Private Sanctuary’s Call

[Anneliese Kaohal-Delaine]

​

Tags: Ala Quin


Anneliese moved slowly through the Sanctuary, letting the familiar hum of the Force ripple through her. The polished stone beneath her feet was cool, almost alive, and the soft echo of her steps mingled with the distant murmur of fountains. Light filtered through high windows, dappling the floor in gentle patterns, shifting as if the air itself were breathing. The scent of incense lingered faintly, blending with the damp earth of the gardens beyond the arches.

She wasn't nervous. Not in the way most would be. Yet there was a quiet tension beneath her calm—a subtle ache she hadn't felt in some time. For so long, Grandmaster had meant Valery. Her mentor, her anchor, her quiet light. Now, in this new order, in this new home, that presence was gone. Taken by time and circumstance, leaving a hollow that acceptance alone couldn't fill.

Anneliese's gaze lingered on the shifting pools of water. She felt the weight of everything she carried—the remnants of the Galactic Alliance, the responsibility of Padawans now entrusted to her, the sudden, unrelenting knowledge that the world she had known was gone. Her past life, her old family, her old order—they were all gone. And here she was, in a place that welcomed her, that wanted her, that felt like home in some ways, yet still demanded she find her footing.

She let herself feel the quiet loss, the pull of memory, and the pang of missing Valery's presence. Not with despair, but with recognition—acknowledgment that part of her heart still belonged to what had been, and that moving forward required care, patience, and the courage to trust again.

The air shifted as she approached the chamber. Her steps were slow, deliberate, attuned to the rhythm of the Sanctuary. The soft sway of her curls caught the light, and her green eyes reflected it, steady, contemplative. She lowered into a bow before the Grandmaster, deep enough to honor her, subtle enough to carry her own quiet strength.

"Grandmaster Ala," she said softly, letting her voice flow gently into the stillness. "Thank you for seeing me."

She held the pause afterward, not from hesitation, but from intention. A space for the moment to settle, for the hope she had not allowed herself in months to take root. Perhaps here, in this place, she could find a guide, a steady hand, not to replace what she had lost, but to walk alongside her as she learned to make this new order—and herself—whole again.

 

[Ala Quin]

Grandmaster Ala Quin had gotten distracted by a butterfly. But let's be reasonable. It was an absolutely awesome butterfly. Like. The best ever.

The person that Anneliese greeted was not Ala Quin.

"Oh...I am not Ala Quin...I mean...Grandmaster Ala...Quin," the tall willowy Umbaran woman said, "in fact...I am not even a Jedi. Do you know the way to the speeder bay? I have come to speak with the head mechanic."

There wasn't a moment to answer, as a older gentleman in work attire appeared from around the corner. "Tev'l Gren?" He asked, the Umbaran woman giving an affirmative response immediately, "sorry I am late...please come with me, we can talk in my office at the speeder bay."

And, they were gone, leaving Anneliese by herself.

Moments lingered. It seemed as though no one else was going to arrive, but then from around the corner, and at a walking speed that was less than proper, came a masse of dark brown curls attached to a hurried looking short elven woman.

"Oh...dear...I am late...I am...so late..."

| Tag: Anneliese Kaohal-Delaine |​

 

[Anneliese Kaohal-Delaine]

​

Tags: Ala Quin


Anneliese's brow lifted slightly as the tall Umbaran spoke, her posture straightening just a little.

"…I'm sorry," she said softly, voice low but clear. "I thought I was being summoned by Grandmaster Ala."

Her tone wasn't sharp—just genuinely puzzled, a touch of dry humor brushing the edges.

"But… I hope the mechanic can help you. Truly."

A small, polite nod. She stepped back half a pace to give the woman room as she was whisked away, watching the pair disappear down the corridor.

Silence settled again.
Soft, familiar.
She breathed into it.

A moment later, hurried footsteps approached—lighter, quicker, carrying a different kind of energy entirely. Anneliese turned as the small, flustered woman rounded the corner, curls bouncing, breath slightly uneven.

Anneliese blinked once, green eyes steady.

"…Grandmaster Ala?" she asked gently. This time without irony—more like she was confirming reality after a long, strange minute.

She let a tiny smile warm her expression, respectful and genuine.

"I apologize—there have been a few… unexpected introductions today. I just wanted to be certain I was addressing the right person this time."

Her hands folded loosely in front of her, posture open and respectful as she lowered into a bow.

"I am Jedi Knight Anneliese Kaohal," she continued softly as she rose out of the bow. "Thank you for having me today."

She held there—calm, steady, grounded—waiting for the Grandmaster to catch her breath, offering the kind of quiet patience that had been once shown to her.

