Wait... I know you!

[Faegard]

|| C O R U S C A N T ||​

​

"Wait... I know you!"

Oh no

This had been a bad idea. Coming here had definitely been a bad idea. The incomprehensibly gargantuan city of Coruscant sprawled in every direction, the gleaming jungle of steel and glass clawing at the sky. Sky speeders raced in crisscrossing lanes overhead, their telltale screech lost in the cacophony of city life. This was very, very far away from everything I had known. Coruscant had her allure, definitely. Imagine the secrets that would lie in the roots of such a place?

Well, not right now. I felt my heart leap into my throat as the gruff voice had stopped me in my tracks. Around me, the hustle and bustle continued, thousands of citizens and visitors alike hurriedly walking past as though I wasn't even there. Hugging the small backpack to my chest, my ears flattened against my head and my tail flicked nervously. Turning on my heel slowly, I hesitantly looked up.

"You're... making a mistake."

Behind me - and closing fast - walked one of Coruscant's law-enforcement. My fur bristled, wiry arms tightening around the backpack hugged to my chest. In two quick strides he reached me, standing over me as his silhouette blocked out the sun. The man folded his arms, a deep chuckle erupting from beneath his mask.

"There's no mistake. You're a wanted woman. It's time to pay for your crimes."

He stuck out a hand,

"Starting with that."

The last word was snapped, accompanied by him taking a final step in my direction, as if to grab me.

I turned and fled.

Using my tail like a counter-balance and with my smaller, lighter frame, I raced off into the crowd, trying to lose him in the busy city. Within moments my lungs started to ache, my throat feeling dry and my heart thudding heavily against my ribs. My left shoulder began to ache, the old wound throbbing from the sudden exertion. All the while as I ran, I kept my eyes on everything around me. He might be out of sight for the moment, but I needed to find somewhere to blend in, some way to hide. He would likely call backup, after all.




[member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

[member="Valrayne"]​

And here she was on Coruscant again. Scherezade couldn't help but snicker. At the former government she served, she could count the amount of times she'd arrived on the planet on one hand. Aside for getting murdered (or almost murdered? Court was still out on that) here, most of the time was simply spent helping get more planets into the fold. Time was a finite resource. Yet now that she was with the Agents of Chaos, it seemed that nearly every trip that took her outside of the Unknown Regions ended with a visitation to the capital of the Galaxy.

And here she was now, walking the streets of upper Coruscant, wearing her shiny armor though many of her weapons were quite out of sight for the time being. With all the weird fashion trends that the citizens of Coruscant chose to wear anyway, she blended in perfectly. It would be another hour or so before she had to be somewhere, that somewhere being a place of collecting lots and lots of credits. In the meantime, she had walked around with a big plastic mug of ice coffee in her hands, though instead of ice coffee, it was full of full fat cream and ice cubes. A perfect drink for such a lovely yellow day.

Normally, she would have been perfectly content to just keep on walking like that, had it not been for a slip of a girl that whizzed by, smelling like fear. It was a common sight, for younglings to be doing that, and Scherezade was just about to continue minding her own business, when she glanced at what she already knew to be a few official security officers in civilian clothing. The ones that Coruscant employed for crap like this was hilariously bad. And it meant that now they had their attention.

Turning around, Scherezade dropped her drink into the nearby bin and broke into a run as well, leaping forward like a gazelle in forest, barely minding the people who were walking around that were in her way. One dude's shoulders ended up being used for total parkour flips too. If anyone caught her face, the only expression they would be able to find upon it was one of pure joy. Runs like this were fun for the Sithling. If she got to mess with stupid officials? Double fun!

The girl was good though. It wasn't long before Scherezade darted into the minds of the pedestrians to find glimpses of her. A left turn here, a right turn there… She knew she was on the right trail. And there was something… Was there? Was there something familiar about her fur or ears? She wasn't sure. She had to get closer, to get her blood's scent. Then she would know.

 

[Faegard]

Run

I'd forgotten how utterly freeing it could be to do so. My heart raced in my chest, my lungs ached and burned, the old scar on my shoulder flared up, sending jolts of pain through me with every step that hit the ground. But it wasn't uncomfortable, no. It was liberating. I'm too small to fight - even without my injury - but run? Oh I am built for running. My ears were flat against my head, the wind rushing through my hair and fur. Backpack still clutched to my chest, I ducked and weaved, putting as much space and as many bodies between myself and the officials as possible.

Wait... what was that?

I felt a flash of something, something behind me. Someone had joined in the chase, with a strong force signature. Strong? Maybe, or maybe I was just reaching out without realizing. I'd not had a lot of training, much of it was still new to me.

