Private The Jade Doashim

[Wrenarias]

Wren couldn't help but question the validity of the information that'd led her to Illyria, but it was entirely too late now to turn back. Geslad Lunal, a scummy businessman who moonlighted as a twi'lek trafficker. He would venture out to small settlements and colonies outside of republic space, promise the girls and their families promising work, and then the girls were whisked away and forced into indefinite contracts to specific 'handlers'. It was legal slavery in all but name. Wren was all too familiar with how the practice worked.

The Doashim, the sleek gunship given to her when this entire escapade first kicked off, touched down in the grassy meadow just at the base of a forested mountain. It was still strange for the twi'lek to see so much green in one place. She'd been raised in the lower levels of Coruscant and most of her time off planet was either in space or in the middle of a battlefield. What should have been a calming environment felt entirely foreign to her.

A quiet, almost dejected, sigh slipped from her lips as she set about powering down the ship. Apart from the two battle droids that'd come with the Doashim, she was the only one on board. Being alone suited her better. She didn't have to worry about accidentally touching a droid and overwhelming its senses with her own wild emotions or unruly consciousness. Can't scare someone off if there was no one around to scare in the first place, after all.

When she caught sight of her reflection in the glass window, she scoffed. Her eyes were unsettling to look at -- where the sclera should have been white, there was only inky shadow and her irises were an unnatural silver that gave off the faintest of glows. One of her lekku was almost entirely cybernetic. The twi'lek absolutely despised her reflection these days. It was a keen reminder that she wasn't entirely herself anymore. "Tch..."

In an act of pure defiance, she casually reached up and dragged her index finger across her eye. The sensation was uncomfortable, but something she'd grown used to. She'd spent days getting used to it, just to spite the one responsible. It was her way of flipping her middle finger to the Sith on the other side. Simple, but effective.

She pushed herself out of the pilot's seat and grabbed a slim metal staff off the wall, clipping it to a harness on her back. The weapon was actually a lightsaber with an extended hilt, one that she'd modified herself. It was easier to hide the weapon in plain sight, since most who saw it thought it nothing more than a metal rod. Better than having an easily identifiable saber hanging off her hip. What she did holster, however, was a blaster on one leg and a small slug-thrower on the other. Never hurt to be prepared in this line of work. Before she set off, she triple checked her equipment and the location of the quaint village where she was heading. Everything seemed to be in order, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Just nerves, she told herself and took a deep breath.

After telling the droids to stay with the ship, Wren lowered the ramp and took her first few steps onto Illyria.

 

[Xobos Yakieer]

Location: Illyria, Garde Noire, Beacon Castle.
Equipment: Illyria Knight Armor, Knight Saberstaff, Miralukan Eye Mask
Mental state: Silent.
Tags: | Wrenarias | Adron Malvern | The High Court of Illyria |

There were days when the castle was loud enough to make Xobos almost wish that the voices still existed within her mind. Days where the company of Ambrus, Ora, and Lagos might’ve been welcome when her apprentice’s, Leven Jeyd and Jala where running around exploring the old manor, with Cali Ziiva running after them, encouraging them to find any sort of secret entrance last left by the old king. That Zeltron would only top to pop a kiss on the Miraluka’s cheek, then back to her fun with the younger two apprentices. Yes, those were the days the castle were quite loud, and any meditation Xobos managed to get in was with her pack of Maalraas deep within their cave at the back of the property.

But then, there were also days the castle was much too quiet. Cali was off on some Locke and Key related business, her apprentices taking time to explore some of the caves that was more than likely less than completely safe, something Xobos would surely find herself having a headache over later. For now, the castle was very quiet, with the only sounds coming from the attendants running around or the guards moving from post to post.

Most of her morning had consisted of meeting with the head miner and only line she had to the miners guild, speaking about the new mines that might open up in the town soon. Of the nine that the king had planned on opening and failed to do so, they were moving onto the third that was set to be opened later that week. There were more than a few factors that went into setting up a new mining operation, but having Cali around and her wonderous inventions made it a much quicker process than it otherwise might be. In fact, had it not been for the Zeltron, Garde Noire would not be expanding nearly as fast as it was.

Still, the minor details of running and expanding a providence were exhausting to say the least. She needed a break, and the Great Maalraas Sabatora trotting up to her, edging her toward the front doors was enough to convince the Sieur that a walk through the town would be better than anything else that would be done in the manor. “C’mon,” She started, motioning Sabatora to follow, “let us see to our territory.”

Phare de château was thankfully only a few minutes walk from the town, meaning it was a short time before she was walking through the busy lunch hour. The majority of the miners were either making their ways to their homes or to one of the two main taverns in town. It seemed Le Renard et la plume, The Fox and the Feather, was the choice for today. Probably for their soup of the day, something that Xobos kept a tab on in her mind for the trip back. For now, there was just the leisurely stroll to make, conversing with any miner that might wish to.

The Mistress of Shadowcats had to keep tabs on her people, of course.

