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[Scherezade deWinter]

POV: Verberri​

Four and a half centuries she had slumbered and waited. Waited for the Galaxy to not only heal from the plague that had grasped it, but for her Queen and King to return. Three years ago, she had felt stirring, and had woken up, knowing her Queen was alive and well. But her Queen never returned home, and shortly after that, her Queen disappeared again.

Veberri had know it and mourned it. She knew her Queen was not dead, knew her King was not dead either. And she had prepared herself to return to her slumber to go on waiting. The people of Endelaan around her had given birth and died, and the clans now held different individuals. These ones did not treat her with the contempt their forefathers had, but rather with respect and dignity, both for her role as Raven, and for her age. She had joined the Circle of Seers that moonless night, invited, not just out of duty, but because those young girls had wanted her there.

It was maddening, this difference.

And that moonless night, she had Seen, and she had known she could not return to her slumber. Her Queen and King were gone, but one of their children lived. Or would live, soon enough.

And so, Verberri waited, and made plans to leave Endelaan for the first time in her long, long life.

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

POV: Scherezade deWinter​

Fighting dummies had been spread out across the spacious living room. Celestine would choke her if she didn't remove them when she was done training, but at least for now, she was good to go. Her cousin wasn't at home anyway, and she needed to improve.

Scherezade turned her back to a dummy, and in a swift move, moved her leg backwards so that it hugged the dummy's neck. Next came the harder part. She wanted to jump and kick the dummy in the head, and then land without falling. She'd done it numerous times so far, but each time, her movements had been aided by the Force. After the speed dating stunt that had been pulled on a bunch of people in the Confederacy, she wanted to be able to do that, and more, without relying on the Force at all. If the Force and her knife were only her only weapons, she was gonna get killed sooner rather than never, and that was just no good.

"Ouch!" Scherezade yelped as her kick, while landing against the dummy's head and severing it from the sheer force, didn't end quite as she'd intended, and she found herself on the floor.

She rubbed her behind as she got up, and stood next to the next dummy. She was going to learn how to do this even if it meant her entire behind was going to be colored by deep ugly bruises.

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

POV: Verberri​

Coruscant. A city-planet of buildings. A city-planet where nature had little to no place. Verberri had no love for it, nor for its stench. Why any child of Endelaan would think to flourish here was beyond her. The population was too big, the number of different species too large, and everything was too damn expensive.

It had taken her the better part of a day to locate the child she was seeking, and the three more days to secure a means to reach what was called "The Penthouse".

Yet as she approached, she could feel the child within. The daughter of her King and Queen. Alive and well and... Verberri paused. There was a surprise to be found within her, and she was not a woman who particularly liked surprises.

Dropped off on the balcony, as she was assured that this was a very common way to enter the Penthouse, Verberri simply stood and let her Presence be known.

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

The scent she felt through the Force was overwhelmingly familiar. Scherezade blinked. A moment ago she had been training in the living room, the dummies mostly broken, sweat coming in big droplets down her forehead. And suddenly she felt as though she'd been hit through the Force, the presence of another overwhelming most of her senses almost entirely. It wasn't Celestine. She knew Celestine. This was...

She had to go see.

Rising from the floor, the young Sithling almost ran to the balcony, where she knew the person was standing. Her first instincts wanted to gasp and take a step back when she saw the woman, or rather, the woman's lack of eyes. But she knew this person. It was... It was...

"Verberri?" Scherezade asked with wonderment.

"It is I, child," the woman replied.

Scherezade smiled and closed the distance between them, giving the woman a warm hug. Her body felt so small and so breakable in her grasp, and for a heartbeat she feared she would break her. But Verberri was made of sterner stuff. She was her mother's Raven, she had been there when Scherzade and Brayden were born. She was supposed to have been a huge and constant person in Scherezade's life, before the meddling of her grandmother interfered with all of that.

"Are you well? Are you hungry? How did you even get here? Do you want something to eat? To drink? Do you want to come in?" the questions shot out of Scherezade as she searched her memories for proper protocol. How did you treat someone who was your mother's Raven but not a direct relation to you beyond that and you hadn't seen in five centuries?

"Yes, no, public transportation, no, no, yes," Verberri replied. Even with such short answers, her tone was harsh, unyielding, demanding. It felt almost like home.

Scherezade led the two of them inside, motioning for Verberri to sit on the couch. It wasn't really lavish; she'd found it in a thrift shop a few months prior. Credits were sort of an issue. But it was comfortable enough, and free of any fleas. Despite Verberri not being hungry or thirsty, she had the droids bring something over. Finger food, water, maybe some wine. She was sure Celestine kept wine in the house.

Only then did she realize that she was a mess; sweaty from her work out, hair matted, and not really much to look at.

She felt shy.

"What are you doing here, Verberri?" she asked, having yet to master the art of small talk, "did my mom send you? Is she awake? Is she well?"