Come on, it was one little trinket! It wasn't even important! They hadn't truly set Sith agents on me, had they?

No... no I don't think so. At least, it didn't seem that way. I wanted to know more, I needed to know more. Keeping my eyes on my surroundings, I searched for an alley or a corner to duck into, somewhere I could hide. With a little luck they'd all simply run past.

There!

A little nook between two buildings, small and covered in shadow. The moment I saw it, I darted close to a citizen, a poor girl who had the same hair as me. Running close to her, I allowed all the strain and breathlessness to come out in my voice. She likely would not have heard the subtle sound of rapidly approaching steps, especially not above the din of city life. However, in the next moment, it would have been like a rush of air, a grey flash, and the desperately whispered words

"Quick! Run!"

Panicked and startled, she did just that, dropping everything and taking off ahead of me. Instantly, I slowed, my tail catching my balance as I sharply turned to duck into the nook. Leaning against the wall, bag hugged to my chest, I remained simply panting and catching my breath for a moment. It wouldn't take long for them to realize they were chasing the wrong person, but it would hopefully be enough for me to slip away.

Except for that... that other one. If they were indeed force sensitive...

I squeezed my eyes shut, focusing instead on catching my breath. If they found me, I'd deal with it then, but I needed to be able to think straight, first.




[member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

[member="Valrayne"]​

Was her prey becoming tired? Scherezade, who'd been running for a while at this point, had noticed that the speed they were going on had slowed. For a few different heartbeats she thought she had found her target, a whisp of a girl with furry ears indeed, but every time she thought she'd found her, the girl managed to disappear.

And then came the final bit. Scherezade's eyes saw the girl run straight. But the scent of the blood, no, that one had taken a turn.

Clever little kittie, the Sithling smiled. It would've worked on most people. Heck, it'd have worked on most Force Users as well. The main thing the Sith had going for her was that she was a Blood Hound and she smelled one's blood better than she could see, even if she had the perfect eye sight for a human.

Coming to a halt, the glowing eyes of the Blood Hound looked around. There would be no chasing of the dark haired girl who had no ears and had a very different scent to her blood. What was the point? But… There! The scent of the original girl, the one with the fur ears, she'd picked it up again.

One step, two steps, three steps, meow.

"Boo!" Scherezade said softly, a grin on her face. Only for a moment did she pause, looking behind her shoulders. Somehow, the Coruscant Guards had managed to get to the general location as well. But a wave of her hand and they were gone, now eternally believing that they'd gone the wrong direction in the first place. Silly little fools.

"What's a kitten like you doing running away from brutes like these?" she asked, pointing with her thumb. If anything about this entire situation was weird or strange, none of it showed on her features. Heck, Scherezade might as well as been sitting in her own living room with how she was standing and the tone of her speaking.

 

[Faegard]

It took several moments, but eventually, I felt my heart begin to slow, granting my poor, aching ribs much-needed reprieve from the relentless hammering. My limbs buzzed from the sudden workout I'd put them through. My ears twitched, constantly scanning my surroundings while I took a few moments to calm myself and catch my breath. In the moments, as my tail swished slowly behind me, I couldn't help but smile to myself. It was sheer luck that that other girl had been there, and that she'd been flighty enough to run. Perhaps the force was on my side today...

Boo!

I gasped, a soft, feline yelp escaping as suddenly the playful voice interrupted my reprieve. I had flinched, and swallowed, panting all over again. However, as I recovered my composure, taking in the visage of the woman, I realized that she did not appear angry. She certainly didn't look like law enforcement. In fact, with her easy confidence and almost girlish grin, one might have assumed we were just a couple of friends, divulging juicy gossip.

It was when she asked her question that my own face broke out into a grin to match hers. My grip loosened on the bag clutched to my chest and I gently opened the top. Within the panels of fabric was nestled three or four little convorees, blinking in the light. They chirped a little and I couldn't help but reach in and pet the smallest one, stroking his feathered head as I spoke,

"Well it's entirely possible that a vendor and I had a disagreement on how big a cage these little darlings should be kept in." I grinned, "... aaaaand maybe the authorities took exception to that."

Gently closing the bag again, I peeked around her to see if we would have to move again soon, or if my distraction had bought us a little time. I chewed thoughtfully on my bottom lip for a moment, my tail twitching as my ears swiveled towards her,

"Say, do you happen to know somewhere we can release them where they won't likely get caught again?" A pause, "where I won't likely get caught either?"





