You Look Just Like Your Father

[Quietus]

Somewhere... port city, Kal-Shebbol. Trade bazaar.

It was the quintessential melting pot of the outer rim, one of last stops on a major trade route and now the destination for commerce from systems spanning far out into wild space.

Desdemona had traveled to Kal-Shebbol many times in her long life, but never had it been so frequent as to have a favored path or store. Her new life had taken her far away from everything she had known for several centuries and for this she was not remiss. The new, the fresh, the unexplored what precisely what she'd had in mind for retirement - but even someone so keen on stepping away from humanity had reason to return to it every now and then.

For her it was simply for the variety ... and because she could.

The schedule of a ruler no longer commanded her daily routines and aside from the rather infrequent visitors to her home, she had no one but herself to tend to.

So, here she was, slowly meandering through the throngs of people. Silently taking all the countless things the galaxy had to offer, so neatly packed into a bazaar the size of a small city. In her visits Des had only managed to venture through a fraction of the shops. Today she discovered the textiles district and pondered over materials for clothing.

Or perhaps something new to practice alchemy on.

[member="Caid Centurion"]

 

[Caid Centurion]

"Son of a..."

Caid's silver-green gaze quickly became clouded as the Daisya-class Infiltrator registered several caution lights in some of the auxiliary systems. The vessel had been through a bit of a situation in an operation some months ago. Caid had the funding to pay for repairs, mind you, but there was a problem. The Daisya-class Infiltrator wasn't exactly mass-produced like...ever. As such, it was hard to find the exact right parts. Instead, Caid effectively put routine band-aids on a wound that was probably going to turn into a damn arterial bleed at the worst moment.

With practiced ease, the Sith Lord's hands began flying over the console. Calculating an exact position while traveling in hyperspace was basically...not a thing for the Sith. He wasn't some astrogation-extraordinaire. However, he was intelligent enough to do some basic math to kinda-sorta guesstimate his position. "Kal'Shebbol?" He'd never heard of it. "Fine, it'll work." In an instant, he sent the new coordinates to the consoles of the two pilots that sat in front of him and technically operated the spacecraft.

They didn't give any acknowledgment of receiving the new instructions. In fact, they rarely said anything. It was beautiful.

Several hours later, the definitively non-human design of the Daisya settled not inside of a spaceport but rather in a small clearing of a forest that the sensors had picked up during the initial approach interface. The area was nearby a city of some sort near a body of water. Did it look promising for having electrical components? Nope, but it appeared to be the least-controlled one, so it would suffice while Caid's crew worked to clearly identify the problem. Caid wasn't a mechanic, and it could have been as simple as a quick re-wire.

Unfastening his restraints, Caid stood silently from his seat and made his way towards the loading ramp. With a purposeful stride, the Sith descended to the ground and out into nature. Inhaling a deep breath, he casually adjusted the crimson-lined black robes that he wore underneath light armor. Gone were the days of the Sith being concerned about blending in anywhere. It didn't matter what he wore - that just was the reality of his life.

In a matter of minutes, he emerged from the edge of the forest into a moderately sized city that seemed to have an immense trade bazaar.

The scent of food caught his nose. Thank the Force.

[member="Quietus"]

 

[Quietus]

Despite its position on the galactic map, Kal'Shebbol was hardly a backwater planet. It had once been called the Corsucant of the Outer Rim for all its galactic peoples and possessions. More currently it was closer to that name than ever - several new major hyperlanes now crossed the Kal'Shebbol system bringing trade, goods, commerce, and people from all the true backwaters of wild space and beyond.

For this fact, Quietus was happy to partake in the melting pot of cultures and social strings. Her handmade garb wasn't so out of place here and her silence even less so. Most simply understood it for the inability to speak a trade tongue, which suited her just fine. She didn't have need to talk most of the time and when she did, credits spoke just fine.

An afternoon of perusing the wares of the textile district left her steps a little more burdened and her allowance a little lighter. It hadn't been a bad day, all things considered - and would only serve to get a little better with a bit of exotic fare in her empty stomach. Difficult to say if she was following her nose or the curious pull of an unseen will on her gut but Quietus ended up in an Atrisian market square. It had been ... probably a century since she'd last tasted Atrisian cuisine but she'd never had a meal made by them that hadn't agreed with her.

