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[Jett Vox]

KALEVALA - OBJECTIVE I​

She kept singing;

<bzzt> "Kandosii sa ka'rta, Vode an!

Coruscanta a'den mhi, Vode an!"

Bal....!" <bzzt>

Jett's whip cord and Jaikell Wyrvhor 's "smart rope" entangled each other and pulled taut when Isley Verd jumped over them, and Jett braced her heels in the dirt, pulling hard to try and keep from losing a tug-war with Jaikell. Then, she got an idea - one that was shortly interrupted by the whistling birds. A few PINGED off her helmet, some struck her chest plate and a pair managed their way through the curiass that protected her ribs. She shouted out in a primal pain, as the blunt projectiles struck her side and exploded with rib-bruising concussive force. Jett didn't let go, but instead used her adrenaline and the leverage of her cord tied with Jaikell Wyrvhor 's, hoping that he would get the message. She ran. She charged towards Isley Verd with the intent of using the rope like a clothes-line and take him down. A vague memory of knocking herself out on her home planet this way flashed in her brain.

Still she sang;

<bzzt> "Motir ca'tra nau tracinya!

Gra'tua cuun hett su dralshy'a!

Aruetyc runi solus cet o'r!" <bzzt>

She would attempt to wind the cord tightly around Isley's waist, and hopefully trap him there before she passed out. Which she did. She ran, and felt the rope catch on something, but didn't know what it was. It could have been Isley. It could have been anything else, but Jett didn't care. This was a last resort. This was a desperation move.

<bzzt> "Motir ca'tra nau tracinya!

Gra'tua cuun hett su dralshy'a.

Aruetyc runi trattok'o!

Sa kyr'am nau trac--" <bzzt> She didn't finish.

She wound the cable around her wrist, hoping that would be enough to bind Isley -- or whatever she'd caught -- and fell to a knee, then thrust herse;f forward, collapsing roughly on her shoulder and knocking her helmet on the ground, sending stars through her vision and a concussion through her skull as her brain bashed against the solid bone of her skull. She might have been embarassed by how stupidly she took herself down, but instead she just experienced blackness as she fell unconscious.

She lay, unmoving. On the dusty open plane.

 

[Adelle Bastiel]

The Verd'goten



The Liberator took the hit to her hip, the damage mitigated. But there was no reaction, not even a hiss or grunt. No acknowledgement of any pain. Osik. That was not a good sign. Mia began to turn the assault on her, pressing the attack as Adelle switched to Soresu. The woman had weight and reach on Adelle, not to mention experience. But there was hardly a moment for Adelle to catch her breath, much less think of a new trick. Even with two weapons, Mia was more than a match. And she was driving Adelle away from the rest of the battle.

Away from allies.

Adelle’s precog flashed. Beskad met beskad and something rang. Metal hit the face of her helm, scratching the transparisteel visor and scraping the helmet.

In her hand, she now had half a blade. She had no time to process it.

“Stop. Protecting. Them.”

The smart retort died on Adelle’s tongue as gravity seemed to increase around her. The hand of the Liberator’s Force presence was evident. Adelle focused on strengthing her resistance to Force powers, just to be able to keep moving. If she thought she’d been slow before, she’d been wrong. Now she was only keeping up with precognition. And it was a close thing. Mia’s beskad glanced off her pauldron, scraping off paint and shavings of durasteel.

A scream pierced her ears before her buy’ce’s dampeners kicked in, a high-pitched ringing now deafening her. Adelle staggered but caught and redirected Mia’s blade, swinging her lightsaber in for a counterstrike. The Mand’alor’s hand caught the hilt.

Adelle felt the pain of the beskad before it moved.

She let go of the hilt.

A broken sword against a lightsaber and a beskad while she was trying to stay standing and mobile under immense pressure. Just. Perfect.

"I'm here to show you how a MANDALORIAN Fights. Not with the Force, not with tricks, not with their screaming shouts! With Beskar!"

Oh feth that noise. Adelle’s anger crystallized into something cold and cutting, immovable. Words burned like frostbite in her brain, even as she struggled to regain her footing against the Liberator.

Words that died a second time as Adelle stumbled, barely blocking a strike from the former Mand’alor, the absence of Mia’s pressure jarring. But it came at a steep price.

