Junction THE TRINITY AFFAIR | TSC & THR Junction of Commenor and New Plympto

[Lysander von Ascania]

Dominique Vexx​

The Sith tilted his head, poised between recognition and deep reflection.

“Your distinction is astutely noted.” His tone was devoid of defensiveness. "Yet I believe we’re observing the very same truth, only magnified through different vantage points.”

For a time, his hands held their place. "The High Republic demonstrates intrinsic value and invites engagement. One might argue that this open hand, more often than not, succeeds in drawing people in. After all, who can resist the allure of prosperity and stability?"

“But here is the critical point, Chancellor. This influence, subtle as it may be, still shapes choices and directions even without a single voice raised or ultimatum declared. For those who place their faith in the very system that cultivates such stability, of course this influence rarely registers as coercion. But the influence remains, pervasive even I would imagine. So, while the invitation appears voluntary and benign, I find myself wondering, are those choices really free if something like that is shaping them the whole time?”

Wryness laced the next words. "I'll spare us the detour." The line was left where she set it.

That, and no one truly knew how long the lockdown would stretch.

"There is a certain logic to that viewpoint," came the concession, as Lysander let the argument stand, attention shifting to the architect. “Once a boundary is made 'visible', it is too easy for those on the other side to interpret it as an act of control. I don't think that is an unreasonable conclusion either."

Recalculation asserted itself, his gaze dipping, shifting through different coordinates. "But here’s where a more crucial nuance is overlooked. Boundaries don’t exist simply to dominate. More frequently, they arise because of their absence. From my experience, where there’s ambiguity or uncertainty, instability thrives. More than it does when clear limits are set. Large systems almost always impose limits of some kind. From the inside, they are not always experienced as freedom."

At the mention of Death Stars, amusement crossed the edge of his features.

“I suspect the very minds behind these weapons would find your comparison somewhat off the mark."

The pressure of fingertips deepened against the table’s surface. “I would agree. A constant, certainly. Though adaptation has a habit of producing outcomes neither side can anticipate.”

 

[Lorn Reingard]

Tags: Sibylla Abrantes | Acier Moonbound​

Lorn looked up as Acier stepped through the doorway. He gave a small nod, nothing more. His eyes lingered a moment longer than necessary. The boy felt different. Heavier. The Force around him had sharpened into something colder, stripped down and focused. All black. All edges.

Lorn exhaled quietly through his nose. This was going to be difficult.

"Not bad," Acier said. "Hmph." High praise, apparently.

Lorn leaned back slightly in the chair, studying him without hiding it. The last time they crossed paths, there had been hesitation in the boy. Conflict. Now it was buried under something harder. That didn't mean it was gone. It never was.

"Covenant forces are securing the ship."

Of course they were. Another trap. Another clean operation. The Republic kept walking into these. Lorn felt the familiar weight settle in his chest. The kind that came before things went wrong.

"Didn't think I'd find you both here. Guess I should've warned you."

Lorn's gaze didn't shift. "Yes," he said flatly. "You should've warned someone." No edge in his tone. Just fact.

He let the silence hang for a second, then pushed himself up from the chair. His eyes flicked briefly toward the corridor, then back to Acier. Sibylla spoke, steady as ever, already thinking ahead. Taking control of the situation the only way she could. Lorn listened, but only halfway. His attention kept drifting back to the presence in front of him.

Acier had gone too far down this path. Lorn stepped forward, cutting in before she could carry the plan further. "Actually," he said, voice calm, "I think Ace here should see you off this vessel himself." His eyes shifted to Sibylla then, softer for a moment. "Back to Naboo."

He turned his attention back to Acier. "I imagine Windrun and Star-Arm are here," Lorn continued. "I'll work with the Republic to subdue them and free the rest of the delegation."

Simple. The kind of plan that kept people alive.

"There's no need for you to be in harm's way, my lady." That part wasn't a suggestion.

His gaze settled fully on Acier now. There was something unspoken there. Not quite challenge. Not quite trust. Expectation.