 

[Wrenarias]

The trek to the village was beautiful, but uneventful. Most would have described it as peaceful, but of course Wren didn't trust the word. Nothing was ever truly peaceful for the twi'lek, not even simple strolls through a meadow. As she walked, her mind drifted to the last time she'd been in a place like this -- she'd very nearly killed two people on accident, having been trapped in a Force vision.

Her nose wrinkled at the memory and she quickly shoved the unsettling images back to the recesses of her mind. It was a typical pattern of life for her. People always got hurt around her, whether by her intention or not. Some deserved the fates they met, but most didn't.

Shaking her head, she pulled herself back to the present as she reached the crest of a small hill that overlooked the village below. Wren crouched down, resting an arm on the top of her knee as she observed the little mining town.

It was busier than she'd initially expected and there were far more humans than twi'leks, which surprised her. Usually, men like Lunal stuck to more isolated populations. Nabbing an alien that a human might miss could have actual repercussions if the cards weren't played right. Maybe he was getting desperate or just plain sloppy.

Her fingers drummed against the side of her boot in thought, lips pursing together into a thin line. She had her work cut out for her.

Clicking her tongue, she pushed herself back to her feet. She didn't need to catch the man in the act, the twi'lek was well past that point. If she'd taken the time to come out to catch a slaver, it meant death for either herself or the one she hunted by the end of the day.

"Right... let's go kill ourselves an nerf herder." She muttered under her breath, striding down the hill.



It was easy enough to fall into line with miners as they meandered their way through the village, seemingly all heading to the same spot. That was as good a place to start looking as any other, Wren reasoned. Eventually, she found herself standing outside Le Renard et la plume. She lightly gripped the strap of her staff as she moved through the small crowd, careful to not accidentally bump into anyone.

Getting inside proved to be the easy part, but finding a place to actually sit down by herself took considerable more effort. Eventually, she settled on a small table towards the back of the establishment with a view of the front entrance. She wasn't there long when she spotted the exact reason why Lunal had chosen this particular village for his target -- one of the serving girls that worked at the restaurant was a young Lethan. The scarlet-colored twi'leks were exceedingly rare and incredibly expensive on the black market.

Someone must have tipped Lunal off about her, which meant someone in the village or nearby, was linked to the network. That certainly complicated things. Shooting the man the moment she caught sight of him was officially off the table. She needed to get information from him first.

She kicked her feet up onto the chair next to her, getting more comfortable. If the obvious mark was already here, all she had to do was wait for Lunal to show his face.

Then she felt it.

The sensation was subtle at first, but gradually grew more insistent as time went on. For Wren, the Force around her was like a current of water. It ebbed and flowed, but some people caused it to ripple, disturbing the calm surface tension. She'd come to understand over the years that those who disturbed the steady current, tended to be Force users themselves.

A frown settled over her features and she pulled her feet down from the seat, brow furrowing slightly with concern. Yet another complication then. It was tempting to just pack up and leave, but she couldn't bring herself to abandon the lethan woman to the potential fate that awaited her. Lunal needed to be dealt with.

And just as the thought popped into her head, the vile man sauntered into the tavern with a smarmy smirk on his lips.

 

[Xobos Yakieer]

Location: Illyria, Garde Noire, Beacon Castle.
Equipment: Illyria Knight Armor, Knight Saberstaff, Miralukan Eye Mask
Mental state: Silent.
Tags: | Wrenarias | Adron Malvern | The High Court of Illyria |

The rest of the walk was uneventful to say the least. A few stops here and there to see to how the operations were going to begin on the third mine, as well as to visit a few miners in their homes to see how they were recovering from an illness that had begun to spread. The mining captain and guild seemed to think that they had hit some sort of poisonous metal near one of the new offshoots in mine two. The offshoot had been sealed up per her orders until she could get an expert in from both the Mining Guild and the Capital. The last thing that she needed was miners dropping dead because they were mining a poisonous metal without knowing. These people were too good for that. The visits went well enough, and those that had been affected before the problem was identified to this point were healing. There might be some minor damage to the lungs, but it seemed as though they were all rearing to get to mining again.

With the visits completed, the thought of Le Renard et la plume’s soups once again began to burrow into her mind like a mine worm. It didn’t help that each time she looked down at Sabatora she was met by a look of pure hunger that only meat could fulfill. “Alright,” she eventually gave in as they passed back into the main part of the town, “let’s get something to eat. Perhaps by the time we’re finished the jokers will be back to the manor.” Knowing Leven and Jala by this point however…that was a stretch to think about, even for Xobos.

The building was still buzzing from the near post rush hour when she started to clamber up the steps. Miners that had taken to eating their meals outside, flashed the Sieur a grin and spewed welcomes in between bites. For as crude as they could be sometimes, Xobos still had a love for these people who she had started to call her own, and her heart was aflame with happiness when they greeted her. She retuned their greeting before entering the tavern, almost instantly furrowing her brow at the feeling that grew on the back of her neck.

Something…something was not right here.