“Shabuir,” she hissed again. Losing the Force always felt like losing a limb. Still, she hadn’t been taught to rely on the Force for everything.

First things first. She needed her lightsaber back.

Her helm chimed with an incoming message alert. Adelle gave a glance at it, a gesture to have it read aloud.

"If you can manage, get him to stay put when the fight's over."

Adelle darted back after defending against the next attack, no longer impeded by an artificial gravity. She thrust her right wrist out at Mia, spewing fire from the flamethrower at the Mand’alor’s face. Just after letting the firestream loose, she aimed her left vambrace, whipcord firing for the lightsaber hilt.

If she could just get her saber back, she might be okay.

Spoiler: Tags

Mia Monroe
Isley Verd
Kael Varr Basteil Skirata
Reina Daival
Seris Mataan
Jett Vox
Leddie Gred
Aselia Verd
Aurelian Veruna
Sibylla Abrantes
Siv Kryze
Sergeant Omen
Jaikell Wyrvhor
Quinn Varanin

 

[Kael Varr Basteil Skirata]

KALEVALA - OBJECTIVE I

Kael surveyed the madness around him, ears ringing and body painfully screaming from the sonic charge. It took him a moment but he saw the young female foundling that seemed to try and use her whipcord snag the other and he new he had to duck to not get caught in the snare, he then felt her hit the ground a few moments later. Immediately he made his decision, there could always be other Verd’goten, but to this foundling he would not let this be her last sunset. He dropped all his weapons and quickly scrambled over as best as his aching form would allow and fished in his belt pouches for all his pocket medical supplies, and rapidly started to assess wounds, he worked her helm off and saw she had a pretty large mynock egg of a bump on her head and so he gently placed a bacta patch on it so that it wouldn’t adhere to her hair. He then grabbed belt and shoulder and slung her onto his shoulders to stagger with her over to the sidelines, doing his best to keep her head stable with the movements, but she would need to be away from the fighting in case she had broken her neck or spine with that maneuver.

Once he had her over next to the wall where she could be reasonably protected he turned around, bare chested and started to try and figure out how he could both protect this foundling but still contribute to the fight. He realized that throwing down his weapons probably meant he was pretty much out of this fight. So now he focused on being a medic, and scanned to see if any more fell.

He knew this was meant to test them, but if this made him fail, then so be it. He would train more, learn more, and maybe try again in the future, but for now… no he stopped that thought before he spiraled. No she should be ok, if nothing else she should be safe enough tucked against the wall. He saw his tonfa and plasma bow, reaching out he drew them back to his hands and stowing the bow, started to run back in to the fray.

Jett Vox
Adelle Bastiel Mia Monroe Isley Verd

 

[Leddie Gred]

Leddie’s didn’t have the Force, but she could tell Reina Daival was getting angry…. Oh crap she needed to thing fast. Leddie pulled off her helmet and chucked it at Isley Verd . Why? Well being Zabrak had its issues, and not being able to properly get a helmet seal was one of them, and she honestly trusted her hands more than any helmet dampers… plus an excuse to throw one more thing at the former Mand’alor that was currently the bane of her existence. She quickly covered her ears….

Ah! That still hurt! But at least she could hear. That of course wasn’t it though. The ion rounds were coming back at her. Sure it wasn’t like her armor was exactly tech driven, but that would still hurt, leading her to quickly try and dodge out of the way, though she still to a grazing hit. Still, she leveled her left hand pistol, firing two more stun rings. And then she heard yet another sound. Whistling Birds?! Gred’s didn’t really use them much, but she still knew the sound of them. There was no way…

“Oh Osik!” She tried to dodge, but well these were tiny fast, and Leddie wasn’t that fast. It why the heck would…. And then she hit multiple times by it, gritting her teeth…. Wait. She was in light armor? How was she not…. Ok…. Trainers. Ow. She glared, noticing her Tray’kals on the ground nearby. She quickly picked them up, then stopped and looked at Isley again. She saw Jett Vox and Kael Varr Basteil Skirata behind a wall, and Adelle Bastiel still facing Mia Monroe , though something was different. And as much as she didn’t like want Jaikell Wyrvhor out it, she couldn’t exactly help but agree in some respect.