"And Acier's time with the Covenant is done now." The words landed without force, but they carried weight. Lorn held his stare. This was the moment. Whether the boy realized it or not.

 

[Gram Arranda]

Gram sighed at her petulant answer. It would be easier, perhaps, if every Sith was simply born bad. A monster bred for the singular purpose of being evil, rather than a sapient, thinking being. But every Sith had once been a person like himself, even if the corruption made it hard to believe that they'd ever possessed so much as a scrap of humanity.

Closing his eyes, he shook his head.

"You say you're a historian. Tell me, how many Sith Lords have conquered the Core in the past fifty years? How many emperors and empresses of the galaxy have there been in my lifetime?"

Vestra Tane Liana Organa​

 

[Ghruna]

OBJECTIVE TWO​

Ghruna's anger only grew as she found herself disoriented and blinking the blinding flash from her vision.

"Oh ooooh I am so sorry, you just sort of--" her bangles once again gave a jingle as her fingers pointed vaguely at the now-open wall panel. "--came out of the wall."

A pause, but then her mottled spots pulsed a citrine amber sheepish, but sincere hue.

"I mean that is a very alarming entrance strategy."

"Well that's because I was planning to kill you," Ghruna snarled.

She wanted to lash out at the energy field, even if it hurt. However, she'd seen a sith go to the ground and stay down. Ghruna did not want to miss the fight when it began.

"So if you could turn off this shield..."

Ghruna had decided this was Jedi deception. The fact that it was a sith planned ambush didn't register as ironic to her.

"...so I can get on with it."

She showed sharp teeth as she glanced at Zaiya's slender little neck. It looked like it would snap so nicely in her hands.

 

[Tamsin Starfall]

Theme: War Pigs
OBJ: Sabotage
Equipment: Twin Omens | Multi-Tool | Stars Enchained | Mind Crown | Wrist Lanvarok
Tags: Zark San Tekka

She just shook her head a little when he said no deal. Just like a jedi when the chance to save lives was given, they wouldn't take it. As he made a counteroffer, her mindcrown was attempting to hack less secure systems in the area around them that might let her get into bigger the systems on the ship. Her gaze did not move from the jedi as he threatened her if she did not comply with his offer.

"I am a weapon of mass destruction and the floor looks uncomfortable."

Her eyes briefly looked to the floor before quickly returned to him as he raised his saber into a high Djem So stance. The glow of the saber bathing him in its vibrant light as the shadows danced around them. He did indeed look ridicules looming over a small woman ready for attack when she hadn't even drawn a weapon. Granted she had already admitted she was a weapon.

She stared at him as unblinkingly as he proclaimed he would let her harm any of the passengers. She just shook her head again as he spoke those words.

"I already gave you a chance to save their lives." She spoke so calmly she did not seem to have any fear of the man in front of her ready for attack. She could sense he was powerful in the force. She could feel he was a man of war many of them just by the way he carried himself and spoke. He commanded; he did not offer compromise.

She noted the hum coming from him though she did not pinpoint the shield, yet where it was coming from. A bit of silence hung between them for a few seconds as if the witch was thinking through her next words or actions. Her fingers moved at her side as if she was trying to calculate something. A violent surge of powerful energy surged through her body as her eyes focused on the Jedi staring through him now like he didn't even exist.

Her throat gulped then from her lungs came. "THERE IS NO SECOND CHANCES!"

The words came out as an earth splitting shriek in a wave for the Jedi. As it spread it glass shattered, metal cracked, and lesser materials crumbled with the destructive scream. As she let the air push the blood curdling scream out her right hand pulled her saber from her belt.

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

OBJ 2 | Delvin jeth
​

The Arkanian appeared not to be bothered by his companion's demise.

There was something cold and clinical about this man - this Delvin Jeth - that spoke to his specie’s nature. He considered the Jedi before him with a dispassionate, yet polite introduction.

"Corazona von Ascania," she returned. Hand over heart, her head dipped in a brief bow. Cora had arrived not strictly as a delegate, but more as a bodyguard. Republic representatives now had a track record of being ambushed by Sith twice, but at least this time they'd yet to burst through the walls.