 

[Ala Quin]

"Oh my word, that's such a pretty name," Ala said, beaming and then blushing deeply. She really needed to learn to be a little more self-serious. Though, she seriously thought that the padawan had a pretty name!

The tiny Jedi bowed, but barely, like it was an after thought. Reality was she was already two steps down the road of the conversation.

Permission would be asked for later, but first, Ala looped her arm around Anneliese's and spun her about. "Tell me about yourself, Anneliese...where do you come from? How do you eat your eggs? What is your hair care routine...coz...dang..."

The lack of formality was intentional. But it was also very much the Ala Quin method. If...there was a method.

| Tag: Anneliese Kaohal-Delaine |​

 

[Anneliese Kaohal-Delaine]

​

Tags: Ala Quin


Anneliese blinked, then let a small, amused laugh slip past her lips as Ala looped her arm around hers and spun her gently.

"Well," she said, green eyes sparkling with quiet delight, "I wasn't expecting a welcome quite like this." She tilted her head, brushing a curl back from her face, letting the motion feel natural, unselfconscious.

"I'm from a world in the Outer Rim Territories," she began, voice soft but bright, "called Qiilura. My people are Gurlanin." She gave a small shrug, letting the detail sit comfortably between them.

She laughed quietly at the next question, shaking her head with a hint of playful exasperation. "Eggs… scrambled, but not fully done. Soft, just the way they're meant to be."

A grin tugged at the corners of her mouth. "Hair care?" She reached up, letting her hand smooth through the loose waves. "All natural. I wash it about once a week. I don't know if it's my physiology, or the year or two I spent on Qiilura living among the wild, but… it's healthy. Shiny. A bit like my pelt, really.”

Anneliese's eyes twinkled, letting herself be unguarded, warm. "And I love nature, cooking… candies. Red, green, orange. All the sweet things you shouldn't really eat at once, but sometimes, you have to."

She gave a soft exhale, tilting her head to look at Ala with subtle amusement, almost like sharing a private joke. "I can also change into a wolf at will," she added, with the faintest arch of an eyebrow, "though it does… occasionally come at the expense of modesty."

Her laugh was soft, almost musical. "You… you really do have a way of putting people at ease. It's… nice."

She let the moment linger, comfortable, playful, curious, and utterly at ease — letting Ala's energy guide the rhythm of the conversation, enjoying it like seeing an old friend she hadn't realized she missed.

 

[Ala Quin]

Pelt?

Ala was confused.

But not for long.

"Whoa...you can turn...into...something else? A wolf!? I mean...I would choose a rancor or something tall so people could stop making fun of my height...but a wolf is pretty cool too..."

She tugged on Anneliese's arm, pulling her into a side room, and closing the door all in one swift motion. Gone were thoughts of hair care, or eggs, or even being a Jedi. Ala had only one thing in mind as she bounced back, and away, from her with her normal happy-go-lucky way.

"Well..."

She stood there, beginning to look quickly impatient. Her haste had clearly seen her misunderstand or even outright miss the whole 'modesty' issue.

"...show me..."

| Tag: Anneliese Kaohal-Delaine |​

 

[Anneliese Kaohal-Delaine]

​

Tags: Ala Quin


Anneliese blinked slowly at Ala's eager insistence, the door closing behind them with a soft click. She gave the Grandmaster a look — not judgment, not discomfort, just a quiet, slightly incredulous side-eye that said you missed the modesty part, didn't you?

But… they were both women. And Ala's curiosity radiated like a child staring at fireworks. Annie exhaled softly through her nose.

"Alright," she murmured, voice warm but resigned. "Just— don't stand too close. Phasing on the fly can… get messy. For me. And anyone within reach."

She stepped into the center of the room and began loosening the clasps of her tunic. Every motion was graceful, unhurried. She folded each piece of clothing neatly off to the side, never breaking eye contact for too long, as if ensuring Ala wasn't about to faint or sprint in excitement.

"This is why I try not to transform in public," she said, tone wry. "Things don't always shift with me."

Once bare, she inhaled deeply — then another — grounding herself. Her breathing quickened, chest rising and falling as she let the shift take hold.

The change was immediate.
A tremor rippled through her spine.
Then the crack.

Her bones began to move first — lengthening, shortening, thickening — the soft pop-pop-pop of joints realigning echoing through the small room. Sinew coiled and tightened beneath her skin, muscles knotting and reshaping like molten metal poured into a new mold.

Her fiery hair spilled forward — then spread, like living flame unfurling across her skin. Strands thickened, multiplying into a coppery pelt that crawled down her limbs in waves of shimmering warmth.