[member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

[member="Valrayne"]​

Glowing green eyes watched the cat girl with unhidden interest. Now that they weren't running, Scherezade had the chance to look at her properly, noting not only the furry ears, but also the tail that swooshed behind her. She wasn't certain what kitten's species was; it was certainly not human or anything else that she'd ever scented before. For a split of a moment the ears made her think of Felacats, but she knew that wasn't it either, no. Whatever this girl was, it was a species Scherezade had not encountered before.

And that made her interesting!

The grin matched hers and the Blood Hound's interest rose even further. Before the bag opened, she realized there was something else she was scenting, but not until the birds came into view did she realize what it was.

Mommie mommie look what we got from the pet market!

What is it sweetling?

Convoreeseseses!!!

And what are convorees, my dear?

Birds! They fly mommie, look at them fly!

Oh darling, tell them to fly outside, you don't want your father to catch these in the house unless you're good with them being served for dinner tonight.

Okay mommie!!!

Scherezade blinked as the memory jumped to mind and faded almost as fast. She knew the child she had seen in the memory, knew the voices that had spoken. Her grandmother and her mother. Judging by what was happening, it must've been on Spira. Her mother had loved animals so much that she'd trained at Beastmastering as well and had an entire zoo in the backyard of their mansion – a zoo that was later abandoned as the family broke off to different parts of the galaxy, and only one of her aunts remained behind, eventually succumbing to eating the pets because she had no credits for food.

But that didn't matter now.

"You stole a bunch of birds worth barely 60 credits each?" the Blood Hound asked with a blink, "and the guards after you for 240 credits?"

Her eyes narrowed. 240 credits was peanuts in this part of town. Why would they chase her for that? Did one of those birds hide a special lightsaber crystal or something like that in its belly? But as she wondered, kittie asked another question. Where could they be released?

"Underground will nab these for food," she thought out loud, "upper Coruscant will try to control it, probably cage it again. Ever notice the lack of avians in the city skies?"

But… There was a place that could use such birds, providing they didn't breed beyond control. One where they would be welcome in the background.

"How do you feel about the Unknown Regions?" Scherezade purred, eying the bag a moment before looking at the girl again, "I know a place. But for Force's sake stop closing the bag, you're giving them less space than they had with the vendor."

 

[Faegard]

As I opened the bag, the young woman peered inside.

However, as she did, her eyes seemed to go distant for a moment. Whomever she was, this lady standing before me, she seemed to disappear for a few moments, called back to some distant thought or memory. In those few moments I chose to study her, taking in her form and features, scrutinizing her stance her gaze, the way she stood and how she breathed. I'm not trying to be creepy, honestly. It's just become... habitual at this point. I retain just about everything, and any little thing I could glean from her might one day be useful.

... Okay fine, I'd be lying if I said it wasn't entirely pleasant.

She snapped back to the present, remarking that I'd stolen something of such little value. I shrugged,

"Well I wasn't going to pay him for them, that'd just encourage him to keep doing it!"

The woman thought aloud, considering a good place to release the little things. As I was apparently much more of a stranger to Coruscant than she, I didn't bother to chime in. Instead, I simply watched her, my ears swiveled forwards, committing to memory the tidbits she dropped about the huge city. Finally, she mentioned a place, the Unkown Regions. Well, they certainly were that. The name alone intrigued me, and I visibly perked up.

"Sounds good!" I purred in reply.

She chastised me for keeping the bag closed and I immediately let it open back up again, peeking out around her once more to check for cops. Seeing none so far, I gently hefted it onto my shoulder, blushing,

"Right, sorry. I just got a little startled by law enforcement here. Do you have a name? Something I can call you other than 'scales', perhaps?" I grinned, nodding to the sleek armor she wore.

I didn't mind if she'd prefer not to give her name to a stranger after all, especially one she'd found literally running from the cops. Besides, I hadn't yet given mine before now.





[member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

[member="Valrayne"]​

It was by pure luck that cat-girl had agreed to the Unknown Regions. But what was more lucky was that Scherezade had arrived on Coruscant without her own ship, using instead one of the many offered by the Agents of Chaos. Her own ship still bore the marks of the trauma that had been her. The blood spells were still on the walls, long and detailed memories of what had had happened to her in the first few months out of the pebble, what happened to her during the years she thought she'd been held captive for a second time in the Darkness, the horrible memories that had led her to try to take her own life. And the good memories, sprawled in one of the small rooms. She had since covered those walls with pale pink wallpaper to hide it, mostly from her own eyes, but the walls still pulsed with power and magic, and since the day she had been returned into her own body, she had not let a single person see it.