"A power play," she repeated in a murmur. "I suppose that a man of your alleged intellect would've come up with a more thorough plan than…" she waved a hand toward the field of light that separated them, "this."

All the while, her tone remained courteous.

"Tell me then, Lord Jeth; what brought you to the Sith? Your people are known for their scientific acumen more than their passion."

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: CSL Trinity

Equipment:
Apprentice Attire | Lightsaber | Shoto | Cybernetic Arm

When she asked how many there were, Ace's gaze drifted briefly to Sibylla. On the surface, she was that same level of composed, controlled, and measured. The Voice of Naboo, appeared unshaken, but the Force didn't lie. Beneath that calm, he could feel it: concern, frustration, disappointment, all tangled together and held in check by years of discipline. It brushed faintly against his senses, and he said nothing of it.

"I didn't count." There was a pause as he adjusted the fit of his glove, tugging once at the wrist. "A lot."

His eyes flicked back to her as she spoke of taking the ship. A brow lifted slightly, she really had changed. There was no hesitation in her, he could feel Sibylla's desire for action.

Lorn's voice cut in before he could answer her. Ace didn't respond to the Jedi's initial words, but the words settled anyway. For a moment, something in his expression tightened, it wasn't guilt, but recognition. He'd been preoccupied - focused inward, on things that had pulled his attention away from everything else. Away from people.

His gaze shifted as Lorn stood, tracking him now. When the suggestion came, escorting Sibylla off the vessel, Ace stilled. He considered it: a clean exit, a controlled variable, a way to remove her from what was coming. It made sense.

Lorn's follow-up about detaining both Arris and Mercy alongside the Republic earned him a short, dry snicker.

"Good luck with that."

Then... he said it, that his "time with the Covenant was done", like it was some sort of order. Directive. Ace's hands stilled at his gloves before lowering slowly to his sides. Something shifted then, like the threads of the Force snagged. Irritation flickered through it.

Done? Who was he to decide that? Lorn being here, a part of this operation, was a privilege Ace had allowed. Not the other way around. He didn't give him orders. Ace's gaze lifted fully to him, flat and steady.

"No." The word was final. "I'm not done with them yet."

He didn't elaborate. The line was there. Anyone could see it.

"This is going to get messy." He continued, tone settling back into something even. His eyes moved briefly to Sibylla. "I can get her to a shuttle. Say she's my prisoner."

Then back to Lorn.

"You can do your job and come, or stay and fight. Choice is yours."

Sibylla Abrantes | Lorn Reingard ​

 

[Liana Organa]

​

Vestra Tane - Gram Arranda​

"Who says we can't?" Liana challenged the Sith's claim, "I bet my mom you take you out with her eyes closed." In contrast to her false bravado, Gram was trying to get at a more genuine point, even if the Sith seemed less than interested in engaging with him in the same manner. Liana held herself back while they spoke, holding back an urge to say something more until she couldn't any longer.

"...I've been having visions. About the Sith coming to Alderaan." The princess admitted, now seeking a real answer of her own, "Is it true? Are we next on your list?" Her visions were haphazard, and untrained. She never knew when to trust them or write them off as wild dreams. But she needed to know this one for sure. If the Sith would even care to confirm it.

 

[Dominique Vexx]

Dominique listened as Lysander sought to reassert his position. This was, after all, an opportunity to talk to someone of the Sith Covenant. Someone that actually conversed with words rather than thinly veiled or unveiled threats. Would she only have such an opportunity with the Sith Empress herself. A woman the Chancellor happen to know from a bygone age; though Dominique doubted she would say the same.

"They are. What you see as coercion is, in fact, persuasion. You would honestly describe to others that what you and I are engaged in here and now -- putting aside the 'unfortunate technical malfunction' that landed us in this moment -- you wouldn't describe it as coercion, would you? That the Chancellor of the High Republic sought to compel the Sith Covenant to act against your will by threat, intimidation, or force?" Dominique waved a hand off to the side with a smile. "Some would find that a ghastly proposition. I daresay the Galactic Alliance Chancellor would have been affronted at the mere notion. But there is where the distinction lies, Special Envoy von Ascania. There is the important detail you must convey to your leaders. I. Am not. The Galactic Alliance Chancellor."