An open seat at a hibachi bar welcomed her with the show of lively flames, fast cuttlery, and delicious smells. Hanging her Marauder's Bag over the back of the chair and sitting down, she greeted the attendant with a bow of her head and a gesture of thanks as he handed her a holomenu and filled her saucer with tea.

Time for the most difficult part of the day: deciding what to order when you wanted to eat it all but only had enough room for some.

Retirement was a challenge.

[member="Caid Centurion"]

 

[Caid Centurion]

Caid's gaze continued to shift indiscriminately around the area as he traversed the large bazaar. His large stature and piercing gaze drew the occassional stare, but he was otherwise left to his own devices. The warrior suspect in an area such as this people were used to seeing all manner of sentient and paid particular attention to no one. If he'd known more about the planet at large, he would have undoubtedly come to that conclusion before ever stepping foot off his vessel.

The smell of grilling meat continued to pull him in a particular direction, but the reality of his upbringing also forced him to take a roundabout route. Caid did not suspect some master assassin was utilizing the smell of food to lure him into a trap, but he kept his movements unpredictable as a matter of practice, mostly. After five minutes or so of browsing the bazaar, Caid ended up at a moderately busy hibachi bar. The ongoing show of finesse drew the attention of many, allowing Caid to take a seat mostly unnoticed. A soft exhaled escaped his lips as he quickly perused the options and placed his own order.

Another brief sweep of his silver-green gaze revealed nothing of particular note until... While he wasn't ruled by the sins of the flesh, he, like most people, could acknowledge when something appealing to the eye was in his vision line. Allowing his presence to swell more than it already was by nature, he attempted to ascertain a clearer understanding of whom the woman was. Intrusive to an extent but not enough for Caid to stop.

[member="Quietus"]

 

[Quietus]

She'd just narrowed her choices down to three options when the rancor in the China hutch of the Force bungled his way into her awareness. One would have to try real hard to ignore that beastly thing any normal day of the galactic week, but Quietus was personally and--ahem--intimately familiar with this fellow's particular brand. It wasn't an essence easily mistaken or forgotten but it was one easily enough dismissed when all the stars didn't quite align like they were supposed to.

Cameron whelp.

An insistent one, judging by the swell of his presence.

He was immediately and reprehensibly met with a mental deflection the likes of which could only be described as a beskar cactus to the brain.

The woman did not look up from her menu - she was hungry and would not be distracted.

 

[Caid Centurion]

The sensation was almost enough to make Caid puke. In that moment, he supposed it was somehow fortunate that he'd been subjected to intensive mental torture as a matter of training during a past allegiance to the Knights of Ren. Still, none of them had even approached the strength of conviction the person doing this to him clearly possessed.

As quickly as he could, Caid retreated into his own mind and erected every mental barrier he could possibly think of. For at the least the first several seconds, he could not very well compose enough coherent thoughts to hypothesize whom was responsible. However, as the immense pain subsided, Caid was able to replay the situation in his mind's eyes. It was pretty clear that the alluring blonde was behind the mental assault.

Intriguing.

Silver-green eyes narrowed in [member="Quietus"]' direction for a few brief seconds before shifting towards the man cooking the food. The warning of metaphysical space had been received, but he certainly intended to arrange for a meeting...once he'd eaten. After all, encountering an entity with that much power over telepathic and empathetic communication was not exactly common.

 

[Quietus]

There would be no torture today. No follow-up mental back-swing.

Work smarter, not harder had always been the modus operandi for this particular woman. No sense in wasting time or effort blustering or putting on a show and making a scene where a single, poignant warning would suffice. As the intruder's presence withdrew into his own defensive shell the beskar cactus returned to a pleasant state of serenity where it could make its choice for meal.

Quietus tapped in her order on the holopad and took up the tea, mellowing in the experience of scent, taste, and the visual stacatto of flames and ingredients now flying across the cooking surface at the whims of skilled chefs. It was days like this that made the long flight to Kal'Shebbol worth the trouble. By the end of her meal she was content enough to consider an extension of her trip by heading to Naboo where she could spend time catching up with family.