Her hands contorted, fingers withdrawing, paws forming, claws clicking as they struck the floor.

Her jaw lengthened with an audible crack, teeth sharpening, muzzle pushing forward — and then the growl tore free, low and primal, vibrating the air.

Within moments, the woman was gone.
And the wolf stood where she had been.

Tall, powerful, radiant — pelt the same copper-fire hue as her hair, emerald eyes blazing with intelligence and something far older than the Force.

Hackles rose in a proud wave down her spine as she planted herself firmly, head held high. Her breath steamed from her maw in soft huffs, the room suddenly too small for a creature of her wildness.

Then, her presence reached outward — warm, firm, unmistakably Annie.

<< Does this sate your curiosity, Grandmaster? >>

The words were not spoken, but they rumbled through Ala's mind with the same fierce grace as the creature before her.

 

[Ala Quin]

"Wait..."

It was barely a whisper of protest. The Jedi was getting undressed! Ala averted her eyes, and practiced the greatest degree of self-control she could muster not to take a peek. Her cheeks gained a deep reddish hue. And Ala did a great job of giving some degree of privacy in spite of standing in front of someone she had just met while they GOT UNDRESSED.

She did great...until she heard the first pop...

"That sounds painful..."

It was concern, not curiosity, that drew her eyes to Anneliese. Her face immediately reacted to her seeing the woman, but also the process of transformation. Fluster. Embarrassment. Curiosity. And lastly, utter horror.

"Oh...my...stars...what...the bloody...heck snortles...was that!?"

Ala stood, transfixed by the wolf that had previously been a gorgeous unclothed woman. And she questioned her own sanity and eagerness in inviting this transformation to begin with.

Calm. Ala. Calm.

"Are...you...OK? That sounded...really painful..."

She took a few steps forward, kneeling before the lupine woman. Her eyes softened, letting go of the shock and awe of the moment, and embracing the being before her wholly.

"You are amazing, Anneliese. Truly incredible. I cannot say that I wish I could do it...because...frankly...the transformation process looked like torture...but you are truly stunning..."

Tentatively, Ala reached out, stroking the fur of the Jedi before her.

"This is sooo coooool."

| Tag: Anneliese Kaohal-Delaine |​

 

[Anneliese Kaohal-Delaine]

​

Tags: Ala Quin


A ripple of warmth nudged gently at Ala's mind — a steady, grounding presence that smelled of pine, embers, and the quiet confidence only a Gurlanin Alpha could carry.

<<Easy… easy.>>

Anneliese lowered herself so Ala didn't feel dwarfed, her great copper coat shimmering like living flame under the room's lights. Her breath puffed softly against Ala's hands, reassuring, calm.

A soft mental laugh followed — a sound like warm wind curling around a firepit.

<<When I rush the shift, it pinches. Stings. Bones complain, joints protest… but it's nothing I haven't known since childhood. It's only painful when survival demands speed.…>>

She nudged Ala's knee with her head.

When Ala's fingers sank fully into her fur, Anneliese shivered — the kind of shiver someone gets from a warm stretch after a long day. Her tail flicked once, betraying the pleasure she otherwise held with Alpha dignity.

<<You're gentler than I expected. Most Jedi prod like they're checking a starship hull for cracks.>>

Ala's wonder, her sincerity, washed over Anneliese like rising heat, and she leaned into the touch, pressing her cheek into Ala's palm with quiet gratitude.

<<And thank you. Truly. I'm glad you see beauty in what we are.>>

Then her head turned slightly, those bright emerald eyes catching Ala's like twin lanterns in the dark — and the bond between them sharpened with unmistakable mischief.

A slow, wicked wave of amusement brushed through Ala's thoughts.

<< Though your face when the first bone set? I wish I'd had a holocam.>>

Anneliese's tail gave one single, traitorous thump against the floor.

<< Oh and Ala? For the record? I did see you starring earlier…>>

She eased forward until her muzzle was almost brushing Ala's burning cheek.

A beat. A soft huff of lupine laughter.

<Twice.>

 

[Ala Quin]

"Oh my word! It was so scary...when everything started making those popping sounds," Ala said when their eyes met. She could not rein in the redness of her complexion though.

"Oh...you saw me...see? Oh my...I didn't...I mean I did...but...Force help me..."

She backed away, pursed her lips and then made a loud popping sound as she refocused. "Annnnyway."

"Anyways. Anyways. Anyways." She said, trying to ignore the fact that she had just seen all this, and got caught redhanded. "Don't...go...transforming back...just yet...I can step outside for that part..."

| Tag: Anneliese Kaohal-Delaine |​

 

[Anneliese Kaohal-Delaine]

​

Tags: Ala Quin


A warm, apologetic hum curled through Ala's mind — not reprimanding, not embarrassed, just… gentle. The massive copper wolf eased back a little to give Ala space, lowering her head so those bright emerald eyes softened into something unmistakably kind.

