Private Roots in the Rebellion

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Odessen - Hidden Path Outpost

Equipment:
Training Jumpsuit | Lightsaber | Modified DL-27

Blaster fire cracked through the humid Odessen air, red bolts zigzagging toward Acier like angry wasps. He pivoted on his heel, left arm swinging as his lightsaber snapped a bolt into a nearby tree trunk, then another into the dirt at his feet. Sweat clung to his brow and soaked the black sleeve of his training top, the jacket discarded somewhere off to the side. His blue trousers were dust-streaked from near-misses and tumbles, but he wasn't slowing down. If anything, he was pushing harder.​

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It hadn't been long since the official formation of the Hidden Path, or since the white-haired rebel had agreed to join. He was still adapting. To working with others, having a structured routine, and living a sedentary lifestyle. But ultimately, he was happy to be here, happy to have purpose.​

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Ace still struggled with socializing, establishing bonds and such. He'd gravitated to a few already, people like Jane and Michael Angellus but duty pulled them all to different parts of the galaxy most of the time. There was barely any time to sit down and... talk. So, on his off days, Ace normally found himself alone in the forest. Just training, training and... more training. It made sense to him, he'd likely be seeing combat more often, his technique needed to be better. But in reality, he was just avoiding the need to try and make friends.​

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Another volley shot toward him, three bolts in quick succession. Ace narrowed his eyes and stepped into the rhythm. His lightsaber moved like a conductor's baton, precise and deliberate. One bolt ricocheted skyward, another pinged off a nearby boulder. The third grazed his thigh, singing the fabric and drawing a quiet hiss from between his teeth.​

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It wouldn't be enough to deter him, however. The pain grounded him. The repetition focused him. The silence, broken only by the hum of his lightsaber and the chirp of the remotes, shielded him from the awkward weight of small talk and introductions. It was easier to spar with machines. They didn't expect conversation.​

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Everest Vale​

 

[Everest Vale]

Outfit: Robes
Equipment: Lightsaber, Bracelet, Earrings, Seer Stone, Wayfinder's Flare, Engagement Ring
Companion: Isari
Tag: Acier Moonbound

The forest was still, serene in spite of everything going on on the planet. Eve walked its paths in silence, her boots brushing through the soft moss and fallen leaves. Odessen’s air was clean here, untouched by city lights or the hum of starship engines, and it carried with it the kind of peace she had been craving since the galaxy had fallen into chaos. Isari padded at her side, the silver-eyed fox’s ears pricked forward, every movement sharp and alert.

Then came the sound. Blaster fire, sharp and rhythmic, carried through the trees. Eve stopped. Hand resting lightly against the bark of a nearby tree, she tilted her head toward the source. It wasn’t hostile; the energy in the Force wasn’t panic or fear, but focus. Determined, disciplined… familiar.

She followed it.

At the tree line, she found him. Acier Moonbound, his lightsaber carved through the air with precise, deliberate strokes, each deflection a clean answer to the remotes circling him. Sweat clung to his brow, his movements driven not just by form but by persistence, almost stubborn in its intensity.

Eve stayed where she was for a moment, watching. Isari sat neatly by her boots, tail curling against the ground, as though she too understood the quiet reverence of the scene. When Ace finally slowed and let the remotes rest, Eve stepped forward.

"You have good form," she said softly, her voice carrying just enough to reach him without disturbing the stillness between them. There was a small, approving smile on her lips. "Your guard’s steady, and your recovery is clean. But..." she tilted her head slightly, silver gaze calm but thoughtful. "If you shift your rear foot just half a step wider, you’ll open your stance. You’ll see more of the field, and it’ll be harder for anything to catch you blind."

Isari trotted ahead a few paces, tail giving a single curious flick as she looked up at him. Eve followed after, quiet and unhurried, then took a gentle bow.

"I hope you don’t mind the intrusion," she added gently. "I thought it would be nice to finally say hello. Properly this time."

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Odessen - Hidden Path Outpost

Equipment:
Training Jumpsuit | Lightsaber | Modified DL-27

Even before she spoke, he felt her. Subtle. Calming. Like still water, a quiet resilience and patient strength. She carried a warmth that didn't demand attention but invited it, the kind of presence you only noticed once the world had gone quiet enough to feel it.

There was no tension in her aura either. Just gentle awareness… and something deeper, too. A quiet ache wrapped in kindness. The kind of light that came from choosing to hope, even when the galaxy didn't give you much reason to. It was beautiful in a way.

That was enough training for today, may as well see who's been watching. Extingushing his lightsaber, the remotes ceased in unison and hovered in the air. Then she spoke, it was a voice he recognized. Everest Vale.

Ace turned to meet her gaze as she continued to speak - offering constructive critisicm on his style and form. When she'd made the comment about shifting his rear foot, his eyes lowered to his boots, making a mental note of the advice. Then he glanced back at her again, offering her a faint smirk as if to say 'thanks'.

His messy locs slicked back as Ace ran a hand through them. He'd only now just spotted Eve's little fox companion as it trotted ahead of her and toward him. A dry but amused chuckle escaped him as he crouched down and offered the creature his hand, allowing her to come to him if she wished.

"No, I don't mind." his response was short, but it carried a welcoming warmth.

Like the others he'd met during the Forge incident, he hadn't really spoken to any since. Even the ones who found themselves on Odessen, with the Path. Wasn't much to say really, he'd only met them once (twice with Aadihr) and was still a stranger to all of them.

"Yeah. Makes sense. We're all allies now." Ace rose to his feet "Guess you wanna figure out what makes me tick?"

He lowered his head to glance at Isari again, smiling with a little more life behind his eyes now

"Cute thing you've got here. What's it's name?" he paused, eyes meeting Eve's again. Curiosity etched on his freckled features "What is it actually?"

Everest Vale ​