Perhaps it was the man who had entered right before her. Something about him, someone who was not a native to her providence, stirred within her wrong. Or maybe it was the alien in the corner who was now very much glaring at either her or the man. Miraluka vision was a fickle thing at times, at where one was looking could sometimes be missed on her. Still, she felt her gaze, which was enough for Xobos to feel out through the force and notice the latent force ability within the alien. “Fascinating...” She mumbled to herself just before being motioned over by a number of her guard who were sharing a table with some of the other miners. She had no hesitation in moving over to them, although her mind was still very much on the man and the twilek.

Pulling up a seat, the largest of the men to her right set about patting her on the shoulder, proclaiming loud enough for the entire tavern to hear. “look who came to join us boys! Not often that the Sieur comes down from her shiny manor.” It was in jest, as most of them knew Xobos made a point to come eat with the men at least a few times a week, yet still sent the tavern into a drunken laughter at Xobos’ expense. The uproar was loud enough for the same man to lean over to her, whispering in a hushed tone. “Them visitors your friends?” Xobos' silent, subtle shake of her head was enough of an answer for him and the rest of the group who were waiting on her answer. Apparently, the other mines and guards at the table had noticed the new people too, though they did their best to keep their eyes restrained to their food. It wasn’t unbelievable. Garde Noire was a tight knit community, and new people visiting were either here for business or for Xobos. If they were here for neither..

The owner of the tavern, a shorter set man by the name of Rarrok Orchelm, eventually made his way over to the table, settling in next to the Seiur. “Here to eat, ma’am?” Flashing him a grin, she nodded her head and motioned to Sabatora. “Whatever meat you have in stock for her, daily soup for me.” Then, in a much less jovial tone, meant to indicate it’s seriousness to the man, “And…why don’t you contact Sergeant Hin, for me. To..join us, for lunch.” There was only one reason that Xobos would be calling for the captain of the guard in such a way, and Rarrok seemed to understand the reasoning quite quickly. Nodding, he waddled away as Xobos turned to settle back into her seat, busing herself with conversing with those at the table, all while keeping tabs on the two uninvited guests to her home.

 

[Wrenarias]

Wren was not an utter fool, she knew that the locals were watching her. They had every reason to be suspicious of an outsider, but she was no threat to them... so long as they didn't touch her. It was clear, however, that the woman who arrived soon after Lunal was of some importance to the people here. She could tell by the way they spoke to her, their behavior shifting ever so slightly. Whoever she was, the Miraluka was no miner.

The twi'lek quietly clicked her tongue in irritation and returned her unsettling gaze to the man she was hunting.

He stalked through the room, conversing with relative ease to the men and women he encountered as he gradually made his way towards the lethan serving girl. His path was subtle, but Wren's keen stare followed him as he went. Judging from the way he was dressed, he was a rather well-off businessman. To the miners, he likely seemed as little more than a potential investor.

She needed to intercept him before he could weave some asinine tale of why he was visiting the little mining town.

There wasn't a moment to lose.

With a heavy sigh, Wren pushed herself to her feet and strode directly across the small tavern, making a beeline for the other outsider. Just as he was approaching the red twi'lek, Wren stepped in front of him with a predatory smile on her lips. "Geslad! It took you forever. How've you been?" She greeted him brightly as if they were old friends.

Geslad Lunal blinked several times at the woman in front of him as if trying to place a familiar face, but failing to do so. "I'm uh... sorry, but do I know you?"

Wren's smile only grew and she reached out to clasp a hand on Lunal's shoulder. The man's posture would shift somewhat the moment she touched him, seemingly growing more comfortable. He laughed as though he'd realized something and shook his head. "Kriff, Jade, you look different. We can talk outside if you'd rather?"

"Yes. Let's." She replied coolly, keeping her hand on his shoulder as she steered him towards the exit. As she left, she noticed that the guards seated off to the side were watching her. She didn't have much time.

Once outside the tavern, she led the hapless slaver behind the building. It was isolated enough for her to act. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't be forced to take such a drastic measure, but as it stood she was out of options. She absolutely hated this part. Before Lunal could regain his senses and ask what was going on, Wren quickly yanked the glove from her right hand then placed her bare hand to the side of Lunal's throat.

She took a sharp, gasping breath.

Through their direct contact, a link swiftly forged between her consciousness and Lunal's. Wren called it The Bridge. For her, there was no need to ask questions when she wanted information from someone like the slaver she now held in her grasp -- not when she could simply bore into their own consciousness and take exactly what she needed. Normally, The Bridge only meant the person she was touching could sense her emotions and surface thoughts, an extension of her mind into theirs, that was... when she kept it in check.

This was not such a time.

She tore through the man's psyche, searing his memories and thoughts as she went. The process was fast, but also excruciatingly painful for Lunal, which Wren was forced to endure the same pain through the Bridge. It was her burden to bear, any time she inflicted such pain on another she would feel it reflected back onto her. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself onward.

The Force rippled at first when Wren made the initial contact, but as she raided the slaver's mind, the Force seemed to recoil in a violent burst -- imperceptible to those without a connection to the Force, but it would be a brilliant beacon to those who would notice such things.