"If anything, by proclaiming to your social circle I engaged in coercion would only bolster my value and estimation in their eyes. You might think it a small price to pay to forestall my diplomatic ambitions, but I can accomplish by deed what you might think to do merely by word. An amusing, if not ironic subversion of expectations with the Sith doing all the talking; though doubtful in its accomplishments." People already murmured behind her back about how she represented the C.A.D. and engaged in several legally dubious and unsanctioned activities. What could Dominique say? As a Director she hadn't let words on a screen dictate her options. So, being slandered by the Sith wouldn't trouble her overmuch.

Her golden eyes narrowed slightly as her smile remain buoyant on her lips. Lysander suggested her view on the Black Wall was not unreasonable. Which left her curious what he would say next in response.

"Well said, Envoy. I only need raise the specter of Darkwire back on Denon to reflect your sentiment. They were terrorists bent on the destruction of the natural order of an entire world in the hope that the system reformed in its place would benefit all people equally." Dominique's smile wasn't so radiant between thoughts; they had been dire times for all those involved. "Others, such as the Brotherhood of the Maw, thought the same albeit with a bit more -- shall we say -- aplomb." Nothing like a group dedicated to burning down the galaxy to get the blood flowing. "Each sought to bring stability in uniformity. Each proclaimed themselves stewards of absolute freedom. Aside from the obvious wanton destruction and loss of life, the problem with those views was that they didn't recognize why limits are needed in the first place. It's a very large galaxy, Envoy. One might say if you take your eye off it for more than a second all manner of chaos can be given form. Though, I would hazard a word of caution not to apply stringent limits or bombastic action to impose order in response."

There was much she could say on the topic. If they were friends, she would have gone out of her way to do so to ensure the well-being of the people of the Core. As things were, however, offering too much insight might only solidify the power base of an aggressive nation on the Republic's doorstep. They'd yet to truly pin down just what the Sith Covenant truly wanted... aside from the original declaration of echoing Maw sentiment.

"Better to avoid conflict at the fore, Envoy. Toward that end, perhaps the Sith Covenant might enlighten this Chancellor as to what they truly hope to accomplish in the galaxy. What do you strive for? What do you fight for?"

Lysander von Ascania​

 

[Ives]

"You're a stowaway," Ives murmured in heavily-ghorman influenced basic.

Blood stained his Trinity Star Cruiser staff uniform—red shirt, beige-gold overalls and matching mechanic's cap. He watched the woman with dark eyes half-obscured by black strands of hair. His mouth and nose were covered by a beige-gold sanitary stained with blood drops. The steady sound of dripping came from his right. He idly held a at his side wrench that had blood pearling off it.

"Are you not?" He tilted his head slightly, narrowing his eyes.

Then, suddenly, he perked up at something else. A sound that hadn't been made. With a breath, he pushed past Jett Aurin and swung the wrench at a section of bulkhead. The tool hit with a wet crunch. The wrench-head had gotten stuck in something half a pace shy of the wall. A new stream of blood erupted, flowing down and off the wrench, to add to the pool already present on the floor.

"Bony vermin," Ives hissed, bracing his leg on the wall to pull the wrench free. It dislodged after some effort, with a crack-crunch.

The thing Ives had pulled his wrench free of was difficult to see in the dark. Half-way buried inside the intact bulkhead was a haggard creature with overlong limbs and milky white eyes. Skin-and-bones would have been a generous way to describe its desiccated figure. Little remained of the side of its head.

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Interacting with: Ghruna

For a moment, the Lovalla Knight simply blinked at Ghruna, her mottled bioluminescent spots flickering in startled little pulses of turquoise and citrine as the warrior very casually explained that yes -- the plan had indeed been to kill her.

The Lovalla's mouth opened.
Closed.
ONly to open again.

"…oh."

Well that seemed like an important piece of context.

