Private The Princess & The Stowaway

[Viers Connory]

//: Lucette //:
//: Attire //:

Tap. Tap. Scroll. Tap.

It had been a while, four years. Her last memory faded into the music of the dance on Korriban. Everything had been perfect; it was like a dream - one that the holofilms make epic stories about. Regret came over her as she remembered the one thing she wanted to try and Lucy. The opportunity was there, but she was too scared to even try. A hand touched the bottom of her lip as she wondered again, for the billionth time, what it would have felt like to kiss her.

The comm device remained silent, and old messages were read and reread, trying to find a hint or something that would explain why suddenly silence had fallen between them.

Nothing felt right anymore. Training sucked. Food sucked. Even the bustling city life of Jutrand sucked. The color in the world had faded, and Viers threatened to go with it as well. Her focus was no longer on her studies or training; everything in her mind had become consumed by the thought of the Princess. Where she had gone, why had she stopped talking, and why was Viers so sad? Nothing made sense, and she didn't know who to talk to.

Everyone was on Korriban. Eira had become the apprentice of some Sith Lord, which meant she was no longer roaming the halls of Jutrand Academy. Everyone she knew and with whom she had any semblance of friendship was gone…again.

She didn't care, though; none of them were the Princess.

Tonight was another night of silence, but Viers was fed up. She was going to head to the Commonwealth; she was already on the nearest planet she could get to, which was at the edge of the Blackwall. With everything that was happening, the planets shifting and maps now all wrong, the young monk had to redo everything in her own charts. None of it made sense, and none of her contacts knew anything about it.
They, too, were scrambling.

Viers had been summoned back to the nearest temple, but she refused - stating that her mission was tied, but she needed to be in the field. The Grand Master seemed to have accepted this and let her stay.

---

Viers stood in line. She was going to take the nearest shuttle to Dosuun. Seoul was the closest planet that she could get to without running into issues. But it seemed her luck had run out, and she was stopped by the Imperial guard at the gate. "Papers?" he held out his hand, asking.

"What?"

"No Papers?"

Viers frowned, looking confused, and shook her head. The guard waved her off and then started helping the person behind him. He wouldn't waste resources on a kid with no idea what was happening.

She looked around, seeing that there were ways to detect her if she was silent and faded into the Force. Instead, she had her trump card. Moving through the crowd again, Viers ducked into the nearest alleyway. She ensured she had everything and slung the staff onto her back with her backpack. Her mind focused, remembering what she could of the massive castle Lucy lived in.

With the picture in mind, Viers clasped her hands and summoned the energy of the Force to course through her, to bleed into the Kybur crystals embedded into the surface of her skin through rituals of her people. She felt herself torn apart as the portal in front of her engulfed her.
Nothing was left in the Seoul station except a few candy bar wrappers that floated from where the Corellian stood.

The pitstop to the Netherworld was quick, meaning she had gotten stronger despite the lack of focused training. Viers stepped through the second portal, which was dimly lit and dark, which indicated that it was evening on Dosuun. Viers, wanting to be quiet, did her best to step through, but unfortunately, fate and the Force had other plans.

The moment she stepped through, Viers realized there was no ground where she had stepped in. It seemed she had opened the portal in the roof of the closet. There was no indicator of whose closet she had accessed, but she would eventually find out as she fell in.

Tumbling into the closet, she hit every shelf, and whatever was stored came down with her. The pile of clothes, books, and other items piled onto her as she lay there, dazed and rather confused by her surroundings and situation.

Slowly sitting up, she groaned and hoped it didn't cause too much commotion.

 

[Lucette]

Viers Connory​

Lucette Fortan-Raaf sat poised upon the edge of her dormitory settee, the delicate hum of Crown City Radio filling the room with its usual mix of dulcet orchestral interludes and warm-voiced announcements. The crisp evening air filtered gently through the half-open transom window, rustling the corner of a Commonwealth-issue pennant tacked above her desk.

She examined herself in the full-length mirror, her gloved fingers smoothing the pleats of a modest yet fashionable calf-length dress in plum. "Mm. I wonder," she mused aloud, canting her head just slightly, "if this shall do for Starlight Stomp. One really ought to look respectable, if not altogether dazzling. Especially with the taping crew on hand."