When she ripped her hand back from Lunal, she staggered slightly and clutched at her temple, grimacing in pain. The slaver, however, was in far worse condition. He swayed on the spot for a moment and then simply tipped backwards, collapsing onto the ground with a solid thud. His eyes stared vacantly up into the sky, but he did not move an inch from the spot where he fell. From a purely medical stand point, he was still technically alive; but Wren knew that the man who had been Geslad Lunal was gone. His consciousness nothing but a charred husk.

But she had a name and a face. Hell, she even had the contact information and address. Anything that Lunal had once known... now resided in Wren's mind.

She tugged her glove back on, catching her breath, though the nausea still roiled through her. He deserved it. She told herself. He deserved it.

 

[Xobos Yakieer]

Location: Illyria, Garde Noire, Le Renard et la plume.
Equipment: Illyria Knight Armor, Knight Saberstaff, Miralukan Eye Mask
Mental state: Silent.
Tags: | Wrenarias | Adron Malvern | The High Court of Illyria |

The other guards at the table were much less…subtle with their looks than Xobos would’ve otherwise liked. To be fair, they didn’t have the advantage of being able to feel out where the man and twilek were, but they could’ve made it a little less obvious. Still, that’s what one got for sitting at a table full of tired miners and guards, neither of whom really had ever had to act normally in an abnormal situation. Gravel Tennit, the guard captain sat across from her, at least seemingly understood this, keeping his gaze squarely set upon his bowl of soup. “Looks like they’re going to talk..” His voice carried just loud enough for Xobos hear, electing an nod from her.

Seemed as though these didn’t want their business becoming public knowledge, even in a private booth. “Yes..let us see that their conversation goes civilly.” Standing slowly, the other guards at the table barely needed a motion from their Sieur to join her in standing, turning to follow the Miraluka out of tavern and to see their providence’s uninvited guests. If she was going to investigate, they would be coming too, as was tradition.

Xobos’ walk was slow, but purposeful as she exited the tavern with Sabatora by her side. A quick look told her exactly where they had moved to, as did the miners on the steps giving her a motion around the side of the building. Even if she didn’t need them, the miners received a thankful nod as Xobos hopped off the front steps, beginning toward the back of the building where she knew that she’d find both of them.

What she didn’t expect to find was a body suddenly flopping out in front of her just as she rounded the building, with the twilek standing there looking worse for wear. It only took a moment’s look toward the man to understand he was barely alive, his heart fluttering like a mortally wounded animal. “So..it’s murder on my lands then.” Her words were spoke aloud, almost more to herself than to either the twilek or her guard. Before either could react, Xobos had brought her hand upward, beginning to force choke the twilek on the spot, lifting her a few inches above the ground. “Tennit…go get Hin..and my speeder. Now.”

The guard captain looked for just a moment between the Miraluka and the Twilek, snapping to action the moment his Sieur’s words echoed throughout her mind. “Yes ma’am. You two, with me. Kix, Velquin, stay here with the Sieur.” The group split, the hulking captain started quickly back toward the castle, two guards staying close to his tail. Kix and Velquin, a pair of stouter guards respectfully, turned to flank the Miraluka.

Despite this all going behind her, Xobos’ firm grip on the Twilek’s throat through the force never wavered. Through the force, Wren might feel the Miraluka’s gaze sweeping over her, taking in what she only knew to be a murderer on her lands. She didn’t want to kill the alien, at least not yet, so just as she felt what might be her final breaths starting to eek from her lips, Xobos swept an arm to the side, slamming the alien against the wall while letting go of her throat.

It was in the moments where Wren would attempt to gather herself that she’d hear the tell tale snap hiss of a blade being ignited. The orange blade, characterized by a black core of light, pointed straight toward the criminal’s face. By now, a small crowd of miners had begun to gather, many of which had put together the situation by the seemingly dead body and their Sieur’s action. In their minds, justice should be quickly served to someone who dare commit such a crime on their homeland, and their urgers toward Xobos to swiftly end the alien’s life could be heard growing louder and louder.

“Cuff her.” Xobos’ blade stayed unwaveringly in Wren’s face while the guards moved to restrain the alien where she lay. “I would suggest you comply. I can make your death much more painful than the mercy I’m feeling right now.” There was no mistaking where her words were pointed now. Killing this woman would do nothing for her. She wanted to know everything about this Twilek and what she had done to this man, and a dead body could only speak so much.

 

[Wrenarias]

A Sith. Why was it always a Sith that ran places like this? Her last encounter with one had left her scarred, corrupted, and more than half dead. This one at least seemed somewhat sane, but she doubted that 'mercy' would last for long.

She coughed as she rolled onto her side, grimacing in pain from the abrupt collision with the wall. Before she could even find her feet, there was a saber pointed at her face. For what it was worth, the twi'lek didn't try to get up or runaway. In fact, at first it didn't even appear as though she was going to utter a word in her defense.

Her peculiar eyes watched the scene unfold, calmly taking in the situation. Many voices were crying out for her death on the spot. She couldn't blame the miners, all they knew was that a stranger had come into their home and seemingly murdered another visitor. Most people she encountered these days thought her a monster or a freak, these villagers saw her in the same light, no doubt.