Which was why it was so great she had an Agents of Chaos ship with her!

"Hold on," she said quietly, looking at the bag. It had been… A good long while since she'd last created a spell out of nothing. But much as she hated the fact she'd once been a Mandragora, Scherezade had enough training in spells and witchcraft to know how to construct one. She was sure that an actual spell actually already existed somewhere, but without access to either Dathomir or Ryloth for these things, the only thing at her disposal, lacking tech that could do it, was to make one of her own. Man. She wished she had a holographic disguise device on her. That would've made things so much simpler.

Moving her hands over the bag, Scherezade closed her eyes and concentrated.

"Divert the eyes of those who see," she whispered as she began to gather the Force around her, "And let those who see, see nothing," a pause. She needed a good way to end the spell. "Keep these birds safe if you wish to be safe from me."

There. She could feel the Force settling over the bag like a warm blanket of protection. Only now did she open her eyes, looking at the cat girl again. "As long as no one touches the bag, they will be safe and invisible. So be super careful when you walk."

Turning around, Scherezade glanced at the pedestrians. If there were any guards around, she couldn't see them.

"We're walking to the dockyard," she explained, and motioned for the girl to follow, "I'm Scherezade, by the way."

 

[Faegard]

The young woman spoke, and I paused with the bag half-hoisted to my shoulder.

I watched, curiously, with my ears keenly perked up in her direction. I could feel the way the force moved around her as she channeled it. But... but the way she did so, it was not the way I'd been taught. In fact, it was nothing like my understanding of it. She spoke, her voice a soft whisper, almost as though commanding the very energy that surrounded us. By the time she was done, my eyes were wide with wonder. I blinked, absently nodding at her instruction to be careful. Gently pulling the now-hidden bag onto my shoulders, I spoke,

"What... what was that?"

The dock yard, that sounded like as good a destination as any. As she moved I followed, light footfalls barely seeming to touch the ground. I may not be the smartest or the suavest of people here, but if you can rely on a cat to be one thing, it's graceful. At her name, I smiled,

"Scherezade," I repeated, committing it to memory, "that's pretty. I'm Valrayne, or Val, if you like."

I moved up to walk beside her, still allowing her to lead the way. For a moment or two I stayed quiet, debating whether or not to ask my question. Finally, however, my curiosity won out (as it always does).

"Where did you go just now? You know, if you don't mind my asking."

Before I'd nicked our most precious bounty, I had watched as many wide-eyed youngling or wistful citizen had passed by, looks of longing and delight thrown towards the tiny creatures. But this Scherezade? When she had seen them, it had been a memory that had flashed across her pretty features, I was sure of it.

And no, I wasn't just staring at those bright emerald eyes.




[member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

[member="Valrayne"]​

"Val-raine," Scherezade repeated, then stopped herself, "Valrayne," she said, now getting the pronunciation correctly. Would she shorten it? Perhaps yes, perhaps no, only time would tell. But she knew she enjoyed the sound of the full name being said.

The two women continued to walk through the Coruscanti street, Scherezade sometimes moving herself in such a way that she absorbed being bumped in the shoulder. She had not told Valrayne, but the warning about touching the bag extended to herself as well; anyone but Valrayne herself, and the spell would be broken, and they might have to break a run for it. Again.

A normal person, would've thought why this perfectly stranger, but a bag full of birds that weren't exactly on your in danger of getting extinct list, might agree to just come along like that. Especially since they were about to travel into the Unknown Regions, which was, for all intents and purposes, not that different from walking into a dark and scary forest when you were a princess in a fairy tale. The fact that Valrayne had agreed to it without even showing a flicker of worry, was something that Scherezade could appreciate. She just didn't know if it was because the kitten didn't know about the Unknown Regions, or if something else was there. What she did know though, was that the most seemingly random strangers could surprise you.

"Go?" she asked though, blinking in surprise. She'd been there all along. It was only a second later that she realized… "Oh," she said, and shrugged.

Another turn. They weren't that far away from the dockyard now. Or at least, the relevant dockyard. It was quite amazing how full of dockyards a place like Coruscant was.

"The convorees reminded me of my mother," she decided to say after a short silence, figuring it was the best way to get around a very complicated and messy subject, "She loved animals. A lot. And I haven't seen her in many, many years."

 

[Faegard]

I chuckled as my new companion repeated my name, making sure she got it right.

She was peculiar, and as we walked through the streets of Coruscant, I had a chance to study her some. I noted that she was careful to make sure I never accidentally bumped into her. Maybe it was something to do with whatever that spell had been, or perhaps it was merely a quirk of her character, either way, I did my best to avoid accidentally knocking her, keeping her in my peripheral vision.