“This is really starting to not feel like a test….” She grumbled to herself as she got up. Ok. New plan. She leveled he pistols again, firing a shot each, a stun ring and an ion bolt. Left pistol was empty, and two more on the right, but instead of reloading she swapped to her left hand Trayc’kal, and just charged, again focusing on Isley, and hoping he was a little distracted. At least enough for her to hit a pressure point of something. Stupid? Probably. But she really didn’t care if it was. At least it might make an opening.

Seris Mataan

 

[Reina Daival]

Tag: Isley Verd Seris Mataan Kael Varr Basteil Skirata Adelle Bastiel Jaikell Wyrvhor Mia Monroe
Objective:

It was such an utter karking mess. People weren't properly working together in Reina's eyes anymore. People had their own desires. Their own wishes for the battle. There were a few who Reina thought could work together. Seris Mataan , Adelle Bastiel , Kael Varr Basteil Skirata . Maybe Leddie Gred . But the others seemed too focused on rushing in without making a plan, or there were those who had jumped in, rejecting the concept of the Force, instead deciding to fight against behemoths without it. People were getting tied together, or stumbling to the ground. Even Adelle seemed to be on the backfoot.

Fighting without a weapon was one of the worst experiences, especially when you were going against those who did. It was something Reina knew from experience, as she sighed to herself. Even with the frustration, pain and anger rushing through her, she was keeping her head on straight as she flipped her lightsaber up into the air to get a better grip on it, before tossing the hilt in the direction of Adelle Bastiel . Reina could feel that the area around Adelle seemed...muted in the Force, so there was every chance that the other Force-User wouldn't be able to sense the weapon coming in her direction, so Reina "politely" screamed out.

"Catch! Behind you!"

Of course, that meant Reina was now left with some beskad she wasn't too familiar with. But it was fine. She wasn't up front, not yet at least. That was when she spotted Isley reaching for grenades. The former Jedi wasted no time whatsoever as she threw out a wave of the Force into an attempt to push the grenade back...Though as it exploded mid air, the concussive wave met with the concussive force of Reina's push, kicking up dirt, dust and sand up into the air, like an eruption from the ground. In the meanwhile, she saw the sonic grenades hurtling out, there wasn't anything she could do about those, even if she tried to zap them with her lightning.

Was she being underestimated? It was a thought that had been rushing through her mind for a few moments now. People thought they had to protect her, when she had been the one trying to protect other people. Her hands flexed out for a moment in thought before she ran. It was a foolish idea that she had in mind, but Reina wasn't some master tactician. She willed the Force to flow through her veins more, to enhance her muscles, reinforce them as the Siren picked up speed, before she raised her arms up to protect her face, as she was using both Force Speed and Force Enhance to become a living wrecking ball, aimed directly at Isley Verd

TLDR:
Threw Lightsaber at Adelle Bastiel
Used Force Push to cancel out concussive wave from grenade
Used Force Speed and Force Enhance to charge directly at Isley Verd like a wrecking ball​

 

[Seris Mataan]

​

Another grenade.

Another casual throw into the chaos, as if she were just another piece to be managed rather than a threat to be answered. The irritation had been building for a while now, quiet and contained beneath her discipline, but this time it settled into something sharper. Not anger that clouded judgment, but the kind that clarified it.

Her hand lifted, and the sonic grenade stopped midair. It did not just halt, it stilled. The mechanism inside it froze under her control, held in a tight pocket of stasis that prevented the trigger from completing its cycle. The charge could not detonate. Not yet. For a brief instant, it hung there, suspended in absolute stillness, caught in the invisible grip of the Force. Seris did not hesitate; she drew the Force in tight behind it, compressing energy not to hold, but to drive.

Finally, she released it, the grenade shot back toward Isley with violent acceleration, far faster than it had been thrown, the added force turning it into a projectile rather than a thrown explosive. As it closed the distance, Seris’ control shifted again, the stasis collapsing at the same moment her grip turned from propulsion to pressure.

She crushed it.

The casing imploded under the Force just as it reached his space, triggering the detonation there, a small analogue of her current anger, almost point-blank to Isley Verd .

The Force surged through her legs again in a sudden burst of speed as she broke from her position and cut across the battlefield toward Mia. The Mand’alor was still pressing Adelle hard, driving her back, isolating her from the others exactly as intended. Seris angled her approach to intercept, closing the distance fast enough to disrupt that control rather than collide blindly into it.