As the men moved forward with cuffs in hand, Wren slowly sat up in as nonthreatening a manner as she could manage. Her gaze settled back onto the Miraluka, the sith, that was clearly in charge. There were two matters that swiftly needed to be addressed, the first of which was making sure that the guards didn't touch her. The last thing she needed was to accidentally kill some hapless guard just doing his job.

She cleared her throat before speaking, "I uh... recommend they don't touch me. You can cuff me if you want, just you should do it with the Force. Not them." Her head tilted towards the guards that were moving in her direction, but she didn't look away from the woman with the lightsaber.

"And uh... Kellian Porvis, a foreman here, is an informant for a slave network. If you care about that sort of thing..." She added a moment later, figuring she may as well get the information out while she could still speak in front of the village.

The Sith may not care, but she reasoned that someone in the village would care enough to look into it.

 

[Xobos Yakieer]

Location: Illyria, Garde Noire, Beacon Castle.
Equipment: Illyria Knight Armor, Knight Saberstaff, Miralukan Eye Mask
Mental state: Silent.
Tags: | Wrenarias | Adron Malvern | The High Court of Illyria |

It was good that the twilek seemingly understood the futility of the situation, and hadn’t tried to break away or fight back. She was smart enough to do that, at least. Xobos’ blade never wavered however, staying pointed directly toward the alien’s face. Any extra movement and she would make sure she regretted it, something her younger self might’ve had trouble holding back from doing. Just being a jedi was enough for Xobos to lash out and attempt to kill the woman. No hesitation or thought about the future. Adron had been sure to install that sense of patience.

That being said, Wren speaking out of turn and recommending that her guards didn’t touch her did sent a spike of anger through her body, despite her face staying neutral. The guards slowly looked from the twilek back to the Sieur, pausing from the task that they had been given. There was something about the inflection of her voice that was seemingly enough to give them pause, as if she wasn’t totally lying. “Ma’am..?” Kix asked, eyes quickly flipping back and forth from Wren to the Miraluka. They’d do anything that Xobos asked, but there was something about the woman’s warning…

For Xobos’ part, she just glared down at the Twilek. Well, as much as Miraluka could glare, that was. Wren seemed truthful, and she wouldn’t still be giving herself up if she was trying to escape. Slowly she began to nod, motioning for the guards to step back. “Alright…judging by how you’ve treated our other guest, I would assume touching you would not be beneficial. I’ll take you up on your little..counter-offer.” Her blade tilted upward, motioning for her to stand. When she rose to her feet, Wren would feel a pressure on either of her wrists, bringing them together. Enough to keep her from thinking about running, hopefully.

Wren’s next words earned her another blank look from Xobos, yet internally, her mind was racing. There weren’t many things left in this galaxy that she hated more than slavery. It’s how she had earned her knighthood. To learn that there might be an informant within her own colony…rage inducing, for sure.

It was the sound of her speeder being pulled up that brought Xobos from her thoughts, with only a moment later an orange haired man running up to greet the Sieur. “This our murderer?” He asked, motioning toward the twilek. “And why is she not cuffed?”

Xobos waved him off, instead nodding toward the speeder while keeping her gaze on Wren. “Into the speeder. Now.” There was a subtle amount of pressure that would ripple through the her neck just to remind her of what had happened before. The blade of her saber didn’t waver, continuing to follow Wren until she finally got into the speeder. Before Xobos jumped in to join Wren and another guard, she turned to Tennit, allowing a grim look to finally cross her face. “Find Porvis. Bring him to the castle. And have… Leven Jeyd take care of him. But remind her I would wish to speed to him also.” The horrified look that was barely contained by the guard captain’s face spoke to the stories that had been told among the guard at what the Jester could do with a knife. Regardless, he gave Xobos a nod, made a motion to the rest of the guards to follow him, and set off.

After watching them leave, Xobos made a move to jump into the speeder. Her gaze once again settled on the force user, voice raising at the same time to be heard over the engines. “To the capital. I believe the King would like to meet our little guest.” Hin acknowledged this with a salute, and they were off, speeding toward the capital city of the planet.

 

[Wrenarias]

Whatever happened to her now was entirely in the hands of the Sith and whoever this "King" was that she'd mentioned. After speaking her peace, it seemed that the twi'lek had nothing else to say for herself. The slaver had been dealt with, not necessarily killed, but close enough; and she'd given them the information on the informant that was dwelling in the village. It was something and Wren could accept that as enough.

With the Miraluka's urging, Wren quietly climbed into the speeder without offering any resistance. The last thing she wanted to do was to give the woman a reason to unleash her more violent urges.

Keeping her head down, Wren did her best to get a better layout of her surroundings as the speeder launched across the landscape. It would be a long walk back to her ship if she ever got free.

Sighing quietly, she leaned back against the seat and dropped her head against the headrest. It was an optimistic thought to think she'd ever see the light of day again once they arrived at their destination.

At least they aren't her. She thought bitterly, tonguing the inside of her cheek as she glanced at her haunting reflection. Please don't be like her.