She answered my question, seeming a little surprised by it at first. At her answer, I felt a soft, nostalgic smile tug on the corner of my lips. Her words seemed to ring with hesitation, even a little sadness. So, maybe not the best topic to go diving into right now. She was helping me, after all, I didn't exactly want to drive away the only friend I had around here.

"Mothers tend to be like that, don't they?" I answered, "mine does too, which I guess helped her when she was raising my bratty ass."

I turned to offer Scherezade a grin, hoping to lighten the mood a little.

A glance around me revealed that, for now at least, we seemed to remain undetected by any of the city's law enforcement. Still, I kept my ears low, my tail curled around my hips under my coat. It's pretty hard to hide my feline features, but the more human my silhouette, the better our chances. This part of the city (like most of the rest of it, if I'm being completely honest) was utterly unfamiliar to me. Having darted so panicked away from the guards, I hadn't been paying attention to where I'd been going.

"So," I chuckled nervously, "after we get these little guys to safety... I don't suppose you'd be able to point me back to the market? This place is a labyrinth. Also... I'm gonna owe you for this, least I could do is buy you lunch or something."

A slight pause,

"Then who knows, maybe we can take down a government or something."

Me? A trouble maker? Never...





[member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

[member="Valrayne"]​

All Scherezade had to offer about the mention of mothers was another small smile. She didn't know what it was like to be a brat to your mother, or father. Her entire childhood had been stolen from her in the most literal of ways. Where others got to learn to walk, to talk, to learn, she'd been transferred from baby to adult. It had left her with gaps she was certain she would never manage to fill, and more than enough psychological damage to sponsor an entire planet of professional therapists who wouldn't be able to help. But she did her best.

"Point you back to the market?" Scherezade repeated the question, the surprise very easy to see on her face. Sure, Coruscant was most definitely a labyrinth if you didn't know it and had no map or guide, but… "Valrayne, we're going to the Unknown Regions," she said quietly, not wanting to draw any attention. "They're… Not on Coruscant."

Quite the opposite, come to think of it. They were as far from Coruscant as you could get from the core in general. Still, that was exactly the moment at which the two arrived at the dockyard. Comfortably enough and for plot convenience, the Agents of Chaos ship that Scherezade had arrived with was the one closest to their entrance. Glancing around, the Sithling noted that none of those guard types that had chased the kitten girl earlier were around, and she released the spell.

"So here's the thing," she said, "It'll be easier to explain on my ship, because I have all the pretty holomaps and whatnot. I give you my word that I will not start the engines or take off with you on board unless you absolutely want to come with me. You're free to leave the ship and take the avians with you if that is what you want. If it makes you feel safer, I can give you a drop of blood."

Right. The blood. She didn't know if Valrayne came from a culture or background that knew the meaning of that. If she didn't, Scherezade hoped that she would understand from context that it was a pretty big deal.

Moments later, the two were on the ship, and Scherezade motioned to her new acquaintance that she could let the birds fly free. It wasn't a bit ship, but it was heaps better than being stuck inside a bag. Scherezade led them all to the kitchen, where she motioned for Val to feel free to take whatever she wanted to eat or drink. There was water and a few different kinds of full fat cream in the fridge, and most of the food was preserved meats and hard cheeses. There were some eggs too.

Sitting at the small table, Scherzade slammed the button. Instantly, the kitchen filled with planets and parts of the galaxy. There were so many mily ways, hyperlane routes, and more that could be seen there.

"We are here," she explained, pointing at the center of it, right at Coruscant, "When I offered you to bring the creatures to the Unkown Regions, I meant over here," she added, and walked all the way to the corner of the kitchen, letting the holomap zoom out ever so slightly so that planets were now even smaller. All the way West to the Core, she found one of the Galaxy's edges, and pointed at that.

"And this is where we're going to bring governments down from," she added with the most innocent of smiles.

 

[Faegard]

The unknown regions were... not here.

As in, not on Coruscant, at all.

"I... oh."

That wasn't what I had been expecting at all. I'd snatched up the little creatures on a whim, intending to take only a little while out of my day. But, why not? I had no pressing issues here, nothing keeping me tied down. Why not? Besides... I reached up and touched the little shard around my neck, I could call on aid if I ended up needing it. The woman beside me offered to explain on her ship, and promised that it wouldn't whisk me away without my consent. She even offered... a drop of blood.