Zaiya shifted her weight slightly behind the humming containment shield, bracelets chiming softly as she lifted one hand and gestured vaguely at the sparking barrier between them.

"Well… the thing about that is…" she began, her voice bright and apologetic in the way someone might explain why the caf machine was broken.

"…I don't actually control the shield." The Lovalla pointed upward toward the ceiling where the cheerful band music continued to play as if nothing in the galaxy was wrong.

"Station security controls it."

Then Zaiya leaned forward slightly, rocking on the balls of her feet as she studied Ghruna with the fascinated expression of someone who had just discovered a very large, very angry wildlife specimen.

"…also," she added gently, glow pulsing pale lavender now with nervous curiosity, "I do feel like it's important to mention that wanting to kill me is generally considered poor guest etiquette."

The young Jedi Knight's opal-blue flickered over the towering warrior again, taking in the horns, the teeth, and the murder-intent and all that colored the taller woman with such curious colors.

"…and also you're doing that neck-staring thing predators do," Zaiya added helpfully, even as her glow flickered sheepishly. "…which is honestly making me very glad the shield is still on."

She gave a shrug and then began wandering about, trying to make heads or tails of the situation... and how to get out of it.

"So why kill me? Why does it have to be kill? Is there a purpose to that?"

 

[Lysander von Ascania]

Dominique Vexx​

A natural impulse to reply to her ‘critique’ arose, but it slipped away almost immediately. And so he waited. It might have served a purpose elsewhere, but here, amidst the circumstances, it simply felt insufficient for the dialogue unfolding.

“A fair observation, and not an imprecise one. Granted, deeds often tend to mark the end of a process.. not the beginning of it. Though I suspect that would also depend on where you choose to look. Of course, some outcomes will announce themselves. Others do not, but both leave their mark all the same.”

Silence, more reflective now, draped itself over the table for a moment. “I wouldn’t call this coercion. Nor would I challenge the difference you draw. True persuasion, when executed artfully, rarely feels like force. That’s because it doesn’t have to. It harmonizes intentions, and even lets those who accept it feel wholly in control of their decision.”

"That's not a weakness. Often, it's more powerful. That's the kind of allegiance that raw power struggles to create. Trust grounded in respect instead of fear. But, make no mistake, it still remains a form of influence. Welcomed and embraced, yes.. but pervasive all the same, and capable of forming directions before anyone even becomes aware." The hint of a smile found its way back in reply. "A nuance you seem comfortable navigating."

A pair of emerald orbs lifted to meet hers. "But when it comes to distinguishing one Chancellor from another.." As Lysander understood it, she had only recently stepped into her position. "I would say those differences reveal themselves in time, once a person has faced trials of their own."

Though, the same could be said of him. And this might well be one of those trials in the making.

There had been a visit to Denon once. Something like a bounty hunting job, if one wanted to simplify it. Not long enough to understand the planet's true nature.

“I cannot claim familiarity with Darkwire. There’s not enough detail there for me to judge it properly, aside from what you’ve suggested. Firsthand perspectives typically reveal more than summaries, and something tells me it’s not as straightforward as you might suggest.”

The malfunction threw a wrench in everyone's plans. Unexpected, frustrating even for some. Beneath that, there was an opportunity he wasn't about to let slip away. Truth be told, the exchange was proving worthwhile

"On a personal level, I find it most prudent to shun needless conflict. As for what we fight for? The galaxy overflows with ideals, Chancellor. What it lacks are structures resilient enough to persist when those ideals are challenged. That’s why we create frameworks designed to operate beyond goodwill. This isn’t about nobility or virtue; it is about survival. Perhaps our true battle is for the power to define those systems ourselves… to shape their course before someone with less foresight does it for us. From that foundation, everything else naturally follows.”

Another hint of a smile was slow to awaken. Given time, the door might open further.

 

[Sibylla Abrantes]

​

The Trinity Affair: Objective One
Interacting with: Lorn Reingard Acier Moonbound
Open to TSC characters to interrupt at any time!

The tension in the air could have been cut with a vibroknife.

Not done with them yet.
Not done with them… yet.