 

[Adron Malvern]

MEET​

Tags: Xobos Yakieer Wrenarias ​

The King was not in the Great Hall as he usually was. No, he'd suspended the rest of his meetings for the day in an attempt to clear his mind of all that plagued him.

When the Sieur of Garde Noire sent for a request to see the King she was originally set to be denied. However, there were a few among the planet of Illyria whom the King would break his schedule for. For her merits and as his apprentice she had earned such a right.

The speeder that came to rest on the landing pad was met by a well groomed man with golden-blonde hair and a proud tone about him. An Officiel of the High Court by the well-tailored suit and prominent badge that hung from his breast pocket. Upon eyeing the Sieur he bowed his head in a respectful greeting. "Lady Yakieer. Welcome back to the Capitol. I trust all is well in Garde Noire?" He asked, offering some idle conversation as they were greeted. "I am Viscount Aden Harest."

"His majesty is pursuing his interests in the courtyard, please follow me My Lady." He bowed his head before turning and gesturing for the group to follow behind him. As they walked, the man spoke with a slightly worried tone. "I do hope this is important. The King has seemed...tense as of late due to a small mishap with a trade contract. It was thrown behind schedule and His Majesty had to cancel his trip to Naboo due to it."

The group passed through a set of cream colored doors with golden accents flowing lavishly across the frame. The main hall itself was beautiful with touches of gold and amethyst upon an eggshell interior. It did not take long before the group was led to another set of double-doors, this one guarded by two armored knights of the Royal Guard. As the group approached the two met stepped aside, pushing the door open.

What was revealed was a massive open courtyard. There were a number of potted plants lining the edge of the area, however aside from that it was emptied.

Aside from the four men standing in the center of the yard.

Two armored Knights stood opposite of Adron, each of them armed with a vibrosword which let out soft whirring sounds as they stood at the ready. The King held a pair of inactive lightsabers in his hands, his thumbs rolling over the steel carefully before his eyes rose to meet Xobos Yakieer and the guests she had brought along. The defensive stance Adron took was lowered as he looked to the two men before him. They too dropped their offensive stances before their King waved them away. Each of the men bowed respectfully before turning to take their leave.

As the two men passed by Xobos, their armor was noticeably damaged and they seemed out of breath. The King who wore a simple black dress shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows approached the group with an arched brow. "Xobos. I was not expecting you." He said, his tone one of displeasure rather than surprise. "Viscount, leave us." The King said, turning his eyes to the young Lord.

"Of course, your Majesty." The blonde haired man responded before turning to leave out of the courtyard as well. The man nodded his farewells before leaving the King alone with his guests. Adron turned back to a cart that had been set in the edge of the courtyard. He laid his lightsabers on the top of the surface before speaking plainly. "This had better be of some importance." He warned Xobos. The King had already taken notice of the young Wrenarias . He found it particularly interesting the way that the Force radiated off the woman in slow, subtle waves.
​

​

 

[Xobos Yakieer]

Location: Illyria, Capital City
Equipment: Illyria Knight Armor, Knight Saberstaff, Miralukan Eye Mask
Mental state: Silent.
Tags: | Wrenarias | Adron Malvern | The High Court of Illyria |

The ride to the capital was silent outside of the soft hum of the speeders engines. Nothing was said from the Miraluka toward the Twi’lek. There was nothing to talk about at this point. By the emotions that were practically rolling off the green alien at this point, both knew exactly where they were going by now. Xobos didn’t trust herself enough to knock this situation out by herself. Of couse, she could have turned Wren over to her apprentice for a few hours, allowed the jester to have her fun within the castle’s dungeon and maybe then turn her over to her master. But that wasn’t how they did things. This was a matter he should attend to. She knew that by now.

Instead of talking, Xobos’ gaze was on the alien for much of the journey. Not only to watch her, making sure there were no sudden movements, but also just taking the time to observe all of cuts and abrasions on her body. Whoever she was, they were no stranger to pain and battle. Most of the scars on her body appeared to be slashes of some kind, and that was to speak none to the fact she was missing an entire lekku. From what she knew about the alien’s anatomy, those things functioned slightly as cognitive help. To think about losing one, and what it would do to someone’s personality…horrifying.

Such things didn’t excuse murder for unknown reasons, unfortunately.

Their ride was a short one, something that Xobos was alright with, everything considering. Just get this..thing to her master and explain the situation, and have him handle it from there. Even the walk to wherever her master was resulted in being quite short as well. Obviously he had not been expecting to be disturbed, only adding to the pressure on the apprentice to bring forth something…interesting. She hadn’t trained under the man for years for nothing. There were times that danger could come from speaking. This was very much one of these times.