I wasn't sure entirely what that meant to her, if it was some ritual or simply had cultural significance, but, I could tell that it was an important gesture on her part. Even simply offering it told me much about the strength of her word.

"I appreciate the gesture," I replied genuinely, "but it's not necessary. Besides, the last time someone made a promise with blood not to hurt me I ended up accidentally--"

A blush came over my features, thankfully obscured by the light coat of fur on my skin,

"Uh... it didn't end well. Maybe I can tell you about it sometime."

No use getting off track when I was still technically a fugitive and we still had tiny passengers to rescue. As she gestured, I opened the bag and let them out. The little creatures seemed pleased to be out, finding a perch away from the cat-girl that had stuffed them into the bag and nuzzling one another. My gaze drifted to the ship itself, eyes wide. It was lovely, not huge but definitely cozy and inviting. Ears perked forwards as I followed Scherezade to the kitchen, taking a seat across her from the small table. She hit a button, and suddenly the air was filled with a map of the galaxy. She showed me where we were... and then where the unknown regions were, finishing off with a quip about taking down the government.

I blinked in surprise, my tail flicking.

"You're... serious, aren't you?" I asked, pausing for a moment, my eyes following her as she moved. "You know what? I'm in, that sounds fun, and there are a few places that need a little... chaos in their lives."





[member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

[member="Valrayne"]​

A story of blood. Scherezade nodded and smiled, her interest ignited, but she set it aside for now. There were important things to discuss, to do, to say. She couldn't let herself get distracted. It was so annoying, being suddenly thrust into a position of unofficial leadership, where she was the one that had to be all… Adult, and stuff. Only months ago, being concerned with distractions would've been among the last things on her mind at all.

Was she serious? Of course she was. People often underestimated her, even when they had no reason to. And every time, she'd risen above and beyond in achievements, only to be overlooked. No more. And she was just about to give Valrayne a big speech on governments, and importance, and-

"What?" she asked and blinked in surprise.

Just like that? Just like… "Are you sure?" she asked, still surprised, "Usually I need to give this big butt speech and stuff, and explain about why we're toppling governemnts, and where in the Unknown Regions we are, and what we do, and what we plan on…"

Her voice quietened, and she looked at Valrayne again. Just like that.

Confusion melted away into a big warm smile. Scherezade turned the holomap off and looked at who was soon to be stamped as her new friend.

"Do you…" she asked, "I don't know, do you have something you wanna get from Coruscant before we leave? Special food or clothes or… I don't know. Krak, I know nothing about you other than that you have an underlying humanoid scent and you freed a bunch of birds. And of course, there will be food and clothes at the Scintilla, which is where we're going to, but… I don't know. Do you need anything before we go?"

 

[Faegard]

I couldn't help but snicker as my answer seemed to surprise Scherezade.

She blinked in surprise and I grinned, my tail flicking playfully. My own features matched hers as she melted into a broad smile. Lightly shrugging one shoulder, I shifted a little in my seat before I responded. It probably did seem a bit strange how ready I was to go traipsing off into the outer reaches of the galaxy with a relative stranger, after all.

"This is kind of what I've been doing since I left home," I grinned, "I'm not beholden to anyone or anything, I just sorta... go where I want."

She may or may not have noticed the way my ears twitched uncertainly at the mention of not being beholden. Well, okay, maybe I was. But I definitely wasn't running from him, no way. Totally not trying to see if scurrying to the farthest reaches of the galaxy would be an escape, nope. Not me.

"You're too kind," I continued, "but I have everything I need. It's easier to just hop a transport when you don't have to go back and grab anything, after all. Heh, I don't have any special requirements, don't let the ears and tail throw you off. The claws? Maybe."

I grinned. In truth, I kept my claws small, they couldn't do much more than make someone really angry.

"Maybe on the trip we can get to know each other some. Seems like it's gonna be a bit of a journey, after all."

Settling into the seat, I turned to glance up at the birds, still perched happily in their little spot. Good, they already seemed much happier than when they'd been in the markets or stuffed inside my bag. For a moment I found myself lost in thought, never would I have guessed that wandering past their cage in the market would ultimately take me to the farthest reaches of the galaxy. But... that was how it seemed to go. It was interesting, unpredictable. I liked it.

It was fun.





[member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

[member="Valrayne"]​

As Scherezade looked at the cat girl, she couldn't help but be struck by the many similarities in their situation. No, not the current situation – far from it. But two years ago, when she had just broken out of the pebble, she could have been Valrayne. No home to speak of, everything she'd ever need on packed neatly (or not so neatly) into her backpack, able to just go to any place in the 'verse at a moments' notice.

