Private Thrown Into History

[Sera Dragovalor]

The Tactical Training Complex was nothing like the quiet training grounds of Naboo. The facility occupied an enormous section of Aurora Station, large enough for dozens of exercises to take place simultaneously. Recruits drilled formations under barking instructors while soldiers sparred on nearby mats and blaster fire echoed from simulation ranges beyond. The constant noise of impacts, shouted commands, and military precision created a steady hum of activity that never seemed to stop. Sera found herself enjoying it far more than she expected.

Sweat dampened copper curls that had long since escaped whatever attempt she'd made to tie them back. Her breathing came harder than she would have liked as she circled the larger man opposite her inside one of the training rings. He wasn't Force-sensitive. He wasn't particularly flashy either. He was simply experienced. Years of military training showed in every movement, every shift of balance, every adjustment of stance. Sera had already discovered that confidence and talent were not the same thing as experience.

Unfortunately, she discovered it again.

She lunged first. The soldier pivoted smoothly, caught her momentum, and redirected it with such practiced efficiency that she barely understood what had happened until her feet left the mat. The world flipped upside down. A collective wince rose from several nearby spectators as Sera sailed clear out of the ring before crashing onto the training floor hard enough to slide several meters across the polished surface. She landed flat on her back and stared at the ceiling for a long moment.

"Ow." She remained there for a heartbeat longer before sighing dramatically. "Okay. That one was definitely my fault." Laughter rippled through the watching recruits. Even the soldier who had thrown her looked like he was trying not to smile. Sera pushed herself upright and rubbed the back of her head. "Good news," she announced while climbing back to her feet. "I figured out exactly what I did wrong." The soldier folded his arms. "You rushed me." Sera pointed at him immediately. "No. I let you throw me." That earned another round of laughter from everyone nearby.

Grinning despite herself, she brushed dust from her clothes and turned back toward the ring, only to realize she'd stopped directly in front of someone. The smile faded slightly as her eyes traveled upward. At first glance, he didn't look much older than she was. Maybe a few years. Certainly younger than most of the officers she'd encountered aboard the station. Yet there was something about him that immediately made that first impression feel incomplete. Not age exactly. Weight. Presence. The sort of quiet gravity some people carried without ever needing to announce themselves.

Sera straightened instinctively before glancing back toward the ring, then back toward him again. Her expression shifted into one of immediate resignation.

"...You saw that whole thing, didn't you?"

Judging by where she'd landed, there was absolutely no chance he hadn't.

Laphisto

 

[Laphisto]

Laphisto stood near the edge of the training floor with his arms crossed behind his back, silently observing the latest batch of recruits as they worked through their drills. When he had first entered the room, a nearby officer had immediately snapped to attention, drawing in a breath as though preparing to announce the arrival of a superior officer. Before the man could speak, Laphisto raised a hand and gave a small shake of his head. The officer froze, understood the message, and relaxed once more. He hadn't come for ceremony, nor did he have any interest in disrupting the training simply because he had walked into the room. He had come to observe.

For several minutes he remained where he was, watching the recruits cycle through their exercises. His attention shifted from group to group, occasionally lingering on a stance, a correction, or a mistake before moving on. Satisfied enough with what he had seen, he eventually turned to leave. He had barely taken a step when a loud thud echoed across the training floor, followed by the unmistakable sound of cloth sliding across metal. A second later something lightly bumped against the back of his heel.

One brow rose as he turned back around. The source wasn't difficult to identify. A recruit was already climbing back to her feet, dusting herself off while laughter rippled through the surrounding trainees. Laphisto watched her exchange a few words with those nearby before she started back toward the training ring. The movement stopped abruptly when she noticed him standing there. For a brief moment he simply regarded her, his expression unreadable as she looked from him to the ring and then back again.

Peculiar. When the question finally came, his gaze drifted across the room before returning to her. A quiet chuckle rolled from his throat as he gestured vaguely toward the dozens of soldiers and recruits occupying the training hall. "I don't think there's anyone in this room who didn't see that, recruit."

The faint amusement remained for only a moment. As he looked at her, his eyes shifted from their natural color to a brilliant gold, a crimson hue tracing the outer edges of his irises. The colors moved together like an aurora caught beneath glass, subtle but unmistakable to anyone paying attention. At the same time, the Force rolled outward from him in a measured wave. It wasn't aggressive and it wasn't overwhelming, but it carried enough weight to be felt. The pressure brushed against her awareness before pressing deeper, testing the strength of her connection and following the currents of her Force signature. Light, dark, or somewhere between, he searched for the answer with the same quiet patience he had shown while observing the recruits only moments before.

Sera Dragovalor