The anticipation of the event brought a flicker of warmth to her cheeks, though, in truth, what occupied her heart was a name far removed from any university gala. Viers. Her Viers. And oh, how dreadfully inconvenient this Blackwall business had become. Between the Signal Reform Act's latest implementations and the tangle of new encryption laws, communications beyond Commonwealth borders were little more than memories. It made Viers feel even farther away than she truly was, and Lucette found herself yearning for one of those clandestine messages, even a brief flicker on her comlink.

The soft creak of the door interrupted her reverie as her roommate, an effervescent half-Chiss undergrad from Sezali, bustled in, a fresh copy of Silhouette magazine clutched in one hand and a small cosmetics pouch in the other.

"You must see the new Crown spread," the Chiss girl declared with infectious excitement. "They've done an entire feature on the late Grand Moff's autumn wardrobe. Completely sublime. Just look, here she is in that velvet-lined coat."

Lucette leaned in graciously, her lips forming a small smile. "Oh yes, how perfectly tailored. And those handbags, are those with a loyalty-vetted vendor?"

"Approved through the National Quality Exchange," her roommate affirmed, blue skin practically glowing with pride. "Can you believe it? All available to students on the Patriot Plan."

Lucette nodded with an air of composed approval. "Mm, lovely. It's rather comforting, I think, to know the fashions of the Fortan era are still considered proper. A bit of tradition never goes amiss."

No sooner had the words left her lips than a peculiar sound interrupted them, a muffled thump, quite distinct, emanating from within the wardrobe across the room.

"What a strange noise," Lucette remarked, eyes flickering toward the closet with mild curiosity. "Perhaps a storage box has collapsed." She did not rise, not immediately. It was probably nothing, after all.

Her roommate continued flipping through pages, but as the minutes ticked by and the excitement of Starlight Stomp loomed closer, she excused herself, gathering her things.

"Gymnasium doors open at half past," she said as she swept out. "I'll save you a seat, Luce."

Left alone once more, Lucette cast a longer glance toward the wardrobe. Another thump. This one sharper, more insistent.

A beat passed.

Her heart gave a curious flutter.

Could it be? No, surely not. The Blackwall was nearly impenetrable. Smuggling a message past was difficult enough, but smuggling a person? Impossible. Preposterous.

And yet...

With measured steps and a composed breath, Lucette approached the wardrobe. She rested her fingers lightly on the handle, took one last glance around the quiet dorm room as if to steady herself, and opened the door.

​

 

[Viers Connory]

//: Lucette //:
//: Attire //:

The noises coming from the wardrobe were accidental. Viers wanted to remain quiet until she could figure out where she had fallen. But between the bumps and thumps, she heard Lucy's voice. Her heart sang the Princess' praises, and joy melted on the girl's face.

It was short-lived, for there was another voice. One that sounded very familiar to her, Lucette. Viers held her breath as she tried to think. Maybe trying to surprise Lucy was a bad idea, especially after all this time. Why didn't she consider traveling through the netherworld like she did years ago? Things could have continued and remained the same, and then they'd still be together and kissing!

Viers dragged her hands down her face in a silent emission of dread. This was a mistake. She had arrived while planning on sharing snacks with this other girl. Her greatest fear had come true; she had been replaced. Despair filled the young monk as she leaned back into the clothing. It smelled like Lucette, and it was all she was left with. Dreams and forgotten memories are all that was left of them, whatever they were.

Another silent groan as the realization that she was too late coursed through her. Her fairytale was over, and she was not the hero who won the Princess's heart.

No more snacks or potential kisses - nothing was left to live for.

Sitting at the bottom of the wardrobe, Viers clutched one of Lucy's dresses that had fallen off its hanger when she had tumbled into the closet. Looking at it, she felt the fabric and was instantly jealous of it.

How dare this cloth mock her? How dare it sit here having been close to Lucy when Viers was stuck on Jutrand? Viers shook the dress in frustration and tossed it aside.

Stupid dress. The girl thought quietly as she figured she should just wait till the two girls in the room left so she could return back to Sith Space, where she belonged.

Looking from the corner of her eye, she reached back towards the dress and brought it back to her lap. Seeing it and knowing this was probably as close as she was going to get to her Princess again made her eyes begin to leak. How annoying! She was trying to admire the beauty that was Lucy, and her eyes were getting blurry with water. Quickly, she wiped her eyes, and as she did, the door turned.