The main difference had been that no one had told Scherezade there were other choices. So when she had been in that situation, she'd barely existed for two hours before becoming part of the Confederacy and within it, part of the Mandragora. And there she'd slaved away for close to two years trying to be recognized, loved, and appreciated, and never getting any of that. At some points, she felt like leaving would have been to sign her own death warrant. At other points, she felt as though she could never go back to her actual home if she couldn't prove herself in a place like that.

She'd been young and foolish. Still young, she hoped that at least some of the foolishness was now gone, never to return.

"I would like that," she answered in all earnest with a smile. Get to know each other. Someone actually wanted to do that, and she had a feeling in her gut that this was not just as a way to pass time. Another stark difference between the then and now.

"But I want you to know," she said, her eyebrows raising ever so slightly, "You're free to leave as you are free to come. If you decide at any point that it doesn't suit you for any reason after we get there, I can put you on a ship that's headed into pretty much any other part of the galaxy. You're not a prisoner and you're not being coerced into it. You'll always have the choice."

Though, Scherezade did not deny that hoped the cat girl would not want to leave. If nothing else, she seemed like a perfect fit for the Agents of Chaos, and she was certain that the more she'd know about her, the more she'd think so.

"So first things first," now Scherezade grinned, "what do you want to eat or drink? And-," she looked at her, her green eyes glowing with intent, "What species are you? I've never scented your kind before and this has my senses all sorts of bopping and hopping with curiosity and excitement."

 

[Faegard]

Scherezade was a curiosity, and one that I was thoroughly enjoying turning over in my mind, like a puzzle cube.

She had an almost enchanting, capable, don't mess with me I'm packing heat vibe, but occasionally, she would drift off, the mask of tough exterior slipping a little to reveal that beneath it was a girl, not too different from myself, who cared and loved and feared and laughed and cried. The more she not only spoke, but also seemed to drift off into those little memories, the more I felt I wanted to chase after her and unwrap them.

I guess I'm a sucker for puzzles.

The young woman then surprised me, promising that I was free to leave at any time. Not only that, but that she would ensure I could go anywhere. I glanced down at my hand, at the mark now on the back of it as a slight smile curled at my lips. For once, the choice of whether I stayed or left was finally up to me. It seemed as though she knew what it was like to have that choice ripped away from you... or perhaps sensed that it already had for me in the past.

I grinned,

"Thanks, I'd like to hang around for a while I think."

She asked me what I liked to drink... and what species I am. My tail flicked excitedly, it wasn't often I got to talk about it. The few people who spoke to me either didn't care or already knew.

"I'll have whatever's going. I'm sure it'll be better than whatever they serve up in the stations in the outer rim."

Leaning back in my chair, my ears casually tilted forwards as my tail flicked up and around into my hands. I held the end of it, claws stroking through the strands of fur to comb it out.

"I'm felacatian. But I didn't grow up on Felacat. My parents had this little asteroid where they raised me." I purred, turning my gaze to Scherezade as I spoke, "just... for posterity's sake, we can shift into what my parents called our 'war form'. Think, like, a cat but the size of a nexu, or bigger."

I blushed, shrugging one shoulder apologetically,

"But don't worry, I have full control of it."

Except for that one time... But anyway,

"What about you? I sense the force in you, but you don't seem... well I was going to say 'like a normal human' but really, I don't know that I could even describe what that is. How do you know about the Unkown Regions?"





[member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

[member="Valrayne"]​

Felacat. Huh. Scherezade had expected to be able to scent that one out since she'd been around that species before, but she supposed her catalogue might not have been as perfect as she thought it was. That also made things a touch trickier. Grinning, she set a big mug in front of Valrayne, and put her own mug close enough so that the other woman could see that she wasn't mocking her, for in both mugs was full fat cream – frothy, warm, and delicious. "I swear this is not because of your species," Scherezade grinned. "This is really what I drink when it's not just water. I don't like most beverages."

The comment about the Outer Rim had not gone unnoticed though; the two were in the process of leaving Coruscant, a Core planet. The Outer Rim… Cat girl had more resources handy at her disposal than she'd thus let on. That was good. Scherezade liked resourceful people.

"I wouldn't mind if you couldn't yet fully control it," she assured her, "I'm good with animals, in case you don't retain full sentient thought patterns while in the other shape. Got experience with a few shifter species too."

But no. She wouldn't think about that particular species that had torn her heart out and dumped her like garbage. There were better things to focus on now that it had officially become part of the past with no chance of redemption in the future.