Her twin white blades ignited once more as she moved. She entered the engagement from Mia’s flank. There was no announcement and no wasted motion. The first strike came low and fast, aimed to force Mia to shift her footing, followed immediately by a second rising cut designed to pull her attention away from Adelle.

The rhythm of Jar’kai followed without pause, precise and controlled, each strike feeding into the next with deliberate intent. Seris said nothing as she pressed the attack, her focus locked, her movements efficient, the quiet frustration now channeled entirely into the precision of her assault. As her mother taught. To the Jedi, anger clouded the mind; to the Sith, anger sharpened one's instincts. She was neither; instead, her anger sharpened both body and mind, a singular focus now dedicated to making herself the problem.

TAG: Isley Verd Mia Monroe Adelle Bastiel Reina Daival
​

​

 

[Tessa Thayne]

Tessa tracked his movement, a thumb lifting to wipe remnants of sauce from the corners of her mouth she could feel sticking there. She abandoned her plate, moving to the column opposite, resting her back against it, arms folding across her chest her gaze drifting up to the holoscreen as Itzhal spoke.

Her gaze snapped back to him when he talked about burning bridges, a quiet anger simmered beneath the surface, reflected in her eyes. Not at Itzhal, but at Dax. the fact that he was still breathing was purely because Aether needed his connection. For now at least.

“The only reason those bridges were just burned and not erased from existence is because Aether stayed my hand.” her gaze flicked away again, her feet shifting, agitated as a muscle in her jaw ticked. “I did what I had to do.”

She winced as the camera angle shifted in time to see one of the foundlings go down, Tess shook her head. They were taking a beating and they would continue to do so if they didn’t form up and move as one.

“I wouldn’t have minded so much if it was something trivial like a rival gang or because I’d smuggled in the wrong territory, but they made it personal. Set me up with the hopes I’d die at Empire hands and if I didn’t there were Diarchy agents waiting at the drop point to make sure I wound up face down. All because of a name I buried.”

She took another drink, turning again to look at Itzhal, or rather her own reflection in his visor. “So, here I am, cin vhetin and all that osik.”

Itzhal Volkihar

​

 

[Torva Vikar]

​

His…father?

Torva watched one of the holoscreens for a few moments as the scenes unfolded in the arena beyond, before her attention was drawn back to the present moment when another figure approached them and gave a witty remark in response to Aether’s exclamation. She watched the two of them interact for a moment with idle amusement, before Aether seemed to receive a message and the newcomer called a skewer of meat towards her - before removing her helm so she could actually eat the food.

"Who's this?" The new gal inquired, indicating towards Torva with her now empty skewer. Torva was about to respond, but Aether beat her to it.

“- This is Torva, my daughter. You saved her life on Ketaris when contesting the Firebreathers."

The red-head felt her chest tighten for a moment, memories of that horrific day bubbling up against her will. She had tried very hard to shove those memories into a dark place in her mind and soul, though sometimes they returned whether she wanted them to or not. She blinked and forced her composure to return as her buir introduced her to the other gal.

"Torva, this is Kirae, Shield of Mandalore and eater of skewers."

She lifted a hand in a somewhat shy wave, and a somewhat awkward small smile. “Hello…Uh, nice to meet you.”

Aether Verd // Kirae Orade ​

 

[Jaikell Wyrvhor]

OBJECTIVE I -THE ARENA

Jaikell boosted to the side with his Rocket pack as soon as he finished speaking fires a wrist rope at Isley,
just as Jett Vox fires hers which ends up making them get all tangled up,
"Fuck" he says

Just as isley launches himself in the air, Unleashing a barrage of whistling birds.
With a few Pings they bounce off his beskar'gam

Just as he thinks everything's fine, one ends up making past Jett Vox 's armor and hitting her in the side.
but instead of letting go like anyone else would under that pain, she actually charges Isley Verd while our ropes are tied together.
Trying to bind him up as she tries she Jaikell decides to run in, Holstering his Hand cannon and pulling out his "Anti Force Restraint Harness" off his belt
And tries to put it around his neck and arms.

while he does that she collapses to the floor with a loud
THUD.