Allowing them to be alone before beginning to speak, Xobos stepped slightly to the side, allowing her master to get a full view of the alien she had brought for him to see. “I apologize to interrupt master, but I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t believe you would want hear about this.” Motioning to Wren, she began to pace around her, gaze fixated to her form. “Whoever this is, a guest to my providence, did something…fascinating to another of my guest behind a tavern. She seemingly..broke the man’s mind. I do not know how, as I was only there to see the results of her actions. Interestingly, she warned my guards to not touch her, and she was not brandishing any sort of weapon when we found her.” Pausing for a moment, Xobos turned to master to speak once more. “The man’s body is being brought here, to your medical examiner. He was not dead..but there was no soul left in his body.”

Finally, the apprentice stepped back into place on the side, allowing her master an unrestricted view of the alien once more. “And finally, she spoke of one my foremen who is supposedly an informant for a slave network. Perhaps she knew this before getting to the planet, but everything seems much too…connected to be a coincidence. My apprentice ( Leven Jeyd ) is securing the man as we speak to verify her words.” That was the information, and now, she fully stepped back, bowing her head as she did so. Whatever happened now was up to him. She had given all the information as she knew, but if she was needed, she would stay.

 

[Wrenarias]

Xobos Yakieer | Adron Malvern

Wrenarias had to admit, she was surprised by the Miraluka's honesty about the situation and how accurately she described what happened. She'd expected the ravings of a woman driven by the need for blood, but it seemed she'd been wrong. It was always a pleasant surprise when Wren was wrong about someone. Wasn't like Wren was going to get many more "pleasant" surprises anyway.

Judging by the anger the rolled off the man in front of her, Wren reasoned that this day would likely be her last.

Or she would wish that it was. She couldn't quite tell which direction this King would take things yet.

Her posture looked as though she had no intention of fighting. She kept her hands clasped together in front of her with her head bowed low. The entire situation made her skin crawl, like she was back on the slave market and was being inspected before a sale. She sank her teeth into the side of her cheek to keep quiet.

While the Miraluka explained the circumstances that brought her before the King, Wren's mind was racing. A gruff voice whispering in the back of her mind as she took in her surroundings through her peripherals.

Always be lookin' for a way out. Somethin' you can use to your advantage, if needed. Know your escape routes, kid. For a fleeting moment, Wren didn't feel so alone. Marcus' memories always had a way of manifesting whenever she was in some sort of trouble. He always helped her keep calm. It felt as though he was standing next to her, muttering his usual advice out of the corner of his mouth. But when she glanced towards the sound of the voice, there was no one there.

There was never anyone.

 

[Adron Malvern]

REWARD​

Tags: Wrenarias Xobos Yakieer ​

It was not that the King had no faith in his apprentice or even that she habitually wasted his time. It was the fact that every moment of his life was a precious gem that could not afford to be expended. This was not a self-valuation merely the reality of a King. Every moment awake and asleep was carefully scheduled toward a single end. As Xobos began to speak it appeared that the trip from Garde Noire to the capitol had been for a valid reason. His peerless gaze slowly left his apprentice and turned towards the young Twi'lek who stood before the King. The King dipped into the tap of the Dark Side, calling on the Force to connect the subtle bridges between he and Wrenarias. Now he could feel it. The subtle discomfort that came off of her in waves. She was nervous, worried. Worried that her life would meet it's end here? A valid worry.

The next words to fall from Xobos' lips caused the King's gaze to harden, yet not on Wrenarias, but Xobos herself. He looked to the woman and narrowed his gaze as he held up a hand to effectively silent his apprentice.

"I expect your apprentice to handle her mission with tact and efficiency. The stink of slavery will never show itself on my world. Those within the Nobility who cling to such a pitless tradition will find their entire House subject to Adjudication. You are no exception, Lady Yakieer." His words were spoken harshly, yet he did Xobos the honor of sparing her no favors. She was a young Sieur, of the lower nobility. If it was discovered that her provence house a slaver it would effectively leave her excommunicated from the greater aristocracy.

The King's eyes turned from his apprentice's to the young Twi'lek who had been brought before him. He looked to the woman for a spare moment before arching a brow to the woman. "Well...If she does have knowledge of slavers on Illyria I would think her help could be invaluable to us."

"I will speak to the examiners in the medical wing on the condition of the man whose mind she's broken. However, first I would be sure she is telling the truth about all she has said." That was when the King took a step forward, his hand coming up to hover a few inches from Wrenarias' brow.

In the next moment the young Twi'lek would feel a pressure fall upon her. The weight of the force would descend upon her as the King searched her mind the for truth, ripping it from any lies that may lay within. However as he searched the woman's mind he found nothing to show that she was lying. His eyes began to slowly close until finally, it ended. The pressure upon Wren would come to an end and he looked to his apprentice. "Take the girl. She could use a meal, the kitchens will prepare the both of you a meal and the Chamberlain will arrange for rooms in the guest wing. Once your apprentice reports back on the status of the slavers we will decide what is to be done next." With that the King turned from the two, making his way out of the courtyard. He paused, turning back to the Twi'lek before speaking plainly. "If it is found that the girl did indeed help you discover a slave network leading to my planet we will pay her for the discovery. Twenty thousand credits should see her well handled."
​

​

 

[Xobos Yakieer]

Location: Illyria, Capital City
Equipment: Illyria Knight Armor, Knight Saberstaff, Miralukan Eye Mask
Mental state: Silent.
Tags: | Wrenarias | Adron Malvern | The High Court of Illyria |

Adjunction.