Viers didn't bother to pay attention until the dim light of the room poured in and blinded her slightly. Squinting, Viers looked up and saw a somewhat older version of the girl she had thought she'd never see again.

Her jaw hung slightly, almost in disbelief, at seeing Lucette again. She had only seen this moment in holographic films and dreams.

"My stars, how did you get even prettier?" Viers stared at her eyes, slowly blinking, trying to let her small mind catch up to the moment. Every missed opportunity filled Viers' mind as she slowly stood up, dropping the dress back onto the floor. She hesitated, confused at what to do next.

Her brows furrowed, determination filling the Corellian as she stepped forward.

"Hi," she said firmly. "I'm Viers. I like you. And I've thought about you every day for a long time."

A solid nod followed.

"I don't want to share snacks with anyone but you. And I want to kiss you."

She paused. Then, she remembered herself.

"And I hope you want to kiss me too."

Another nod. This one was accompanied by a bright, unmistakably smug grin.

She had done it. Lucy was hers again. Mission accomplished.

 

[Lucette]

906 ABY

Viers Connory ​

Lucette had scarcely drawn open the wardrobe doors when the most impossible sight presented itself.

There, crouched amidst the pressed uniforms and her spare pair of riding boots, blinking wide-eyed as though she'd stumbled through a dream, was Viers Connory, mud-flecked, windswept, and as wonderfully, stupidly hers as ever.

Lucette's breath caught at the base of her throat.

"Oh heavens above, Viers?"

The Corellian, ever undaunted by the laws of distance or decorum, had the gall to grin up at her, a bit like a scoundrel who had not only stolen the cake but also intended to share it, with precisely one person in the galaxy. "How did you get even prettier?" she'd asked, voice all warmth and mischief, like a sunbeam let loose in the dark of the dormitory.

Lucette, caught entirely off-guard by the compliment, had felt the blush rise in her cheeks before she could issue even the faintest reprimand. "Viers, do be sensible," she'd whispered, though the tone had no bite, only the faint trembling of overwhelmed delight.

Then Viers had gone on, babbling, in that rambling, Corellian way of hers, about snacks. Snacks, of all things. About how she'd only ever wanted to share them with her. It was absurd, and it was lovely, and Lucette had let out a breathless chuckle that belonged to no one but Viers.

Before she knew it, her arms had gone about the girl, embracing her as if she'd never let go. And when Viers, with the most astonishing innocence, had confessed, hoped, rather, that Lucy might want to kiss her…

"Oh, Viers," Lucy had murmured, drawing back just far enough to cradle her face in gloved hands. "My sweet Viers. Yes." She said it so plainly, so sincerely, the words reverberated through her like a hymn.

And then she kissed her. Quite tenderly. Quite properly.

For a moment, Lucette felt she might cry, right there on the parquet dormitory floor.

Instead, she did what any sensible girl raised under the watchful eye of Dosuun's finest would do. She straightened, took a steadying breath, and pulled Viers fully from the closet. She looked her over, dust and all, with the kind of joyous scrutiny usually reserved for family reunions and surprise medals of merit.

"Oh, oh, okay," Lucy said, trying valiantly to regain her composure. "Well. Right. Viers, you darling thing, I rather think we're going to repeat the incident at my grandmother's estate, aren't we?"

A beat. She clasped her hands. "They're taping Starlight Stomp this evening. I'm expected at the gymnasium in, oh, goodness, minutes. Never mind. I think I have something you can wear."

With a rustle of skirts and the click of boot-heels on tile, Lucette dove into the wardrobe, already cluttered from Viers' impromptu entry, and began pulling items with quick but elegant precision. "Here we are, yes, yes, this will do. Something dignified, but charming."

A few swift adjustments later, and with only modest fussing on Viers' part, Lucette had her fitted, dusted, and dressed to standard. She paused, brushing back an errant strand of Viers' hair, and pressed one more kiss to her cheek.

"I missed you terribly," she whispered, then took Viers' hand in her own with such delicate finality it felt like the start of something new entirely.

"Come along now," Lucette said brightly, opening the dormitory door as if it were the gate to a palace ballroom. "We've a dance awaiting us, and if we're fortunate, a camera or two as well." She turned back and smiled, genuine, resplendent.