The words lingered in the air, and Sibylla felt the faintest twitch stir along the corner of her jaw. She pressed her lips together, though her composure remained otherwise immaculate. She had not once allowed her gaze to leave Ace when Knight Reingard spoke. If anything, it only heightened her scrutiny of him, taking in every shift of his expression, every tightening of his shoulders, every quiet certainty in the words he had chosen.

"Yet," Sibylla repeated softly.

The word was almost thoughtful.

"…yet."

The corner of her mouth lifted just slightly, a polite suggestion of amusement. But the look in her eyes held no such humor.

"Ah," she said lightly, though there was no mistaking the pointedness beneath it. "Another yet. How reassuring."

She tilted her head just slightly, studying him with the same calm curiosity one might apply to a puzzle that refused to resolve itself.

"It does seem, Ace," she continued, almost conversational, "that the goalpost possesses a most remarkable tendency to relocate whenever your conscience grows particularly uncomfortable."

A faint breath left her as she took a step forward. Then again.

"That promise will be kept later. That boundary crossed just this once. That risk accepted for now."

Until Sibylla stood directly before him, close enough now that she no longer needed to raise her voice at all.

"Never mind the assurances you gave to those who trusted you to mean them." she added quietly.

Her hazel eyes searched his face.

"Instead we are offered explanations. Rationalizations....and a rather determined refusal to heed the counsel of those you once insisted you would listen to." she continued quietly, "All while insisting you are doing precisely what must be done."

"Do you truly not see what you are doing?" she asked empathically, daring him to look away from her. From the truth she was levying at him. From what she saw.

"How thoroughly you have convinced yourself that this path is righteous… while ignoring every sign that it is slowly shaping you into the very thing you once swore you would never become?

 

[Arris Windrun]

Aurelian Veruna​

"You should try it," he said. "Maybe it'll work out better for you this time."

Arris rolled her eyes, then looked back down at her unconscious compatriot. When her name rolled off his tongue, she looked back at the king.

"Yeah, and I know who you are - y'know, there's quite a bounty on your head. I've been tempted for quite a while now."

Of course, she doubted the Black Sun would pay up these days. Last she heard, the Underlord disappeared when the syndicate went belly up.

"My plan?" She mocked a dramatic sigh and tucked a few blonde strands behind her ear. "Babysitting you until our ship arrives."

The cyborg took a step closer and looked him in the eyes. To have come so far only to have their own trap backfire on them was annoying, to say the least. Though Mercy wasn't in the room with them, which was good. If anyone could get the plan back on track, it was her, Arris believed. The distant sound of clashing lightsabers hadn't dissuaded her from that notion.

She gestured at the room. "You're in here, with us, and one way or another, these shields are coming down. And when they do... what's gonna happen? Got a winning strategy when you're within inches of me?"

 

[Jett Aurin]

Ives
​

She turned around and recognized the crew outfit, and he accused her of being a stowaway. He was, of course, very correct.

"No!" Her response was kneejerk.

Jett expected him to retort, or even make an arrest, when he moved towards her. That was before she saw the wrench.

'Wait! Oh shit!'

She threw her arms up in a crude display of fisticuffs, but then he merely pushed past her and brought the heavy tool down on something that crunched. She heard him call bony vermin.

"What the hell is that?!"

Jett cautiously approached the bulkhead. She really wished she had a blaster or even a wrench of her own right about now. She was so distracted by the event that she hadn't realized her face was painted in some of its blood. She turned around to search for the source of an ear-piercing screech, followed by what sounded like a pipe bursting. Indeed, recycled water flooded slowly into the bulkhead.

Actually -- partially recycled by the smell...

 

[Lorn Reingard]

Tags: Sibylla Abrantes | Acier Moonbound​

Lorn's brow lifted slightly at the refusal. He had expected it. Still, hearing it out loud settled something heavy in his chest. The boy wasn't wavering. Not anymore. Whatever line had once existed was already behind him.

Lorn's thumb brushed lightly against the activation switch of his saber. Not enough to ignite it. Just enough to remind himself it was there. A precaution.