Merovign had just settled his wife, son, and Sahti into their new home on the little jewel of a planet in one last effort to try and find peace in his life. Ereza was off to Honoghr tending to the newly revived Shamalain brothers Rune and Lear. [member="Aver Brand"] had left to tend to business back on Nadir - no telling how long she'd be away. Dahl and Eor were ... well, she had no idea really but that was hardly news. Likely stirring up trouble on some poor soul's lawn.

So, Naboo it was.

The woman paid for her meal, gave a short bow of thanks to her chef, took up her Marauder's Bag from her chair and set back off into the crowds. No mind to the whelp who had taken his own meal quietly from a distance. Learned quick, that one.

[member="Caid Centurion"]

 

[Caid Centurion]

The greater reality was...Caid had learned that his typical method worked as described. Had he not expanded his presence to get a better understanding of his surroundings, [member="Quietus"]' entire presence may have escaped his attention. The food that he'd selected was delicious, and it went a long way towards sating his constant-hunger. If there was one constant, it was the fact that he would be ready to eat again within three hours.

As the blonde woman came to her feet after paying for her meal, silver-green eyes caught a glimpse of...something. It was a flicker of familiarity. However, he was pretty sure he had never seen this woman before. For several moments, he remained seated staring after the blonde as she floated away. Just as she was about to disappear into the crowds, the source of the familiarity hit him. Blackthorne?

Reaching into his pocket for a couple credit chips, Caid left them on top of the counter as he smoothly came to his feet. With long, smooth strides, the large Sith moved with a surprising air of grace through the throngs of people. He was quite certain that his approach would be easily noted by the woman - given she'd already identified herself as one with increased awareness.

 

[Quietus]

She made no hurry on her way, such was life when you hadn't anywhere to be and no one was expecting you. Following the current of the masses, the woman was but a shark with a full belly, idly riding the tides amidst the schools of prey. When she came to a stop at a traffic crossing and the second shark casually rolled up beside her, a simple glance upwards at the man was all she gave him.

The exchange was short and to the point, like shock-boxers touching gloves at the beginning of a match.

Traffic stopped, tide picked up again, Quietus silently strode along with the flow.

You look just like your father, a calm mental inflection upon the Force to him and him alone, free to be received if he were so inclined to.

 

[Caid Centurion]

Caid only caught a brief glimpse of [member="Quietus"]' glance, but it would be impossible to notice the feeling of her voice rubbing against his mind. Light, fluid strides shortened enough to accommodate the pace at which the smaller woman was able to maintain. Rather than appear to be talking to himself in a sea of people, Caid elected to gently project his voice into the mind of the female walking beside him.

I surmise from your relatively benign demeanor, that isn't a bad thing. At this point, Caid pretty much assumed people either hated Cameron or were fond of him in some way. If they were female, it was about an eighty percent chance they'd been intimate with him regardless of whether they like him or not. Caid didn't even ask these days.

How did you know him?

 

[Quietus]

I surmise from your relatively benign demeanor...

The woman's eyes rolled upwards. Definitely a Cameron mutt. Wordy.

Reminded her of Silencia, which was fitting if she thought about it. Cameron always did get along with her so well.

We ruled on The Sith Council together, a very long time ago. He was the Pillar of Strength and I the Pillar of Knowledge.

Though if he asked how she met him, or when, she honestly couldn't remember. She supposed it didn't matter in the end. Cameron was dead and the consequences of him being part of her family had not lingered beyond that. With no child to speak of with her Great Aunt, it was almost as if it had never happened. As if they never lived at all ... because the galaxy didn't remember back as far as they did.

Which was probably for the best.

Beyond that he was an ally and ... family, for a time.

 

[Caid Centurion]

Caid offered but a shallow nod of the head as Quietus spoke about the Sith Council. The young Centurion had read about his father's work from century's past, ironically a mere decade or so before his own birth. It was the last part of Qui's comment about that time though which...gave a hint as to whom she might be. For some reason he was having trouble actively recalling the name. After all, he'd not been overly engrossed in his father's collected life works enough to commit every element of the very, very lengthy holocron to memory. Most of his concern had been studying things that had a direct impact on Caid's life; things that would help him achieve his goals.