She’d heard the stories. Anyone that lived on this planet had. Anyone that had actually seen them work refused to speak about it. Everything came second hand, or by what they left behind. And that was from the cities and providences that didn’t have anything that they wanted to find. The ones that did…well, there were reasons those stories were so few and far between. No matter what, they were not what Xobos wanted to encounter.

And now..there was a chance she’d meet them. For just a moment, her emotions rose within her to meet the oncoming anger at there being such a person in her providence, and how things had gone so well before now. But then…she realized her selfishness within her, and quickly quelled it out. She had gotten her knighthood through her own efforts to combat the slavery that popped up on this planet. Instead of viewing this as an unhappy turn of events, it would instead be an opportunity to snuff out another wicker before it could become a flame.

That was assuming that what Wren had said was the truth, and that her apprentice was able to find it out. But nothing that the alien had said so far seemed to indicate she was lying, so there was no reason to brush aside such a tip. If it came about it was less than reasonable, it would be talked about then. Otherwise…let her apprentice handle the situation she knew the Jester truly could. She did have a way with the knife…

The task that fell upon her shoulders now might’ve surprised some. The alien was a murderer, or at, and attempted one. Being brought to the King would more than likely result in a execution on many other worlds. But it was not her place to ask, not her place to question. She had learned that far too often as his apprentice. And, in complete honestly, she wasn’t completely surprised at this change. The twi’lek could be an asset. And Adron knew how to shape those to his will. Better than anyone.

After giving her master a respectful bow of the head, she motioned for Wren to follow her, turning to leave the room without looking to make sure she was following. “C’mon. Lets get you something to eat.” Their exit from the training garden led them into the brightly lit hallways of Dragonne Palace. Dark purple banners seemed to hand from every corner of the ceiling in places, and the mark of Malvern, the same branded onto her wrist, plastered on every flat surface. He was the king of this world, and there would be no mistaking such a thing.

As they walked, Xobos’ mind began to wander back to their first meeting, brow furrowing as a thought came to mind. While her gaze was kept straight forward, her words were clearly meant for the companion to her side. “I do not believe I ever asked your name..”

 

[Wrenarias]

Two things became abundantly clear as Xobos led twi'lek through the opulent castle halls: Wren was entirely out of place there and she was entirely in over her head. She wasn't a noblewoman, hell she didn't even have much money to her name. By many standards in the Core, Wren was an outright criminal. What would happen if the King found out about that little fact? Or Xobos for that matter.

Lost in her own thoughts, it took her a few moments to register that the miraluka had asked her name.

She cleared her throat and rubbed the back of her neck. Lying wouldn't do any good. Wren was a horrible liar and she knew it. Best to just give her name and hope that the people here didn't connect the dots, while also hoping they weren't affiliated with her.

"Wren." She answered simply, instinctively looking to the miraluka out of sheer habit. Part of her wondered if that was rude or not.

 

[Xobos Yakieer]

Location: Illyria, Capital City
Equipment: Illyria Knight Armor, Knight Saberstaff, Miralukan Eye Mask
Mental state: Silent.
Tags: | Wrenarias | Adron Malvern | The High Court of Illyria |

“Wren.”

Xobos repeated back to the Twilek, almost rolling the word out of her mouth. It was as though she was tasting it, wondering just how such a thing fit the green alien to her left. The more the name was mulled over within her mind, the more she found the name to fit. It was a common name, perhaps an abbreviation of some kind. That wouldn’t surprise Xobos whatsoever. From what she knew of Twi’lek culture, they had quite long names, so something easier to say in basic would make sense from Wren’s standpoint.

The Lady was silent from that point on, even as she did realize that she hadn’t exactly given the other woman her name. Her master had addressed her, but only by her proper title. Eventually, after the silence had seemingly built to a boiling point, Xobos began to speak once again, keeping her gaze continually straight forward. “My name is Xobos, if you were curious.” She knew the alien was, that much was obvious enough. “I serve both as the Sieur of the Garde Noire territory, where you..landed, and as the apprentice to our King, and my master, Darth Malphas.”

She was sure that this would probably leave more questions in Wren’s mind than it would answer. Tis was the nature, however, of landing on a brand new world and being thrust into an investigation that she could only blame herself for starting off. Thankfully there would not be much time for her ponder on such things, as they reached the private dining hall that Adron kept to the side for his guests, apprentices, and special nights with the queen. Thankfully, it was clear for the moment, allowing Xobos to lead the alien inside.

Bowing a head toward the two attendants now standing at attention, she motioned to herself and Wren before speaking. “Two meals, please. Whatever meat you have on hand, along with some vegetables. This one hasn’t eaten in a while.” Their answers came back in the form of a pair of bowed heads toward the two guests before scurrying off to the attached kitchen. Xobos allowed them to leave, then motioned toward the small table in the center of the room while approaching one side. “Please, sit, and tell me just how you found yourself upon my adopted homeworld.”