"This better works." he thinks to himself.

| Outfit: |
J O R I R
B E S K A R ' G A M

| Equipment: ALL |


​

​

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Kalevala

Equipment:
Apprentice Attire | Lightsaber | Shoto | Cybernetic Arm

Ace didn't answer Avast at first. Her words carried over the wind, but he still turned them over as he moved. The way she framed it, everything starting from what was inside, wasn't wrong. Didn't mean he cared to unpack it.

"Yeah."

The agreement came flat as they approached the climb. Most people did fall there.

He followed her line up the ridge, boots finding purchase along the rough breaks in the stone. The wind hit harder along the spine, pushing across his frame in sharp bursts that threatened balance if you let them. He didn't fight it, just adjusted, shifting with it as he moved.

The climb itself wasn't much. His prosthetic took the strain where it needed to, anchoring him cleanly against the rock when the footing thinned. The rest was muscle memory, years back on Bonadan, pulling himself over scrap piles and unstable metal, learning quickly what held and what didn't. Pisti had refined it. Cleaned it up. Turned it into something deliberate.

"Hmm." He said it after her comment about not prying, his tone neutral. "Me too. I just keep it to myself."

It wasn't sharp or defensive, just another line drawn. The ridge leveled out ahead of them, the wind easing just enough to open the final stretch. Ace's gaze moved past her toward the marker, already mapping the last leg.

"We'll see." He said as they moved into it. "I'm not the navigator here."

Then he kept going.

Spoiler: Sum of Rolls

1st Roll = 3
2nd Roll = 3
3rd Roll = 3
Total = 9

Avast Verd​

 

[Siv Kryze]

.​

THE VERD'GOTEN​

​

The arena stopped feeling like a test a while ago. It was just a mess now - people splitting off, doing their own thing, getting dragged into fights they couldn't win alone. No coordination, just instinct and desperation. Isley Verd stayed in the middle of it, controlling the pace without ever really overextending. Grenades, birds, movement—he kept everyone off balance and separated.

Mia Monroe was worse. She wasn't just fighting Adelle Bastiel she was breaking her down piece by piece. Even with Seris Mataan stepping in clean and Reina crashing through like a hammer, it still felt like they were reacting instead of taking control.

Jett Vox stuck out. Still singing through the comms, voice cutting through static like she refused to let go of it. Even after the birds punched through her armor and nearly dropped her, she didn't stop. She ran straight at Isley, rope tangled with Jaikell's, turning it into a clothesline attempt. No hesitation, just committed to it. Didn't matter if it worked. She hit the ground hard right after—out cold.

Kael Varr Basteil Skirata moved fast, dropped everything and got her out, patched what he could without even thinking about it. Leddie Gred kept firing and pushing even after taking hits she shouldn't have walked off. Reina Daival just forced her way in. Seris stayed sharp, finally making Mia split her attention. Jaikell Wyrvhor tried to make something out of what Jett started. People were still fighting, still trying, but it was scattered.

Siv watched it come together—and fall apart—at the same time. Jett going down made it clear enough. This is what happens when it breaks.

He exhaled, quick glance to where Kael dragged her—alive. Good. Then his focus snapped back to Isley. No more watching. Siv moved, cutting along the edge instead of charging straight in, slipping into the gaps where Isley was already dealing with too much—Reina in front, Jaikell close, everything else pulling at him. He keyed his comms, voice low. "Stop taking him one at a time… hold him, don't chase." No speech, no extra. Then he picked up speed and closed the distance, not swinging yet—just adding himself into it. One more thing Isley had to deal with.

 

[Serrik Skirata]

Tags: Emberlyn Kislo Niijima Izumi

Serrik stood there silently, contemplating things within his head. In his eyes, if you replace an entire thing, piece by piece, then by the time you had fully replaced, it wasn't the same. Even if it was a better version, it wouldn't be the same. If he had took apart his armour and upgraded it piece by piece, it would be a new set of armour at the end of the day. Yet he didn't voice his opinion. He knew that he could perhaps be a bit...too stubborn for his own good.

So instead he just gave a short nod of his head, watching Emberlynn as she spoke. Mentioning Ord Mantell. How she found the ship in pieces, starting to put it together. Most of the ship talk was still beyond him. The talk about family, mothers, also beyond him. He had never been especially close to family. Though his eyebrows perked beneath his helm at the mentioning of taking a missile. It would make sense why it might be in a bad state after all of that...