Quietus' use of the word family certainly piqued his interest. Slowly, Caid turned his silver-green gaze in the woman's direction. He knew for a fact that Cameron had only been married twice. The first would have been before his days as the Pillar of Strength. Meaning... You're a Shamalain? Or...related, at least. She could have, obviously, meant something else.

 

[Quietus]

Hearing that name from someone who'd not been properly vetted into the knowledge of it made her skin prickle. Despite her status as the once black-sheep of the family, she'd overcome her disdain for her heritage many years ago. Now she stood as the present-day Shamalain Matriarch with the passing of Silencia, the name finally meant something to her. Finally held a value far greater than she could possibly have imagined.

Things changed when the legacy suddenly was your concern to keep and tend.

Jungle greens glanced up at him once again, catching his own gaze for a moment.

She blinked and considered him, pondering the consequences of him knowing. Quietus may not have had the foresight like her grandmother did to know what various paths her own decisions would make, but she'd always had good intuition.

I am the Matriarch, the woman answered after a pause, eyes returning to the path before her, and that is a name not many people know. You would do well to keep it to yourself.

 

[Caid Centurion]

Caid would have slowly rolled his eyes at @Quietus’ warning, but there was something that caught his attention instead. The woman’s eyes. The air of familiarity that he had sensed prior to them leaving the food vendor soared for the brief moment their eyes met.

Arching a curious brow, Caid abruptly changed the subject. Does the name...Blackthorne mean anything to you?

Caid had pretty much presumed when he’d met the dark-haired, alluring woman that the name she’d given had been some sort of code name. That had certainly been...well...one of the more enjoyable professional pursuits he’d accomplished during his brief time with the First Order.

 

[Quietus]

This boy sure did have a lot of interesting information swimming about his head. She had to wonder where he gleaned it all from, but then she had to remind herself that as the Shamalain family grew and filtered out into the far reaches of space, the knowledge of them grew as well.

Blackthorne.

The woman gave an audible snort.

That was my name... green eyes searched off across the cityscape, looking for the familiar landmark of the GBA Tower where she needed to catch a ferry to the spaceport.

...in a previous life when I ruled Onderon. It is not my name anymore.

 

[Caid Centurion]

Caid could not help but stifle a laugh at the woman's response. With a casual shrug of his large shoulders, the young Centurion contented himself in the knowledge that the woman standing beside him was almost impossibly direct. He hadn't quite decided if he liked it or not yet.

But he probably did. There were a couple questions that Caid had already generated from her statement, but his attention was focused on primary line of thought.

Was... You know I've spent a great deal of my life watching and learning through fairly varied experiences. I presume I met one of your relatives, a pirate. Your eyes are strikingly simmilar. However, I digress... Given her knowledge of his father's almost...ancient history...Caid could easily surmise she was as advanced in age. How long ago did you rule Onderon...and how long ago?

His interest piqued along this particular line of questioning. The Sith Lord's own goals had prompted him to become a continuous student of leadership. However, he knew precious few planetary leaders on anything more than a superficial level.

[member="Quietus"]

 

[Quietus]

The woman rather valiantly ignored the portion of his words that mentioned relatives, pirate, and similar. It wasn't that she held disdain for her daughter--oh yes, she knew exactly who he was referencing--but that she rather would leave her daughter out of the majority of her conversations that did not have to deal directly with the family.

Yes, please do digress...

Two questions to cause her brows to raise just-so.

Quietus took a moment to consider her answer, doing a bit of mental math in an attempt to figure actual numbers before realizing it hardly mattered.

She glanced at him with a blink, Centuries, then turned her gaze back to her path, hanging a right down a sidewalk. That answer summed up all of it rather succinctly.

 

[Caid Centurion]

"Centuries..." Caid spoke in an audibly deep voice rather than a silent one.

As their path altered, the Sith Lord managed to keep from stumbling at the semi-unexpected change in direction. What experiences you must have.

Caid's presence on this planet was not a lasting one. Given the reality that he was merely passing through, he saw no reason to trouble this woman any further.

Well. It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Matriarch of Shamalain. Former Blackthorne of Onderon.

The young Sith offered the woman an easy smirk before turning to step away.

[member="Quietus"]

 

[Quietus]

See you round, whelp.