Acier laid out his plan. Lorn almost sighed. Foolish. Not because it wouldn't work. It might. That was the problem. It was the kind of plan that solved one issue while feeding ten others. He didn't argue. That wasn't his role here. Not yet.

His gaze shifted instead to Sibylla. And he let her speak.

Lorn watched Acier as she stepped in front of him, close enough to leave no space for retreat. Every word she said landed exactly where it needed to. He felt it in the Force. Not just her resolve, but the effect it had. The tension tightening, the flicker of something beneath Acier's control.

Good, Lorn thought. Let him feel it.

Her words echoed the things Lorn hadn't bothered to say. The things he knew would be dismissed coming from him. But from her, they carried weight. Trust. Disappointment. Truth.

Lorn folded his arms loosely across his chest, studying the two of them. For a moment, he said nothing. Then he nodded once. "She's right." His eyes stayed on Acier. "You're pushing it too far."

His voice was calm, but there was something firmer under it now. Not authority. Something closer to concern that had been worn down into blunt honesty. "I've seen this before," Lorn continued. "You tell yourself it's temporary. That you're still in control. That you'll step away when it's done."

A quiet breath left him. "You don't." His gaze sharpened slightly. "You lose track of where the line was. Then one day you look back and realize it's gone."

He let that sit for a second. The Force around Acier felt tight. Like something held together by will alone. Lorn knew that feeling too well. "You've already given us what we needed," he said. "We have enough. More than enough to act." A small shake of his head. "There's no reason for you to stay in this." That was the truth of it.

 

[Aurelian Veruna]

Tags: Arris Windrun

Aurelian let out a quiet laugh at the mention of the bounty, like she'd just told him an outdated joke. "Please," he muttered under his breath. Black Sun can barely pay its bar tabs these days.

Still, it lingered in his mind. A year ago that bounty had meant something. He had spent credits preparing for hunters that never came. Now it resurfaced here, of all places.

He looked back at her, amused. "My condolences," he said. "You've been chasing a very expired paycheck."

Her "plan" earned another small breath of laughter. Babysitting. Right. He glanced toward the ceiling as if expecting applause for the simplicity of it. Babysitting me, he thought. That's the strategy. Brilliant. No notes.

"Your ship," he said lightly. "That's assuming it gets here first." He let that hang for a second. "The Republic tends to be a bit territorial when you start hijacking their diplomats."

She stepped closer. He didn't move back. Of course she did. Close quarters, intimidation, the usual Sith theatrics. Inches apart, like that meant anything in a room actively punishing bad decisions.

Her question lingered between them. What was he going to do? Aurelian glanced down for just a second and tapped the control at his belt. A blue shimmer snapped to life around him, hugging his form in a tight personal shield.

He looked back up, meeting her eyes. "You people really don't think things through, do you?" His tone stayed calm, almost conversational. "You arm yourselves, kick in doors, hope chaos does the rest." He gestured lightly to the unconscious Sith on the floor. "How's that working out so far?"

The memory sharpened now. Nar Shaddaa. Reports of the Chaos. A Vigo dragged out of hiding while someone decided to shoot their own employer mid-operation.

He studied her like a puzzle he'd already half-solved. "You may have gotten lucky against a fractured Empire," he said. "Broken, rudderless things are easy to push over." Aurelian leaned in just enough to close the last inch between them, his voice lowering. "But we see you for what you are."

"So I'll ask again," he said. "What's your winning strategy?"

Inside, the answer already felt obvious. Hope the shields fail before the situation does.

​

 

[Ghruna]

"…I don't actually control the shield." The Lovalla pointed upward toward the ceiling

Ghruna's self restraint was evident in every line of tense muscle. She was furious, but knew she was impotent.

The rage came out in anothet snarl. One final petulant kick towards the shield was pulled short.

For all the bluster, Ghruna had a great deal to prove. Being held back from that was far more frustrating than the energy shield itself.

"So why kill me? Why does it have to be kill? Is there a purpose to that?"

This time ghruna looked disgusted. Then she looked confused.

"You are a jedi, yes? Do you know what to join in the battle. To hear your blood sing and find out if you are the greater warrior?"