Instead his gaze flickered over towards Izumi, letting her speak. The way she spoke about objects as well, also didn't resonate much with the man. Objects were objects. You replaced them when they broke. You didn't try to fix them. If it's broken once, it is likely to break once again. It couldn't be relied on his eyes. Once again, not hat he'd state his opinion however. Instead he looked between the pair. He wasn't entirely sure what he could add to the conversation to help Emberlyn with her ship.

"...I do not...have anything better. No. I'm not a mechanic. Or a pilot."

 

[Kirae Orade]

Tags: Aether Verd Torva Vikar

"...You're what?"

Kirae froze for a moment, skewer mid swing through the air, as the grease dripped down onto the floor. Kirae's eyes flickering between the pair. Why she was surprised, not even she knew. Though the comment about her saving the other woman's life, alongside the title of Shield of Mandalore caused her to turn her gaze away. Focusing on the monitor instead, watching the Foundlings fight as if it was something that would give her a distraction.

She was no saviour. No hero. That was what she told herself day in, day out. She was the last remnant of a dying clan. The last of her clan. Her mind was starting to spiral at that thought. Yet she was yanked out of that thought as Torva raised her hand in greeting, giving an awkward smile, not that Kirae could complain about it, as she lifted her other hand up in greeting.

"Hey. Nice to meet you. Under...better circumstances now, I suppose."​

 

[Quinn Varanin]

//: Aselia Verd //:

Quinn was quite pleased with herself, but when the King of Naboo's leash was held tight and didn't react… her fun was over. Sighing softly, she looked bored once more, her eyes and brow only twitching as her concern rose for the girl in the arena. Reina was making a good show of herself, even with the Force scream; Quinn could feel the shift of the Force, it rattled even her own mind.

Reina had gotten stronger.

Her eyes trailed towards the Mando that had kept her company. While some of her conversations seemed to be only known to her, Quinn tried to follow her eyeline. Like her, Aselia seemed to have someone in the arena that held her attention. Quinn didn't question it for now, as she looked over and watched as someone joined the fight from the stands.

"Oh, we can do that?" There was surprise in her voice, almost an excitement.

She knew some of the larger players in the arena, in particular Isley. The man had been her Mother's master; he had molded the Dread Queen into who she was, guided her hand. Quinn found this to be a challenge — though she wouldn't want to fight only to end up being considered a Mandalorian.

That would be below her. Though she'd never say it out loud.

"Well, Aselia, you seem quite enamoured with the fight below." She waited and continued listening to the play-by-play. It was helpful enough, but Quinn was growing bored, and she hated to see the beating Reina was taking. It pained her, and she knew she shouldn't interfere, but the call of combat ached in her bones.

Standing, the young Echani Queen ran her fingers delicately through her blonde hair and sighed softly.

"I'm bored, and seeing them scattered as they are isn't going to get them the win they're looking for." She moved towards the railing by Aselia, preparing herself to follow the loud-mouthed Mandalorian below into the fray.

"Mm, if you end up joining, trust that I won't go easy on you~."

Spoiler: tags

Isley Verd Mia Monroe Adelle Bastiel Reina Daival Jaikell Wyrvhor Seris Mataan Jett Vox Kael Varr Basteil Skirata Aurelian Veruna Sibylla Abrantes

 

[Itzhal Volkihar]

| Location | Kalevala, Outer Rim Territories

​

The two sturdy columns stood like sentinels, ancient stonework swallowed the lively chatter and clamour of the bustling hall around them, their silent presence forming a pocket of hushed quiet—unnecessary for Itzhal with the isolating seal of his buy'ce, but understandably rather useful for his fellow conversationalist, with their helmet removed for the sake of feasting. The air was thick with a melody of enticing aromas that wafted through the space; the savoury scent of roasted meats, spiced with herbs, mingling with the rich sweetness of baked pastries and the earthy notes of freshly baked bread delivered by serving staff that danced between the tables, depositing the newest batch of fresh produce.

Through the bleak glare of his visor, transparisteel reflected the anger that burned in Tessa's eyes. Oh, the bridge might not have been destroyed, but that was only a matter of time. He knew the desire well. An ice-cold rage that seeped so deep into their veins, it felt like their heart only beat for the sake of their vengeance, every second spent waiting for that final moment, frostbite creeping over their vision as paradoxically it became easier and easier to wait for that perfect instance, even while the rest of the world passed them by.