And then the questions had moved to her. Scherezade wrapped her hands around the hot mug and took a small sip, contemplating her words. Part of her, she could not deny, felt comfortable enough to lay her entire story on the kitten's lap. Another part of her reminded her that she had felt that way before and the pain that came from not being patient and letting time bring them close always ended up in horrible pain for her.

"I'm human. And I was born in the Unknown Regions," she said after a pause. Valrayne would probably be able to tell that Scherezade was considering her words. That was all right. She wouldn't tell everything, but she wouldn't lie either, "Over seven hundred years ago."

Taking another sip, she paused, letting the time and the fact she was a human sink in.

"My parents were powerful Sith, and when the Gulag came, they wanted to keep their family safe. So they put us in pebbles. I was about a year old at the time. My grandmother stole that pebble and kept it. She released me two years ago, into an adult body, in the Southern Systems. I was part of the Confederacy until I got tired of being treated like a cheap meat shield and abdicated along with a handful of close friends."

 

[Faegard]

Scherezade produced a huge mug filled to the brim with sweet, foamy, milky cream.

I didn't even try to hide my excitement, my tail flicking with glee and my pupils dilating. She sheepishly promised that it was a normal drink for her, and the creamy beverage wasn't simply because of my feline state. Reaching out, I wrapped both hands around the mug, bringing it to my lips and pausing to inhale the scent. However, I slightly misjudged the mountain of foam and blinked as I managed to get a little on my nose, lowering the mug enough for my tongue to lash out and lick it off.

"Oh kitten," I chuckled, "you have the most excellent taste in drinks! Even if you were shamelessly indulging a stereotype... if it means I get cream, I honestly don't care."

I canted my head to one side as she spoke about my shifting, assuring me that it didn't put her off. Idly I sipped the drink, unable to entirely stifle a soft purr. I hadn't had anything quite like this in some time.

"I usually retain full sentience." I replied.

My expression faltered for a moment, seemingly similar to the way hers did. I wasn't sure what she might have been thinking, but my own thoughts drifted back to that one time on that station, where I'd entirely lost control. Far from being able to control it, I hadn't even known that it happened at all until I'd shifted back, the station law enforcement rushing to where I'd been. Usually.

As the young woman sipped her drink, I did the same, feeling the pleasant taste chase away the uncomfortable thoughts. As she mentioned her age, my eyes widened, ears swiveling in her direction.

"Seven hundred years?" I echoed, "girl, you look great."

Scherezade went onto explain. My expression softened some. It can't have been easy, being thrust into adulthood and forced to grow up without a childhood. Beyond that, to have been taken advantage of, plucked from the galaxy and used with no regard for who she was or what she needed. I felt a tinge in my chest, a memory I couldn't quite reach seeming to stir.

"Well, I'm glad you got out of there."

My tail began to swish behind me and I turned briefly to glare at it... like that would stop it. I swear it was like it was controlled by a different entity entirely. Another sip from the drink, and I felt it calm down. We cats might be difficult to control, but pleasing us is fairly simple with a little know how.





[member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

[member="Valrayne"]​

Another cream lover. Scherezade smiled and took another sip from hers, already setting the relevant machinery to heat two more mugs up. Something inside of her felt like they were going to be wanting them sooner rather than later, in all the good ways. This specific batch that she had in her cooler was made from the milk of an animal called a Thala-siren, found in the Unknown Regions. Scherezade hadn't gotten the milk herself, but she'd enjoy the taste of it, and the fact that once the fats were separated from the whey, the green color vanished, leaving the creamy white behind.

She said nothing though as Valrayne said she was glad she'd gotten out of there. Only time would tell if that had been the right choice. It did seem though as everyone who Scherezade knew was better off. And in more ways than not, so was she. She certainly was treated better, and she had much more freedom now, and… And people that actually cared.

"I was on Felacat a year ago," she found herself saying, trying to somehow fill the sudden silence up a little, "Trandoshans had attacked the planet and taken the royal family hostage. I managed to infiltrate and pretend I was one of the servants for a few days." She smiled at that. Those few days were… Interesting. "Made a few people unhappy because I knocked the royal family unconscious and stuffed them into a closet. For their own safekeeping. But I sort of hate Trandoshans. Not all of them! But they were my enemies back when I had to do illegal fighting on Coruscant just to get some credits for bacta and gas."

Leaning back in her chair, Scherezade looked at the birds that were flying around. Yeah… Damn good thing that it wasn't her personal ship. And this one had droids to clean up after the litter that these birds were leaving. Birds were always such messy animals on that front.

"Do you have any combat experience?" she found herself asking, returning her gaze to the kitten.