"Do keep up, Viers. I intend to twirl this evening."

 

[Viers Connory]

//: Lucette //:

They kissed…
…And then Viers died.​

It was everything that she had thought about for the past four years. Moments she thought of Lucy, wondering what she was doing—the thought always ended with wondering what it was like to kiss her. At times, Viers missed the warmth of her embrace. It was comforting—something that Viers had never felt before. In an awkward sense, it reminded her of being held as a child—that same kind of comfort.

It embarrassed her. Growing up, she was taught that comforts such as the ones she craved from Lucy were wrong—almost sinful. They brought weakness and desires that would only distract a warrior from their mission. Viers didn't care anymore about her mission or about the order. All she could see at this moment was Lucy, her face so close as they kissed. It was quick, but Viers felt lifetimes compressed into a moment.

Slowly, her eyes closed as her hands flexed, not knowing what to do with them. They were useless things as they hung at her side, but without thinking, they found their place, hesitantly on the other girl's hips. As soon as she began to return the delicate kiss, Lucy pulled back and held Viers' blushing face.

"Wow…" A stupefied grin spread across her face.

Before Viers' brain caught up, Lucy was already moving, and her beautiful mouth was speaking a mile a minute. Viers nodded, not fully understanding what was happening, as she focused on the warm feeling ping-ponged through her body.

"Oh, oh yeah! I remember!" Viers quickly began to strip down unceremoniously, out of what she had arrived in and started to catch the articles of clothing that Lucy was pulling out of her closet. The dresses were interesting choices, but Viers didn't understand the concept of them. They weren't things she had worn before, and she continued to look through just about everything.

Soon, she found a few things that she could mix with what she had already brought with her: a pair of fitted pants, a nice loose-fitting shirt, and her jacket, but this time with the collar standing up and brushing gently just under her jawline.

Her shoes would do for now, seeing she had never worn anything with a heel. The Corellian was quite confident she'd be fine but didn't want to risk it - what if falling and embarrassing Lucy meant she'd never get a kiss again.

Tragic.

Lucky for her, the momentary concern was lifted as Lucy kissed her cheek. It was a more familiar feeling, and Viers smiled. "I've missed you too. I'm sorry I didn't think sooner to use the portals." There was a sheepish embarrassment as Viers let Lucy drag her along.

A dance, probably like the one on Korriban that they had gone to. That was the night that the little monk had realized a portion of her feelings. She remembered how beautiful Lucy was and how happy things became when she had finally arrived. Viers kept pace as she held onto Lucy's hand tightly.

"Cameras? Twirl?" Viers questioned as she raised an eyebrow. "Is this like the dance on Korriban?"

 

[Lucette]

The campus gynasium had been transformed into a glittering kaleidoscope of light, sound, and structured revelry. Streamers of indigo and pearl fluttered above the dancers' head, while holographic spotlights panned across the lacquered floor, each beam catching on polished shoes and curling hairstyles. Starlight Stomp, in all its staged splendour, had arrived at the university, and Lucy had never seen it look so radiant.

She stood at the threshold, Viers beside her, watching as camera droids zipped overhead with practiced grace. The entire gymnasium pulsed with tempo and regulation, a sanctioned celebration of youth, joy and civic rhythm.

"This way, darling," Lucy said, with gentle authority, her gloved hand slipping securely into Viers' palm. "We've a segment to appear in, and I say we ought to look like we belong here."

They stepped forward together, and Lucette could feel it. The many curious eyes drifting toward them. There was the rustle of interests from girls with pearls at their collars, and the momentary hush from boys still learning how to carry themselves in uniform. And Lucy? Well, she moved with the calm ease of someone who had already decided the outcome.

The announcer's voice rang from a polished chrome loudpseaker:

"Coming to you live from Ursuline State College, it's Starlight Stomp! And tonight, our special feature, the Big Unity Band, honouring the noble legacies of our Commonwealth founders!"

Lucette gave Viers a slight look of amused horror. "Oh good, the big swing band," she whispered, "just what we needed."

The music began, strings swelling, brass booming, precussion steady and proud. She turned to Viers, lifting her brows as if to say, Well? Shall we? As she offered her hand to her beau for the dance.

Viers Connory ​