If he'd been a kinder man, perhaps, he would have pitied Dax. He was not, however, and in the end, it was only fair that one burned when playing with wildfire and loyalties.

Itzhal's gaze never left Tessa.

Not when she admitted the only reason that Dax still lived. Not when she shied away from the choices she made—there was always a choice, it was only a matter of whether one had the strength to shoulder the consequences. Not when she turned to face him and the reality of her new situation. Cin Vhetin. A clean start or perhaps merely a return to childhood roots, the answer was probably somewhere between the two extremes.

"Everything dies eventually," he remarked, an observation filled with bitter remembrance of all that had passed.

Then, with a measured slowness, he gradually tilted his head towards the bright glow of the holoscreens above. The polished surface of his visor caught the flickering flames of the nearby feasting-spit, sending shimmering glimmers of light dancing across its sleek exterior.

"If it would not be too cruel to ask," his voice was soft, almost gentle in a way that he rarely was, though he sometimes wished it was so. "Did you ever finish your Verd'gotten, Tessa?"

Tags: Tessa Thayne​

 

[Aselia Verd]

Aselia felt the shift in the fight before she fully saw it.

The rhythm had broken.

What had been controlled chaos was starting to splinter, individuals pulling away from one another instead of holding formation. Her visor tracked it instinctively, following the movement below as Adelle was driven back, isolated exactly as Mia intended. Aselia leaned slightly forward against the railing, weight shifting in a way that had nothing to do with comfort and everything to do with readiness.

Phantom felt it too.

The small creature stirred from where she had been curled, lifting her head as her ears twitched toward the arena. Her tail flicked once, then again, more alert now as her attention locked downward. A soft, uneasy chitter slipped out of her. Aselia’s hand came up without looking, fingers brushing lightly along Phantom’s back in a brief, grounding motion before settling again against the railing. Her focus never left the fight.

“They’re losing shape,” she said at last, her voice low and even, though there was a quiet edge to it now. “Too many acting alone. Understandable based on who they are fighting, and most have probably never met.”

Below, she tracked the details. Adelle, being driven back, was forced onto the defensive. Reina overextending. Others scatter instead of consolidating. It was all there, all predictable once the pressure mounted. Phantom shifted again, claws lightly pressing as she leaned forward, mirroring Aselia’s attention in her own smaller way.

Aselia glanced over as Quinn stood, catching the shift in her posture and the intent behind it almost immediately. There was the faintest hint of amusement in her voice when she spoke, though it stayed grounded beneath the helmet. "Try not to kill anyone," she said dryly, a familiar edge of familiarity threading through the remark. When Quinn commented on her being enamored with the fight, Aselia let out a quiet laugh, the sound softer than most would expect from her.

"You most of all know why," she replied, tone easy but carrying weight beneath it.

She didn't elaborate. She didn't need to.

Instead, she gave a small nod toward the arena below, toward where Adelle fought under mounting pressure, her attention lingering there just a fraction longer before returning to Quinn. At the mention of joining the fight and the not-so-subtle challenge, Aselia let out another quiet laugh, this one carrying a bit more warmth.

"If you're going down there, you're on the side of the foundlings, that means working together," she said simply, the statement not a suggestion so much as a given. Her head tilted slightly, considering Quinn for a brief moment before adding, her tone lighter now,

"If you want a duel, though… I'll entertain you any time, cousin."

TAG: Quinn Varanin
Indirect Tag: Adelle Bastiel Isley Verd Mia Monroe Reina Daival + everyone else im lazy
​

 

[Sibylla Abrantes]

​

Aurelian Veruna

He is in his head again.

The realization came to Sibylla with quiet certainty, her thumb pausing for the briefest moment against his knuckles before resuming its slow, comforting circle. Naturally, she figured it had to do with their previous conversation regarding Quinn and Wielu instead of the real reason that had Aurelian spiraling in his thoughts.

"Stop being in your head," she murmured softly, leaning closer as her fingers gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

"As you said, we will speak with Adelle after and decide our course from there."

Whatever she intended to add was lost as the sudden shift of the fight snapped Sibylla's attention back to the arena. Her eyes went wide as Mia pressed forward with strike after strike driving Adelle back, each movement more precarious than the last.

Then -- no!