<Forgive me, Ala. I forget sometimes that not every culture treats the body the same way mine does.>

A soothing pulse followed — sincerity wrapped in quiet warmth.

<Among the Gurlanin, nudity isn't shameful. It's simply… practical. Normal. When you live your life shifting between forms, modesty becomes more about intention than skin.>

Her ears flicked, sheepish now.

<And since we are both women, I didn't think it would trouble you. But if I startled you — or shared more than you wished to see — then the apology is mine to give.>

Her tail gave a slow, amused sweep across the floor, unable to stay perfectly serious.

<And truly… don't worry. Curiosity is no crime. Happens more often than you'd think.>

A beat of warm laughter rippled through the bond.

<Besides…>

Her head lifted, posture proud and teasing all at once.

<You'll never forget our first meeting now, will you?>

Another soft, joking nudge of her thoughts brushed Ala's mind like a flick of warm fur.

<When your resdy, just step out and I’ll change back, and get modest before calling you back in Ala if you wish.>

 

[Ala Quin]

Well...if she didn't feel uncomfortable...

"No." Ala said to herself, stopping that line of thinking. How innapropriate.

She did though, move back quickly to Anneliese's side, and pull her into a big hug. "Oh my word you are so soft...this isn't weird is it?" She said, it was too late, Ala was already laying her cheek against the soft pelt of the lupine, and giving it a good old smoosh into her face.

After a few moments, Ala begrudgingly stepped away and slapped the controls on the door. A few people walking by smiled upon seeing her...the smile diminished when they saw the wolf...and then their expression became a frown when they saw the clothes on the floor.

"It...isn't what it looks like..."

Yes. Yes. It really was what it looked like.

"You are so absolutely wonderful..." Ala said, deciding to focus on the positives as she spun back around to squeeee at the wolfie one last time.

She waved her hand. "Get dressed. Stop being...naked...your Grandmaster demands it...or something!" And she slapped the controls to close the door.

| Tag: Anneliese Kaohal-Delaine |​

 

[Anneliese Kaohal-Delaine]

​

Tags: Ala Quin


Anneliese leaned into the hug without hesitation, letting Ala press her cheek against the thick copper fur. A soft, low rumble escaped her chest — more amusement than warning.

<Relax.> she sent, telepathically, a gentle pulse of warmth. <Hugs are fine. And of course my fur is soft. Why wouldn't it be? I'm not some mangy street dog.>

She could see Ala step back slightly, flustered, and Anneliese's green eyes flicked to the door. The few people passing by froze mid-step, expressions flickering between curiosity and horror. Her lips twitched into a faint, wry grin.

<Yes, it looks exactly how it looks.> she sent with a playful huff. A deep, throaty laugh rumbled in her chest. <Enjoy the view. You won't see this often.>

When Ala waved as she left for her to get dressed, Anneliese exhaled slowly, tilting her head, savoring the last moments of freedom. Then she let the shift begin.

It started in her spine, vertebrae popping and stretching in precise, deliberate rhythm. Muscles rolled and reshaped, thick cords of sinew tightening as her limbs elongated and compressed at once. Her pelt rippled and flowed, folding back into thick waves of fiery hair that tumbled over her shoulders. Fingers and toes reformed, claws retracting, jaw compressing, teeth sliding smoothly into human alignment.

A shiver ran through her from head to toe as her body settled — a mix of relief, lingering wildness, and a bittersweet ache for the freedom of her true legs. Her chest rose and fell in deep, measured breaths, the faint echo of wolfish power still thrumming beneath her skin.

She bent to gather her clothing, tugging her tunic over her shoulders with practiced ease. A faint smile tugged at her lips, amused and warm.

<There. Fully human. Clothes on.> she sent telepathically, a teasing undercurrent running through the thought. <Come back inside now. Properly dressed, as requested.>

Her emerald eyes glimmered with quiet pride, humor, and that lingering spark of the wild.

 

[Ala Quin]

The door hissed open, and Ala poked her head around the corner. For just a moment, she looked disappointed, and then a smile burst out like sun rays through clouds. "You look nice in both forms," she said, before bounding over to take Annie by the arm.

She pulled her new friend out into the hallway, and pointed them both in the direction of the training rooms. "Come on now. You wanted to meet with the Grandmaster...and while I am not that grand...and I am barely a master...I can possibly help you on your quest."

| Tag: Anneliese Kaohal-Delaine |​