind from the merciless yolk of Sith rule." Dominique nodded slightly. "Yes, I daresay they probably did get some of their own off-world amidst all that chaos."

"At what cost?"

With a smirk, Dominique actually shrugged. "But who am I to say anything about cost? I sent a fleet into Imperial Confederation space to retrieve one man of a world that had yet to even finalize their effort to become a member of the Republic? I could have easily avoided that confrontation. Marlon Sularen wanted it. I gave him exactly one chance to defang my efforts knowing he expected me to negotiate. To pay him off. Just as you too would have expected. And I declined. Because, Acier -- and I will deny saying this -- you were right. To a point."

"Some of it was deliberate." The Denonite smirked. Not all of it had been part of the plan, but no need to get into the particulars. "If the Republic began a war with the Sith in its early days our fleets would have been blown out of the stars and our worlds set aflame. Our leaders were splintered and too consumed with their pety needs and self-enrichment. We needed time. We made time. Haste, as they say, is waste, Acier."

"But they also say that the best time to avoid a mistake was before you made it; the second best time is in avoiding making the same mistake again."

Acier Moonbound​

 

[Lorn Reingard]

Tags: Acier Moonbound​

The young wolf stirred, gasping as the nightmare shattered and reality took its place. Guilt and shame immediately rolled off the kid, thick and heavy enough to taint the air. Lorn pushed away from the wall, stepping out of the shadows to reveal himself fully.

"I've come to see you," Lorn said, his gaze drifting away from Acier to take in the layout of the small room.

A quiet, breathy noise escaped his nose as he examined the glowing energy shield keeping them apart. The Republic really did treat its prisoners like misplaced guests. Turning his attention back to the former Sith, the Jedi let a heavy silence settle between them for a moment.

"What have you learned?" Lorn asked, keeping his tone even and leaving the question open for interpretation.

 

[Kinley Pryse]

:::: Message Incoming :::::

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Acier,

Heard you managed to get yourself caught. Which means you're either working some angle I ain't privy to, or you've gone and done something spectacularly stupid and noble.

Truth be told, my money's on the second one.

Either way, word travels. Folks have been whispering about you being behind bars like it's some sort of miracle. Personally, I figure if the galaxy wanted to keep you locked up, it's gonna have to build a sturdier cage.

Now listen close.

I still owe you for that last job. You got him out of there. I repay that rare type of loyalty when I find it. So if this whole imprisonment business isn't part of some grand plan and you find yourself needing an exit, all you gotta do is say the word.

One word.

That's it.

I'll bring enough firepower to convince the walls they're optional.

Until then, don't do anything stupid.

And before you start getting clever, I mean the other kind of stupid. The kind where you decide sacrificing yourself for some cause is a good idea. Heroes end up dead, Acier. Dead heroes don't pay debts, and I ain't about to let you wriggle out of that boot-knocking session.

So sit tight. Break out. Get rescued. Start a riot. Whatever it is you're planning, make sure you're still breathing when it's over.

Otherwise I'll have to come drag your stubborn ass back from the afterlife just so I can kill you myself.

Regards,

-KP

Smooth Criminal, Occasional Professional, and Apparently Your Emergency Contact

Acier Moonbound

hope its okay I used this holo message div​