The saber scattered to the side and Sibylla's breath caught. Her body shifted forward without thought, fingers tightening instinctively around Aurelian's hand as the moment teetered on a razor's edge.

"Come on…" she murmured under her breath, the words barely audible, yet threaded with restrained urgency, watching as Adelle used her flamethrower to try and distract Mia while using her whipcord to try and grab her lightsaber once again.

Those hazel eyes fixed on the fight as if sheer focus alone might carry Adelle through the next heartbeat.

 

[Avast Verd]

FEATS OF HONOR

Land Nav Assessment
Acier Moonbound

Avast couldn't help the huffed quiet laugh under her breath as she crested the ridge, the wind tugging at her black locks before easing as the terrain opened.

"Mmm, but you still see it all same," she murmured, half to him, half to the land.

Those dark eyes swept toward the final stretch, then down to the subtle shifts in the ground, where she noticed the subtle shift of dust along with the faint pull in the Force, drawing her attention to the last waypoint just beyond a low dip between rock spines.

The datapad buzzed once against her forearm in confirmation, but she didn't even look at it.

"Navigator or not," she declared, glancing back at him with a small, knowing curve to her mouth, "you movin' like you already know where finish line livin'."

She drew forward, adjusting her path slightly. She wasn't cutting straight for the marker, but more of a shallow arc where the ground held a bit more firmly.

"Dis way," she called, already moving. "Dha ground softer straight ahead. You go dat route, it slow you jus' enough to matter. Drag you behind."

Then she added with an additional amused beat.

"Finish ain't always where it show you first glance, Moonbound." she breathed out, pressing forward for that final stretch.

"C'mon. Last push."

Spoiler: OOC: Sum of Rolls

1st Roll	6
2nd Roll	6
3rd Roll	1
4th roll	1
5th roll	1
Total	15!

 

[Aurelian Veruna]

Tags: Sibylla Abrantes

Aurelian shot her a look when she told him to get out of his head. Easier said than done.

His mouth opened like he might argue it, then closed again. What was he supposed to say? Sorry, I'm just quietly unraveling because everything I care about could collapse at any moment? That would go over well.

Instead, he exhaled and shook his head slightly, forcing his focus back where it belonged.

"You make that sound very simple," he muttered.

For a moment, the noise helped. The crowd surged, the clash of steel cut through everything else, and the weight in his chest dulled just enough to ignore. Then Sibylla tensed. Aurelian followed her gaze instantly. Adelle lost her glow stick. His grip tightened around his mug and her hand at the same time. The easy confidence he'd been leaning on cracked just a little.

"This hardly seems fair," he said under his breath.

Two Mand'alors. Relentless pressure. No room to breathe. Even from here, he could see it. The way Mia drove forward, forcing Adelle back step by step. Adelle didn't panic. Of course she didn't. Still, his jaw tightened.

"She's going to feel this for a week," he added quietly. Maybe longer.

He didn't like how invested he sounded. Didn't like how obvious it was, either. So he masked it the only way he knew how. "Well," he muttered, lifting his mug again, "it would be incredibly inconvenient for me if my friend failed her… Verd'goat or whatever it is."

Aurelian took a long drink, draining more of the ale than necessary. The bitterness grounded him, gave his hands something to do besides tighten uselessly. His eyes never left the arena.

"Come on," he said under his breath, almost echoing Sibylla now.

​

 

[Sibylla Abrantes]

​

Aurelian Veruna

"It is not simple."

There was no going around it. That much was the truth. Especially when one was as much of an overthinker as Siyblla was, taking in as much information and thoughts racing a dozen parsecs a minute in her mind.

"However, if I do not remind you, you will continue to stew and spiral about it. It is fine. We will figure it out together," she assured him again, giving him a quick flick of her attention to catch his beloved profile. All stark angles and hard lines were edged with a tint of bitterness as he spoke regarding how it would be terribly inconvenient for his friend to fail her Verd'goten.

And as Sibylla focused on the one particular noun, she couldn't help the impish glint in her hazel eyes as she added quietly with notable pride and a teasing warmth.

So the small, carefully curated friend circle had increased by one.

Now there were three.

"Friend." She repeated, smile growing all the wider despite the fight growing all the more tense. It brought a fresh wave of optimism.

"Adelle is quite the skillful friend. She has grit and can think on her feet. I am sure she will turn this around..."

Right?