She chewed on one corner of her cheek and then came up with a compromise.

"What if I don't kill you? Just a wounding! Then we can fight and discover who is stronger and you can be carried home!"

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: CSL Trinity

Equipment:
Apprentice Attire | Lightsaber | Shoto | Cybernetic Arm

Not this again.

Sibylla's words landed exactly where she intended them to, each one precise, measured, cutting in ways only she could manage. He held her gaze the entire time. Whatever she was trying to pull out of him, guilt, doubt, hesitation? Found nothing to grab onto.

He listened to everything she'd said, and stood exactly where he was. Solid. Before he could answer, Lorn's voice cut in. Ace's eyes flicked to him briefly, catching the subtle movement of his thumb brushing near the ignition of his lightsaber. The corner of his mouth twitched.

He let Lorn finish. Let him talk about lines, about control, about how this always ends. Then his hand came up.

"Enough." His voice was flat. "I'm bored of this same song and dance."

His gaze hardened, shifting between them before settling forward again.

"You get to stand here and talk about what's right from a distance." He continued. "You weren't there when Tapani fell. You weren't on Coruscant when it burned. You didn't see what that looked like up close."

He shook his head, whether it was amusement or simple disappointment was unknown.

"The Republic. The Jedi. You don't actually prevent things like that. You respond after the damage is done. Clean it up, call it balance, and move on to the next fire."

His tone didn't rise. If anything, it got quieter.

"I've been feeding you intel for months. Movements. Targets. Operations." His eyes flicked briefly toward Sibylla, then back. "And what? Nothing. Nothing that actually stops anything."

He exhaled slowly, but it carried the undercurrent that he'd reached a breaking point.

"There are real threats out there. Not hypotheticals. Not philosophy. And the Covenant?" He said, tilting his head slightly. "They actually have the power to do something about it."

Ace slowly waved his arm, demonstrating the Covenant's impact on the Empire.

"They wiped the Empire off Coruscant. Not contained. Not negotiated. Ended."

There was something dark behind his eyes now.

"So I'll use them. For now. I'll let them do what you won't. Stop what needs to be stopped."

His gaze went colder.

"And when there's nothing left worth killing for…" What followed was a faint, almost humorless edge in his voice, "I'll wipe them out too."

Silence settled for a moment. Then Ace's eyes dropped, just briefly, to Lorn's hand. To his lightsaber. Then back up.

"Don't think I don't see that either. See what happens."

Ace's eyes shifted to Sibylla once more. "So go with the old man. Go back to Naboo. Keep your head down. You're done here. Both of you."

Ace turned to leave, the Dark side flaring around him. From here on, he'd do things himself.

"You'll see I was right when this is all said and done."

Sibylla Abrantes | Lorn Reingard ​

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x x | Weapons: x x x | Companion: Domxite
Interacting with: Ghruna

Zaiya blinked slowly at Ghruna , the mottled spots along her rosy-golden skin shifting in gentle waves of grey confusion, streaked with thoughtful amber, while the soft blue glow beneath it suggested she was oddly calm about the entire situation.

"…yes," she said after a moment. "I am a Jedi."

Her head tilted to one side as she studied Ghruna with the sort of open curiosity one might reserve for a particularly interesting creature in a wildlife documentary. The Lovalla paused thoughtfully.

"…but I do not think we were taught the same definition of joining a battle," she added, folding her hands behind her back as she began to rock back and forth slightly, her bracelets chiming softly.

Hmm... I wonder...

Zaiya gave a hum as her opal blue eyes drifting briefly toward the humming shield again, only to narrow in thoughtful interest as she crouched slightly to peer at one of the emitters. The stripes along her arm shifted into bright orange curiosity.

A very tidy energy lattice.

She tapped one bracelet lightly against another as her mind turned over the problem.

"…can I ask you something?" she said suddenly, looking back up at Ghruna, the Lovalla's colorful hair tipping towards the girl's direction.

"What makes someone a great warrior?" She asked with genuine curiosity. "Why does killing someone prove that?"